Disclaimer- n: (law) a voluntary repudiation of a person's legal claim to something (Meaning I own nothing. -_- Why did I have to remind myself?)

Thank you, Misura, Yami Maleci, Malik Chan, and Alexis for reviewing Remember Me. I am so glad that I'm not the only one who remembered how Ryou very nearly sacrificed his life to stop his Yami during Duelist Kingdom. I wasn't sure how I was going to do this second one but I figured it should be a songfiction like the last one. I hope that it is at least half as good as the last one.

Fade Away

//*\\

I need you,

To feel exactly like I do inside,

But I feel so alone, again.

I try to find a better life,

Somewhere far away from here.

But I need you to believe,

In me.

\\*//

Bakura had wandered away from the group of Shadow Monsters that Ryou had fallen in with since their arrival at the Shadow Realm only a year before. Bakura, looking for a few moments of peace, and hoping that the Baby Dragon wouldn't follow him out there to continue pestering him, he had set out for a walk.

Ryou had gotten along with the group of Monsters automatically. Even the Dark Magician had awarded the boy with a grudging respect. Bakura, however, was a totally different story. Powerless for the first time in centuries, he was rebelling every way possible. At least he had been until recently.

Bakura had started cooperating slightly just to see if his grudging companions would flip out or proclaim that hell had frozen over, or something. Nevertheless, all his help, as small as it was, went unrewarded and unnoticed. Especially by Ryou. Ryou, who was the only one who could give Bakura back his power now that the power arrow had been charmed to knock Bakura back twenty feet if he tried to come with eight inches of it.

So Bakura did the only logical thing he could do. He took on more and more responsibility. Ryou, being still as slow and pathetic as ever in Bakura's eyes, told him that he knew what the plan was and it wouldn't work. All of what was happening was for Bakura's sake and he should put in an effort that didn't have ulterior motives.

Bakura's response to that was a bunch of Egyptian curses.

But, despite that, Bakura had taken what Ryou had said seriously. Not that he didn't try to disregard it. The words just stuck in his mind. Kind of like a bug that wouldn't let itself be swatted.

Bakura stood, just at the edge of the safe region of the Shadow Realm and stared at the purples, deep blues, and blacks that swirled around him. Then he sat down and began to really ponder his life and the reason why he was the way he was.

//*\\

But I won't be afraid,

Just because you don't need me.

I will not be ashamed,

Just because you don't believe in,

Anything that I say.

Now I turn and I wonder,

Why don't you?

I won't fade away.

I won't fade away.

Again.

\\*//

Bakura walked slowly back to the encampment with the aspects of his life heavy on his mind. He remembered how his parents had died when he was little and he had had to fend for himself on the streets. Because of his nearly albino look he had been taken into slavery and only narrowly escaped into the deadly profession of tomb robbing. He had been beaten every which way he had gone and grown stronger for it.

Yet, now Bakura wondered if he had lost his humanity because of it. The thought shouldn't have bothered the ancient Yami, but oddly enough it did.

Ryou was watching Bakura as he reentered the camp and smiled as he brushed lightly over his alter ego's thoughts, reading them, but not enough to hear anything, just get some impressions. Bakura's thoughts were disturbing to the Yami, but to the Hikari the thoughts simply showed that the darker half was slowly starting to learn how to cope. It meant that the plan was working and they might be able to return to the real world sooner than Ryou had originally guessed. Or not. It all depended.

Bakura went to his room inside the house that was shared by him, Ryou, Change of Heart, Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, and the Celtic Guardian. The last three were currently in the living room area, two playing chess, and the third reading a book.

"I think I'm starting to actually want to be trusted. But I don't understand any of this," Bakura flopped down on his bed as he spoke. "I never wanted to be like those people who abused me in Egypt but I did towards Ryou, and he has forgiven me. Why?" Bakura voiced the question plaguing his mind. Of course he received no answer from the nearly barren room.

//*\\

I find you down the road that I have walked before,

And I know you're alone, again.

You try to find,

The path that I've been,

Somewhat following from here.

But I need you to believe,

In me.

\\*//

Ryou watched over his sleeping Yami for a moment before turning down to the steps to get a late night snack. He remembered when Bakura had started abusing him it had been al he could do not to fight him back. His behavior had started changing at school. But he had had his friends their to help him remember what he had always believed. Violence was usually senseless and wasteful. Bakura seemed to be learning that, but slowly.

It was hard for Ryou to trust Bakura, though. He was never really sure if he was getting through to him. Everything was a game to Bakura that had to be won through deception and trickery. Yet, Ryou had a feeling that it was finally changing and that something he had said had gotten to Bakura.

"It's about bloody time," Ryou muttered as he opened the pantry.

"What is?" Change of Heart asked as it entered the room.

"Oh, just my Yami," Ryou muttered as glanced at the life-sized version of his favorite card. "Do you think he's starting to change? Or is it just me being overly optimistic again?"

"Of course he's changing. He's remembering who he was," Change of Heart smiled as it spoke. "He is relearning how to live again and it frightens him enough to make him act differently. Only time will tell whether he will be ready to go back. And when he is ready as well."

"Why does it have to take so long?" Ryou asked, only half expecting an answer.

"It doesn't," Change of Heart replied mysteriously. "You may be back home sooner than you think."

//*\\

But I won't be afraid,

Just because you don't need me.

I will not be ashamed,

Just because you don't believe in,

Anything that I say.

Now I turn and I wonder,

Why don't you?

I won't fade away.

No.

I won't fade away.

Fade away, no.

I won't fade away.

No.

I won't fade away.

Fade away, no.

\\*//

"Bakura!" Ryou yelled, racing across the compound. "BAKURA!"

"What, Hikari?" Bakura asked, annoyance slipping into his voice.

"It's been a few months since I've started considering this and," Ryou paused to catch his breath and Bakura snickered in amusement, "how would you like to go back to the real world?"

"I," Bakura stopped and stared at his Hikari. "I wouldn't get my power back, would I?"

"No."

"Oh, well. Yes I would, Ryou," Bakura finally replied after a few moments of silence.

Ryou grinned and then suddenly the two of them began to fade away from the Shadow Realm.

//*\\

You try to make me fade away,

You try to make me fade away,

You try to make me fade away,

You try to make me fade.

But I won't be afraid,

Just because you don't need me.

I will not be ashamed,

Just because you don't believe in,

Anything that I say.

Now I turn and I wonder,

Why don't you?

I won't fade away.

No.

I won't fade away.

Fade away, no.

I won't fade away.

No.

I won't fade away.

Fade away, no.

\\*//

Ok, It's done. I will do another songfic after this one to wrap it all up. I am officially humanizing Bakura. It can be done so I am doing it. ^-^ I hope that made sense to you.

Please review. ^-^

Oh, and one last thing. I won't get the next one out until after next week because I'll be at camp from Sunday through Saturday. Sorry I won't be able to work on it till then.