AGKamon: I left you guys at a cliffhanger last time, so I'll keep this brief.

Bakura: Like I believe that. *rolls eyes*

Kayla: *shushes*

Marik: Yeah, Bakura, be quiet!

Tiikeri:AGKamon doesn't Yu-Gi-Oh! or anything related to it; she only owns Kayla Kossori and I, her OC's.

Ryo: Start the chapter!

The Winged Dragon of Ra's P.O.V.

My protests suddenly fell silent as my blood ran cold, but I began to struggle more ferociously. Something was wrong and Tiikeri was involved, I could tell that much from the horrible feelings coursing through my being.

"Ugh, stop fighting me!" she, the blue-haired girl named Kayla, commanded as she tugged on my arm with much more force than what was needed. I felt a stinging pain travel up my arm, and it puzzled me. I was immortal; therefore, a mortal such as her shouldn't be able to injure me in any physical way.

"No, my friend is in trouble!" I retorted, attempting to pull the smaller girl with me in the opposite direction, but she stayed rooted to her spot.

Wait…friend…?

I had no clue where that idea came from since the brunette didn't even know my true identity; she believed that I was Marik Ishtar after all. Even so, I had to admit that I did feel a type of sisterly closeness to the girl. Kayla huffed, continuing to trudge forward while pulling me with her.

"Friends will do nothing but hold you back," she remarked, and I shivered at the glare she sent me over her shoulder. It momentarily stopped me, and I felt myself being dragged once again. There wasn't anything I could do about it anyway; I was tired, which was strange.

This place…something is different about it. I don't even feel immortal anymore…

The thought wandered in my mind without really registering; I actually felt like a mortal. Surprisingly, I didn't feel very different from how I usually did, but there was a certain feeling that was keeping me from fighting constantly. It was almost as if I had to worry about tiring myself out; I sort of liked the feeling, but I didn't at the same time.

"I do not believe that," I responded, deciding to not waste my energy on struggling any further. I figured that it'd be better, if this building was affecting my normal immortality, that I should simply follow her and see what happens from there. Perhaps I'll meet up with Bakura or Tiikeri again.

"Think what you want, I'm only telling the truth." From her tone, I was able to gather that she was ending the conversation on that note. I sighed, walking slowly behind her.

There was a dark, almost as much so as Zorc's presence, that was flowing through the air. It entered my bloodstream with every breath I took, and my blood felt colder every time I did so. It was a chilling feeling, and I hated it because I felt absolutely useless, unable to help the people I cared about at all.

It was so ironic. After all of these years of not having to use any sort of power to help anyone in a remarkable way, the one time where I really need any sort of power is when I can't do so. I understood why humans used to worship us like they did. Even though the thought of mortality had sounded interesting to me in past, I was aware of how weak I was at the current moment.

Now…I sort of wish that I had never thought of mortals being the lucky ones in the world…this is a wretched feeling…

Tiikeri's P.O.V.

Everything was dark, unbelievably so. There wasn't a speck of light I could see, and the gold-colored decal on my shirt seemed to stand out against the darkness.

"Hello?" I called, cupping my hands together by my mouth so the sound of my voice would travel a further distance. The only answer I got was the echoes that surrounded my, sending shivers through my already shaking body. Cautiously, I stuck my hands out in front of me, hoping that they would run into a wall of some sort so I could attempt to feel my way around.

Well then, where am I…?

I couldn't feel or see anything around me, and that was a bit creepy. After all, there could be something just in front of me waiting for me to walk toward it. Thoughts of that strange, black lion-like creature ran around in my mind, and I shook harder. Not only was I terrified, but I was also cold. I believed that it was simply my imagination, but I was starting to think that the temperature was steadily dropping.

"There's no use standing here…" I mused, slowly taking a step forward and waiting for something to happen. However, nothing did. The sound of my footstep was the only sound besides my breathing. That meant that I couldn't see, touch, and there wasn't much to hear. I didn't plan on tasting anything around here, especially if I didn't know what was around me, not that I would try doing so anyway.

That left me with the sense of smell. Taking a deep breath, inhaling the air around me, I was shocked with the scent that entered my nostrils. It sort of smelled familiar, but it was a scent that was easily known, one that I'd grown up smelling.

It was the smell of death.

Bakura's P.O.V.

I stepped back, away from the door before me. Small smoky tendrils of black were streaming from the gap near the floor. Marik and Ryo, not expecting my sudden retreat, stumbled backwards; the former ended up falling to the floor in the process.

"What in the name of Ra is going on here?" I growled, clenching my fists at the complexity of the current situation. The shadows emerging from the door seemed familiar, and it reminded me of the times I'd spent in the Shadow Realm, even more so of during the times that I had conversed with Zorc.

"I-I don't like this…" Ryo whimpered, peering around me to stare at the door fearfully. I shooed him and the Egyptian, signaling that they should move even further back. I shared a glance with the two before they followed my silent command, and I slowly moved even further away. I didn't like the feeling I was getting; it ran down my spine and my blood seemed to chill as it did.

"What's going on, Bakura?" Marik questioned, rising to his feet and dusting off his pants. I sighed.

"I'm not sure, honestly. But, it's not good, I do know that," I replied. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ryo begin to reach for his head.

"Well, that's obvious. What, Ryo? Do you have another headache?" Ryo looked up from studying the door at Marik's inquiry and nodded.

"That's been happening to you quite often recently…" I pondered the reasoning, believing that it was connected to whatever evil this organization, Paradius, was involved with. I didn't know much about it or the company itself, and that frustrated me. I had never liked being kept out of the loop of information that I needed to know, but I was sure that Ra had told us everything she knew earlier. She had no reason to withhold information from me after all.

"Is…it opening?" Ryo muttered, and I was barely able to catch his comment. Quickly, I looked up to see that the door was indeed beginning to open, and the temperature began to lower even further than the coldness that already existed here. The sound of footsteps made my muscles tense, and I awaited the arrival of the person who was obviously in there.

The shadowy wisps shot through the cracked door; they spread along the walls and coated them in black, giving the hallways an even more depressing look to them. Dots that seemed to glow bright red were scattered across the blackness; it gave the area an eerie feeling, and I felt the sudden urge to turn my head away, as if this was something I wasn't supposed to see.

"Hey you!" Marik shouted, pointing as a being suddenly emerged from the shadows. Chocolate brown hair was arranged messily upon the young man's head, and, at hearing the exclamation, he raised his head to look at us. His eyes were a dull shade of light blue, but there was a certain sinister look to them that I didn't like.

He turned away, lips pulled into a frown that obviously didn't fit him, and walked down the hall that was now lined with red spots on a black background. I could have sworn that I heard him mumble something about 'Wheeler', and I briefly wondered whether he was referring to the Pharaoh's friend.

"Is there anyone else?" Ryo wondered, apparently unsettled at the appearance of the previous person. Now that I had time to consider it, he seemed familiar. However, I shrugged it away from my thoughts, realizing that it didn't matter and that, recently, almost everything has felt familiar to me.

Soon enough, more footsteps sounded from the room. The door opened further, revealing that there was nothing was darkness beyond it. A girl, most likely younger than all three of us, seemed to materialize out of the shadows. Similar to the human before her, the dullness in her green eyes looked sinister in a way. Instead of walking away like the last one did, she walked toward us.

"Who are you?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes. She didn't even seem to be looking at me, I quickly realized. Following her line of vision with my eyes, I was met with Marik, who appeared to be stunned by her gaze. I snapped my fingers a few times in front of his face in an attempt to gain his attention once more, but he didn't seem to be affected in the least. He didn't even blink.

"Captivating…" the Egyptian muttered. The girl grinned, and I came to the conclusion that she was planning something for him.

"Hey Marik, I don't think now's the time to be looking at girls, especially if she's the enemy," Ryo scolded, tugging on Marik's sandy blond hair. Almost immediately, his body jumped, and he turned to look at Ryo.

"Huh…?" I was surprised when he seemed to regain his senses quickly, and the girl sighed, apparently thinking that her plan, whatever it had been, was working. I would have to thank Ryo later for finding out how to gain Marik's attention so quickly, even if he accomplished it by accident.

"Well, I thought I'd be able to do this the easy way," she breathed, beginning to dig through a bag attached to her red belt. For a split second, I was reminded of the belt that Kayla used to wear that had a similar appearance.

"Do what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her vagueness. Usually the 'villains' that tended to appear around the Pharaoh gave away their plans quite easily, and I hoped that this girl would do the same. However, she stayed silent as she searched through her bag, eventually gaining a small smirk on her expression.

"That's none of you business, Thief King." My eyes widened at the title, as I was sure that I didn't know this girl. I haven't even allowed anyone to find out about my previous identity from my Ancient Egyptian days, and it confused me that she knew this about me.

She pulled a deck of cards, Duel Monsters cards, into view, and I realizing that she wanted to challenge one of us to a duel. There was no doubt in my mind that she was in possession of one of those 'Orichalcos' cards that the Pharaoh had warned us about. Ryo didn't have his deck with him, so the choice was between Marik and I.

"So, care for a duel?" she inquired, her eyes feigned innocence as her asked the question. I stepped forward, fully intending to accept her challenge, but she frowned at seeing that I expected that she was asking me for a duel.

"Not you, him." I was shocked when she pointed at Marik, who, in turn, pointed at himself for confirmation. Quickly, the girl nodded.

"No worries, Bakura. Remember, I've never gotten the chance to use my own deck; it's pretty great, if I do say so myself!" he assured me, clamping one of his hands on my shoulder. He grinned confidently, flashing me a thumbs-up before removing the purple bag that I'd forgotten about him having. He pulled out a Duel Disk, and it was then that I realized she'd been wearing one the entire time. Then, still grinning, Marik tossed the bag to me, and I caught it, if only to prevent it from hitting me.

"For the love of Ra, Marik, I swear if you get your soul stolen-" I started.

"I mean it, Bakura, I've gotten a lot better at dueling! Right, Ryo?"

"Y-yeah, but do be careful."

"I will!"

"Marik-" I went to begin my statement once again, but I was interrupted by the blond once more.

"Listen, you should go find Kayla. I'm sure you'll be better off without me bothering you, right?"

"Well…" I mused, getting some time away from Marik did sound like a nice idea.

"If it worries you, Bakura, I'll stay with Marik," Ryo offered, timidly raising his hand as if he were in a classroom. I sighed, finally deciding to give into their combined reasoning. I threw the bag onto my shoulder, grabbing the strap and turning down a hallway that I thought we'd never been down. I looked over my shoulder.

"Just…don't do anything idiotic…" I warned before continuing on my way.

Where…did that come from? Since when do I worry about people?

Marik's P.O.V.

I looked in the direction Bakura had gone, watching his rapidly retreating figure in confusion.

"Did Bakura just show concern for our safety?" I asked, shocked at the thought of Bakura worrying about anyone. The only person I'd ever seen him care about at all was Kayla, but he treated us like disposable accomplices, at best.

"I…think so…" Ryo replied, sounding just as surprised as I was.

"Hm, it seems as though the Thief King is growing soft. How pitiful," the girl commented, shaking her head in what I believed to be a mixture of pity and contempt. I frowned, wondering how she knew so much about us when we didn't even know her name.

"Who are you?" I demanded, stomping a foot in frustration. She laughed dryly; it was a forced sound that revealed a past of trauma that was hiding behind her. My frown deepened.

"You may call me T. But, if you must know, my name is Tiikeri Toroso," she answered, talking as if it had no significance at all. However, the name struck a chord within me at once; I remembered that name. She was the girl who'd been talking with Ra in her dreams, and that explained why she seemed so focused on me. After all, Ra had been disguising herself as me.

That was a strange thought. This girl obviously believed that it had really been me, not Ra, she'd been encountering in her mind.

"I am Marik Ishtar." Even though I suspected that she already knew my name, I decided to introduce myself anyway for a reason I couldn't place. She nodded, not betraying any information to me that wasn't necessary, and that included whether or not she knew my name.

I studied her briefly while we shuffled each other's decks; the scars on her face intrigued me, and I couldn't help but wonder what they had come from. Luckily, she either didn't care or didn't notice. Slowly, solemnly, we walked away from each other before turning to face the other.

"Be careful, Marik!" Ryo called, and I glanced over my shoulder at him. The dark strands of shadowy material were still continuing their journey across the walls and they were now beginning to travel across the floor. My previous mood had been my usual one, mostly happy, but I had noticed months ago that I changed drastically when I starting dueling. I was remarkably serious, but I needed a clear head to duel; I had become aware of that fact recently.

"I will." I nodded reassuringly, more to myself than to him. Admittedly, I didn't like the idea of facing this 'Orichalcos' card that the Pharaoh had informed me of. I knew what the Shadow Realm was like, and I had survived it, but I had no idea what it would be like to have my soul stolen. Even so, with my insecurities, I activated my Duel Disk.

"Let's duel!"

AGKamon: Did that satisfy all of you? Now, to the reviews!

Bakura: Oh great, they're quite long this time around.

AGKamon: I love long reviews!

VintageStardust - Hey you, I kind of missed seeing you amazingly long reviews which I enjoy reading immensely! Nah, I understand that people have lives to attend to outside of the world of fanfiction; I'm just glad that you're still reading. I'm trying to get a handle on writing creepy things, and it seems as though I'm succeeding; I've gotten a few comments about the Great Leviathan's creepiness. I love Ra; I'm totally keeping her around for as long as I can. And...Ryo/Ra...? Oh my gosh, I love that so much; I never would have thought of it. I have a sudden urge to draw that; I think I will later. Thanks! I've seen some writers who take forever to update, so I don't want to leave my readers waiting. I feel it's the least I can do if they're taking the time to read. I look forward to seeing whether you come up with anything! I also have a sudden urge to convince someone to cosplay as Kayla Kossori; that would be the best day of my life. Hope to see another review from you soon!

Kuraki-chan - Is this soon enough, Kuraki-chan? I now think that Raziel isn't human, or at least, not completely. Thanks for reviewing! *Kayla: Hey, hey, no fighting! -makes the most likely unintelligent decision of trying to split up Shadow's and Virah's argument- Oh, hey new OC! Raziel, right? -waves-*

sorecess of the nile - I enjoy keeping Ra in the plot; I wonder if she counts as an OC or not. I looked up both Dangershipping and Pastshipping; Dangershipping is taken by I believe Yami Marik/Seto Kaiba and Pastshipping is Marik/Namu, who are technically the same person since Namu is Marik's fake name from Battle City. And the one I was considering, Scarshipping, is taken by Thief King Bakura/Odion. So, let's keep thinking, alright?

AGKamon: Also, thanks to Lioutenant Flame for adding A Pyromaniac's Past to their favorites list.

Kayla: Darn yaoi; it takes all of the good pairing names. So, if you come up with a potential shipping name for Marik/Tiikeri, make sure that you suggest it to us.

Marik: Yeah! That's where Blackmailshipping (Bakura/Kayla) got it's origin after all.

Tiikeri: Also, if you have any advice for writing duels, do you think you could pass it on to us? The duel between Marik and I is coming up soon.

AGKamon: *laughs nervously* Yeah, and I don't know where to start. I think it took me, like, a week to even set up the decks belonging to Bakura, Marik, Kayla, and Tiikeri. If you'll need me to give you the card lists for their decks, try to PM me instead, okay?

Bakura: Alright, let's get this chapter over and done with. Ryo?

Ryo: Read and review!