Nefuit: Okie Dokies, lots of notes here, and I appropriatly tied Seto in a straight jacket and duct taped his mouth shut until I am done.

1. I know, I know, too many cliffies, too short, completely out of my writing style (which is a good thing unless you are one who likes to read stories similar to the ones assigned in High School; deep meanings and hard vocab that I don't even know; I must be possessed when I write.), out of characterness, out of the story plot, VERY slow.. At least I aknowledge these things. Besides, the cliffies keep people coming back..

2. Junior year is BRUTAL! My art has me so stressed out, along with my AP English and AP Chemistry, on top of which I am working on a manga, learning anime thoroughly, learning Ancient Egyptian language and culture, learning Japanese, writing a novel, this story, another story, and several poems, this is just to name a few out of school activities.

3. My goals are to finish this story and write a sequel. I already have it planned *grins* I will probably update this once a week.

Ryou: *walks in and looks up* WOW! That has to be the most words I have ever seen!

Ianoo: Yeah! It is longer than the story itself!

Bakura: Yeah right! Nothing is longer than this tortuous, boring, slow.

Nefuit: *knocks out the jabbering Bakura* OMG! I forgot about Seto! I hope he can still breath! *Unties Seto*

Seto: I am going to sue you...

Nefuit: *knocks out Seto with the frying pan she borrowed from Ryou and Ianoo*

Ryou: Nefuit does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Nefuit: *faints when she realizes how many reviews she has got*

Bakura: *comes out of it* Oh great, just what we need, an authoress with a swelled head!

Ianoo: Look whos talking!

Ryou: ENOUGH!

Mina-san: *sweatdrops and is silent*

Ryou: *smiles sweetly* On with the show!



The other, the light, the young at heart

Malik and Isis calmly walked into the large, oval shaped room and took their seats on a couch. Shadi urged Ryou and Ianoo to follow as he walked in and sat in a chair, leaning forward and resting his head on his hands which were on his knees, a spaceless look of deep thought absorbing his face.

Ianoo tilted her head in puzzlement; that man looked so familiar. She cautiously walked in and sat on the floor between Malik and Shadi's chosen seating rather than sitting next to one of the bussinessmen. She glanced at Ryou who stood stunned, leaning against the door frame. Ianoo urged him in, but he stood dazed and unresponsive. Finally he choked out a word.

"K...S...Kai..Seto!?" Ryou stuttered.

"Oh!" Ianoo couldn't help but blurt out, but no one noticed. He looked so familiar because she had seen him in one of her classes. Wait a second, Ryou was new as well! How could he have known him.

"Hello, Bakura Ryou." Seto Kaiba aknowledged his presence. He nodded his head and politely patted at a seat between him and his father.

Ryou, finally snapping partially out of his dazed stupor, walked drunk-like to the seat and plopped down unrefindly.

Everyone sat there trying to gather and sort their various thoughts but to no avail. Finally, completely out of character, Ryou broke the silence.

"Seto..." Ryou trailed, contemplating what he was trying to say.

"Hmm?!" was Seto's reply as he turned slowly to look at Ryou intensly.

"I was wondering.." Ryou attempted again, he was never good at qords. Seto just stared questioningly at him.

"He wants to know why you "grace us" with your presence." A voice sneered, dripping with sarcasm.

All the heads whipped towards the door, some almost painfully fast. The reactions varied from Shadi's glare, to Ianoo and Malik's shudder, Ianoo grabbing Malik's hand to protect him and ease her own mind. Ryou's father did a double take as Ryou stared at the silouhette, all fear gone.

"What the!?" Ryou's father yelled out as he quickly stood up and glanced down at his son to the tall thin figure and back. He stared back and forth for several seconds until Ianoo calmly stood up and nodded an apology towards everyone who understood what was going on.

"It's a long story, Mr. Bakura." Ianoo said, placing a hand on the tense man's shoulder and gently pushing him back to his seat. She returned to her seat glaring at her tormenter, instinctly grasping her rib.

"Aw, what's wrong everyone?" Another voice mocked, appearing besides the first.

"Oh, great." Malik said annoyed, placing his hand on his head from an instant headache. "Just what we nee."

"Actually, you are correct Master Ishctar." Shadi said, standing tensly up, towerig overhead. Malik gave him a questioning look. Shadi walked stifly and swiftly over to the two and ushered them in, showing them to their seats. One plopped down, bored, the other cooly slid into his seat, sending one of his trademark death glares to all of his familiars. Malik's fist tightened and Ianoo panicked and grabbed his hand. Malik stared down at her and blushed, quickly looking away.

"Aw, how cute! Two Egyptian lovebirds!" The arrogant voice said.

"Shut up, Bakura." Ryou said, sighing for he knew the consequences. Ianoo was shocked by Ryou's choice of words and his daring. She tensed, preparing to defend her friend.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" An enraged Yami jumped agily to his feet, never expecting what came next.

"You heard me." Ryou said threw gritted teeth, whole body shaking from bottled up rage. He then signalled to the rising Ianoo to stay put.

Bakura showed a slight shocked expression before he advanced to his seated hikari in two paces. He then lifted Ryou up by his collar; Ryou looking down and submitting. Bakura smirked at his weak will and tossed him to the ground, standing over him. Ianoo started to stand, but Malik forced her protectively down.

Ryou turned towards Ianoo and smirked, terrifyingly Yami-like. Ianoo didn't know what was going on. Before anyone knew what had happened, the snow- white haired beings had switched places, Ryou glaring down at his surprised Yami who didn't bother to hide his astonishment. Ryou had tripped Bakura to the ground while standing up himself. Yami Malik laughed maniacally at his fallen friend.

"Whose side are you on?" Malik asked his crazed Yami who was slapping his knee in hysteria, face red and eyes watery.

Ryou lifted his leg to kick Bakura. Ianoo gasped, this wasn't like her friend. She stood up too quickly and fell back onto Malik who instincivly pushed her off, red-faced. He quickly apologized and helped Ianoo sit on the couch's arm. No one seemed to notice, they wwere all watching Ryou and his twin curiously.

Ryou brought his foot down, Bakura flinching. Then the foot collided..with the floor. Ianoo sighed in relief as Ryou's foot made a loud thud as it hit the floor, Bakura scrunching up from the thought that he had been hit. When he realized he hadn't been kicked, he looked up and smirked at Ryou.

"You missed, weakling!" Bakura said, sneering and taking the opportunity to stand.

"Oh DO be quiet!" Ryou said, patience being worn thin.

Ryou walked to his Yami in rage, pointing an accusing finger angrily at his Yami's chest.

"I DIDN'T BLOODY MISS!" Ryou screamed in rage.

Bakura backed up as Ryou kept poking him, until he tripped over a small table, landing vulnerably to the floor and looking deep into his hikari's eyes; with fear.

"What is going on?" Ryou's father said, recovering from his initial shock.

"Father, I am sorry." Ryou said regretfully as he pulled up his long sleeve of his robe, revealing several scars. He looked down, watery eyed as Ryou's father looked at his son's scathed skin in disbelief, understanding for the first time that the bullies in Britain didn't exist.

Ianoo couldn't help it, she sobbed and ran to Ryou, embracing his small frame which was shaking severly from rage and sorrow; but mostly his treatment of his Yami. Bakura looked at them in disbelief, the smirk gone. Ryou gently pushed Ianoo away and looked at her eyes, thanking her for her understanding of his feelings. Ianoo stepped aside as Ryou walked back over to Bakura, a sneer on his face. Bakura winced and squirmed as he approached, but he had twisted his ankle. Ryou hovered over him for a few seconds before throwing his hand towards his Yami whom once again flinched. But the hit never came. Bakura opened his eyes and saw the hand, shaky from confidence. Bakura looked puzzled at his hikari.

Ryou smiled softly and stressed his hand's presence with a gentle shake. Bakura looked from the hand to the soft face and back, finally grasping the helping hand firmly, a sign of if not forgiveness, at least mutual understanding. Ryou pulled the stronger being to his feet as Bakura winced from his ankle. Ryou helped Bakura back to his seat as Bakura looked at him intently and confused as well.

Ryou turned his back on his yami and faced everyone else, looking straight at his feet with a pained forced smile, tears welling up in his eyes. Ianoo felt him straining against this force, but the water poured out of the two's eyes. Malik stood up, and turned apologetically to Shadi, whom everyone took to be the leader of this meeting.

"Excuse us, please." Malik said in a soft voice as he hugged Ianoo and reassuringly patted Ryou and led them out into the hall which they walked for a distance, all turtle paced and their feet their vocal point. Malik led them slowly into another room, decorated Egyptian themed except for all the motorcycle pictures, obviously this was where Malik was residing in this mansion.

They all three sat down, Malik and Ianoo side by side with Ryou hiding in a corner.

"Ryou.." Ianoo started. She wasn't sure what to say.

"No. It is all right, I just." Ryou said, voice shaky, he didn't know what to say. They all sat there in an uneasy silence for a while until heavy foot beats were heard and a figure rushed in out of breath and limping. Malik whipped his head towards the door and Ianoo hopped to her feet, fist clenched. Ryou just hung his head lower.

"HOW MANY BLOODY ROOMS ARE THERE!" The figure yelled, leaning against the wall, chest heaving from exhaustion. He chuckled at the thought of adopting Ryou's vocabulary. He quickly regained his cool composure and walked towards Ryou. Ianoo for once felt calmer around him, and sat back down on the bed.

"Bak..Hikari." Bakura sighed, reaching Ryou who was still crouched in the corner. He placed a hand on Ryou's shoulder who jumped at the touch. When he realized how gentle it was, however, he looked up in surprise and stared into his Yami's eyes. Ryou then stood quickly up.

"I.." Bakura started, obviously pained.

"I am so sorry! I forgive you!" Ryou said as he threw his arm around his Yami who just stood there; finally hugging his smaller light back after a minute or so.

"I am sorry, but my Yami is on his way.." Malik regretfully said.

"This must not stray from you three." Bakura said, giving the three teens a nervous glance. The three nodded in unison. One problem down, countless to go...

"Aw, did I miss the show? It will have to be delayed, Shadi is demanding your instant return." Obvioulsy the hyper Yami Malik had thought that Bakura was going to get back at his hikari; and currently that is what Bakura wanted him to think.

The foursome walked through the hall, all more upbeat and looking straight ahead. Yami Malik was in the lead, skipping...

"That is quite a scary sight." Ryou said to no one in particular.

"That's nothing. You should see him when he isn't tired.." Malik said, with a choked laugh. Ianoo noticed this, something was not right with her friend..

"He wasn't always like this." Bakura said, Yami Malik suddenly stopped, turned and gave Bakura an odd look, Bakura never would talk to mortals. Bakura realized his mistake and shut up, Yami Malik returning to his skipping.

Once they had returned to the oval room and sat down, everyone who had remained just acted as if nothing had happened, Shadi stood up to make his announcement.

"Due to all the events and the fact that we are minus two people, this meeting will be delayed until tomorrow. I have taken the liberty to assign rooms that I hope each will find most acceptable, I can't tell you how long you are to stay in Egypt, but it will definatly be more than a few days." Shadi finished, everyone looking around quizzicly. "I suggest you all relax and try to sort out your thoughts." Shadi finished as eveyone stood to leave.

"Want to play a game?" Malik asked the group of teens that had gathered just outside the meeting room's doors. Ianoo smiled to herself, Malik really hadn't changed too much.

"What?" Ryou asked, what an odd question to ask seconds after their ordeal.

Isis chuckled at Ryou's response and replied to her brother, "What did you have in mind?"

"Oh, no. I haven't touched that game for months! For a reason!" Ianoo said, she knew her friend too well.

"What?" Ryou asked again, all of this was going right over his head.

"Aw, come on, Ia!" Malik pleaded, giving her his best puppy dog face.

"Fine! One game!" Ianoo coulden't refuse. She hadn't heard him call her Ia (eye-ah) since they were really little, Malik had called her that because he couldn't pronounce her full name. Ianoo would call her Mali for the same reason, she laughed at this; it sounded pretty girly.

"WHAT!" Ryou cried out in distress. The other three merely chuckled.

Malik lead Ianoo to a room to play, poor Ryou was shocked when he found out what they meant.

Nefuit: DUN DUN DUN! Another cliffie, though surely you know what is coming up!

Ryou: WHAT!? *breaks down into tears of frustration*

Yami Bakura: Finally! I am no longer the evil person!

Yami Malik: What?

Yami Bakura: Oh, nothing.

Nefuit: Oh, if you wanted to know how to pronounce Ianoo this is how: (ee- ah-nu) Or (ee-ah-new)

Ianoo: Why wouldn't they know how to pronounce my name

Seto: I GET IT!

Mina san-: O.O?

Seto: They HAD seen my in the fic, just not the actual story.

Mina san: *anime fall*

Seto: What?

Nefuit: Oh, and I am going to illustrate this story, hopefully starting this weekend when I get my scanner hooked up. If you have a favorite scene you would like me to draw, or a room that sounds confusing, tell me!

Yami Malik: AND GIVE ME PRESENTS!

Malik: What?

Yami Malik: Everyone always gets presents from readers in all the other stories! *sob* I am so unloved!

Malik: *sigh*