*AN: Konnichiwa, minna! I see you're back for more of "The Love of Shadows"! ^-^ And the adventure continues with Yami and Angel. It appears that Yami has no feelings towards Angel whatsoever......or does he? Tricky, tricky! Brain twister! ^.^ Find out in Chapter 13! Remember to R&R, onegai!!! ^_-*

Chapter 13- Bitterness and Jealousy

"Anzu.....was-was I too hard on him?" Yugi asked quietly as he and the brunette girl walked down the street. The afternoon sun blessed the city once again after the freak storm the night before, however, Yugi was not in as good a mood as the day seemed to be. He had been up all night thinking about his yami. How he and the others had completely shot the pharaoh down, crushing his hopes. He could've almost seen his heart beginning to break as they yelled and protested in his deep amethyst eyes.

"Nani?" Anzu asked turning her blue eyes to the fifteen year old. Yugi almost kicked himself for mentioning it to her. He remembered the intense hurt in her crystalline sapphire eyes. He was sure that he, and everyone else, could've seen her heart shatter in her chest when it was said that Yami was in love. But, there was no going back now.

"Yami.....was I too hard on him?" he repeated. The cheerfulness was instantly drained from her face.

"Oh." she said quietly, turning her eyes back forward. "I don't think you were."

"I mean, we really ragged on him...." he cast his violet orbs down to the concrete sidewalk.

"Well maybe it was for the best...."

"He claims he doesn't love her but-...." he cut himself off, not wanting to finish in front of her. He knew his yami better than that. He could like all he wanted, but he, Yugi, would always see the truth.

"I mean, I did spend the whole weekend with her while he went to Egypt." Yugi noticed her jaw tighten as she clenched her teeth. "And Angel really is as really as could be....and she never once tried to hurt me...." Anzu remained silent, staring straight ahead. Ygui felt horrible, but it needed to be said.

"Anzu......I don't think we're giving her a fair chance."

"But Yugi! She's a killer shadow card-"

"but she still has feelings! She deserves a fair chance....Damnit! I was too hard on him! I knew his feelings and I still shot him down!" He clenched his small fists and shook with anger at himself. Anzu stopped and stared. Yugi swore! That meant he was really upset! She reached out and touched his shoulder gently.

"It's ok, Yugi." she said soothingly. But when he lifted his amethyst eyes back to her, they were set with determination.

"Iie, Anzu." he said. "Gather up everyone and meet me at Yami's apartment! Hurry!" He then spun on his heel and sprinted off.

"Wait, Yugi-" the brunette protested, but it was too late. She sighed and started her task of gathering up her friends.

* * * * *

Yami sat in his comfortable easy-chair flipping through channels; something he never did. What was happening to him? He had spent no time with his friends, he hadn't even looked at his duel cards, he found himself waking up happy and whistling and now channel flipping? What was becoming of him? He knew.....he denied it, but he knew....Angel. He had awoken that morning chilled to the bone and still completely soaked. The couch was drenched as well. He had instantly snapped to attention remembering that the female duel card was missing. Praying that it had all been a nightmare, he flew up the stairs and into the back peering into Angel's room. He had let out all his breath when he had seen her lying peacefully in her bed. he remembered slipping into the room and gazing down at her sleeping face, stroking her hair and whispering: "Damnit, Angel, what are you doing to me?" He left without waking her to take a shower. Had it all been a nightmare? If so, why had he awoken with a heartache and soaked? And why was Angel acting so strange? When she had awoken she had showered without coming out for breakfast, came out dressed casually and went straight out to sit on the balcony without saying a word. He had attempted to go out and talk to her, as her what was wrong. She had muttered a couple of things, insisting in her own way that she was fine. He was unconvinced but he let her be. She had not moved all day, not matter what he said. Now, unable to concentrate he surfed the channels, sitting in his chair, the couch almost dry. *Damnit! What the hell is going on with me?!* he thought in frustration. A swarm of unanswered questions swam in his mind. The two that came through the strongest and clearest were: 'What was wrong with Angel?' and 'Had his friends really flipped out about her.......?' He could remember it all clearly. The shocked and horrified looks on all of their faces, the questioning as if they didn't believe him and then the yelling after the realization. Even Yugi.....There was no reason for them to be alarmed. It wasn't like he was in love with her.....

Suddenly, the doorbell rang snapping him out of his thoughts. He jumped slightly and switched off the TV hurrying to see who it was, he really couldn't afford visitors. He swung open the door and his violet eyes grew large when he saw all of his friends standing in the hallway. Yugi stood in front looking determine, Jonouchi and Mai stood just behind him, Honda, Ryou, Shizuka and Malik brought up the rear while Anzu stood next to Yugi with her arms crossed and an annoyed look on her face.

"Minna?" he stuttered as he stared wide-eyed at them.

"We're sorry, Yami." Yugi began. "Yam's stomach tightened. "We know we really went off on you yesterday and we're sorry. And....we think its only fair to give Angel a chance." The pharaoh was frozen. So it had happened. They really had gone off on him and Angel really had disappeared before. And now they were coming back to apologize and give her a fair chance! A smile spread across his face. Gods, he loved his friends!

"Yeah." he said opening the door wider and beckoning them inside. "Come on in." He then turned, ran across the family room, leapt up the few stairs and out to the balcony.

"Angel!" he called. "Angel come out here! There's someone here to see you!" Angel turned to face him from the balcony wall. The wind blew long strands of ebony hair across her face and she gazed at him with quizzical emerald eyes. There was definitely something different about her today. She wore loose black sweat pants that spilled over her bare feet and brushed the ground. A snug fitting black tank top completed her unusually basic outfit and her long hair billowed around her. She had a small, fake smile plastered on her face but Yami knew better. She tried to fake it, but Yami saw right through the mask. Her eyes were the things that gave her away. Black shadow flecked her clear green pools like the ties she was upset. What was wrong with her? And why had she run away last night? His won heat beating loudly and rapidly in his ears snapped him out of his daze. He realized that he had been gawking unblinkingly at her. She looked at him puzzled.

"There's someone here to see you." he repeated smiling at her. Hr fake smile widened and she stepped forward and passed him curious to see who arrived. He quickly hurried passed her to face his friends. they were seated in various placed around the room. Shizuka, Mai and Ryou looked a bit concerned but curious. Jonouchi and Anzu looked annoyed and bitter and Malik and Honda appeared curious. Yugi seemed to be able to see right through Yami, his amethyst orbs boring straight through his heart. He cleared his throat a bit self consciously before speaking.

"Guys, this is Angel." he said awkwardly stepping aside to let Angel lean on the railing to see her visitors.

Angel stared around at Yami's friends in awe. They all gazed back at her with similar looks. For a long moment there was silence as they all stared at each other. Yami reached over and took her hand to lead her down the stairs. Everyone's eyes followed, but still not a word was said. Angel was the first to break the silence.

"Yugi?" she asked quietly. The boy couldn't help but grin/

"Hey, Angel." he said smiling and opening his arms. The uncertainty vanished from her face and she dropped Yami's hand and rushed to the small highschooler, flinging her arms around him.

"Yugi, Yugi!" she cried happily.

"Donoyouni, Angel?" Yugi asked smiling and peering down into her green eyes. Yep, this was Angel alright. Full of joy and amazement for the world. How could he ever have thought that she was dangerous? She had never tried to harm him or anyone else in the entire time he had spent with her. How could he have said those horrible things about her? How could he have discouraged Yami from his true feelings for this girl....? A wave of guilt washed over him once more as he remembered shouting at the pharaoh. But there was something different about her today. He would've bet any amount of money that she would've come racing down squealing, laughing and bouncing around when she saw them. But she didn't . She was strangely quiet and as he gazed into her piercing green eyes, he saw something he had never seen before. The normally happy, dancing emeralds were flecked with an ebony shadow. Although it was hidden, there was a scar there. A scar of pain. Yugi had known when he first met her that she was not a normal person. Hr pointed ears and lack of speech were puzzling, but there had been something else. The demonic girl had been through a lot. Pain, loneliness and fear excessively scarred her soul. But this was new. A fresh scratch of hurt. But what had happened? Yugi blinked when he realized the others were talking.

"Well that's enough for me." Mai said referring to Angel hugging Yugi.

"Konnichiwa, Angel." Shizuka said in a friendly voice.

"Konnichiwa." said Ryou. "Donoyouni?"

"Hi." said Honda looking at her with a strange expression on his face. Malik nodded his greetings and Anzu remained silent.

"Hey, Angel." Jonouchi said, the look on his face similar to Honda's. Soon the whole room was buzzing with excitement at the friendly, human appearance of the duel card.

Yami grinned, not saying anything, letting his friends take her in. Honda and Jonouchi stepped over to the pharaoh.

"Oi, Yami." they said together, mischievous expressions on both their faces.

"Nanda?" Yami asked suspiciously, his violet eyes darting between the two of them.

"ANGEL'S HOT!" the both cried gazing at the female duel card, their faces entirely crimson. For a brief moment, an odd feeling rushed through the Game King. For some reason he didn't like it that Honda and Jonouchi were suddenly drooling over Angel. They had no right! She didn't belong to them! Then a suspicious, annoyed shriek cut the air whisking away the feeling.

"Nani?!" came the angry voice of Mai. Jonouchi's eyes grew large and he tried to hide his blushing face.

"Uhh- just kidding!" he said flailing around. Mai glared icily at him but let the issue go. Yami chuckled and shook his head as he watched the two guys join the others.

"Well I wasn't." Honda muttered as he walked away. Yugi then came up to him.

"Arigoto, Yugi." the pharaoh said to his approaching hikari. The boy smiled.

"You're welcome. Its only fair. And I'm sorry about yesterday." he replied.

"Its ok. You guys had the right to be concerned. I should have told you sooner

but-...."

"I know." Yugi paused, then quietly and in a concerned way. "What's wrong wit her?" Yami glanced down at his adolescent twin.

"You noticed too, huh?"

"Hai." the boy nodded, his amethyst orbs moving back to Angel. Yami wasn't really surprised. Yugi seemed to always have had a certain "sixth sense", like he was able to see right through people. He was able to know so much about them just by looking into their eyes; not major details, just feelings. Plus he had spent a whole weekend alone wit her, allowing him to know her even more.

"What's wrong with her?" he repeated.

"I dunno." he replied. "I've asked, but she won't say. She'd done nothing but sit out on the balcony."

"Where was she yesterday?"

"I dunno. I looked for hours and I finally gave up and came home. I slept on the couch and when I woke up and checked her room, she was there."

"Hmm."

"I can't figure it out. Yesterday she was perfectly fine, but today, its like she doesn't want anything to do with me."

"You'll figure it out." the boy replied starting back towards the others. "But you shouldn't deny yourself, Yami. I know how you feel." he said over his shoulder. Then he turned away and rejoined his friends. Yami's head swam. What was that supposed to mean? His heart pounded in his ears and his gaze was licked unblinkingly on Angel. His friends were smiling and laughing and smothering her with questions. Questions she was incapable of answering. She was looking at them all uncertainly as they stared at her and questioned her like a zoo animal. He knew they all had the best intentions, but they were smothering her. Strangely, the only one sitting back in silence was Ryou. His brown eyes were locked in and unblinking gaze on Angel, his face expressionless. Anzu glared daggers at the raven haired girl. Although she tried to hide it, her bitterness and jealousy could not be smothered. Angel was looking at her nervously but the bitter high school girl glared at her with pure hate and contempt. An uncontrollable fire blazed in Anzu's blood. So this was the girl who had supposedly claimed the Game King's heart. What was so special about her? * Look at her.* she thought, jealousy poisoning her mind. * She's tiny; smaller than even Yugi. And she has pointed ears. What's up with that? Her lips are black and she not that pretty. She's a card! She doesn't have feelings!* Instantly Anzu felt a pang of guilt. That was indecent and mean. She could see for herself that the girl had thoughts and feelings too. But she couldn't help it. She had tried so hard to get the pharaoh to notice her and then this freak duel card comes along and takes what she worked so hard to get.

Angel stood awkwardly in the middle of the chattering family room. To Yami's surprise she wasn't relishing in the constant attention. She just stood there awkwardly, not saying anything. suddenly, for what seemed like the first time, Angel noticed Ryou. He looked strange. Instead of his normal cheerful self, he was silent, his gazed locked almost menacingly on her. It was almost as if he wasn't Ryou at all....

Fear suddenly came to her face and she began to back away from him and the others. They all stared at her quizzically, but her fear grew, her eyes fixed on Ryou.

"Angel?" Mai asked.

"What's wrong?" Shizuka questioned. Yami's confusion grew as he noticed Angel suddenly distraught at the site of Ryou. He started forward, his amethyst orbs shifting from her to Ryou.

Ice ran through Angel's body as she continues to back away from the figure before her. Yami's friends; the ones that had ridiculed her and said that she wasn't real, stared at her with puzzled and concerned looks on their faces. But cold, hard, lonely fear swept through her as she attempted to get away from the long flaxen hair and menacing brown stare. *You know I'm here." A cool, evil voice spoke in her mind. *Yes, you know. Why have you not done your job yet? Why is the pharaoh still breathing? And why are you standing amongst his companions when you are not real? You do not exist. You will be punished for this.....* Panic gripped the duel card and she suddenly let out a blood chilling scream. She snatched at her long hair and screamed in pure fear over and over.

Yugi stared wide-eyed at Angel, his heat beating as quickly as a hummingbird's. And of a sudden she had become frightened and was now screaming in panic. What was going on?! Without thinking he hurried up to her and grabbed her shoulders. she whipped her head up and he was taken aback. Her eyes were completely black. She stared at him briefly, her expression pleading and panicked. Another scream irrupted to chorus with hers.

"Yugi! Look out!" Anzu screamed. Yugi blinked and stared around in shock. Complete darkness swarmed through the apartment, blackening everything. thunder bellowed its angry cry from outside and bursts of fire appeared out of nowhere. He jumped away from her as more panicked screams filled the air.

Yami leapt forward for Angel. What the hell just happened?! She had been fine, then all of a sudden she took sight of Ryou and gotten scared. then she had suddenly started screaming in fear after an evil sneer from Ryou? He leapt forward only to be hit hard and thrown back by Angel's wings exploding from her back.

"Angel!" he screamed. The screams and shouts of his friends filled the air and darkness and fire swarmed about.

"Minna! Get out!" he yelled. "Hurry!" Without hesitation they all sprinted for the door. Everyone except Yugi.

"Yami!" he cried.

"Go!" Yami bellowed.

"But-"

"GO!" Jonouchi grabbed the boy's arm as he ran by, practically carrying him out the door. When they had all gone, Yami darted for Angel again He sized her by the arms and tried to get her to stop screaming.

"Angel! ANGEL!" he cried shaking her a bit. She stopped screaming all together, standing silently and breathing hard, not meeting his gaze. The darkness began to melt away and the flames were extinguished, but a storm still raged outside.

"Angel! What's wrong with you?!" Yami cried still shaking her a bit. She didn't say anything and refused to look at him. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" he continued. "You blew it, Angel! They came over here to give you a chance and you rewarded them by showing them that you're some kind of monster!" Immediately he regretted his words. For she finally did look up and her eyes were enveloped in a shroud of ebony shadow. Hurt flashed across her face and complete defeat joined it.

"Sorry..." she just barely whispered before running past him and back into her room.

"Angel, I-" he began, but she had already breezed the door closed.