The Age of Shadows

13

The ritual takes  place amongst the confusion and chaos of the Age of Rebirth, the title given to this world escaping the shadow realm. Scientists are baffled by what's happened - none can explain either how the shadows took over or how they disappeared. Only very few people will ever know. The first order of business among those in relative power was a selection of government and establishment of law. That didn't work. After 4 years of complete autonomy nobody was willing to return to a Hobbesian covenant of assumed consent with a state. So they're still trying to work out what to do. If 9/10ths of the population hadn't been killed there might've been a war, but that can't really happen with fewer than 800,000,000 people existing across the expanse of the planet. 

Somehow Ryou didn't think this would be the outcome. He thought it'd go back to literally what it used to be. As if the apocalypse never happened. Instead their entire society is crumbled in ruins and returning to what but was before . But he isn't disappointed, things were pretty bad before. Now they can rebuild the world from scratch using (he hopes) John Stuart Mill's Harm Principle. In the darkness of night, having dragged themselves back to the Ishtar residence among the screaming flames of the Rebirth, he begins the ritual.

Using the same ancient text he used before to revive Bakura the first time, Ryou acts and the summoner for a spell conducted within the ritual circle. Marik watches, his stomach in knots, terror in his mind. He refuses to get his hopes up and instead feels like throwing up. A surge of anticipation rises internally as blue light ascends from the curve.

""Now we wait," Ryou acknowledges quietly. "Marik, he may not be as you remember him. He may be mentally trapped under Zork. He might be as he was in the Ancient times. There's no guarantee it's the Bakura you know. I don't even know how reviving someone for a 2nd time works — especially when there have been multiple versions of him across timelines,"

"It'll be my Bakura," Marik states in a lifeless voice. Ryou just doesn't reply.

They watch the shimmering light for hours. Yugi and Joey huddle together under a blanket in the corner. They fall asleep holding hands, Joey's head leaning over and using Yugi's fluffy hair as a pillow. Eventually something begins to spark from the light. Ryou, who was almost falling asleep himself staring out at the stars, is first to notice. "Marik!" He hisses in a whisper.

Marik lifts his head from sleeping on his bag and stares at the expanding light that grows in a spiral like a tornado dragging Poseidon from the depths. Once the light fades the shaking and very naked form of Bakura is left behind. He hunches on the floor and stares up with wide eyes. He locks gaze with Ryou and Marik, expression unchanging.

"Hello," Ryou steps forward. He says it again in Ancient Egyptian in case this really is Bakura from Egypt. "My name is Ryou. What is your name?"

Bakura quirks an eyebrow and stands up. "What the bloody Hell are you talking about Ryou?"

"Bakura!" Marik rushes forward and pulls Bakura in a tight hug. He pets him and kisses all over his cheeks letting himself sob and cry uninhibited. "Bakura... thank Ra, I thought I lost you!"

"It would have been a far greater tragedy to lose you Marik," Bakura looks out the window at the full moon and a soft smile spreads across his face. "You did it. Well done,"

"You - you did it Bakura!" Marik grips his shirt, looking into his eyes. Their faces draw closer, fingers weaving together as Marik rests his tired forehead against Bakura's. "You scared me so much..."

"I really do apologise," he lifts his head and kisses Marik's nose. "I'll never leave you again,"

"Promise me,"

"I promise," 

Bakura's lips subtly brush against his but still they pull their bodies apart, hands slipping into a loose hold as they stare int each other's smiles. Marik sighs and feels down his arms, his front. Remembering, he pulls Bakura;s gun from his waistband. "Here," he hands it out but Bakura just smiles at him.