Hey, look! It's chapter 4! Finally! Party! Yeah!

"Hey, Yug, you busy this afternoon?" The gang, which included Joey, Yugi, Tristen, Anzu, Mai, Ryou Bakura, a currently absent Otogi and the new and supposedly, cough, cough improved Malik, was walking down the street a couple blocks from Domino High. The group was very glad to be back at school after an exhausting Battle City Tournament. Some were more grateful than others, but they kept that to themselves. It was a warm afternoon and the sun was shinning in its cerulean sky.

"Sorry Joey, I have to help Grandpa in the shop. And besides, there's a new Duel Monsters Tournament coming up and I have to prepare my deck."

"A new tournament huh? Hang on, didn't we just finish the last one?"

"You never know. Besides, it's good practice.

"Hmm… Maybe I'll join!" Tristen grinned.

"I wonder if there's a prize for last place?"

"Shut up!" Just then a limousine containing a rather irritated Seto Kaiba (he did just lose Battle City after all) came driving slowly by and he happened to have his window rolled down.

"I didn't know they were letting dogs compete in tournaments now."

"WHY YOU!" Seto smirked, knowing he had the blonde going.

"It must be a pretty lax tournament. Just don't beg me for a doggy treat as a consolation prize when you come in last." At this point Yugi, Tristen and Mai were all restraining Joey from jumping at the limo. Tristen was being very helpful as he teased Joey every now and then between the times he adjusted his grip. Blood boiling Joey seemed ready to turn around and tackle him as well.

"Oh lord…" Anzu sighed. It had been a long day at school that consisted mainly of boring lectures, Joey and Tristen fighting, more lectures and then more fighting. Not to mention the back wall in chemistry class being melted by Malik's can of orange soda and some unknown chemical that he somehow managed to retrieve from a locked volt. Then lunch, a fire drill, more lectures, more fighting, a gym class in which the substitute teacher wouldn't stop hitting on her, more fighting and more lectures, and… and… she really wanted a time in the day that didn't consist of fighting or lectures. Especially the fighting… and lectures… Trance bar going up, up, up and-

"Will you guys KNOCK IT OFF?!?!?!" Suddenly sweet, darling Anzu turned into Xena Warrior Princess and both the blonde and the spiky brunette were hiding behind Yugi looking very afraid. Yes, VERY afraid. Seto Kaiba had already driven away, ignoring Anzu's outburst. Or maybe he didn't hear it. Either way, he was gone and so it didn't matter.

After some anger control management dished out by Mai, who was getting very good at it, and Ryou, who was also becoming quite learned in the art, the group continued on down the street. Mai and Anzu were talking about something while Tristen walked suspiciously behind them. In the far back Malik and Ryou walked together silently while Yugi and Joey lead the group.

"Hey, Yugi, did you see that knew tape?" The blonde whispered.

"No, I really want to see it though." Yugi sighed sadly.

"Really? 'Cause I got it."

"Really?!" The smaller boy's face lit up faster than a light bulb after you turn on the switch.

"Yup!" Joey was grinning now too.

"Can I see it?!"

"Sure!" The blonde reached into his bag and pulled out a tape.

"What are you guys whispering about?" They turned to see everyone else starring at them. Yugi suddenly found something very interesting on the ground while Joey seemed to notice something in a particular spot in the sky.

"Well… um…"

"Well?" Yugi looked like he was about to open his mouth to answer when a blur of green shot out from around the corner they were standing on and knocked the entire group down like bowling pins.

"What the heck?"

"Who was that?" Ryou stared at the figure, for a fraction of a second getting a good look at the character's face just before he snatched hold of the top of the cement wall between the sidewalk and the adjacent building and flipped over it. They heard him land past the ledge that lined the wall from within and take off in another direction. Sharp sapphire eyes had gripped hold of hazel brown and Ryou couldn't look away. Everyone else stared after him as well, but to them, he was a smudge in a picture, a ghost of an image that was there one moment and gone the next. Well, almost everyone.

"Hey, what's that tape?" Anzu bent down to pick the cassette up from its resting-place on the sidewalk.

"No Anzu, don't!" Yugi looked horror struck as Anzu searched for a label.

"Is it blank? Joey, why were you carrying around a blank tape?"

"Well… I… um… that is…" Shrugging Anzu tossed it to them before continuing down the street. Both Yugi and Joey dove for the cassette and ended up in a tangled heap with the tape lying on top of them. There were many sighs and shaking of heads while some certain invisible yamis stood to the side cracking up at the scene. Then they left before anything else odd happened.

Run… Run… Run…! Link landed in a crouch and in another moment was around a corner and heading down another street. What's with these people?? Sweat poured down his face and neck and left his tunic damp. At first it was like running around in Hyrule field during the noon of a warm spring day, but now he wondered if he would just drop dead like a boiled frog. Don't forget, he chided himself, I've been through much worse than this. Things can always go downhill from here. He was still residing on the thought when he turned yet another corner and dashed into the shadows. He was relatively good at avoiding people, but then he was normally able to see them. It gets just a little more difficult to avoid bumping into someone you can't see especially if they step out right in front of you. And that's what happened. Link lay shocked on the ground as the second figure quickly untangled himself. The second human heap that day. Well, almost.

"…Sheik?" Link dragged himself up, gasping and looking bewildered. The Sheikah only nodded. The Hylian made a rasping noise and held his gut as his insides, from his intestines to his lungs turned into one huge knot.

"Her majesty wished to reach you before you carried out the letter's instructions. It was intercepted on its way to you and someone we don't want knowing what we know decided to intercept you as well. Her highness found out and wished to stop you, but when I suggested otherwise, she would not heed my advice. That is how I am here." Link nodded his understanding, but continued to hold his stomach. If it had been a raging fire or a dull burn he would have been able to bare it, at least a little better. This was a knot that was quickly growing tighter and then seemed to double over on itself. The feeling was a raw one, and now he couldn't breath. The air was different here. It lacked the life that the air he was used to breathing contained and therefore left him to inhale something empty. Like a slow suffocating death. Link's breath continued to come out in quick raspy gasps and blood fell from his mouth. The Sheikah stood by him, a guard unmoving.

Sheik prickt his ears to the sound of sirens, shouting and running feet. He scowled.

"They've found you." Link looked up and grimaced. The pain wouldn't leave. "I'll find you soon." The Hylian gasped for air and tried to reject, but the Sheikah was already vanished into shadow. He looked up, his vision blurring, to see men dressed in black coming towards him. They took hold of his arms and began to drag him off, speaking in their own language, which despite his understand, was turning into a dull drone in Link's ears. Struggling against their grip, the strength of the Hero of Time eventually left him and he gave. If capture is inevitable, why not take advantage of it? One moment, the elf was perhaps as heavy as the average human, the next he was dead weight and his captors all collapsed around him. The rest just stood watching looking rather amused.

It was still light outside when the bell tolled eight. Most people were relaxing in their homes, waiting for the time to come when their tired bodies would finally call them to a long and hopefully restful silence, only to be awaked some nine hours later at the sound of the cock. On a quiet street, only one house had all of the lights off. Perhaps it was because that not all of the residents were accounted for or perhaps it was because among the ones that should have been present, there were those that preferred the shadow verses the fluorescent lights. Besides, if it meant keeping the energy bill down to it's bare minimum, Ryou was all for it. When your legal parent is away and you're the one filling out checks, the teen had found it's best to stick with small numbers.

He had already eaten his supper and now stood before a perfectly clean dresser, running a brush through his layered silky-white hair. Putting the brush down Ryou inspected himself in the mirror. His face had gotten through the pimple stage- thank goodness- and was now smooth. Perhaps it looked so nice because of the soap he used.

Sighing he backed up and checked his attire. His overly baggy sweatshirt made him look about three times bigger than he was and his cargo pants kept anyone from thinking otherwise. He had changed the moment he got home and was very glad for it. Those blue school uniforms, oh how he hated the wretched things. Reaching into his drawer he pulled out his birth certificate.

Name: Bakura Ryou

Gender: Male

He looked into the mirror again. Long white hair and bangs framed his delicate face and large hazel eyes peered out from below long dark eyelashes. Why? How long can someone pretend to be who they're not? How much longer could he? Sighing once more, he replaced the sheet of paper and decided to take a walk. His yami was probably out grave robbing anyway and his father wouldn't be back for a couple weeks. A perfect opportunity to get out of the house for a while. It's not like it would kill his yami to come home once in a while and find his hikari had vanished. Well, then again, maybe it would. But how much a difference could that make?

Wow, I took forever getting THAT up… Constructive criticism as always, but reviews period are beautifull!

I promise, this will eventually make more sense! Maybe…