To the Victor go the Spoils.

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own them. Somebody in Japan does, lucky bugger. I just like … playing with them a bit, and I try to return them just like I found them. ::grins:: it doesn't always work though.

This is, I think, the longest chapter so far. So enjoy.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this. Oh, and please try not to kill me for this chapter…^_^

On to the fic

Yugi loved playing Hide'n'seek. It was the one game he could beat Yami at. Because he was so small, there were so many places in which he could fit and hide, whereas the others couldn't. Such as where he was right now.

Granted, though the space between the washing machine and the sink in the laundry of Seto's mansion was tight, very tight, he still fit, and, since he was back against the wall, far back, he doubted that Yami could even reach him.

He hoped Yami had done what he had asked, closing off their mental link. It meant that the game would be fair for Seto, and for Jou when it was his turn to be it.

Yugi's mind briefly wondered to Jou, who was also hiding somewhere in the house, while Seto and Yami looked for them. Jou had seemed angry at him at school earlier that day, when he had told him about what Yami and Seto had said…the boy still had trouble believing it himself, so he didn't blame Jou for his reaction. And besides, it was well known that Jou and Seto hated each other with a passion. Jou was probably worried that Seto would try to hurt him; that was all. Yugi smiled, reminding himself mentally to thank Jou for his concern later.

Wishing he had a book, Yugi settled for the wait until someone found him. In this game, since they were not exactly playing by the traditional rules, when you were found, you joined the 'it' team, and helped search. So Yami, Seto or Jou could find him, although for some reason he hoped that it was Yami or Seto who found him.

Jou watched the ancient spirit and his love glare at each other as they counted down.

"…Forty-eight…forty-nine…fifty…" they chanted together, the glare never leaving either of their faces.

"…Ready or not, here I come…"

As soon as those words had been said, the two turned and headed in opposite directions, Yami heading in the direction of the bedrooms, Seto to the kitchens.

Silently, Jou left for the kitchens, determination etched in every feature of his face.

Yami followed the sound of heated voices to the large lounge room, stopping just outside the door, where he could see and hear all of what was said, but the occupants of the room couldn't see him.

He wasn't surprised to see that it was Kaiba and Jou.

What surprised him was the argument he had walked into.

"You said you would tell me why, Seto. You promised." Jou said angrily. "you said you cared for me, well, now I want you to prove it. Tell me what made you decide you had to cheat on me, with the most innocent of all my friends."

Jou could see that his words had pained Seto. The other boy replied, "Jou, I do love you, and I love only you. Yugi is…"

Jou cut him off. "Oh, so now it's Yugi who's the toy?"

Outside, Yami growled in his throat. A toy? When he got his hands on the brown haired billionaire, he was going to kill him! But then he heard Jou's next words.

"Then tell me what you were thinking, Kaiba. Tell me why?" Jou practically snarled.

"Because I had to. Jou, I don't love Yugi, but Yami does." Seto said. "I know as well as you do that he loves Yugi."

Jou nodded uncertainly. "It seems the only one who can't see that is Yugi himself. But that still doesn't explain why you told Yugi you loved him, especially if you lied to him!"

"Yami won't tell Yugi, unless he's forced to. I just applied the force."

"But why? Why now?" Now that Jou knew part of what had happened, he was calmer.

"You remember in the Duellist Kingdom, when Yami and Yugi saved Mokuba and me?" Jou nodded and Seto continued. "I've been thinking of a way to repay them. This is what I came up with."

"But…" Jou paused in thought. "But what if Yugi decides he loves you and not Yami? What'll you do then?"

Yami frowned outside. He was that readable? He couldn't be, he was the King of Games, he could always hide what he was thinking, what he was feeling.

Couldn't he?

Yami turned his attention back to the argument, anxiously waiting to hear Seto's answer.

Seto frowned. "I don't think we'll have that problem. You've seen the way Yugi looks at Yami. He practically worships him."

"Well, yeah, I have noticed."

"I think Yugi does love Yami, he just doesn't recognise his own feelings."

"Maybe, but…" Jou's eyes widened. "Fuck!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Seto looked startled at the outburst. "What?"

"Fuck! Seto, Yugi looks at you the same way!"

Seto looked stricken. "No, he doesn't!"

"He…" Jou started to say, but he was cut off by a new voice.

"Well, well, well." Said the smooth voice of Yami Bakura. Seto and Jou turned to face the white haired spirit, who smirked back. Standing next to him was the blonde haired spirit of the Millennium Rod.

"Bakura. Ishtar." Seto growled in greeting.

"It seems you have gotten yourself in quite a little mess, doesn't it?" Ishtar remarked coolly.

Bakura turned his head to the door. "Pharaoh, you can come out now. We know you're there."

Yami walked in the room, acting as if everything was alright, and he hadn't just overheard a very sensitive conversation.

"What do you want, Tomb Raider?" Yami asked harshly.

Bakura smirked. "Now, now, is that any way to treat the one who holds your dear light's life in his hands. I might get careless…"

"Leave Yugi out of this, Tomb Raider!" Yami ordered.

"No, I don't think I will. You see, this is just so much fun, watching you running around, like chickens with your heads cut off. I don't really feel like leaving you alone just yet. Do you Ishtar?" the spirit turned to the insane spirit next to him.

"No, I agree. This is fun." Ishtar replied, an insane smile on his features.

"I repeat. What. Do. You. Want." Yami ground out.

"Well, I for one what to see how this plays out…with a few of our own rules, of course."

"And what makes you think we'll play by your rules?" Seto asked.

"You can't afford not to." Ishtar said.

"Or rather, Yugi cant afford for you not to…" Bakura added, smiling.

Yugi blinked as his eyes adjusted, and then focused in the dark and empty space that was the Shadow Realm. He blinked again. How in the world had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was playing Hide'n'seek with Jou, Yami and Seto in Seto's mansion. With his eyes adjusted, Yugi could finally identify his companions; Yami; Seto; Mokuba – what was he doing in the Shadow Realm, Yugi's mind asked – Ryou; Ryou's yami, Bakura; Malik; and Malik's yami, Ishtar. They stood in a semi circle, all facing him, although Mokuba looked scared, like he himself felt. Yugi could understand the younger Kaiba's nervousness, as he guessed Mokuba had never been to the Shadow Realm before. But that didn't explain his own.

"Well, Yugi?" Ishtar began with a sardonic smile, startling Yugi out of his thoughts. "Have you decided?"

'Decided what?' Yugi thought, but before he could voice his confusion, he heard himself reply something completely different.

"Yes, I have." Yugi's body turned to face Yami, and Yugi found, to his horror, that he had no control over the body's movements.

"Who is it?" Bakura asked, his smile matching Ishtar's. Ryou and Malik exchanged worried glances behind their yamis.

'Who is what' Yugi questioned silently. He was surprised when he got an answer, especially when the voice that spoke to him sounded eerily similar to Pegasus.

'Who is the one you will destroy, Little Yugi.' The voice said. 'Who is the one you will kill.' It was a statement, not a question.

Yugi blanched inwardly. Kill?! He didn't want to kill anyone. But even as he thought this, he heard his voice speak again.

"I'm sorry Yami, but I love Seto." Yugi turned to face the latter.

At these words, both Yami and Seto paled, like they knew something he didn't. Yugi's mind found it disturbing that Seto had seemed scared too.

"No! Yugi!" Yami cried.

"I'm sorry." Seto stated quietly, his hand tightening on Mokuba's shoulder. 'Sorry?' Yugi wondered. 'What does Seto have to be sorry about?'

As if someone was using him as a puppet, Yugi turned.

Just in time to see Yami attack. The ancient pharaoh held the Millennium Rod in his hand, and had somehow changed it to its dagger form.

Suddenly, Yugi had control of his body, full control. "Yami?" the small boy asked, petrified. "What-?" but he was cut off as the dagger struck its target – him.

"Yugi, I'm sorry." Yami whispered as he plunged the knife down into Yugi's chest again. And again.

Yugi shot up startled, eyes wide. He breathed heavily for a few seconds, repeating to himself, "It was just a dream. Just a dream."

Then he burst into tears.

~*~*~

And the next chapter is done. The fourth chapter may take a while for me to get out, but I hope it will be soon.

Please, review