A/N: The last two chapters are particularly short because originally they were a single chapter, but I wanted the break from Yami's stream of consciousness to be more obvious and jarring, so I uploaded them separately. I'll also point out that I was sorely tempted to end this story with a bullet in Yugi's head, but there's more that needs to be told, and I'm a sucker for semi-happy endings. We'll see what happens.

SELFLESSNESS AND SARCASM

Chapter Seven: A Fine Line

As it turns out, the little stunt I pulled on my death bed (or death floor in this case) worked, and I was able to seal my spirit within that infernal dagger, partially because I'm so powerful but mostly because I'm just that awesome.

I know what you're thinking though; why wait until my poor aibou was milliseconds away from eating lead before making my big entrance? Well, I wanted to interject at the perfect moment, cementing the fact that I am a badass. Not only a badass, but also a suave motherfucker.

Beyond that, it took me a while to figure out how to work this thing. It's not like the Millennium Puzzle you know, it was never designed to hold a 5000-year-old spirit inside. I don't even have a soul room in here, it's just universally black and while I'm within it I just sort of float. It's a level of boring that you could never comprehend. At least in the Puzzle I could wander around and explore the Escher-esque labyrinth for hours on end. I had interesting things to hold my attention, like death traps and hidden monsters. Such fun!

I'm getting off track here. Where was I?

Oh yes. Bakura pulled the trigger.

And right in that moment, I took over Yugi's form and stopped that infernal bullet in mid-air. You should have seen Bakura's face when it dropped to the ground. Priceless.

"Pharaoh…? No, it can't be. You're dead! How the hell are you alive?"

"Surprised to see me?"

Oh man. It's so great to be out of that stupid dagger. I can feel the cool air against my skin. I can smell the distinct scent of city life – a heavy mixture of car exhaust, cigarette smoke and fast food. My eyesight is crisp and welcoming to the low light of the afternoon, and the setting sun casts an orange glow across everything. Nothing could dampen my mood in this moment, much less the tomb robber and his never-ending struggle to destroy me and everything I've ever held dear.

"Yes… I am surprised to see you. God damn it pharaoh, are you immortal?"

I sneered.

"Maybe. I could ask the same of you, you know. I think I'll find out."

With that, I held out my hand and an orb of pulsating dark energy formed from my open palm and shot with blinding speed into the chest of Bakura. He went flying back, finally colliding with the brick wall behind him. When his eyes fluttered open he grimaced, and I could see the blood coating his teeth.

I was poised to hit him again when I felt Yugi's essence fighting for control. He probably has no idea what's going on. I'll let Bakura go, for now. I toss one last threatening glare in his direction before dodging behind the alley corner. I can't hold control much longer, so I'll just have to deal with the tomb robber another time. I dart inside the Kame Game Shop and up to Yugi's room, and I relinquish my control, only to project myself beside him in spirit form, just like old times. I miss my body, but this will have to do for now.

Yugi's just staring at me, and it's a bit off-putting. I expected a warm, teary-eyed welcome, but there's this foreign hopelessness in his eyes that doesn't settle well with me.

"You're not real," he manages at length.

Of course. This could easily be another trap. He shouldn't trust me right away. Smart boy.

I decide to condense our history into a heart-warming little speech. He'll know it's really me.

"Don't believe it's me? If I was an imposter, would I know that we first met when you pieced together the Millennium Puzzle and you wished for a friend? Since then we have gone on to accomplish incredible things by working together. Recently, Abianes and his brother arranged to… distract me for a night – the same night you were kidnapped. They promised your safety in return for my blood, which is apparently powerful to them. They made me kill myself with this dagger, and in my final moments I managed to seal my soul within it."

I pause to step forward and place an ethereal hand on Yugi's shoulder. His façade is faltering. The light is returning to his eyes. Still, I see him flinch at the contact, and I know he needs some final confirmation of my legitimacy.

"Aibou… I've missed you."

This does it. He lunges forward to hug me… and he passes right through. I let out a world-weary sigh as Yugi turns around in frustration.

"Your body…" he begins. I finish the thought for him.

"…is ruined. I suppose we're back the way we were."

Yugi runs a trembling hand through his hair. He looks ragged, overwhelmed. I want to hold him and comfort him and make him forget all of his worries, but my spirit form is just worthless.

"Yugi… I think we should pay Ishizu a visit before we do anything else. I need my own body."

He nods in silent agreement.

Ishizu is where she always is, tucked away in the back of the Domino museum presumably doing dull, menial tasks like brushing the dust off of bits of ancient pottery or completing the crossword in the Sunday paper. When she sees Yugi, her only act of acknowledgement is a small, nearly imperceptible nod of her head. She's so damn stoic. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen her smile.

Subconsciously I note that if she's so uptight while in the public eye, she must be kinky as all hell in bed. I quickly push this thought away. That's another pursuit, for another time.

"Yugi, I heard about what happened to the pharaoh. I am deeply sorry for your loss."

Her words are hollow and emotionless. Had I been the one in control, I would have rolled my eyes. Yugi, being polite as he is, just smiled nervously.

"Actually Ishizu, that's why I'm here. It's a long story, but before Yami… died, he managed to seal his spirit within this dagger." Here my hikari draws the blade from his backpack and Ishizu regards the relic with mild interest. "We were hoping you could help us by building a body for him once more and transferring his essence over."

A dark film settled on the Egyptian woman's countenance. She turned her stony gaze away and began detachedly studying some ancient tools displayed behind a glass casing.

"Yugi…" she began, "I cannot simply revive the pharaoh every time he is in peril. It's… morally unsound. Death is an ordeal we must all face; there are no exceptions. The pharaoh served his given purpose a year ago in quelling the ancient terrors that threatened to ravage this world, and I aided him in any way I could. But now… I no longer take responsibility for his safety. It is the nature of life."

I was about to take over and chew her out for being stupid, when my aibou took a threatening step forward. I cocked an eyebrow. This could be interesting.

"Don't be ridiculous Ishizu, Yami's chances at having a normal life were ruined 5000 years ago, and after all the sacrifices he has made to keep us safe, he deserves a second chance to just… live."

Before Yugi could continue his onslaught, I took control. Ishizu noticed. She always does.

"Besides that," I drew out deliberately, "it's your fault I'm in this predicament anyway."

It was Ishizu's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh?" she prompted.

"Yes, you unwittingly relinquished my information to the mayor and his brother Khaba when they paid the museum a visit. You failed to notice the Millennium Eye under Khaba's eye patch, and he had no trouble using it to peer into your thoughts and draw out all of my secrets. Besides that you insufferable woman, you wouldn't be 'reviving' me. I pretty capably saved my own ass, as you can plainly tell. I just need a new body, is all."

Ishizu shifted uncomfortably and drew a quivering hand to her forehead, as if searching for the gap through which my information was drawn from her.

"While that may be true pharaoh," she began at length, "you are asking me to dip into dark magic for the second time. This isn't a process to be taken lightly. Were this incantation to fall into the wrong hands…"

"It won't," I interrupted.

An uneasy silence stretched between us. Finally Ishizu bore into me with those icy daggers she has for eyes and I just knew from the depths of my gut that the next thing she said would be bad.

"Pharaoh, I was able to reconstruct your last body from your ancient mummified remains. I cannot simply create something from nothing. If you want your body back, you'll have to retrieve it from your attackers.

I went rigid. There was no telling how the fat brothers disposed of my abused body. I could practically feel Yugi's mental presence shudder at the thought of seeing my lifeless form. A thousand questions raced through my mind…

Where could I find Abianes?

How could I get him to tell me what he did with my body?

Is it even worth it…?

Yugi took over for the walk home. I took that time to float in the darkness of my dagger prison and search my mind for the right answer. If I pursued this now, I would be putting Yugi in harm's way again. But if I didn't… he would never have a moment of true privacy for the rest of his life.

When we were secure in Yugi's bedroom I took my spirit form and appeared before him. I could see the anxiety etched on his tired features. I extended a transparent hand to rest on his cheek as he regarded me sadly.

"What do you want?" he asked at length.

It was a simple question, and a good one. The truth was, I wanted whatever he wanted. My own happiness hinged on his happiness. I stepped back and growled in irritation, thoroughly fed up with my own rotten luck.

"I mean… I should be more specific," Yugi began. "You were so happy to have your own body, and you know I wouldn't hesitate to help you get it back. But if you don't want to face Abianes and Khaba again, I understand, and we can just go back to the way things were in the beginning."

The ghost of a smile spread as I marveled at Yugi's seemingly infinite compassion.

"To be honest aibou, I'm torn. On one hand, I could retrieve my own body and you would be able to resume life as a normal person, without the burden of housing a second entity. Yet, if I face the mayor and his brother again while we share a body, I will by extension be putting you in harm's way.

"On the other hand, if I say 'screw it' and just dwell within you for the rest of your life, you'll be safe, but you'll always be held back by my presence and…"

I was cut off by Yugi's laughing. I wondered what the hell was so funny.

"Yami… you've spent your entire long, strange existence making sacrifices for others. This is your decision. I genuinely just want you to do whatever would make you happiest."

I turned to my hikari and grinned, my mind made up.

"Lets get my body back."