DECLARAION- This story has been written and produced by Cathrath (FanFiction. net ID: 609465). Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of Cathrath. If you should see this story posted anywhere other than FanFiction .net or under any other name it has been stolen so please notify the author. I do not own Yu-gi-oh.

Chapter 8 - Betrayal

Yugi sat down wearily on the edge of his bed and sighed. The last few days had been stressful to say the least. Yugi had never really taken the threats to Yami's life seriously. After all, how could someone not like Yami, he was a good ruler, fair and just but the events of the last few days had brought home the realities of the situation. Yami was Pharaoh, the most powerful man in Egypt and possibly the world with his control over the shadow realm and there would always be someone after his power. Yugi lay down and stared up at the ceiling. He was relieved that Yami was Ok now. He never wanted to get that close to loosing him again. He thought back to how he had saved Yami by using the puzzle and shivered as he recalled the way the puzzle had tried to absorb him.

'Why did it try to do that?' he wondered for the second time that day.

'I know Ishizu said it was because it was curious about me but I just don't know...it felt like something else...it felt like it needed me.'

He shook his head and turned onto his side, his back to the door, still deep in thought. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the door open or see the hand reach for his shoulder.

Yami was sitting up in bed trying to eat the soup that Ishizu was feeding him. He hated being treated like a baby but he really didn't have the strength to argue. Yami grimaced at the taste of the 'soup'. He suspected Ishizu had slipped one of her normally foul tasting medicines into it in order to get Yami to take it without complaint. Seeing his reaction, Ishizu laughed.

"I haven't poisoned it you know."

"How can I be so sure? I should be more careful from now on."

Ishizu put the half finished bowl down and placed her hands on her hips.

"If you don't stop complaining Your Highness I will have the guards hold you down whilst I pour it..."

She stopped at the sound of the cry from the next room.

"YUGI," Yami exclaimed.

"STAY," Ishizu shouted over her shoulder to Yami as she rushed towards the door.

Defiantly Yami swung his legs out of the bed and stood but his legs buckled beneath him and he grabbed onto the edge of the bed for support.

Meanwhile Ishizu burst into Yugi's room to find Yugi sitting on his bed holding his chest as though he had just received a huge shock. A sheepish looking Tea stood beside him.

"Sorry Ishizu," he said as she saw her standing in the doorway looking un-amused.

"Tea startled me. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Does that mean I should have stayed in bed?" came a weak voice behind her.

Yugi cried out and rushed towards Yami who was leaning heavily on the doorframe.

"Oh Yami, I'm sorry," he cried realising he had frightened his friend.

"What are you doing out of bed? I told you to stay put," Ishizu exclaimed seeing her patient where he shouldn't be.

"I was worried Yugi might be in trouble," Yami said in his defence.

"Not in as much trouble as you are right now. Just what help do you think you could have been in your current condition if Yugi had been in trouble?"

Ishizu was angry, angry at Tea and Yugi for startling Yami, angry with Yami for being out of bed and angry with herself for not being there when Yami was attacked. Yami got the full force of her combined anger and he glanced at the floor.

"I...I suppose your right Ishizu...I...didn't think. I'm sorry."

Ishizu's heart softened at the sight of Yami broken and beaten before her.

"Oh, Yami I'm the one who should be sorry. It's not your fault. Come, let's get you back into bed."

She joined Yugi and slipped an arm around Yami to support him and together they started to slowly walk out of the room. They were about to enter the corridor when Yami stopped and looked back round at Yugi's now empty room.

"What is it Yami?" Ishizu asked.

Yami's eyes continued to sweep the room.

"I don't know. For a moment there I thought I could feel another presence in the room. It felt familiar, like when I'm near one of the guardians or another millennium item."

Ishizu swept her own eyes around the room.

"I can't see anything. Are you sure?"

Yami shook his head.

"No, I only felt it for a moment perhaps one of the other guardians is close by and I thought they were in the room".

"Perhaps," Ishizu said cautiously.

They paused for a moment longer.

"There's no one here, I must have been mistaken. Sorry," Yami finally said.

Slowly they left the room and made their way back to Yami's chambers. Unseen by them in the room behind a figure detached itself from the shadows.

'That was close, I must be more careful in future,' the figure thought.

He reached out his hand and slowly the form of a gold ring, bearing the symbol of the eye of Horus in its centre, materialised there.

'Good job I sent the ring to the shadow realm otherwise I would have been caught for sure. I wasn't expecting that fool of a Pharaoh to show up or that stupid slave girl. I will have to wait a little longer for my prize.'

With that Bakura melted back into the shadows waiting for his prey to return.

Yugi was still apologising profusely to Yami as he helped him back into bed.

"I'm sorry Yami I didn't mean to scare you. Its just that Tea gave me such a fright I couldn't help yelling out."

Yami smiled and gave a faint chuckle.

"I should have realised you were alright. If you had been in real trouble you would have used our link."

"What's this?" Ishizu asked, overhearing.

Yugi sighed. He knew they were going to have to tell everyone at some point.

"Yami gave me a replica of the puzzle to wear. Before he gave it to me he used the power of the shadow realm to transfer some of the real puzzle's power to it so we could talk to each other using our minds."

Yami braced himself for a scolding about misuse of power from Ishizu as Yugi finished telling the story.

"Good idea," came Ishizu's unexpected reply.

"R...really. You're not angry?" Yami asked surprised.

"No. I think is a great idea. That way you two can stay in contact at all times, providing your both wearing your puzzles. Now, enough talking, you both need to rest."

Yami nodded and lowered himself back down onto the bed as Yugi pulled the covers up around him. Almost as soon as Yami's head hit the pillow he was sound asleep. Yugi and Ishizu stepped back and pulled the curtains around the now sleeping Pharaoh. Ishizu now turned her attention to her other charge.

"Get to bed Yugi. You need rest as well. I'll stay and watch Yami."

Yugi nodded gratefully and again left in the direction of his room. Yugi paused in his doorway. Yami's words about sensing another presence still fresh in his mind, but he couldn't see or feel anything wrong so he entered. Tea came in behind him.

"I'm sorry Your Highness, I didn't mean to startle you earlier. I was just going to ask if you wanted anything to eat."

Yugi gave her a weary smile.

"Its Ok Tea. It wasn't your fault I should have been paying more attention instead of daydreaming."

Tea smiled in return.

"Would you like something to eat now?" she asked.

Yugi yawned.

"No I think I just need to sleep for now."

Tea nodded her understanding and turned back towards the door.

"Let me know if you need anything," she called out as she closed the door behind her.

Yugi yawned again and turned back to the bed. He slowly climbed up onto it and collapsed in a completely un-prince-like fashion. It wasn't just that he was tired he was exhausted. His eyes began to droop and he started to drift off to sleep. A slight noise behind him brought him back awake. Sure it was Tea coming back again, he lifted himself up onto his arms and started to turn over.

"Tea did you forg..."

He didn't get a chance to finish as a hand clamped itself tightly over his mouth and pushed him back down onto the bed. He struggled as he stared up at the white haired form of Bakura.

"Greetings Prince Yugi I've been waiting for you."

Yugi struggled but went limp as Bakura brought the hilt of a dagger down against his temple.

.+ YAMI + he called out through their mind link as he collapsed unconscious.