(A/N: I'm still alive, I swear! Sorry for not updating sooner- this is actually the third laptop I've bought since my favorite one 'died'- seems I have no luck with electronics. Anyway, please enjoy, and sorry again for the delay!)

"Here we go!" Honda gave a quick tug upwards on the reigns. Alipes raised her head, and turned just enough to be completely unshaded by the apple tree. Without warning, her dragonfly legs compressed and unwound in a single, smooth motion- and they were airborne.

'That was far easier than I thought- why, it barely seems like we've left the ground at all!' Ryou glanced down as the stables disappeared below them, growing smaller and smaller as they flew. 'I've heard that riding a horse can be uncomfortable, but this is like floating by on a cloud- all quiet and comfy!'

Indeed, the dragonfly's body was surprisingly light- Ryou could barely feel the creature moving beneath them. Her strong wings gave a reassuring 'hum', but otherwise there was almost no sign of the lustrous being guiding them. 'Evidently, she has a very thin exoskeleton of some sort, with a marvelously powerful musculature...'

"Seems like we've got some minor turbulence ahead- just hold on!" Sir Honda bellowed back towards the other passenger.

Ryou felt his stomach tumbling into his throat, but despite the slightly disorienting twists and turns... he was thrilled. He had never felt so light, so weightless and free... it was as if he was gliding through a dream. 'And it's such a wonderful dream... I do almost wish this could last.'

The otherworldly youth tried not to think on their eventual destination; he wanted to focus on the last marvels of Wonderland while he could.

'Oh!' Ryou nearly yelped out loud when he felt the first traces of moisture strike his face. It took him a moment to realize that they'd just passed through a small cloud!

And it looked like they were about to go through more of the same wispy-ish mountains of white and blue. More bits of cloud occasionally struck his face, and though they were cool, they were not uncomfortably cold. They faded very quickly upon contact, dissolving into tiny droplets that fast evaporated. A large poof landed near his mouth, and though it startled him at first, Ryou was still tempted to taste some. 'Thought that might not be wise- who knows what Wonderland clouds are made of?' So he opted to keep his mouth shut, letting his eyes drank in more than enough to fill his curiosity instead.

Apparently Wonderland was made up of quite a varied terrain- some patches of ground looked purple and dense; as though they were covered in a thick, lilac-colored heather. Other portions were deeply inset with swirling and blue-like tones; evidently part of a system of connected lakes. Yet not all of these moving expanses were colored like water- one lake seemed to have an orangish-gold tint; while the smallest lake looked more pink than blue. Ryou was dying to ask if the pink lake was covered in pale water-lily type plants, but he remembered the guard's earlier words and decided not to bother yelling.

'And besides, who do I think I'm fooling; pretending that this isn't a dream? It is, it surely has to be... even if my dreams aren't usually anywhere near this creative...' Ryou felt his stomach drop slightly as the graceful dragonfly dipped her head. 'It looks like we're nearly there-' he glanced at the shimmering creature's wings and felt a small smile cross his lips. 'I do think she can touch down just as smoothly as she got us into the air.'

Sure enough, the elegantly lithe mount was able to 'hover' above the ground at the perfect moment. Ryou watched in awe as Alipes easily beat her wings in a series of brief bursts. The gently humming wings continued going until they'd lost enough momentum, and Ryou barely even felt their meeting with the ground.

"Ah, a perfect landing as always." The guard gave the dragonfly a gentle 'pat' on the head as he dismounted, and she seemed to make a faint buzzing noise in response ('Almost like a purr!' Ryou pondered). The knight then began to undo the straps and harnesses keeping Ryou atop the mount. He eventually helped the foreigner 'slide' down the dragon's side until he was back on land. "Alipes is fantastic when it comes to smooth touchdowns." Honda seemed happy to sincerely praise the beautiful creature, and she responded with another enthusiastic 'purr'.

"Indeed!" Ryou grinned as he watched the pleased steed fold her shining wings into a more restful pose. "Thank you for the ride, Ms. Alipes! It was amazing!" The blue-and-purple creature gave a faint bow of her front legs, as though gracefully accepting the compliment. 'Seems she certainly is intelligent!'

Honda gave a chuckle at this response, but then a noise from behind distracted him. He tapped the other rider on the shoulder with a grin. "And now here's the third reason I promised you- turn around."

Ryou glanced over to the where the guard was pointing and saw a familiar face smiling back at him from on the ground.

"Yugi!"

The seated lapin-mix grinned as he stood up and wrapped his arms around the taller teen. He'd clearly been waiting for the flying pair. "I just had to say 'goodbye' again- Yami wanted to come with, but he's a bit slower; being a full human and all."

"That was still very nice of him to think of me- I'll miss you both. And Jou, and..." Ryou felt something twinge within his chest as he pictured a pair of fiery eyes, set above a wry smirk...

"Ryou?"

Ryou knew he had to do something. After a moment of deep thought, he decided on a rough plan. He glanced downwards at the shorter messenger and timidly asked, "...Yugi... do you think you could do me... a very serious favor?" Ryou suddenly put his hands behind his thin, pale neck; gently grasping at the tiny chain hiding just beneath his uniform collar. He carefully unclasped the thin, golden necklace and gracefully lifted it over his head. A small, golden heart pendant dangled modestly from the lowest point of the chain.

"Could you please..." his voice nearly broke, and the otherworlder felt his mind stop for a moment. "Could you please give this to King Bakura? As a token of my appreciation, and gratitude?"

Yugi raised his fur-lined hands upwards, and allowed the foreigner to place the slender chain across his palms.

The puzzled rabbit stared at the shining trinket now resting in his hands. "A heart-shaped pendant?"

The foreign youth nodded. "It belonged to my younger sister- I've worn it every day since she died. It means more to me than anything."

Jou glanced down at the golden locket with an even more perplexed expression. "Then... why're you givin' it away?!"

"I want this place to be real. It feels so real... and yet... it simply can't be." This didn't seem to convince the two messengers, so Ryou added, "I never take that locket off, so if it's gone when I return home..."

"I see- it's both a gift and a memento." Yugi nodded knowingly. "You want to remember your time here, and leaving this behind is one of the only ways to prove to yourself that this all really happened."

"Eh?" Jou still didn't seem to fully understand, but he shrugged after receiving an approving nod from his half-rabbit pal. "Well, if that's what ya really want..." But the blonde's voice was somewhat drawn out, as though hinting how much he would like his new friend to stay.

Ryou's eyes grew damp, and he glanced downwards to temporarily distract himself. He was surprised to spot a flurry of movement near his ankles. It looked like the greenest blades of the field's grasses were 'jumping' from side-to-side; a few of the shoots occasionally collided with one another, but they would only fall gently back to the ground, without any apparent problem.

'Grass-hoppers. Of course.' He gave a faint smile at the realization. Everything in Wonderland was delightfully familiar, yet new; and he felt another tug on his heartstrings not to leave behind the most fantastical place he'd ever seen...

'Yet... I can't. I mean, for all I know, my real body could be lying in a ditch in a coma somewhere... with father going out of his mind with worry...' Ryou felt himself tearing up as he glanced into the dog-boy's warm eyes. "I'm really sorry Jou, but I don't have a choice." He soon found himself being wrapped up in a big, fuzzy hug from both of the now-sorrowful hybrids.

"Sorry, I jus' hate goodbyes!" Jou loudly exclaimed as he held back tears of his own.

Yugi nodded in agreement. "Good luck then, Ryou- we'll never forget you."

The foreigner felt his voice break as he also swore, "I'll never forget you guys either."

"Now is the time, if you truly mean to go." Even Honda sounded a bit disheartened by Ryou's choice. But he gave a respectful bow and gestured towards the swirling void just behind the nearest group of trees.

Ryou swallowed heavily. He had never been less sure of anything in his life. But still, he stiffly marched towards the portal. There was a moment's hesitation, and then a brilliant flash of light, and the boy from the other world vanished.