A/N: And here's number 12, my favorite number. Almost to the Atemu/Akefia chapters, but we still have to wait just a little bit longer. You can expect them to arrive sometime around the 15th Chapter (don't kill me if they come later than that).

Oh, and I've moved the update time to Thursdays instead of Fridays, just because I feel like a four/five day waiting time is too much for me to wait :x

TexasDreamer01: -throws lots and lots of digi cookies everywhere- Congrats for being my 50th reviewer~! I can't believe this story is as popular as it is...Seriously. I still remember when I got my first favorite...Anyways, the answer to your question (if you were looking for one), is that the cuts Yami received on his wrists - both of them, if I may add - were slightly jagged and shaky. They weren't too deep, at least not deep enough to cause some real damage. So, yeah, might have been purposeful, might be a scratch...I'm not giving away too much, right? (Now I feel like a doctor)

And, of course, everyone else who has reviewed/favorited/followed gets digi cookies!

Warning: Eheh, there's more mentionings of blood in here, but still nothing too intense. Glass related wounds hurt like a bitch...

So, onto Chapter 12! Enjoy~

Shouts of the foreign variety were heard throughout the house as Yuugi, Ryou, and Malik sat on the latter's bed, absently wondering about different musings. Yuugi had a protective hand around the Sennen Box, which stored the half completed Puzzle. No one had yet to comment on it, or ask why he occasionally looked frantically down to make sure if it was in fact the golden item he was holding.

Ryou had a forlorn expression on his face, light brown eyes dull in comparison to their usual sparkling warmth. His hands kneaded his legs, only pausing when he heard a particular voice from below get too loud. It was as if he expected the apocalypse to start in the very room he was in.

As for Malik, he wore an irritated scowl, obviously still a bit sore from getting screeched at when it was clearly "not his fault" that most of the pottery had been destroyed in the past half hour when Ryou and Bakura had suddenly decided to have a playdate. He was often spotted giving deathly glares to an unresponsive albino.

Finally, in an effort to try and steer the group into a slightly lighter spirit, Yuugi carefully opened the Sennen Box and began laying out pieces on the messy sheets (since Malik was prone to thrashing). Slowly, but surely, the other two became drawn to the glittering gold, picking some of them up to examine further. It wasn't until Yuugi had effectively removed the completed half without jostling the connected pieces did anyone dare to speak and break the now comfortable silence - save, of course, for the shouts and crashes heard from the floor below.

"Yami called it the Sennen Puzzle. Apparently, I'm suppose to complete it." Yuugi murmured into his arms, which had folded atop his knees for comfort. He gauged his friend's reactions, but they all seemed to be blank in thought.

Suddenly, Malik brightened. "So, it's kind of like the dagger-thingy on the Sennen Rod?" He reached behind his back and pulled from his waist strap the golden staff. The Eye of Horus was conveniently positioned so it glared at the Sennen Puzzle's, almost like an ancient stand off.

Malik's tanned hand swiftly removed the cover from the bottom, revealing the sharp point that made Ryou visibly stiffen. Yuugi shook his head, waving a finger in signal to put it away.

"No, not really. That's more of an add on. The Sennen Puzzle is something completely different from the Sennen Box."

Ryou relaxed as Malik, quickly getting the picture, recapped the dagger. The white haired man lifted his hands and moved them to his own neck, where he tugged a cord that lay inconspicuously. The actions revealed the Sennen Ring, with jiggled quietly as the ringlets hit each other at the motion.

"You guys are lucky. My item is only a big ring with an eyes in the middle. You guys get add ons and secret puzzles."

Yuugi laughed at the slightly tense pout Ryou tried to pull. "Yeah, but then again, that's probably not a good thing."

The three sniggered longer than necessary, just to relieve the room of the stuffy tenseness it had been enduring. After wiping their eyes of barely pricking tears, they turned back to the puzzle and began clicking pieces together.

...Or, at least, tried to. For some reason, none of them had any luck in trying to complete at least one connection. It made Yuugi's head hurt again, as he did not want to know if it was pure luck that had struck him the other night, or if it had been something else that made him slide the pieces easily together.

Eventually, Malik threw down the two pieces he held in annoyance. Yuugi and Ryou exchanged a small glance of amusement, slightly impressed he had even lasted this long. "I'm bored." The blond announced with a yawn.

The sounds of yelling had finally subsided, but the trio could still hear the occasional loud voice of Ishizu as she tried to reprimand them into staying in their current position - of what Yuugi could guess was - calmness. It's not like Ishizu would tie the poor spirits up or anything...right?

Letting out a loud, dragged out sigh, Yuugi gathered the pieces and placed them gently back into the box. "Yeah. Let's go see how those three are holding up downstairs."

Agreeing, Malik and Ryou helped clean up. A few minutes later, the young men were blinking at the scene that had showed itself to them upon arrival.

Broken glass, vases, and anything else deemed breakable were scattered throughout the floor. Pictures that were still somehow hanging on the wall were leaning precariously on their sides, some even swinging as if a large breeze had blown past. The three spirits who had most likely caused this mess were sitting in a lazily calm fashion, chewing on various snacks while the TV ran a mindless show that no one seemed to be paying attention to.

And, of course, sitting in the middle of it all was Ishizu Ishtar, her hands displaying a multitude of cuts from the glass she was trying to pick up. Upon further inspection, Yuugi spotted several pieces of cloth that had been undoubtedly towels. He even saw a pair of gloves with so many hole, you'd think the house had been infested by moths.

"Nee-san…" Malik called out cautiously, drawing everyone's attention to be focused steadily on him. Gulping as he felt Mariku's searing gaze bore into the side of his face, Malik continued his questioning. "Is everything alright? Would you like me...us to help?" He shot Yuugi and Ryou a meaningful glare, earning himself a couple of swift nods in response.

Ishizu simply laughed as though she had fallen from her rocker many hours ago. "Help? Oh, sure. Of course you can help. Be careful of the glass, though. It might bite you." She held up her scratched up hands, and the trio by the steps winced.

"I'll...go get the broom." Malik was quick to disappear into the kitchen, which had been equally damaged. Ryou went off wordlessly to help, feeling a bit squeamish of the small amount of blood going down Ishizu's hands. So, that left Yuugi to deal with the woman.

As gently as possible, Yuugi made his way over and guided the way to the bathroom, but not without sending warning glares to the still taciturn spirits. Mariku and Bakura just huffed, turning back to the TV. Yami, however, gave him a tight small that read of guilt. At least someone was feeling bad about what they had done, though Yuugi couldn't really blame his doppelganger. It was, after all, Mariku and Bakura's fault for starting this whole thing anyways.

The process of getting the glass out of Ishizu's hands was tedious, especially when the Egyptian woman was flinching every time Yuugi so much as made a move to touch her hands. Her senses seemed to be on hyperdrive.

It was around an hour before Yuugi had completely managed to remove the glass, clean her wounds, and wrap the bandages. Feeling a bit fed up of playing doctor, Yuugi tiredly pulled Ishizu up to her own room and demanded her to rest, claiming he could handle everything for the night.

It wasn't until he had reached the living room again did he fully understand what he had agreed to.

Mariku and Bakura had somehow gotten to each other's throats once more, and Malik was trying his best to break them apart while keeping in mind the still semi glass scattered floor. Yami was minding his own business, watching a muted TV as someone in the show starting to cry loudly (the volume seemed to be on max) over their lover's body. Ryou was cleaning, flinching whenever someone's voice had skyrocketed. His hands were also shaking, and it made Yuugi wonder what had happened in the past few days to make him like that. A quick glance to the wrestling albino gave him his answer.

Feeling a great bout of annoyance and anger rise up, Yuugi snapped. He opened his mouth to say something when He spotted a hand reach up to the sky. Blinking, he could only watch as Yami signaled him to stay quiet. Then, the spirit turned the TV off and rotated to the tumbling duo on the floor. He waited until their shouts had decreased in volume before speaking in a hauntingly low tone.

"kkwy nfr aA."

Those three words made Mariku and Bakura freeze as if their blood had run cold. Immediately, they separated and stared, mouths slack, at the tricolored haired spirit. Quickly, so Yuugi and the others - who had paused in what they were doing - could not understand a single syllable. Yami replied curtly and the other two stalked off, seemly pissed.

Quirking an eyebrow, Yuugi gazed quizzically at Yami. The spirit merely shrugged. "It is none of your business as of yet. I suggest we all just get some rest."

The trio nodded a bit dumbly, not even caring that if they went to bed now, they'd miss out on dinner. Although, none really had an appetite once hearing the dreadful tone Yami had used to effectively shut the insane ones up, while scaring them along the way.

Translations:

"kkwy nfr aA": The Darkness is here.

Eheh, I made Ishizu kind of lose it here. But, wouldn't you if someone like our dear Yamis rampage all over the place, practically throwing glass everywhere? Yeah, that's what I thought.

I almost didn't get this up today. My brother decided to effectively bug the crap out of me by complaining about his essay. ("What's a point?" and "How do I do this?" and "Help me by helping me!") So, yeah. I have a headache.

R&R~