***Okay, for anyone sad at the ending of the last chapter, this should fix it up a bit. Aaaahhhhhhhh~ I've been so busy lately I'm going crazy, but I've started working on Lemonade and Cotton Candy prompts again, so there will be updates for that, and I'll start posting Safe (deathshipping story, 8 chapters) now that this is finished. Hope you guys have a great New Years XD***

Atem could have stayed at the palace, glorified and honored as a king, a hero, a god, but his soul yearned to wander, to meet the people of Aaru and know their names. He went to Kisara first. She spent her days in an oasis in the desert. Once, before his brief, second taste of life, he'd asked her why she stayed alone in the desert, and she had smiled at him and explained that she was resting until Seto returned.

He found her there, wading in a shallow pool with bare feet, her hair dripping down her shoulders and back. When Atem saw her, his heart ached. It should not have been possible, to feel such longing in Paradise, but she reminded him of what he'd forfeited, so much so that when she noticed him, Atem held her cheek and kissed her lips.

She smiled fixing a stray, magenta hair tickling Atem's forehead. "Don't worry. He's strong, and he'll be okay without us. It's only for a little while."

"I know."

Atem spent a few days with her at the oasis, telling her about everything that had happened, but after he finished his story, it was time to move on. He visited the cities next, prayed at temples with priests, watched artisans practice their crafts, spoke with those he saw on the streets. To Atem it felt like years, wandering, meeting people, listening to their stories. Eventually he migrated to the towns and outlying villages. He helped farmers work the fields, helped weave baskets, and fish in the rivers. He did everything they did, it felt like a century, but still, Seto hadn't returned to him, nor his friends, so still, Atem worked. They started calling him The Pharaoh With Dirt Beneath His Nails. He did not mind the title.

Then he found it. A small village in the desert. Atem swallowed when his eyes caught her people dancing. There was music, and wine, and garlands of blue lotus and coriander blossoms woven into their hair and around their wrists and ankles. It looked like a festival, but Atem couldn't guess for what.

His feet froze as he watched them celebrate. He stayed hidden at the edge of one of the huts. They looked so happy, dancing and singing, and Atem felt as if his presence would soil them somehow, transform their joy to ash somehow. He turned to leave.

Atem jumped when he noticed a woman standing behind him. She leaned against the wall, skin dark like oiled teak, hair white as sun-bleached bone, and a smirk that told Atem who she was before she ever said a word.

"Are you spying on us?

"N-no." Atem shook his head. "Visiting. I wanted to . . ." Atem hung his head, staring at his sandaled feet coated with a thick layer of travel dust. "To make things right, somehow, but

I can't, it was too long ago, so I suppose I wanted to apologize." He looked up at her silvery eyes. "I didn't mean to interrupt your festival. I'll go."

She shoved a jar into his chest. The smell of strong wine invaded his nostrils.

"It's not poisoned."

Atem took a huge drink from the clay jar, trying his best not to seem like a snob, but it was hard to chug a jar of wine after experiencing Seto's wine cellar.

The woman started laughing. A shenti covered her broad hips, but the laughter made her dark, uncovered breasts shake. Atem realized she had the kind of figure meant for childbirth and his chest felt tight at the thought of all the little brothers and sisters Bakura never had a chance to know.

She gave Atem a strong pat on the shoulder. "Not bad for a scrawny, half starved Pharaoh." She clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "I should speak with your mother. She obviously hasn't been feeding you enough."

Atem felt oddly bashful in the presence of such a boisterous woman. "I'm not a child."

"So what? You're never too old for a proper meal. Come." She grabbed Atem by the hand and dragged him into the village proper.

"Don't you hate me?" he asked. Atem wasn't sure what he'd expected from Kul Elna, but it wasn't wine and the offer of a meal.

She lifted up Atem's hand, staring at his fingers. "Huh, it's true. You really are the Pharaoh With Dirt Beneath His Nails."

He stared at his own hands as if they could offer an explanation.

"A king has never visited us. Not once, although we built their tombs." She pulled at him again. "Come on, Pharaoh. You need to eat if you're going to be as strong as my Little Dough Ball."

"Your Little - do you mean Bakura?"

She snorted. "That's not what his father named him, but yes, Bakura."

Atem laughed, too loudly thanks to the wine. "I'm Atem."

"Kemsē. Welcome to Kul Elna."

He was handed bowls of food, and bread, and beer, and wine. Girls tied blue lotus flowers into his hair, and gave him wrist and ankle garlands to match their own. Kemsē demanded the first dance, and Atem found himself in love with the village and all its people. He couldn't bring himself to leave them. Their love of games matched his own, and Atem never tired of the challenges. He was going to stay. He was going to stay until Seto returned and they went to find Kisara, or until Bakura returned and threw Atem out into the desert.

And Atem did stay, for a long time, but then a day came when a girl arrived at the village. They knew her and greeted her like family. She reminded Atem of Kisara, at first, but when he saw her hazelnut eyes, he realized she looked like Ryo.

She hugged Kemsē and kissed her cheek in greeting, and then she did the same with Atem. They'd been sitting outside of Kemsē's house, drinking beer as Kemsē told stories that, had Bakura been there, would have gotten Atem murdered for hearing.

"You look like Ryo," Atem said.

"I'm his sister, Amane." She sat down across from Atem. "And I owe you an apology."

Atem shook his head no. "You haven't offended me in any way."

"Nor did I trust you." She shrugged. "That's why I helped Bakura go back, because I didn't trust the gods, and I didn't trust you."

Atem nodded. He smiled at her. "But maybe the gods knew all along - how things would turn out, maybe they needed you to help him."

"Still, you did a great kindness for my brother, and I'd like to repay you." She smiled in return, pressing a pair of clay dice into Atem's hand. "They say Thoth will do anything for a dice game."

Ishizu gasped, her eyes wide and a little scared. Kek's exuberant laughter echoed off the walls.

"You're horrible." She dropped the garment - if it could be called a garment, it wasn't much more than strips of white lace attached by ribbon - back into the gift bag.

"It's your wedding night. Wear something nice."

Ishizu bristled. "I have something nice. Anzu threw a wedding shower for me and they bought me a beautiful nightgown."

"I know. Mai told me, and then she helped me pick that one out for you instead."

"What's wrong with the other one?"

"Nothing." Kek shrugged. "And you'll have plenty of nights to wear that one, but tonight . . ." he pointed back to the little gift bag.

Ishizu cheeks were mauve. "I don't know . . ,"

Kek shrugged. "Your call."

"I'll think about it."

Kek only answered with a dark chuckle. Once such a laugh would have frightened Ishizu, but too much had happened since their tomb days, and both of them had changed too much for a mere laugh to affect her. She threw her arms around Kek. "Thank you."

He bristled but tolerated the embrace. "It was Mai's idea."

"You'll be there tonight, right?"

"Ryo says I have to go."

"That's right."

"I still don't see why you want me there."

"Because." She scuffled his deranged hair, laughing as he jerked away. "You're family."

He stared at his shoes. "But-"

"That world was destroyed," she interrupted him. "This is a new one."

Head still bowed, Kek lifted his lilac eyes up to study her. "I suppose."

"You always wanted that world destroyed anyway."

Kek couldn't help another small laugh. "You have a point there . . ." he looked out the window, as if there was indeed a new world hiding just beyond the pane of glass.

Yugi and Jonouchi each held a child in their arms. Little Atem slept in Yugi's arms, but Izumi started crying.

"Hey, hey, hey, no, no, no," Jonouchi cooed, trying to calm the child before he went into a full wail. He bounced the baby on his knee, making ridiculous faces. "Da-da-da-da-da-da-da!"

The child beamed, laughing and grabbing Jonouchi's bleached hair.

Jonouchi sighed. "I love him, but I can't wait until Shizuka is out of the shower and changed so I can take five. Who knew babies were so heavy?"

Yugi laughed. "Whatever, you're great with the kids."

"It's still exhausting, even being an uncle is exhausting. It amazes me how well Shizuka and Anzu handle it."

Yugi nodded. He hoped Atem stayed asleep until Anzu came back, but at the same time, he relished the he had with his son. Yugi felt love swelling in his chest as his son slept nestled in his arms. It filled him with wonder, constant wonder, how much you could love a person.

Miyu tugged at her dress. She shifted to her right foot, then her left foot, and then tugged at her dress again. Kek nudged her with his elbow to get her to stop fidgeting. She glared at him. He glared back, and Miyu realized she wasn't going to win so she exhaled out of her nose and tried to stay still. She and Kek stood on one side as bridesmaids while Bakura and Marik acted as groomsmen across from them. Rishid and Ishizu stood in the middle. Ishizu's dress wasn't so bad, it was simple and white, but Miyu hated the frilly, lilac nightmares she and Kek were wearing.

Some guy standing behind a podium was going on and on. Miyu wanted to roll her eyes, but didn't want another nudge from Kek's elbow, so she endured the ceremony as best she good, and wrinkled her nose when Rishid kissed the bride, since it was like watching her aunt and uncle kiss.

At least the reception was good. It was odd watching so many people laughing and joking in once place. Miyu kept listening for low groans, kept searching for the tale-tell stumbling that would turn the laughter into screams, but she knew it wouldn't happen, mentally she knew that, but it was still hard to override years of instinct.

"Hard, isn't it?" Ryou asked beside her.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw your eyes. You were looking at all the exits. If a fire broke out right now, you'd be a mile away before someone even made it to a bucket of water, but it's not a fire you're worried about, is it?"

"I'm not dumb. I know they're dead."

"Yeah, that's what I keep telling myself, but I still have three knives on me right now."

"I have two," Miyu confessed.

"I'm sure everyone here has either a knife or a gun on them." Ryou smiled. "I got to where people made me nervous, but really, this is probably the safest I've ever been in my life."

Miyu snorted. "Of course we're safe."

"Of course we are," Ryo echoed. "But that takes some getting used to, right?"

Just then Bakura walked up behind them and gave them both a playful smack on the back of their heads. "What are you idiots doing? They're about to cut the cake, hurry up or I'm eating all of it."

Miyu grinned as she watch Bakura walk away. She exhaled, some of the tension leaving her shoulders and jaw. At least, for the first time in her life, if something wrong did happen, Miyu knew she had people that would get her back. After that Miyu started to have more fun. Yugi and his friends weren't so bad, once she got used to them, and Miyu even tolerated a few hugs.

Bakura chuckled. "See? You survived, dress and all."

"You can't just do that to children. Dress them up like idiots. That's some kind of abuse."

"You had a choice - dress like Kek or suits like the rest of us - so don't bitch to me about your clothes."

"Whatever, both those options were uncomfortable. When I get married I'm wearing jeans."

Bakura pulled the blanket up to her chin, tucking her in although they didn't mention that he'd gotten in the habit of doing it ever since the fire. He'd built her her own little "guest house" in the yard of the his and Marik's new home. It wasn't more than a room and bathroom, she still ate meals with them, but he let her sleep in her own space so she didn't feel suffocated (among other reasons). Still, the odd habit of tucking her in . . .

"Knock yourself out, kid. You can wear a clown suit for all I care."

"And I'm not following any stupid traditions like having you give the bride away. I'm not a door prize! No one gets to give me away."

Bakura stepped back a pace, crossing his arms over his chest. "Like I'd want to anyway!"

Miyu looked at Bakura. A sombre look crossed her face as she sat up, undoing all the effort Bakura put into tucking her in. "Bakura?"

Bakura shrugged. "Look, I don't care if you don't want to go to sleep. Stay up all night if you want, but you're still getting up in the morning for training."

"No, it's not that." She paused for a moment, picking at her fingernails. "It's . . . things are nice now, right?"

He shrugged. "Marik bitches less now that we have a generator for electric lighting. That's rather nice."

Miyu smiled. "Yeah . . . but honestly? This is the nicest my life's ever been."

Bakura stared at the ground for a moment. Then he reached out, ruffled Miyu's hair, and started to leave. "Me too, kid."

"Hey Bakura?"

He stopped, turning a little and glancing over his shoulder.

Miyu swung her feet over the edge of the bed. They dangled because she wasn't tall enough to reach the floor yet. She still toyed with her fingers instead of looking up. "I don't like the word dad. It makes me feel . . . kinda sick, when I think about it - about saying it to anyone. So I want you to know . . . if I never say it to you-" she jumped off the mattress, racing to Bakura and throwing her arms around his waist as she buried her face against his side. "It's because Bakura's a better word. Bakura will always be better than dad."

A smile struggled on Bakura's face. His knees seemed to give way and he knelt down so he was eye-level with Miyu, hugging her as hard as she hugged him.

She pulled herself away and leapt back into her bed. "And this conversation never happened!"

"What conversation?" Bakura stood up and left her room with a grin on his face. Outside, he noticed Marik out of the corner of his eye leaning against the brick wall to Miyu's room. The sky was dark, but Marik defied the night and the dark - gold hair, copper skin, and lilac eyes - every single trait of Marik's was a bright victory over darkness.

"Spying?" Bakura asked.

"You were taking a long time. I figured if I snuck over I might see something amusing."

Bakura snorted and marched towards the house. Marik followed him.

He laughed, leaning close so he could whisper against Bakura's ear. "It's a good look on you."

"What is?"

"Domestic."

Bakura turned so they faced each other, lips close. "Go fuck yourself, Marik."

Marik grinned. "How about I fuck you instead?"

Bakura tried to hold his angry scowl, but his smile betrayed him.

They fought in the sunlight. Sweat dripped from Ryou's chin. Each drop glittered like diamonds, and he was the most beautiful creature that Kek had ever seen - more beautiful that the goddess who'd given him a soul.

Ryou said he didn't want things to go back to the way they were before. He never wanted to feel small again, never wanted to need protection, so they fought almost every day to keep their skills sharp.

Kek's body was still fast, but not as fast as when he killed the undead. He felt utterly human now, no longer a scythe.

He hated the Pharaoh a little, for saving him.

How dare you save me now. How dare you save me now. How dare you save me now and not Marik back then when we were a child.

But what Kek really hated was how he no longer truly hated the Pharaoh, no not truly. He was too grateful to truly hate him. He supposed that was the price he had to pay. Everyone had accepted Kek and, in his turn, Kek had to accept his enemies as well.

But, begrudging as he was, he wasn't going to complain about his new deal. After all, he got to live, and he got to stay in the world with Ryo for a little while longer, and that was good. That was a better ending than Kek (or anyone else) had ever thought to give him.

Seto didn't realize he'd stayed up all night working on his laptop until the morning sun struck his eyes. He was outside, an extension cord keeping his laptop alive. Every room in the mansion haunted him. He kept expecting Atem to be there, in Seto's favorite chair in the study, legs swung over the arm with complete disregard to the well-being of the antique upholstery, or perhaps stretched out on their bed with his left foot - always the left foot - sticking out from under the covers, or even in the game room, flashing a deck of cards at Seto and challenging him to another game.

He'd expected dreams, Atem, Kisara, at least one of them, preferably both of them, but no dreams came. He was alone. He was alone, and so he couldn't sleep.

He knew he couldn't avoid it forever, sleeping, living . . . even in his grief he was too practical to pretend that he could simply fade away in order to join his lovers. No, he was Seto Kaiba, and he had work to do.

And if his eyes watered, it was only because the dawn slanted straight into his line of vision. Seto raise his palm up to his face to rub at his eyes, blinking past the light blinding him. He thought he saw a shadow in the sunlight and wondered if perhaps he shouldn't try sleeping if he was seeing things out of the corner of his eyes.

But the image didn't fade. It walked towards Seto, a very familiar silhouette with the sun to his back. Seto stood up. He heard the laptop clank against the patio, but he didn't care. He stumbled with slippered feet into the grass. The dew soaked through to his feet, but that didn't stop or slow him.

Atem began to run. Seto kept to a strong march, but continuously moved forward. Just before they met, Atem jumped, and Seto caught him. Atem wrapped his legs around Seto's waist and returned the kiss that Seto had given him all those months ago.

"Took you long enough," Seto scoffed once they broke for air, as if he'd expected Atem's return all along.

"There were things I had to do."

"Yeah? Like what?"

And Atem told him, about visiting Kisara, and the cities, and the villages, about spending time with thieves and tricking Throth himself for yet a third chance at life.

"Third time should be the charm, right?"

"I don't believe in luck or charms." Seto brushed his fingers up Atem's cheek bones. "But if they'd work for anyone, I suppose it'd be you."

"So how long has it been?" Atem asked. "What have I missed?"

"I'm afraid you've been replaced." Seto said. His tone and face Kaiba-level serious.

Atem furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"There's another Atem living in the mansion now." Seto turned around and started walking inside to hide the grin fighting against his face "You should probably come inside and meet him. Anzu's probably up and feeding him breakfast."

"Wait!" Atem jogged beside Seto, his face beaming. "Do you mean she had her baby?"

Seto nodded. "And of course they named him after you. Poor kid. I hope he get's Anzu's height."

The light from their new skylight was hardly gray, but Bakura was already trying to wake Marik up with myriad kisses to the neck and shoulders.

"Bakura, this is obscene," Marik muttered.

"I've done far more obscene things to you than kiss you."

"I meant the time of day."

"Oh does it offend you? How about this . . . you stay here and sleep." Bakura kissed down Marik's chest. "And I'll give you a foot massage, and then I'll bring you breakfast in bed, and then I'll stay here and kiss you until noon."

Marik opened his eyes. "Really?"

Bakura started laughing. "No! Get your sexy ass up. We have to water the turnips."

"Is Miyu up yet?"

"Probably not. She's almost as stubborn as you in the mornings. I usually have to drag her out of bed, too."

Marik smirked, grabbing Bakura and pushing him into the mattress.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

"Anything it takes to stay in bed a little longer."

Bakura started to moan as Marik kissed down his stomach. "You're a dirty, cheating bastard Marik. We have work to - gods yes, right there."

Marik smirked. "Weren't you saying something about work?"

"I suppose . . . starting an hour late won't hurt us."

"Mmmmm, good. That's what I wanted to hear."

Ryo was outside, enjoying the starlight. He heard a twig snap and he jerked his head, relieved when it was only Kek walking towards him. Kek dropped Ryo's stereo in the grass, hitting play. Ryo didn't recognize the music at first, but the a violin started to screech and Ryo smiled. "Camille Saint-Saens."

Kek walked towards him, wearing all black like death himself. He and Ryo circled a moment like they did when they sparred, but then they locked their right hands. Ryo used his left hand to hold Kek's waist and they started to waltz. They'd had plenty of time to practice, now that Kek didn't have to endlessly hunt the dead.

"You're getting good at this." Ryo smiled.

"It's the same as fighting, really."

Ryo spun Kek and then pulled him close once again.

"Ryou?"

"Yes Kek?"

They pulled apart a moment and then came close together. "Let's run away."

Ryo started laughing. "Do what?"

"Let's run away. Let's grab all our weapons and a bag of food and some medicine and start walking."

Ryo dipped Kek and pulled him up. "But why?"

"Can't you feel it? Everything is settled here. This is where it started, and this is where it ended, and now everything is going to be peaceful here."

Ryou brought their faces together, almost kissing distance but not quiet, before twirling Kek again. "Isn't that what we wanted?"

"Is that what we wanted? I wanted a chance to live with you. Here we'll exist and be happy . . . but is that the same as living?"

"Well, Domino is doing well, but I'm sure there are other places that suffered worse than we did. I bet there's a lot of people out there that need help protecting themselves from bandits or gangs." He looked at Kek. "We could help those people. It'd be nice . . . to be the one protecting someone else for a change, and I have been feeling pent up since things have settled down," Ryo confessed.

The music ended and Kek grabbed Ryo by the waist, brushing their noses together. "Then run away with me, Ryo Bakura."