Sasami: Well we've made it to chapter three!!!! I just realized that it's going to be a very long story if all goes as planned. I hope you will all keep reading though! [off topic] If you have not heard t.A.T.u.'s CD [200km/hr in the wrong lane] you must!! It is so unbelievably cool! They sing in Russian too. *sings along with CD* In case you haven't heard of them before, they are a Russian duo…it's techno music, sort of.

Nijuu: They are popular here in America with guys because they are lesbians. o.O

Sasami: It's true…rather sad too, because they are so good! People only seem to know them as "those lesbian Russian girls." *^^ It should not be all about their sexuality. Anyway…moving on! Disclaimer if you would Yami-chan!

Nijuu: Yami-chan? o.O Neither Sasami or I own Yu-gi-oh. Something is severely wrong with this, and I intend to change it sometime soon. Sasami does own the story though, and all ideas contained herein.

Sasami: Arigatou! Here we go then! This chapter's song is Pilgrim from Enya's CD, A Day Without Rain. Again, it's not my song…though I am sorely tempted to use one of my own for a chapter…*^^ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Fears of the Stone

Chapter Three: Pilgrim

Pilgrim, how you journey

on the road you chose

to find out where the winds die

and where the stories go.

All days come from one day

that must you must know,

you cannot change what's over

but only where you go.

One way leads to diamonds,

one way leads to gold,

another leads you only

to everything you're told.

In your heart you wonder

which of these is true;

the road that leads to nowhere,

the road that leads to you.

Yami stood under the flow of hot water, doing nothing for quite some time. He was angry, with himself for being unable to treat his hikari as he deserved, and with Yuugi for continuing to hide things from him. Everything was amiss; their relationship, the secrets, the pain, every situation they were thrown into. There should have been some sort of trust in their relationship, but they were lacking just that. Trust. Once Yami had enough of the unhindered flow of scalding water, he shut off the showerhead, allowing the scalding water to fill the bathtub, relishing the warmth, the steam clearing his troubled mind.

The two had been together for nearly three years now. Yami had come to share the life of the younger man when Yuugi had completed the Sennen Puzzle. However, it was just recently that Yami had stopped sharing Yuugi's body. This physical change had strained their relationship, as before the event, Yami had only been a presence in the other's mind. Yuugi occasionally granted Yami possession of his body, but the majority of the time he was only a very real voice in the head of his lighter self.

Yami suspected that his hikari now considered him a threat, as he often did anyone new. Though his friendly persona appeared trusting and naïve, Yami had felt the distrust and fear the younger man felt towards people. He hid it well. Being considerably smaller than most, Yuugi often found himself on the receiving end of mental and physical abuse from his peers, the result being his cynicism towards others. Only in the presence of Sugoroku, Ryou, Jou, and, surprisingly enough, Kaiba did Yuugi feel entirely at ease. It occurred to Yami that being a physical presence in Yuugi's life rather than just part of his mind, caused a fear of him, or more accurately, a fear of the betrayal he was bound to represent. How could he possibly convince Yuugi otherwise?

There was to be no imminent betrayal. Certainly there would not be future betrayal either. Yami wanted more than anything to protect his hikari from pain such as that. He wanted to have a relationship with him that was not plagued so by distrust and fear and everything else theirs was filled with. Perhaps it was too much to hope for. No matter what he said, it was not going to make Yuugi any less suspicious of him; everyone was capable of lying. It did not help that Yami was lacking in social skills. It had been many millennia since he was among people and manners failed him. Combined with his former status of pharaoh, and the ability to treat others with any amount of respect and tact flew right out the window. He was quick to respond with sarcasm and extreme brusqueness, both of which upset his hikari all the more. 

There had to be hope for them. He had not spent the last three millennia with his soul trapped in a puzzle to miss the purpose he sought. Yami chuckled with discontent at the irony of his situation. 'Even the tomb raider has found happiness.' The immortal fool had managed to find contentment, or something of the like, in his hikari Ryou. Somehow, the pharaoh assumed that Bakura obtained much more than an emotion from the boy though. Having had more than enough of his own miserable thoughts and hot water, Yami climbed from the tub with his casual grace and wrapped a towel loosely around his slender waist. Yami unstopped the tub so it could drain as he left the bathroom, clothes still on the floor.

As he entered the bedroom across the hall, he found Yuugi asleep once more looking miserable even in his sleep. Unable to endure the pained expression of his hikari, knowing he was the cause of it, Yami hurriedly pulled on his trademark leather and exited the room. //Forgive me hikari.// Hoping that even through sleep Yuugi could hear him, Yami conveyed his parting thought.

As Sugoroku was not home to drive, Yami was forced to walk to the store for food. His stomach argued painfully with the wait, but he had, regrettably, no other option. Thankfully, it was a short trip and the weather was pleasant. Taking a cart upon arrival, Yami sauntered lazily down the nearest aisle. His lack of sleep in combination with the irritation he felt with his current situation put the man's mind into autopilot as he randomly grabbed food off the shelves. A familiar voice pulled him out of the daze.

"Plan on eating that baking powder yourself Yami?" the pharaoh whipped around to see Jou and an equally amused looking Kaiba at the opposite end of the aisle. [a/n: *^^ Gomen ne! I couldn't possibly have written the accent for Jou, and I don't really want to…*cringes at thoughts of dubbed Jounouchi* o.O]  Shifting his attention to the box in his hand, Yami placed it gingerly back on the shelf feeling quite ridiculous.

"Ohayou Jou. Kaiba. What brings you here so early in the morning?" Yami attempted to stifled a yawn.

"Yami, you do realize that it's 10:30 in the morning, and you are at a grocery store?" Kaiba asked the drowsy pharaoh incredulously. The yawn caught in Yami's throat. He felt more than slightly absurd at this point.

"Long night?" Jou asked with a hint of concern. It seemed that both his best friend and his yami had been having long nights lately, and neither were looking any better for the wear.

"You could say that." Yami sighed, leaning on his cart, his stomach growling loudly in protest. "Forgive my rudeness, but I really must finish shopping as my stomach is a bit impatient." He was too tired and hungry to preserve his dignity in such a situation, and he imagined that the two that stood before him would give up quickly if he threw them off. Mercifully, he had been correct.

"Yami, where's Yuugi at this morning?" Jou called after him.

"Still asleep. Ja na." Yami waved over his shoulder without turning around. He thanked Ra that they had refrained from questioning him further. The man quickly finished his shopping and began the walk home, munching on some pocky to appease his infuriated stomach.

"Seto. Those two are in trouble aren't they." Jou asked of his lover, grasping the other's hand tightly in his own. Seto recognized the apprehension in Jou's voice, and squeezed his hand back comfortingly.

"So it would seem."

Will you find the answer

in all you say and do?

Will you find the answer

In you?

Each heart is a pilgrim,

each one wants to know

the reason why the winds die

and where the stories go.

Pilgrim, in your journey

you may travel far, 

for pilgrim it's a long way

to find out who you are.

Pilgrim, it's a long way

to find out who you are…

Pilgrim, it's a long way

to find out who you are…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sasami: I'm sorry that chapter was so short. *^^ It was such a pain trying to write a transition chapter. The next one will hopefully be a little longer, and more interesting too.

Nijuu: We all hope…o.O

Sasami: You're so mean! It's hard! I know how the story will end, and what I want to happen in the middle somewhere, but I wrote myself into a corner with the second chapter. *cries* It's not my fault I get good ideas at work and don't have a way to fit them together. *sobs inconsolably*

Nijuu: I know…gomen. That's all for now. I ask that you please read and review as my hikari can't right now. She took off the anonymous review block too. Sorry about that. Mata ne.