Disclaimer: -choke, sputter- Don't – own – Yu-Gi-Oh! -collapses-

Epilogue

The Healing Time & the Mud Bath!

Yami opened his eyes and looked at Yugi. "How are you feeling?" asked the boy.

The Pharaoh blinked, and cringed as he tried to shift. "Better. Thank you."

There came a sound at the door to the hospital room and the "twins" turned to see that it was Joey and Tea; Tristan was also coming in.

"Oh hey guys!" smiled Yugi. "Glad to see you!"

"Yeah," said Joey, "We just came to check on you and Yami, y'know."

Tea moved and sat down at the side of Yami's bed, opposite of Yugi.

"Man!" exclaimed Tristan, "After what Joey and Tea told me, you guys went through Hades and back! That must've been some escapade!"

Yami and Yugi nodded, but Yami turned his attention back to Tea, who hadn't stopped looking at him since she'd entered the room. She reached her hand out and touched his; Yami felt a strange tingle suddenly, as her fingers met his skin.

"How's you leg?" she queried softly.

Yami took his eyes from her hand on his and looked into her face. "Eh, fine, thank you."

"So the dude's name was Maron??" quizzed Tristan, his brow creased.

"Yeah, and he was a real creep up until the end!" Yugi stated.

Joey shook his head, smiling triumphantly. "But we took care of 'im." Briefly he brushed his thumb against his nose.

"It's hard to believe," Yugi uttered out of the blue, and the tone of his voice was such that everyone the room stopped and took notice of him, "It's hard to believe that it all happened only yesterday." he concluded.

Everyone nodded in silence, except Tristan of course, because he hadn't been there.

"But—!" Joey piped up, "At least God brought us home!"

"Yes!" Yugi began, but stopped abruptly because Yami had said it at the exact same time; Yami continued, a new kind of smile on his face:

"Yes," he said, "He did bring us back . . . Safe and sound to Domino, that we may still live and breath the free air of home."

Everyone smiled at the Ancient King's statement, a new resolution and feeling beating in their hearts; color was rising in their cheeks.

"It wasn't our time to die! Was it!" Yugi lauded, raising victorious fists.

"Not by a long shot!" grinned Joey.

"Hey!" Tea interjected suddenly, "Do you think Malik and Bakura made it back also??"

Yami smiled, a bit mischievously. "Oh, I'm sure they're around somewhere."

Flashback to Yesterday:

"This is all your ruddy fault!!" shrilled Bakura, slipping yet again and landing his face full in the mud.

"Oh shut up you tomb robber!" Malik scooped up a clod of mud and hurled it determinedly at Bakura.

Bakura got the clod straight in the face, and just as he had opened his mouth to respond to Malik's statement. "That's it!!" he roared, soaked earth spilling out of his mouth.

One of the pink pigs in the pen, moving forward in curiosity, tripped and stumbled against the tomb robber.

"Move Oink!" barked Bakura, trying to shove the pig aside, "I've got a tomb keeper to finish off!!"

"Just try it" Malik sneered, gathering mud around him.

"Oink!" Bakura glared, as the pig was still leaning against him lovingly. And then, the tomb robber thought better of it. "Stay there you stupid pig, you'll be my wall of protection!"

Malik hurled an immense glob of muck at Bakura, but he merely ducked behind his pig.

"Good Oink!" grinned Bakura, then looked at Malik, "You're dead tomb keeper!"

THE END

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Rose D.: I hope you guys liked this story as much as I did!

Britannica: Oink! Oink!