A/N: THREE CHAPTERS IN THREE DAYS??? Man oh MAN I have NEVER done that before! Well unfortunaitly I won't be able to get the next chapter out till after tomorrow, sorry!

Disclaimer: Go to Prologue.

Warnings: OOCness, and a LITTLE bit of language.

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Chapter Two: The Discovery

Rating: PG for language and any other now G thing I for got! ^^;

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Yami Bakura looked at the little figure hidden beneath the covers. He had just returned after twelve-something hours to found him hidden under the covers and nothing on the tray of food touched. Ryou's Yami' eye twitched. He'd have to change that. No need for his prize to starve.

"Come on, Yugi," Yami Bakura said a more gentle voice then he felt. The body beneath the cloth only curled up more. Yami Bakura's whole body twitched as if he wanted nothing more then to... He shook himself slightly. He'd have to wait for that. Instead he simply asked, "What's the matter?" He reached out and touched a shoulder and noted how it trembled. Yami Bakura's eyebrows raised. Maybe Yugi was more hurt then he thought. Stupid sentimental fool.

"Dark."

The Yami almost didn't catch the whispered word, and he thought for a moment he'd heard wrong. Yugi is afraid of the dark, he thought in disbelief. With a aibou like the pharaoh, he'd have thought Yugi would be used to it by now. Then again, he thought with a sneer, he probably makes him sleep during that time. "Daijoubu, Yugi, there's nothing here that can hurt you." Well, that was almost true...

When he still got no response, his frustration just about got the best of him. Fine, I'll give him light!

He would never admit it but the task of lighting up their little room turned out to be a lot harder to say then do. Yami Bakura could pull at the darkness and shadows of the Shadow Realm with as much ease as he breath, but trying to light it up was a different matter to begin with. By the time  the shadows were gone and the room lit, the dark spirit was leaning onto the bed for support and breathing in small gasps.

He managed to regain himself quick enough, at least by his standards, and looked up to see the most beautiful and innocent face he'd ever seen. Yami Bakura mentally reeled. Whoa, where had that thought come from? He mentally kicked himself, he was getting as soft as his facade to Yugi. "Daijoubu desu ka?" the little angel before him asked, actually looking concerned for him. The taller boy simply nodded. Yugi had always confused him, now wasn't an exception.

He shook himself, then sat on the bed. The table and the small feast upon it, vanished at remanufested beside him. He again pulled the boy next to him, and said, "Eat, Yugi, or you'll starve." Yugi stared at the food uncertainly, he was still shaken from yesterday's abandonment, and also terrified of the Yami who's side he sat at. In the end his stomach made his decision for him when it betray him and growled. Yugi blushed, "Anou..."[1]

Yami Bakura sighed, snatched up a slice of bread, and held it to Yugi's face. The smaller boy hesitated, then took a bit. His face brightened, the bread was delicious! It tasted as if it had just been baked! Yugi took the piece from the taller boy and finished it off, before attacking the rest of the delectisies. All the while the dark spirit watched the corner of his mouth twitching on occasion. Yugi had the ability to make even the cold of heart's smile, even Yami Bakura.

*

It had been four days since Yugi vanished, taking all clues to his whereabouts, it seemed, with him. They had found nothing, and trust me it wasn't from a lack of trying. It was like Yugi had completely disappeared from the face of the Earth. And up to today nothing had given an inch, that is until today.

Ryou had been trying to talk to his Yami, who would go utterly silent for periods of time, and discovered something of possible intrest. An empty soul room, and no Yami Bakura to be seen. He turned to his house guest, Joey, who'd practically taken up residence in his house. Honestly, the white haired boy didn't mind; it just meant less bruises and equally less food in the house. "Oi, Joey-koi."

The blond in question looked up from his 'afternoon snack', which really wasn't considering it wasn't even noon yet. "Hm, whufz fuph?" he tried to say, but it didn't quite come out right on account of the food in his mouth. Ryou coughed to keep from laughing. Joey pulled a face, "Wfut?" Ryou just shook his head. Joey ended up smilling to, his pale lover hadn't smiled much since Yugi disappeared. He was glad to see him smile whenever he would.

After Joey's mouth was empty, he repeated his question. The slightly shorter boy sighed. "I think I've found out why Yami's been so quiet lately." A blond head cocked to the side. Joey remembered Ryou mention this earlier, but they hadn't had any solutions back then.

"Oh?"

"He's not here. His soul room is empty. My guess is he hasn't been here much this whole week."

Joey was silent, and Ryou could almost see the wheels turning in his head. It was obvious when an idea hit him. "Hey Ryou, was Yami Bakura with us when Yugi disappeared."

Ryou thought hard, Yami Bakura hadn't said anything to him when he found out, and he definitely didn't say anything after he and Joey had left back to his house. In fact he hadn't said anything till the next morning. Ryou looked at Joey. "Joey, you don't think Yami took him do you?" Joey nodded.

"If that's so, we should tell Yami and the other's, right?" Again Joey nodded.

It didn't take them long to grab there shoes and race out the door.

At the Turtle Game Shop, a doorbell rang through the house and went unanswered. From his shop on the other side of the house, Sugoroku looked up from his work. Who would be...?

Setting aside his work for the moment, Yugi's grandfather entered the house part of his home, and answered the door. When he saw who it was he smiled and ushered them in. "So, what brings you boys here?" "We're looking for Yami, do you know where he is?" Joey asked looking around the room.

The elder man nodded and pointed to the couch by the TV, were a lock of red and black hair could be seen. Joey and Ryou looked at each other, then walked around to find their Egyptian friend eyes closed and breathing even. He was asleep. "Hey, Yami, wake up!" The blond shook his friend.

Yami didn't react at first. After a moment he stirred and looked up at them, slowly waking up. He seemed startled to see them for a moment, but recovered and sat up. "Joey, Ryou? What are you doing here?"

The two lovers looked at each other worried; something was wrong with their friend. Ryou cleared his throat and put his worries aside for the moment, and said, "We think we may have a lead on Yugi." That got Yami's attention. "What is it?"

Ryou took a deep breath and explained how Yami Bakura would go completely silent at times, long periods of time, and how he wasn't in at the moment. Yami mentally cursed. Yami Bakura had been there when they abandoned Yugi and he could easily have taken him. The Egyptian slammed a fist on the armrest starling everyone present. If Yugi was with Ryou's insane Yami who knew what was happening to him. He lowered his head in self-hatred. Some guardian he was; some aibou.

"What do we do now?" Joey asked, who was still a little shaken by Yami's show of fury.

Yami sighed, "I don't know, until Yami Bakura shows up, or whatever is blocking me and Yugi, we can't do anything."

Suddenly the room took an alarming spin and Yami almost feel off the couch. Joey managed to save him from a very undignified moment. His body was beginning to weaken again.

"Yami, what happened? Are you ok?" Joey helped him sit back up, but Yami had to lean on him was starting to fall asleep. "No," the spirit managed, fighting back against the exhaustion. "To maintain this physical body takes a lot of magic, without the real Millennium Puzzle, the one around Yugi's neck, I have to make the energy myself." His eye slides were dropping and it was hard to stay awake. "I'm finding out I can only go for so much time before I'm forced to rest."

"And if you don't?" Ryou asked.

"Then this body will vanish. After that I don't know what will happen." Before anyone could say anything more, he slumped sides onto Joey, out cold. Small group looked at each other, worried. "We need to find Yugi soon."

***

You're lucky, I was tempted to end the chapter here, but between the choice of cutting off here and feeling the wrath of Yami-neko's claws and Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragon to writing more, they can be very persuasive in getting people to write more! ^^; *flash to a happy Yami-neko sharpening his claws, and Kaiba praising his monster* *coughs* Well on with the fic!

***

It had been a week, and Yami Bakura had made a lot of progress with Yugi. It turned out to be easier then the Yami thought. Yugi clung to Yami Bakura emotionally like he was a lifeline. In away he was, the boy needed to know someone cared, and Yami Bakura's facade fooled him completely, and he was at time's easily controlled. On this day, he decided Yugi had been through enough isolation, and it was time to put Yugi's faith- or rather, lack of- to the test.

"Are you ready?" Yami Bakura looked down at his young charge, who nodded. He smiled; Yugi was like a child right now. He liked it that way. "Hold on and under no circumstances let go, ok?" Yugi nodded again squeezing the hand holding his. In on moment they vanished, and the next they reappeared in the middle of a deserted alley. The same alley Yami Bakura had first whisked Yugi off from in fact.

"Come, let's see if we can get you something, ne?" Yami Bakura asked, walking in one direction. The youth happily followed.

Not too far away Yami stirred from his sleep. Yugi. Yugi was back. Honda was the first to notice he had awoken, and helped him sit up. "Hey, bud, what's wrong? You need anything?" A multi-colored head shook from side to side. "Yugi is back, we have to find him while he's here."

The dark haired boy was instantly on his feet, going to get the others and letting Yami stand on his own. Anzu, Joey, and Ryou had taken up Yugi's job of helping Sugoroku with the shop. The elder man had refused to allow Yami to help even when he was fully rested. "You need you're strength should Yugi return," Was all he had said. Yami had had little choice then to listen Yugi's grandfather, especially when he knew just the right buttons to push...

"Hey, Honda says Yugi's back," Joey said as they entered the living room. "What say we go find him and get him back, ne?" Everyone agreed. Just as they were about to leave, they heard Sugoroku warning them to be careful and Yami not to strain himself. The former-pharaoh sighed and agreed with the others. He hated going after Yami Bakura and not be fully rested but it had to be done.

They had been walking with Yami as their guide, when said guide saw him. Or rather, them. Yugi could be seen walking along side the recently unaccounted for Yami Bakura. The smaller boy seemed rather happy as they walked along, ignorant to all around him. The Yami made a slit second decision at went with it.

The other's started when Yami took off. They tried to stay up with him, but he was weaving through the people with enough agility to make a football player envious. Soon they lost him completely. "Damn it!" Joey cursed. "Without Yami we have no idea were Yugi is!" He was right, unfortunately.

Yami easily caught up to Yugi and Yami Bakura, but at a price. Fatigue was catching up to him. About two meters from them the two turned and Yugi froze, as did Yami. The white-haired Yami stepped in front of Yugi, who hide behind him. "Go away Pharaoh, he doesn't want to see traitors like you."

The above mentioned Pharaoh winced slightly, trying breath easily again. "Yugi! Listen to me! We didn't mean to hurt you." He swallowed. //Aibou, please. We're sorry. I'M sorry. Come back to me.// Yami hadn't ever begged in his life, had always thought it was for people who were weak. But for some reason he didn't care right now.

Yugi hesitated, staring between his new friend and his other uncertainly. He really wanted to believe Yami. That what he said was true, that everyone was sorry. But the pain of the week was not easily. /Is that true Yami? You really want me to come back?/ Yami nodded.

Yami Bakura watched them, noticing how they had spaced out. Damn, that idiot pharaoh would be able to talk Yugi over in no time. He couldn't let that happen. Well nothing needed to be done on his side, for the moment Yugi made a move to go to Yami, said person suddenly swayed and collapsed.

Yugi gasped. "Yami!"

To be Continued....

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*ducks behind wall* Don't hurt me!!!

Endnotes:

1 [1] Did some research, and every place says this is how you spell the jap ward for, "um". So don't critize me on it.

2. Thank you to Firebird for clearing up the sixth sense thing. Unfortunately I HAVE the movie! ...But I can't watch it because my stupid account on streamload.com won't let me download it... ;~; No fair... 

Here's a shout out to 'anonymous' (who didn't leave a name...), Scarlet Moon, (Poor Malik... Also, this may sound strange, but pick a number 1-10, k?), Shadow Frye 06 (^-^), Darken Soul (who amongst us isn't us? D), Hikari Tsukino (I'm glad you liked it that much. Hope you liked this one to. ^-^), Digipuppy (^-^^-^^-^ Oh also, you to pick a number 1-10), RavensHaelo (^-^), Unversal Dreamer (^-^), Someone (My my, aren't we enthusiastic? Well I'm glad you liked it! You also pick a #1-10), and Firebird, who I again thank for telling me Sugoroku had a sixth sense!

To the people I asked about the number thing, you're decision could very well determine how my story goes. ^_~ See yah next time minna-san!