- 5 -

Mokuba had watched by his brother's side while he was unconscious for the next few hours. The expressions on Seto's face had been frightening. He seemed to be in a nightmare he could not awake from. By the sound of it, Meritaten had not faired any better. Bakura had held her hand as they all waited for them to wake up. Both were now awake though their eyes held fear.

"What's going on?" Meritaten asked.

"Your camels are being resupplied. Once day breaks, we all will be leaving." Yugi said. There was sadness in his voice.

"All of us?"

He nodded.

Meritaten looked at him. "He wasn't what you expected, was he?"

"While we talked the other day, it was like talking to a stranger. He's not who he was when he was in the Puzzle. "

"Of course not, he had very few memories of his past and had only your example to follow. He reflected what he found in you. Now he knows who he was and his previous personality has taken back over."

"So he learned nothing while he was with me. All of it is forgotten?"

"No." She looked at him thoughtfully, "I must say I was quite surprised not to have died yesterday. A person just doesn't say no to Pharaoh and live to tell about it. Of course, at least for a while, I will wish I had died."

Yugi looked at her confused.

"Every time I close my eyes, I'm back in the shadow realm. I can see the same look in Kaiba's eyes."

"How long do you think that will last?"

"Who knows. I feel the sooner we get away from here, the faster the healing will start; but I could be wrong."

Pharaoh watched as the friends all mounted the camels, Mokuba/Kaiba, Yugi/Bakura and Téa/Meritaten. The last camel was loaded down with the supplies they would need to make it back to civilization.

He just couldn't let them go without a passing shot. "Seto Kaiba!"

Kaiba looked over his shoulder with distain, "What?"

"If you are ever found within my lands, you will be killed on sight. Your former self conspired against me. I would suggest you never do."

"I have no need to come anywhere near you or your lands. You keep your people away from me and mine, I will stay away from you. You cause any problems for me, you will seriously regret it."

Pharaoh gave him a pitying look and turned his attention to Meritaten. "As for you Meritaten, you are disowned and banished. You no longer have a people or family. You don't even have a name. Do you understand this? Never return."

She nodded her understanding at him over her shoulder, but did not look at him. "Move out!" she called.

She drove them hard, only stopping when there was no light left and starting again as soon as dawn broke.

She finally called a halt once they reached the lower foothills. "We will rest during the day and leave again about an hour before nightfall."

Her eyes snapped open and her breathing was fast. She couldn't have been asleep more than a few minutes. The visions were still there, just waiting to ambush her when her eyes closed. She looked across the shelter where Kaiba was sitting up against a large rock, watching her. He wasn't getting any sleep either.

Four days later they were back at Jarha's home. He took one look at her and Kaiba and led them inside. His children helped the others unpack the camels and led the friends to the baths. Inside the house, Jarha's wife brewed a concoction for them.

Jarha handed them the drinks and said, "This will help you have a dreamless sleep."

It showed how utterly exhausted Kaiba was as he immediately drank it without comment. Several minutes later they both were out cold and put in rooms to sleep.

Kaiba sat up and groaned. Mokuba was there instantly, "What's wrong, Seto?"

"It's just a deep feeling of dread. I'm sure it will pass." Mokuba looked at Seto strangely. "What?"

"It's funny, because that is exactly what she said when she woke up."

Mokuba took him to the baths and had his regular clothing waiting for him when he emerged. Feeling almost normal, he and Mokuba walked into the main room together. Pamiu had shown up while he slept and everyone recounted their respective adventures.

The black-haired girl finished up her story and with tears in her eyes said, "I am now an orphan. It hurts more than I thought it would, to have no family and no name."

"After what happened, why would you care? And, if you truly want it, you have a name," Kaiba said to her. "Go get your passport."

When she came back, there was a soft smile on her face. "My name is Merian Kaben. You can still call me Meri."

"There is a birth certificate and other documents you will need on the plane."

"Thanks, Kaiba." She looked quite overwhelmed.

"Don't mention it," Kaiba said gruffly, then looked away from her and changed the subject. "I just don't get what he said to me. Why would I ever go back there?"

Meri looked at him and chuckled. "You really don't think he will stay in that little valley, do you? He is Pharaoh. He has the Millennium Items and the god cards. I would give him less than two years before he takes over enough of Africa and/or the Middle East to be threat to the more powerful countries."

"Should we try to stop him?" Yugi said.

"How do you propose to do that?"

"We have stopped people like that before."

"Sure, with the power of one or more of the Millennium Items to back you up." Meri gave him a sad smile as she saw him slump down, depressed. "Yugi, we are young. It's the governments who will have to deal with him now."

Kaiba interrupted, "KaibaCorp will keep an eye on him. When the time is right, my company will start sending warnings. We will do what we can. But right now I think it is time for us to go home, go back to school, back to our lives."

Pamiu cut in, "I can have you all back to your plane tonight."

They all looked at each other and agreed. They were ready. "Let's go home."

The plane set down back in Domino, much to their relief. Seto and Meri had been sniping at each other the whole way back. Seto had started it by declaring only a coward would end a duel in a draw. The argument had gone back and forth and ranged from the duel to the shadow realm (which of course Seto didn't believe in), attitudes, politics, reform, anything they could think of. It kept the two awake and away from their nightmares. Unfortunately, it kept everyone else awake too.

A car was waiting for Seto and Mokuba; and, while Mokuba waved to the gang, Seto disappeared into it without a word. Yugi's Grandpa showed up in a taxi. It was then they noticed Meri was gone.

"She was just here. Where could she go so fast?" said Bakura.

"Bakura, Meri told me she would disappear as soon as she could. It would be easier than a long farewell. She is eager to find a new place to live, get a job, start living a real life. The documents Kaiba gave to her will make those things a lot easier. She said that when she has things worked out, she would resurface."

"She could have at least said goodbye, you know," the disgruntled Bakura complained.

Then over the PA system they heard, "Goodbye, Bakura!"

Laughing, the friends all got into the taxi and headed home.

- END -