Disclaimer: Ah . . . so nice to be back at the computer! Well, here, chapter nine. What was the last chappie? Oh yeah, Ishtar going balistic. Okay, well, normal warnings . . . all that rot. So, here we go!

No. Don't ask me ever again. If I owned YGO, there would be several distinct differences. One: Yami and Yugi would be together. Two: Tea would be killed in some sick freak accident caused my me. Three: Bakura and Malik would be together, but Bakura would love Ryou, too. Four: Ryou and Ishtar would be together. Five: Joey would either be with Seto or Tristan. Probably Seto. Tristan would be with Serenity. So, see, I don't own it.



What is the punishment for killing an angel?



"Who could have done this?" Ishtar asked no one in particular, or was it everyone? He had been dragged from Bakura's room after he started sobbing in hysterics. The doctors had put Bakura into an ambulance and Ishtar went with them. During the ride he stared at Bakura's pale face.

/ Yami? It'll be fine Yami. / Malik tried to reasure Ishtar, who still had control of his body.

//Not now Malik.// Ishtar shut their mental connection. "I don't want to hear it."

He paced back and forth whispering to himself in Egyptian. The police had long since left him alone. Many of then were terrified of him. They had every right to be terrified. Malik, sitting alone in his desolate soul room, couldn't help but think what his yami had seen in the bathroom. That image haunted both of them, and for all they knew Bakura was dead. Malik warily stood and paced around his soul room. There was nothing lsft now. the police couldn't find Ryou or the man who took him, and no one would let Ishtar see Bakura.

"Why couldn't you have been with Yami?" Ishtar whispered aloud wihtout meaning to. Malik wanted to reassure the spirit that Bakura couldn't die, but he found no reason why not, and the link was closed.

/Why do you have to be so impossible?/ Malik yelled even though Ishtar couldn't hear him. /Impossible./

*~*

Later that day, the hospital called the Ishtar residence to report Bakura's condition. He was alive, but bearly. The bullet had narrowly missed his lung and had hit no nerves. He would most likely make it. Ishtar dropped the phone in amazement, and his distraction left room for Malik to escape his soul room.

"What's going on?" he pleaded with his sobbing yami. "He's not . . ."

"He's alive!" Ishtar jumped up and hugged his light. Neither of them noticed, they were too happy to think of how much they hated eachother.



*~*

"Bakura. Bakura-san, you can wake up now, there are people here to see you." A nurse slowly woke up the former tomb robber. He blinked up at her from under the breathing mask that sat over his mouth and nose. He looked around at his arms and saw the IV's sticking from his skin. His skin paled even more than normal. He closed his eyes again and the heart monitors slowed. Ishtar walked to his side and sat in the really, really uncomfortable metal chair.

"Bakura. Wake up." He placed his hand over Bakura's and sighed. "I'm so sorry that I didn't trust you Bakura. this is all my fault. I just didn't want to lose you again." He sighed again and closed his eyes as tears silently fell. "Now I'll never see you again."

"Mr. Ishtar," the doctor had come in. "You have to leave now, we must take him in for surgery. You may be able to see him when its over." The nurse ushered him out.

"I'm staying here." He said as she tried to pull him into the waiting room. "I'm not leaving him again." He crossed his arms. "You can't stop me."

"Fine, sir, we'll just have to commit you."

"Commit me?"

"Come with these nice men please."

Two really big, tall men that looked like they were hooked on steroids dragged the screaming and kicking Egyptian down the hall to the mental ward.

"You should be happy here sir." The nurse said with a sadistic smile.



*~*



Ryou had no idea where he was. He knew the room was dark, and he was alone. That was it. All he remembered was a gun shot and then being hit over the head. Nothing he could do would make the pain go away. He couldn't sense his yami anywhere. He reached a slim, pale hand under his shirt only to find that the Millennium Ring was gone from around his neck. A silent whimper escaped his lips when the metal door opened.

A tall man with semi-spiky black hair walked in holding a gun and the ring. He walked toward Ryou and smiled when he tried to back up, only to realize that he was bound to that spot. The man came closer and slowly raised the gun to Ryou's forehead. He smiled again and it slowly grew into a grin.

"What do you want with me?" Ryou asked, bearly audible.

"I want you little one." He growled out between his teeth. He nelt in front of Ryou and unbound his thin wrists. The man laughed when Ryou whimpered and tried to back away again. It was at this moment when the light from the hall illuminated the room that Ryou saw the bed. On the walls he saw several leather straps and whips. His terror rose as the man lifted him from the floor and walked to the bed. Ryou feebly tried to get out of the vise like grip, but it was useless. He knew what was coming, and could only pray that he was wrong.

'Yami, Malik . . . someone, save me.'

His silent cry reached only deaf ears, and his fate seemed to be sealed.

*~*

Malik had been pacing around his room for nearly an hour. Ishtar had never come home from the hospital, and he was vaugely beginning to be worried. His yami had left for longer times than this. There was nothing to be worried about. But a strange feeling kept tugging at his thoughts. Ryou was in danger, he knew that, and he was somewhere nearby. But where exactly?

"How do you find a fallen angel?" he whispered to no one but himslef. He sighed painfully as he watched the rain fall outside his window. How do you find a fallen angel? The question haunted his thoughts until he slipped from consciousness to sleep.





~~~~~

I know, you still hate me. Too bad. Sorry that it's taken me so long to update, but no one was reviewing! That dampered my spirits so much. I don't think I'm going to write any more. It isn't woth it if no one reads your stories. So, goodbye whoever actually read this story. That's it.