Chapter 36

The latest and very greatest booster packs for Duel Monsters had arrived, and both Game Kings were enjoying themselves, looking through all the new cards and modifying and reorganizing their decks. They sat in the living room, cards spread out in very particular piles on the floor and on the coffee table, picking piles and setting them down beside others as though they were about to build a pyramid out of cards. Yuugi's grandfather could not understand how any of it was strategy, but after looking at the circles they'd made on the floor with the cards, he supposed that it was just the way they thought. The television was on, but neither was paying attention, being as it was just background noise for them to think.

Three god cards rested on the table, delicately placed beside an elaborate gold puzzle box. They belonged in Atem's deck, but he had told Yuugi that he had no use for them when evil was not threatening their life. So they would remain the gold box, sometimes, or in a card box he kept on him, until it was necessary to use them once again. The only other card resting beside the god cards was a very peculiar Dark Magician, clad in not the usual purple robes, but instead in red ones. Both duelists regretted that they could not use this card, but its sides had been trimmed by its last owner and so it was illegal to use in a duel.

Humming quietly, but mostly just sitting in the silence, occasionally glancing at each other, they were startled when Solomon walked back in and said a limousine had pulled up to their shop, and it didn't look like Kaiba's.

Curiously, they headed out to the shop front and were considerably startled to see Pegasus slide out of the vehicle, flipping his perfectly straight hair over one shoulder as he strode up and pulled open the door. The little bell hooked on the frame gave a little jingle, and Pegasus offered a shocked face that looked more realistic than his acting during games. "Pharaoh-boy? Is it really little old you?"

Atem responded smoothly, "Yes."

Pegasus regained his composure rather quickly, taking in Atem's leather-bound body with an air of distaste. He fluidly turned to Yuugi, who was still staring at him with wide eyes. "Yuugi-boy! Why wasn't I informed of this startling development? Is it because you think I'm not important enough? Well? Is it?"

"Ah —erm..." Yuugi stumbled, looking to Atem for some assistance.

"We have been preoccupied with more pressing matters," Atem said gravely.

Closing his eyes in mock horror, Pegasus pressed a hand over his chest and moaned, "More pressing matters than your resurrection, Pharaoh-boy? And you didn't see fit to tell me about this either? You wound me."

"Sorry," Yuugi offered uncertainly.

Inside Atem's shirt, the Millennium Ring was shuddering as it tried to lift its pointers in warning. Atem pulled it out from and held it horizontally so that its pointers could right themselves. Pegasus became more serious, but he still smiled serenely at Atem. "Been collecting the Items again?" He asked with definite interest.

"You have the Eye again," Yuugi murmured in realization. The gold glint was now visible from under his hair, and he grinned a little wider, pushing it to the side to reveal the Item in the empty socket once more. Atem slid the Ring back under his shirt. "How did you get it?"

"What? You mean you don't know? An old friend gave it to me. Didn't he visit you too, to give you back the Puzzle?"

"He?" Yuugi shook his head in confusion, "Ba— I mean Ryou gave us the Puzzle. He pulled it out from the Stone along with the Ring. Who are you talking about?"

Pegasus made no indication that he noticed the name change, but waved his hand in dismissal. "Why, Shadi, of course."

Yuugi and Atem exchanged a look in amazement. They had both thought that the spirit had finally passed away after Atem had left for the Memory World, and it shocked them that he was back. "When you saw him...did he have the Scales and the Key with him?" Yuugi questioned.

"Oh, yes." Pegasus' attention was caught by the glass display counters, and he eyed the packs inside with some delight. He tapped the glass with one manicured finger absentmindedly. "We worked quite hard on these new card designs. What do you think of them?"

The change in subject annoyed Atem slightly. "I doubt discussing cards was your original intention for walking through that door, Pegasus." He returned sharply.

"But you don't seem to be in the mood to give me an explanation of what's been happening here in Japan, Pharaoh-boy," Pegasus raised an eyebrow.

Sighing, Atem said calmly, "I would be perfectly happy to explain the recent events to you. I apologize that you have been left in the dark thus far. Like I said, the situation in Japan —and in Egypt— has been rough lately. But rest assured, everything has settled down now."

Yuugi was the only one not engaged in the conversation, and they glanced in his direction to see him staring at the door. They turned around.

Ryou was standing in the doorway. He shifted on his feet, visibly uncomfortable. Clearing his throat, he offered, "Hullo, Pegasus. I haven't seen you in a while."

The businessman gave a wide grin, and held out a hand for Ryou to shake, which he did, after a moment's hesitation. "Bakura-boy...the vessel, not the thief." Both men behind Pegasus tensed, and were highly bothered with Pegasus' callous remark. Yuugi made to protest Ryou's treatment, but Ryou offered him a brief smile in reassurance.

"I go by Ryou now," he corrected, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "I wanted our names to be separate."

Smiling crookedly, Pegasus said, "Ryou-boy then. Yes, it has been a while. Last time we saw each other...wasn't it Duelist Kingdom? Correct me if I'm wrong?" He tapped one finger on his chin thoughtfully.

Uncomfortably, Ryou responded, "Yes," he looked over Pegasus' shoulder to Yuugi and Atem, who were watching the exchange with uneasy faces, "if you're busy, I can come back later."

Atem turned to Pegasus, who took the hint immediately. "No, no. You three can have your chat. I assume we can talk later?" This he directed to Atem, who nodded curtly. Ryou looked on curiously. "Then I shall be off. There is...one other thing I wanted to do in Japan. A certain set of spell cards that Mr. von Schroeder was offering over the news. But I heard from reliable sources that he no longer had such cards? I don't suppose any of you would know, would you?"

"The Orichalcos cards were sold to Kaiba," Yuugi confirmed, "he isn't too busy with work today, so you could go talk to him, but I doubt he'd be willing to give them up."

Pegasus smiled cheerfully. "Kaiba-boy! I haven't seen him in ages either. And who knows, maybe if I offered just the right price..." he started out the door, and the bell jingled again gently. Ryou moved aside to let him pass. "Good day,"

"You too," Yuugi answered.

Then he left, and the limousine drove away with barely a sound. The three of them were left standing there in the storefront. "Why was he here?" Ryou asked.

"Shadi appeared to him to return the Millennium Eye," Yuugi said in wonder, "so he was wondering what was going on since the Items had left the Chamber."

"...Who?" Ryou thought for a second, before answering his own question, "oh, I think you told me about him. The bearer of the Scales and the Key." Yuugi nodded. So that is where those Items disappeared to, Ryou thought absently. Then there was a second of wasted breath between them, before Yuugi just motioned Ryou into the living room. Removing his sneakers, Ryou followed the two inside and watched with some amusement while they cleared a space on the couch for him to sit. Then Yuugi made to go get him a drink, but Ryou declined. He waited as they reorganized their piles of cards, for a while just content to sit there and figure out his thoughts.

Apparently they too wanted him to do that, because Yuugi started off the conversation on a easy topic. "Did you get any of the new booster packs that Industrial Illusions came out with?"

Atem added, "There are new fiend and magician types,"

Relaxing into his seat, Ryou reached a hand into his pocket and showed them that he, too, had his deck on hand. "Yeah, I got some. I was going to ask Joey if he'd play me sometime. Or maybe Tristan,"

"You're good enough to duel Joey, Ryou," Yuugi said, and then smacked his hand over his face, "well, not that Tristan's...I mean Tristan is—"

"He doesn't duel," Ryou grinned.

Atem offered, "If you like I would be happy to duel you."

Ryou's eyes widened. "You mean it? But I mean...it'd be too easy for you."

"But I am willing to bet you have a few surprises in your deck that I would not expect," Atem returned, causing Ryou to smile a bit. He liked the idea already, and for a second entertained the thought that he could spend the afternoon with them just dueling. But then he wound his thoughts back up and told himself why he was there.

Flipping through his cards to give his hands something to do, Ryou said, "Bakura's been staying at my apartment." Surprisingly, the statement caused less tension than he thought it would. Ryou looked up to see them both looking troubled, but not irritated or upset. "You're not going to say you're bothered by it?" Ryou wondered in puzzlement.

"No," said Yuugi, "just worried. But I think you know him well enough to know if it's okay to have him there. And you'd tell us if something happened." He was giving Ryou a warm look, and he realized that Yuugi was saying that he trusted him.

He hadn't realized his throat had gone so dry, but Ryou continued on anyway. "Well," he amended, "he's only stayed with me a couple of times. I don't know where he goes when he's not at my apartment. He...sneaks in and sneaks out. Wakes up before I do and disappears for the whole day. Food goes missing in the fridge and that's how I know he must have dropped by." Ryou paused. He fiddled some more with his cards, reading the descriptions absent-mindedly, even though he knew them all by heart. "I gave him a key." Another pause. "Well, I left it on the counter. And it's gone. So I guess he took it. So. Just in case you're wondering where he is. I don't know most of the time, but sometimes he's at my apartment."

"Thank-you, Ryou." Atem said quietly.

Taking a heavy breath, Ryou barged forward before he lost his nerve. "I don't know all of what he did while he had my body, but I know some of it. I can tell you, but I think you already have a good idea of what happened."

"Pretty much," Yuugi agreed, "we saw the news story about how the stolen Egyptian artefacts were anonymously dropped off at the police station."

"Yeah, that was me. The only thing he didn't steal was a box full of scrolls, but I don't know where he got those, so they've been sitting in my closet. Or maybe they're gone by now. He could have taken them."

Contemplatively, Atem suggested, "Maybe he obtained the scrolls on his trip out to the ruins of Kul Elna that day we returned from the Afterlife."

For a minute they thought out the idea, and Ryou put in, "I don't really know what he was doing then. I just got the feeling that he was in a Shadow Game at one point."

Atem elaborated, "Kaiba dueled him and won."

"I'm glad," Ryou said sincerely. He set his deck down so that he could meet their eyes. "Aren't you going to go after him? Bakura?"

They were speaking in their mind, Ryou knew, when they met each other's eyes like that and just considered each other. He waited patiently while they decided on an answer. "I am not..." Atem began, picking and choosing the right words to use while he spoke. His voice was not serious, but just peaceful and understanding. He sounds like Yuugi, Ryou thought, like he does when he's trying to help somebody. "I am not angry with Bakura," Atem told him, "I do not feel the same feelings of hate towards him that he feels towards me. I see no reason to fight with him if he is not harming anyone or using his magic for dark purposes. Possibly he is at this moment, and I simply do not know about it, but historically, Bakura has always been very purposeful in his actions. He never attacked anyone unless it interfered with his goals, and he never called Shadow Games unless he thought it was necessary. I am convinced that though he may still want to kill me, he will not do so through roundabout methods, and will just come after me. Already he has discovered that using the Items will not work. Using a demon will not work. Putting my friends in danger will not work. So that leaves him with very little options, you see. Likely with the Orichalcos set in Kaiba's possession Bakura will make that his new objective."

"So..." Ryou worked out, "until he tries to go after Kaiba you're just going to leave him alone."

"And that will not be for a while yet," Atem verified, "he left the minute that Kaiba showed up at the warehouse. I can only assume that Bakura considers him a strong opponent. He will be making strategies to deal with him rather than just walking up and challenging him to a duel."

Yuugi added in uncertainly, "Are you sure you're going to be okay, though, Ryou?"

He found that his throat was still dry, but he worked out a response anyway. "Yeah. But even if I wasn't...I mean, I can't just abandon him. Even if he's a horrible person. It's because...we're connected in the same way that you guys are. When he's hurt, it hurts me too. So it's not like he's going to harm me in some way. At least I don't think so." He mumbled out. There were several seconds then, where all three duelists just shuffled cards and thought their own separate thoughts. "I was the one who released him from the Afterlife, you know." Ryou finally confessed.

"We thought so," Yuugi mumbled back.

Startled now, he whispered, "But even the others just think he possessed me in order to come back. That the note I wrote was just fake."

"Yes," Atem agreed, "but they have complete souls. Of course they would not realize what it feels like to be with your other half again. Regardless of the sort of person he is."

Ryou pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth as he thought. "It was really horrible for him in the Afterlife. He was suffering a punishment he couldn't get away from."

"Retribution. The gods are not lenient with destroyers." Atem returned gently.

"I was standing there in a replica of Kul Elna. Listening to him talk about the things Ammit did to him. It didn't feel like a lie. It felt like he was just reaching out to me because he didn't have anyone else to turn to. But you know...even with all of his pain, he still told me to go away when I first got there. Still the same person, even with the conditions that he was in. So it's not like I was unaware of what he'd be like when he got out. I just..."

Yuugi broke in, "You don't have to try and explain it to us, you know. We understand."

Carefully, Atem said, "I want to be sure that you know that he has not changed, though, Ryou. He still clings to his past like a drowning man. The ghosts of his people are all he has to live for anymore. He cannot let go of the goals he used to have, no matter that those spirits have long since been put to rest."

"I know," Ryou assured, "it's why I had to tell you where he is. I still worry that he's going to take souls like he used to before."

"We won't let that happen. None of us," Yuugi brought Ryou's mind back to all of the friends he still had to explain himself to. He rubbed his eyes wearily.

"I just wanted to tell you guys first." He got to his feet. Stuffing his cards back in his pocket, he added, "I'm going to go over and try to talk to Tristan now." Yuugi and Atem got to their feet as well, and followed him to the door.

"Take care, Ryou. Phone us if something happens. Even if it's the middle of the night. We'll answer," Yuugi told him. Ryou noticed how easily he fit the 'we' into his sentences, as if asking Atem what he thought had become unnecessary in the equation. Or maybe they were talking simultaneously in their minds. He didn't know.

Waving goodbye, Ryou walked out the door and headed down the street, his back a little straighter than before. With two friends so understanding as them, it felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

Yuugi gave Atem a frown. "Maybe we should go over to his house occasionally. Check on him."

"That would be a good idea," Atem nodded.

They wandered back into the living room to go back to their cards.

xXx

The airport was packed. Odion returned from a phone call with Ishizu, and went to Marik's side as he chatted amiably away with Joey. Yuugi zipped up his sweater and held in a laugh at one of Joey's more crude jokes, but caught Atem making a face as though he didn't quite get it. The air conditioning in the airport was chilling him more than he liked. Kaiba was there too, which surprised all of them, standing stiffly by Téa with Mokuba beside him. He was tapping away at his phone, not listening much to the conversation but listening just enough to get away with ignoring most of them. Tristan interrupted Joey every other sentence with a remark of his own, causing even more smiles all around. Ryou stood by them in silence, having since explained himself to everyone. He was not ignored by everyone else, and felt more at peace with himself than he had been in a while. Joey's sister was possibly the only one missing, but she had gone back to her mother's home in a city a train's ride away from Domino.

"Flight 564 is now boarding." Came the announcement over the intercom.

"We'll miss you, Marik. Odion. Don't be strangers." Téa hugged them both quickly.

Kaiba offered his hand. "Have a safe flight." Marik shook it firmly.

Shrugging his shoulders, Joey said awkwardly, "I've never been good at goodbyes. But call us when you get home. To let us know that you made it there okay."

"We'll do that," Odion said easily.

Then Marik turned to Yuugi and Atem, running his fingers through his hair as he fumbled over his words. "Yuugi. We may be pretty far away, but you know we'll always come help if something goes wrong. Well. My sister will probably spot it from a mile away, so maybe we won't need to come at all. But the offer still stands." He reached out and shook Yuugi's hand. And then he turned to Atem, warily. Atem stared back. "Pharaoh. I know things have been...complicated between us."

"Disregarding the fact that you used to be two people, with two completely different opinions of me, I think that things were rough between us before we even met. I realize that it was difficult waiting for the Puzzle to be completed. I know your clan has suffered, just as the clan of the guardians of the Items has suffered." Atem answered in a troubled tone.

Marik sighed. "I was taught to worship and revere you while growing up. Everything I ever learned was about your life. And the era you lived in. My dark personality was just...me lashing out against the lack of control I had over my life, along with so many other emotional reasons. But now that the original duty of my people has been lifted, things are different. Now we bear the responsibility of protecting what we have been tasked with by choice. I know you already forgave...the Battle City incident, but now I'd like to ask you to forgive this. Bringing you back to once again undo what my other- I mean what I have done. I know that it's a betrayal to you that the person you should be trusting has fought against you."

"That's what's called irony," said Joey offhandedly. It caused Marik to break into a half-smile, before he pursed his lips to keep his face straight. But it didn't help that Atem started laughing.

"Yes, Joey," Atem said smoothly, "and Marik, you should have realized by now...that I have already forgiven you." As he reached into the pocket of the jacket he was wearing, Marik swallowed his gratitude and tried to keep his voice from wavering.

"You..." he whispered, "you can't give me this."

The Millennium Rod was in Atem's hand, held out to Marik without even a look of indecision on Atem's face. Marik was stunned. "You are the head of the tomb keeper clan. Marik Ishtar." Atem said seriously, and for a second the laws and tutoring of Marik's people that had been hammered into his head for so many years hit him, and he fell down to both knees.

"Yes, Pharaoh." The world fell away, and suddenly it was just the two of them. Noises disappeared until all he could hear was his own breathing and Atem's voice.

"Please take this Item and with your sister take care of what has been bestowed upon you. I cannot protect the world alone. I need your help. If this were three thousand years ago, I would be naming you High Priest. But it is not to be; such things have long since passed. I am no longer Pharaoh. I am just Atem, and as far as the world is concerned I do not even exist. I know that you have been struggling with this, and it is hard to accept, but I can not return to the Afterlife anymore. So I am going to live here in Japan. But I still need the tomb keepers, Marik. And there is only one other who is able to wield the Rod." Atem said gravely.

Kaiba cleared his throat. Getting to his feet, Marik blinked as the world around him came back into focus. Everyone was watching them quietly. But Kaiba said, "I am not willing to take the Rod."

There was silence. Atem said no more as he awaited Marik's decision. Then the tomb keeper reached out with a shaking hand and grasped the Rod. Atem dropped his hand, and Marik bit his tongue at the rush of energy. The overwhelming strength. "I would be honoured if you would allow me to serve you once again, my Pharaoh." He whispered back to Atem.

A soft smile. "Like I said before: I am no longer a Pharaoh."

"You will always be Pharaoh to us," Odion said shortly. He was not irritated, or exasperated, but simply telling Atem a fact.

"Last call for flight 564." Said the voice over the intercom.

Odion and Marik shouldered their carry-on bags. Marik twirled the Rod in his fingers for a moment, before sliding it through a belt loop under his jacket. They walked through the metal detectors, with the Rod going unnoticed by the sensors. Then Téa abruptly said, "Ah! Shoot. I wanted to draw a smiling face on our hands. I completely forgot."

Then Joey started to laugh, and Tristan. The rest of them broke out into laughter then, grinning cheerfully and waving at Marik and Odion who waved back. Even Kaiba offered a short wave and a half-smile. "Hey, you guys!" Marik called out to them from in line.

"What?" Joey yelled back.

"Let me know when Bakura starts causing problems again so I can give him a piece of my mind, yeah?"

"You bet!" Joey replied.

They watched the airplane rise from the runway from a large viewing window before turning to leave the airport. The topics of conversation turned to the latest video games within an instant, but Yuugi wandered over to Kaiba to ask if Pegasus had spoken with him. Kaiba's affirmation that the cards were still in his possession reassured all of them. For now, all speculations on where the cards had come from, and why Siegfried had had them, were the furthest thing from their minds. All that truly mattered was that they were in trustworthy hands.

Kaiba walked over to offer a folder to Atem.

"What is this?" He asked curiously, taking the manila folder from Kaiba's hand.

"I'm repaying the debt I owed you. From the first duel we played against each other," Kaiba returned.

Everyone wandered over to get a glance at the contents of the folder, and Yuugi peered over Atem's shoulder. There was a quiet murmur of appreciation as they realized what was in Atem's hand. "I do not understand," the Pharaoh frowned, flipping through the documents that were clearly about himself, though the content was all wrong.

Yuugi said excitedly, "They're things to show that you exist," he told his gaming partner with a delighted laugh, "legally you're a real person now." Atem jerked his head up in surprise, to see his friends all grinning at him. Kaiba just gave a slight shrug, but met his eyes after a moment.

"Thank-you," he told his cousin reborn.

There was fresh air outside, and they walked in a good mood to the rides waiting for them. Atem was quiet, staring at the groups of people that they passed, completely unaware of anything outside their own little worlds.

"I know you're worrying about what consequences your being back in the world will have. I know that having the Items at large again is worrying you, too. But you don't have to be concerned alone, Other Me. I'm here too. To share your thoughts with you. So don't shut me out." Yuugi murmured as he walked beside him, the two of them lagging behind the rest of the group a bit.

Atem turned his eyes to him. {Never,} He assured.

Comforted by the warm voice in his mind, Yuugi relaxed. "You're happy to be able to live out your new life though, aren't you, Atem? Being able to live the life you never got the first time?"

He answered without thinking over the question. "Yes. Because although I once thought that I belonged in the Afterlife, a part of me always wondered if I did not also belong here with you. And now I have the chance to do so. I will not ignore this opportunity. The gods gave me this for a reason."

"You did save the world several times, after all," Yuugi teased, "this is your reward."

Atem smiled widely. "I would like to think so, yes."

"I don't think I could live with you leaving again anyway," Yuugi admitted, surprising Atem. He watched their friends in front of them chatter aimlessly, and said, "Even though I'd want you to be happy, I think that the selfish side of me would win out, in the end."

"You are not selfish," Atem rebuked, frowning.

"But, you see..." Yuugi said softly, looking into his eyes again, "the very instant that we saw each other again I've been more happy than I remember being in a long while. All of the time that we've spent together, I've been revelling in all of it." Atem felt his chest constrict at his gentle smile. Yuugi went on, "And I..."

"Partner..." Atem whispered.

"I've been counting every second."

The End.