Epilogue

Ryou blinked, the return to his own body disorienting as ever. He was still in the Manor, but the room he was in was empty other than the Pharaoh, who was carefully restacking his cards, making sure each was placed just right before slipping them into his carrier. Ryou blinked again, carefully cataloging his body, looking for any injuries the thief might have caused.

/Stop being ridiculous. I didn't injure our body. I just got it back./ the thief growled. Ryou looked over at him, the spirit having chosen to take form outside of the Ring.

"Are you sure?" he asked aloud, not worried that Yugi would judge him for it. "You don't always notice."

/The body is fine!/ The spirit snapped. /These weaklings had no chance against my power, once I was back in our body./

Ryou relented, feeling no injuries. He looked over at Pharaoh, who was watching him with an even stare. Yami certainly did not look like he had raided the base of one of the most dangerous wizards in Europe. He looked down at himself once more, cringing when he saw the splatter of blood across his clothes that was absent from the ancient Pharaoh.

/They deserved it./ The thief muttered. /Anything less than that would be mercy./

Finally, the corner of Ryou's mouth tilted up in a wry smile. "I guess he couldn't help it." He said.

The Pharaoh nodded, grave, before his form wavered and Yugi was staring back at him, his eyes wide but understanding. "They can't help it." he agreed. "Are you okay, Ryou?" he asked.

Ryou smiled wider, the expression looking out of place in his dirtied clothes. "I will be." he told the other. "Do I want to know what happened?"

He could feel the Spirit of the Ring shift in his head, as though he were about to answer, but Yugi was already shaking his head. "I wouldn't. I wish I didn't."

The thief settled back, with a sullen /They deserved it./

Ryou ignored him. That feeling of something missing had gone away, and was replaced with the familiar feel of the ancient being in his mind. He thought briefly of the memories he did have, and wondered if his life would be easier if he didn't know. But…

/Tell me later?/ He asked his other half privately.

He could feel the glee the spirit felt. /Of course!/

"I would imagine." he agreed out loud with Yugi. "What are the two of you going to do now? Are you going to return to Japan?"

Yugi's smile dropped to a frown. "Yami wants to go tell Dumbledore, but I'm not sure we should. We aren't wizards…"

Ryou nodded, "I don't really want him near the Ring. He might try to take it, or not let me leave."

/Let him try./ The thief hissed. /I'm so freakin' tired of these wizards!/

Yugi, though, nodded back in understanding. "Maybe we should just go home?"

"That might be best. Dumbledore is sure to figure out that Voldemort no longer has the Ring… and then they might look for us."

Yugi grinned, the ghost of the Pharaoh lying just behind it, reckless and daring. "He can certainly try."

Bakura appeared next to Ryou, tired of being unseen, and threw an equally daring and dangerous grin. "In fact," the ancient thief said, "I dare them."