Chapter 13

"Completion"

"Bakura."

Slowly, he became aware of someone trying to wake him.

"Bakura, c'mon. Wake up!"

With a groan, he opened his eyes. He had barely gotten them apart when he snapped them shut again with a howl. The light had been intense enough to make contact painful.

"'Kura, are you awake? Can you hear me?"

"Go 'way, who ever you are. The stupid light is strong enough to power a city!"

"Just open your eyes slowly, then," the voice said, exasperated. Funny. It sounded so familiar…

Bakura scowled, but decided to take the advice. He couldn't very well sit there forever with his eyes closed.

A minute later, his was blinking away the last of the pain.

"You okay now?"

Bakura turned around toward the source of the voice.

And he choked.

"YOU!"

The other blinked. "Yes, it's me. Who else?"

"You…you…but how?" the white-haired teen stuttered.

The figure chuckled. "Surprised?"

"Damn right I'm surprised, you idiot Pharaoh!"

Yami laughed, and straightened, extending a hand to his friend. "You feel like sitting there all day?"

Bakura took the offered hand, mind numb with shock. "But how? Why?"

Yami smiled, humor dancing in his crimson eyes. "Why what? Why am I back?"

Bakura nodded dumbly.

"Seems I wasn't quite finished with the lot of you." The former pharaoh shrugged. "But hey, aren't you glad to see me?"

The other spirit had to smile. "Of course, fool. I never got to thank you for…well, you know…"

"Last time?" Yami asked with a grin. "I did what was right, Bakura. I'd do it again if need be."

"Don't you dare! You scared the heck outta us!"

The spirit of the puzzle chuckled again, then grew serious. "Look, Bakura, I'd love to chat, but I haven't got much time."

"Why? Need to go somewhere?"

"You do. You'll need to wake up soon. I brought you here to say good-bye."

"What!" Bakura gasped. "You mean Sha – you are going to die?"

"Silly. I said I needed to say good-bye, not Shadow!" Yami grinned at the expression on the other's face.

"But you are Shadow!"

"Not exactly. We are one, and yet separate at the same time. My job here is done, 'Kura. It's time I leave."

"What exactly was your job?"

"Basically, to guide Shadow, and, in the process, you. The others also, but especially you. I was Shadow's reason and his comfort, his teacher and his hope for the past six years."

"But why are you leaving now? He'll still need you!"

"The ultimate goal of my job was to guide you, Bakura. And that job has been accomplished."

"It has?"

"Don't you understand? Through the past five thousand years, we've learned from each other. Your lesson was almost complete, Bakura, but there was one thing you had yet to learn, and that was the true power of love."

Bakura stared, mind blank.

"Think, Bakura. How was it that the Summoner's defeat finally came to be?"

And realization hit the white-haired teen like a boulder.

"It was because I got so furious at him…for hurting Shadow-chan…"

Yami smiled. "Yes. Without your love for the child, all your power couldn't have beaten him."

"And now…you're leaving?"

Yami nodded.

"But Shadow-chan still needs you."

"Shadow needs someone to be there for him. Someone who can help him through life. That, ultimately, is not my position."

"Then whose is it?"

Yami grinned. "I think you're perfect for the job."

Bakura stared at the other teen. "Excuse me?"

"Why are you shocked? You've been doing fine."

"If that was true, you could've left ages ago!"

Yami shook his head. "I had to make sure things were going according to plan. And I wanted to make sure that your confrontation with the Summoner doesn't get the child killed."

"The puzzle… it was your doing?"

Yami nodded.

"And when you leave, will it be left behind?"

"No. I'm taking it with me. Although Shadow does have the power to call on it, it's buried so deep that he'll probably never find it, or need to, for that matter. And that is another reason I must go. It's not fair to make him carrying around so big a burden for the rest of his life."

Bakura nodded in understanding, before thinking of another question. "Yami…"

"Yes?"

"Will Shadow-chan be ok?"

Yami grinned. "Yes. He's just tired. The road to recovery will not be an easy one, Bakura. But I have faith that with you by his side, he'll do just fine."

Bakura smiled, relieved. Then he thought of something else. "Yami... I'm still not sure I understand. I thought that you and Shadow the same person…"

"Yes, and no. While Shadow is what you'd call my reincarnation, it doesn't mean I've ceased to exist and became a whole new person. I guess you could say I'm part of his soul, as he is a part of mine. Most people do not have within them something like me. I just came along for the ride with Shadow, in a manner of speaking. In my doing so, I've caused him to mature faster than he would have. I'm leaving now, to give him back his childhood. He doesn't need me anymore."

Bakura sighed. "I still don't get it, but I'll take your word for it."

Yami laughed. "Smart. It's time for me to go, 'Kura-kun." Even as he said it, he and the light began to fade.

Bakura reached out, and grasped Yami's hand. "I'll see you again?"

"Someday. Good-bye, Bakura. Take good care of Shadow…and tell Yugi I said good-bye…"

The light faded into darkness. Bakura let his eyes stay closed for a moment longer, before easing them open.

He blinked as his eyes met the natural light that poured in from the opened window.

"Otou-sama?"

His eyes snapped down at the soft voice, and widened when he saw Shadow's eyes open.

"Shadow-chan!" he cried. "You're awake!"

Shadow giggled.

Bakura wished that the wires and tubes weren't there, for they prevented him from snagging the boy into a hug. Instead he stretched out his hand and let the child grasp it tightly and warmly in his own. It was a simple gesture of affection, one as old as mankind, and it said what a thousand words never could.

Bakura gazed upon the little boy with pure affection such as he had never known before. The two had no way of knowing that nurses would be coming in shortly to interrupt them. Nor would they have cared, for those moments were priceless, and would become embedded in their memories forever. For those brief moments in time, they knew nothing but simply adoration for the person they had some to love. As they sat, hand in hand, Bakura finally let out the breath he had been holding for the past two weeks.

He had no way of knowing that as he sat there, a tri-color haired teen smiled, looking down at the scene with sparkling eyes filled with joy and satisfaction.

Are you ready to go, little one? It is way past time that you enter into your final rest.

Casting a final look back at the pair in the small hospital room, the teen nodded. As he turned away, the emotions dancing in his crimson eyes never left.

Mission accomplished, young one?

Spreading the light golden wings that had appeared to take him home, the spirit nodded with a soft smile.

Mission accomplished.