Umbrae: So, for those of you that are curious, Twilight was very good. It was a tad slow, but it made up for it because Edward Cullen is adorable, I loved how well he acted, and I am a hopeless romantic that found the entire plot to be… intoxicating.

Bakura: Yeah, her brain will be snacking on that for a while.

Umbrae: No doubt. It's actually given me an idea, of sorts, for my next YuGiOh! fic. Not really following the Twilight plotline, but I'm definitely thinking vampires.

Ryou: There are already so many vampire-Yugi and vampire-Yami fics out there, though.

Umbrae: Please, Ryou… do I ever do anything ordinary?

Bakura: True. She did make you evil this time, after all.

Ryou: ((sigh)) Fine. Just… can I be a good person in your next fic?

Umbrae: Ryou, you're always a good person. You just have some issues. ((glares)) Like me and the stupid Roman Numerals. Hmmm…

Ryou: ((wince)) Well, while she's… trying to fix that… on with the fic, shall we?

Dark Summons

X

He was amused, to say the very least.

Originally, he hadn't expected to be able to catch the pharaoh and his friends for another day. He had told the pharaoh that he had three days to save his aibou. Of course, he'd killed the boy already, but he had been planning to destroy the boy before his friends reached him, anyway. He couldn't rightly have darkness and light working together to destroy him.

Besides, without his light, the pharaoh was nothing.

He just had to show him yet.

Once he had revealed to the pharaoh and his two idiotic friends that he was the one that held Yugi captive, it hadn't taken him long to get them to follow. Still, he had taken certain precautions. Their Duel Monsters decks were now in his possession, and he had little use for them. The monsters were real here in the Shadow Realm, and he was the King of the Shadow Realm.

Hence, such pathetic children's toys were obsolete.

As he entered his cavern, he tossed the three card decks to the side, immediately putting them out of mind as they scattered across the stone floor.

He had left his three guests standing outside of the cavern. He knew they wouldn't leave. Not until they had their friend in their grasp.

Smirking softly, he rounded the corner and peered down at his previous guest. The boy's lifeless body was lying just as he had left it, limp and pale, dried brown blood caked around him in a sticky, reeking pool. Kneeling down, he caressed the boy's cold cheek with a gentle hand.

"Ah, Yugi, little light," he whispered to the corpse. "I have brought your pharaoh here and I will reunite the two of you." He smiled softly. "And I will enjoy watching him break before my eyes." He licked his lips lovingly. "His misery… it will taste divine."

He rose to his feet and turned his back to the soulless child, walking out of the chamber to rejoin his guests. He smiled, his teeth glinted in the wane light of the cavern. It was time he brought the pharaoh and his light back together, one last time.

The wind brought with it a bitter cold atop the mountain.

Bakura had woken up almost an hour before, to find that Tristan was no longer in the cavern. To his surprise, his first reaction had been to fear that the boy had run off in order to escape Bakura's presence while he slept.

His fears had been allayed not long after, however, when the guitar-playing brunette returned.

"Here," Tristan said, tossing something his way.

Bakura raised his hands and caught the flying fruit, peering down to see that it was a rosy apple. He glanced up at Tristan with questioning surprise, finding that he had already devoured half of his own breakfast and was eyeing the small pile of fruit hungrily.

Glancing back down at his own offered meal, Bakura sank his teeth into the sweet flesh of the apple, peeling off a large chunk. He chewed it slowly, closing his eyes at the cool feel of the juices on his tongue. It had been a long time since he'd tasted something so… wonderful.

When he opened his eyes, he found that Tristan was smiling at him, holding out another apple.

Bakura returned the smile slowly, still unsure. He nodded his head in thanks and took the offered fruit; setting it in his lap as he continued to munch on his first apple. He watched in silence as Tristan studied the pile of food curiously, before deciding on a large yellow-skinned one. He tossed it in the air and caught it in his other hand, before sinking his bright teeth into its depths.

"Tristan…"

The boy stopped his loud munching at the sound of his name, raising his eyes to study the Albino. He gave him a thoughtful look, his eyes questioning.

"Why did you… um… stay?" Bakura asked hesitantly, looking down to avoid Tristan's questing mahogany eyes.

He could not see his companion's smile, but he could hear it in his voice. "Because, Bakura," he assured the Albino, "you're my friend."

The two now stood together on top of the mountain, gazing out across the vast landscape before them. The forest seemed to go on for half of an eternity, before merging with golden sands in the far-off distance.

Bakura couldn't see anything beyond the blinding glow of those familiar-looking sands, but there was something deep in his chest… some sort of pull on his heart. He knew that the desert beyond the forest was where he had to go. He didn't know where he would have to go within the desert, but he had a feeling that his heart would lead the way.

Funny, how he was following a part of him that he had forsaken all of his life, up until a few hours ago.

"Tristan."

The brunette moved to his side, following his gaze. He studied the landscape, though Bakura knew that the boy couldn't see it the same way that he could.

"We have to go there," Bakura said, nodding toward the distant sands.

"All right," Tristan said slowly. "And… how exactly are we going to do that?"

Bakura looked over at the brunette and smiled. "This is the Shadow Realm, Tristan," he assured his friend, pulling a card from his ever-on-hand deck. "You just leave this to me."

It was cold, dark, lifeless… it was a place of utter nonexistence and it reached for him with cruel hands, trying to draw out the life within his soul.

He was fire, though, and light, and life – everything that the shadows could never hope to be. They would lust for him, always, but killing him a thousand times would never satiate their craving.

So he continued, wading through the shadows as one might wade through tar. It fought him every step of the way, but he was strong. He had purpose.

He had come too far to be stopped.

The shadows were nothing compared to him, and he would destroy every last one of them.

His crimson eyes narrowed. He could feel the lines of Fate crisscrossing and dancing a tango of death. Not long now… not long at all…

"Y-Yugi… Yugi…"

Joey was sitting on the ground, not quite comprehending the world around him. Only moments ago (or had it been hours already?), the Ryou-that-wasn't-Ryou had lead them deeper into the cavern, saying that it was time he returned Yugi to them.

Joey guessed they should have known from his smile that he had been playing a cruel joke. Still, he couldn't bring himself to believe… they were too late.

Tea was near him, sitting in much the same position as he, tears spilling from her eyes silently as she cried for her best friend. Even she, however, was in better shape than the pharaoh.

Yami had managed to reach Yugi's side before his legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground, his vision blinded by tears. He had pulled Yugi weakly into his arms, choking on a sob at the cold touch of his aibou's pale flesh. He'd wrapped his arms tightly around Yugi, pulling him into a crushing embrace and burying his face deep into the thick locks of Yugi's tri-colored hair.

And there he was, still.

His only movement had been the constant shaking of his body as he sobbed uncontrollably into his aibou's hair, desperately trying to shed enough tears to guilt the gods into bringing his Yugi back.

His Yugi?

Oh, yes, of course. How could it not be so? Only now… only now did he realize it… now that it was too late.

"My aibou, my light, my Yugi, my life, my love…" Yami whispered the words lovingly against his love's cold, pale face. His touched his forehead to his aibou's, trying desperately to pull the death from the boy.

"I would give you my darkness, Aibou," he whispered, "if only it were strong enough to bring you back." He pulled back slightly, running his hand gently over Yugi's cold cheek. "But I am nothing… the darkness is death, Yugi. The darkness hasn't the power of life. Only you… only your light has ever had the power to… to give life." His closed his eyes, tears continuing to fall like an endless, unforgiving rain. "You gave me life, Yugi. Please… can't I… can't I somehow… give it back?"

"Oh, for the love of a pharaoh..." A deep, merciless chuckle followed the mocking claim, as the creature that appeared to be Ryou stepped out of the shadows. Yami raised his head, his eyes settling on the Albino. "Oh dear, Pharaoh, you don't look pleased." He smiled. "Of course, you certainly don't look quite so threatening with tear streaks on your face." He laughed again.

"Pharaoh!"

Yami didn't make much of a movement toward the new voice, but the others turned their heads swiftly to regard the newcomers. Joey and Tea gaped openly as Bakura and Tristan ran into the chamber, but it was their captor that broke the silence.

"How did you survive?!"

It was unclear who exactly he was speaking to, but he did not appear pleased in the least to see either of the two boys. Obviously, his shadows had not done the job they had been commanded to complete. His eyes narrowed. How… unfortunate.

"No matter," he said with a shrug. "I'll simply have to finish you off now." He raised his hand, shadows dancing eagerly at his fingertips. He licked his lips delicately. "Show me your fear," he whispered seductively. "I want to taste it."

"Go to Hell!" Tristan snarled.

The Albino smirked. "Lead the way," he whispered, and thrust his hand forward.

His eyes widened when the shadows abruptly vanished. "Wha-what?!" he asked.

"You're sending no one to Hell today," a voice spoke from the shadows. "But you will be going there yourself."

Bakura felt his insides chill at the sound of that voice. He knew the voice. It was unmistakably Ryou, but it sounded so… so cold.

"Show yourself, coward!" the Albino cried.

The person within the shadows snorted. "Coward?" he asked. "Fitting, isn't it, that you call me that, seeing as we are the same, aren't we? Not Ryou, but Ryou, nonetheless." The rhythmic sound of footsteps on stone echoed hauntingly through the chamber as the speaker exited the embrace of darkness' mask.

Bakura had known it was Ryou, but he couldn't help but gasp with the others at the sight his eyes beheld.

Stepping from the shadows was not the calm, kind-hearted boy that Bakura had possessed countless times or that the others had come to call friend. Rather, a creature stood in his place – one with a name that did not match the strange, unfamiliar face.

Flesh as pale as death, hair as white as snow, the boy stood with his head bowed, eyes shadowed by the darkness of his bangs. He was dressed in shadows, their forms contorted into tight black leather that hugged his body in an eternal embrace. The only color visible on his body but for the white of his hair and flesh and the black of his attire was the crimson blood that coated his hands.

As he raised his head, they saw that it matched his eyes perfectly.

The imposter Albino took a step back out of fear. "H-how… you can't be here!" he gasped. "It's… not possible…"

"Don't doubt me, Shadow," Ryou spoke, and his voice came out as cold and sharp as ice. His tone was unforgiving, his eyes burning with the fires of Hell's merciless wrath. "I am far more than you will ever be, and you know your fate is sealed." He locked eyes with the shadow-version of himself. "It was sealed long ago, when you chose to take control."

Bending forward suddenly, head lashing forward, the shadow-Ryou screamed loud and long – a vicious, demonic cry to express his hatred ten-fold. Bakura and Tristan staggered back, Joey and Tea moving to their feet and retreating to their friends. Yami pulled Yugi's body closer to him and hunkered down, as though to protect his aibou's lifeless corpse from further harm.

Ryou did not twitch.

"I WILL KILL YOU!" Shadow-Ryou roared. "I WILL DO WOULD I SHOULD HAVE DONE YEARS AGO!"

Ryou's crimson eyes narrowed. "What's keeping you?"

At those words, the shadow lunged.

Shadow-Ryou launched himself forward, thrusting his hand forward, darkness bursting forth from his fingertips. They could only stare in utter shock and disbelief, as Ryou raised a hand almost lazily toward his opponent. There was an oppressive pulsation in the air, like thunder imploding. The darkness heading his way evaporated immediately, and Shadow-Ryou let out an inhuman shriek as he was sent flying in the opposite direction.

He crashed into the walls, the rock crumbling at the force. He groaned from his position on the ground, and they saw to their horror that the walls were bleeding.

The crimson hieroglyphics that had decorated the expanse of the cavern had melted, the blood they had been written with leaking through the cracks and soaking into Shadow-Ryou's skin.

He screamed, jerking away from the walls, wiping at his arms feverishly.

He was sent flying back into the wall by another pulsating blast.

"I dun get it," Joey muttered. "How can Ryou fight dis guy?"

Bakura didn't have an answer. He remained silent, watching the fight. He couldn't… he felt as though he knew less than the others. At least they had dared to call Ryou friend.

He had only ever called him Host.

But the look in Ryou's eyes… it was horrifying. It was everything that Bakura had ever been, and more. Utter, unforgiving rage.

Everything I felt after… after my village…

Was Ryou letting the darkness consume him?

Bakura closed his eyes, seeking out the strange bond within him. He had… he had never tried to speak to his host before to do anything but give him a command. Now, however, he felt… he was ready to beg.

"Ryou…"

Ryou's head jerked up, just as the pulsating blast of thunder sent the Shadow-Ryou flying again. His eyes seemed to shimmer oddly, dulling to a softer pink.

"… B-Bakura…?"

"Ryou…" Bakura swallowed hard. He could feel Ryou's pain… the anger, hatred, sorrow, fear, agony… all of it, rushing forth and trying to consume him. "Ryou… don't… don't do this…"

He saw the frown on Ryou's face, felt it through the link. Confusion.

"Why not? I thought you… would be proud of me?"

Bakura felt a pain somewhere deep within his chest. "I…" He closed his eyes. "Ryou… this isn't you. This is… the shadows are controlling you, Ryou."

"WHAT?!" Bakura flinched at the powerful roar, stumbling back at the force of the cry. "Is there nothing I can do to please you, Master?!" he snarled. "Can't I do anything right?! Even when I follow in your ways, dancing in destruction and death, it's not me that's doing it?! Aren't I strong enough, Bakura? WILL I ALWAYS BE WEAK TO YOU?!"

Rage. Unrelenting, all-consuming rage.

Bakura gasped, staggering at the force of it. He collapsed to his knees, breaking off the link. He tried to block it out. Tried to force it away. It came harder still, despite his attempts to drive it back. It rushed at him in waves, bowling him over as effortlessly as a monsoon pushed a newspaper. It tore into him like the claws of a bloodthirsty lion. He was nothing next to the force of this… this…

Light.

Bakura's eyes opened wide at the realization. Rage still struck him. Fires still burned his flesh. It bit and scratched and tore into him… eating away the darkness…

Light.

"R-Ryou…" he gasped. "Wha-what… are you?"

Staggering to his feet, blood running down his face, Shadow-Ryou stepped forward, laughing. "Haven't you figured it out yet, you fools?" He cackled madly, his eyes turning to settle on his opponent.

Ryou stood in the center of the chamber, arms stiff at his sides, head bowed, eyes shadowed. His entire body was tense and an aura of unforgivable power was rushing around him like a cyclone of godliness. It made his flesh glow, his white hair dance.

Bakura felt his breath catch at the sight. "Ryou…"

He closed his eyes and felt a tear slide down his cheek. "You look… like an angel…"

Shadow-Ryou laughed cruelly. "Yes… the Angel of Death."

Bakura raised his head swiftly, eyes locking with the dark being. He was smiling cruelly back. "Didn't think I could hear your thoughts, did you, Bakura?" He cackled. "I assure you, I can. Do you know why?"

He smiled darkly at their silence. "Because I," he said, placing a hand over his heart, "am Ryou." He flashed his teeth in an ermine-grin. "At least… I am half of him."

Tristan's mahogany eyes narrowed. "What do you mean half?"

Shadow-Ryou chuckled as he turned to Ryou. "Are you going to retain your temper long enough for me to explain, Light?" he asked, his voice filled with cruel laughter.

Ryou's eyes narrowed angrily. The waves of power and rage continuing to boil around him, but he made no move to attack. Smiling, Shadow-Ryou turned back to them.

"I am Ryou," he explained in a haughty tone. "Or… I was Ryou, before he cast me out of himself."

"He cast you out?" Tristan asked.

Shadow-Ryou glared at him but felt Ryou's power surge at his thoughts. Instead of following the instincts of rage and killing Tristan on the spot, he enacted his instincts of self-preservation and continued his story.

"Have you ever asked Ryou why he never visits his mother?"

Bakura felt a pulse inside of him, somewhere within his soul. His eyes moved to Ryou. The boy's emotionless expression hadn't changed, but there was a sadness present within the link…

Bakura gripped the Millennium Ring within his fingers tightly, somehow knowing he would need its strength.

"Years ago," Shadow-Ryou continued, "there was an accident. A man driving drunk down the highway, intoxicated almost to the point of being unconscious, pushing its car to the very limit. He was swerving senselessly through the street, uncaring, unseeing. He hit a little girl crossing the street behind her older brother – the boy who had promised to protect her, no matter what." He chuckled darkly, a maniacal gleam flashing in his crimson eyes. "The boy that failed to keep his promise – failed to protect his little sister – was Ryou."

Bakura choked on the feeling that welled up inside of him. His hand clutched at his chest beyond the ring, trying to will out the utter agony dwelling there. He felt like his very heart was going to tear itself from his chest.

And if it didn't soon, he was sure he was going to do it himself.

"The girl was taken to the hospital. How she managed to survive the impact is… a mystery still. But there was no hope for her. They knew that before the ambulance reached her. There was too much damage… too much blood. She was conscious the entire ride to the hospital, holding her brother's hand, telling him to be strong for reasons he is still unsure of."

Tea was on her knees in agony, tears rolling down her cheeks at the story. Every so often, Shadow-Ryou would break off his tale with a cackle of glee, and such an inhuman sound would bring forth another sob from within her. How could someone be so cruel?!

Joey was holding her shoulders tightly, fighting back his own emotions to help keep her calm as best he could. But… Gods, Ryou… Joey had a little sister… if that had ever happened to Serenity, he didn't… he couldn't have survived it…

How could Ryou have withstood such pain?

"His mother and father met him at the hospital, rushing in to see their daughter. His mother fled her room minutes afterwards in tears, his father pale and speechless. No one knows what their daughter said to draw such a reaction, but the two didn't return to her room.

"Only Ryou was present when she finally died, hours after lying there, basking in the arms of darkness, the embrace of death's call. She had been waiting for Ryou, you see; waiting for the Angel of Death."

Bakura hit his knees, wrapping both of his arms around his torso. He thought he could hear someone screaming, but he didn't know if the voice was in his mind or if the raw feeling ripping through his throat signified that he was the one letting out such an ethereal shriek.

Moments later, the screaming was cut off abruptly, and Bakura lunged forward as he emptied his stomach of all its contents. Pain, agony... it tore through his soul, ripping into him like claws, shredding his insides. Bakura heaved again, this time releasing blood onto the floor.

He felt arms wrap around him, someone pulling him back against their chest, embracing him tightly. He cried out in pain as the agony tore through his soul, devouring him. He sobbed uncontrollably, not caring who saw the tears running down his cheeks. This pain… nothing compared to it… nothing. It was worse than anything he had ever felt before, and he knew why. The shadows weren't here to dull the pain anymore. They weren't here to turn the agony into rage that could be used to manipulate him. Now… now there was only pain… only utter, unrelenting, all-consuming, unforgiving pain.

"… Ryou…"

"Bakura… be strong…"

Arms pulled him tightly against someone's chest and he buried his face into the smooth flesh of whoever offered him comfort. He didn't care who it was. Someone was offering him what he needed… everything that he had so desperately needed for so long.

He closed his eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks as he bit back the screams. The arms tightened around him, caring, protective…

You're not alone…

"After Amane was buried," Shadow-Ryou continued, as though there had been no interruption, "the happy family that had once been was no longer. Ryou's father rarely spent any time at home, and when he did, he was too busy drinking or fighting with his wife to care for the son who so desperately needed comforting.

"His wife was no better. Although she stayed at home, she might as well have not been there. Whenever she did interact with Ryou, her words were short, crisp, uncaring. She held no love for the boy who had failed to protect her daughter – the only child who had ever mattered to her.

"And one day, she told him this."

Bakura felt the arms tighten around him as he let out a whimper. The pain had increased again, biting at him, snapping like starving piranhas. They had been waiting an eternity for a meal, and here he was, finally.

"Ryou's reaction was certainly not what she had been expecting." Shadow-Ryou broke off with a laugh. "You see… Ryou here is not normal, as you would say. Rather, he has an ancient power buried deep within his heart that few can boast to have seen. That is, actually, due to the fact that most who see it die. Quite abruptly, I might add.

"Psychics, after all, don't usually realize that they have this power until emotional trauma awakens it. Unfortunately for Ryou's mother, her words were the alarm clock to these tardy powers." He grinned viciously. "If only Ryou's father had been home, both of them could have been killed. Sadly, he was at the bar at the time, and managed to survive the blast.

"In a way, though, you can say that the powers managed to kill two people that day. Ryou's mother… and me."

"You?!" Joey gasped, finally speaking. "But… you're Ryou! He's not dead!"

Shadow-Ryou laughed. "Oh, yes and no, Joseph Wheeler. You see, Ryou is only half of a person, just as I am only half of a person. When his mother opened her big mouth and blamed him for his baby sister's death, she awakened his powers. After years of slumbering within the soul of a child, however, these powers were quite eager to be set free.

"A child would normally never wish any harm to their parents, no matter what had been done to them. In order to fulfill their desire, the powers had to put Ryou into a trance. Once he was nothing more than a puppet within their grasp, they were easily able to shred that woman to pieces."

He smiled proudly. "Naturally, once little Ryou woke from his trance and realized what had happened – what he had done – he was horrified. How could he have such powers? How could he do such a thing to his own mother? He hated himself. He hated himself so deeply, that he ripped himself in two."

Shadow-Ryou gave a graceful bow. "I am the half of Ryou that he condemned to eternal suffering. I am the part of him that contains every last fiber of hatred, anger, revulsion, and ill-will to any and every creature within the confines of the Mortal Realm. I… am Shadow." He spun and pointed at Ryou. "I am your shadow, Ryou Bakura! You! You, who thought you could rid the world of me!" He threw his head back and laughed. "What a fool, little Ryou! You've doomed yourself! Certainly, you may have saved your father from my wrath, but I have become a king here in the Shadow Realm. The darkness dances to my every whim. I am a god, Ryou, and you…" He laughed giddily. "You, little child of light, are nothing compared to me."

He raised his hand, fingers laced with darkness. "And now, I kill you."

Umbrae: YES! Oh my God, that so kicks ass!!!

Ryou: ((stares))

Umbrae: ((blink)) Umm… Ryou?

Ryou: ((still staring))

Umbrae: ((poke)) … Ryou?

Ryou: ((still staring))

Umbrae: Ooookay, then. Well, that chapter was long and informative, to make up for my giving you guys short chapters lately. I hope you liked it. Looking at where I ended, it looks like we only have two more chapters to go, and then we'll be done. What am I going to do without you guys cheering me on (or yelling at me, depending on the circumstances)?? ((smiles)) I actually have my next fic planned already, so I'll be starting on that very soon. ^^ And now, review responses…

YugiYamifangirl: Well, you got to see how he reacted this chapter, and I hope I didn't disappoint. Thanks for the review, and I can't wait to hear what you think!

Gothabie283: You sound an awful lot like me. You're sure you're not my doppelganger… or a stalker? ((wary look)) I don't know what I would say if you were a stalker. I might actually have to be flattered. ^^ Ah, the Brother's Grimm… they were geniuses, weren't they? ^^ Well, I'm not telling you! HA! I hope you liked the chapter! Ryou's not quite finished yet, but we'll see, I suppose. I can't wait to hear what you think!

SilverDragon-Purity: Thank you! ^^ Happy late-turkey day (not that I had any turkey)! I have read that fic, actually, though I can't recall the name off of the top of my head. It's a pity it's incomplete, and only two chapters left to go, too. ((sigh)) Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter, and I can't wait to hear what you think!

Jisa: ((pats her on the head softly)) It'll be okay, don't worry. And are you making your readers wait? Tsk, tsk… sounds like me. ^^ I did very well with this fic, though, I think. It's sad when any of the fun characters die, but especially the cute ones. ^^ I hope you liked the chapters, and I can't wait to hear what you think!

Mystie: Poor Bakura… I put him through so much hell… ^^ Hope you liked it, and thanks so much for the review! I can't wait to hear what you think!

Umbrae: I'm excited to hear what everyone thinks of this chapter. The chapter alone without the author's notes it's 4000-something words long, and I'm impressed with myself. I hope it was enjoyable and made up for the short chapters lately, and the long wait I gave you guys before last chapter. ^^ I have another paper to write (I should have been doing that instead of writing this), but as soon as it's done, I'll be working on the next chapter. I can't wait to hear what you guys have to say! I revealed a few secrets in this chapter and there's only a few more things to clear up, and we're almost done. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll all be pleased with the end, but then… there's still two chapters to go through before we reach that happy place, isn't there? MWAHAHAHAHA! (YES! I fixed the stupid Roman Numerals!!)

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Have a wonderful rest of the weekend, and, as always…

Live long. Live well. Write. Read. Dream.