Notes: Thanks to everyone who has been interested in this piece! I decided to tack on this short bit, as I felt the brothers needed time to talk and there just didn't seem to be a good moment in the climatic chapter.

Epilogue

Mokuba sat in the windowseat of his room that night, staring out at the starry sky. That was how Seto found him when he came to the doorway and looked in. "Mokuba?"

Mokuba started and turned. "Oh! Hey, Seto." He smiled. "That was some party, huh?"

"You could say that. You could also say that Joey Wheeler knows how to make a first-class mess with pizza crumbs. Not that I'm surprised." Seto walked into the room and over to the windowseat.

"Y-Yeah," Mokuba chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, at least he cleaned it up. . . ."

"Thank God for small favors," Seto deadpanned. Sobering, he continued, "Are you alright, kid? I know it's been a bizarre night. And what happened in the Shadow Realm must have dredged up a lot of unpleasant memories for you."

Mokuba looked away. "It did," he admitted. "And now I'm just confused. I don't know how to feel about Lector anymore, Seto."

"That makes two of us," Seto frowned. "I didn't think I could ever forgive him any more than any of the rest of the Big Five. But he saved you tonight, and according to what you said, he saved you in the past as well. Although he should have done more." His eyes narrowed. "But what he did still saved your life."

Mokuba nodded. "But he didn't come back with us. Do you really think he'd willingly stay in the Shadow Realm?"

"I can't imagine anyone willingly staying in the Shadow Realm," Seto retorted.

"Yeah. So now I'm worried wondering if Khu held him back," Mokuba said. "He should've been able to pass through the barrier, since he didn't mean us any harm."

"Maybe he still meant me harm and that's why it didn't work," Seto said. "He admitted he still hates me."

"He thinks he does, anyway." Mokuba frowned. "I don't know. . . . I wish he could have made it out too."

"I know." Seto laid a hand on his shoulder. "Well, if there's one thing I've learned from Yugi Muto besides friendship, it's that no one ever seems to go away forever. All the people hurt in those 'Shadow Games' came back. Yami Bakura came back. Even the Pharaoh came back. And on the downside, Yami Marik came back and the Big Five came back. I doubt we've seen the last of Lector."

"Maybe not." Mokuba looked up at him. "I wonder what he'd be like if he came back. I wonder if he'd be able to get back in his body or anything like that."

"After all these months, he'd need therapy to be able to use his body again," Seto said, "so he'd be occupied with that for a while." He looked out at the night. "I don't think I'd trust him back in KaibaCorp. Not unless he could convince me he's over his hatred and would be willing to play by my rules, not Gozaburo's."

"That's totally understandable," Mokuba said. "I feel the same. But maybe you could help him find another job or something. Anonymously, even."

"Maybe. We'll think about it more if it happens." Seto stepped back. "You've had a long day. You should get to bed."

Mokuba nodded. "I'd like to. But . . ." He turned, looking at the unfinished homework on his desk.

Seto looked too. "There's no sense trying to finish that tonight. I doubt you'd be able to concentrate. But you'll need to get to it tomorrow."

"Right." Mokuba beamed, then hopped down from the windowseat and hugged Seto. "Thanks, big brother."

Seto returned the embrace. "Sure." He knew Mokuba meant it for far more than delaying the homework.

"Oh, and Seto?" Mokuba looked up at him. "You said Yugi taught you friendship. Do you think of him and the others as friends now?" Hope shone in his eyes.

Seto started. ". . . Yeah," he said. "I do."

Mokuba's smile widened even more. "That's awesome! You should let them know."

"I guess I should." Seto was thoughtful now. "Only I have no idea how to actually broach the subject. 'Hey, Yugi, I just wanted you to know we're friends'?" He grimaced.

Mokuba laughed. "I'm sure you'll figure it out, Seto! You always do."

Seto smiled a bit. "Thanks, little brother."

xxxx

Across town, at the KaibaCorp Infirmary, a comatose patient's eyes snapped open.