Notes: Another little edit when Mokuba is talking about the past, since again, killing Seto was not part of the deal in the original Japanese scene of conspiring with Pegasus, and I don't know who suggested it in the dub regardless, due to the different designs and voices of the Big Five.

Epilogue

Mokuba stood in the KaibaCorp infirmary, looking down at the comatose body of Lector. The other members of the Big Five were there as well, all the same, none of them showing the slightest inclination of waking up. Of course, they couldn't, not with their spirits in the Shadow Realm. Then again, even when they had been on the same plane, they hadn't been able to revive their bodies. Mokuba shuddered and looked away.

"Have you seen enough?" Seto asked.

Mokuba nodded. "I just wanted to see them . . . to know they really are still here, and not able to come after us again. . . ." He bit his lip. "What if they find a way out of the Shadow Realm? Yami Marik keeps getting out. . . ."

"We'll deal with that if it happens," Seto said. He guided Mokuba to the door.

"Yeah. . . ." Mokuba shuffled ahead of Seto. At the door, he stopped and turned back. "Seto, what makes some people able to change their lives and some not?"

Seto rocked back in surprise. He hadn't expected that question.

"I mean, the Big Five are all still stuck in their rut. They can't think of anything but revenge, and they're getting worse." Mokuba clenched his fists. "It was bad enough when they wanted to trap us in virtual reality. Now they tried to kill me to get at you, and they didn't care if they took out several other people too!"

He looked out the door to where Yami Bakura was arguing with the doctor, refusing to remove the Infinity Ring and insisting Bakura be treated first. ". . . And he saved us. . . ."

Seto looked at the scene and sighed. He would have to tell the doctor to let the thief keep the Ring. He didn't want to be responsible for the chaos that would happen if they forced it off of him.

"If I had to guess, I would say the difference here is because he had the support of someone who loves him, while the Big Five don't," he said as he opened the door. "I fell deeply into my own rut of hatred and anger, and I couldn't find my way out until you spoke up and let me know what was happening to me. I was so wrapped up in thoughts of revenge that I couldn't see how it was twisting me. The Big Five don't have anyone they care about enough to point something like that out to them. If anyone tried, they wouldn't listen."

Mokuba looked down. "I remember when Lector looked out for us. He wasn't nasty like Gozaburo, and I actually thought maybe he might care about us."

"If he did, that's long gone now," Seto said. "And even if I'm partially responsible for that, it's no reason for him to take out his anger on you."

Mokuba sighed. "Do you ever wonder if we could have run KaibaCorp with them?" he wondered.

"Not really," Seto said. "I thought at first it would work, but then I saw that they still wanted to adhere to Gozaburo's ideas and keep KaibaCorp as a weapons company. That was unacceptable. They knew I wanted to change the course of the company and they thought they could 'keep me in line' and run it the way they wanted it to be run. I beat them to it by taking away a lot of their responsibilities and giving them jobs in my new version of KaibaCorp. I can't blame them for not being satisfied with that, but they should have realized as much as I did that our different ideas were not going to mesh."

"I wonder if there's any hope for them or if they'll never change," Mokuba mused.

"I doubt it." Seto peered down at Mokuba. "You're not getting any ideas, are you?"

"Not really." Mokuba shook his head. "I just kind of miss when Lector cared, if it wasn't just an act he was putting on to please Gozaburo." His eyes narrowed. "But I don't know if I could ever get past everything he's done since turning against us. I know I got past stuff with Noa, but he was really just a kid and Gozaburo had treated him rotten, so it seemed easier to forgive and to believe there was still good in him. With Lector, he's an adult and it seems like he should know better than to try to go after kids." He clenched his fists. "I feel like he really betrayed our trust. I guess he feels like that about you, but most people don't get that extreme if something goes wrong." He frowned. "I kind of wish I'd met up with Lector and I could have asked him if he ever really cared. I'd like to know. I guess I never will now."

"Supposing you did, and he said he had," Seto said. "Would that change anything?"

"I don't know," Mokuba said. He looked down. "I'm all confused. . . ."

Seto laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's hard to lose people you thought cared. But there's nothing you can do about it. You have to move on with your life."

"Yeah." Mokuba looked up and smiled. "And I'm so glad we can move on together, Seto."

Seto smiled as well. "I am too."

"I just hope people are going to give Duel Monster Days another chance," Mokuba sighed.

"Well, while opinions are of course mixed, Roland said that quite a few people are even more enthused about the game after today," Seto said.

Mokuba's eyes widened. "That's awesome!"

"And thankfully, most people apparently believed him when he said in today's press conference that we weren't responsible for the game being broadcast across the city," Seto continued.

Mokuba beamed. "I guess there'll always be some people who'll be suspicious, but it's great to know that most of them aren't."

Seto fully agreed. He hadn't been looking forward to the headache of running damage control. He would still need to, of course, but knowing that not everyone believed KaibaCorp was responsible for the trouble was encouraging.

They reached the others, and the doctor started and looked up in frustration. "Oh, Mr. Kaiba! This patient is impossible! He won't remove his trinket and he refuses to be treated at all ahead of the boy!"

"Just do what he wants," Seto said. "They both need to be looked at, don't they? So just take Bakura first instead of standing around arguing about it. And as for the Ring . . ."

"You think it's a trinket, eh?" Yami Bakura interrupted. He smirked at the doctor. "Feel free to examine me without it, if you can."

"Oh no," Mokuba groaned.

"Oh dear," said Bakura.

Laughing, Yami Bakura took the Ring off.

The doctor went pale and nearly fainted. "W-What is this?!" he cried. "You . . . now you're transparent!"

Yami Bakura slipped the Ring back on. "Shall I keep my trinket?"

The doctor held a hand to his head. "I can't deal with this. . . ."

"Just let him keep it and get on with this," Seto said.

Still reeling, the doctor guided Bakura into an examination room. Yami Bakura followed.

Marik was just emerging from another examination room with the others. He shook his head. "He will always be a character."

"But the kind you can get fond of," David remarked.

"We owe a lot to him, that's for sure," Duke said.

Seto certainly agreed. He hadn't thought he could trust or forgive Yami Bakura for the past, but now, in Seto's eyes, the man had redeemed himself. He was worthy of trust. Perhaps of forgiveness too.

Mokuba hurried over to talk to Marik. When he did, Téa suddenly appeared and went over to Seto. "Kaiba, that was a terrible stunt you pulled," she said.

Seto was not impressed. "I had to make the Big Five think I was dead," he retorted. "To get them out of my game, I had to draw all of them into the room with the central computer. Thinking I was out of the way was the perfect way to do it."

"And what if Mokuba had come in just then?!" Téa persisted. "Can you imagine how he would have felt, especially after already thinking someone died tonight?"

"He didn't come in," Seto said.

"Well, and what about Atem?" Téa demanded. "He was upset too!"

"What about you?" Seto returned. "Were you upset?"

"Of course I was upset!" Téa immediately shot back. "It was horrible seeing you supposedly get electrocuted! It would be horrible seeing that happen to anyone! And seeing Atem so upset and knowing how Mokuba would feel made it even worse!"

"Then it's really more about Atem and Mokuba," Seto said. "Why pretend it's about you?" He started to turn away. "Maybe Atem should be the one to speak with me."

Téa fell back. An angry retort was immediately on her tongue, but it didn't come out. Seto really did have a point. Only . . .

She blinked back tears. "It was about me too," she quietly admitted. "It would be horrible seeing it happen to anyone, but . . . it was also horrible seeing it happen specifically to you."

Seto slowly turned back. Téa was not a good liar; she always spoke her mind. And that meant she really was sharing her true feelings.

"Then I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Or Atem either, for that matter."

Téa just stared at him, dumbfounded. Before she could possibly find her voice, he had walked over to Mokuba and Marik.

Duke now walked over to her. "What was that all about?"

"I . . . I'm not sure," Téa stammered, shaking her head. She had known why Seto had done what he had. She had known it was logical and practical. Why had she been so upset that she felt she had to say something about it?

She turned away. "If you guys are done, let's go find Yugi and everyone and go home," she beseeched.

"Sounds good to me," Duke said.

"Or maybe we should go to the cafeteria and eat?" David suggested. "Most of you haven't eaten all day, and we ate hours ago."

". . . That's a good point," Téa conceded. "And I know Joey and Tristan would be all for it."

Overhearing, Seto glanced their way. "Go ahead."

"Awesome," said Duke.

xxxx

Eating was definitely a delight. Everyone found something that looked appealing and settled down at the various tables to feast.

"Man, am I glad this day is over," Joey said through a mouthful of food. When he swallowed, he looked to Mai and said, "But I'm a thousand times happier that you're back, Mai."

Mai smiled. "I wanted to come back so many times and I chickened out. I'm glad I finally made it back too."

"You're staying, right?" Joey looked hopeful.

"I'm hoping to," Mai said. "I'm looking at houses and apartments now. Meanwhile, I'm at the Royal Hotel."

"There's a vacancy at my building," Duke offered. "It's a good place. Lots of security."

"Just as long as the Big Five aren't taking over the city and butting in everywhere," David interjected.

"Thanks, Duke," Mai smiled. "I'll check it out tomorrow."

"This is wonderful," Serenity beamed. "The whole gang is back together again!"

"Yes," said Atem. He looked to Bakura and smiled fondly. The boy was safe and sound and Yami Bakura was back to his usual self. All was truly well.

"Tristan?" Téa asked. "Do you have anything you want to say?"

Tristan jumped a mile. "Huh? Oh." He shifted in his seat. "I'm glad you guys are okay." He looked to Bakura and Yami Bakura.

"So are we," Yami Bakura grunted.

"I wasn't sure what to believe about Bakura, but I hated thinking he was gone. And with you, I . . ." Tristan swallowed hard. "I really thought you'd bit the big one, man. And I . . . wasn't okay with that at all."

"I know you've already said that you don't want anything to happen to me," Yami Bakura said. "I remember."

"It's true," Tristan agreed. "I don't want you to be hurt, or worse. I'd feel like that even if you weren't our . . . our friend. My friend."

Yami Bakura quirked an eyebrow. "You're not just being guilted into saying this by Téa, are you?"

Tristan flushed. "No. Téa figured out that I really felt that way about you and that I was feeling guilty for not admitting it before you got clocked by that beam. She cornered me when we got here and got me to admit it. I . . . I'm sorry." He looked down at his plate.

For once, Yami Bakura looked like he wasn't sure what to say. "Thank you," he said at last. "For telling me."

Bakura started to smile in triumphant happiness. It was what he had longed for and hoped would happen for months. Now it finally had.

"Alright!" Yugi grinned. "So we're all friends now! That's great!"

"It certainly is," Solomon said. "We're a much more powerful team when we're all united! . . . Oh my goodness." He stared at the phone on the wall. "I should call your mother and let her know we're all safe. I'm sure she's seen that this madness has stopped."

"I should call Mom too," Serenity said.

They hurried to place their phone calls.

Yugi looked to Téa. "Are you okay, Téa? You've been kind of quiet. I thought you might say something more about Tristan."

"Huh? Oh." Téa, who had been staring off at the Kaibas' and Ishtars' table, snapped back to the present. "No, I'm fine, Yugi. Just fine. . . ."

Atem gave her a curious look, but didn't comment.

xxxx

Bakura flinched as Yami Bakura applied the ointment to his burned skin. Then he sighed, relaxing and smiling. They were home safe now, sitting on Yami Bakura's bed. The horrors of the day were over. They might persist in nightmares for a while longer, but in reality there was nothing to be afraid of right now.

"What a frightful day," he said.

"At least those devils have been thrust into a world of anguish and despair," Yami Bakura said bitterly. "As long as they stay there, they can't hurt us."

"Yes. . . ." Bakura looked down. "You don't suppose Yami Marik will find them and want to team up with them? . . ."

"Of course it's possible," Yami Bakura growled. "Especially since now they'll have a grudge against me in addition to all the other people they hate. But on the other hand, perhaps that fiend will feel that they're all pathetic failures and he won't want to work with them. Most likely, he would rather cause all the chaos and heartache himself."

"Well . . . what if meeting them makes him want to break free of the Shadow Realm and come back to cause us more trouble?" Bakura worried.

"That would be more likely," Yami Bakura said. "Only I doubt he would need to meet them in order to have such ideas. I have to figure out how he keeps escaping so easily! If I only knew, I might be able to prevent it!"

"There must be some way to figure it out," Bakura said.

"Unfortunately, I have no idea what it could be," Yami Bakura growled.

Bakura sighed. It really was a matter of concern. But he didn't want to think about it right now.

"Yami?" he ventured after a moment. "What was Amunet like?"

Yami Bakura paused in his application. "She was . . . very innocent but very mischievous. I mentioned how she liked to go exploring. As the older brother, I was supposed to keep her in line. Sometimes I did . . . and sometimes I got us both into trouble."

"Oh dear," Bakura chuckled.

"And of course, being raised by thieves, we were both growing up not finding anything wrong with taking things. Heh." Yami Bakura smirked. "Our parents had to find ways to get us to realize that taking from them and others in the village was unacceptable."

"How sad to think of young children being brought up to believe stealing is alright," Bakura said.

"Of course, you and your sister were raised just the opposite," Yami Bakura grunted.

"Yes," Bakura said. "Not that we didn't get into trouble on occasion. Amane took pennies from Father's coin holder more than once. But she was made to understand that it wasn't acceptable. And I remember trying to take a small wooden figure from a store once. I put it in my pocket and hoped no one would see. But Mother did."

"So you liked wooden things even then," Yami Bakura said.

Bakura nodded. "I found it fascinating how so many details could be carved into something so small. And how it really only took a simple knife and some patience to make it happen."

"You haven't done much wood-carving lately," Yami Bakura remarked. "Do you plan to get back to it?"

"I hope to, if things will just settle down for more than a few days," Bakura said. He fell silent, idly playing with the edges of the quilt that had been thrown back on the bed.

"What is it?" Yami Bakura grunted. "I can tell something's on your mind."

"Well . . ." Bakura looked to him over his shoulder. "I was just wondering, Yami. . . . You said during the Neo-Orichalcos calamity that you didn't like playing good. Do you still feel that way?"

Yami Bakura hesitated. "I said that because I felt it was a lie, that I was going against my nature. And oddly enough, aside from pretending to be you, I have generally been a straightforward person. I've told people the truth, even if it isn't what they wanted to hear. Anyway, I felt that when I had been charged with using the Ring for good, it was ridiculous to think I could do that if I had to live a lie."

"But?" Bakura gently prompted.

A low growl. Then, resignedly, "You reminded me that my goals in Egypt were actually good, before Zorc poisoned me. I wasn't always a wretched person. And it's true that I managed to do some good things even after that, once I met you."

"And all the things you've done recently to help the others," Bakura said. "Surely you realize that those are also good things . . . even if, as you say, you do them because you're the only one available to help."

"Yes," Yami Bakura admitted. "I realize. So I'm not 'playing' good. I actually can be."

"Oh yes!" Bakura exclaimed in happiness. "But it's not 'can be,' Yami; you simply are!"

Yami Bakura grunted.

Bakura sighed, some of his excitement fading. "Oh well." He managed a smile. "It's definitely an improvement. I guess I can't expect you to fully accept such a momentous truth all at once. But I'm thrilled you recognize any of it."

"It is quite the occasion, I suppose," Yami Bakura said. "I never thought I'd get this far."

"And now everyone trusts you and thinks of you as a friend, even Tristan!" Bakura said.

"Well, I doubt Seto Kaiba considers me a friend," Yami Bakura retorted. "But he does trust me now. And you're right; Tristan thinks of me as a friend." He sounded awed now. "He wouldn't lie about it."

"No, he wouldn't," Bakura smiled. "I knew he would come around!"

"I didn't think he would," Yami Bakura said. "But then I didn't think Joey would either."

"They forgave everyone else," Bakura said softly.

"They always made me feel that I was different," Yami Bakura said. "If I'm to be honest, that hurt, even though I knew I deserved their distrust and unforgiveness. Part of me wondered why I was different to them, yet at the same time I knew why. My crimes were worse."

"I don't think so," Bakura said. "Especially when you factor Zorc into it." He frowned. "Joey and Tristan's attitudes probably fueled your self-loathing, didn't they."

A shrug. "I don't know. I already knew I'd done terrible things. But you expressed a completely different view about me, Bakura. If I was going to listen to anyone, it should have been you. I value your opinion the most."

"I think sometimes it's easier to believe the negative views, especially if they're what you already think of yourself," Bakura said. "If someone expresses a positive view, it feels like they just don't know you or understand the 'truth.'"

Yami Bakura paused. "You sound as though you're speaking from personal experience."

Bakura sighed. "I have struggled with self-hatred many times in the past. I blamed myself so deeply for Mother's and Amane's deaths. It didn't matter what anyone said; I couldn't make myself believe differently. But I've started to come to terms with it at last. I know what you told me is true, Yami; I couldn't have known what my foreboding meant. And I wasn't even there when the car crash happened. I couldn't have done anything." He blinked back tears. "I suppose . . . maybe . . . I've always had some survivor's guilt."

"Naturally you would," Yami Bakura said. "I've had that all along about Kul Elna. Of course I didn't know there was actually a name for it back then, but now in the present day I recognize it for what it is."

"Do you still have it?" Bakura asked.

"I don't know," Yami Bakura said honestly. "I've tried not to; I know it's ridiculous. My family was no doubt grateful that I survived, unless they feared that surviving would be worse for me than dying with them. Knowing you care about me has helped a great deal . . . and seeing Amunet has helped as well. She seemed to be alright. I hoped she would be, once she was free of the curse binding her and the other sacrificed souls to the Millennium Tablet, but I haven't actually known it."

Bakura smiled. "I'm sure seeing her will help you heal, Yami."

"Hopefully."

Bakura fell silent, just processing the feel of the healing ointment. Now, as the hurt skin was past the initial shock of the application, the pain was definitely being soothed. It felt so good.

"Yami?" he softly asked, returning to an earlier topic. "Do you think of the others as friends?"

Yami Bakura blinked in surprise. "I am coming to care about all of them," he said. "I never thought that possible, but it's the truth. I told Tristan that I felt I could come to think of them all as friends. But I wonder . . . what would that feel like? It took ages for me to recognize how deeply I care about you. And I doubt I would ever feel about anyone else that deeply. That does not mean I couldn't consider the others my friends, but . . . I wonder if I would recognize if I did."

"Hmm." Bakura leaned back, gazing into the distance. How to explain what friendship felt like to someone who had never even experienced anything like it until scant months before? "I know you care about the others and don't want them to be hurt. . . . Some people would say even that is a form of friendship. But I know what you really mean are the deeper feelings, the trust and camaraderie and love that only come with a far firmer bond." He smiled. "The trust now exists on their parts. What about on yours?"

"I know they would help me if I was in trouble," Yami Bakura said. "They have proved that more than once."

"And respect, of course, is vital," Bakura continued. "I believe they respect you, Yami, even if they don't fully understand you."

"I doubt they ever will," Yami Bakura smirked. "But trust and respect go hand in hand, don't you think? You can't have one without the other."

"That makes sense," Bakura mused. "But so what you're saying is that you respect them in turn."

"Yes," Yami Bakura agreed. "I didn't really stop to think about it before, but I do."

"Then the building blocks are already there," Bakura said. "It makes sense too if they see you as a friend before you're able to do the same, considering they've had far more experience with friendship than you have." He smiled. "But those feelings will come for you. I'm sure of it."

"Well, you always seem to manage to be right where it comes to me," Yami Bakura grunted. "I have no real reason to doubt you on this."

He finished his task and wiped his hands on a piece of paper towel before beginning to bandage Bakura's back. The doctor had taken care of it at the KaibaCorp infirmary, but Bakura had wanted to shower upon arriving home, prompting the need for another application. Yami Bakura didn't mind applying it. He would need to do it anyway until Bakura was better. It was a way for him to heal a bit after not being able to prevent Bakura from being hurt.

"There," he said as he finished.

Bakura turned and smiled at him. "Thank you, Yami." He reached for his pajama top and carefully slipped it on, then slowly buttoned it. A yawn escaped his lips. "Oh my. I'm very tired suddenly."

"No surprise," Yami Bakura grunted. "It's been an outrageously long day and we didn't eat a thing until we settled down in Kaiba's cafeteria tonight."

"And that was most certainly welcome." Bakura slumped against his friend. "Now, sleep would be very welcome."

Yami Bakura supported the boy as he slumped down. "Then sleep," he said gruffly. "There's nothing stopping you now."

"Yami . . ." Bakura rested his head against Yami Bakura's shoulder. "I'm so glad you're here."

Yami Bakura held him close. It still seemed almost a dream, to have him home safe. And not just that, but for him to be happy at his ancestor's presence. He was already dozing, looking completely at peace.

Yami Bakura looked over at the other bed. It was just across the room. He could carry Bakura over there if he switched forms. But . . . just for tonight, it was nice to have him here, to know he was really alive.

A memory flashed back to him, something that had happened some months before, right after they had tangled with the twisted serial killer The White Death.

The sound of Bakura screaming nearly sent him falling out of bed. They were still sharing a bed out of necessity when the boy's father was home using the room and bed that Yami Bakura would otherwise use. They accomplished this by each staying on one side and facing away from the other. It had been working relatively well, especially once Yami Bakura had determined that they would have more space if he stayed in the form resembling Bakura's older brother. This sudden cry was more than enough to make him rethink their situation again.

He was up like a shot, turning to face the agonized teen. "Bakura! What on Earth is the problem?!" he snapped.

Bakura was shaking, gripping the quilt as he turned to look as his ancestor. "Yami. . . ." Tears slipped from his eyes. "I saw it all happen again. . . . The White Death was there, throwing the spear. . . . I tried to stop it, but I couldn't. It . . . it impaled you. . . . And this time, when I got it out, the magic spell didn't break. You just stayed dead. . . ."

Yami Bakura stared at him. That kind of night terror was what had prompted the boy's anguish? It was true that they finally realized they loved each other, but it was still hard to fathom at times for one who had not been loved in three millennia.

Bakura sat up. "Show me the scar, Yami," he pleaded. "Show me, so I can know it's all in the past."

"You already know," Yami Bakura retorted. But he lifted his shirt, revealing the cruel scar across his waist.

Bakura stared at it for a long moment until he was satisfied. Then he laid back down, still facing the other. "Yami . . ." He bit his lip, hesitant and embarrassed.

Yami Bakura let his shirt drop into place again. "Well, what is it?" he asked.

Bakura went red. "Will you . . . let me see you tonight? I mean . . . instead of us facing away from each other, I want to see you, so I can see you're breathing. . . ."

What a bizarre request. But Yami Bakura was touched by it. Had his ancient family been returned to him, he would want to keep reassuring himself that they were really alive. "Alright." He laid down again too, facing Bakura.

He was just dozing when he felt Bakura roll over and snuggle against him. He started, staring down at him. Bakura was no doubt asleep and had done it unawares, just as he had that first awkward night when they had tried to share the bed. Yami Bakura had tried to push him away then, not liking his space invaded. But now, instead, it felt nice. It reminded him of when Amunet would burrow against him like this. So he put his arm around Bakura and fell asleep like that.

In the present, Yami Bakura stared down at the boy in his arms. Bakura had needed assurance that Yami Bakura was still alive back then. Tonight, Yami Bakura wanted the same assurance about Bakura. It was ridiculous, when he knew very well Bakura was alive, and yet, to a heart that had been hurting so deeply, it made perfect sense.

He laid down on the bed, bringing Bakura with him. He and Amunet had done this on cold nights back in Egypt, innocently burrowing under a quilt together for warmth. Brother and sister, or two brothers . . . it was all the same. Now the days when he and Bakura had struggled to share a bed out of necessity and had fought over the space and the quilt seemed so trivial. Bakura was alive, and he loved him! And the feeling was returned. To have him back was worth any lack of space or quilt.

Speaking of which . . . suddenly the quilt was moving, being pulled over them seemingly of its own accord. Yami Bakura looked up with a start. Amunet was standing there, smiling, not looking jealous of Bakura at all, but only happy for them.

"I love you, big brother," she said softly. "We'll all be together someday. Ryou too. But for now, you're going to keep working on getting your second chance. I know you will! And Ryou and I will both be right by your side all the time." She bent down and kissed him on the forehead before she shimmered and vanished.

"Amunet," Yami Bakura whispered.

"Yami," Bakura mumbled.

Yami Bakura looked down at him. Would Bakura be embarrassed the next morning, waking up like this? Or, after everything, would it seem natural? It did to him.

Strange, how his friend in the past had betrayed him and his friend in the present was true. And now there were other friends too, who would also be true. How was a tired old madman such as he allowed so much?

He closed his eyes, holding the boy close as sleep finally blanketed him.