The Not to distant future

Reviews
Dragonlady222: ^-^ well I couldn't just kill off Malik~ that would make even me sad. I am all for torturing characters and making their lives a living hell. But I will never kill them ^-^ Well, I won't kill them if I like them. Honda and Anzu can die. (obviously) And as for the fanfic ending...well, this one might be done. But we'll see how many people actually like it. And I'll think about doing a sequel~ hehe. And yes, I have been thinking of ways for them all to be together too~ and the only thing I can think of that is just to adorable is that Namu is going to be raised by Malik and Marik. Kind of like their 'child' ^-^
Tatiana: ^-^ I read a fanfic before where the other incarnations of the yamis/hikaris showed up. But it wasn't that well written. So I decided to try my luck with it~ I'm glad you liked it~

The not to distant future
By Yami Kitsune
Chapter Seventeen: Light beyond the shadows

Atemu slowly sat down on the couch next to Akeifa, his eyes shifting around quickly. Yugi sat down in a chair across from them, Yami standing behind him. Bakura was sitting in a chair holding Ryou on his lap as the silver haired hikari stared at Akeifa.

"You look nervous." Yugi said softly watching Atemu, who glanced at him.
"I just got a body of my own, and I had to torture the reincarnation of the pharaoh, and the spirit of the pharaoh in order to get it."

"And steal my original name in the process." Yami said but was smiling a bit. He knew he should be furious at the former shadows for what they had put the hikari's through. But he was surprised to find he wasn't as upset as he should be.

"...Why didn't you just tell us?" Ryou asked looking at Akeifa.

"Would you have willingly relived those memories to help something that was created from those memories to begin with?" Akeifa asked raising an eyebrow at Ryou. "Hikari's you may be, but no one is that nice."

"And no one would ever choose to relive the worse moments of their life." Atemu added.

Ryou looked down frowning silently thinking to himself.

"What's done is done." Bakura said holding Ryou closer.

"Now the only question is what to do with you two." Yami eyed the two sitting on the couch.

"What about..." Akeifa started but trailed off letting his eyes drift over where Malik was sitting in the large chair, Namu sitting on his lap looking around taking in everything he could. Marik was leaning on the back of the chair watching the little version of Malik. Atemu smiled watching them as well.

"I don't think Namu has anything to fear from the shadow realm." He said softly.

"And neither do you." Yami said making Atemu look back at him quickly eyes slightly wide.

"What?" Atemu blinked not sure he'd heard him right.

"You don't have anything to fear from the shadow realm either. I can't say I'm happy with what you did to Yugi and Ryou."

"But." Yugi joined in. "It...it was something I did have to face..." He looked down at his hands that were fisted in his lap. "I would have had to...sooner or later."

"She doesn't blame you." Atemu said making Yugi look up at him with slightly wide eyes. Atemu smiled at him. "I can't say I've talked with her personally. But I also know that no mother can ever truly hate their child. From what I saw she was always in a lot of pain. And in the end, she didn't know how to deal with it any more." Yugi smiled a little at Atemu. He jumped when he felt Yami wrap his arms around him.

"He's right." Yami said.

"I know..." Yugi whispered back and looked at Atemu again. "Um...I doubt you have a place to stay..." He started.

"You're welcome to stay with us at the game shop."

"I'd be honored." Atemu grinned. Akeifa rolled his eyes and looked at Bakura chuckling when he saw the yami doing the same thing.

"So, what's the verdict? Am I bound for the shadow realm?" Akeifa asked, putting his arms behind his head leaning back against the couch. "Or is all forgiven?"

Bakura snorted.

"Not likely." He growled. "After what you put Ryou through you expect us to be all disgustingly mushy like those three?" He asked waving a hand absently at Yami, Yugi and Atemu.

"Oh no, I would never dream of asking the great thief Bakura to be...how did you put it? Disgustingly mushy. At leas not towards me.â" Akeifa said but was grinning at the look of irritation on Bakura's face.

"And another thing!" Bakura continued. "Who gave you permission to use MY name!?"

"What? I think the name Akeifa fits me better then it does you at the moment." Akeifa asked grinning more as he spread his arms slightly as if silently saying'˜just LOOK at me'. "I'm everything you used to be. You are a mere shadow of your little hikari now. Small, but oh so adorable and cute." Akeifa chuckled at the blush that spread across Ryou's cheeks, and the angry red color that Bakura's face turned.

"I AM NOT CUTE!" Bakura yelled.

Ryou stood up and moved to the side just in time as Bakura lunged out of the chair. Akeifa stood and easily stopped Bakura. What Akeifa had said was true. Now that the two of them were closer to each other. It was easy to tell the differences. Besides Akeifa's darker skin, and scar across his eye. He had more muscle then Bakura did. It was like comparing Bakura to Ryou. Bakura was slightly taller then Ryou, and Akeifa slightly taller then Bakura. Bakura had more muscle then Ryou, and Akeifa more then Bakura.

"...Bakura please stop." Ryou said watching as the furious yami attempted to land one punch on Akeifa.

But Akeifa looked like he was enjoying this to much. Marik was laughing as he watched Akeifa dance around easily blocking or avoiding Bakura's punches and kicks. Finally Ryou managed to step between the two. Bakura growled his fist pulled back ready to punch, but he wouldn't go through Ryou to hit his target.

"Yami...please?" Ryou asked looking at Bakura. Bakura glared looking at Akeifa.

"You can stay." He growled. "But one wrong move and your ass is on it's way to the shadow realm." Bakura said sitting down with a huff. Ryou smiled at Bakura before looking at Akeifa looking more nervous. Akeifa smiled at him and petted his head.

"Do you hate me for making you relieve that memory?" He asked. To his surprise Ryou shook his head.

"No. Because that was also the memory that lead to me finding Bakura."

â"Hikari's are strange creatures." Akeifa said taking his seat again.

"You say that now." Yami said grinning. "Try living with one of them for a few years. You'll find out how true that statement is."

"Hey!" Yugi said reaching up and hitting Yami in the head. "We're no more strange then you are!" Yami smiled and kissed the top of Yugi's head. They all sat in silence for a while before Malik finally spoke.

"You are really staying this time aren't you?" Malik asked looking up at Marik and then turned his attention to Bakura and finally Yami. Yami stood up straight, smiling.

"Yes, we are really staying this time. But, we have one more thing we have to do." Yami said and looked at Bakura and Marik who nodded.

"What?" Malik asked looking between the three yamis again. Ryou and Yugi also looked confused wondering what else they had to do.

"The gods have given me a forbidden spell." Yami said looking at Yugi. "We will no longer be bound to the millennium items. We will be as human as you are hikari." He said. Yugi's eyes widened and he stared at Yami in disbelief.

/Please...don't let this be a dream.../ Yugi thought to himself forgetting that the link was open again now that he had the puzzle back on. /Please...don't take away my happiness again./ Listening to Yugi's thoughts almost broke Yami's heart. He moved around so he was standing in front of Yugi. Leaning down he cupped his cheek.

"I will do everything in my power to make you happy my hikari." he whispered so only Yugi could hear him before pulling Yugi into a deep kiss. Yugi melted against his yami, closing his eyes and kissing him back.

Ryou flushed, looking away from the kissing pair. He looked over at Malik who was still holding Namu on his lap. "Is he going to live with you?" Ryou asked. Malik smiled and nodded.

"I'm going to give him the life I couldn't have."

"WE'RE going to give him the life you couldn't have." Marik said grinning. "And this goes to show you! You don't need to be a chick to have a kid! And we skipped all the nasty hard stuff with diapers and bottle feedings!"

Ryou giggled at the look that Malik gave his yami. Ryou looked back at his own yami blinking when he saw him glaring at Akeifa. Akeifa was watching Marik, Malik and Namu a small smile on his face.

/Do you really hate him Bakura?/ Ryou asked making Bakura jump slightly in his seat and look over at him before sighing.

//No, I don't hate him...But I don't like him either. He hurt you Ryou, but in the end he also helped us.//

/You used to hurt me too./ Ryou pointed out.

//That is why I don't hate him.// Bakura said standing up winking at Ryou before turning to look at Yami. "Oi! Are you going to continue sucking your hikari's face off, or are we actually going to use that damn spell of yours!" Bakura snapped.

Yami finally pulled out of the kiss watching Yugi fall back against the chair his eyes still half closed, face flushed and gasping for air. "...wow..." Was the only thing Yugi was able to say as he stared off into space. Yami chuckled before turning to Bakura.

"Alright. Let's get this over with." He said.

Marik bounced around the chair so he was standing in the center of the room with the other two yamis. Both of them looked eager at the thought of having their own body. Marik because he'd never had one of his own. Bakura and Yami eager because it was hard to remember what it felt like to be alive after five thousand years. Ryou sat back down watching them closely and looked over at Yugi who was coming out of his daze enough to watch as well. Malik ran his fingers through Namu's hair, also watching the three.

Yami held up his hands and began speaking in his old tongue closing his eyes as his hands began to glow. He continued speaking as the glow spread over his body and then over Marik and Bakura who were watching Yami carefully.

/are you okay Bakura?/ Ryou asked noticing how tense his yami was.

//Yeah, just peachy// He growled back not taking his eyes off Yami for a second. Akeifa smiled and slowly moved over to Ryou kneeling next to his chair.

"Don't let his bad attitude get to you little one." He said in a whisper. "He's spent over five thousand years hating the spirit of the Pharaoh. And now he is in a way, trusting his life to him."

"But he's lived with him for over a month..."

"Getting along with someone, and trusting them with their life is two completely different things." Akeifa said. Ryou frowned but nodded looking back at his yami as the glow started fading. Marik was the first to move putting a hand on his arm trying to find something that was different.

"Okay...so how do we know it worked?" He asked frowning.

"We could do it the easy way." Bakura said holding up a knife.

"No bleeding on my rug!" Malik snapped making everyone in the room look at him. He blinked back. "What? Blood stains are a pain in the ass to get up. I should know. Ishizu made me clean one once."

"I remember that, you bitched at me for the whole time that I was hiding in the millennium Rod and wouldn't come out to help you." Marik chuckled then looked at Bakura.

Yami rolled his eyes and without warning put his hand on Marik's chest. Marik yelped jerking away in surprise. "Calm down, I was checking to see if you had a heart beat." Marik blinked then grinned.

"Oh, is that your excuse for feeling me up?"

"If he was feeling you up." Bakura said stepping closer to Marik his hand disappearing between Marik's legs for a second. "...he would have done that. So quit acting like a girl." He said. Marik growled at him grabbing Bakura's hair and pulling him down for a quick kiss.

"Don't, do that again. When you know very well you can't finish anything you start with me." Marik said before going back over to his stunned hikari. Ryou was also looking at Bakura with slightly wide eyes. Bakura just looked at him and shrugged.

"I spent a few years with him in the shadow realm. Do you know how BORING that place can get?" He asked then noticed how close Akeifa was to Ryou and glared at him. Akeifa, just to irritate Bakura more leaned over and kissed Ryou's cheek before standing up.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret not sending you back to the shadow realm?" Bakura asked and Akeifa just shrugged.

Atemu had been watching everything silently, until Yami caught his eye. He looked at him and smiled. "So, what's it feel like to have your own body?"

"Strange..." Yami said frowning. "I no longer need power from the millennium puzzle to keep me in this realm...and actually..." He looked back at Yugi silent for a few seconds. "Did you hear that?" He asked Yugi who stared at him.

"Did I hear what?"

"Our link, that the puzzle gave us. It's gone." He said going over and removing the puzzle from Yugi's neck. Yugi stared at it sadly as Yami set it aside. "It will be locked away again." Yami said turning Yugi's attention back to him. "Like it was meant to be."

"Actually..." Atemu said lifting it off the table and putting it around his own neck. "I am still part of the shadow realm." He said. ///And with the puzzle I can do this./// He said in both Yugi and Yami's mind.

"All three of us are connected with the puzzle. Because I was born from the two of you." He said smiling. Yami looked at him before nodding.

"At least this way I won't always be worried about the next person who's going to try and steal the items."

Ryou frowned as he looked down at the ring on his chest then looked at Akeifa. He slowly took it off and handed it to him. Akeifa blinked slowly taking it. "Are you sure Ryou?" He asked. "It is still yours."

"I'm sure." Ryou said smiling. Bakura glared.

"You had better stay out of my head." He warned.

///But why? It's to much fun to get under your skin./// Akeifa said once the ring was around his neck. Bakura slammed up all his mental walls making Akeifa stumble back.

"Okay, now that's not fair!" Akeifa said shaking his head clearing it from the sudden 'road block' he had run into.

"Are you two going to fight all the time?" Ryou asked.

"Yes"

"No"
Both Bakura and Akeifa glared at each other then Akeifa looked at Ryou. "I change my mind. Yes, we probably are." Ryou sighed closing his eyes. He was sure that even if he decided to stay with Yami Yugi and Atemu, or the three blond boys life would be just as crazy no matter where he went.

"Just...don't kill each other okay?" Ryou asked.

"We should call my sister." Malik said looking at Marik.

"What for?"

"Well, she has as many, if not more connections then Seto does. And she was the one that was able to get all the stuff we needed when we escaped from guarding the pharaoh's tomb. She'll be able to get everything that you six need. And then we can think about getting Namu into school."

Marik nodded.

"How are you going to explain this to her?" He asked and Malik shrugged.
"Tell her the truth." Malik smiled leaning back in his chair looking up at Marik.

"I'm glad you're back."

"Me too." Marik leaned down and kissed Malik. "It's nice, to be able to do that outside of our soul room." He whispered and then looked at the other six in the room, smiling at the way that Akeifa was tormenting Bakura. Those two together were going to be a handful if they ever got along. And Ra forbid Marik should join in, the trouble they would be able to cause. Malik shook his head and looked over at Yami and Atemu, who were looking over each other. Where Bakura was more of a shadow of Ryou. Yami looked more like his former self. The only major difference was the fact that Atemu was really tan.

"I think I should spend more time in the sun." Atemu said as he looked Yami over obviously liking what he saw.

Yugi shook his head. "No, because then I'd never tell you two apart!"

"Sure you would." Atemu said grinning. "I have my ears pierced."

Yugi sighed shaking his head. "I don't want to look at your ears whenever I want to find out who I'm talking to. No Yami, no tan." Yugi said again and Malik snickered as Yami actually pouted.

Finally Malik looked down at the sleeping Namu. Yes, life was good. They all had their yamis back. And three new additions to their group. Nope, life really didn't get any better then this.

THE END

OMG! O_O I...I actually did it...I FINISHED A FANFIC!!!!! LET'S HAVE A PARTY!!!! ^-^ Okay, so it's not that rare that I finish a fanfic...Let's see...if I'll be able to write a sequel, and finish that~ that's where I start running into trouble~ But right now I'm open for ideas for the sequel!!