Title: The Prize At The End Was Worth It
Author: Phoenix87
Rating: PG-13, T
Pairing: Seto/Yami (although it's interchangeable)
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Creative use of shadow powers, Egypt scenes following neither the show nor the manga. (I haven't seen them)
Disclaimers: Yu-gi-oh does not belong to me, but I've got some bubble wrap. pop, pop, pop…
Summary: A race from a mad man ends up dragging Yami and Seto threw the past, present, and into the future... a future in which they just might end up in each other's arms.
Status: Completed 9/9

(A/N: So…here it is: The last chapter. And yes it's shorter compared to the last two (even with the extra I added at the last second!)…I feel the need to remind you that the last two were combined of four chapters. I am sorry about the strange lengths. When I write I ignore chapters till I'm done so sometimes they end up all bizarre. Okay enough accuses! On with the show!)

Chapter 9/ Epilogue

His name was Malus.

Picking himself off the floor Yami stalked toward the man that caused him so many problems, both in the past, and present. Now he had Seto backed up against a wall. Stopping just behind them Yami yelled.

"MALUS!"

The stalker went stiff, Seto stared at him confused, and a little worried.

"Well…Pharaoh. Seems as if you gained some knowledge from the last time we met."

"Why the game?"

"What ever do you mean?"

"Why did you chase us up and down the country? There were times you could have had us easily but you held back. Why?"

"That would have ruined my fun." Malus replied back still to Yami

"Fun?"

"Yes…seeing you scared and nervous and looking over you shoulder. Very un-pharaoh like behavior I might add. Also I got the pleasure of watching Seto here." He stared at the brunet intently. Seto stared back defiantly, "He was very concerned for you, Pharaoh. Touching really. So concerned that he didn't even pay attention to himself. You two are each other's weaknesses."

"Enough of this!" Yami was sick of the small talk, sick of the ranting, sick of the twisted game that they had been playing. He narrowed his eyes cutting to the chase. "You shouldn't even be here! We destroyed you."

Malus tilted his head.

"Yes you did. It wasn't very nice."

"How did you come back?"

The other laughed softly

"Remember that deal I made?" He finally turned to face Yami, "I didn't tell you everything." When the brunet tried to pull his wrist away Malus addressed him quietly "Don't try to run. I'd hate to break you." spoken with mocking sincerity.

"What do you mean? What more was worth your soul?"

"If you're going to start preaching again then I won't tell. You just love hearing yourself talk don't you?"

"Look who's talking." Seto mumbled

"What did you do?" Yami said anger lacing his voice

"There was one more tiny part. Along with the Shadow Powers, and invulnerability to weapons, I also got one chance to return to earth. 3,000 years after I died. Imagine my joy when I picked up one of those dueling magazines and saw the both of you adorning the cover." He turned to the brunet "you looked very nice."

"Wait. Back-up.You say that your invulnerable to weapons?" Seto asked

"Yes I am. Got stabbed right threw the stomach and nothing happened." Malus gloated.

"Hum…then how come you bled when I stabbed you with a pen?"

"I…um"

Yami smiled.

"I knew it. The Gods never wanted you to succeed. They didn't give you enough power to defeat all seven items, and they knew to send you back to a time were you could be defeated again."

"What are you blabbering about?" He yanked Seto's arm up, "How can you say I'm defeated? In case you didn't notice I HAVE him!"

"You cheated death once are you so sure you can do it again?"

"Be quiet!"

"Getting defensive are we? Feeling some mortality?"

"I Said be quiet Pharaoh!"

"You're bleeding. Want to know why?"

"These questions are meaningless!"

"You were invulnerable alright. To weapons from Egypt, from that age! I'm willing to bet that you're as susceptible to today's weapons just as anyone else."

Malus paled, but his face was still full of rage.

"Yami!" Seto yelled in understanding "My secretary's desk! Top drawer, right side!"

"Right." Yami went for the desk

"Sorry love, can't have you helping him like that" Malus said before swinging the brunet by the wrist right into the wall. Seto's head collided with a bang before he slumped to the floor. "You'll forgive me later."

Yami flinched when he heard the thud against the wall; it was like he felt the impact himself. Hand shaking with fury he managed to open the correct drawer, inside was Ms. Hetke's stun gun. That will work. Snatching up the weapon he pointed it at the stalker.

"And what is that?"

"A little hello from the new Millennium." Yami pulled the trigger firing a small projectile from the gun that attached it's self to Malus's chest.

"You're kidding me? That's all it does?" Just as the man was about to pull off the tag, the electricity started running threw it and into his body. He went rigid as the voltage tore threw him. As he fell to his knees a strangled cry tore from his mouth and he violently ripped the tag from his body then dropped it to the floor.

"Fun toy." He said threw ragged breaths, "But it won't be enough." He staggered to his feet staring daggers at the Pharaoh, who in return snatched the sturdy chair from behind the desk and swung it at the taller man full strength.

Malus, still in electric shock, stumbled backwards falling to his side. It gave Yami mire seconds.

'Okay…plan B' Yami thought glancing around the room. His eyes caught a door to his right. Written in simple block letters was the word 'Security'. Maybe there would be a panic button in there! He could try to hold of Malus until the police showed up!

Yami ran toward towards the door, just missing the flying chair leg that imbedded it's self into the computer screen. The stalker tried to take to the air, but found he couldn't stay up thank to the lingering effects of electricity so he stumbled after the other.

"Nothing will help you Pharaoh!" Yami heard Malus yelled from behind him as the man shakily followed. "It took all seven Millennium Items to defeat me before, and you only have one! I'm going to destroy you!"

Yami reached the door. Locked. Frustrated the shorter duelist kicked against the door.

"Here, let my help you with that Pharaoh!" Yami spun around. A ball of black angry magic was flying towards his face. No time to run, no time to duck. Ra. It was so close he could see the delicate over lapping layers of the magic. If it wasn't about to rearrange his body in horrible ways he might have called it beautiful. Bracing for impact he prepared himself for the pain- that never came. Cracking his eyes open he saw that a golden shield, emitted from his puzzle, now surrounded him. That was new. At least for this lifetime. The blast had taken out everything beside him, that the shield didn't protect, and that included the door.

"Why thank you. That was nice of you." He told a shocked Maris with a grin before turning and dashing around the large button-decorated panel looking for well, anything big and red.

The gray-eyed man blinked, grumbled then straightened his hair to compose himself before following Yami into the ink black room.

"You won't be making jokes when I crush your neck into power!"

'Blue, yellow, green, RA! Wasn't there a rule or something that required there always to be a big red button!' Yami thought franticly stumbling around the room.

"Come out come out where ever you are…" Malus said in a singsong voice. He raised his hand to fire shadow magic randomly. The blast hit part of the wall and ignited the curtains that hung before the window illuminating the room with a fiery glow. His eyes eventually found the shorter duelist.

"There you are." The next shot was aimed at Yami, who leaped out of the way just in time. The magic slammed into the wall behind him harmlessly, while Yami landed on top of a coat rack, it wasn't the most comfortable landing. Pushing his body upwards the former pharaoh's hands brushed against something hard within one of the guards jacket pockets. Reaching into it he found a gun. It was heavy; this wasn't a stung gun. This was the real thing. Almost automatically, he stood up, clicked off the safely and pointed it at Malus.

"Another sting toy?" the man scoffed

"I'll give you one last chance Malus. Leave now and never bother me or Seto again."

"You're giving me one last chance? You should be begging me for one last chance! Or maybe you should be begging me to make your death quick and painless." He pulled back his hand for another attack.

"I'm serious Malus!"

"Me too."

Yami pulled the trigger.

Malus's attack jerked to the right as the bullet impacted his body. Stunned he looked down as the red liquid spread and dripped down his shirt.

"What…what is this?" he touched the wound on his chest and winced. "I don't understand." He fell to his knees.

"It's a gun." Yami said simply. "I've just sent a piece of metal flying into your chest at a speed and range that will cause massive damage."

"What kind of magic is this?"

"It's not magic. It's technology."

"I do not understand." Malus repeated softly before falling face first on the floor and into oblivion. Yami sighed and let the weapon fall to his side. It hit his leg with a heavy 'thud'.

"Sometimes neither do I." He whispered

The fire sprinklers finally turned on resembling a gloomy rain as it smothered out the flames and gently rolled down the figures.

'Seto.'

Turning on his heels Yami ran back toward the main lobby. The sprinklers were coating the whole ground floor it seemed, sending droplets of water flying when the duelist's boots hit the flooded carpet during his run. The brunet had landed on his side and was still lying there. Coming to a stop beside Seto, Yami dropped the forgotten weapon to the floor quickly following it's decent to his knees. After turning the taller over gently, Yami brushed the thick wet bangs away from the CEO's face.

"Seto, everything's okay now. You can come back to me."

Epilogue

Yami leaned back into Seto's side as they ate at one of Domino's finest restaurants. The CEO had gone all out of course, reserving the entire floor of the restaurant just so they could be alone. It was their 5-month anniversary. He hadn't had a vision since the last fight, and they had to spend hours talking to Yugi and Mokuba trying to explain both their disappearances and the fact that they were now holding hands. The younger boys didn't seem to mind the last part. In fact there was a knowing smirk shared between the two that Yami was sure he preferred to remain ignorant about.

"Here Yami try this." Seto's smooth voice pulled Yami from his thoughts. He glanced up to see the brunet holding up his fork that was entwined with pasta. Yami opened his mouth and allowed Seto to feed him part of the taller duelist's dinner.

"Mmm. That's good."

He must not have sounded very convincing, for Seto just put down his fork and gave him the 'what's wrong?' look.

"Penny for your thoughts."

"Only a penny?" Yami poked athis food with his fork, "Come on Seto I know you're worth more."

"Yami…"

Yami sighed, okay; he wasn't going to wisecrack himself out of this one.

"I was just thinking…"

"About?"

Biting his lower lip, the former pharaoh wasn't sure how to respond. He quite frankly didn't like bringing this up. More precisely, he didn't like bringing Malus up. The man almost killed him and tried to kidnap Seto, more then once.

"It's not important." Yami decided on saying.

"Oh. That."

Darn-it. Seto always knew.

"He was a fucked up freak Yami. Don't worry about it."

Sometimes Yami would give everything to reason like that.

"But what happened that made him that why? Was there something that could have prevented it, somethingI could have done?or-?"

"Yami, sometimes nothing happens to a person to 'make' them a certain way, they just 'are'. Like the mutt. He didn't become a moron, he always was."

"Seto..." Yami said in warning tone. But he was smiling.

"Fine, fine, but if you need to analyze this so much look at it this way: without him we wouldn't be here right now." The brunet paused tapping the fork on the table in thought. "Although I admit, it was a hell of a race huh?"

Yami looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.

"Yeah. But you know, the prize at the end was worth it."

"Aww, that was sappy. But thanks." Seto said with a smile then force-fed Yami another forkful of pasta. Yami smirked.

"You know…" he said mouth still full, "I don't think I like this. Have it back." Grabbing Seto by the back of the neck he drew the other into a kiss and skillfully worked the noodles back into his mouth with his tongue.

Seto swallowed

"I don't know whether to be impressed or completely grossed out."

End.

(Final A/N: I guess I could have ended with a sappy sentimental heartfelt kiss but…where's the fun in that? Thanks for read'en folks. You've all been so nice to me with my first full out romance story. It's appreciated! It was a fun story to write and I hope you all liked it.
Much gratitude,
Phoenix87)