A/N I hope that you are all staying safe indoors hope you enjoy.

When Ryou was brought back form the shadow realm he never felt worse in his life. His stomach growled aching and his head felt like he was only half there. He rolled over to his side he took a deep before sitting himself up. His head was spinning he wanted to lay back down but the painful cramping in his stomach wouldn't let him.

Ryou slowly got to his feet and stumbled to the kitchen. He grabbed whatever food he could. Ryou didn't bother to make it to a counter before he began eating. He instead made a place on the floor to and began scarfing down the food.

He heard the door open behind him. He had a sinking feeling of who it was. He hoped he was wrong. "I had to give Yugi the ring." Marik confessed. Dammit he was right. He had hoped to put off this conversation. Ryou took a drink of milk to wash down the food and turned to face Marik. "When I had the ring on I tried to talk to Bakura but there was nothing did he." Marik trailed off not wanting to know the answer.

"He's gone." Marik closed his eyes and nodded his head.

"It's all my fault" Marik said taking in a deep breath trying to keep himself calm "I never should have asked him to help me." Marik turned around to leave.

He wanted to jumped up and tell Marik the truth. He almost did but the memory of Bakura desperately begging him stopped him, Ryou had to admit he had a point. Would it be right of him to give Marik that hope only to have him go through this again? He knew even if he did tell Marik Bakura would refuse to talk to him.

"He did it because he loved you." Ryou shouted unsure if he was doing the right thing. He would get shit for this Marik froze and turned to face Ryou.

With disbelief Marik asked "He told you that?"

"He didn't have to."

Marik gave a sharp laugh "A lot of good that did either of us." He said as his eyes began to fill with tears. Ryou Jumped up and rushed over to Marik Pulling him into a hug.

"I'm sorry." Ryou said to apologies for everything he couldn't tell Marik. Marik returned the embrace, holding onto Ryou as if his life depended out.

"I should have gone to Ishizu first." Marik whispered into Ryou's hair.

"When we go here you dark half was second from stabbing Odion. The only reason we were able to stop him was because we had the ring." Ryou could fell Marik tremble in his arms as he spoke. Ryou tightened his grip as he continued trying to provide some comfort to this distraught boy. "Ishizu didn't have the necklace, and she would have been killed." Marik pulled away, opened his mouth to say something, but Ryou cut him off. "We were able to get your dark half away, and she was able Odion. That is what the entire point of all that was." Ryou was glad that he was able to give this little bit of comfort to Marik.

Marik pulled out of the embraced. Ryou could see the pain in Marik's eyes despite the fake smile Marik put on. "Thank you." Marik said in turning around and walked out of the kitchen.

Ryou took a deep breath once he was alone. That was one of the hardest thing he ever done. As soon as he got his ring back he was going to cures out Bakura.

Ryou walked down the hallway of the boat taking the group to the pharaoh's final duel. He was hoping he was not going to have to do this. That Bakura would be the one to have explain everything to Marik and that he'd figure out how to survive. He hadn't. He would have made him gravel at Marik's feet but he didn't so he had explained himself. Marik deserved that much.

He had passed out before the group had left the tomb, he woke up in a car as everyone was getting ready to board a ship, with Marik was nowhere to be seen. When he finally reached Marik room he took a deep breath. He wasn't ready for this, but he entered anyway.

To Ryou surprised the room was empty. Curious he stepped further inside to investigate. The bed was unmade pillow thrown across it. Ryou noticed that the red curtain on the other side of the room was fluttering. The door to the balcony was open. Ryou walked out on the balcony to find Marik standing against the railing looking up at the night sky

"You didn't have to lie to me, you could have just told the truth that he didn't want to see again." Marik croaked is voice rough form crying. he hadn't event look at him.

"I didn't lie." Marik turned to him and Ryou saw his blood shot eyes being to shine as fresh tears began to form.

"Then why." Marik voice broke Ryou moved over to Marik wrapped him up in a hug. Ryou told Marik everything from how Bakura got trapped to ring to the deal he made with Zorc to try and save Marik. All the while Marik trembled in his arms crying on Ryou's shoulders.

"The fucking bastard couldn't even let me hat him for all this bull shit" Marik muttered into Ryou shirt.

"I'm sorry" Ryou said tightening his grip on Marik

"There has to be something that we can do." Marik pulled away for Ryou.

Ryou thought for a moment. "Right before the final shadow duel he told me he was going to end up trapped in the shadow realm with Zorc. If we work if we worked together we might be able to get him back." Ryou said

"You would have to teach me magic for me to be any use." Marik confessed, and broke away from the embrace walking over to the spot he had been standing a few minutes before.

"we can start as soon as we kill the pharaoh" Marik gave a sad smile at the joke looking up at the night sky again.

There were a few moments of silence before Marik spoke again. "I remember this one time I had asked Bakura if the was anything that he missed from ancient Egypt. He told me you can never see the star now."

Ryou walked over to beside Marik. The sea breezed whipped his hair around as he looked at the stars too. "I never really thought about it honestly"

"When I left the underground, I was just happy to be able to see any of the sky at all. I think he would have liked to see this.

"I think so too."

Marik fulfilled his duties as a tomb keeper sending the pharaoh off to his final rest. Marik told his sibling that he wanted to learn magic form Ryou and was moving to Japan. This shocked Ishizu, not understanding Marik's sudden desire to learn magic. Marik did his best to reassure her, and promised to keep in touch He hadn't tried to explain the really reason he was moving to japan. Odion might have under stood but Ishizu that was a fight he was not willing to have right now.

He told them to do what they needed to tie up any loose ends with the tomb keepers. They had already discussed all the text and artifacts would go to the museum that Ishizu worked at. He was anxious to be going he didn't bother going home to pack anything before the fight. Anything that he would need he could buy in Japan. Marik and Ryou moved into a two-bedroom apartment together. Ryou started his third year of high school shortly after they returned to Japan. While Marik continued the supplementary classes that he started back in Egypt. Marik was afraid of Ishizu reaction if he ended up quitting and not going to college.

After they finished classes for the day Ryou would teaching Marik Magic. Ryou would start out giving basic instruction on the spell Marik was to work on. Marik would attempt to work the spell while Ryou sat on the other side of the room books scattered in form at him. Ryou was researching spells to get them into the shadow realm. It took Marik a week before he was able to even create a candle wicks worth of fire in his hand. He had read countless magic text growing up, but those were useless when it came to practical application.

Ryou had an advantage when learning Magic that it was in a shadow game based in a RPG. The game allowed him to easily cast spell because for his character it would have been second nature. Once the game was over he was able to use that skill in real life. After you are able were able to jump over that initial hurdles of learning how to cast at all, the process began to run a lot smoother.

Most of what Marik was learning was offensive magic with a few healing spells thrown in for good measure. There was nothing of the ritual spells that Ryou was constantly reading though. Ryou has explained that for their purpose; that these were the only things that would be useful. Most ritual spells were very easy to mess up, with a high chance of blow back. it was a better use of time to have Marik focus on mastery the small set so that he could learn more powerful version of the same spell.

It was a year into their lessons when Ryou finally found a spell that would get them to the shadow realm. Marik had wanted to immediately, but Ryou instead that they needed to wait. The spell was way to advance for Ryou to use, and even if they were able to get there they would be able no match for Zorc as they were now. Marik attempted to down played Ryou concerns. Ryou shot back that Marik had no idea wat they were going to be face. Seeing how terrified Ryou was at even the thought of facing Zorc Marik let it go. They both continued their training in till a year later when Ryou had to admit that they were finally ready.

They moved all the furniture out of the way so they would have plenty of room to setup the ritual. Ryou drew the furious on the floor while Marik encircle the ritual area with salt. It was a precaution that they felt that they need to take. The two were not sure if they were going to survive, and they couldn't risk leaving this door open. The barrier of salt should be able to keep Zorc out of the human word. Once Marik finished creating the barrier he went to put the salt back in Ryou spell supply cabinet.

He then waited for Ryou to finished the ruins. Marik took a deep breath to try and calm himself. Ryou had been drilling into his head over and over, how impossible what they were trying to do was. He needed to keep a level. Marik suspect that if he could Ryou would try and find an excuse for them to stop, but Ryou a wanted to get Bakura back as much as he did.

Ryou had finished creating the casting circle. Marik turned off the lights and lite four candles placing one on each cardinal directions of the circle. He then took his place across from where Ryou was sitting. Once in place Marik closed his eyes and began to recite the incantations with Ryou. Marik felt a cool wind began to whirl around them drowning out their word threating to break his concentration. they were reaching the end of the chant and the wind began to die down.

Marik could now feel the frigid stale air. Marik opened his eyes and saw a black expanse with of purple smoke swirling around. Ryou had described the contradicted the feeling of claustrophobia and emptiness. It didn't prepare him for actually experiencing it for himself.

Marik closed his eyes once again to reorient himself. He felt a warm sensation come over him. He opened he eyes and saw Ryou stand over him his hand out stretched like he just cast a spell on him. Marik assumed that Ryou had cast a protective spell on the two of them. Ryou leaned closer offering his hand to help Marik up.

"We need to get going." They walked for a minute in the void before they saw a figure in the foreground. Marik began running immediately towards it certain that it was Bakura.

"Marik wait. It could be a trap." Ryou called out from behind him. They reached Bakura who was siting crossed legged his eyes had a faraway stare.

"Bakura… Bakura." Marik called gently shaking Bakura's shoulder. "What's wrong with him?" Marik asked as Ryou crouched beside him to examine Bakura before he was able to respond a deep booming voice spoke from behind them

"He put himself in a trance. Looks like I was having too much fun and broke him." They turned around to face Zorc. As they did the towering figure sent a fire ball hurdling at them. They both managed to doge it Marik pulling Bakura with him as he did.

Marik laid Bakura down he was still as if nothing had happened. Marik hear began to sink with dread, even if they were able to get Bakura out of here was he going to come back. Marik shock his head trying to get rid of those thoughts now was not the time. Marik turned and watch as Ryou was hurriedly Jumping out of the way of Zorc's shadow claw attacks.

Marik darted towards Zorc calling a bolt of lightning hitting the monster. Causing Zorc's attention to shift to Marik. The attack did little more than annoying him in retaliation Zorc shot a fire blast at him. Marik was unable to move fast enough the attack hit him. If not for the protection spell Ryou used earlier Marik would have been dead. Ryou fired a series of ice dagger into Zorc's back eliciting a scream as blood began to dip down his back. Zorc went to attack Ryou realizing how the actual threat was.

Marik pulled himself up he could cast a flash bomb blinding Zorc. Ryou then magical the floor beneath Zorc to crumble burring the giant to his waist. They both ran as fast as they could knowing that would not hold him for long. All they could do was pray that is would buy them enough time to get to Bakura.

They heard Zorc scream and shooting fireballs luckily, he was trapped facing the opposite direction. Once they got to Bakura they recited the chant to bring the three of them back home.

A/N Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think feed back is all ways appreciated.