Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. Please don't sue me!

AN: Well, you'll all be happy (or maybe sad) to know this is the last chapter! We're finished at last! Mwahhhahahahahha! Erhem. Uh, yeah C.M Aeris, I am a girl, for all those who were wondering... There probably won't be a sequel, to those who asked, but you never know. I just feel like writing every now and then...

-------------------------------------------------

Yuugi and company strode up to the Dark Magician.

"We won't abandon Yami now. You'll just have to let us help." Anzu spoke for all of them. Yami watched uncomprehendingly. The Black Magician was about to reply but before he could movement from the closing portal caught his eye. Sehka was standing in the shadows of the portal, towering above the group. His black hair was flung in all directions and his dark eyes burned with hatred and anger. Behind him Bakurah smirked. A wave of Sehka's hand, and Yami was suspended against the wall just as he had held up Bakurah. The former Pharaoh chocked silently. Sehka spoke, addressing the monsters sealing the other exits for Yami.

"If you do not stop now, your master will die as consequence. You will have failed him again. If you stop, I will spare his life." Sehka's eyes roved over the monsters only he could see. Yami nodded to the Black Magician, his orders conveyed by the glance.

"You have killed our master once already. Why should we stop now when it has already happened once? Even if we did, you would still kill him. The Shadow Realm has never been honest. We will seal you away, for everyone's good."

Sehka snarled and dropped Yami, grabbing Anzu by the neck instead. She could hardly scream as his magic tightened its grip. Yami looked up, uncertainty shining in his eyes. Jounouchi and Honda swatted at her neck, but did not hit anything. Sehka smiled as he tossed her easily across the room and into a wall, her still form sliding down and not moving. Honda ran over to check on her.

Yami felt so tired. He could hardly breath, every movement drained him. He had not been able to protect Anzu. One of his charges, and he had failed her. Jounouchi charged the portal only to bounce off again, landing hard. He swore and stood again.

"What's up with you man? You can only pick on kids and girls?"

Yami chocked out a strangled "no!", but it was too late. Jounouchi was picked up easily by the throat just as Anzu and Yami had been. His eyes widened as his air supply was cut off. Honda ran and charged the portal, slamming into it shoulder first. It barely shook.

Jounouchi was thrown into Honda, his limp weight knocking the brown-haired boy into the stair railing hard. Neither rose. 'I could not protect any of them. Because of my failure they have been hurt, and I could not stop it.' Yami could only manage a quiet sob, hardly noticing as he slowly began to slump forwards. Yuugi however, did notice.

"Yami! What's wrong? Focus!" He shook his other self's fading shoulders hard. Yami could do nothing, looking away as tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. His voice was cracked and sounded parched when he spoke.

"I could not protect them, Yuugi. I could not protect those I promised I would."

Sehka laughed throatily and Yuugi turned to stare at him, rage showing in his normally friendly eyes.

"Shut up! Just shut up! How could you be so evil, to do this to them? What have my friends done to you?" Yuugi didn't hear his answer if it came, he only heard his heart beat slowing as it pounded in his ears, his vision darkening from lack of oxygen. Some part of his mind told him he was being strangled. He could only chock out a cry for help and try to pry the non-existent hands from his throat. Soon his hands fell to his side. His head began to loll to the side.

Yami watched in horror as his Aibou stopped struggling against Sehka's grip. The Pharaoh sighed and pulled himself up, leaning heavily against the wall. Pushing off it, he half walked, half fell straight in between Sehka and Yuugi, his magic breaking the grip. Yuugi dropped to the floor, only remotely conscious. Sehka roared and took Yami with his grip again. The portal was almost closed now, the Black Magician having resumed his work.

"If you insist on sealing us away, you will pay for it with your life, and this time there will be no return!" Black energy flashed through the room as Sehka pulled himself through the portal into the real world, grabbing Yami's shoulders with now white clawed hands. The black lightening flashed around the room, focusing mainly around Yami. The Pharaoh screamed for a minute but quickly dropped into silence. 'At least the Shadow Games will be gone again, which is all that matters, since I could not protect my ... charges.' He slumped in the grip, held up only by the claws having pierced the material of his coat and his shoulders. Yami's head fell forwards, and with it a tear.

He heard Sehka laughing, heard Honda yelling from somewhere nearby, heard Anzu sobbing. Yami was ready to let go, the grip burning into his shoulders taking the life from him.

An earth-shattering clang resounded through the house. Yami was dropped and fell to the floor where his darkening sight picked up only one thing. Yuugi was standing over him, frying pan in a loose grip in his hand which hung at his side. Slowly he dropped the pan and fell to his knees. Sehka screamed, once again in his own dimension. Yuugi shook Yami's shoulders again.

"See Yami, you did it! Look! It's closing!" Yuugi was crying and laughing at the same time. The Shadow Realm was almost gone. But what would be the toll of its passing?

With a twirl of his long staff the Black Magician put the final spell on the portal, and it vanished in a familiar flash of light. Around him cards rained down from the sky, the monsters returning from their sealed exits. The Black Magician bowed formally and disappeared into his card. There was nothing he could do for his master now.

Yuugi stared up at the space the Shadow Realm's opening had just occupied. It was gone. Forever.

"Yami! Look! It's really gone!" When no response came, Yuugi looked down. The other boy lay, propped up against the front wall, eyes closed and head dropped down into his chest. Jounouchi crawled forwards, and Honda helped Anzu over to the fallen Pharaoh's side.

"Yami? You did it. It's gone. We're safe. You've got to wake up!" Yuugi bit his lip, a gesture which did nothing to stop the tears running down his face. Anzu was in a similar state, even Jounouchi and Honda's faces held tears, albeit silent ones.

The Dark Magician's Girl, forgotten to that point by everyone waltzed over and bent down by Yuugi's side.

"Young master, you can save him, if you really want to. You have the magic, all of you do. It's not something you learn, it's something you know. And you all know that you don't want Yami to go. Think hard. If you really want him to come back, he can, but you must decide whether that's what you want. And if that is what he would want. But decide quickly." The Dark Magician's Girl card fell into Yuugi's hand lightly. The others stared at it.

"Well of course we want him to come back. What's the dilemma?" Anzu had to agree with Jounouchi, why wouldn't they want him to come back? And she said just that.

"Yami's our friend. Why wouldn't we want him to be okay? And why wouldn't he?"

"There is no reason why we wouldn't. Yami, and the cards too probably, are surprised that we would want him around, but he's always been there for us, and our friends, even if he didn't know them." Honda voiced his opinion. Yuugi stared at Yami.

"I think ... I think that you're right about us, Honda, but that's not the issue. The issue is whether getting him back would be what he wants." Yuugi spoke slowly and uncertainly.

"Of course he wants to live! Who wouldn't?" Jounouchi still didn't see the problem.

"He's already lived one life, Jou', and he's been trapped in a puzzle for millennia. Maybe he's tired. But that's not it either. The question is, 'could he face himself if we saved him?' Yami swore to protect us, and he thinks he failed. And his code of honor is much stronger than ours. We have to convince him that we don't care that he couldn't help us." Yuugi nodded, emphasizing his point. The others bobbed their heads as well.

"Okay, great, but what do we do?" Jounouchi again.

"Well, the Dark Magician's Girl said we had our own magic... How does Yami use his?" Honda decided to throw his two cents in.

"The puzzle helps him, doesn't it?" Anzu ran a finger over the edge of the puzzle, and then picked it up lightly, making sure the rope stayed around Yami's neck. She didn't know what would happen if it was taken off but there was no point in taking risks. The puzzle caught the light in the room, but didn't give off any of its own. Another voice answered her question.

"Yes, Yami can use the power of his Millennium Puzzle for magic, although he doesn't need to, but you cannot, it only answers to him. You have to use your own magic. Or should I say our?" They all swiveled to see Bakura sitting on the bottom stair, rubbing his head with a hand.

"I woke up just before the portal sealed. I saw everything. And I know that Yami got rid of Bakurah. I owe him... everything. My life, even." He moved to sit nearer to the group. "All you have to do is want it enough, and concentrate on having it. But still, there must be something more. I just don't know what it is." Bakura sighed.

"Well, if that's all we know, than that's what we'll do." Honda smiled reassuringly. He was, after Yami, the most protective of the group although most wouldn't have recognized him as such. He put out his hands, joining with Anzu and Jounouchi, who both did the same, hooking onto Yuugi and Bakura respectively. Yuugi blushed slightly but it went unnoticed.

The cards glowed slightly, and then, slowly, the Millennium Puzzle followed suit. Soft light filled the room, leaving a warm safe feeling. All relaxed and leaned into it, wanting no more than to stay in it forever. From somewhere in the light the Dark Magician and Dark Magician's Girl appeared. The female monster spoke first.

"This is where Yami is now. Can you really take him away from this?"

No one spoke. They themselves didn't want to leave and couldn't conceive of making someone else go. The Dark Magician spoke.

"How do we know that you have good intentions towards the master? If you would take him from here certainly you cannot."

Silence. Finally a small shy voice spoke alone.

"Yami has to come back with us. Not to be our guide, or our protector, but our friend. We could never leave him here alone." With the last word spoken each of the five felt like the floor had dropped out from under them. The light turned to darkness, and the warmth to freezing cold. The Dark Magician and Dark Magician's Girl came to speak to Yuugi, for it had been him who had spoken.

"You are right, young Master. This is where Yami is, in this cold place. Do you know why?" The Dark Magician cocked his head, cold eyes staring into Yuugi's soul.

"Because he's alone. It seemed warm to us because we were together, I had my friends there. But Yami doesn't, so he would be here, alone. And none of us could leave him here." Yuugi's voice gained confidence as it went on, the last sentence spoken with complete surety. Both the Dark Magician and Dark Magician's Girl vanished.

Anzu looked up as Yuugi's two favorite cards appeared. Yuugi's words rang in her ears, and she understood.

"Would you leave Yami in the pleasant world, young Anzu?" The Dark Magician's Girl smiled, as if trying to convince her to agree.

"No. I could never leave any of my friends alone somewhere for eternity. No matter how great it was, I would get lonely after a while. And alone for eternity? That is the most cruel punishment one could inflict. What has Yami done to deserve that? He's one of my best friends." Anzu blushed slightly, but continued on, voice strong. "I'd never leave Yami here. And I'll fight you if I have to, to get him out." Her eyes hardened, looking surprisingly dangerous. The two mages nodded and disappeared.

Jounouchi looked up as the two monsters appeared.

"Would you leave Yami here, Jounouchi?" The Dark Magician spoke, his voice giving to clue to the right answer to his question.

"No. I might be a little slow sometimes, but I could never leave one of my best pals here. He'd be all alone, and I don't think I could live with myself if I agreed to that. Why, are you thinking of keeping him here?" Jounouchi's eyes hardened as Anzu's had done, and he made a fist with his hand suggestive of what he would do to someone who tried to make Yami stay. The two monsters left.

Honda was alone in the dark when he saw the two wizards appear. He crossed his arms and waited.

"Can Yami stay here, in paradise, Honda?"

"Nope. First, nothing's paradise if you're alone, and second, Yami's alone. Thus, we have an eternity of torture for Yami if he stayed here. No friend would ever allow that, me especially. And no one could change my mind."

Bakura sat in the darkness. Yuugi's favorite cards appeared before him. He stood and listened to the Black Magician's question.

"Would you let Yami stay here, Bakura?" There was no maliciousness in the voice, but Bakura sensed that he was being identified with Bakurah.

"Let him stay here? In the dark freezing cold? Alone? Of course not. What friend would? I wouldn't let anyone stay here, and Yami saved my life. I wouldn't look kindly on anyone who would keep him here against his will, either." Bakura was not a violent person, but if his friends were in trouble he could become one.

They were back in the light room. Together. In a corner behind them a figure in dark sat, casting shadows about him. It seemed inappropriate for such a pleasant room. The Black Magician spoke.

"You have all agreed to save Yami. So it shall be."

A flash of light, and they were back in Bakura's front hall. Yami lay before them, still splayed on the floor. He slowly blinked and looked up. Yuugi smiled.

"You're okay Yami!"

Yami looked away.

"I failed you. You should have left me." He refused to face them. Anzu laid a hesitant hand on his shoulder.

"You tried, Yami. There was nothing you could have done. We don't care."

"We know you would have done anything for us Yami. It doesn't matter whether you could or not. We're all safe, and that's all that's important." Honda spoke for Jou', Bakura and himself, all of whom nodded.

"We don't want you as a protector, or a guide, Yami." Yuugi looked down, bangs covering his face. The others stared at him in shock. Even Yami turned to look at him, hurt showing clearly on his face.

"We want you as a friend."

Yami chocked, watching as all the others smiled and nodded.

"I think, I think I could handle that, Aibou."

-------------------------------------------------------

Yami smiled and hummed to himself in his soul room. The concept of birthdays still eluded him (why would one celebrate getting older?), but he had decided there was nothing he could do about it. Today was Yuugi's birthday. Yuugi was having a party now with Jounouchi, Honda, Anzu and Bakura. They were just finishing opening the last present, a nice puzzle from Bakura. It was of the pyramids of Giza, not surprisingly. Yuugi was unsure whether to be thrilled or dismayed. What if it had another yami in it? He'd have to frame it and carry it around on a bracelet or something.

Yami sweatdropped, and then appeared next to Yuugi, smiling to himself at the cake still present on his Aibou's face. 'I shall have to talk to Yuugi about his napkin use.'

He presented from behind his back a package about a foot square and an inch thick. Jounouchi knocked on the surface. It echoed.

"Hey, sounds metal. You been getting Yuugi some new kitchen knives, Yami?" Jou' received a glare from Yami.

Yuugi ripped the paper off, finding that it was a large and rather gaudy plaque. No doubt Yami wanted it to draw attention to itself. Yuugi dropped the plaque with a howl and reached for his ever-present battle weapon/kitchen utensil. Yami fled, followed closely by Yuugi and then the others who didn't really want to have to sweep up the pieces Yami would find himself in as soon as Yuugi caught up to him.

Sugoroku walked into the now messy den and tripped over something heavy. A formal plaque. He read it and smiled, and then took it into the front hall where he hung it so that all who entered the living section of the Turtle shop could not help but notice it.

~Beware of Yuugi wielding modern kitchen utensils.~


~Especially Frying pans.~



~End~

-------------------------------------------------

Yay! Spring Break now! Maybe I'll write a humor fic. Although I don't need to, there's enough of that in my life. Today for example we planted a kiwi tree in a snow storm. Go figure. Anyway, thanks so much to all those who reviewed, I hope you enjoyed it!