IMPORTANT NOTE: No monkeys were harmed to make this fic.

Ok, not important, but I was being easily amused - got a problem with that?! I'm attempting to finish this, it's Christmas Eve and nothing is going on in my house. *Listening to the Japanese theme of Princess Mononoke* Power to Jap music…Yeah…anyway, I'm leaving the 26th for Virginia and will be able to write on the plane, but still I hope I finish this.

(Which I didn't). So sorry. This is now posted on New Year's Eve *shrug* not too bad. While I was away I worked on a Santa Clause 2 slash fic (future Bernard/Santa) heh, on the third chapter for that…keep a look out if you're even SLIGHTLY interested. Brief summary: Bernard snaps.

"Kanashimi to ikari ni hisomu makoto no kokoro wo shiru wa mori no sei mononoke-tachi dake mononoke-tachi dake"

"Lurking in the sadness and anger, the only ones who know your true heart are the forest spirits. Only the spirits, only the spirits…" -Mononoke Hime: Princess Mononoke

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"What do you mean?" Mariku snapped out, glaring off towards Bakura who began to become illuminated over with a dark magenta glow.

"I'll show you pain…I'll show you it all…until I'll have you twitching on the steps of your own palace…" he sneered, a sudden joy filling his eyes in pleasure. "Your power has never stood up to mine, Pharaoh, never. And it never will."

"Shut up," Yami murmured, sinking back a bit.

"Pathetic. Well, Pharaoh, where are your guards and priests to help you? Where are they hiding? Or did you 'order' them away to save yourself from embarrassment? Heh…never mind, you're not that smart." Bakura's hand flickered up so his palm was pointed towards Yami and Mariku, a smirk dances across his face and reaching his eyes in a slow moment. "Meet my prized monster," he snickered, the magenta glow shifting to a mix of black and deep blue. "Diabound, I give you my strength and show to you your sacrifices!"

"Diabound…?" Yami blinked, confused, but his breath caught and started to drain away.

Green, red, and blue light cut into the area and Bakura spun around, the energy that had been bathing him drained away and leaked into the ground. Mariku stared in confusion and stood close to Yami, watching the tri-strands of light circle around Bakura, watching the silver-haired fiend choke on what they assumed to be his own blood before falling to the ground. The light pulled further back, encasing three forms - two priests, one teen: Reia, Seth, and Shinkou. Not surprised either, Ishizu stepped up alongside with them. She looked down upon Bakura's form, making absolute sure that he was unconscious before looking up at the two on the steps. "I had not meant to be more delayed, my apologies. We were supposed to be here before both you and he had arrived," she sighed and moved forward, walking passed them and up the steps.

Shinkou started to follow and his knees buckled, his power drained more (if possible) than before. Seth caught his arm, assisting him in a way up even if it seemed more like dragging him. Hazel eyes half closed in pain and Shinkou leant against Seth, much to the High Priest's displeasure, but that didn't matter to Shinkou. Reia chuckled softly and Seth glared, she merely shrugged and moved up before Yami, bowing very slightly. "We've come, my Pharaoh. The Oracle has informed us of your plan. I will have one of the priests send a message out to our Hermit, Shaadi, for him to head out to the palace."

"…Thank you," Yami murmured, not entirely sure why they needed Shaadi, but he would not turn down the plans of Ishizu.

"We should get started," Reia explained and stepped between Mariku and Yami, hooking both her arms with the other two and leading them up to the palace entrance.

Seth sighed back where he stood and looked to Shinkou, taking the other in his arms, tossing his head back to glance at some of the lower classes of priests. "Take that thief's body in after us," he snorted, referring to Bakura. With a second he adjusted Shinkou in his arms, faintly smiling when the other curled against him and the High Priest followed the others in.

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"Fuck it, Ryou! I'm leaving!" Mariku pushed passed the door to his room, hearing fast footsteps of doctors coming closer and he pivoted back to face the other. "Will you help me, or not?!"

"I…Mariku, you should really rest!"

"I take that as a no…?" the spirit's eyes narrowed into slits as he looked upon the hikari, watching Ryou quickly shake his head and agree to help him. Mariku brightened, "Good." He shoved the hikari out in front of him and they started down the hallway, keeping alert gazes. Surprisingly, they were doing well until they passed by ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and Mariku's eyes fell along a bed within, doctors circling it. So that's where they all are… He kept moving, glancing back when Ryou stopped, staring into the window with a panic-stricken face. "What is it?"

"What's happening to him?! Yami! What are you doing to him?!" Ryou cried, trying to get into the room, but it was locked. Mariku pressed against the wall, acting "natural" when a nurse came out and told him to keep his voice down, consoling him with a few pats on the shoulder. He growled a bit and backed away, pointing at the window. "Why is my ya - brother in there?!"

"Relax, we just had to transfer him somewhere so we could look after him, sweetie. It's all right, really. Some of his stats just dropped a little bit, but we're raising them again now," her sing-song voice made Ryou want to harm her badly and made Mariku want to throw up. The blonde stepped forward to glance in the window, catching sight of Bakura laying in the bed and his eyes widened, mystified. How is he in there…? Could that…. 'other' with my hikari really be from the past…? He shook his head and grabbed Ryou's arm, waving to the nurse and dragging him down the hall.

"Mariku! My yami is in ICU, I won't go with you until -"

"Until what? Until they keep telling you he'll be all right? You can see him right through the window! I can't see Yami - I have no idea to see if he's still alive!" Mariku snapped and Ryou decided that he had gotten rest earlier, but signs of fatigue were still very present. Ryou bit his lip and lowered his head. "Please, Ryou. If your yami has been here all this time, that means someone is posing as him. And that someone has my hikari's aid, has taken Shinkou, and most likely that's where Yami went."

"I'm…sorry…I didn't mean to sound…." Ryou hung his head a little, "inconsiderate…I'm just worried about him…" I care about him. No one else does it seems though. "Come on, we should hurry, maybe the ring can track the puzzle and -"

"Hey, you! You're supposed to be in bed!"

"Oh shit," Mariku cursed and turned to run, Ryou staring at a large-sized woman in a nurse robe, waving a thick fist in the air before charging. The chocolate orbs widened and Ryou quickly spun on his heel and chased after Mariku, trying to find his cell phone in the process.

"Do you have any idea where you're going?!" the silver haired called after the dark spirit, watching Mariku nearly hit a wall, but managed to turn a corner. He's going to get himself killed! Ryou let out a breath, finding his cell phone, eyes suddenly loosing sight of Mariku, though only to be grabbed by an arm and pulled to the floor….of an elevator. The shouts of the woman increased and chatter started up as office doors and other rooms with doctors opened, after all they were in the ICU area and to have people yelling was poor health. "Ow…" Ryou internally cursed as he rubbed his side where he landed, watching as Mariku tried to find which floor to go to, getting the basement.

"Why the cell phone?" the spirit asked and sank to the floor as the elevator doors closed. Sweat ran down his reddened face, his paled hands rolling up his sleeve to reveal equally pale arms. Ryou stared upon them in worry, it was a mix of what blood Mariku must have lost, and most likely a fever.

"I'm calling to see if Otogi can get over here - that way we'll have a car."

"Hn," Mariku breathed, rubbing an arm over his face to brush away some of the sweat. He rested his head back, staring up at the counter of floors that moved slowly lower. He forgot which floor they started on, but they were currently passing the forth floor.

"Hey, Otogi! …Yeah…I'm ok, sort of. I need favor. Can you get over here quickly…? You'll be at the main entrance…? Um…" Ryou glanced at the floor counters and quickly jumped up, pushing the emergency stop button once they got to the 1st floor and signaled for Mariku to get up, nibbling his lip when it took the spirit a minute or two. "We don't have a destination currently, we just need a quick ride out of here….great! Thanks, Otogi, I owe you one," Ryou sighed and turned off the phone, slipping it into a pocket as him and Mariku stepped out of the elevator.

"He's coming…?"

"Yeah, he's coming," Ryou looked over at the front desk, raising a brow to the fact that no one was there, but they were able to get out of the building. The air hit against Mariku in a rush, complaining that it was cold out, causing Ryou to eye him oddly. "Mariku…are you ok…?"

"I'll be fine," he scoffed to himself, vision blurring lightly as he saw a car pull up. Ryou grabbed his arm, pulling him forward and spoke out to someone, but Mariku's mind was in his own world - he had no idea what was going on.

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Noises. There were so many different noises outside his locked door. So much yelling, so much fear and laughter and darkness. So much power. So much……it was too much. Yami lay on his stomach, head flat on the ground as he stared blankly at the door. He had to get out. He had to push through the door, had to help Shinkou who he heard shouting not long ago. Now it was silent. Dead silent. Yami closed his eyes. First, he had to stand. Standing would be the smartest thing he could do. "I can get up, I can help Shinkou…then I can kill Rekhi and everything will be fine…"

There was a pause before he rolled onto his back and started to laugh hysterically, shoulders shaking as he continued to laugh. "Who the heck am I trying to kid? I can hardly stand up let alone help anyone!" his laughter was dying into a sob and he pathetically curled onto his side.

Who was he kidding… If Rekhi were in here at the moment, he'd be saying the same thing. The same chant. The same haunting words that he wasn't a Pharaoh. He was a weakling, he needed help from everyone, he never could rule Egypt. He couldn't even keep hold of Osiris. Twice. The first time he lost it was in Egypt and it was obvious to Yami that Osiris yearned for someone like Bakura to be its master, that's why in Egypt the monster turned on Yami so easily! Who wouldn't? Who would serve under someone who can't even keep a strong mind?

Even Yami's will to live was weakening. He wouldn't this to be over with, to be done with, but he was trapped in a room. The tray of food that had been brought by Yuumei was minutes ago kicked into a wall, scraps of the meal plastered against it, staining it. A drink of a fizzing soda had spilled along the old wood floor, seeping into it.

Dried tears stuck to Yami's face, his tears subsiding not long after they had started. Now just the blank stare held to the locked door. He needed Mariku. He desperately needed Mariku. His breath hitched and he resisted the need to cry again. He had to get over this…he had to….he didn't know! He didn't know anything, his mind was refusing to work! "I-I can't…" he bit into his lip, copper tasting liquid filling in as pain throbbed over the lip, having bit hard enough to cause the blood to flow out.

Under the door he caught a flash of light and he whimpered lightly, pulling his pained body towards the door, making it close enough to look beneath it before flattening back to the ground. "…I'm…sorry…"

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He wanted to scream - his mind was being gravely invaded and it was a hard battle to keep in control. His sight faltered and he felt his hands forced over a surface by the will of another's mind and Shinkou internally cried out, control snapping. Malik's mind wove into power over his, forcing him to open the tablet that his hands had been resting on. Break into the High Priest Seth's mind, a voice gave him the thought.

Shinkou trembled in the darkest corner of his mind, feeling tormented at the thought that he could kill Seto here and now if he lost his will. I won't do this! He snapped towards the other mind trying to force him along. You will! Now bend to my will, access the memory!

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Jounouchi and Seto walked behind Isis in silence down the street. Jou's trust had faltered momentarily and Seto had been finally worrying over what was going on, nothing was making sense anymore. He always believed that the whole Egyptian fairytales were just that - stories. Stories that tried to make everyone believe a certain thing, but Seto had made sure that he wouldn't fall for any of it.

He refused to.

Isis stopped walking and half turned to face them, the eye of her Tauk flickering with a glow briefly and she watched Seto, curiously almost. "What?" he rose a brow, stopping his movements and staring back at Isis.

"Are you feeling all right, Seto?"

Hey, she called him by his actual name for once. "Yes, I'm fine," Seto snorted nonetheless. He wasn't sure if he was though, his mind suddenly seemed to briefly split and he could hear his voice in a distant, but it was different…

"Put the body over there somewhere, I really don't care. Just make sure he stays asleep, or it'll be your heads."

Seto winced, rubbing his eyes and shaking his head. Isis and Jou both questioned him and he rose his gaze to them both, shaking his head with uncertainty. "I'm….not sure…"

"Keep him sedated! I do not want to see him awake even for a moment!"

"What's going on…?" Seto clenched his teeth, hand moving back from his eyes to dip into his hair, grabbing the mess of locks as pain filled his mind. Jou stood close to him, trying to embrace him, but Seto quickly shook him off, shaking now. "Isis…what's going on…?"

"What is it troubling you…?"

"I hear my voice…but…I swear it's not me…" he murmured, falling back against a building wall. He winced again, trying to figure what was going on. Every so often he caught an image crossing his mind, but most of the voices he couldn't hear. Only…what he assumed….was his… He most definitely saw himself at times, but what he was wearing seemed almost outrageous.

"What do you hear yourself saying…?" Isis spoke again, seeming nervous for once.

"Get your filthly hands away from him!"

He relayed the words to her, in a weaker tone than what he heard them in. He seemed angry, that was for sure. There was an image of him again, glowing with brilliant power.

"Spirit of the White Dragon!"

"Then something about the white dragon…" Seto mumbled, almost incoherent. Jou slumped to the side, obviously unneeded at the moment. Isis shifted again. "Some spirit…or something…"

"We're too late," she whispered, hanging her head.

"Too late for what?" Jou finally spoke up.

"The tablet has been opened."

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Shinkou nearly collapsed, still being controlled and he was losing his will more and more. Call him, the voice told him, snaking into every corner of his mind. Call him, make him come here, use your magic to use the tablet and call him here.

NO! Shinkou yelled back, but it sounded weaker than he wanted it to. He had heard Rekhi and Malik distantly talking with Yuumei, something about if they had Seto - they could get the third God card, they could have Obelisk. And they could kill Seto. He wouldn't have anything to do with it. But…

DO IT NOW! A pain burned through Shinkou's mind and stunned him, his grasp on his thoughts slipping and more of his magic broke over to fill into the tablet fragment. He was laughed at, but he couldn't do anything to stop it - or stop the thought that passed from his mind in a sob and into the fragment.

Help me…

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Help me…The thought passed through Seto's mind, a desperate plea to be saved. He knew the voice, somewhere in a part of him he knew it. Part of him jumped to being alert, panicked by the tears the voice held, the other part of him was still trying to make sense of where it came from. Nevertheless, he had started walking, being led by instinct.

"Seto-kun! Where are you going…?" Jounouchi took to follow him, Isis in pursuit as well, being smart and stepping right in front of the other.

"I have a feeling where you are heading is not the best choice."

"Move away, Isis," Seto growled, hissing when Jou grabbed his arm to hold him back. "Release me, Katsuya!" he ignored the hurt that crossed over his…lover's…eyes. Right…Jou and him were together, part of him was protesting that now. He had the choice at the very moment to stay with Jou and be happy with his puppy…or go to the voice. I know that voice I heard…I think it's Yami's cousin…he was up here visiting… Wait, why would he go to bother with Shinkou though?

"Seto…please….I don' know where you're tryin' to go…but if Isis thinks it's bad, then you shouldn't go! Please, just stay with me…please…don' leave…" Jou made the desperate attempt to beg and Seto watched him, eyes full of uncertainty that scared Jounouchi to a high extent. Why was his Seto acting like this? What made the decision so hard? Stay with the puppy, or don't stay. Or maybe Seto was afraid something was going to happen to Jou, and had to go simply to protect him? That seems unlikely… Jou sunk back, depressed by the thought.

"Seto Kaiba, I am not letting you go," Isis' face darkened.

Seto's body internally protested and he pulled passed both of them, "I'm going. I have to help him," he growled. Jou started after him only to be grabbed back by the elder Ishtar woman. Seto merely kept walking.

"I have to go after -"

"He's made his decision. The past haunts us all still, Katsuya. And some tendencies cannot be escaped. He's only following what he couldn't finish in the past, I am sorry."

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"What is it you want us to do?" Yami questioned, shakily watching as Ishizu entered the Throne Room. If this was any other situation, Yami would have chuckled as Mariku looked around in surprise. He must have liked what he saw - it was a good thing he hadn't really seen the palace before Yami. The Pharaoh would otherwise be afraid if Mariku was just with him for the fact of the palace's riches.

In truth, Yami hated the place. Not just because of Bakura, but because he wasn't all to fond of ruling anyway. He'd rather be out on the streets. When he was the Prince at a younger age, he had always escaped his father's grasps and went out into the streets wearing a robe over his form to hide away. He had always loved going to the Nile, sometimes swimming, but made sure to keep far from any of the other kids that had also gotten away from their families to take a dip in the Nile. And the night was the best, when the stars came out and the moon rays hit over the sand dunes and water and the city itself.

Yami briefly smiled, but snapped back to the reality of the palace as Seth entered with Shinkou in the arms, a few of the lower-ranked priests coming in with Bakura's body, "Put the body over there somewhere, I really don't care. Just make sure he stays asleep, or it'll be your heads," the High-Priest signaled with a brief movement of the head.

"...Is Shinkou all right?" Yami questioned, shifting on his feet slightly as Seth moved his attention to him.

"He'll be fine, he just won't be able to summon the Black Dragon for awhile, much less use any of his magic. He's completely drained, therefore is tired."

"You could have just said he was tired," Mariku murmured, crossing his arms and watching Reia and Ishizu set up some sort of alter before the throne.

"My Pharaoh, if you would please be seated," Ishizu spoke out suddenly and Yami jumped a bit, gaze weary.

"Must I...?" he sighed and Mariku nudged him forward with a reassuring smile. Yami forced the gesture in return, taking in a shaky breath before striding forward, moving around the alter to his throne, staring at it with slumped shoulders before taking a seat. He'd yet to remember the last time he sat upon it. His crimson gaze traveled over the area, widening when he caught the silver-haired thief in the corner shifting.

Seth had been setting Shinkou carefully down, much to the boy's protest, when he had noticed the Pharaoh's sudden change in expression and swiftly turned to look back where Bakura had been left. His voice quickly snapped in anger, "Keep him sedated! I do not want to see him awake even for a moment!" A few of the priests glanced at him wearily and quickly started to work up a Sleep spell, chanting in sync, hands over Bakura's body, but the thief came to, despite their attempts. Seth's eyes widened when Bakura weakly rolled away, moving for the closest body in need to destroy - Shinkou. "Get your filthly hands away from him!" he growled in an overprotective way, power surging as he held out a hand as if to stop Bakura. "Spirit of the White Dragon!" he snapped, feeling his own energy drop to a low level and he nearly collapsed as a white-blue sliver of light encircled him before forming into the shape of a dragon head and striking Bakura down again.

"Seth! Are you all right?!" Reia had left the room a few minutes back, entering back now through the main entrance of the room with wide eyes, looking between the tired Seth, the half conscious Shinkou, and finally to the Bakura being out cold.

"I'm fine," he scoffed, forcing himself to stand again, glancing towards Shinkou to see the other sleeping on his side and Seth lightly smiled, forcing himself to return to the stern and ready face. Reia stepped into the room, a robed man following her in, eyes closed and he was carrying a bundle securely in his hands. "Ah, our Hermit arrives."

"Shaadi," Yami spoke out from where he sat.

"Pharaoh. It is good to see your face again," the Hermit, Shaadi, approached forward, respectfully bowing his head to Yami before turning to see the setup and then to Ishizu. "I have brought the seven items you requested from the distant village."

"Very good, many thanks to you, Shaadi."

He nodded his head again.

"We will start soon. Shaadi, Mariku, Seth, Reia, and…" her eyes scouted the room, looking over the alter as Shaadi layed out the seven items on it and then moved with the other's Ishizu had called forward. They needed one more, and with Shinkou's current state, he was out of the question. She called to two of the priests to bring Bakura over to them and including herself and the Pharaoh, they only had six bodies. She held very little trust in anyone left in the room. With a sigh, she spoke again, "There needs to be someone to use their magic on two items," she caught Mariku starting to speak as if to volunteer Bakura and cut him off, "that is not sacrificing their soul."

Mariku snorted and glared at Bakura's body.

"I will gladly do so, Oracle," Shaadi spoke up, face with the same straight expression as he had walked in with. Ishizu smiled to him, glad that was settled.

Further away, Shinkou woke from his nap, raising his head to look over at what was going on and sat up. He tilted his head slightly, watching everyone line up with an item in their hands, Bakura's body now laid on the alter, Yami remained in the throne, and Mariku stood right in front of the alter, everyone else was standing in-between the throne and alter. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak up as he shakily stood, looking over at Seth in worry when a dark fog started to fill the room.

Ishizu began to chant.

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Ok, odd ending. That last part was really boring, I'm sorry. Heh. Shaadi is a Hermit XD It fits him though…I think anyway….Despite that last scene, I had fun writing the rest of this. Done in one sitting of three hours! XD Well, not fully three hours because I took a break and read the previous chapters. I had some really stupid errors, at one point I had called Rekhi, "Bakura." I don't think anyone noticed though.

Seto and Shinkou. Had fun writing that, past and present. Poor Jounouchi…There was going to be Puppyshipping in this story! I was going to try and hold to that (present-wise anyway). But…I don't want to…. Ha, people tell me which you'd rather: Seto/Jounouchi or Seto/Shinkou.

Has anyone ever had an OC that they use in most of their stories that it almost feels like they ARE a real character and not an OC? *Wonders if that made any sense.* Well, that's what Shinkou is like to me XD Though oddly for some reason he seems to be with Anzu…when Anzu is actually IN the story that is…she's fun to make OOC and have her dress in black and yet still be "Anzu." *Tries to stop making no sense* -.-;;

Oh, and I'm very sorry about the first scene, it was actually the only thing I didn't write in my 3-hour sitting, I wrote it at school and completely forgot what I was doing, so it was a rather abruptly done, I meant it to be longer and more dramatic…

*Looks over chapter* Heh, Yami-angst. I liked that scene actually, it was kind of jumbled, but that was on purpose. And before that with Mariku and Ryou escaping and Mariku's condition starting to show more….Bakura in ICU…is it ICU? I couldn't remember, I'm mostly sure that's what hospitals call it.

Please, please, please review! I was kind of disappointed….I only had TWO reviews on the last chapter. TWO! That's very painful…