again, sorry about the delay. however, you are being rewarded for your patience with this extra-long chapter (and cliffie, might i add) oh well, enjoy!

to my readers:
Fyredra - interesting idea. yeah, i'm not really a character-basher in general. even when it comes to bad guys. it's an idea for further thought.
darksilverdragon - yes, poor ryou. well, it's started, but as to where it ends up, we'll just have to see. and malik? he's just another dark spirit hanging out in the shadow realms. battle city hasn't happened yet, so he's just biding his time until then, let's say. also, i really don't have plans for him in the future of this story, but i needed someone for Bakura to get answers from, and i figured a brief appearance would make readers happy. thanks soooo much for all the compliments. not sure if i deserve all the praise, but it is still much appreciated in any case... ;)
Phantom Phoenix - yay for the encouragement! yay for malik! it's all good...
kalathetrumpeter - again, thanks for the encouragement, and no, no more transition. the battle's finally beginning. lol

Cettie-girl - well, i won't promise anything... and yes, Yugi is a very cool individual, don't we all wish we had a friend like him? anyway, thanks for all the support in every way! btw - also, i did start up "You're Invited" again, and i'm posting every day. should have it done by christmas! ;)
Isis47 - heeeeeeee. i love it when i do that. i did it to my best friend sumiko all the time. she'd be reading some of my humor stuff in the middle of class, and yeah....fun stuff. i'm glad u enjoyed malik's cameo. dunno if i'll bring him back or not. i hadn't planned on it, since he's not really essential to the story, but maybe if enough people beg..... j/k...lol well, ttyl
Sakura30 - heh, well, i'll just try it out and see. can't be any harm if it doesn't work. stupid, baka homework. gotta love fanfiction!

all right, go on and read, i've held u up long enough....

Part 2 (Chapter 17) – It's Time

At the sound of a book hitting the floor, Tea glanced up. "Yugi? What's..." she stopped mid sentence and smiled slightly.

"Hmm?" Tristan glanced up. "He's fallen asleep?" Yugi sat in his chair, nearly sinking into it's cushions. His hand, now empty, lay limp across his lap, and his chin rested on his chest with hair draped slightly over his closed eyes.

"Great," Joey whined. "Now who am I going to copy answers from?"

Mai scowled in his direction. "Grow up, Wheeler. And learn to take care of yourself." She glanced back over at Yugi's small form, innocent and vulnerable in sleep. "Yugi needs this more than any of us. Especially since it sounds like his nights haven't been too restful."

"Yeah," Tea frowned and stole another glance at Yugi, watching the breath slowly flow in and out of him, causing a steady rise and fall of his chest. Blushing slightly, she turned back to everyone else. "I mean, I knew there was something going on with Ryou and all, but I thought it was pretty much over once Kira's problem was settled. I never dreams it could get worse. I...I'm afraid for him."

Mai looked from Seto, whose stony expression was unreadable, to the troubled Tea. "Yugi'll be all right. He's managed to face so much all ready..." she trailed off, then finished awkwardly. "I'm sure he'll be careful."

"And Yami's promised to take care of him." Tristan pointed out. "I think we can trust him too."

From inside Yugi's sleeping mind, Yami smiled. They were right. He would take care of his light, no matter what. Their bond had brought them closer than brothers. Two persons inside one body - their souls had grown ever closer, and now that they shared a common goal, there was no more reason to fear.

And Yugi had his friends. They would be there for him too - not in the shadow realms, but here, in the real world of substance and life that he could never again be fully part of. They had taken the news better than Yami had expected. They were each strong in their own way, and would do what they could for Yugi.

Confident that he had left Yugi in good hands, Yami drew his attention away from the outside conversation and into his own soul room. He would rest too, until they would again face Ryou, once and for all.

Seto sighed as the conversation reached a lull, and stood, speaking for the first time. "I'll take him." The rest of the group looked up in surprise as Seto stood, and emotionlessly lifted Yugi from the chair.

"Seto..." Tea begin.

He glanced down at her and smiled ever so slightly. "We've got more than enough room." Tea smiled a little hesitantly back at him, and nodded. Without another word, Seto turned and carried Yugi out of the room.

"Still sleeping? Not that it really matters so much anymore," Bakura smirked as he gazed down at Ryou's still form. "So..." Bakura let himself sit down next to his hikari, crossing his legs in rather uncharacteristic form. "All I have to do is take the last piece of your soul? It's that easy?" Ryou didn't respond, not that Bakura really expected him to.

"The last piece of your soul - your heart..." Bakura mused. "How typical, humans. Always putting faith in the strength of their emotions."

Yugi's words from their last confrontation came back to him. It's friendships that make me strong.

"It's ironic, really. Ryou's heart – what Yugi so desperately believes in – will be what gives me the power to defeat him...and the Pharaoh." Bakura laughed, and Ryou's eyes flew open. He lifted his head and looked at Bakura through solid jade, yet never really seeing his yami. There was no recognition, no spirit left, yet somewhere inside, he still had a heart, and until that was taken, Ryou was still his own person, no matter how lost.

"I can't help you anymore. I won't..."

"Kira!" Yugi pleaded. "Please! We're so close!" He felt tears pricking at his eyes. "So close, to saving Ryou. Please don't give up--"

"I'm not giving up," Kira turned, facing away from Yugi as she spoke. "I'm being realistic. Bakura's won. Your friend doesn't exist anymore. Ryou doesn't exist..."

"No!!!" Yugi fell to his knees and shoved his palms against his ears. "Not yet! We have to hope!"

"You'll kill yourself!" Kira spun back around, shouting. "You'll kill yourself trying, and then where will the rest of your friends be?!"

Speechless, Yugi glanced up. From the shadows behind Kira stepped forward the whole crowd of familiar faces: Joey, Tristan, Tea, Seto, Mai, Mokuba, his grandfather, and others from all distant corners of his memory.

"It's okay, man," Joey spoke up with a smile. "You did your best."

"We're here for you," Tristan added.

"Even the best duelists," Seto's voice came across softly, "know when they've reached their limit."

"You can't gamble with life like a game," Mai pointed out.

"Maybe it's better this way," Mokuba added.

"We care about you, Yugi," his grandfather smiled. "We don't want to lose you."

"Please, Yugi." Tea stepped forward from the rest, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes. "Come back to us."

Yugi shook his head, not sure what to say.

"You're blind to what's happening to you," Kira pointed out. "You've become obsessed with this."

Yugi stared back at her - at all of them. "And so I just leave Ryou to die?" They didn't reply. After a long silence, Yugi spoke, more to himself. "Ryou was my first friend. He was there when I was sick, when my dad died. Whenever I found a new game, he always cheered me on. And even when we grew up, and life got more serious, he didn't forget about me."

"I'm going to be careful," he looked at each and every one of his friends. "But I can't just forget everything now. Not when I still have a chance. I'd do the same if any of your were in trouble, and I know you all would give anything for me."

He smiled finally, letting his gaze rest on Kira. "I'm not going to believe any of this any more. Enough."

Instantly, all faces but Kira's vanished away into the shadows. Kira frowned, suddenly looking much more like Kali. "You really think it's going to be that simple?!"

"Huh?" Yugi took a step back. This wasn't what he was expecting.

" 'No more,' you say. As if you had a choice?" Kira's bitter voice softened. "All we can control is our own choices. What you do, what you say, is up to you. Whether it saves another may not be."

Before Yugi could reply, laughter broke out, swarming around his head and swelling within his ears - dark laughter.

"Bakura!!" Yugi cried out. "What do you want?!"

But the laughter only continued.

"What happens," Kira spoke again, moving backwards, "is not always within our control, but only how we respond can be certain."

"Kira?" Yugi looked up to see Kira step backwards, close her eyes, and spread out her arms. Shadows like mist swirled around her, making the image in front of Yugi fade. "Kira!" Yugi forced himself to his feet and ran towards her, hand stretched out, but as his fingers curled, he found himself holding only darkness.

Looking around, he couldn't see anything. Looking down, he couldn't even make out his own body. The darkness was thick and physical. "Kira?" he called out, hesitant. No answer. "Joey, Tristan, Tea? Grandpa?! Yami!!!"

Yugi!

Yami! Yugi jerked forward. It was still hazy, but his eyes could make out faint shapes around him. Yugi blinked his eyes furiously to try to chase at least some of the darkness.

"You were dreaming." Yugi looked to his right in surprise as Yami floated out of him, taking on transparent form.

Remembering the shadows and maniacal laughter, Yugi nodded heavily. "I...I know. But why? What did it mean?"

"I hope nothing," Yami's voice was troubled. "Are you all right, hikari?"

"Yeah," Yugi nodded, then forced a bit of a smile onto his face. "I'll be fine." He glanced around the room which was slowly coming into focus. "But where am I?"

"Seto's house. And it's the middle of the night."

"I've been asleep that long?!" Yugi started up, throwing off the covers.

"Don't worry," Yami almost laughed at his light's anxiousness. "Seto made sure to call your grandfather. Besides," Yami put a reassuring, though immaterial, hand on Yugi's shoulder, "You needed the rest."

"So what happens now?" Yugi climbed out of the bed, stood, and stretched.

"Whatever you want to happen, hikari," Yami told him.

Yugi looked Yami square in the eye. "I want to find Ryou. I want to end this all."

Yami closed his eyes and nodded, slowly releasing his breath. "All right." He opened his eyes again to look back at Yugi. "Let's find Ryou."

Hikari.

Kali? Kira lifted her head from the textbook she was studying.

Yami and Yugi. They've returned to the Shadow Realm. I can feel it.

So, they've decided to go through with it anyway.

You knew from the beginning that they would. Kali pointed out.

True, Kira nodded to herself. The question now, is do we follow?

You want to protect Yugi?

Yes, but... Kira sighed. There's too many uncertainties. Too many things that might happen...and many that might not happen either.

You can't predict what's going to happen. And even if you could, it wouldn't mean that you would be able to do anything about it.

Kira sighed, pushing her palms against her desk until she was in a standing position. Maybe so, but Yugi's not in this alone. He's got friends here, worried about him. And I'm going to make sure he doesn't forget that. Kali?

Hmm?

Let's go.

I knew you'd say that.

"There it is," Yami whispered.

"Bakura's garden," Yugi finished in a similar tune. He stepped closer. "The gate's open."

"Too easy," Yami shook his head. "We found it right away, and now this?"

"We don't have any other options..." Yugi pointed out hesitantly.

"Bakura wants us to come, isn't it obvious?"

Yugi and Yami turned to see who had spoken. Yami drew in a sharp breath, "Kali?!"

Yugi shared a similar tone of shock. "Kira? I thought you didn't want to help."

"Not exactly," Kira's smile was weak as she and Kali approached the other pair. "I just wanted you to realize what you were getting into. What might happen..." she trailed off.

"I'm aware," Yugi assured her. "But if I still have a chance of saving Ryou, I still think it's worth it."

"You're too perfect a friend, Yugi," Kira told him, "With too pure a hope." Yugi didn't know how to respond, but continued to meet Kira's eyes for a long time. Finally, Kira looked away. "Well, I did give you my word, even if I don't much like what it's led to."

"Th...thank you," Yugi stammered.

"Well?" Kali gestured impatiently toward the gate with a bit of a dark smile. "Bakura is waiting."

The rest of the group nodded, and one-by-one, Yami, Yugi, Kira, then Kali entered the garden.

The moment Kali, the last one through, lifted her hand from the gate, it swirled away into nothingness. Kira looked around in surprise, remembering her earlier visits to the place. What had once been plants had now melted into shadows, retaining only a bit of the original form. No more flowers grew there, there was not even a pretense of life of any sort.

"Where is he?" Kali looked out across the wasteland that faded into darkness in all directions.

"Right here." Cold tendrils of wind reached out from behind and wrapped around each of them causing the mist in the air to billow outward.

"Bakura," Kali's voice was a tone to match the icy breeze that came from the materializing spirit. All four of them spun around as Bakura stepped out of the shadows, Ryou's unconscious form held upright in one of Bakura's hands.

"Ryou!" Yugi tried to lunge forward, but Kira's firm hand on his shoulder held him in place.

"I'm so glad you could join me," Bakura almost purred. "for my final exhibition of power."

"Final indeed," muttered Yami.

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "Final indeed. Once my demonstration is completed, I will take no hesitation in destroying you, Pharaoh. Though," he glanced down at Yugi's pained expression, still gazing at his unconscious friend. "Perhaps you'll enjoy seeing your little friend go first."

Tensing, Yami started forward. "You..."

"Easy, Pharaoh," Kali whispered in his ear while putting a firm arm in from of him. "He's goading you on."

"Too true," Bakura laughed. "Be sure, Kali, you won't escape their fate either. I don't take kindly to traitors, especially those bold enough to return to challenge me."

"So," Kira crossed her arms. "Just how do you propose to get rid of us? Conjure up more dark servants to do your dirty work? Hide behind a shield? Fight through Ryou? It hasn't worked, Bakura. We're at a stalemate, and it won't change. You can't take any more of Ryou's soul without locking yourself away. No," she shook her head. "Now it's our turn. Ryou's still there, and we'll take him back no matter what."

"Kira..." Yugi grinned up at her, and Kira winked back, but when they looked back at Bakura, he was still grinning, unphased.

"You only think that," he told them. "But this time, nothing will be able to keep me from my goal. This time," he settled his gaze on each of them in turn, "I will fight you directly. And I will win."

He threw Ryou to the ground in front of him. Yugi jerked again under Kira's strong hold. Sprawled on the ground, Ryou was still, his eyes open but empty in a almost frightening expression. "Now!" Bakura threw his hands forward, and closed his eyes, drawing his brow tight with concentration. Blue fire flickered at his fingers as a faint glow settled on Ryou's body.

"What...?!" Yami gaped. None of them had expect Bakura to try this. "It's idiotic."

"Is it possible, Pharaoh," Kali spoke in a low tone, "that you were wrong about the life connection between a spirit and host?"

"It can't be!" Yami was still stunned

Kali let go of him a little roughly, "Well, it is. And you had better think of something fast."

Pure energy streaked from Ryou's body, connecting his palms to Ryou's glow. In fine lines, the light streaked around Ryou, through the misty glow, wrapping him loosely in Bakura's magic. Bakura couldn't hide a small gasp of shock at the wave of energy that returned to him as the glow began to constrict, forcing at the final barrier that, until then, had kept him out of the last of Ryou's soul.

Pushing harder, Bakura winced outwardly as a few faint soul notes began to drift through his mind. No! He struggled to push them aside, forgetting everything but the goal he had focused on. I'm too close to lose now. I won't. He forgot the music, forgot any soul that he might have had up to that point. He forgot the pharaoh and the others. He forgot any reason for what he was doing, and focused only on the act. Now, it was only him and Ryou.

The glow around the boy began to dim, except for one spot that was growing brighter - right over his heart.

"No..." Yugi stared. This was it. This was their last chance, the final fight. It all came down to this, and if they didn't win, his friend would be gone forever.

Somehow, Kira's hands fell away, and Yugi stumbled forward. "Ryou!!!!!"

on a side note, i've started reposting my "You're Invited" story on , for anybody who's interesting. it's something of a comic romance that takes place right this time of year, ending on christmas. it's a completed story i wrote last year, so i'm posting daily. if you'd like to read it, wonderful. if you don't, it won't bother me.

anyway, i'll be back...
luv to all...

joey