Yugi: The next chapter that Feriua has promised you for the double post!

Alara: *looks around noticing the room is quiet and empty* where is she anyways?

Yugi: She had to start studying for her finals so I took over for the moment.

Alara: Ah I see

Yugi: Feriua hopes you enjoy this chapter! She doesn't own anything that pertains to Yu-Gi-Oh at all, all rights belong to their rightful owners. She does own her original characters and plot.

~Chapter 4: The Shadow's Attack~

Alara settled into the warm bath she had drawn up to soothe her sore muscles. She let out a deep sigh as it felt like the water washed away the pain. She was lucky that Rikku and Kimi decided to give her the next week off while they were out of town. They had been working with her every day for the last month and half. Even though they had made a lot of progress it felt like they had made it nowhere.

She could summon a ball of light energy, and manipulate them into different shapes. This proved to be very useful as a weapon. She could summon a force field large enough for her, and three other people. She could now be selective to whom she allowed inside as well.

Alara chuckled as she remembered Joey trying to enter the force field as she blocked his entry. He had run full force into it, and it sent him flying back across the yard. But the one thing that really frustrated her was they were no closer to discovering what her unique power was.

Her sparring with Rikku had improved, but she still didn't win many fights. Ever since that first day he didn't go easy on her, and it really forced her to think out her strategies. Rikku had made Atem fight against her a few times. The first couple of times she had kicked his butt, but he caught on quickly. At that point they started becoming evenly matched, but a few times he was able to beat her.

Atem had been working on his shadow magic as well. He was mainly focusing on summoning, commanding, and manipulating the shadows. He had started working on something new, but refused to tell anyone what it was until he was confident with it.

Alara turned and looked at the bracelet sitting on the counter. She let out a small sad sigh. She hadn't seen or heard from Lanea in almost two months. She was starting to wonder if the spirit had actually been released from the bracelet, and went to the afterlife. It didn't seem possible though because sometimes she would feel a trickle of emotion come through their connection. She could never fully understand what might have happened to her because there were so many emotions that would come through. It was really hard to sort through them to see if Lanea was trying to tell her something.

Alara was brought out of her thoughts as she heard her phone begin to ring. She grabbed her towel and dried her hands before picking the phone up.

"Hey Yugi."

"Definitely not Yugi," said a deeper voice.

"Sorry Atem, but maybe you should consider getting your own phone."

"I will when I've saved enough money from working at the shop. Anyways Tea just arrived so we're just waiting on you." Alara looked at the time on her phone, and realized she had been sitting there longer than what she had planned to.

"Shit I'm sorry I lost track of time. I'll be there in about ten to fifteen minutes."

"Alright we'll see you then." Alara jumped up, and started to drain the water as she washed off. She didn't have time to do much with her hair since it was wet. She quickly braided it so it would look somewhat decent as it dried. She threw on her jean shorts, red tank top, and converse. As she ran out the door she gave Nanu a pat on the head, and slid the bracelet back around her wrist.

Alara, Atem, Yugi, and Tea were walking through downtown Domino enjoying the nice day together.

"I don't think I've not seen Tea not smiling once today," Alara commented as she watched Tea and Yugi walking just little ahead of them holding hands.

"The same with Yugi," Atem nodded. "I can understand he's wanted to be with her since I've known him." Alara looked over her shoulder to see two men on the other side of the street following them. One of them was tall and thin; while the other was shorter and fatter. She couldn't see any more details since they had a hood pulled up around their faces. Her eyes narrowed as she started to see some distortion around the shape of their bodies.

"What's wrong?" Atem asked as he noticed her distraction.

"There's two guys that's been following us since we left the mall." He glanced back to see the two guys, and recognized seeing them before.

"We'll just keep going like we haven't really noticed. I'll let Yugi know so we're all aware, and can keep an eye out," Atem said as he tightened his grip on her waist pulling her closer.

'Just to let you know we have some followers.'

'Maybe we'll have some action for once, and liven things up a bit.' Yugi responded before whispering to Tea the news. As they continued walking the boys were looking for a busy place to lose their followers. They were having trouble finding a place since they were making their way back to the outside of town where there was less people.

"That place would be perfect," Tea said as she pointed out a large alley that had many street vendors, and a large crowd. They changed their direction, and headed into the mass of people.

"Don't let go," Atem said as he grabbed Alara's hand tightly. She looked back to see the two men stop in front of the alley. She watched the shadows around their feet start to grow and move on their own.

"I thought so," Alara whispered as the crowd blocked them from her sight. They continued making their way deeper into the crowd until Atem and Yugi were sure they had lost them.

"Do we have any idea to who those guys were?" Yugi asked, and everyone shook their head in response. Alara started to look around as she half listened to the other three starting to throw out ideas. She looked down at the bracelet as she felt a static charge coming from it. She looked back up to see the two men staring at her from down a narrow alley.

"So it does react to some shadow magic," she whispered as she watched them turn, and continue down the alley. "That's it I'm going to figure this out for myself." She glanced back to see everyone still talking amongst themselves. She quietly took a few steps away from them until she was out of their hearing range. With a swift turn she took off running down the alley after them.

When she reached the end of the alley Alara looked around to figure out where they had gone. She looked up as she heard a noise to see them climbing on the roof from the fire escape. She raced up after them, and as she climbed up on the roof she saw them waiting on the roof of the next building over. She looked at the gap between the buildings, and decided to jump it since it was pretty narrow.

Alara took a running start, she leaped over the gap, and as she landed she rolled to absorb the shock of the impact. She stood up and headed toward the two men standing at the other end of the building.

"Alright who the hell are you and why are you following me?" Alara yelled as she stopped about five feet from them.

The short man began to laugh before he stopped, and finally answered. "We are loyal servants to our master, and you've fallen right into his trap."

"What trap?" Alara growled as her frustration started to grow.

"To get you alone and away from the Pharaoh."

"What do you think I'm weak and defenseless without him? Let me tell you that you're dead wrong. Who's your master anyways?"

"Me," said a voice from behind her. Alara whipped around, and looked at the man behind her. She took a few steps back as she recognized him immediately.

"Bakura," Alara said with venom in her voice.

"It's nice to see you too," he smirked as he crossed his arms.

"What do you want?"

"My master has sent me to take your power so that he can use it himself."

"You won't be getting it or me at all. I'll make sure of it this time because I'm not as defenseless as before." Alara gathered up a ball of energy, and threw it at the smirk on his face. When the ball was about three feet away a wall of shadows shot up to protect their master. As the ball collided with the wall there was a large explosion sending smoke in all directions.


"Hey Alara what's your opinion on this?" Tea asked since they hadn't heard her say one thing. Everyone turned to see that she wasn't standing behind Atem anymore.

"Damn it where has she gone now?" Atem asked as he started to look in all directions. They all ducked down as they heard a nearby explosion. They looked up to where the smoke was coming from a nearby roof.

"I think I have an idea where she's at now," Yugi said as they ran toward the building. They had to push their way through the masses of people as they began to scream, and panic. They were all trying to make it out of the alley at once to safety from the unknown danger.


Alara waved her hand as she tried to clear the smoke from around her as she started to cough. She could hear people screaming down below in the alley. She finally caught sight of Bakura, as the smoke began to clear, still standing in front of her as he started to laugh.

"You think you're the only one that has increased their power! I should actually be thanking you; you're the one that allowed my power to grow." Alara eyes narrowed as she grew nervous to what he actually meant. She watched as Bakura started to walk towards her, and continued his manic laughter. She felt her heart start to race as she tried to think of what to do. She took a few steps back as she tried to calm down, and clear her mind.

Alara raised her hand as she prepared to put a shield between her and Bakura. Just as the shield started to manifest Bakura knocked her hand down, and wrapped his other hand around her throat. He squeezed cutting off her air as he started to lift her in the air. She clawed at his hand trying to loosen his grip.

"What's the matter your highness having a hard time breathing?" Alara tried to take deep breaths as her vision quickly became fuzzy around the edges. "Let's see how well you can actually heal from this one." At that moment she felt something stab her through the chest. Her eyes widen in horror as she looked down to see a shadow had pierced her right where her heart was at.

Alara's breathes began to shorten as she felt her heart began to race, and beat harder. She felt little jolts of pain with every heartbeat; it felt like something was being pumped through her veins.

"I doubt you should be able to heal so easily from this one if at all," Bakura whispered. "Your heart has now been infected with shadows that are going to poison you from the inside. Your power, your light, resides within in your heart, and now my shadows are going to snuff it out. When it has your bracelet will be mine, and it will be used to help my master."

"No it won't I'll stop you one way or another," Alara was able to force out as her vision grew darker.

"I doubt that. Even now the shadows are working very quickly."

"ALARA! NO!" Bakura looked up quickly, and looked back down.

"It's time I leave now that your precious Pharaoh has arrived." Alara looked down as she felt the pull of the shadow coming out of her chest. As Bakura released his grip on her neck she collapsed to the ground. She watched a wall of shadows appear behind him, and he stepped into it disappearing from sight. Her vision had almost completely blacked out as she felt someone pick her up.

"Alara what happened? Stay with me!" She looked up at the fuzzy shape in front of her eyes as she felt her racing heart start to slow down. She could barely recognize the multi-colored spikey hair.

"Atem…"she whispered as she reached up weakly. "I'm so sorry." She felt her hand drop as her vision completely turned black, and all of her energy drained away. The last thing she heard was Atem yelling her name.


Atem threw himself up on the roof as he looked around for any sign of where Alara might be. As his eyes locked onto the two figures on the other roof his eyes widened in horror and fear at what he saw. Bakura was holding Alara up by her throat, and a shadow was piercing through her chest.

"ALARA! NO!" he yelled as he ran towards her. He watched Bakura glance towards him before turning back to her. He released his grip on Alara's throat as the shadow withdrew, and she fell to the ground. As he jumped the gap a wall of shadows appeared behind Bakura, and he stepped into them quickly disappearing. He dropped to her side, and picked her up pulling her into his lap.

"Alara what happened? Stay with me!" He heard Yugi run up and stop right behind him; followed soon by Tea.

"Atem…" she whispered as he watched her reach up slowly. "I'm so sorry." In the next second she fell limp in his arms.

"No…" he whispered as it felt like his heart stopped. "Alara!...ALARA!"

"Oh shit," Yugi whispered as he shook his head in disbelief. He glanced back to Tea to see her covering her mouth, and tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Atem placed an ear to her chest as he tried to hear breathing or a heartbeat. He started to panic as he heard nothing. He placed his hand on her neck, and waited for a few seconds. He took his hand away after he felt no pulse.

"No…please…not again," he whispered as the tears formed in his eyes, and he pulled her close to his chest. "I've lost her once again…I broke my promise, and I've let her down. Oh Ra please don't let it be true…why? Why me?!" Yugi's tears began to fall as he felt the Pharaoh's heartbreak and grief start to meld with his own. He turned as Tea flew into his arms, and started to cry into his shoulder.

"Atem…I'm so sorry," Yugi was barely able to choke out. "We need to get out of here before the police start to show up because of the explosion."

"We have nowhere to go…"he replied barely over a whisper.

"Let's just go back to the shop, and we'll figure something out from there."

Atem nodded as he scooped up Alara in his arms, and he kept his head hung low. "I'll meet you on the ground." Yugi wasn't even able to ask him what he was talking about before another wall of shadows appeared in front of him. He stepped through it, and disappeared. Yugi and Tea headed over to the side of the building to see another wall of shadows appear, and Atem step back out.

"That's what he's probably been working on," Tea said as they made their way back to the fire escape. "A portal from one place to another."

The whole way home they didn't cross paths with one person and not one word was spoken. They stopped right outside the front door of the game shop as they remembered Yugi's grandpa.

"I'll go in first, and talk to him," Yugi said as he took a deep breath.

"Be quick," Atem said as he continued to look down at Alara with teary eyes. Yugi headed inside and was immediately greeted by his grandfather.

"So how was your guys' day?" Solomon asked. He face fell as he saw the upset look on his grandson's face. "Yugi what's the matter? Did something happen?" Yugi couldn't bring himself to say it so he just nodded his head. "What happened? Where's everyone else?"

"They're waiting outside, but Bakura attacked us," Yugi choked out.

"Bastard…is everyone ok?" Yugi shook his head. "Who was hurt?"

"Alara…"

Solomon shook his head as he started to piece it together. "No…she can't be."

Yugi nodded as his tears started to fall again. "We need to put her somewhere until we figure out what we're going to do. If you don't mind I want to set her in my room on my bed."

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"I'll sleep on the couch." Solomon nodded as his tears began to appear. He followed Yugi to hold the door open, and flipped the sign over on the door to the closed side. He watched as Atem walked in carrying Alara, and headed straight upstairs.

Atem slowly laid Alara down on Yugi's bed. He sat down on the floor next to her, and took her hand in his. He laid his head down on the bed as he looked up at her, and the tears he fought back earlier began to fall. He heard the click of the door as Yugi shut the door, and left him alone.

After everything they had been through why did something like this have to happen and so soon. They had only been back from Egypt for a couple months, and what was supposed to be a nice day out was ruined. What were they going to do? What was he going to do? He had lost the woman he held the closest to his heart once again.


0_0...Yay story pick up! Anyways while I'm taking my short break please review/favorite/follow! Any and all are greatly appreciated! See everyone next week! ^-^