Hey everyone, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. This chapter is about Max finally getting over his parents. As you read last time, Max had killed Taganoshi, but he still felt incomplete. So in this chapter Max's parents are going to pay the Waynes another visit. This is the last chapter of the story, the epilogue will probably be given this week too, so look out for it. Also I will put out my humor story next week titled "Living a Little of the Farm Life."

Ryou: Sweetcandie this is our last chapter as your muses?

Me: Yes, I'm sorry.

Malik: And I was having fun too.

Seto: Me too. Even if the Serena girl was trying to cuddle me to death.

Ryou: Sweetcandie don't forget the disclaimer you have forgotten it for the last few chapters.

Me: Oh yeah, Malik please do the honors.

Malik: Sweetcandie does not own Yugioh or The Ring, but that was a great movie.

Me: Thank you.

Yugi: Now lets start the chapter.

Me: Let the chapter begin.

Tatanya woke up to the sound of the television in her and her husband's room, the television blared from the entertainment system in front of their bed.

"I could have sworn that I turned the television off before I went to sleep. I hope it didn't keep Joseph up." Tatanya turned to see her husband sound asleep by her side.

"I guess it didn't." Tatanya reached for the remote on the side table and turned the television off. The television screen went blank, taking the noise with it. Tatanya laid back down beside her husband and almost fell asleep, that is until she heard the television turn back on. She jumped at the sudden noise and stared at the television. Letting her fear get the best of her, Tatanya woke her husband up.

"Joseph, honey wake up."

"What is it Love?"

"Joseph, the television came on by itself."

"Tatanya please don't start that Ring stuff this morning. I knew we should not have watched that movie."

"But..."

"Tatanya, baby that movie is not real."

"I know, but the television..."

"Tatanya give me the remote, so I can turn it off." Tatanya gave her husband the remote and he pushed the power button.

"There. See nothing to worry..." Before Joseph could finish his sentence, the television popped on again.

"Tatanya stop joking around." Joseph looked at his wife, but she was shaking her head.

"It's not me."

"Those damn kids."

"No, they are asleep."

"So what the hell is going on?" Neither waited for an answer, instead they both threw the covers back and tried to run for the door. As they were running toward the door, they saw two faces that made the situation even worse. There floated Vanessa and Michael, both of their faces contorted in laughter. The other couple didn't think that it was funny, so they just settled for fainting on the floor.

Joseph was lying on his back when he finally opened his eyes to a familiar face smiling down at him.

"Michael." The ghost nodded and Joseph stood up. He held out his hand for his wife and helped to pull her up.

"The Ring." Vanessa's ghost said softly and the DVD box floated into her hands.

"You still are mischievous, even in the afterlife . Vanessa I know you thought of this." Vanessa's ghost nodded to her best friend and her face broke out into a wide grin.

"You two had me scared s..." Vanessa's ghost waved her finger from side to side in front of Joseph's face and he immediately understood.

"I didn't curse." Tatanya kissed her husband's cheek and turned back to the ghosts that were occupying their room at that moment.

"So why are you two back? It has been almost six months since we first saw you and we did what you told us. We got the Eye from Max."

"No more pain." Michael's ghost spoke softly and his wife's ghost agreed. She brought up an image of her husband and herself in a bright glow of white light.

"What's wrong then?"

"Stuck." Vanessa's ghost glided over to Tatanya and waited for the next question that she knew would come. Tatanya didn't let her down.

"What do you mean?"

"Max still hurts." Joseph stood by his wife trying to help to explain things.

"His sorrow keeps them here."

"Memories." Michael's ghost whispered and his wife's ghost nodded.

"We don't understand." Vanessa's ghost glided over to some pictures and pieces of furniture and she placed her hand on them. Everything that belonged to Joseph and Tatanya remained the same, but everything that was in the old mansion had a white handprint on it.

"The whole castle holds memories. Everything that you two have owned has the white handprint on it." Both ghost nodded at Tatanya's words.

"What do we do?" Joseph asked.

"Burn."

"Destroy."

"Burn the whole castle?" Both ghost shook their heads at Joseph's words and answered in words.

"Burn the white hands."

"But that's almost everything in the castle. This is all he has left to hang onto."

"This holds him and us back Joseph." Vanessa's ghost moved until she floated directly in front of Joseph.

"You must soothe and heal his soul."

"That's if he doesn't kill me after I do what you are telling me to do now."

"Anger. Pain. Desperation. You must continue to burn the hands no matter what."

"When."

"Tonight."

"Does Max have to be here." Both ghost nodded, but Joseph sighed. Max and he had become very close and this would put a rift in the relationship they had developed over the past few months.

"Do not worry. When you cleanse his soul he will understand."

"How do you want me to do that?"

"Take him to your sacred place. The water. Your sanctuary."

"The last time I went to Soul Sands, I took Ryou and the other boys to heal their souls, but that place is a secret to everyone, but my family."

"Take Max."

"Help him leap." Those were the last words spoken before both ghost disappeared and Tatanya and Joseph were left alone.

Max and the rest of the crew walked into the castle from a night out on the town and were surprised to see Max's guards hauling his family heirlooms to the big field behind the castle.

"What are you doing with my parents' things?" Max got no answer and he turned the guard who walked by him around. The man had no pupils, only a hazy, clouded over look in his eyes.

"This is my father's work. He has used a soul displacement spell."

"Why are they taking my things out of the castle?"

"I don't know, but maybe if we find my parents you may get some answers." The group ran through the castle calling both parents. Joseph and Tatanya heard the voices of the group and both walked out the doors that led to the back of the castle.

"Stay here and stall Max until I can get the fire started. At least he won't hate both of us after this is over."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I'm sure Max will understand when he's ready."

"I suppose so. If he asks you if you had anything to do with this you tell him no, okay."

"Joseph..."

"Okay."

"Yes." Joseph walked through the doors and Max and the others entered the room with Tatanya a few minutes later.

"What's going on Mother?"

"Nothing."

"I have my guards, who are soulless I might add, taking my family's things to the back of the castle and Joseph is no where to be found. You two always work together, it is never a split effort with you two. Do you know where he is and what is going on?" Tatanya stared at the ground and twiddled her fingers.

"Mother what is happening?"

"We have to burn everything that the guards are taking to the field." Tatanya looked at Max her eyes full of sadness.

"I'll have nothing left to remember them by. How could you do this?"

"We must burn it."

"Says who?"

"Your parents."

"How can you be so cruel?" Max pushed past Tatanya and opened the back doors to the castle. Outside he saw Joseph throwing all of the furniture he could grab into a large bonfire. Max ran out into the field and glared at Joseph.

"What are you doing? This is all I have left and you are burning it. Why are you doing this?"

"I don't want too."

"Then why are you doing it?"

"Because it has to be done." Joseph stopped talking and continued to throw the piled objects into the large bonfire. Max screamed and ran to the pile trying to pull some of the stuff back up the castle steps. He managed to pull two pieces of furniture and a few painted portraits of his family up to the castle before Joseph ordered the soulless guards to hold him while he finished the burning.

"Go get the things Max has taken back to the castle and bring them here. They must be burned." The soulless guard nodded and started toward the castle. Joseph bent down on one knee and looked at Max as the guards held him.

"I am sorry, but this will help you to move on. You may hate it now, but you will understand later."

"I hate you! I hate you so much! I don't know why I trusted you."

"I know you hate me now, but you did put your trust in the right person."

"I don't know how you could say that when you are burning my family heirlooms behind my back."

"I did no such thing. You are here now, so it is not behind your back."

"I hate you. You and your damn logic. I hate everything that you are." Joseph turned away and went back to the bonfire. 'He will understand later.' Those were the only words that kept him going as he watched his relationship with Max dwindle down to almost nothing.

Max fought against the guard that held him, but the effort was wasted. The more he fought the tighter the guard held him.

"Don't fight Max it will only make things worse." Max stopped struggling and tried to think of a way to make Joseph stop burning his family possessions.

"Joseph please don't burn anymore. I won't have anything to remember them by. Please stop."

"I can't." Joseph said remembering one of the words that Michael's ghost said before he left. 'Pain. Anger. Desperation. Don't let him stop the fire.'

"If you don't stop I will never forgive you for what you are doing! I can't believe you are being so heartless!" Max yelled at the man and his eyes were filled with tears of anger.

"I am not being heartless and I will have to live with that decision if you choose not to forgive me." 'Pain. Anger. Desperation. Don't let him stop the fire.'

"If you don't stop I'll... I'll die with all of my possessions, I have nothing else to live for. You'll have to live with the pain of causing my death."

"You have much to live for, you just don't see it. What about Deston and the others, they aren't worth your life? I will not stop this fire, so you may use all the tactics you please."

"Joseph please stop. I'm begging you. Is this what you want me to do? I'm begging."

"I don't want you to beg, I want you to get better."

"I will if you stop."

"For a while yes, but then you will fall back into this limbo."

"I'll try harder. I promise I will."

"No, Max."

"Please." Joseph shook his head and turned away from the broken man that he knew and continued to burn the "white hands." 'Pain. Anger. Desperation. Don't let him stop the fire.' Max lowered his head knowing that he would never get through to the man and wept.

The fire died down about two in the morning. Deston and the others stood on either side of their fallen friend and tried to comfort him any way they could, while Tatanya and Joseph stood across the field. When the fire was in its last embers, Max shook his shoulders and pushed all his friends away.

"I hate that I ever invited any of you here. I wish that I had never contacted you all."

"You don't mean that Max."

"I mean every word of it Deston and I especially wished that I had not met you. By finding you I found your family and they have given me nothing, but headache and pain." Deston stood amazed that Max would say such a thing.

"I guess you are not the person who I thought you were. Since I have caused you so much trouble, I will leave immediately. This very morning. I do not wish to be someplace where I am not wanted." Deston walked off the field and Max could see Tatanya run to comfort her daughter.

"Max, what are you doing? Do you know what you just gave up? How can you be so stupid? They are doing everything to help you."

"Save your speech Seto and get out." Seto was about to say more but sighed and called to the others.

"Come on guys, doesn't look like we are wanted around here." Seto said before he left and the others followed behind, not even bothering to say good bye.

Everything had returned to normal after a few days of returning to the city they left. They had to work harder to make up for lost time, but all in all it was the same. That is until one day all the friends vanished into thin air. No matter what they were doing they vanished.

"Nolee, I have a meeting set for next week at three, could you please put a reminder chime thirty minutes prior to the meeting."

"Yes, Deston. Will that be all?" When the small holographic image didn't get an answer she turned around and saw that her programmer was not there.

"Deston? Deston?"

"I wish to cut all ties with Industrial Illusions."

"But Mr. Kaiba, Industrial Illusions pulls in a large amount of money for Kaiba Corp."

"I don't care..."

"Mr. Kaiba? Mr. Kaiba we have lost transmission."

"Duke I don't think that we are ever going to get this game promoted." Yugi rolled the dice and moved.

"Don't worry Yugi we'll find a way." Duke rolled the dice and took his turn.

"My turn. I bet this game would be great if someone promoted it."

"Yeah... What the hell? Yugi! Yugi!"

"Isis could you please give me that artifact, so I can place it in it's proper section."

"Here."

"I hope everything turns out alright with this deal that we are doing with the Smithsonian. Could you hand me that other artifact?" Isis picked up the artifact and handed it to her brother behind her.

"Here Malik. Malik take it. Malik?"

"Ryou, could you look up some info on the god Osiris and have it to me within the hour."

"Sure."

"Thanks man, I'll be back in like an hour. You want anything for lunch?"

"Pi..."

"What Ryou?" The young man turned around to find his friend and found that he was not there.

"Ryou? Man where did you go? Ryou?"

"Dearest Deston..." Max crumbled up a piece of paper and threw it to the floor when his top security officer walked in.

"Sir."

"Yes Croquet?"

"Why don't you go to her?"

"Because she might not want me back."

"Would it hurt to try?"

"No, but she probably hates me." Those were the last words Croquet heard before his employer disappeared in front of his eyes

"More magic."

"Where the hell am I?" All the people turned to hear the voice they had not had not heard in weeks.

"Max?"

"What are all of you doing here?"

"Last time I checked we were free to come here when we wished."

"Please Seto no arguing."

"I don't see how you can take up for him Deston."

"Seto please."

"Fine." Max looked around and noticed that he and the others were on a very beautiful plain. Pastel colored flowers and buds dotted the green background that was the plain. Soft winds blew, but in the background he could hear the sound of thunder. Max looked at the sky for any sign of a storm, but seeing nothing.

"I hear thunder, yet I see none."

"Maybe you should look to your right and further down the plain." Max recognized the voice as belonging to Tatanya. Max glanced further ahead and he could see white sands and a gigantic, cascading waterfall.

"You said that this place is called Soul Sands? Why are we here?"

"You are all here because everyone needs to have their souls cleansed and this is the place to do it." A deep male voice said behind them.

"Father what are you talking about?"

"I have done many things that I wish I did not have to do, but they had to be done. I also understand that I ruined my daughter's relationship with a very special man and I wish to apologize."

"No need. I saw the heart of that man on the night I left."

"Who you saw the night of the fire was not the man you love. That was something inside of him that he needed to let go of."

"I agree and I have let most of it go. I have dwelled on the words that I said that night and have found that I meant nothing that I said. I started to miss you the very moment you left Deston, but my pride held me from calling you back. And for everything that I said to you all, I didn't mean any of it. I was angry."

"Well I meant what I said."

"And you had every right to say what you said Seto. I did give up someone very special and I didn't realize it until she was no longer with me. I understand that now."

"Well I just thought that you should know and stuff."

"Seto can't argue when people agree with him." Deston smiled. Deston's father interrupted the group by raising a long staff and calling their attention.

"Now that we have all said what we really meant I suggest we go for a swim." Max could see everyone run toward the white sands and look over a cliff beside the waterfall. Max ran to catch up, quickly joining the group.

"What are all of you doing over here?"

"We are going to jump." Ryou answered.

"Why?"

"That's kind of a long story, but I'll shorten it for you. When Joseph first met us, we all had something bad happening in our lives or we had done something wrong. Something so wrong that our souls had to be cleansed, so Joseph brought us here. He told us that a soul could only carry so much hurt before it succumbed to the darkness that tainted it. He said that by jumping into the rapids below, it would cleanse our souls therefore making our hearts lighter. We did not believe at first, but after our first time we made coming to this secret place a regular. When we jumped, all of our pains and heartaches came to the surface and when our bodies hit the cool refreshing waters below, everything dissipated. This is the source that was used to calm our yamis, if you think they are crazy now you should have seen them before. They were psychotic maniacs." Ryou laughed and he grabbed Malik's hand.

"Come on Malik. I need a partner."

"Let's go." They both looked over the cliff and then jumped off into the waterfall. While they were falling Max could hear someone yell and then two splashes as their bodies hit the water. Everyone went to the edge of the cliff to look and when they saw Ryou wave, the others followed, along with Tatanya. The only two people left were Max and Joseph.

"Will you jump?"

"I don't know. Will you?"

"Yes, but I want you to jump also."

"Why?"

"It will help you with your pain."

"Nothing can help my pain."

"What if I could, but for only a few minutes. What if I could let you speak with them one last time?"

"Can you do that?"

"Yes, but only for a short period of time. But I have conditions."

"What are they? I'll do anything."

"I will make you a deal, if I let you see your parents one last time will you jump."

"Do you really mean that?"

"Yes."

"Then yes. I will jump."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes."

"Then look into the air." Max looked into the air and searched frantically for the parents that he had lost. He turned his head back disappointed.

"I don't see them."

"Look now." In front of him, Max could see to figures floating toward him and as they got closer he ran to them. He tried to hug them, but his arms went right through them.

"M-m-mother. Father. I have missed you two so much. I don't know what to do without..." Max's mother put her hand to her son's lips and he immediately stopped talking.

"You can do everything without us here. You have accomplished so much and you will accomplish more. Your father and I are here even when you don't see us."

"I can see you yet, I cannot feel you. This is such agony." Behind Max, Joseph's staff glowed and Max noticed that his parents didn't seem so transparent.

"How about now?" Max placed his hand on his mother's cheek and instantly threw his arms around both of his parents, pulling them down onto the plain.

"You have no idea how much I have missed you." Max whispered into his mother's neck between tears. Vanessa gently ran her fingers through her son's hair and kissed his face.

"I have more of an idea than you think. We have been communicating with Joseph for a while and he had been filling us in on you, not that we could not see you ourselves."

"I could have brought you both back with the Millennium Eye that Joseph gave me, but..."

"We know and as much as we miss you, we would not want you to do that. It would not be fair to those that can't bring their loved ones back."

"Then I want to go with you."

"Max my boy, you made a deal with Joseph there about getting better and going for a little swim afterward. I am a Pegasus and we never break our word."

"I don't want to be without you. Let me come with you. I don't need this life."

"Max, no. You have too much here left to do. Your mother always wanted grandchildren and I wanted you to marry a nice young lady. Preferably one whose name starts with a D, her father was my best friend, she is Egyptian..."

"Okay, Father I get it. Will I ever be able to talk to you again?"

"We'll talk to you everyday honey you just have to listen and you better get Deston back or I will be one angry poltergeist."

"Yes Mother."

"Now your father and I want you to go jump off the cliff, free your spirit, lift you heart. And don't blame Joseph for anything that he did. We told him to do all those things to you."

"But why?"

"Because you were keeping us here. We would never leave you unhappy. But by you being full of sorrow it kept us on this plane."

"When you died I was unhappy."

"But that was not our choice..."

"Time runs short Max, I can only keep them here for a few moments. You must hurry."

"Yes I understand."

"So what do you feel now dear?"

"Closure."

"So my boy won't have a problem bearing those rapids."

"No Father." Max looked behind him and saw Joseph's staff slowly losing power. He turned back to his parents and both were once again transparent.

"We love you sweetheart."

"Yes and make me a lot of grandchildren." Vanessa and Michael both put transparent lips to their son's head and slowly faded away. Before they were completely gone Max heard the words,

"We love you, now go take the leap." Max stared at the two disappearing mists as they drifted away. He then turned to Joseph and hugged him.

"I thank you."

"You are welcome. Now you have a word to keep."

"Yes I do. A Pegasus never breaks their word." Max and Joseph both shuffled through the sand to the edge of the cliff and Max looked over the side.

"I am nervous."

"So were the others, but I will help you. Just listen to my voice."

"Okay."

"Breathe in deeply and relax. Let your spirit lift your pain. You only need to fall. Do not be afraid. The fall does not work on fear, it works on trust." Max closed his eyes and followed the instructions. He felt Joseph push him gently from behind and he felt his feet slowly leave the ground. Soon they were no longer there and he began to fall with his arms stretched to their maximum length. The drafts and winds that fought against his body pushed his strands of silver hair into the air and his upper body slowly began to tilt toward the raging waters below. Max opened his crimson eyes welcoming the view that would release his soul. The blue waters churned waiting for their patient to hit the water. At last the body of the once hurt and pained man connected to the warm waters of Soul Sands. They felt like mystical doctors relieving him of a sickness or burden. Max felt the waters enter his body and it immediately began to feel lighter, this causing him to float toward the light above. When Max broke the surface he heard a large splash next to him and a few seconds later he recognized dark hair at the surface. Joseph swam next to Max and stopped in front of him.

"How do you feel?"

"Free. I don't feel heavy or burdened at all. I am refreshed."

"That is a very wonderful feeling. So now that you are better what will you do?"

"Get started on some wishes from my parents."

"Like what?"

"Marrying a beautiful woman whose name starts with a D, who is Egyptian, and is the daughter of my father's best friend. As you can guess my father gave me a lot of hints to picking the right woman, even though I don't think that I would need them at all."

"Your father always was a little absent minded, good friend though."

"And I also have to work on grandchildren, which will be fun."

"And how many of these plans have you discussed with my daughter?"

"None."

"Let us get out of the water, so you may talk then." Max and Joseph let the current carry them until they reached land. When Max got out of the water the first person he looked for was Deston. After a few minutes of searching he found her sitting beside a tree hold a white flower, beside her were Seto and Ryou. The two looked at Max and smiled, then walked away, leaving Deston and Max alone.

"Can we talk?"

Another chapter is finished and this is the last one except for the epilogue. I hope you have all enjoyed the story and thank you all for reviewing. At the end of the epilogue I will be giving reviewer shout outs. I love you guys.

Me: Well everyone this is our last chappie together so thank everyone.

Malik: We would like to thank all of the reviewers and Sweetcandie for being so nice and everything. And Ryou and Yugi want to thank Serena for running Seto crazy and giving us something to laugh at. Seto says that he hates everyone and wishes to thank no one.

Me: Oh no you don't. Serena!

Serena: Yes.

Me: Seto says he wants to give you a kiss to make up for all the bad blood.

Seto: I never said that.

Me: Sure you did. You know Princess loves Yugioh cards. She likes to tear them to pieces.

Seto: So.

Me: Well thanks to Mokuba, I have your three Blue Eyes and your Egyptian God Card.

Seto: Please don't give those to her.

Me: Get to apologizing and a kiss will seal the deal.

Seto: *mumbling* Sorry.

Me: Now kiss her. *Seto kisses Serena on the cheek, but she attacks him by grabbing his entire face again.

Serena: Seto! Eeeeeeee. I love you.

Seto: Aren't you going to stop her?

Me: No, you deserve it. Now hikaris please say the usual.

Hikaris: Please read and review.

Me: Bye.