A/N: Please read the words in italics, or else the story will be more confusing than it already is.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh and I do not own the lines in italics. They are from Cirque Du Soleil's newest, "Ka". Granted, they might be slightly altered becuase I had to type it up from scratch.

Enjoy!

For the full A/N about why I wrote this story, go to my livejournal account. I got full A/N there.

There seemed to be no end to the darkness that surrounded him. Despite himself, deep inside, his heart hoped achingly for the presence of the Light…the Light to the Afterlife, the Light of the End. Some part of him raged and cursed that he had been succumbed to this world of darkness, that he had failed, that he had dishonored the very thing that he had fought to protect. The other part…the small part…of him hoped yearningly for that Light…that Light that would end his suffering. The Light that would end everything that he had been through, all his misery, all his hope, his anger, his rage, his torture, his suffering.

The Light did not come.

Moaning, he clutched his head. Would this be his resting place? This dark abyss of pain and agony? This endless infinity of night?

How long had he stayed there, in that infinity of darkness? It felt like thousands of years already…and yet, it felt like it was just a minute ago…

Where in this world do we belong?

"Touzoku-ou…"

That voice…he whipped around. That voice…so soft, so familiar. How it floated towards him from those soft, pale lips.

An angry, choked sob ripped from his throat, and wrenching his eyes shut, he fell to his knees. With all his might, he threw his fists against the darkness of the ground, his frustration pouring forth in choked tears.

A soft glow flickered before him. Blinking his eyes wide open, he lifted his head. The soft white glow pulsed comfortingly, and with a trembling hand, he reached out towards it.

"R-Ryou…"

Tell me when will the light shine on us

At his touch, the soft glow brightened, and after a few moments, enhanced into a halo. Within the halo sat a boy, his large brown eyes soft and gentle. Their long lashes were shaded with his soft bangs, bright and same color as ivory. His flushed cheeks were the same shade of porcelain, and they looked similarly fragile.

He faltered, staring helplessly at the Light before him. Ryou smiled.

"It's okay, Touzoku-ou…"

Why do we come this for tonight

A vague, silver snake slithered next to his leg. Angrily, he whipped around to face a smaller version of his soul's beast… a monstrous creature with a torso of a stoned man, but with a snake's head slithering forth from his torso. Gnarled wings sprouted forth from the shoulder blades and from his hips.

Red eyes narrowed, tears spilling furiously from the corners of his eyes.

"I'm a monster…"

A soft, warm hand placed itself on his shoulder. He lowered his head, his bangs shielding his squeezed eyes.

"You are not, Touzoku-ou…" the Light whispered. "You are not."

And will anyone be here us?

Shaking, he stared at the floor for a while, his shoulders trembling. His crimson robe lay tattered across his being, ripped beyond repair. Biting his lip, he let his stolen bracelets and rings slip from his wrists and fingers. Around his neck hung the only ornament left…the only thing he had left…the only thing to remind him he once had a life, a family, a friend, a lover.

His dark fingers grasped the Millennium Ring hard, and choking, he snatched around and threw his arms around the ghostly remnant of his lover.

Where is the truth… why must we hide?

Ryou smiled sadly, and gently ran his slim hands through the other's wild, white hair.

"It's okay, Touzoku-ou…"

The red-cloaked one shook his head, gritting his teeth.

"I failed, Ryou," he whispered. "I failed…I failed Kuru Eruna…I failed mother…father…Malik…" He squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, gripping to the most precious thing he had left. "…I failed you…"

Is there only one way to find home?

Ryou shook his head, resting his cheek against the white forest of the other's hair.

"You did not, Touzoku-ou…" Ryou whispered. "I was born like this…just like you…I had always known I would not live long…"

"But…I …I swore," the angry one seethed out. "I swore, I vowed, I promised…I promised that I'd kill him, that I'd avenge Kuru Eruna…and I couldn't even do that…" He clutched Ryou closer, pressing his lips to the other's pale cheek. "…I couldn't even protect you…"

When will this stop, when will it end?

Shaking his head, Ryou placed a fragile finger against the other's lips. He looked deeply in the other's dark red eyes, the same blazing color of his ribbed robe. Those eyes glimmered up at him, clouded with hate, with regret, with sorrow and longing. But behind all that, a deep maroon swirled behind the fear, the anger, the sadness.

Ryou smiled lovingly back.

"It's not your fault," Ryou whispered. He stroked his lover's cheek, his pale finger trailing the wicked scar that cracked across the right side of his lover's face. "It's not your fault, Touzoku-ou…please don't ever say that."

"They killed you," the other replied. He hissed in anger and self-loathing, wrenching his face away from Ryou's soft touch. "They killed you…and I couldn't stop them…they beat you…they hurt you…and I was…I was right there…"

"It's okay." Ryou gently placed his hand against his Thief King's cheek, and directed the thief to look straight at him. "I don't blame you. It's not your fault."

"You're just saying that," the bandit spat. Ryou sighed and gently pressed his lips against the scar that trailed from the thief's eye.

"No I'm not," the soft boy whispered. "I love you."

Closing his eyes, the thief bowed his head. His tight grip strengthened even further on his lover.

"I have been…waiting for so long…"

We've been waiting for

So long…

For a moment, both of them stayed close in one another's embrace. The soft glow emanating from the smaller, white-haired boy dimmed a bit. The bandit king weakly lifted his head and glanced deeply into his lover's eyes. A strained smile twitched his lips.

"Can I…can you stay?"

Time will leave us behind

Ryou shook his head, but his soft, sweet smile was upon his lips. The bandit arched his eyebrow and the smaller one giggled.

"I can't stay, Touzoku-ou," Ryou whispered. "I must leave."

"But why?" the Thief King demanded. His hands immediately grasped Ryou's wrists. "Why must you leave? I haven't seen you …for so long…"

Ryou's eyes twinkled. Slowly, he bent forwards, and softly placed a kiss on the bandit's lips.

Don't feel hurt to be brave

"You will see me again," Ryou mumbled quietly. He gently wiped away the trickle of tears that had run along the thief's scar. "You will see the light again…soon."

The bandit scowled and angrily looked away. The bulky Ring against his chest flickered ominously. One had slid up to it and clutched it hard, almost with hate and disgust.

"I've been in the darkness so long already, Ryou," he whispered harshly to the black floor. "I'll never see the light again."

He felt Ryou shake his head against his chest.

"No…" The pale fingers fondly slid along the thief's jaw, and with gentle grace, lifted the thief's eyes to the heavens. A weak pinprick of light shone high above, and the thief looked at it with a confused, wary look in his eyes.

You must hold your head up high

"We'll see each other again soon," Ryou whispered. His fingers left his lover's jaw and he pointed to the small dot of Light. "When you reach there, Touzoku."

The thief faltered for a moment. His eyes blinked in puzzlement and confusion at the small beam of Light. A look of helplessness overcame the thief's face, and he looked back down, looked towards Ryou for an explanation.

The white-haired Light smiled brightly, and once again, directed the thief's eyes to the pinprick of light. The bandit's eyes widened.

The beam had gotten bigger.

There's no reason to stop, to worry, to tremble or to think of turning back

Slowly, he turned his gaze back to Ryou, however, this time, his gaze was not filled with confusion, or hate, or rage, or anger, or sorry. For once, his eyes glowed with that same boyish, childish unsurety that Ryou had fallen in love with.

A weak smirk twitched across the bandit's lips, and Ryou smiled fondly up at him.

Gradually, Ryou reached his arms around the thief's neck, and drew his lover close to him. The thief's arms immediately found their protective place around Ryou's waist, and they embraced one another tightly.

Truth and unity will well be waiting

Beyond our vision of things

Turn away from the light

Look towards the shadows

Learn from the shadows

The bulky relic resting on the thief's chest glimmered again, and Ryou winced. The thief immediately grabbed the Item and flung it over his shoulders, where neither of them could see it.

Where will we walk, why must we leave?

Chuckling haltingly, the thief brought his lover to his collarbone. Ryou sniffled despite himself, and clutched closer to the bandit.

"Our fate must've been cursed," the thief hissed chokingly. "Just because of our hair…our face, our skin…Ra must hate us."

Ryou shook his head. "I'm sure he doesn't," he whispered softly. "He was very kind to me when I met him…"

The thief's eyes widened, but he didn't let go of his lover. Instead, he fisted his hand into Ryou's long, ivory hair, and brought the strands to his lips, kissing them tenderly. Ryou sniffed again and squeezed the thief affectionately.

"You…met Ra?"

Ryou slowly nodded. "He was very kind to me, Touzoku…and he was very kind to you too…"

"Ra was never kind to me," the bandit hissed. Ryou chuckled softly, and looked up, deep into his Thief King's eyes.

"He was kind enough to let us be together, Tozouku-ou."

The bandit's eyes widened, and without warning, they filled with tears. Without any warning at all, the thief crushed his lips against Ryou's, his passion, his devotion, his love nearly overflowing as he claimed the lips of the only one who had cared for him, understood him…

…loved him.

"Didn't I tell you, Ryou," the bandit panted when he released the smaller one and clutched the other to his collarbone, "to just call me Bakura?"

Can't we sleep, can we dream forever?

Laughing softly, Ryou straightened, and fondly, brushed the bangs away from Bakura's eyes. The Thief King chuckled, and for once, gave the other a genuine smile. Ryou grinned back, overjoyed that his lover was finally cheering up.

"We'll be happy together sometime," Ryou assured. "We'll see the Light someday. You've been living in the darkness too long, Touzoku----Bakura."

Feels like we've walked into the sun

Bakura smirked, and this time, kindly claimed Ryou's lips once more. The younger one closed his eyes, savoring the long-forgotten taste of his Egyptian lover. With tender grace, Bakura slid his rough hand into the long waves of Ryou's ivory hair, and pressed the boy's head closer into the kiss. Ryou murmured contently, and a happy tear trickled from his right eye.

Must we face the walk alone?

Slowly, they broke the kiss, and both white-haired boys looked away. The beam of light was shining brightly now, and unsurely, Bakura looked up at the glow flittering its way into the darkness. For a moment, he closed his eyes, arching his head back, savoring the taste of Light and sun once more.

After a moment, he felt someone shuffle next to him, copying him. Within another minute, a soft, gentle hand slide itself into his own dark, callused one, and he squeezed it.

Ryou smiled again, another tear trickling down his porcelain cheeks.

But no matter how long we must journey

We will every night and every day

Since the shadows whisper their secrets their stories

We must steadily make our way

Eyes still closed, Bakura rose to his feet. His counterpart next to him gave a soft sigh, and followed, his brown eyes also closed. With hesitance, Ryou slid his fingers out of Bakura's, and he took one step towards the light. Pausing, Ryou looked back, and saw Bakura arch his head back even further, the glow of the Light nearly dawning on him.

"I have to go, Touzoku---Bakura," Ryou smiled tearfully. Bakura opened one maroon eye---the right, scarred one--- and smirked.

"I love you too, Ryou."

A heartfelt grin broke across Ryou's face, and with a cry, he hurtled himself into Bakura for one last embrace.

"I'll see you soon, Bakura," Ryou whispered into the Thief King's throat. Bakura's serene hands slowly raised and rested upon Ryou's back, and, despite himself, another warm tear slid from his scarred eye.

"I'll see you soon too, Ryou," he whispered tenderly. Ryou choked back a tear, gave Bakura one last squeeze, before backing away.

"I love you, Bakura," Ryou whispered. The Thief King smirked and nodded his head.

"I love you too, Ryou."

Bowing his head, Ryou closed his head, and within a minute, his halo grew brighter, and consumed him. When the light faded away, Ryou was gone, and Bakura raised his head once more to the beam of Light before him.

Inhaling deeply, Bakura looked once more into the bright star of light, before he closed his eyes. Wind wisped his form, brushing back his bangs and ruffled his short, white hair with the equal fondness of Ryou's fingers.

Deep within him, a fire flickered to life within him. His Ka, Diabound, the snakehead monstrosity, gave a soft whine, before lying against the floor in defeat. In another minute, the Light finally flittered to the ground, its beam just brushing against the Ka. The monster whined again, before slowly disappearing into the shadows.

Bakura smiled.

The same fire that had urged him to fight for his family, his village, and his love, had been fueled with rage, hate, and sorrow. Now, the fire within his chest contained only love, and for a moment, he did not feel big, strong, and menacing. He didn't feel cold, hard, small and weak. For that one moment in the sun, he felt carefree, his burdens lifted, like a young boy among the fields near the Nile. The cheeky, grinning boy that his lover had fallen in love with.

He was no longer the Darkness. He was Bakura.

Looking up at the Light determinedly, Bakura set himself to be consumed by Ra's rays, and closing his eyes, he raised his head up high.

And smiled.

Time will leave us behind

Don't feel hurt to be brave

You must hold your head up high

There's no reason to stop, to worry, to tremble

We must gently make our way

And somewhere in that blinding flash of Light, Bakura heard a familiar voice. It was soft, it was quiet, it was gentle. Despite himself, the thief opened one of his eyes, the scarred one…and saw a phantom of his lover before him. Wind brushed past Ryou's long hair, and he was as slim and skinny as he was before, but he looked different.

His brown eyes were wide and twinkling with such carefree joy that they shone even brighter than the Light behind him. His smile was wide and cheerful, not shy and timid. His notable amount of linen that was once swathed across his frame was gone, and now, he was donning a shirt of white and blue stripes. His pale arms were bare, and his legs were clad in blue. His soft, pale hand was outstretched towards Bakura.

"Bakura…."

Slowly, Bakura closed his one opened eye. His hair felt longer, his body thinner. The bulky relic that once was upon his chest was no longer present, and instead, hung from the other's neck. His scar vanished away, and when he opened his eyes, they were no longer bright, fiery red. They were a deep maroon, almost brown, they way they had been when he was a child.

With a smile, he grasped Ryou's hand, and both white-haired boys grinned.

:End: