Sorry it took so long for this chapter. I haven't been inspired lately. Oh well, here it is. Remember, I don't own anything.

(dream)

It was darker than anything he had ever seen before. It was almost suffocating. The heat of the area was too incredible, and the pressure was immense.

Looking around, Yugi noted that it seemed very familiar.

'No…' he thought. 'Not again…' It was all too familiar. 'It can't be…'

"Oh, I assure you, it is, Yugi." The small teen spun around, only to be confronted by his worse fear.

Ishinku.

"No!" Yugi said. "No!! H-how…? T-this can't be…!"

"But it is, Yugi," the mage said with a sickening smile. "You're in the orb…"

The dark orb, a nightmarish hell to anyone with the misfortune of being trapped within. Yugi could feel himself beginning to tremble.

Ishinku seemed to be laughing at his plight.

"What do you want? You…you're not still after Yami, are you?"

Ishinku shook his head, seeming to hover toward him. "Not at all. I'm after you, Yugi."

"M-me?!"

"You disrupted my plans. You and Bakura. I'm out to get the both of you."

Yugi watched as Ishinku's hands began to glow a dark-bluish glow. He felt as though he couldn't breath. What was going on? Hadn't they gotten rid of Ishinku?

He shut his eyes, falling to his knees.

Yugi…

His violet orbs opened again. 'Yami?'

Yugi…

'No…that's not Yami…it's too soft to be Yami…But who…?'

Yugi. Can you hear me?

Unsure of what was going on, he nodded. Who was that?

Yugi…you have to get rid of Ishinku.

'I want to,' he thought. 'But how?'

This is just a dream, Yugi. You can control your dreams.

Looking up, Yugi saw that Ishinku was still advancing towards him, his hands held out, glowing with dark energy. Closing his eyes again, Yugi thought as hard as he could that Ishinku would go away.

Opening his eyes again, he let out a soft sigh when the mage was gone.

The darkness began to clear up, as the blackness was replaced with pallid walls. Getting to his feet, he looked around.

Yugi…are you alright?

'That voice…it's so familiar…' "Yeah, I'm okay," he called to the empty room. "But where are you? Who are you?"

You don't know me?

"Well…your voice sounds familiar…but I can't really place it."

The voice laughed. I'm not really surprised. I don't really say much. People tend to think that I'm really quiet. Unless…my other me takes control…

'His other?' Yugi thought. 'Wait…it couldn't be…' "Bakura?"

There was a bright flash, and the small boy had to cover his eyes, lest he should go blind. When the light faded, Yugi looked, his breath caught in his throat.

Bakura hovered in front of him, looking very much like he did when his soul was captured by Ishinku.

"Bakura?" the young boy repeated. "What's going on?"

Yugi, the snow-haired boy replied. A chill spread through Yugi's body as he heard Bakura's voice in his head, but his mouth hadn't moved. I need your help.

"My help? For what?"

Do you remember when your Yami broke Ishinku's Orb, and our souls returned to our bodies?

Yugi nodded.

And that half of Ishinku's soul trapped in the orb as well returned to his body?

Again, he nodded.

Well, not all of his soul returned.

"What do you mean?"

A part of his soul never returned to his body.

"Wait…are you saying that he's not dead?"

Not exactly…you see, most of his soul returned to his body, but a small portion of it didn't. That portion, however, was enough so that instead of his soul leaving to the spirit world when he was killed, his soul was merely separated from his body, and the rest of his soul is trying to reconnect with the portion that was lost.

Yugi nodded, trying to make sense of it. "But what does that have to do with you?"

Bakura looked down at the ground.

His silence worried Yugi. "Bakura?"

Well…you see…the portion of his soul…

"What?"

That small portion of his soul…fused with my own…

Yugi's jaw dropped, his eyes widening in surprise. "What?!"

The spirit nodded. And once I returned to my body, his soul had tried to take over. It was slow at first, but…

"But what?! Bakura…?!"

You see…since his soul is trying to reconnect with itself, his entire soul is trying to take control of my body. As his soul is entering, it's slowly forcing my own soul out of my body…

"But then…what's going to happen to you?"

The spirit once again left it silent.

"Bakura, tell me!"

Well, if nothing is done to stop him…since he's much stronger than I am…he will force me out completely, and my soul will be lost forever…

There was a dead silence covering them, Yugi staring at Bakura as the said spirit looked at the ground.

"Why?" Yugi asked. "Why is he doing that to you?"

The portion of his soul happened to fuse with mine. Plus, I think he's using this as a revenge against me. But when he's eradicated my soul completely, he'll be after you.

"Isn't there anything I could do?!" he asked frantically. "I mean, I don't want your soul to be lost, Bakura! Isn't there anyway to help you?"

Well…there is one way, but…

"But what?"

It's very dangerous…

"What is it?"

…Ishinku's Orb…

"Ishinku's Orb? The one that Yami broke?"

The spirit nodded. If you were to gather the pieces of the orb, you would be able to help me.

"Gather the pieces of the Orb?"

When Yami Yugi broke the Orb, the pieces of the Orb scattered, as is their nature. Each time they are broken, they spread around, waiting for a person to find each piece and put the Orb together.

"And where are the pieces of the Orb?"

All over Domino somewhere. But Yugi, it'll be very dangerous.

"I don't care!" the small boy cried. "You helped me when I needed you. You were almost killed! This is the least I could do."

But with each piece of the Orb comes a test.

Yugi tilted his head to the side slightly. "A test? What kind of test?"

A test to see if one is worthy of obtaining the Orb. Each piece has a different test. You'll never be able to tell which test it will be. If you pass each test, you are allowed that piece of the orb. But if you fail…

"What, Bakura?"

Should you fail, your life will be taken from you…

Another silence settled over them, and to Yugi, it was more suffocating than the darkness.

Finally, Yugi cleared his throat. "Do you know where the pieces are?"

Bakura looked up at him. You can't be serious! It's dangerous, Yugi!

"I don't care! You helped me, and I'm going to help you!"

You could die…if not from failing the test, then from the actual test.

"I don't care! I'll do whatever it takes!"

Bakura looked into the eyes of his small friend, the violet orbs gleaming and burning with an unknown, unseen fire. He smiled then. Congratulations, Yugi. You have passed this test.

Confusion swept over the young boy. "Test?" he repeated.

Holding out his hands, a soft glow began to fill the room, as something seemed to appear in the spirit's hands. He held them out to Yugi. This is one of the pieces of the Orb.

Taking it from him, Yugi looked at the singular piece. For its size, it wasn't very heavy. However, unlike when it was complete and under Ishinku's power, the piece was clear, like a piece of glass.

Be warned, Yugi. The other tests won't be so easy.

Yugi looked up at him, nodding.

Bakura seemed to begin to say something else, but stopped short. My time is up here…

Yugi looked worried. "What's wrong?"

Since my soul is still technically attached with my body, I can't stay long outside of it. The only reason I was able to come here now was because a small part of me was forced out by Ishinku. But I can't stay long.

"But…Bakura…!"

I'll be back…And I'll be helping you collect the pieces of the Orb…believe me, you'll need it…

"Bakura!!" Yugi called. But he could only watch as his friend disappeared.

Yugi sat up in bed quickly, his chest heaving as he gulped in air. Surveying his surroundings, he found that he was in his room.

Finally, after a moment or two, he was able to calm down, wiping the sweat from his brow.

'What a weird dream…' he thought. 'And yet…it seemed so real.'

He heard the sound of heavy footsteps, and suddenly, Yami appeared at the doorway.

"Oh, good," the spirit of the puzzle said. "You're up. Hurry and get dressed."

"Why?"

"We have to go the hospital."

Yugi's eyes went wide. "Why?! What happened?!"

"Something happened to Bakura yesterday. Hurry and get dressed." And with that, the dark spirit disappeared.

Yugi, throwing off the bed-sheets from his body, was about to get out of bed, when he froze, his eyes focusing on his nightstand, resting next to his Millennium Puzzle.

The piece of the orb.

'That was no dream…' he told himself. 'It was definitely real. And if it was real, then Bakura's is in serious trouble…'

TBC

Yeah…okay…cool!! Finally, I'm able to get this out!!! Please review!! And don't kill me!!