I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

"Pharaoh? Where are you?" Yugi called as he walked through the house in attempts to find his darker half. A freak storm had knocked the power out to most of the block, and the teen had heard a crash upstairs no long after. "This isn't funny-Hey!" He slammed into a wall painfully, shoulder protesting. Yugi was roughly pulled to his feet, a flash of lightning revealing the visage of Yami. Almost instantly the teen knew something was wrong; his darker half's eyes were even more crimson. Gaze traveling downward, Yugi saw that he was gripping a bloodstained knife, then recalled the noise he heard. Realization dawning, the teen struggled to free himself, but was swiftly pinned to the wall, Yami's weight immobilizing him. "W-what did you do to Grandpa?"

"You'll find out soon enough, Yugi." In a smooth gesture, he raised the knife and brought it arcing down. Just before the blade pierced the teen's chest, the pharaoh yelled as Yugi sank his teeth in his hand. Releasing him, Yami backhanded him so hard that he was sent crashing into the opposite wall.

Dazed, Yugi shook his head, freezing when he sensed his darker half hovering above him. Opening his mouth to plead with the pharaoh, a kick to the ribs ripped a whimper from him. Knowing he would be killed unless he escaped, the teen shoved Yami away and leaped to his feet, bolting through the house. Barreling out of the front door, he banged into someone, sending them both sprawling to the ground. Looking up, Yugi inwardly cringed upon meeting the glare of Yami Bakura. Behind the other teen lurked Ryo, who seemed like he was trying to melt into the shadows. Noticing that Bakura was peering over his shoulder, Yugi whiled to discover Yami bearing down on him, once again wielding the knife. Gulping, the smaller teen scurried behind Ryo's darker half, shivering.

Ignoring both Yugi and Ryo, Bakura focused on the pharaoh's Millennium Puzzle, brown eyes widening suddenly. "It seems that when I sealed part of my spirit within the Puzzle, it tainted the pharaoh's own spirit. Now it's causing him to go out of control." Dodging Yami's vicious swing, the other teen rammed him into a parked car, making him drop the weapon. "Control yourself, you fool! You'll kill all of us!" In retaliation, the pharaoh lunged forward and scratched Bakura's arm. Hissing in pain, Ryo's darker half stared at the steady trickle of blood dripping to the sidewalk, then uttered an inhuman growl. "Now you're dead, pharaoh!"

Yugi began to edge toward Ryo, inadvertently gaining Yami's attention. Tensing to run should the pharaoh charge him, the teen exhaled shakily as Bakura stepped between them. But his feeling of safety soon fled the moment his darker half used the power of the Puzzle to cast Bakura aside. Grabbing his friend's hand, Yugi hauled him along the street, frantically searching for a lit house. Swerving to the left, the terrified teen ran up the stairs of one of his neighbors, banging on the door. "Open the door, please!" Ryo let out a shrill yelp behind him. Turning slowly, Yugi felt Yami wrap his hands around his throat, grip tightening. Vision staring to fade, he suddenly fell backwards, his darker half landing on top of him. Desperately trying to push the pharaoh off him, he dimly saw Bakura club Yami with his Millennium Ring. Able to breathe again, the teen scrambled to his feet, Ryo catching him as he swayed dangerously.

"I've called the police," Yugi's neighbor, Mrs. Harrison, said loudly, warily watching both yamis circle each other, Bakura's teeth bared. "They'll be here in ten minutes, so I suggest you stop this right now!"

"The Puzzle!" Ryo's darker half bellowed, narrowly dodging a punch that would have incapacitated him. "Get it from him and the pharaoh will return to normal! You can keep it after I extract the piece of my spirit-" Bakura's words were halted when Yami unleashed a vicious jab that connected with his temple. Eyes rolling in his head, the other yami crashed to the floor.

Heart pounding, Yugi made himself meet the pharaoh's glower and stepped closer, a frantic hand on his shoulder stopping him. "You heard Bakura, Ryo. If we don't get the Millennium Puzzle, he'll continue to go beserk." Untangling himself from his friend's grip, the teen took a deep breath, then rushed forward with his hand outstretched. Powerful arms ensnared him, crushing him against Yami's chest. The Millennium Puzzle dug painfully into his sternum, one of its razor tips threatening to break skin as his darker half increased the pressure. "L-let me go! Pharaoh!"

"Yugi!" Hastily glancing at Bakura, who was still out cold, Ryo's brown eyes snapped back to Yami. Quickly spying Mrs. Harrison creeping closer to the pharaoh, the panicked teen lunged for her, yanking the woman back. "No, he might kill you." Ryo cringed as his friend screamed before going alarmingly limp. Finding himself the center of Yami's attention, he stared at the bloodied point on the Puzzle when Yugi was dropped. "B-Bakura, you can wake up now!" The yami in question remained motionless, even as the pharaoh laughed, Eye of Horus blazing on his forehead. "Yo, yami of mine, get the hell up!"

"Can't an evil spirit sleep around here?" Bakura snapped, groggily sitting up. The first thing he noticed was how still Yugi was on the floor, a red stain on his breast. Second thing he saw was Ryo twisting on the spot, hands clawing his throat. Putting two and two together, the white-haired yami rocketed to his feet, startling Mrs. Harrison. "Oi, blasted pharaoh, release my host this instant!" When Yami's twisted smile only grew, Bakura's rage went over the top. Tackling Yugi's darker half to the ground, the other yami savagely ripped the Millennium Puzzle from around his neck. Felling the pharaoh's struggles lessen, he climbed off him, hearing cars skidding to halts outside. Panting, Bakura checked on Ryo, relieved to see the teen's breathing was normal, though shaky. Delving into the Puzzle's depths, Ryo's darker half located his soul piece and reclaimed it, returning to his body just as police burst into the room yelling that nobody was to move.

Inhaling sharply, Yami blinked in confusion at the noise bombarding him. Gingerly propping himself on his elbows, he touched something wet whose scent assaulted his nose: blood. Recoiling as if he had been hit, the pharaoh looked around wildly, gaze coming to rest on Yugi's prone form. Swallowing thickly, the teen's darker half crawled forward, ignoring the officers that were demanding he freeze. Kneeling beside him, Yami lifted his shirt to see the deep wound that was weeping ruby tears. Bile rising in his throat, the pharaoh ran from the house, almost colliding with a police car.


A creak alerted Yami that Yugi had returned. The wound on the teen's chest in his head, he sighed heavily. "Yugi, I don't know what happened, but I'm sorry."

Sitting next to the pharaoh, Yugi rested his head on his darker half's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, you couldn't control yourself. Bakura was the one who saved you before anything else could happen. Plus he took care of the police in his own unique way." Yawning despite himself, the teen curled against Yami's side, knowing he would be sore in the morning. "Let's talk tomorrow, I'm exhausted."

"All right," the pharaoh replied, smiling as Yugi's breathing became even, a sign he was asleep. Laying back, he arranged the teen so that his head was on his stomach, then covered them both with a sheet. Closing his eyes, Yami rapidly drifted into a dreamless slumber.

A/N: Hah, fixed those blasted spelling mistakes.