It was literally supposed to be the last chapter, but re-reading it after my dear Yugi's corrections I thought that this story would need some more paragraphs to be told for its ultimate ending, so look forward for another one - soon, hopefully ;)
Thank all of You who read and enjoy and comment, but the biggest thanks as always and forever are there for my wonderful Yugi for helping me, encouraging me and being there for me :) This story is basically all Yours and it wouldn't exist if not Your strong support! :) THANK YOUUUUU! :) :) :)

14. Admit you've changed

The last hour of the night was spent in serene sailing towards the Field of Reeds' borders. The river was spreading wide there; its waters glimmering and its current much slower. The solar barge was moving ahead no faster than a walking man would. As more gods got on board, Yami made polite conversation with them. He really wanted to join Yugi but he was all of the sudden hesitant to approach his partner. He was full of doubts, unsure of what to say, so he decided to simply watch his little host who never left Bakura's and Ryou's bodies from afar. His tenderness and strength were impressive. Seemingly, he had tried to tend to the thief's wounds, but Horus forbade him to even touch the heavily soaked with blood shroud.

"You heard him. You were supposed not to watch his death, and I assume that extends to his mutilated body too." Yami stood close enough to hear the falcon-headed god speaking in a calm but persistent manner.

"But won't he need any medical care after his waking? This injury must be very deep. I could at least clean the wound…" The boy's concern deeply moved Yami, and Horus must have thought the same, because he placed his hand on Yugi's shoulder and reassured him:

"He will be fine. He experienced a painful, violent death, but I believe he's stronger than that. Ra will only give him a scar on his neck as a reminder of all he has been through. It will be both a gift and a reminder. Don't worry about it."

Seth chose that moment to pass by them with Isis beside him; their voices low as they conversed. Having him only few paces away, Yugi suddenly realized how tall and muscular the evil god truly was. His heavy footsteps resonated with an enormous vibrant power on the barge's wooden deck. He could tear the boy into tiny pieces with no effort, and some part of Yugi was scared that nothing would stop him if he decided to try it. He knew Yami would be there for sure to shield him and protect him, but Yugi was no fool; the Pharaoh was no match for Seth. Deep in his heart, Yugi knew that he wouldn't survive seeing his Pharaoh being killed.

Bakura's death had left the young boy on the cliff edge of sanity, but if the same was to happen to Yami… Yugi shivered, the thought chilling him to the bone. He felt his heart aching, painfully, as he saw Seth's still blood-covered jaws. Imagining that being Yami's blood made him really sick.

Isis replied to something Seth had asked her, and he laughed with a low, growling voice, his grin nothing but sharp teeth. She must have seen him like that way too often to pay attention to such things anymore. She was all revered and composed, showing no sign of anxiety around the evil god, and Yugi envied her for that a lot.

"He scares me so much I can't even find the right words to express my fear." He confessed quietly, another shiver running down his spine when Seth looked back at him over his shoulder before turning his attention back to Isis.

"He killed my father, you know." said Horus casually and immediately noticed Yugi's shocked look. Of course, Yugi knew that but to hear the god speak of it so indifferently was quite a surprise. "And yet, here we are both, travelling together."

"That's… That's terrible!" choked the boy with pure disbelief and terror in his eyes, but the falcon-headed god just smiled down at him.

"Yes, it seems all bad, but it also had to be this way. Osiris, my father, was a great, wise king once. Seth killed him in order to rule the Egyptian land, and I had to fight him myself and win my right to reign. It was a painful lesson for me, but he taught me to appreciate everything I have and not take things for granted. Also, thanks to his lust for death, my father became Duat's king. He placed all kinds of traps to keep out the wicked, and guardians in order to find and protect the innocent souls and create a beautiful, peaceful place for them to live happily forever. My father had to die, because if he hadn't, then all the dead souls would endlessly wander about, with no place to belong to."

"I see… That's a valuable lesson, but it's not like I am scared less than before …" said Yugi, his eyes still following the form of the retreating god.

As all divine stories, this one was also confusing. The gods' perception was so different to a human's. Yugi could understand that one event led to another and everything had worked out in the end, but to a human death meant grief and pain, and the young boy wasn't sure if he would ever be able to justify it. Being in that place, surrounded by all those ancient gods was an overwhelming experience for him. They all were polite towards him, but their ancient eyes casted stares of thousand years of life and experience, and Yugi, a mere human of young age, could hardly imagine what those eyes had seen or how they perceived the world. They seemed to find meaning in everything that happened to them. They could find a sense of happiness and despair in every situation, knowing that both of them were needed there.

"We all should be afraid of him, at some point at least." replied Horus in the meantime. "I am the sky, my eyes are the sun and the moon, my spirit is dwelling in every king's soul, and Seth is the desert, the flood, and the heavy rain. You may think highly of me because you associate me with good things but we are all important pieces of the world. You may like a soft breeze of mine more than a violent storm of his, but that's a narrow perspective. Nature needs both of us there. And people need Seth, too. They need his aggressive temperament, his wild nature and the lack of control he brings to us. He scares us, but he's there to remind us to feel the joy of being alive and appreciate every good moment we experience, because life is always changing so we should all make the best of the time we've got."

"What you said is very wise." answered Yugi, contemplating everything the god had said. "Thank you." He respectively bowed his head.

"You're very welcome, young one" replied Horus and there was nothing but sympathy in his voice for the young human.

Then, he patted Yugi's back amicably and left. The boy leaned down the barge's broadside and stared at some slow, huge fish swimming lazily around the boat. Yami recognized that specific look the boy wore, so he knew that his partner looked at the fish but didn't really see them; his mind was somewhere else.

He wanted to join him, but he hesitated again. He felt foolish wasting this rare opportunity of standing by him with an actual body but the words he wanted to tell him kept eluding him. Would he walk there only to be speechless once again? There was so much to say, so why couldn't he even start a conversation? It was awkward, and Yami truly wanted to slap himself for acting like a tongue-tied teenager all of the sudden.

"Hello there."

The Pharaoh almost jumped out of his skin in fright. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Hathor walking towards him. She chuckled, her voice all sweet and soothing. She was like the love she was representing – she seemed to be composed out of grace, playfulness and joy. Even though he knew there was no shame or sexual intent in the goddess's choice of attire, Yami looked away; being so close to her bare chest. Foolish as it was, he didn't want Yugi to catch him looking at a half naked woman.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. He's not looking." said Hathor, and Yami felt even worse realizing he was so easy to be rumbled with. "I think Horus left him thinking of the nature of humanity, so his mind is pretty occupied right now. He's not even listening to us."

The goddess stared at the Pharaoh with no shame, pointing at Yugi at the same time.

"Why are you still here, Your Majesty? No doubt your presence is always welcomed by his side." she said and smiled knowingly.

"It's… not that easy." admitted Yami, not sure how to explain his dilemma.

"Oh, but it is! You, humans!" she scoffed then, rolling her eyes impatiently and folding her arms. "You always complicate what's simple and clear. You let all those silly doubts and "what ifs'' take control and then you regret not acting upon your desires. What's wrong with being honest? Is really facing Ammut's wrath easier than facing your own feelings?"

"But… No matter how I feel, if he…"

"Another "what if". What is that for? You're wasting your time. And for Ra's sake! Stop looking for the right words if this love left you so speechless. There are other ways to express your feelings too and you don't have to say a word for him to understand what you mean. Believe me, I know best." she finished and pushed him decidedly in Yugi's direction. "Now, listen to your own heart and go to him before the night is over."

Hathor was pretty merciless and didn't let him retreat. Yami felt a bit ashamed that the goddess had to decide for him, but once he was placed beside Yugi and the boy snapped out of his thoughts to look at him with that warm trust of his, it all became crystal clear. How could he ever question his little partner's loyalty? Those eyes like a pair of amethyst jewels shone bright and there was no space for rejection or anxiety.

Yami embraced Yugi in a slow motion full of tenderness. He wanted to give the boy some time to push him away, just in case he felt overwhelmed by the intimacy, but the boy's smile told him that his embrace was more than welcomed. All his concerns vanished like the mist by the morning sunrays. Yami leaned down, not afraid anymore. He pressed his lips to Yugi's, and in that moment the whole world could disappear and he would take no notice of it.

It was hard to say who was more surprised by the kiss – Yugi, that the Pharaoh dared to kiss him, or rather Yami, that Yugi didn't push him away but pulled him even closer. When they parted, Yami searched the boy's face for any signs of embarrassment, but found nothing there but tenderness. Yugi smiled at him, a playful spark in his eyes.

"You stole a kiss from me. Maybe you're Bakura's real apprentice then, not me." He chuckled, and his voice filled Yami with that soft kind of warmness only reciprocated love can bring.

As his reply, he leaned down again, and this time he noticed with pure delight that Yugi decided to meet him halfway, more than willing to share another kiss, feeling like he was melting under his beloved Pharaoh's caress. It felt perfectly natural for Yami to hold the boy in his arms, to touch him, to kiss him, to look him in the eye only to find more love and fondness there. It all felt so right that it was almost breathtaking, and Yami wanted nothing more than for that moment to last eternally.

"I love you." both of them said simultaneously and then burst into laughter; full of joy.

Hathor was right. All the doubts, hesitation and difficulties were just in Yami's head and he should have never let himself be overpowered by them. Now he understood what the love goddess meant. Truly his heart knew better, knew it from the very beginning, and if only the Pharaoh had listened to it sooner…

The sudden blast of light surprised them. Its bright blaze hit their eyes even through their shut eyelids. Yami pulled his partner closer and let him hide his face on his clothes, when waves of sunlight flood everything around in pure whiteness. But the sensation wasn't unpleasant at all. Yami felt the air warm and fresh, filling up his lungs with the will for life, and then he finally understood. The Egyptian cross, ankh, was a sign for "life", but it wasn't connected to fertility. In the Egyptian culture, "life" was connected to "breathing", and inhaling that wonderful air full of sunlight made the reason all crystal clear to him now.

Soon the light began to fade, and a child's cry was heard. All the gods started to cheer greeting a tiny newborn baby held by Isis, praising the rebirth of the Sun and the new day about to begin. A miracle had happened again and the night was close to be over – the oldest and greatest Egyptian magic in the world.

"Well, well… I was dead for less than one hour but I see that your relationship with the Nameless Pharaoh developed a lot since the last time we saw each other, you little fluff." A hoarse voice was heard from behind the two tricolor-haired boys.

"Bakura!" exclaimed Yugi happily, throwing himself onto the thief's arms without second thoughts. "Bakura! I missed you so much!" The adventure the thief and the kind boy shared brought them together in a way no one could ever imagine possible. Who would have ever dared to think that Bakura would allow anyone to embrace him?

"I know… I missed you too… But I put my trust in you. I let go, believing that the bond we two developed would reach us even here. You taught me that I am not alone and that I can ask for help, too." replied the King of Thieves with a soft voice, hugging him back and smiling down at him with…

Love, realized Yami. It wasn't romantic love but not a superficial friendship either. It was something Bakura had never known before and something that had changed him for better. The King of Thieves was sitting in the middle of dirty linen cloths with Yugi on his laps, embracing him and speaking to him with his husky, worn-out voice, but all of the sudden Yami realized he was not jealous or angry about it. Still he couldn't call Bakura a friend, but he couldn't see him as a danger to Yugi anymore either. Yugi was perfectly safe beside that rogue beast and no matter what, Yami was sure that Bakura would rather burn the whole world down than to let anybody hurt his little partner. To him, Yugi was probably the closest thing the thief would ever have to a little sibling. The King of Thieves caught his steady, glare weighing him, and with a crooked smile he turned back to Yugi to tease him playfully:

"So… Did I miss the engagement party? Are you two affianced already?"

"No, not yet" answered the boy with a spark of joy in his eyes. "But be sure you will be the first invited to the wedding!"

"Incredible. To believe you two were together only for a couple of hours. Maybe I should supervise your time with him, Yugi." Yami sighed, but it was more of a playful noise than annoyed. He smiled back at the sheepish look Yugi gave him, pretty sure that he had pure happiness running instead of blood in his veins.

A weak moan was heard from under the linen cloths covering Ryou's body. The movement there was so sluggish that it was almost impossible to see, but Yugi was faster than anybody else.

"Ryou!" He kneeled down beside his friend, helping him up to sit and freeing him from the restrains of the cloths. "Thank all the gods! I was so worried about you! I thought we will never see each other again!"

Ryou blinked a couple of times, clearly shocked by the circumstances of his sudden awakening. No doubt he had plenty of questions to ask, finding himself surrounded by the ancient Egyptian gods staring at him with curiosity while sailing on the solar barge. He looked around shyly, lost and nervous, but then his eyes focused on the shattered figure right behind Yugi's back. The man was older and more muscular than the one he remembered, his skin tanned with sunlight, his hair shorter, his face and throat scarred terribly, but once their eyes met, Ryou's lips shaped his name undoubtedly.

"Bakura…"

It was more like a quiet sigh than a proper calling, but Bakura heard it. He gently pushed the chirping tricolor-haired boy aside, and with no more hesitation, he caged the boy between his arms on the wooden deck floor. Ryou had called his name so his presence had to be welcomed. The younger white haired boy could only stare at him with his dark eyes wide open, not sure what would happen next, but Bakura just chuckled, his look filled with warm tenderness now that he could finally speak to his long lost host again.

"You caused me so much trouble to claim you back." he said and Ryou looked like he wanted to be one with the solar barge's deck or run away.

"I… I am so sorry… I…"

"All the steps I took to come here, all my lies, all my crimes, all my wounds, all my blood, all my pain…"

"Bakura… I…"

"It was all worth it to have you here with me right now." Bakura finished and laid his head down on Ryou's chest. "Damn it, I even died for you. See how stupid I was? I had to lose you and get myself killed to realize how much I love you. Pathetic, isn't it? I bet normal people don't have to go through such a dramatic experience or die in order to understand their true feelings."

Ryou's fingers trembled as he raised his hand and carefully dared to touch Bakura's ruffled hair. His cheeks were bright red and his eyes were open wider than ever as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. The King of Thieves lifted himself a bit and smiled down at his puzzled, anxious host.

"Yes, I just confessed to you. A tiny part of me expected a little bit more exhilaration from your side, but I suppose we can work with what we have anyway." he added before leaning down again.

The rough kiss caught Ryou by surprise, but Bakura gave him no time to think or catch a breath. It took the white haired boy some heartbeats to collect himself, but when understanding came with all its certainty – he gave in completely. He blushed, but never stopped pulling Bakura closer. He was rewarded by the thief's satisfied groan vibrating through his whole body[mbm1] and the entire world decreased just to the irresistible feeling of Bakura's body above him.

Very soon their kisses became way too intimate for the crowd around them and even Hathor seemed to be astonished by the sight. Tenderness was replaced by passion, affection by desire. Ryou moaned in a highly indecent way when one of Bakura's hands wandered under the boy's shirt and the thief licked his lips, provocatively looking right into Ryou's eyes.

"Delicious." he just said, and Ryou wasn't the only one blushing.

"No, no, no, no, no! Enough!" Yami was the first one to snap out of the shock, and with no hesitation he pulled a laughing Bakura away from the other boy. "Stop it right now! He's under-age, you insatiable monster!"

"Wow. That was the sexiest first kiss I've ever seen." commented Hathor. "And I have seen plenty of those."

"Those mortals…" Horus just shrugged with a playful tone, forcing all the other gods to scatter back to their duties and prepare for the solar barge to meet the horizon.

"Keep your hands where I can seen them and most definitely away from Ryou." warned Yami, clearly focused on his task.

He suddenly came to the conclusion that leaving Yugi with Bakura might not be the best idea for the boy's education and that he should never let his guard down whenever the thief was around. Bakura just laughed at him, pretty content with the mess he'd caused, while Ryou sat down, trying to hide his face and looking ready to cry out of embarrassment.

"Hey, Ryou, are you okay?" asked Yugi with concern, sitting beside him.

"I… I feel so ashamed…" admitted Ryou quietly, his face as red as the setting sun. "I want to stop existing…"

"Oh! But don't! I am so happy for you two!" Yugi hugged him tightly, pouring all his joy in that embrace. "That was quite a kiss!"

"Re… Really?... Don't you think… You know… That it's weird… Or sick… Or…"

"No way! Don't you dare say such things about you and Bakura. I've been rooting for you since the beginning of this journey! Don't take away my ship." Yugi scolded him jokingly, but then he became serious. "Ryou, I'm so sorry I didn't notice what you've been going through earlier. I should have been there for you, and I failed you. You hid so much from us, never wanting to trouble us or bother us, but friends are there to share both your happiness and your worries. Why didn't you tell us that somebody bullied you at school? We could have helped you! I mean, now it doesn't matter anyway, because Bakura gave them a hard lesson…"

"Did he?" Ryou's eyes were wide open again and his blush started to fade out. The boy clearly wanted to hear more about Bakura's school shenanigans and Yugi was happy to see him as calm and intrigued as he used to be.

"I think…" The tri-color haired boy drew nearer and lowered his voice conspiratorially "…that we will have plenty of time to tell you with every detail about the story of this amazing Egyptian adventure when we get back, but for now I'd like to get some of Yami's attention." The boy smiled mischievously but his cheeks were slowly turning red. "I suppose that you wouldn't mind to get Bakura back for some hours, would you?"

"I guess if you distract Yami, I could slip away and keep Bakura some company." Ryou answered back in the same manner.

It was amazing seeing little Yugi be so comfortable and mischievous but Ryou felt that he had all the time in the world to find out what had happened and how they had all ended up together, feeling so comfortable in each other's company. Not to mention Yugi was right. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with a non transparent Bakura in a place that wasn't their soul-rooms.

Yugi was quite relieved to see that Ryou was comfortable around him again. He helped him up and trying to look all serious he turned to Yami who was still busy supervising Bakura.

"The sunrise is just around the corner. I thought you would want to hold my hand right now rather than Bakura's, but I'm ecstatic seeing you two getting so cozy with each other." he announced, a soft smirk playing on his lips.

"Sneaky creature that little fluff of yours." exclaimed Bakura, grinning back at Yugi. "How can you refuse him now?"

"I can still see you from over here." Yami just growled back, but left the thief's side and placed his arms around Yugi who purred, delighted.

"I am happy you chose me rather than guarding my dear mentor." Yugi whispered, and his satisfaction was evident in his voice.

"I would say that I was guarding your dear friend's innocence from your mentor's nasty intentions." Yami answered and turned Yugi's head to kiss.

"They will be fine." Yugi reassured him when he caught his breath from another intoxicating kiss. His eyes found Ryou who uncertainly stepped forward only for Bakura to meet him halfway and embrace him with no hesitation. Yugi could practically see the tension leaving the white haired boy's body as he let himself sink into the feeling of being loved and wanted. "They have all eternity to be fine. Just like us."

…

When Yugi opened his eyes — his eyelids weighed a tone each — he had no chance to collect himself before being lifted up and having a great amount of hands reaching for him, to pat him, grab him, and touch him. Different voices echoed all around him and as they mixed all together, he could hardly catch a proper word. His head started spinning and the walls seemed to shake. His lungs burned due to lack of oxygen, his heart cramping painfully in his chest, and he felt like he was still dead.

"Step back and shut up, all of you!" One cool, unfriendly voice broke the cacophony around him and calmed the others down. "Give him some space. He was dead for half of the night. It will take him some time to recover, and your yelling isn't any help."

Yugi tried hard to focus on the world around him and remember everything that had happened after the sunrise. The last thing preserved in his memory was his beloved Yami, embracing him and kissing him and whispering to him words of love; his silhouette shimmering with royal gold and as the first sunrays embraced him. Yugi would never forget how his crimson eyes were full of tenderness and pride. Yugi wanted to desperately keep this memory in his mind like the greatest treasure in the world. His Pharaoh was burning with the brilliancy of a god but his body was that of a mortal and it felt warm around him. How he wished he would never forget that sensation? As he thought that, he caught sight of Yami's half transparent silhouette leaning down above him.

"It's all fine, my love" the other said, confirming his affection. "Take your time and don't worry. We're all back to the living world. We made it thanks to you."

"I feel so… tired…" whispered Yugi, his voice weak and hoarse.

"Rest, boy." Again it was the same cool tone as before. Yugi tried to focus his attention to its source and saw the Ishtar elder putting a cold compress on his forehead. Maybe he was nice towards people who had almost died only?, the boy thought as all his memories of the hostile oldster came back to him. "A tough travel, wasn't it? Get some proper sleep now. It will help you."

Yugi closed his eyes once again. Using all his remaining strength, he reached to the side until he felt another hand. He held it, weakly, and sighed in relief when Ryou curled his fingers around his, wordlessly letting him know that he was there right beside him, safe and sound.

…

"Unbelievable." the Ishtar elder just said when the sun was high in the sky and they were all sitting in a circle around some plates made of palm leaves, sharing food with the villagers.

Yugi and Ryou still felt a little dizzy, but their friends made sure to give them as much space and time as they needed to rest. Jonouchi fought hard with himself not to throw a ton of questions at Yugi, and Anzu was there to stop him every time he was about to lose it. Honda took care of Yugi's grandpa who anyway seemed to have taken no notice of the dramatic night the others had experienced and now was happily continuing his story about Hatshepsut's reign.

"How do you feel?" asked Marik, taking a seat right between Yugi and Ryou, as the two boys made space for him.

"Better with every passing minute, don't worry" answered Yugi, softly bumping his shoulder with the Egyptian boy. He knew Marik was really worried about them. Ryou also answered he was feeling alright.

"I am not making a fuss with no good reason, believe me. What you did was no small fit. My grandfather is really impressed and keeps repeating how this has never happened before. Really, even my relationship with Rishid didn't move him as much as you two did." he added acidly and laughed seeing Ryou's eyes going huge with wonder. "Ah! Yes, I keep forgetting that for some time we had only Bakura available here in our reality. Me and Rishid are dating." he announced, his eyes shining with happiness.

"Oh! Congratulations!" Ryou exclaimed, clasping Marik's hands. "I am so happy for you!"

"I would have told him if we hadn't been… fighting for our lives when we reunited." remarked Yugi with a crooked smile and Ryou laughed. They both knew that being around their very mortal other halves had pushed any other thought off their minds.

"It seems like you two truly recover fast." Marik grinned at hearing Yugi's reply. "And that journey… one day I want to know everything about it. This one has changed quite much." He teasingly messed Yugi's hair. "Sleep some more and tomorrow we will escort you back to Luxor. I have no idea how the hell Bakura was able to book our most expensive hotel for you…"

"I have some ideas but none of them are good, I am afraid." It was Rishid who approached them, his smile apologetic. "I am sorry for interrupting you. Marik, some gafirs came and want to speak to you. I would say they're in a bit of a hurry."

"Okay, okay, I'm coooooming." The Ishtar heir stood up and stretched lazily. "Why can't people live without me telling them what to do for one day? Soon they will call me out to choose pants for them!" He moved down the slope with a chuckling Rishid beside him, evidently trying to soothe Marik's impatience.

"They look happy together." said Ryou quietly. "Do you think we will ever be that happy too?"

"Of course." replied Yugi with confidence. "Our love is as real and strong as theirs. Also," the boy turned to his friend with a soft smile, his eyes glimmering with mirth, "I totally want you to be my neighbors back in Duat, so better make sure Bakura behaves and doesn't get hunted by Ammut again! I believe in him a lot, but I don't believe he can cheat her a third time. This time she knows he'll be coming!"

And Ryou just laughed under the clear blue Egyptian sky with the promise of his eternal bound to the King of Thieves fate shining upon him as the sunrays touched him. He was fine with that. It was worth it. And deep inside his soul, Bakura held in his hands the heart he had stolen from him, but Ryou didn't mind. He knew no better hands to place his heart in, even if it was half stolen and half given away, willingly.

[mbm1]They are kissing. So their lips are still connected.