TenshiBabe: Here we are!

Ryou: Is Baku-Chan back yet? (Evil glint in his eyes)

TB: Nah, little more to go

Bakura: Goodie.

A/N:

"Talking"

'Thinking'

/Light to Dark/

/Dark to light/

Never Again

Chapter 6: Doubt

Ryou's POV

After moving Marik to his room, Malik began to fuss and fret over him like he was about to keel over and die. 'Despite the fact that he is already dead' I thought bitterly as I watched the concerned blond.

Not that I don't understand completely what he is going through; I had a yami too, but still this familiar emotion, this feeling of…anger yes-no rage starts to swell from deep inside me. Why? I don't know why.

Yes, you do…

Apparently the voice in my head knows that I know; the voice of my past self. It was often that I used to find myself in the same predicament as Malik; all trusting, caring and too naïve for my own good. Too blind to see that he maybe be out of it now, he may be weak and he may depend on your strength, your light…

However, once he is strong again and gets tired of your worry over him, he'll make sure you know what your role is and where you belong despite your kindness towards him.

In the end he is always the same.

Subtly my corner became a dark miasma of fury, as I watched Malik and his equally deranged yami live the life that I used to, irritation slipping onto my features as I realized that if Marik didn't change soon, then the same thing that has happened between Bakura and I will happen to him and Malik as well, eventually.

Malik, probably feeling the slight unease of someone watching him turned to me, concerned lavender eyes caught my bitter dark ones and the cold in the air caused him to shiver, involuntarily backing away.

Then the weirdest thing happened: I suddenly had the persistent itch to slap the blond hikari.

'What…' by the surprised look on his face, I guess my shock was evident as well. 'Were did that thought come from? Bakura…no he's not here the ring is empty… then why? Why would I think about hurting Malik, for something so trivial none the less?' I thought despairingly.

"Ryou, a-are you okay?" It was Malik, "You're not acting yourself" He continued reaching out to touch me.

SLAP

The sound reverberated off the walls of the small room. There was a lingering silence in the room; as if time had stopped.

'What did…why-' I frantically tried to find some sense in what I had just done. I Ryou Bakura, just hit my best friend, because he was worried about me…no, no, no, no…

Malik turned his hurt lilac orbs on me, face displaying wave after wave of emotions ranging from worry to fear to confusion. He snaps out of it relatively soon, and the silence in the room is gone as soon as it began. Malik, wearing a mask of indifference, steps forward and dares to ask me what's troubling me.

I sigh; this isn't the way to solve things. I came here to help Malik with his problems and what have I done? I certainly haven't been doing much helping at all. I reach out to Malik giving the slightly confused boy a hug, to which he smiles. Nodding I step back and smile as well.

"I'm sorry," I begin weakly, "I…its just weird you know… I mean just now watching you with Marik- I guess I sort of got lost in my own little world, of times when I was in your position and I tended to Bakura when he was injured, or wasn't feeling well.

"And I guess what I am trying to say I that I really don't want what has happened to Bakura and me, to happen to you and Marik." I sighed shakily, closing my eyes, "Malik you're my best friend, despite what others might think, and I just want you to be happy." I finished lamely, opening my eyes to look at Malik who sat there looking at me in bewilderment.

"Ryou, what are you talking about?" I blinked in surprise, he continued "I understand, and in actuality I was wondering a bit about what was wrong with me as well, I mean Ra, the bastard put me in the hospital for nearly three weeks! And, now here I am…the moment he needs me I'm at his side like a lost puppy! So instead of you saying sorry I should be the one apologizing, so stop acting like you committed some huge crime against humanity and all that shit, alright?" Malik exclaimed grinning like a mad man.

I grinned, shaking my head, "Sometimes I wonder Malik…"

Yugi's POV

I sigh as I lazily sweep the game shop. The blaring mid-day sun is high in the sky, glaring through the shop windows. I groan as I notice that, not only is it a perfectly wonderfully sunny-summer- day outside, of which I am on school break…but that it is also just one in the afternoon!

'Why', even with the shortened work time of just six hours during the summer it's like I've been in this-this nightmare of unknown proportions! 'Heh I am pretty sure I am now going insane.'

Blink… 'Nah, its real…'

So basically here I am standing in front of grandpa's shop- about to die of heat and boredom- when lo and behold who is to come running down Main Street like he's being chased by his very own red eyes black dragon is Joey, wild blond hair presently sticking to his face as he came to abrupt, screeching halt right in front of the driveway. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he falls unceremoniously on to the grass on the front yard.

"Um, hey Jou…are you okay?" I asked still shocked at the blonde's sudden appearance.

After a few moments, Joey looks at me as if he had just seen a ghost, "Jou, I-if…"

"Yu…Yugi, is Yami here?" Joey's voice was still shaky from his run, but his face had an urgent expression, is eyes…it's as if he had really seen a ghost or just had a near death experience.

"Oh, yeah, I'll call him" I answered, opening my mind link with Yami. The spirit in question was in fact on his break, and the last time I saw him, napping on the couch.

/Yami…Yami! Wake Up! Joey's here and there seems to be something wrong! /

I couldn't help the panic in my voice; at least it would make Yami hurry up.

/huh? Aibou wha-what's going on? / apparently Yami was still half asleep floating on clouds of cotton candy.

/Yami just hurry out here, something has happened an-and Joey looks slightly ill/ which was true, in fact the blonde looked as if he was about to keel over with anxiety, before Yami even got here.

"Joey? What's wrong…?"

Joey looked at Yami and started speaking incoherently, muttering once in a while. "Oh Kami…we just to check on him…shit Tristan, Tris-tristan an-and…oh Kami so much blood and it was everywhere…"

Yami and I froze…blood.

"Joey, Joey where did you go? Who did you guys go to check on?" Yami asked.

I blinked looking back and forth between the two, where was Tristan anyways? Joey kept on muttering half sentences and phrases not making any sense in the way they were riddled together.

Then Joey took a shuddering breath, looking at us "He…that monster he attacked Tristan…he-he nearly killed us Yami…you got to go…help-"

"Who…who attacked you guys where" I asked…dreading the answer. It couldn't be who I thought it was…it couldn't be…

"…Bakura"

TB: UM…so Baku is back and apparently causing trouble for the gang. I am really sorry for the delay…but as they say Patience is a virtue…or um something like that; Any-ways I'll try to update as many of my stories as I can….so plz Review!