Bakura: *Reads latest reviews* GRRRRRR

Yami: What's the matter? Going feral?

Actually he's pretty upset about the latest review. Some anonymous reviewer didn't even have the decency to leave a name and asked, and I quote, 'when r u gonna write more'.

Yugi: To the fans of Broken, please understand that PhantomBrat is at the mercy of her school schedule (Yes folks, she's a nearly year-round college student) and cannot always update.

I do try to update at least once a week for most active fics, but many are chapters in progress. Please be patient.

Yami: Speaking of being patient...Where's my candy?

Bakura: Mine too.

Ummm...it ran away?

Yami: Let me guess, Bakura. You asked her to hold a bag of sweets when she told you how to tell a sugar-addict from 'normal' people?

*While Yami and Bakura are discussing the 'stolen sweets'* Hiya Marik. Long time, no see.

Marik: What are those two talking about?

The fact that they learned the hard way not to ask a sugar-addict to hold a bag of candy.

Marik: Why's that? By the way, please hold this bag of sweets for me.

Ok...*Runs off with bag* PHANTOMBRAT STRIKES AGAIN!

Marik: xx

Malik: Marik, where's my candy? *Sees Marik on the ground* Marik?

Ryou: *Looks at Yugi* Another victim?

Yugi: Another victim...

Ryou: We'd best warn the others before they fall for this 'test'.

Yugi: Enjoy the chapter while we warn the others of PhantomBrat's sugar-addiction.

Seto heard a knock at the door. It was Pegasus. "What do you want," Seto growled. "I never invited you here."

"I was in the area and saw that there were several cars in your drive," Pegasus stated nonchalantly. "I just had to stop by and see what was going on."

Mokuba appeared on the upstairs landing, "Big brother, his fever's back." He paled when he saw Pegasus and quickly darted into the room behind him. Seconds later Yami looked out of one of the rooms. He noticed Yami as he ran into the room Mokuba was in. "I see that you have little Yugi over. I'm just dying to see him and his little band of friends," he said, making his way inside.

Seto blocked his way, "I swear that if you start anything, I'll have you arrested and charged with trespassing."

Pegasus held up his hands, "I swear that I won't start anything."

Seto stepped aside and allowed him passage. Pegasus headed up the stairs and towards the room that Yami had vanished into. He saw several people in the room. Four of them were blocking him from going any further than the center of the room. He spotted Yami, "Well, if it isn't Yugi-boy. I trust you're still beating Kaiba-boy at Duel Monsters."

"I'm not Yugi," he hissed.

"My mistake," he said, brushing it off. "Then you must be the former spirit of the Puzzle. Tell me, how is your young protégé?"

The four teens blocking his path split apart, letting Pegasus see what they were blocking from his view. There was a small boy lying in the bed struggling to breathe and sweating badly. Pegasus paled, "Is that Yugi-boy, and is he alright?"

Yami shook his head, "He's dying and I can't reach him."

Pegasus noted the underlying sound of defeat in the former spirit's voice. Before he could speak, a voice spoke up, "His fever's broken, but he can't take much more of this. If his temperature spikes like that again, he might not pull through."

One of the pairs of look-alikes walked over to Yami, "It looks like you aren't allowed to leave this room, Pharaoh."

"Kura," his softer copy snapped. "Be nice to Yami. If Yugi were awake, he wouldn't want to see you tormenting his yami."

"Why not," Bakura questioned indignantly. "He deserves far worse for what he allowed Yugi to go through. Besides, it seems that every time he leaves this room for more than a few minutes, the runt either stops breathing or his temperature goes up. If it keeps up, the shrimp's going to give up."

While the two were talking, Pegasus used his Eye to see what was going on with Yugi. He got nothing. There weren't even any thoughts or dreams that he could pick up, no emotions or a shred of a memory. It was as if the frail teen's soul was stolen.

"There is a way to save the Pharaoh's Light," a calm voice stated. The owner of the voice stepped forward, revealing it to be Shadi. "It will require the combined strength of the Millennium Items in order to work. Are you willing?"

Yami looked at the frail teen and then at Shadi, "Anything to save Yugi's life."

"Then I want you to do exactly as I say. All the Darks are to come with me. I want the innocents, Pegasus, and Ishizu to monitor the young one," he stated. "We are going to enter your young friend's mind and try to save him from within. Ryou and Malik, I want the two of you to guard the Scale until my return. You three gather around me and touch the Key. It is our only way in and out of Yugi's mind. Once we are inside, the rest is up to you."

Three pairs of eyes opened and saw darkness. As their eyes adjusted, Yami noticed that they were in Yugi's half of the Puzzle. It had changed since the last time he had been inside. Instead of bright, cheerful painted walls, there were scorch marks marring their surface. The towers of blocks that Yugi was so proud of were no longer standing majestically. They were knocked down and scattered. The blocks were stained with char marks. Several toys and books were in their midst, torn and scorched. The bed that Yugi used now and then when they shared his body, was unkempt and the mattress was torn and toasted in places

There was a second door in the room that wasn't there before. Yami was drawn to this, wondering when it had appeared and what it led to. "What happened in here," Marik asked no one.

Yami opened the door and saw a labyrinth on the other side. Shadi noticed this as well, "It seems that our young friend is confused and has become lost in his own mind as you yourself once was. Look here, see these markings?"

Yami saw the scorch marks leading away from the Soul Room and around a corner. "I think that Yugi wanted to find his way back but can't do so on his own now," Yami stated.

Shadi vanished leaving the three darks to their search. The three followed the burns until they reached a point where the marks split. Yami picked the left branch and found that it was a dead end. Before they turned to head down the way they came, Yami noticed something on the wall. It turned out to be a screen of some sort. He approached it.

FLASH

"Yugi, you don't look so good."

"I stayed up with Yami last night. He's concerned about why the door to the afterlife didn't open to let him go to be with his family. Plus, I think I might be getting a cold."

"Then you should go home and rest."

"I know, but there's that really important test that I can't miss, Tea. Mr. Barker said that he might not allow make-up tests since it's the last day before winter break."

"I have an idea, Yug. What if you stay long enough to take the test and then see the nurse? She'd just send ya home anyways."

"That's a great idea, Joey. Just don't strain yourself, Yugi."

"I won't, Tristan, I promise."

"We should get to class before the bell rings guys."

FLASH

"That's so cool that the Gods gave Yami his own body!"

"Yeah, now Mom's adopting him. Yami gets to be my brother."

"Wow, Yug. First you share your body with him and now you get to share your room with him."

"Not really, Joey. Mom said that he's to have his own room. She feels that he needs his own space and Grandpa wasn't going to force the issue. Besides, Yami is free to enter my room at any time. He used my Soul Room from time-to-time and my physical room is under the same terms. As long as my things are treated with respect, I have no problems sharing."

"So how'd you do on that test?"

"I passed it. Thanks for keeping me awake, Tristan. Had it not been for you watching out for me during the test, I would have fallen asleep and been kicked out before I had a chance to finish."

"I couldn't allow you to fail on account of a fever, Yugi."

"By the way, how's Yami?"

"He caught my cold. I feel so bad, Tea. He first week free of the Puzzle and having a real body of his own, and I had to get him sick."

"He knows that you didn't do it on purpose. He was the one looking after you the entire time, so of course he'd be the one to get your cold."

FLASH

Yami realized that this was part of Yugi's memories. He reached out to touch the screen and it burst into particles, revealing a locked box that looked like the box that once housed the pieces of the Puzzle. He picked the box out of its niche and tucked it into his pocket before meeting up with the others a few yards ahead.

Joey: *Pokes at the unconscious Marik with a stick* What happened to him?

Yugi: He fell for PhantomBrat's trick...You know the one we've warned everyone about?

Malik: It's not a good idea to poke Marik with a stick.

Joey: Why's that?

Malik: Because he's bound to wake up and use the Millennium Rod to make you do something rather embarrassing.

Joey: I'm outta here!

Ryou: So PhantomBrat's missing, along with three bags of candy, and we don't know where she is or when she'll be back...

Yugi: Everyone who hasn't fallen victim to her 'attack' has been warned to lock up their sweets...

Malik: I have know idea when Marik's going to wake up...

Mokuba: We wanted to thank our reviewers for the last chapter and ask that those that leave an anonymous review at least leave a name and to please be patient with PhantomBrat.

Noah: She's slowed down on updates for her studies and will try to update come stories at least once every week or two. If something comes up or changes that might affect any updates, she'll post it in her profile under the heading of UPDATE INFO...

Yugi, Ryou, and Malik: Until next time...