A/N: The last chapter…I'm so happy.

Read and Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or anything related to it, nuff said.

Chapter 10 – You and I . . . Eternally Forever

She woke up with a start, her breathing was erratic and her body glistened with sweat. The sixteen year old girl tried hard to understand what it was that awoke her shaking. 'A dream…' she thought, then furiously shook her head, knowing it was not simply a dream, "no, a nightmare!"

Slowly getting out of bed, she walked toward her window and gazed out to the world outside. The sun had yet to rise and though she felt tired she knew it would be impossible to fall back asleep. She feared that if she slept she would awaken frightened once more. The young girl was confused, however, for she couldn't quite remember what she dreamt! She knew it was frightening, though. A sad dream that never ended with anything but tragedy, or so she felt. Just trying to remember gave her a sense of loss and heartache, also that of longing.

"Something doesn't feel right," she told herself, "everything feels wrong, like I'm…not suppose to be here."

She shook her head, wondering why it was she felt that way. 'I must have just eaten something bad before going to bed. I'm sure it was just a scary dream of nothing at all. I'm sure of it,' though she thought that, her heart couldn't seem to agree. Something was nagging at her, telling her that everything was wrong.

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, hoping that what she felt would pass. It took a while, but she managed to calm her feelings a bit. She sighed as she walked out of her room and headed into the kitchen. She thought it would be best to occupy her mind doing something like cooking. Hopefully, it would help.

She grabbed whatever utensils she needed and a big pot once she reached the kitchen. The browned haired girl decided to make soup, one she created on her own when she was young and a favourite among the ones who have tried it. She figured the sun would be rising by the time she was finished, so she would, of course, eat some soup, then get ready to go out. She wanted to visit the temple for a morning prayer believing that it would perhaps help her troubled thoughts and feelings. Maybe it would even prevent from dreaming nightmares of that magnitude again.

"I'm sure it was nothing, nothing at all," she repeated to herself. She paid no more mind to the startling dream and busied it instead with the process of cooking breakfast.

It wasn't long until she finished her meal and headed outside, the sun peeking in the horizon, as she had assumed. She took a long, deep breath, inhaling the nice, cold, fresh air which calmed her much more, making the nightmare now linger in the back of her mind, hopefully to remain there for the rest of the day.

She began her walk to the marketplace, knowing it was the fastest way to get to the temple, but she took her time going through, seeing what new items the venders had. Of course, they were all just about opening their shops since they would open at the first sight of the early light.

Venturing deeper into the marketplace, she stopped a few times, looking at whatever caught her eyes. She didn't know whether she would really buy anything, perhaps if she truly desired what she found. She stopped at one shop which was a familiar one to her.

"Ah, Anzu, how are you?" the young girl turned to see a friend of the family. He was a kind, old, chubby man.

"I'm fine, how are you?" Anzu asked back.

"Good, good, child, and how about your parents, have they returned yet?"

"Not yet, but I believe they will return in three days."

"That's good to hear, I can't wait to see them," he said happily, "so what brings you here? Are you looking for something specific?"

"No, I'm just looking around before I head to the temple," Anzu told him as she scanned his booth.

"Well, make sure not to stay cooped up in there all day. Ra has blessed Egypt once again with beautiful sunshine, so make sure to enjoy it," the kind man advised.

"Of course I will!" she said, giggling and the old man chuckled warmly. She looked down once more to the items he had and there was something there that she decided to purchase. "I'll take this silver rose, how much is it?"

"For you, Anzu, free," he told her.

"But I couldn't! I insist in paying," reaching into her small pouch, she handed him what she felt was sufficient, "Here!"

"Anzu, you are really too kind," he chuckled lightly.

"Nonsense, I think you are! How do you expect to profit if you give out things for free!"

"Only to you," he countered.

"Even so," was her reply, and she smiled her lovely smile.

After the two talked a bit more, they soon bid each other farewell, and Anzu, with the silver rose she had bought in hand, headed once more toward the Temple of Ra. When she had reached it, she began climbing the stairs, deep in thought. She didn't even notice a certain person walking down the flight of stairs, but the moment they had passed right by each other, Anzu's eyes widen as she began to remember things she couldn't remember ever happening.

"Oh I almost forgot, I got you something, here." She handed Seto the rose and he looked at it with a smile.

"Thank you, but you really shouldn't have," he said as he took the rose.

"But I wanted to, especially since your my best friend," she told him, smiling at him.

"Thanks, Anzu,"

o0o

Seto handed her a bracelet that was silver and had five different colour stones on it: red, blue, green, white, and black. Anzu looked at it in awe.

"Seto, it's beautiful, but why are you giving this to me," she asked still looking at the bracelet.

"Well, you gave me that silver rose (…). Plus, today we have been friends for ten years and I thought it would be great to give you a gift on this special day," he told her, making Anzu gasped.

"Oh my Ra, I can't believe you remembered," Anzu said surprised that he remembered the day they became good friends, "and here I am not even giving you a gift. I feel horrible."

"It's okay(…).

"(…) For ten years we have been friends and I didn't give you anything," Anzu said.

"Of course you did, but you give it to me everyday," Seto looked at her and smiled.

"I do, what is it?" she asked curiously.

"Hope"

o0o

"Come on, Anzu, be strong, everything is going to be alright," Seto assured her.

"I know it's just that I'm going to miss you (…)" she couldn't continue, it would only make her sadder.

"Don't worry, you'll see me again, I'll come visit whenever I can. I promise that I'll visit everyday, if I have to. Don't cry Anzu, everything will be alright, I promise,"

o0o

"Anzu…I really hope you can hear me. I just want to say I'm sorry, sorry that I couldn't save Yasuo. (…)I really can't believe you're gone," (…) "you were my best friend…no…you were my sister, just like you said I was your brother. I just wish I could have protected you, but…I couldn't and I'm sorry… … …you were my hope, and now I lost you. (…)"

Anzu stood still; eyes still wide open as she slowly turned her gaze to the man that was just passing her. She had no idea as to where those memories had come from and when her gaze fell upon the male she was surprise to see that it was the same one from those memories! 'But why?' was her only thought as the man simply kept walking, not sparing one glance at her.

Anzu kept her eyes on him as he descended the stairs and, for some strange reason, her eyes began to water. 'Why am I crying?' she thought to herself as she finally looked away from the retreating figure and harshly wiped her tears away. 'That man,' she began to wonder, 'he was…the High Priest, I'm sure of it, but why I would remember such things is beyond me. The way he acted in those memories is nothing like I heard…what does this all mean?' Anzu sighed as she looked down and was startled to see that the rose had a crack. She brought it closer to her face to inspect it and to her total shock, the silver rose shattered.

"Bu-but I just bought it and it was in good condition!" she told herself, "What in Ra's name is going on?"

She felt something tugging at her heart again, but ignored it, wanting nothing more than to forget this whole incident, she decided to proceed with what she had planned earlier in the morning. Taking a deep breath, she continued the climb up the stairs and when finally she reached the top, she rushed inside the temple and found a quiet place to pray, hoping that it would truly help her.

0000000000

It didn't help. Anzu couldn't stop feeling like something was wrong, that this was not how it should be. 'But then how should things be?' she contemplated.

She was beginning to get frustrated with her situation and she couldn't understand why it was bothering her now. Why all of a sudden did everything feel wrong? The day before she felt fine, everything felt normal, but today just wasn't the case. Everything was just not right.

"This is ridiculous," she spoke aloud in her empty home. Sighing for the umpteenth time that day, she decided that she would take a walk, however, she knew that it probably wouldn't help much either. But there was nothing to lose, so she might as well.

Anzu walked for a long while, not even realizing where she was going. She simply had let her legs guide her to wherever they were taking her, too preoccupied with her thoughts, out of the city of Cairo, into the vast dessert and when she cared to finally take notice as to where she was, she realized she was in the middle of no where.

"Just great, now I'm lost!" she berated herself. She gazed out into the never-ending sand of the dessert and thought carefully on what she should do. She turned around to see that there were still footprints on the sand, but as to how far they go was a problem. She really was stuck now!

"What to do? What to do?" she questioned, worried about her situation. 'I guess there is something to lose in taking a walk,' she thought dejectedly. Anzu took a deep breath and thought her best bet was just to follow her footprints back, so she took a few steps before stopping and grasping to where her heart lay.

Anzu felt that tugging at her heart again, this time stronger. Taking a few more steps, she collapsed onto her knees as the tugging became unbearable. It seemed this was the wrong direction to take. Was she meant to go somewhere, was that why she absentmindedly ended up there? There was a sharp tug and she took that as a yes, so she stood up and once more let her legs carry her to where it was she should be.

It didn't take long until she reached, what she guessed, her destination. 'A cave?' she wondered as she neared the entrance, stopping to take a peek inside, but it was too dark to see anything. 'There is no way I'm going in there! Who knows what I'll encounter!' she thought, but the tugging of her heart wouldn't stop. "But then again, maybe I should…" she told herself and as she was about to take a step into the cave, she was stopped by a deep voice.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you," the voice warned. Anzu slowly turned around to come face to face with what she could only assume was a thief, and when she saw him, it happened again. Memories she had no recollection of ever happening passed though her mind, things that seemed so familiar but simply were not:

When her eyes rose up, she was met by brown eyes, ones she could not look away from. Bakura couldn't look away either and both of them stayed there looking at each other, as if this was meant to happen.

o0o

"Anzu?" he whispered. (…).

He looked down at her (…). He then thought of one thing to do, he lifted her head so she faced him. He looked down at her with sorrowful eyes and leaned down. Gently he placed a soft kissed on her lips, and Anzu did not push back. She was happy, because deep down she knew Bakura cared about her so much and he would keep her safe. That's what she felt: safe, and without a doubt…love. For Bakura, it was the same, he loved her and he finally was able to show her.

o0o

First, Bakura moved down to face her and looked her straight in the eye, "Anzu Mazaki, will…will," he was hesitant for a moment then he said it, "will you marry me?" Anzu gasped when he asked the question and showed her the ring. She was shocked and couldn't believe what was happening. (…)

Anzu looked at Bakura, her eyes were beginning to water, she loved him so much, and she felt that it was fate that they were together. She let a few tears fall, then said, "yes! Yes I will." Bakura smiled and kissed her passionately again. (…)

o0o

(…) "I'm…I'm pregnant." Bakura turned pale (…)

"Ar…are you sure?" Bakura asked, trying so hard to believe what was said. Anzu nodded her head.

"You're going to be a father. We are going to be parents," Anzu looked at him and really thought he was going to faint, but he did something she didn't expect, he laughed, softly at first, but then he went hysterical. Either he was going crazy, or he was happy with the news. The next thing Anzu knew, she was grabbed by the waist and he stood up, picking her up while doing so. He held her high above and began to twirl her, she could hear his laughter dying down, but by how things look she knew he was happy.

"A father? A father! Never did I think of ever being a father, but now…I never felt this way before," Bakura told her, putting her down and hugging her tightly. Anzu hugged back and had tears falling down, but they were tears of joy.

"I'm so glad you're happy"

o0o

"So, I have…a son…a son," Bakura kept on saying that, but no matter how he said it, he couldn't believe it. Anzu just smiled and wanted to hold the child. Seto just handed the boy to her (…)

Bakura (…) looked at his son. He reached out his hand to touch his face, but his son grabbed onto his finger, there he felt something he had never felt. It was as if his whole life changed, he now believed and knew he was a father. As the boy held tightly to his hand, Bakura smiled, and knew he would protect this child, and his wife. They both were everything to him. He looked at Anzu and he saw that she was tearing a bit and smiling.

"You were right," she started to say; "it was worth it." Bakura smiled then kissed her. None could have been any happier. (…)

(…)

"Oh!" Anzu exclaimed, getting Bakura's attention.

"What is it?" He asked worried something was wrong.

"We still didn't give him a name," Anzu said, "I once was thinking on it, but couldn't think of anything."

"Hmm, how about…" Bakura thought for a moment, "…Yasuo."

"Yasuo Ryou…I like it," Anzu said and hugged her little bundle of joy, knowing she has the greatest gift, a family of her own.

o0o

"Anzu," Bakura whispered.

"Bakura…," Anzu said weakly, trying so hard to stay awake.

"Why, why did you do it? You should have just stayed back," (…)

"Didn't you feel it?" (…)

"Feel what?"

"Yasuo…he's gone…Bakura, our son is gone," Anzu responded, tears were beginning to form once again in her half closed eyes.

"I know," Bakura told her, he felt what she did. (…)

"You felt it too, that pain in your heart…I knew it meant…now he's gone…I just couldn't bear it any longer. I didn't want to you lose you too, I couldn't loose you, I can't live without you…that's way I had to do this. I couldn't bear to loose Yasuo and you…I just couldn't," Anzu said, trying desperately to breath, and tears just flowed down her face.

"Oh Anzu, this can't be happening," Bakura whispered, Anzu looked at him, and smiled again.

"It's alright, as long as you're safe, I can die happy (…)"

(…)

"Anzu, you'll be fine, I won't let you go…I don't want you to leave me," Bakura told her, but knew the impossibility of it all. Anzu looked away from his face and realized that darkness was trying to take over. Her eyes were open, but the daylight was beginning to fade, she was almost gone.

(…)

(…) Anzu tried to look at him, but her vision wasn't working probably. Darkness had finally consumed her; it was now getting hard to hear. Everything around her was fading away.

"Bakura, everything's…getting so dark. I can't see you…anymore…Where are you?" Anzu said as she lifted her hand weakly, trying to feel him. Bakura grabbed her hand and held it tightly so she knew he was there. (…) she spoke again, "Bakura I want you to know something…"

"What is it?"

"I just want you to know, to remember, that I will always love you…and you never know, maybe Ra will hear my plea…maybe someday we will meet again…in another life maybe…but that's hoping…I'll miss you the most," Anzu couldn't keep it up any longer, everything was going, everything was so dark. Anzu knew she didn't have much time, tears were continuing to flow down her cheeks and with her last breaths, she spoke once again, "I love you, Bakura," fading away now, "and I," her voice became a whisper, "don't…regret…" her last breath, "anything," and her last word.

She looked wide eyed at the man before her, the same man she saw in those memories. 'I don't understand! Why am I remembering these things! What's wrong with me!' she screamed in her mind, and looked away from the thief. She was not dumb; she knew who this person was. He was Bakura, a well known tomb robber, a man with no respect for anyone but himself, one that she feared right about now, knowing what he was capable of doing. 'Those memories, or whatever they were, were wrong about him! He's evil!' she thought as she began to shake with fear. She was in danger, she knew that.

"What's wrong with you, woman?" Bakura asked, but she kept silent as she was contemplating on what to do and with no warning, she turned right back around and ran into the cave.

Bakura stared, brow raised, at the retreating figure and simply 'hmphed' as he turned the other direction. He wanted to simply tell her that the cave was said to be cursed and no one who had dared ventured into it had ever returned. "You try to help someone, and they throw it back at your face. Like I care, anyway, stupid girl," he berated. Bakura just walked off and never gave a second glance back.

Anzu ran until she could no longer and collapsed in a very large, open space in the cave, which was also a dead end. She tried to catch her breath as she tried to think clearly. She had just gotten away from a dangerous criminal and she could only hope he had not followed her into the cave. Looking behind her, she could not see anyone, or hear anything. Letting go a breath she did not know she was holding, she laid on her back and sighed once more. "That was just too frightening," she told herself as she closed her eyes for a moment.

"Now what?" she asked no one in particular. She opened her eyes to look at the place she had run into and stood up. The cave wasn't at all that fascinating, maybe just the waterfall and the lake, but excluding that, everything was bare. Yet, Anzu couldn't help but feel that she knew this place, as if she had been there before.

"But that's impossible, I have never gone too far from home so I could never have found this place!" she convinced herself, but the feeling wouldn't leave, she felt this place too familiar.

The young woman glanced up to see a large opening at the top of the cave and realized that the sun was setting. 'Well, at least I'll be able to find my way back,' she thought, knowing that once the stars were out it wouldn't be hard to get back home.

"I should leave…" she whispered and as she turned to walk out, she was stopped once more, this time by a distant voice, yet clear as if someone was talking into her ear.

The voice shouted, "Anzu!" and she quickly spun around to look every which way to find who had said her name. To her dismay, there was no one and it only left her to feel a sense of loss. She was feeling lonely, as if someone was missing, as if someone was supposed to be here.

"Anzu!" she heard the voice again. She still couldn't spot anyone, no one at all. She was all alone in that cave and she knew it was not right. Something was missing.

She turned her head to glance at the lake and began to walk toward it. She didn't stop at the edge; instead she kept walking, not caring that she would get wet. She just walked into the water until she was almost in the middle of the lake, where she simply stood and looked down at her reflection. 'I don't understand…but I want to,' she contemplated.

At first everything stayed quiet now, but a few moments later, she heard distant laughter. Anzu knew that there wouldn't be anyone if she looked, but she still did, she looked and found no one there. She kept hearing the laughter, however, and soon the voice and other voices as well.

"Anzu!"

"Mom!"

"Anzu!"

"Anzu!"

They were calling her, but she didn't know who. They were calling her, and she didn't know what to do. She didn't understand!

"What am I suppose to do! What's going on!" she yelled to no one, making the voices silent. The girl shook a little and felt something upon her cheek. Raising her hand to touch whatever it was, she realized she was crying again. 'Why do I cry? Why does everything feel wrong? Why!' her thoughts lingered on that question, but there was no answer. There was only silence and all she could do was cry.

She cried until she could no longer, and with a hurting heart she had left that cave, never receiving an answer. Away she had gone for the night, back home, to rest her tired soul, just hoping the next day all would be forgotten, all the pain would diminish, but it was not to be so. She found herself in the same situation as the day before, and again she found herself in that cave.

It became her routine, to visit the bare cavern, weep, and hope that one day the pain would ebb away. She lived the rest of her life that way. The rest of it alone, for she could not seem to fall in love with any man, and miserable, for her heart felt nothing but heartache and longing. That was her life until she grew too old to travel to the grotto and for the remaining time left she simply tried to endure the pain in her heart.

Everything was as it should have been for everyone else, but for her, nothing was as it should be. She only wished she knew why.

On her final day in the world of the living, as she rested on her bed, she said a little prayer, hoping that the gods would hear her plea. She prayed her soul would find peace, if not now, then someday. That was all she could ask for, that was all that she wanted.

With her heartbeat slowing and her eyes closing for the last time, she shed a final tear, wishing that her life had not ended the way it had. If only she knew what it was she was missing in this life…

0000000000

Tea stared at the large house in front of her. Currently, she was in Egypt with her friends to finally find the answers that the pharaoh had been seeking about his past. It was only a matter of time now until everything would be revealed to him. But for now, they all were residing at Isis and Malik's home to rest for the remainder of the day and wait until the next day to travel to the ruins Isis had spoke of. They felt it necessary since they only arrived that day and felt somewhat exhausted. The pharaoh understood and told them that one more day of waiting would be fine with him, he could wait until tomorrow.

And tomorrow was soon approaching them, a few hours more and the morning sun would rise, but unlike the others, Tea was not asleep, she couldn't sleep, and that was why she now stood in front of the house and stared blankly at it.

She had awoken to a nightmare which she seriously could not remember. It had frightened her; that much was for sure, but she really wanted to know why. What could have possibly caused her to wake up shaking and sweaty? It was a question with no answer and she couldn't help but sigh at that.

"I'm going to be cranky on our trip to the ruins," she joked. It did not lighten the mood, though.

She shivered slightly as a breeze passed by, but did not mind it. She came outside, hoping the fresh air would calm her nerves and help her think. So far it wasn't working very well, and if worse comes to worse, she would probably catch a cold too.

'Maybe it's just this place. Perhaps a walk would help me more,' she thought to herself, taking one more glance at the Ishtar residence before walking away.

She walked for a long while, not knowing that once upon a time, in another life, another 'her' had traveled the same path as she was now. She was letting her legs guide her, letting them take her to place that was meant to be familiar but not.

When she had at last stopped her walking, she looked at her surroundings to find herself in unknown territory. Of course, everywhere she went in Egypt would be unknown to her since this was her first time in the new country, but she was at least somewhat familiar with the area of where Malik lived. 'Forget the cold, this is much worse!' she thought, unhappy about being lost.

She scanned the area a bit more, and felt a tugging at her heart when she looked in a specific direction. She could only assume that she was meant to go that way, and she wasn't about to doubt her heart, after all, she always followed her heart.

Walking once more, now with her heart as her guide, Tea couldn't help but feel like the area was very familiar to her. But, logically, that was simply not likely. Everything was new to her; she knew that, it just had to be.

The girl shook her head and ignored the feeling, and kept moving. She stopped when she notice the cavern straight ahead. She could only presume this was her heart's destination and taking a deep breath she walked toward the entrance. Upon reaching it, she could hear something coming from within.

"Anzu!"

"Tea!"

"Mom!"

Voices were calling out to her, pulling her to walk in, and she did. She walked into the grotto, kept on walking until she reached the very end, only to find a bare area with a waterfall and a lake. She looked around to see if anyone was in there, but nothing could be seen. It was empty.

'Why does this place call to me?' she wondered as she strolled deeper into the terrain, stopping right at the edge of the lake. She stared for a moment before going into the water, deeper and deeper she went until she reached the middle. She stood there for what seemed hours, but merely minutes had passed. She couldn't seem to move, or rather, she didn't want to. She just stood there.

"Mom!"

"Tea!"

"Anzu!"

Those voices again. They sounded so familiar.

"Anzu!"

She turned to see nothing behind her. It was still empty. No one but her in that dark, lonely cave.

She closed her eyes, wishing to know what was going on. "Who's calling me?"

She opened her eyes when she heard laughter. People were laughing, sounding happy, like they were having fun. She heard splashing, but no one but her was in the water. She was completely alone.

"Tea!"

Tea's vision blurred as tears began to form. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. She didn't understand what was happening. Who was calling her? Why did she feel pain in her heart?

"I love you"

Anzu gasped at those words. "Love…" she whispered as a memory that never was flashed before her.

"I love you, Tea," he whispered.

"I love you, too, Bakura," Tea whispered back.

"Bakura…? But why…why would I…" Tea could not comprehend, she just couldn't.

"Mom!"

The brunette looked over to the waterfall; something was pulling her to go near it, behind it, so she swam toward it. Upon reaching the waterfall, she managed to find a way to get to the other side and what she saw surprised her.

"Doors? Where in the world would those lead to?" she asked.

The set of doors were enormous. Tea could only wonder what was on the other side. 'Perhaps another world?' she mused, as she approached nearer.

"Anzu!"

It was the voice again, but it sounded much closer, much clearer! Almost as if…

"As if it's coming from the other side!" Tea concluded.

She was now right in front of the doors trying to figure out what exactly she should do. Tea knew that it would be impossible to open the doors on her own, they looked really heavy. But would she even want to? Who knew what would happen if these doors opened.

"Tea!"

She didn't care, it was calling out to her; she had to know. She had to know what it was she dreamt. She had to know why her heart was in pain. She had to know who was calling her. She just had to know!

Tea walked closer, first placing her hands on one door, then pressing an ear up against it. She concentrated hard to hear what was on the other side, hoping that it would give her some answers.

She heard laughter, her name, confessions of the heart, and so much more. It was almost as if the other side was a whole different life, another life her heart wanted to be in, wanted to remember.

Yet, how could she remember things that never happened. When did she love Bakura? When was she ever a mother? Nothing made sense, but she wanted it to. She wanted to remember!

"Please, what do I do?" she asked no one.

"I love you"

Tea closed her eyes shut as tears spilled and concentrated hard to remember. The voices were getting louder. Memories were beginning to fill her mind.

She could see a man and a young boy. Her family.

A CEO, a twin of her love, two Egyptian blonds. Her dearest friends.

"I…"

They shared joyous and distressing occasions. They laughed together. They played together. They loved each other. But there was one man she loved more than anything, her best friend, her lover, her husband…

"Bakura…" she whispered.

She could see the love in his eyes. She could feel it with his touch. Taste it with their kiss. Hear it in his voice. She knew he loved her.

"I…" Tea tried to grasp it all, tried desperately to hold on to the images, to the memories.

"I love you"

"I…"

"You and I…"

"Eternity."

"Forever."

Anzu's eyes snapped wide open as everything came back to her and she couldn't help but yell, "I remember!"

As if the words were the key, the doors separated, opening a path that she knew was meant to be hers. As the doors were opening, she could see blinding white light escaping through the crack, and when her eyes adjusted, she saw an all too familiar white void on the other side of the doors. One she welcomed with open arms. She walked forward with a smile, never taking a glance back, leaving a small part of herself behind, one that was soundly asleep at the Ishtar residence, to live out the days as she was meant to in this world.

As for this Tea, she would return to where she belonged; with her family and friends, to create new memories, good and bad.

0000000000

She was falling head first in the white abyss, eyes closed, and her mind in a calm state. She looked peaceful and for once in her life she felt no worries. She would be back with them, with him, she knew. It was only a matter of time and her heart leaped with joy at the knowledge.

'You will be with them soon,' the gentle voice of Light confirmed.

"I'm glad," Tea spoke quietly, never opening her eyes.

'I am, too.'

There was small pause before Tea spoke up, "I thought you were supposed to disappear after everything."

'I am. I'm slowly fading away into nothingness. I will soon have my eternal rest.'

"Before you go, Light, tell me…why couldn't I as Anzu remember?" Tea asked a little saddened as she remembered what Anzu had gone through until the end of her life. She was there in her mind, screaming for her to remember of Bakura and the others. She had tried desperately everyday to make her remember, but it was no use. Anzu could not recall anything; she lived a life of anguish, only knowing that something was missing in her life. Tea didn't understand why she couldn't; she had believed her love to be strong. "Was my love as Anzu not strong enough?"

'Anzu's love was strong, very strong. It's just that it had not grown as much as you as Tea had. When Anzu died that day by the pharaoh, her love had not; instead, it grew through the centuries, and kept growing even as Anzu was reborn. That's why Tea in the other world could remember, because the love had grown to the point where it was unbreakable. That's how strong your love is, Tea. That's why you were capable of breaking through the barrier in the mind and releasing all the memories. Your love for Bakura is at its strongest and, yet, it still has room to grow,' Light explained as her voice began to sound distant.

"My love doesn't just come from the present; it comes from the past, too," Tea stated as she continued, "and soon, from the future as well." She smiled, happy to know that there was a future with Bakura. It wasn't going to end again so soon, she would live on.

'It is time you get back to the ones you love. I believe you know what you must do.'

"Yeah, like always, I got to wake up," Tea told her knowingly then proceeded with, "Thank you, Light, for everything."

'No, Tea, it is you who should be thanked, so from the bottom of the deepest, purest light that I am, thank you.'

"Goodbye, Light," Tea shed one final tear, but before she left the white void, she could hear the last words of Light.

'Take the swords in hand and open the path to your desire…Farewell, Tea.'

Tea slowly opened her eyes to see not the empty white abyss, but the opening at the roof of the cave. She was back. Back where she belonged and she couldn't help but smile as she lifted herself up. She looked around the grotto to see it as she remembered and began to laugh with merriment at the fact that she really was back. Her heart leaped with joy and quickly she stood up, realizing that she had to get to him. There was no point staying any longer, it was time to leave and join her friends.

"I'll be there soon, Bakura, wait for me," she said, wishing that her words could reach him.

She looked up to see that it was still dark outside and could only guess that it was very early in the morning. She couldn't wait to get to the Ishtar residence and sleep in a comfy bed beside her husband. Her smile grew as she imagined how he would look knowing that she was alive.

She giggled a little, but stopped when she remembered of Dark's host. She quickly looked to where the host's body was supposed to be, but he wasn't there. It seemed his fate was sealed the moment he gave his body and mind completely to Dark. Since Dark was destroyed and disappeared, his host met the same fate, and now Tea understood why Light had not tried to control, or interfere in, her life. She wanted her to have a chance to live. She smiled once more as she moved to where Dark was last seen and she now noticed the Sword of Dark.

'Take the swords in hand and open the path to your desire…'

Tea remembered the words of light. She bent down and grabbed hold of the weapon and looked around for the other one. The Sword of Light was just where she had dropped it, so she picked it up as well and looked at both swords. "…and open the path to your desire." Tea repeated as she looked toward the doors of Desire. She understood what Light had meant, it was quite obvious and it seemed it would be the only way out anyway; after all, the cave entrance was totally gone.

"Alright, it's time I get out of here!" she told herself enthusiastically as she moved her legs toward the doors. When she felt she was close enough, she lifted the swords, almost as if they were guiding her, and pointed them to the doors. She felt an incredible pull and quickly let go of the weapons as they pierced the doors. Tea watched as the doors began to open, revealing on the other side a path. A path she knew that would lead her to him, her dearest, her love, her Bakura.

She walked toward her only exit and never looked back when she was finally walking her path of desire. Had she turned around, though, she would have seen that the cavern had completely disappeared, never to be seen again. Their battle field was no longer needed, after all, for the battle between Light and Dark was over.

And it was all thanks to a kind hearted girl willing to give everything for the ones she loved.

And they were waiting for her at the end of her trail.

0000000000

Bakura gazed at the ceiling blankly. The moment the group had reached Isis' home, he went straight to his room and went to lie on the bed. He hadn't moved since then. All he did was stare blankly at the ceiling, his only thoughts were that of Tea.

He knew he should be with his son, comforting him, but he couldn't bring himself to do anything, not when he knew the tears of Yasuo would remind him that she was really gone. It would only cause him to break down, to face the fact that she was really gone. He still didn't want to believe it, not yet. He couldn't.

"Anzu…" he whispered sadly as he finally moved to turn on his side. He gazed outside now and continued to do so until his eyes began to feel heavy. Eventually he gave in to his body's desire to sleep and once asleep, his consciousness drifted into the only place he would be able to see her. The only place he would be able to find her: his dreams.

He knew he was dreaming. A world like this just didn't exist. It was too beautiful, too calm and peaceful. A grassy field that seemed endless was where he stood in. There were a few huge trees and not too far was a small lagoon. There was where he saw her. The past her.

"Anzu," he whispered her name. He began to walk to her and when he was behind her, only a few inches away he said her name once more, "Anzu."

She turned her head and when she saw him, she gave him one of her most brilliant smiles. He couldn't help but smile back.

She stood up to turn around and completely face him now. She kept smiling and soon spoke to him, saying the only words that meant so much, "I love you."

Bakura took a few steps forward and lifted his hand touch her, but she was fading away before he could.

"Anzu!" he yelled rushing to grab hold of her, but there was nothing to hold, she was completely gone. "Why…?"

"Bakura!" he turned to see in the distance a modern day Anzu, Tea. He didn't hesitate to run to her. He ran as quickly as he could and finally reached her, hoping she would not disappear as well.

"Tea, whatever happens, please, stay here with me!" he pleaded, walking a bit closer to her. She simply smiled.

"I will always stay here with you," she honestly told him, "I will always stay by your side."

"I couldn't bear to lose you, too," he admitted.

She stayed silent as she walked closer to him. She lifted her arms and embraced him, holding him tightly to her, as he did the same. She looked up at his face and gave her beautiful smile once more, before whispering to him, "I love you."

He held on tighter, afraid she would vanish at that moment, but she was still there, her mouth moving but no words could be heard. What was she saying?

He couldn't hear anything and he soon began to realize the surrounding area was disappearing. He looked at Tea, who leaned in closer and lifted her head slightly. She pressed her lips lightly against his, giving a gentle kiss, before she began to fade away also. Bakura closed his eyes as a single tear fell.

"Tea…"

"Bakura…wake up, honey. It's time to get up…"

Bakura slowly opened his eyes; he could feel the sun's rays hitting his face. He could have sworn he heard her voice, but that was impossible. She wasn't here anymore. He knew that if he turned around, he would be met with an empty space on the bed. She wasn't going to be there. Just like back then, in the past, when he woke up every morning to see the empty left side of the bed, reminding him that he had lost her. Would her voice haunt him again? Would he hear it every morning for the rest of his life?

He sighed, as he turned to look beside him…only to have the surprise of his life.

"Anzu..." she was there, looking at him with that all too familiar smile.

"Good morning, Baku-chan," she said. His heart skipped a beat. She was really here. She was alive.

Without warning he jumped off the bed rapidly and grabbed her, embracing her tightly, almost as if he feared she would leave. But she wasn't, she was there to stay, now and forever more.

"I thought I lost you. I thought…" she didn't give him a chance to finish as she placed a finger upon his lips.

"I'm here, now. I will always be here…to stay by your side. Our love made sure of it," she confirmed.

"Our love…?" he questioned, but simply smirked afterwards and nodded his head. She didn't need to explain it to him, somehow he understood. Something in his heart helped him to understand.

The two lovers looked at each other lovingly before leaning in their heads closer together. They both had a few words in mind. Words that described them well. Words they had always known in their hearts. So before they kissed, they whispered affectionately to each other the words that said how long they would be together, what they were, and what they will always be:

"You and I…eternally forever."

The End?

A/N: End of chapter, but not the story...

Anyway before I go, though, I just like to say that when I wrote 'Everything was as it should have been for everyone…' or anything similar, it simply meant that whatever happens in the show, or manga, whichever you go with, is what happened. That is the real universe…okay, I'm off.

Bye!