The face coughed out a white smoke ring and blinked. "Yuugi?"

"Yami! You're okay!"

Yami blinked again slowly much the way he did on early mornings. "Wha…?" Light dawned on his face. "How'd I get here? Last I remember was that girl with the dagger…and…"

"We're inside the dagger, Yami," said Yuugi softly. "She took the power, remember? Your body's still back in the puzzle, but you've been in here for the past few weeks."

"But where is she?"

"I don't know. We think she's gone, but no one can be sure-at least not until Kaiba wakes up."

"Oh. Wait, what happened to Kaiba? I've really been out of it, haven't I?"

"I guess. Well, everyone knew she'd be back for my blood to finish the whole thing, so they'd been taking turns guarding me. Kaiba was doing an evening shift, and when I woke up, he was out cold on the floor with the dagger nearby. He hasn't woken up yet."

Yami looked worried. "I guess we'll have to deal with that once we get out of here. Let's check the other canisters first."

"Okay!" said Yuugi, happy to have his Yami back.

The next door took all of their strength combined to open. It may have had something to do with the sealant of dried blood, but whatever the reason, the door was stuck. After three minutes of sweating, straining, and not a little muttered cursing from Yami, it finally moved a very little bit. Then suddenly, a foot kicked it open from the inside, nearly flattening Yami's face. "It's about time," came a voice that Yuugi recognized all too well.

Yami Bakura stepped nonchalantly out through the crimson smoke from his cylinder. He smirked when he saw the two figures before him. "Saving the world again, Pharaoh? Doesn't it ever get old?"

"Not really," shot back Yami, "although saving your worthless hide over and over again does."

"Actually, most of the time, I'm busy making you work for your own hide. And I do it very well, if I do say so myself."

Yami shook his head. "Whatever. Come, Yuugi, let's see what's in the last container."

Yami Bakura sat back and watched with amusement as the two worked at the last door. After seven minutes, he was kneeling on the floor, clutching his sides and laughing uncontrollably. After ten minutes, he couldn't even stand up anymore.

Yami finally lost his patience and stomped over to the hysterical boy. "If you think it's so funny, you can try and open the door yourself!"

Yami Bakura's laughter died down slowly, and he managed to stand. "Fine, I will."

Yuugi and Yami watched silently as Bakura walked over to the door, and pulled a few queer looking wire-like objects out of his pocket. He worked for a moment, hiding what he was doing with his body, and then the door swung open noiselessly and effortlessly. The spectators' jaws dropped.

"How…how'd you do that??"

Bakura winked and slipped the objects into his pocket. "Can't tell you. Tomb robber's secret."

"I should have known."

Inside was the glowing, glimmering form of the Sennen rod, almost fully transparent. They gazed at it for a moment. "I see," said Yuugi softly. "It's what's left of the power of the rod."

Bakura smirked ever so slightly. "In that case…" He stretched out his hand and grasped the shape. It moved rather sluggishly, almost insubstantial enough to go through his hand, but he slid it into the ring, which he had kept in his pocket ever since it had lost its cord. "Malik promised me the Sennen items, so I'll just be taking this." With a laugh, he leapt up through the ceiling of the dagger room to find his Hikari again.

Yami massaged his temples. "He never learns. Well, Yuugi, shall we be going as well?"