Aren't you all lucky readers? You get two chapters in one day! Owo

The dream is my take on Amane and Ryou's (unnamed) mothers death.

"That was the best!"

The young 8-year old girl with duck-egg blue hair skipped along the pavement, dragging her 12-year old brother by his hand. "I loved the lions! What about you, Ryou?"

Ryou grinned. "I liked the bats." He freed his hand from his sisters grip and flapped his hands at her, like bat wings. Amane pouted.

"Bats are stinky." Her eyes lit up. "We should write and tell Dad!"

The smile faded from Ryou's face. "No, sis, Dad's busy. He's got other things to worry about."

"What about me? Will you write to me?"

Ryou grinned at her. "How can I write to you when you're right next to me, silly?"

She grinned at him and stuck out her tongue, before racing away. "Catch me if you can, big brother!"

Ryou ran after her. "Amane, there's a road-"

Amane skidded to a halt at the crossing. Ryou caught up with her, and held her hand again. "Amane, you shouldn't just run into a road…"

"I didn't." She looked left and right, and safely crossed the road with her brother at her side.

They turned into the car park, where their mother was waiting, having gone ahead to make sure the ticket hadn't run out.

Amane ran to her and hugged her. "Thank you, mommy! That was really great!"

"I'm glad you liked it." Their mum ushered them into the car, and they both raced for the front seat. Amane won, and stuck her tongue out at Ryou as he sat in the back.

The car journey went as usual. Amane chatted randomly in the front, and Ryou listened to his MP3 in the back, occasionally replying to her comments.

They turned onto a back road, only wide enough for one car, framed by trees on either side. The silence of the surrounding woodland was really peaceful, and Ryou pulled out his earphones to listen to it.

Until, that is, the brakes screeched and their mother swore in the front. Ryou gasped as the wind was knocked out of him by his seatbelt.

"Are you alright back there?" His mum looked back at him, and he grinned at her. He was slightly shocked, but he was OK. It was lucky he'd not impaled himself on the pendant his father had got him for his last birthday.

"Good. A silly pheasant ran out in front of the car."

"Pesky Pheasant!" Amane giggled.

They get going again. The next thing Ryou remembers is a smash, a scream, a voice in his head saying 'Get down!' and then blackness as he ducks and the car crumples around him…

And he woke up.

The reason he woke up is this; a loud scream had reverberated around the apartment.

Ryou jumped out of bed, working on autopilot. He reached his bedroom door, almost tripping on his discarded jeans, and yanked it open.

Halfway down the hall, another door was forcefully pulled open. It seemed Malik had exactly the same thoughts.

They both began to gabble at the same time.

"You get the fire extinguisher-"

"I'll call the Pharaoh-"

"Bloody Yamis and their bloody rituals-"

"I don't believe it-"

They both got their thoughts in order.

And then they both dashed away, down the hall, towards the source of the screaming.

The utility room.

While they are both doing this, I think I should explain. You see, last weekend Marik had got hold of a book of 'Ancient rituals'.

Bakura had insisted on trying them out.

First was the 'Rite of AshkEnte' – the Ritual that supposedly summoned Death Himself.

They couldn't get the egg of the ceiling for a week.

Next was the 'Ritual for Demon Summon'. This one had worked.

For four hours Malik had rampaged through the apartment, possessed by a quasi-demonic entity that threatened to rip all their heads off. Bakura had had to call the Pharaoh and endured ridicule for the next few days by His Majesty.

The next was the virgin sacrifice. Don't ever mention the virgin sacrifice. It's just lucky the fire was put out and the girl got away.

So you can guess that the two Hikaris were pretty annoyed by now.

Ryou put his hand on the doorknob, and tentatively opened the door. The screaming intensified.

What they saw was this; One wall TV (Generously donated by Kaiba, don't ask why), two Yamis curled up on the sofa with popcorn and lots of blood.

On the TV.

Bakura turned his head as Ryou walked in, livid. Marik paused the DVD and grinned as his own Hikari walked in.

"Bed. Now." Ryou's voice was almost a hiss. He'd been woken up at two O'clock in the morning for this?

"But Hikari… We had a nightmare…" Bakura took the DVD off pause, and the screaming started up again.

Malik scowled. "Ryou has school in the morning. I have work. So tell me, why in Ra's name have you decided to watch Saw IV in the middle of the night!?"

Marik grinned. "It's as Bakura said; we had a nightmare. So we're watching a movie to get rid of it."

Bakura chuckled as blood splattered the ground in their movie. "Marik, this is a good bit."

Ryou stood there, speechless. "Saw IV? You have a nightmare and you watch Saw IV!?"

"Why not? It's funny."

Ryou shook himself. "You are going back to bed. Now."

"Who says?"

Ryou changed tack. "If you aren't in bed in fifteen minutes I'll call the Pharaoh over to Mindcrush you both. I have had enough!"

Marik grinned. "You wouldn't."

"I bloody would." Ryou grabbed Bakura's mobile phone from a side table and scrolled through the contacts. His finger hovered over the button threateningly.

"Fine," said Bakura, shooting Marik an 'It's not worth it' look. "You win this round, Hikari." He grabbed the remote and switched of the TV. The sound of screaming ceased.

He marched out the room, dragging Marik. Marik shot them both a dirty look as the door slammed closed.

Now standing in semi-darkness, Ryou flopped onto the sofa, his legs suddenly jellified by tiredness. Malik joined him.

Without a word, they both fell asleep.

Ryou: Next is... Uh... 'Aftermath.' Yami, who's Aftermath?

Bakura: *Snickers* It isn't a person. It's what happened before, or after, the events in this fic.

Why the hell am I here, anyway?

Ryou: You're a figure of Litzana's imagination, given shape by Kazuki Takahashi's Bakura.

Bakura: *Scowls*

DeepBlaze: You think you're the only one? *Points* There's me, Wind, Elemarr, Rapier, the numerous Litzy's, Mordred, Morred, Morren... *Takes deep breath*

Bakura: *Scowls again* Bloody VA and its bloody roleplaying section...

(Yup! Only my friends on VA will get this, but hey!)