Life of a Thief by Ryou Bakura

A/N: Sage: Wow we're finally onto this dramatic chapter, full of action and stuff!

Kaley: Yep and I'd like to thank everyone again. Your reviews really keep us going, especially the long ones that tell us what you like about the story.

Bakura: And ones where you cry…it means we've gotta be doing something right.

Sage: Yes well let's see, are there any questions to answer? Oh yes, ghost writer, I noticed that terrible balloon error from last chapter…I tend to get so involved in writing that facts go right out the window. I'll go back and fix that up somehow later ok?

Kaley: I think that's all so now let's get to the chapter!

Bakura: START THE RA DAMNED FIC!!! Damn I only get to say that one more time…

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For the past five days, he had sat in total silence in the guest room of Marik's home. Rishid had found a nice place for the Ishtar family to live and had let Bakura stay there while he planned. Very little in the way of planning actually went on though. Rather he had sat wondering if what he was doing was the right idea.

Since Bakura had gotten a body, it had been the perfect idea in his mind to finish off his goal in life, now without the interference of Ryou. His plan was to get the rest of the Millennium Items, reawaken the bond between himself and Zork, bring Diabound back out and just wreak havoc. That had always been his plan, simple as it was. He had tweaked it some, since the whole take-over-the-world thing was starting to sound fun and maybe he would keep the Pharaoh around for a fate worse than death but other than that, no changes. Of course, to get the Items he'd need more power in the form of Diabound. Diabound was a creature made from the spirit energies of all the Kuru Eruna villagers and channeled through the last living member of the town, namely Bakura. He had wielded the beast with great skill and the more hate filled his soul, the angrier the spirits became, fueling the monster. It had been a great system for him and Diabound had even evolved abilities only useful to a Tomb Robber.

Of course, Diabound wasn't a bad creature to begin with. In fact, he had been created by the townspeople to be a guardian rather than a tool of destruction. Bakura however, was the only thing left to guard at that point and so he was able to choose how it was used. It was fitting to him therefore that he'd bring it back in order to get his final revenge. He'd even bring back the dark spirit that had haunted the Millennium Items, the one that had taken over a Priest and dubbed Bakura his willing servant. Named Zork, he had been a byproduct of the terrible process used to create the items and had been the reason for Bakura and Yami's imprisonment in the Ring and Puzzle, respectfully. Bakura had worked with him to bring down the Pharaoh and it was because of this that Yami had used the last of his strength to seal their souls away. So in the darkness Bakura has sat, waiting for the day that he could truly destroy Yami and put an end to the nightmare that was his life.

Yet Bakura had stared out of the guest room window with a heavy mind, trying to decide if the only thing he had lived for the past 3,000 years was the right thing to do. Debating whether he should fulfill his only purpose in life. Weighting his options though had made the decision for him. It was either this or a boring, normal life of the same old routines with Ryou. He could never do that, the same thing everyday. Waking up, eating breakfast, and probably going in for his job or for school then coming home every night to watch TV and sleep. Those were not things that he could do. Nor did he deserve the privilege of being 'normal' like that. He couldn't and wouldn't go back to Ryou. Even if it was Ryou, cute, sweet, sarcastic Ryou.

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The desert had been, and would always be, hotter then the very sun that heated it. This was an undeniable fact in Bakura's mind as the fiery globe beat down on him. He sighed and leaned against his horse, which neighed softly at his sudden weight. Though it was hot he still wore a light tan cloak over his body, hiding all but his eyes and a few rebellious strands of hair from view. Bakura pulled back some of the material from his mouth to reveal a frown.

"This is my house all right…" His eyes drifted across the empty sands before him. "Not much left I suppose…it's been a few thousand years but…I'm sure the pathway is still here…" The silvery teen bent low, running his hands through the burning grains below. "I think a little shadow magic should unveil it…"

Of course, even as he tried to recall the magic within him, he found it difficult to focus. As soon as part of the chant came to him, a very specific thing interrupted him. Something, or rather someone, who happened to look a lot like him.

"Get outta my head Ryou…" Bakura grumbled, realizing his lighter half was once again trying to reopen the mental link. Being so far away, it was almost nonexistent yet Ryou persisted, breaking his concentration as he felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He absentmindedly put a hand over his heart as he shook his head. "Stop calling me damn it…"

"Well he's worried about you, what'd you expect him to do? Lay down and die? He's not THAT weak. Give him some credit." Bakura groaned and twisted his head around only to meet eyes much like his own. They belonged to a man with tan skin, a muscular build and terrible looking scar that crisscrossed his cheek. The narrowed eyes held a look of utter defiance and a smirk played across his lips. His short, silvery-blue hair that spiked out strangely didn't even reach down to the blood red cloak that he wore.

"And here I thought I was becoming slightly saner." Bakura said dryly. "Yet here you are Touzoku-ou." The man grinned and squatted down next to Bakura.

"You don't seem happy to see me."

"Oh really? You think I'd be ecstatic to see a figment of my imagination appear in front of me." Bakura raised his hand, resting his forehead on it. "I've got a headache now…"

"Oh poor thing, maybe you're the one getting weak…" He sat down, pushing his baggy red coat away. "I did think you'd be happy to see me though. I'm your glory days after all. Being King of Thieves was always a spot of pride for you wasn't it?"

"You're just the desert heat that seeped into my brain." Bakura growled. He'd argued with himself before but really this was ridiculous.

"No, I'm you, not a mirage or an illusion…" The thief king paused thoughtfully. "Or…maybe I am an illusion but you can't tell the difference anymore so it doesn't matter."

"Just go away." Bakura snapped, sending a glare even the Pharaoh rarely received. "I'm busy."

"Oh busy huh? Finishing our life's work?" The ancient thief asked, peering closely at his counterpart. The man grunted, trying to focus on the spell that would lead the way but it was too hard to think under the gaze of those eyes. "Don't mind me! I'm just here to watch…"

"Yes, that's the problem." Bakura sighed, giving up on his task for the moment. "Why are you here anyway?"

"I just told you!" Touzoku-ou said with an attempted, and failed, pout. "I want to watch you resurrect Diabound and go after the rest of the items. Then we, err, you can destroy the Pharaoh and rain destruction over the land of Egypt!" The image grinned insanely at the end of his bold statement. Bakura raised an eyebrow.

"You're psycho. I'm here to get Diabound sure but not to destroy Egypt. Although it'd be great to use him against the Pharaoh for old time's sake." Bakura added as an afterthought.

"Geez you have grown soft." The king of thieves punched Bakura in the arm. "You can't be me, there's just no way. I mean, especially to have your emotions stem from that worthless kid-"

"Ryou is not worthless." Bakura said automatically. He winced, hearing himself defend his lighter side out loud.

"Soft!" The red cloaked man's lips curled. "You know…I can't see as much hatred in your eyes…there's something else in there now. I can't believe you fell in love. You're right though. Ryou isn't worthless." He leaned in closer until his face was less than an inch from Bakura's. "You are…trash." The chaos that followed scared Bakura's horse enough to run away from the sudden fist fight. An explosion of shadow magic and yells came from the holder of the ring, all of it was aimed at the mirage of his former self. Even after the image had vanished with a triumphant smirk, Bakura's blood still boiled. He let out a cry of anguish as he sank into the sands, burying his head into his knees. He didn't care that for one moment he was weak, because Touzoku-ou's words had hit a nerve hard. Was he really trash? Was he weak? No, it couldn't be true. Bakura refused to believe it.

He shook his head, tightening his fists with sudden resolve. No, Bakura wouldn't back down now. He would finish what he started and Ryou could go on with a better, less dangerous life. He stood, cupping his hands around the Millennium Ring as he began the chant over, clearing his mind of all emotions. Under that sand was the path to Diabound's tablet, the place where he slept like all other ancient monsters until he was needed. Bakura would wake him up and together they would go to Zork and begin their new quest for-

"Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?!" A female's voice startled him just a few words away from the chant's end. Bakura's lip curled and he spun around, ready to send whoever it was deep into the shadows. However the second he turned a bright light shone from nowhere, nearly blinding him. He raised his arm to shield his eyes and didn't lower it until the light had completed faded. A strangle gurgling noise escaped his throat at the sight that met him.

Bakura knew the girl, with her ebony hair and lightly tanned skin, was his sister. Her deep eyes gleamed happily and she tugged with nervousness at her billowy tunic. She always did that when she felt awkward but even then, she had the biggest smile he had ever seen on her face. Akila even held her rag doll like she always had, guarding it against her chest. Bakura felt his body go limp as he struggled to stay standing. It had been an annoyance to see the Thief King but this was something indescribable, a feeling that had crept up on him yet he wasn't able to say what it was. All he knew was that he wanted nothing more than to hold his sister right then, even if she was just another figment of his fading sanity.

It was only then that he noticed two interesting things: The faint outline of wings that graced his sister's delicate back and the angry, white haired girl standing next to her.

"HEY! Are you deaf?" The ivory preteen cried, stomping up to him. She wore a summery looking dress of pink and flip flops that didn't touch the slippery sands. She too, had the outline of wings, though much stronger than his sister's, that ruffled as she walked and if Bakura wasn't mistaken, there was a faint golden glow above her head. "I asked you what you were doing! Are you trying to kill Ryou? Do you have an inkling of what you're doing? You are one hellva egomaniac!"

"Ah Amane!" Bakura's sister frowned and ran forward, tugging on the older girl's sleeves. "You promised you wouldn't yell at him!"

"Amane?" Bakura looked her over thoughtfully, then smirked. "Oh so you're Ryou's little sister then! Pleasure to finally meet you."

"Yeah it's a real joy…" Amane said dryly. "I know, you were wondering what kind of person I was. Glad to know you approve." She grabbed his cloak and pulled him down to her level. "Listen, do you know what kind of hell I've been through for the past few days because of you?"

"No idea…" Bakura shrugged and pushed her away, clearing the path to his sister. He walked forward feeling as if his stomach was heading south. He stared down at the young child with the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. "Akila…I haven't seen you…in so long." He said, though even as the words came out he thought they sounded stupid. Was this what you said to someone you loved after what they had been through?

"Yes it has been big brother!" Akila said cheerfully. "I haven't seen you since well…" Her voice trailed off and she gave a nervous laugh. "I'm sorry about everything. So much happened to you…and I…and I encouraged you. I never was able to say sorry…I shouldn't have done those things. We, all of us…all the Kuru Eruna villagers encouraged you but we shouldn't have. It wasn't right. You did bad things because of us…because of me…I'm so sorry that I failed you big brother…" She said as tears gathered in her eyes.

"No…no no…" Bakura's eyes went wide as he swept his sister into his arms. "No Akila…don't think for a second that any of this was your fault! It was all because of that bastard…because of the Pharaoh and his priests."

"No! Don't think that way big brother!" Akila cried, pushing away enough to look him in the eyes. "We were wrong to hate! There was so much happening…when I…when I got to heaven, I saw what really happened. Oh brother…he didn't know!"

"I…I know that…" Bakura hesitated, bowing his head until his bangs veiled his eyes. "I know that it was really the high Priest Akunadin who went forth with those plans without telling anyone how the Items were made. I know he is the one Zork corrupted and used…I know…all of that."

"Then why?" Akila whispered, sounding a bit frightened. "I know why you did it then…you wanted to get revenge for us. I understand that but why now then? Why do you want to hurt things now big brother?"

"Because your brother is a mental case!" Amane seemed restless and butted her way into their conversation. "That's why we're here remember? We have to stop him."

"What, on a divine quest?" Bakura sneered.

"You could say that." Amane glared at him. "I'm on a special mission…from my brother. You wanna know what he's been doing all this time?"

"Calling for me." Bakura said softly, putting a hand on his chest. "I can feel it."

"Yes, he's strong though…" Amane's toughness seemed to disappear as she spoke of her brother. "He finished his report and went back to school like everyone else, like nothing happened. Yugi's been there for him but…when he sleeps he cries. Still…when you get dumped like this, I'd have to say that I'm damn proud of him. Ryou…I always knew he could handle this stuff…but he's alone now. That's your fault by the way. Ass." She added.

"They allow such rude little girls in heaven?" Bakura laughed but found it wasn't quite as funny as he first thought it was. He stopped as Amane tapped her foot impatiently.

"If you're done then I can finish explaining." She muttered. "Well he sent me a letter and yes he sends them to me. I don't get them physically but I can still read them. He misses you and wants you back. That's not all though. Akila isn't totally in heaven because of you and I wanted to fix that."

"Huh?" Bakura blinked in confusion and turned to his sister. "What does she mean by that?"

"I mean that her attachment to you and your attachment to causing others pain is making her stay in limbo!" Amane crossed her arms. "She's spent everyday in limbo since the moment your soul was sealed into the Ring. Diabound lost the support of the spirits of Kuru Eruna as they were thrown into the void. You may have been locked in darkness for 3,000 years but ever try spending even a second in limbo? The feeling that you're alive but you feel so dead…so cold but so hot, there's nothing you can do but watch the world around you while you are frozen in place. Not dead, not alive. And let me tell you something…At least reliving the worst moments of your life make you feel alive."

"A lot of the villagers moved on…" Akila whispered, looking away from Bakura. "They made peace with what happened and went to heaven. I…I stayed because…I knew you weren't there and…so I didn't want to leave. I stayed and waited for you. I knew someday you'd come back. I didn't want you to be unhappy again. I thought…that this would be your second chance so I wanted you to have a good life this time."

"So she waited in limbo willingly for you." Amane frowned and leaned in closer to the two. "Because she had to make you happy and see to it that you lived a peaceful life. But you helped keep her there with your hate. I'm sure if you were happy she'd be content but nooo you can't be can you? Can't you just let go? You have NO reason for it!! Yeah ok, so something terrible happened to you when you were little well so what? That's how life is. You got your revenge and you know that Yami didn't do anything. There's no one to blame anymore, no one to hate…"

"Neither of you understand." Bakura said, his hands slipping off his sister's petite shoulders. "This is something I have to do…and I will finish this." Bakura smirked at the angelic girls. "I don't really care what you have to say about my problems…but right now, you're in my way. I'm afraid that I'll have to fix that."

"Brother…no…" Akila's eyes grew wide and she turned away as tears fell across her cheek. "You can't mean that…you can't…"

"I told you…" Amane pulled Akila to her. "You see…he is possessed by Zork."

"I didn't want to believe it…" The Egyptian girl weep, "No…no my brother is stronger than that!"

"What are you two talking about?" Bakura asked, placing a hand on his hips. The Ring glowed around his neck and he suddenly felt angry again. He grabbed Amane and bent down to her height. "You aren't just here for Ryou's sake…what are you here for?"

"To seal Zork in the Ring…first I have to pull him off your soul though. Since Thief King long ago let him inside…you let Zork into your soul and he still resides there." Amane put her hand on Bakura's. "We could get him in the ring, sealed so deep that he won't be able to escape. But you have to help. He's part of you after all…"

"I'll save you big brother!" Akila cried, holding Bakura's other hand tightly. "Please…I just want you to be happy…"

"You're both nuts." Bakura pulled away from them both. "Zork isn't in my ring, he's sealed away with Diabound. I remember that he and I were fighting the Pharaoh and-"

"He's very deep in your personality…controlling you to some extent really." Amane tapped her finger on her chin. "I think we can save you from him though but only if you want to be saved. Just think, no more inner voice that tells you to hate and to kill. You can decide fully on your actions. You'll be able to think for yourself without feeling conflicted anymore…hell you can go back to my brother and cheer him up. If he'll still take you back, which he shouldn't." She added with a grin.

"I said we weren't dating!" Bakura growled. "And he'll take me back!" The instant he said that he groaned and shook his head while the two girls giggled. "Oh shut up…I didn't mean to say that."

"Sometimes the words with the most truth are the ones we wish we didn't say." Amane laughed. "Unless that statement is too deep for you."

"Maybe I should bury you in the sand, see how deep you get…" The man grumbled. "Ok so what's your plan then for saving me?" He said with a slight sneer. The children looked at each other thoughtfully then Amane smiled.

"So you really want to be saved then? We'll have to all confront Zork…" Amane grabbed the ring as Akila followed suit. "Are you sure you want to?"

"Listen girls…" Bakura placed his hands over their tinier ones. "You're making it sound like I'm not strong enough to beat him…and I don't take well to that. I can beat him without your help. Besides, I always planned on overthrowing him." He said suddenly as if it were all his idea. "Sure I swore loyalty to him but that was years ago, I'm more powerful now and can take his place…and his power."

"Uhh sure whatever." Amane rolled her eyes. "Can we just get started? He won't be easy so we have to get a move on."

"Fine…" Bakura smirked. "Let's go…"

"Finally, I'll get to help you brother!" Akila cheered, a smile on her face.

"Yay…to the deepest part of Bakura's mind…ugh…" Amane groaned.

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"Mister Bakura, could you please pay attention?" The teacher's voice called. Ryou lifted his head off his desk, staring dumbly at the woman. "Unless of course you think you know more about this subject than Tea does?" Ryou shook his head.

"No I don't…I'm sorry. I'll pay better attention." The teen said politely. The teacher seemed pleased and gave Tea a nod so that she could continue.

"Um right as I was saying…they lived this way for hundreds of years, giving thanks to their gods for their luck until white settlers appeared in…" Tea went on but Ryou's mind once again wandered away as he propped his head up in his hands. He glanced outside and saw that the sun had finally broken through the winter sky that had covered the earth for the past few weeks. Beams of bright yellow light shone down unnaturally on the school grounds, like a painter had just thrown them in for fun without any knowledge of what a January sky should look like. Ryou could hear Tea droning on in the background but really, he didn't give a damn about the plagues that white men had brought to America. Life was a bitch, get use to it.

"Ryou…hey…psst! Ryou…" He felt Yugi poking him but only let his head fall against the table again, a hint that he didn't want to chat. Things hadn't felt the same without Bakura around. The others hadn't been surprised to learn that Bakura had left him and instead told him how much better off he'd be without his other half. Like hell he would. Sure, he'd be able to live. Yet this had nothing to do with his feelings for Bakura. Well ok some of it did. A lot of it. Yet there was something else that made Ryou feel so depressed and it was the hole inside him. If he could compare the feeling to anything, it would be like someone had cut him right down the center and kept a few nerves intact. He could sense Bakura but it was so distant…and in the meantime, he felt stranded and incomplete. In his heart it was about love, in his mind it was about being so deficient.

"Mister Bakura, I will not ask you again!" The teacher's voice rapped, sending Ryou's head up once more. "Really now, no one else seems to find Miss Gardner's report so boring." Ryou cast his eyes around the room and found she was quite wrong but decided not to point out the river of drool from Joey's mouth or the way Seto seemed to be sleeping with his eyes open.

"Yes ma'am…I'm sorry, I haven't been sleeping well." Ryou smiled slightly. It wasn't a lie, that was for sure.

"Well that's not my problem now is it?" The teacher snapped before letting Tea continue. Ryou let his head flop back into his cupped hands and sighed softly. Yugi hadn't told him whether Yami had found Bakura yet. He'd only say 'I'm sure we'll hear something soon' but soon just wasn't coming fast enough. Waiting for every second to go by made time come to a near stand-still. Ryou's eyes flickered back to the window. Somewhere, far beyond the glass, beyond the city and far away from their country's shores was Bakura, his missing half and the person he loved. He was worth the wait and wait Ryou would, even if it took an eternity.

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Cold, so very cold and damp. Bakura could feel the icy air clinging to his skin and he shivered, hugging himself for warmth. This was like nothing he had ever felt, the shadow realm felt like a sauna compared to this. Even as he rubbed his arms, he felt it was a worthless effort. The darkness around him was sucking what little heat he made away. There was so much gloom around him; he couldn't tell if Amane and Akila were still there. All he knew was that he was floating in this strange, empty darkness.

"Damn it's frickin' freezing in here! Are you that cold hearted?" A female voice shouted next to him and he grimaced, slightly relieved. He wasn't alone in here after all.

"I…It is a b-bit c-c-cold in here i-is-isn't it?" Akila stammered, her teeth chattering loudly in the void. "Why i-is it s-so cold?"

"It's Zork I think…" Amane said, her voice closer to Bakura now. He felt her soft body bump against his and he groped in the dark until he grasped her hand. She tightened her small hand on his and he could feel it trembling slightly. She was scared. "He's near…the closer we come to him, the colder it will be. It's already very dark so…he must be very close…"

"A-Amane? Is b-brother there?" Akila asked, sounding stressed.

"Yeah I've got him right here don't worry. I won't let anything happen to him." The girl muttered, pushing herself against Bakura. He couldn't help but be surprised by her actions. She seemed frightened and yet she still wanted to protect him.

"So, only trying to save me for Ryou huh?" Bakura asked softly.

"Yeah well…I just want my brother to be happy. I'm sick of him being alone and exiled by his friends." Amane said, moving closer to him. "I guess if you're the one for him then I at least need to clean these bad thoughts from your mind. But…I'm umm…a little nervous so…you better not wimp out or anything." Bakura wished he could see her face. He smiled and patted her on the head.

"You're a good kid…but you don't have to worry about me backing out." Bakura laughed, the same laugh he liked to use when intimidating opponents. "This fight will be easy."

"AHH!!" A short, sudden scream echoed in the dark and sent a chill up Bakura's spine.

"AKILA!" He yelled pulling Amane with him as he followed the source of the cry. They went deeper into the strange realm until they ran into a huge, stone door. It was craved with disturbing looking pictures of death and torture.

"This must be where Zork is…" Amane said and for the first time, in the light emanating from the door, he could see her halo and wings. Huge, beautiful wings of white and silver that easily eclipsed the tiny girl. They were powerful looking too and Bakura could actually picture her flying through the clouds above. Her halo now seemed less like a ring and more like a sheet of golden, holy light that shimmered above her head.

"You really are an angel." Bakura said, a bit surprised by just how graceful she looked.

"I am…a guardian angel. In fact…I guard my brother. It's the only thing I've ever wanted to do." She said, plucking a single feather from her wings. Bakura watched as it became a long, elegant scepter. "So I'm not really allowed to fight but I've learned a few tricks…now let's do this." She spun the rod and jabbed it into the door. There was a small amount of light as the stone parted. The instant the doors parted a burst of dry, icy air hit them, whipping around their bodies and sucking them into the room. Inside there was little light but Bakura quickly found his sister.

"Akila!" Bakura dove forward, throwing his arms around the girl. He pulled her against him as she clutched his shirt.

"I'm sorry brother…" The younger one whispered. "He grabbed me and I couldn't fight him."

"It's alright, don't worry about it. You're ok right?" Bakura asked. He felt her nod and he looked around the dimly lit room. "Is he here?"

"There!" Amane shouted suddenly, swinging her scepter. A light flashed from it, revealing, to be perfectly honest, a demon. A bulking, armored creature with a deep purple hue. He had enormous teeth like a clamp, razor sharp that gleamed in Amane's holy light. His eyes were pools of blood that seemed to reflect the lives he had taken. From his head and chin grew large ivory horns. He was Zork.

"Clever girl, such divine light should hurt a demon." He said in chilling voice. "But really…from such a low level angel as yourself…" Then he was gone. Amane's eyes widened and suddenly he was behind her. "It's little more than a paper cut."

"No!" Amane cried, spinning around to attack. Zork, however, was faster and knocked her away with ease. In another second he had grabbed Akila away from Bakura and flung her next to Amane.

"Fucker!" Bakura growled, throwing his hand out in front of him. A stream of shadows emitted from it and blasted Zork but he only laughed.

"Fighting fire with fire? Don't you know that only adds to the flame's power?" Zork seized Bakura's arm. "You and I need to talk somewhere more…private…"

When Amane and Akila came to, the room was much warmer, brighter and unfortunately for them, Bakura-less.

"Oh crap…this doesn't bode well…" Amane groaned weakly.

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Tracking someone using only the Millennium Puzzle turned out to be more difficult than Yami had first thought it would be. Wandering around the desert in the middle of the day with jet lag turned out to be even harder. Yami yawned widely and glanced around the rolling sea of sand.

"Yugi owes me for this…" He muttered before touching his puzzle again. "He should be around here somewhere…damn you thief…" The ancient Pharaoh continued his search, grumbling as he did. It hadn't been easy for him to accept Yugi's idea for a 'rescue party'. Did someone who wanted to destroy all of humanity really need a rescue party? Still he was outnumbered on the subject and if he was honest with himself, he wanted Ryou to be happy again, even if that meant bringing the tomb robber back to Japan kicking and screaming. So here he was, suffering from the heat and time zone changes, looking for someone he hated deeply in the middle of nowhere Egypt.

It wasn't much longer though, before he saw a curious sight in the sand. Someone was sprawled out in the sand, wrapped in a cloak that covered their face. Still, with the tuff of white hair sticking out from under it, Yami could easily say it was Bakura. Or a very old, thin person but either way it didn't look good. He hurried over and turned the person onto their back to reveal he was right.

"Stupid…" Yami heaved the other man up into his arms and lightly tapped his face. "Bakura, hey, wake up…" When the former thief didn't budge, Yami decided it wouldn't hurt to try out other wake up methods. "BAKURA!" He screamed right into his ear but not even a twitch. He pulled at the man's eyelids, slapped him and dropped him but Bakura slept on. While it was rather fun to abuse him like that, Yami knew this wasn't good. "Something's very wrong here…"

Yami laid Bakura down gently in the sand, knelt beside him and looked at his face intensely. His eyes were unmoving behind his skin and his breathing was very shallow, so much so that Yami had to put his hands on Bakura's chest to notice any movement at all. It reminded him of a victim of Bakura's own soul-stealing.

"Did you lose your soul…?" Yami asked quietly, running his fingers against Bakura's bangs. A sigh escaped his lips and he stood, placing his hands on his hips. There was only one sure way to see what was going on inside Bakura's mind and the Pharaoh didn't like that option at all. However, he couldn't bring him back to Ryou like this; it'd kill the poor boy.

"…They REALLY owe me now." Yami complained, though it was only half-hearted. He put one hand on the ring and the other on his puzzle. After a moment, Yami's body fell limply over Bakura's.

Inside Bakura's mind, Yami sighed and looked around.

"Hell, you owe me now too Tomb Robber…"

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"I am offering you power." Zork said finally. Bakura had been waiting impatiently for the devil to speak since they'd arrived. The room he and the girls had found was nothing more than a trap. This was truly Zork's domain, deep inside Bakura's psyche where utter silence reigned. It was oppressive really, pushing in on all sides and it was driving Bakura mad.

"No, you're offering me the once in a lifetime chance to be your slave." Bakura snapped. "Sorry to break your heart but I don't like being bossed around." All he had thought of since their arrival was his sister and Amane. He hated to admit he was actually worried about them but seeing them lying on the ground like that wasn't a comforting image. He was, of course, more worried about his sister but Bakura had taken a liking to the feisty young Amane and knew Ryou would kill him if something happened to her. If Zork didn't do away with him right now that is.

"What a fool you are. I am giving you the one thing you need to fulfill your desires and you turn me away so easily?" Zork rumbled, crossing his massive arms.

"What you desire, you mean?" Bakura smirked. He knew it was a fact that Zork could kill him. In this state, he was far weaker that the beast but there refused to show fear. Actually, the only thing he was afraid of at that moment was that if he died, Zork would destroy the entire world, taking Ryou along with it. "I don't desire the destruction of these pathetic mortals; that is your goal. Mine may be power but what good is power if it is obtained through someone else? It would prove I am too weak to get it myself."

"Hmm, better to stay quiet lest those around you think you to be a fool than to speak up and prove it to be true eh?" The demon mused, his fiery eyes flashing.

"Then why do you ever bother to speak at all?" Bakura countered. "Nothing you can say to me will change my mind. I am no one's lapdog. I shall do what I want when I want to."

"Then why do you listen to me? My subtle suggestions that echo in your dark heart?" Zork said softly, almost seductively. "Do not think yourself to be above me. Your heart is no purer or truer than mine. Your soul is as empty and as black as my ambitions." He walked towards his prey slowly, still speaking in the same hypnotic tone. "Look around you. Bleak, cold, empty…this is your soul. This is your heart. I did not do this nor does my presence affect it so. This is your doing. You are the one who killed, who slaughtered and tortured and ran amok in Egypt. You are the one who caused pain and suffered for those people." Zork now stood less than a foot from the once proud thief. "It is true that I am pure evil but can you really say you are better than I? Can you say that your hands are not as red with blood? No you can't." The demon leaned in close. "You can not escape the truth. The Thief King realized this long ago and gave his soul to me. You are nothing more than the byproduct of me and him. I could erase you yet I give you the choice of joining me. You could have anything you desire, simply give in to me and swear your loyalty to me." Zork fell silent, waiting for Bakura to speak.

Inside him thoughts raced. Did Zork's words have truth to them? Was Bakura really worthy of living a life without this dark being? He was no better, he had killed and hurt. Even Ryou, he had hurt him. He had failed in protecting his sister. Bakura could feel the doubt encasing his heart and felt like there was no choice but to give in. Perhaps if he did he could spare Akila, Amane and Ryou. He didn't deserve to live a normal life after the things he had done nor was he better than Zork. If he was not better than he should be nothing more than a lapdog…

"Rot in hell." Bakura's eyes widened and both he and Zork spun around. Standing in the center of the room was none other than Yami, with Amane and Akila at his side.

"The Pharaoh…what did you say?!" Zork roared, moving away from Bakura.

"I said, 'rot in hell'. Bakura's isn't your slave." Yami stepped forward, a dangerous look in his eyes.

"Stay out of this!" Bakura yelled, his doubt washed away by agitation. "Just get them out of here and go the fuck away!"

"Since when do I listen to a word you say?" Yami asked coolly. "I'm here to bring you back. Ryou's worried sick and I decided that rather than him wander Egypt for the rest of his days, I'd come instead. Now I'm regretting that decision."

"You idiot!" Bakura yelled, storming over to the three.

"Don't call him that brother!" Akila said suddenly. "He said he's going to seal Zork away with us and save you!"

"You? You pathetic weaklings think you can seal me?" Zork crackled, tossing his bull like head to the side. "I find that very amusing."

"I believe that our power combined will be more than enough to seal you." Yami shrugged. "However, really…I don't think Bakura deserves to be saved when he has such doubts in his mind." The star-haired man turned to the thief gravely. "You were about to give in to him."

"Like hell I was!" Bakura said defensively, knowing it was true. "Listen to this Zork!" Bakura glared daggers at the beast. "I was weak before. I relied on you for power but guess what? Times have changed and so have I. Maybe I won't be as strong without you but I've got my own brand of magic and it's better than anything you could ever give me. I'm sick of people telling me how I should be or if I deserve pity. I don't. But I AM better than you. My killings had my heart behind them and maybe I regret them now but that shows something important. I've got a soul thank you very much and my plans are much more thought out. So shove it up your ass."

"And what of him?" Zork asked, indicating Yami. "What of your hate, your revenge?"

"Screw it." Bakura smirked triumphantly. "Yami didn't do anything to my village, it was all that damn priest and he got his in the end. Everything else I can pin on how naïve I once was and how foolish you are." Yami smiled approvingly as Bakura craned his neck to see the former king. "Don't get me wrong, I despise you with every cell in my body and wish nothing more than the most painful of tortures on you."

"Oh, thanks a lot…" Yami's face fell and he glared at Bakura.

"But! It's because you're my very annoying rival." Bakura grinned at him. "I want only the best for you. That's why I'm going to be the one to destroy you someday. It has nothing to do with Egypt or anything. It has to do with how many times you've bothered me since we came to this era."

"That doesn't make it much better…" Yami grumbled but he too smiled. "And I shall continue fighting against you tomb robber until you reform your ways."

"Good." Bakura nodded and turned back to Zork. "So you see, I don't need you. I never did. So like pointy head over here said, 'Rot in hell'."

"Because you deserve it you vile, disgusting, and cruel-"Amane shouted suddenly but was interrupted by Akila.

"Icky, ugly, mean, nasty, fat freak! I hate you! You hurt my brother! We're going to make you pay and you're going to regret everything you ever did to him!" Akila finished, yelling uncharacteristically. The three others stared at the younger girl, who blushed and hugged her doll tightly. "Well…I mean…he deserves it."

"You honestly think the four of you can seal me?" Zork bellowed, throwing his horned head back in rage.

"If I'm not mistaken…" Yami said in his soft but deep voice, "The only reason you defeated me 3,000 years ago was because Bakura was on your side…" He glanced at the thief, "Am I right?"

"Yes you are Pharaoh." Bakura pointed at Amane and Akila. "Now let's see…we've got an angel, a lost soul, a thief and a Pharaoh. I'm sure we can kick your ass with energy to spare."

"Then try it!" Zork cried, shadow magic exploding from his body. The four braced themselves, then ran in towards him wielding their own types of magic, ready to close a chapter in Bakura's life.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

With their combined powers, it wasn't long before they had worn Zork out. They restrained him and created a special room, deep in the Ring. He would never be able to get out and with a final smirk, it was Bakura and Akila who sealed him in. The look of terror and hate in Zork's eyes as the doors closed would never be forgotten by those who saw it. Bakura took a deep breath, leaning against the new door.

"That wasn't so hard." He said in with his usual arrogant flare. Akila grinned and jumped up, throwing her arms around Bakura's neck.

"We did it big brother!" She cheered, kissing him excitedly. "You're free now! He won't hurt you anymore!"

"Yeah and you're free now too!" Amane grinned and the two shouted with happiness and spun around, dancing with joy. Yami smiled gently at the girls and noticed the same look of tenderness in his rival's eyes.

"So that's your younger sister? She's beautiful…so young and innocent. She loves you a lot doesn't she?" Yami whispered, looking at the Egyptian girl.

"Yeah…Akila." Bakura said softly, smiling at her. "She's been in limbo all this time…waiting for the time that I was free. She didn't want to go to heaven until she knew I was safe…" Yami turned his head slowly to meet Bakura's eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said seriously. "I'm very sorry for your losses. Perhaps…your rage was justified."

"Don't worry your pointy little head about it." Bakura smirked, though it wasn't as hostile as his normal one. "That was a long time ago. But uh…I'm glad you…came here. And that you understand now…that I did those things for her. I just went a little crazy…" He groaned and smacked himself in the forehead. "Damn I am getting soft."

"I won't tell anyone what you just said." Yami grinned. "And you can go back to being your usually rude, angry self."

"Back to being rivals?" Bakura asked.

"Back to being rivals." Yami agreed and the two shook hands.

"Brother!" Akila smiled and looked between the two. "We can go now! C'mon!" So the four focused deeply and before they knew it they were back in the desert.

"Get off me Pharaoh!" Bakura shouted, pushing the groggy man off of him.

"Back to normal." Yami smiled. Amane and Akila stood off to the side and watched the men stand and dust themselves off.

"Well…I guess this is it." Amane gave Bakura a hug. "Take care of Ryou now…I'll be watching you. If you don't, I'll shove my rod up your ass."

"You take care of my sister then." Bakura said, patting her on the head. "I'll know if she's unhappy and you'll be the one to pay if that happens."

"Sure thing." Amane winked at him and moved aside so that Akila could say her goodbyes.

"Umm…well um…" Akila wrung her hands nervously. "I'm…I'm going to miss you big brother…" Her eyes darted away from Bakura's as they filled with tears. He bent down in front of her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Hey…thanks for everything little sister…" He said softly, "I'm sure you'll be quite happy in heaven. Just stick with Amane ok? She'll take care of you while I can't."

"Thank you…" She kissed him on the cheek and hugged him tightly. "I'll miss you so much. Please be happy."

"I will." Bakura sighed and stood up. "I'll miss you too but don't worry about me anymore ok?" Akila nodded, still crying and Amane took her hand.

"Come on…let's go back…" The two girls waved goodbye one last time before they were engulfed in the golden light of Amane's halo. When the boy's vision returned, they were gone. Bakura's eyes were downcast and Yami gave him a moment of silence before nudging him. Bakura looked up, a strange look in his eyes. Yami just smiled.

"Let's go home Tomb Robber." Yami frowned when the thief said nothing. Finally, he heard a whisper come from Bakura's lips.

"Should I…really go back?"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

A/N: Sage: Phew it took us forever to write but as you can see, it's much longer than any other chapter.

Kaley: We worked hard on it but school got in the way so we weren't able to finish it before New Year's. There's still one more chapter to go! Will Bakura go back to Ryou? Will Ryou's broken heart be mended?

Bakura: Only they know…so you better review and find out the answer to that!

Sage: Next chapter is the last, dramatic conclusion to Life of a Thief so don't miss it! Review and we'll see you next time!

Kaley: Oh yes and I hope this clears up Zork/Diabound questions (smiles).