Shadows of Demons

Pan: Oh, Malik and Marik don't appear until much, much later on... quite
the contrary in fact! Anyways, thank you for your reviews, and read on!

It didn't take Bakura long to explain everything to Ryou. When he was assured that they would be safe, and friends could come to visit, he was
finally happy to stay put. Yami got to his feet. "Bakura, I'm going to start the protection spell. It's been a while since I've done it, and I've never done for a whole house, so..." He paused. "... if I pass out, just
pick up where I left off, ok?" Yugi jumped up beside him. "What shall I do?" he asked. "Just stay here." Yami said. "If you begin to feel tired, that's just because I might need some of your energy to finish the spell."
Yugi nodded.

Yami closed his eyes, and focused on the Puzzle. It began to glow brightly, a strange golden glow, that after a minutes crept out to cover it's user, and spill like water across the floor. Yami mouthed ancient Egyptian words silently, and Bakura stood ready to take over. The glow flowed throughout all the rooms in the house, but just as Yami was beginning to enchant the
last two rooms, he sank to his knees, and the Puzzle's glow faltered.
Bakura jumped in, enchanting the final rooms, only these rooms had a
strange red-gold glow.

Yugi helped Yami onto the sofa. "You alright?" he asked quietly. Yami
nodded slowly. "Just tired." Yugi smiled. "Then sleep." Yami closed his
eyes, and was asleep almost instantly.

"Alright there, Bakura?" Yugi asked. "Yes, 'course. The spell's complete; we're perfectly safe here now." Bakura smiled. The glow disappeared. "Just be careful when you come and go." Yugi nodded. He looked down at Yami. "Do I leave him here or not?" he asked no-one in particular. "Yes." Ryou said. "No need to move him." Yugi sighed. "I'm hungry. Who wants breakfast?" he said. Ryou glanced at the clock. "It's still only 3:30..." he began. "Ryou!
He's offering food!" Bakura said. "I've been up all night. I've love
something to eat, Yugi." he said politely.

"Come on then, and keep it down." Yugi led them into the kitchen.

--

Pathetic... hah, you sorry excuse for a Pharaoh, magic can't keep your destiny away! Sure, it keep part of the path towards your destiny out, but
it will happen eventually.

"Who are you?" Yami called.

I'm your fate, Pharaoh.

"What?"

I'm your fate. You cheated me for five-thousand years, hidden in your
Puzzle, but the time has come for you to face me.

"You can't get to me... I've sealed the house to everything except who and
what I want there."

But I'm already inside.

"What?! How?"

I'm inside you, Yami.

"You can't be..."

And you've locked out all that can stop me. And that's only one person.

"Who?"

I'll tell you, because it won't help you.

"Who, dammit!?"

Seto Kaiba.

"Kaiba?!"

Wakey wakey, Pharaoh...

--

Yami's ruby-red eyes snapped open, and he sat up. Looking at the clock, it was 6 am. He stood up, looking around for Yugi and the others. "Hey, Yami." Yugi wandered in, his mouth full of toast. Ryou followed him, both face and
hair blackened as if there had been an explosion. "What happened?" Yami asked. Ryou laughed. "Let's just say you should never let Bakura anywhere near a toaster. It's taken us two hours to make breakfast!" he explained.

"At least I managed to put it out..." Bakura said stubbornly, even more burnt than Ryou. "Ah." Yami said shortly. "Are you alright?" Yugi asked. "Yes, yes, fine..." Yami said, though he was visibly shaking. "No, you're
not." Yugi walked right up to him. "You're shaking. What's wrong?" Yami
sighed. "Just a dream..." he said, smiling down at Yugi. "Nothing to be
worried about." "If you're sure..." Yugi said.

Bakura snatched up the remote control, and sat down as he switched the TV on. He yawned, flicking through the channels. "Boring... boring... crap... boring... seen it already... the old man dies in this... boring... I do not
want life insurance... nor do I want washing powder... boring..." he
commented on each of the TV channels. He paused on a news channel.

"And our top story, police in Domino are currently investigating the disappearence of a teenage boy. They have issued a detailed description, from photographs provided by his older sister. She earlier asked to make a
TV appearence, in the hope of getting her brother returned sooner." the newsreader said. The picture changed to show an Egyptian woman, wearing a
long beige dress.

"Ishizu?!" Yami and Yugi exclaimed, gaping at the TV. "But that means...
Malik's gone missing..." Ryou said.

"Please, anyone with information pertaining the whereabouts of my brother,
come forward. Though I seriously doubt anyone does have information concerning my brother, Malik Ishtar, I am pretty sure there are four boys
in Domino who have an idea of what is going on, ne, Peraa-sama?"

Bakura turned the TV off as the picture returned to the newsreader. "So
Malik's gone... whatever-it-is is coming after us one by one." he said.
Yami's eyes widened. "I want Seto Kaiba here, as soon as possible. I believe it may go after him next." Bakura looked at him curiously. "But in this incarnation, he has no magical abilities, why would it go after him?"
he asked. Yami took a deep breath.

"Because he's the one who can stop my fate."

('Peraa' is an Egyptian word meaning 'Great House' from which the word
'Pharaoh' was derived.)