A/N: The last chapter! Now it seems very likely that there will be a sequel to this, I even have the title thought out, the plot will still need some work but I'm pretty sure I'll write it, though I'm not starting right away because I need a break. Thank you for reading and reviewing!


"Tickle torture!"

"Noooh! Have mercy!"

Malik had just caught his "evil" sister who had "forced" him to play a dress up game with her. The boy had always been faster than his sister, even though Isis had longer legs and should have been able to run faster. Too bad for her that she wasn't.

"No mercy for you!"

He could distantly see Rishid keeping an eye on them, watching with amusement on his usually expressionless face. They both laughed like there was no tomorrow and to them there wasn't, at least not one they should worry about.

Isis attempted to escape from her little brother but it proved unsuccessful as she was caught again. Rishid shook his head and saw that the sun was beginning to set slowly. It would be better for them to go inside.

"Hey, let's go already. Malik you can torture your sister more some other time."

Both younger children looked up from their play and got up from the sand, dusting each other off. Just when Isis had turned to run inside with Malik in tow, she called out to her brother:

"Malik wake the hell up already!"

The boy woke up with a start, looking around quickly. He was shaken by Bakura who looked relieved for a millisecond before getting up and packing a few things from his pile of goods.

"Get up, now! We're leaving." He said to the confused boy who blinked his tired eyes.

"What's going on?" Malik asked and yelped when he was lifted up from his spot. What could have happened to cause them to leave in such a hurry? He sure hoped it was nothing bad.

"No time to explain." The older male told and lifted the boy on Pharaoh's back before getting up himself. The dust cloud in the horizon was getting bigger and bigger. Malik too noticed it now and his eyes widened. This was bad...

"Split up! We'll meet at meeting place!" The thief yelled over the sound of running feet and horse hooves.

Pharaoh got off the second everyone and everything was securely on his back, probably somehow understanding the seriousness of the situation too. The boy was once again seated in front of the other and held on to the horse's hair with his other hand to make sure he wouldn't fall off, though Bakura was making sure of that too by holding him in place. The boy's hand that wasn't holding on, was tightly gripping the dark wooden horse; he couldn't leave his most priced possession behind after all.

Malik could see from the corner of his eye that all the people who had been gathered into the building went off to their own directions. The dust cloud had gotten close enough to see that there were people riding before and inside it. Rather angry looking people too, with spears and arrows. The boy had never seen anything like it and stared behind them as they rode on.

"Look in front of you unless you want to fall." Bakura half whispered, half hissed to his ear and Malik turned his head back around to look in front of him. The horse galloped so quickly that it was all one big blur fro the poor boy. He had never seen Pharaoh run so fast but it was good to know that he could possibly outran the chasers. A few of them were following them, others apparently gone to chase someone else. They were yelling curses at them and at their horses to go faster, attempting to get close enough to throw a spear or shoot an arrow.

"Don't worry, Pharaoh can outrun their mules any time." The thief said to his ear and as Malik glanced back at him, he could see a strange gleam in the other's eyes and as an arrow missed them by a good few centimeters, a smirk played on his lips. The boy suspected that he was enjoying this, getting some kind of kick out of being chased by angry armed guys. That was weird to Malik but he didn't question it. He had more important things to worry about, like what would happen if they got caught.

Even in all his worry the boy noticed how the horse had his other ear directed behind them while the other was forward in an almost casual manner. The pace of gallop seemed to slow down a bit and arrows whirled past them, one just past his ear, before the horse quickened his pace and got out of range again. Bakura laughed. A realization hit him.

They were just playing with them.

Malik frowned as the horse slowed down again just before they reached a cliff that rose high above them. An arrow whirled. They sped up and turned to go behind the cliff. Something warm ran down Malik's cheek. The arrow had scraped Bakura's arm and Malik's cheek, just barely missing them before they had disappeared behind the cliff.

Now both the thief and his horse seemed to have enough of playing and the horse sped up. In the end Malik wasn't really sure how they lost their chasers but he concluded that Pharaoh had truly outran them. Now they were moving in a much slower pace as the horse seemed a bit tired and so were the riders. Malik had no idea where they were going but he trusted Bakura to take them to somewhere safe.


And somewhere safe they were going. Safe for Malik at least.

The blood that dripped down the boy's cheek and the thief's arm worked as a painful reminder of what kind of life he led and how he led it. The thrill of the chase, even though he hadn't been the one chasing, had gotten the better of him and such thing as safety hadn't even crossed his mind. Safety, just one of those things he could not offer to the one he held so close to his heart.

He was reckless, rash and all the other qualities that weren't good for someone who was supposed to take care of someone else, like a young, growing boy.

He concluded that he must be crazy or really in love, possibly both, to make such a decision but if they kept heading to the direction they were at the moment, they would end up in the town Bakura had taken Malik from, all that time ago.

Bakura had told nothing of their destination to the boy, he would just protest and make things even more difficult than they already were. It was hard enough as it was and the only thing keeping him to his decision was the small but still bleeding wound marring Malik's pretty face.

They would reach the town after dark, which was good because he really didn't want to take another risk. The chances of them being noticed then were small, almost slim to none.

"Where are we going?" Came the tired voice of Malik.

"Somewhere safe." Bakura just said, not looking at the boy as he answered.

"Oh ok."

"You sleep some before we get there, it's a long way still and you didn't sleep last night." Then he glanced at the boy. "How's your cheek?"

Malik lifted his fingers to touch his cheek. "It's fine." He said and yawned, leaning back into the thief and letting himself fall asleep. The wooden horse was kept to his chest and Bakura eyed it. He was happy that the boy held it in such a high value and that he would have something to remember him by. If he even wanted to remember him... It would be ok if he wouldn't, though Bakura would remember Malik, probably for the rest of his life. It would be better for the boy to move on and find someone for himself to start a family with, someone closer to his age and in whose company he would be safe.


It was dark when the town came to sight, the small, lit fires making it stand out in the darkness. Malik was still asleep. Bakura sighed, it would be easier if he wouldn't wake up at all. The thief could just leave him somewhere near the town and when the boy woke up, he would be long gone. Luck wouldn't have it that way though and the boy stirred awake, rubbing his eyes.

"Bakura? Where..." The question died as the boy gazed at the town, eyes widening and mouth gapping slightly. "Are we..? Why..?"

The thief got off the horse and helped the boy down as well. "Malik, listen..." He started but never got further than that as the boy in question attached himself to him.

"No! You are going to leave me here!" Malik sobbed and yelled, hanging onto Bakura like he was his last life line.

"Malik don't... please don't..." This was hard enough as it was, he didn't need this.

"No... no... I don't want to stay here anymore... I want to come with you!"

"But your family is here. I thought you missed them." Bakura pushed the boy away from himself by the shoulders and knelt down enough to look into the tear stained eyes, they were as beautiful as ever. "It's much safer for you here, with your family, they can take care of you."

"So can you! And... and I-I will miss you more..." The boy said quietly, looking down. Bakura hadn't even been aware that he had a heart a few weeks back and now it was being broken by the sight.

"Look at me." He shook the shoulders he was still holding slightly, making the boy look back at him. "I will miss you too, I won't forget." He held up the small wooden horse for the boy. "Take good care if mini-Pharaoh, ok?"

Malik took the horse back hesitantly, studied it for a second before hugging the other, who let him. "I... I love you..." The boy whispered in Bakura's ear, voice cracking a bit. The man eased his grip on him gently, pushing him away again to face him.

"And I you." He whispered before pulling him close for a kiss. For the first time he allowed himself to taste the boy, tongue going past the willing lips, running past the teeth and meeting shortly with the smaller one. As he pulled away, he pressed the spot on the other's neck that made him go lax and fall asleep.

The boy was carried to the edge of the town and a random sounding shout alerted the town's people of the boy as the one who had left him there disappeared into the darkness.


-
A young boy of sixteen walked through the town he lived in, had lived in all his life, though rumor has it that he was once kidnapped by a thief but brought back by some miracle, perfectly unharmed too. Though the boy had done nothing but cry the first few days after he had been brought back, some say it was because of shock but nobody really knew better.

He had grown from the childish little boy into a handsome you man with a tongue as quick as his feet. He was never truly rude but he wasn't exactly polite either, not hesitating to shoot a bitting remark to anyone who rubbed him the wrong way. The teen was good with horses, apparently, so he was often allowed to take care of any bigger animals that crossed the town or who were owned by the town's people.

The teen, Malik, had yet to find himself someone special to spend his life with though it wasn't for the lack of willing candidates, no, he just never seemed to take any particular interest in anyone. That seemed weird to most but it wasn't like he didn't have time to find someone for himself so they left him be, the girls that is. Or if they didn't or couldn't take a polite hint, they cried and left him alone, after being ever-so-offhandedly insulted by his sharp tongue.

The dark wooden horse he had been found with still sat on by his window, looking out to the horizon. Isis, who had been made priestess, didn't question his little brother about the way he some times gazed out to the same direction as he wooden horse did.

Now Malik was on his way to the well to get some water for the horses of some trading group passing by. He had just reached the well that was just outside the town when he happened to look up for some reason, perhaps intuition or something else.

In the distance, a dust cloud was moving in fast speed. Then, as he gazed at the dark horse and rider creating the cloud, they stopped, just close enough for him to make out some features. Malik's eyes widened just like they had always used to when he had been a small child, sparkling with the sun rays. His mouth opened to form the one word he hadn't said in all these past three years,

"Bakura..."


A/N: That is so different from all my other endings... It's a good thing I guess. I hope you don't think it totally sucks though -.-'' Well, that was it, I guess you can wait for the sequel though I'm not sure how long I'm going to have you wait.

Please review!!