Yes, yes, I'm finally doing the next chapter. I knew how I wanted it to be - but in all honesty I couldn't mold it with my liking. So here I am, listening to Nightwish with four other stories opened and waiting to have some attention brought to, and deciding to work on this first. Want to know what else there is? A lovely sequel to Can You Still Love Me, a short Rurouni Kenshin snippet, the next chapter of Can't Stop Loving You, and of course my all-so-great The Pain You Gave Me. Heh, yeah, there's me gloating on what will take awhile to do.

----and now a few weeks later I return to working again. Whoops. holds up pad of paper I actually drew a map for myself o.O;;

----wow even more weeks later from that comment here I am again. I got lost in my map. Shit..

"I wish for this lifetime to last for a lifetime, in darkness around me shores of a solar sea."

-Sleeping Sun: Nightwish

I let out a groan, rolling over and feeling something shift around my body, pulling me in closer, tighter. My arms come around my body, trying to feel what it is when more shifting occurs and my body feels lowered. Coughing, I was turned vertically it felt and my feet brushed what must have been the ground, but I was just as quickly pulled away from it. With another groan and more shifting of what was around me, I opened my eyes - wishing I never had. "What the hell is this?!"

Frantically, I tried to break away as it seemed like some kind of limbs of some creature were around me, covering from my neck to my ankles and pulling me against a fleshy wall. "Where am I?! Let me go!" I snapped out, trying to fight it as the limbs pulled around me like rope and finally stopped moving. It didn't matter, I was suspended in the air, away from the "ground" and with my body semi-against some beast's wall!

My eyes searched around carefully, noting what may have been a door and what I hope was a river, but it looked kind of green and foaming… Yck…my gaze traveled upwards and I squinted, seeing what seemed like more limbs wrapping around something… "BAKURA!"

It was him! I could make out his hair! But he wasn't moving… "Bakura, Bakura! Wake up!"

He seemed to roll over in his restraints, moving around to look at me, eyes opening in rejoice. "Yami! Oh, thank god you're here…well, maybe it'd be better if you weren't…" he sighed and I think he knew something that I didn't, I give him a look to want some form of an answer. "Haven't you noticed?"

"…Noticed what?"

"The walls, these feeler things, the liquid down there, door -"

"Yes, I've seen all of that. What are you getting at, Bakura…?"

"Yami. We're inside some creature."

How long have we been here? A half an hour or so, it seemed. I mumbled in annoyance, feeling my legs go numb and sigh, hanging my head. What kind of test is this? We'll be here for hours if we can't get out of this. The limbs tighten around my arms - there goes my circulation.

Bakura has been awfully quiet and it's starting to worry me. I can see him perfectly fine from here, but his eyes look rather focused and he rolls over for about the third time in the last five minutes. I note as realization strikes through his eyes and he starts to laugh with joy (I hope).

I close my eyes slightly to try and block out a golden glow that breaks out from the limbs holding Bakura, the glow mixing with a new one of a bright purple. I nearly scream when the limbs are cut and Bakura is falling, it's sort of a long way down! But he's caught by….what? My Dark Magician….? But…I…lost him….

He's still laughing and I can see his Sennen item glowing, meaning he had summoned the card. I gasp when magic strikes the limbs holding me up and I fall, a rush of air around me and I fall into the magician's free arm. Ow…I can't feel my body…

"Bakura…" I sigh as the magician lay us to the ground, well actually I'm laying and Bakura is standing. But nevertheless his body dissolves back into a card and my silver fiend holds it out to me. I stare at it, confused, shaking my head as I tried to understand.

"It was in my soul room. A friend of mine retrieved it," he smiled as I took the card, stared at it with love, and then placed it safely into my pocket. I'm guessing his friend was the child version of himself that I met, otherwise I'm clueless.

"Thank you…" I murmur, attempting to stand, managing slightly when Bakura reached down and helped me up, putting my arm around his shoulder. I blush vaguely and he smiles at it. "How are you not numb?"

"I made sure to keep moving around and use the ring slightly," he shrugged a bit as we moved for the door, though it seemed more like some sort of mouth, then again we are inside something's body. That thought disturbs me… "I wish I thought about summoning something sooner, sorry."

"Thought of something quicker than I did," I muttered before reaching out at the flesh door, cringing at the feeling beneath my palm and nearly clinging to Bakura when it twisted open. "Eh…" I gulped and we stepped through, watching it snap close behind us with a spongy sound. "So what do we do now…? Um…find the exit…?" at this point I was getting really uneasy.

"Yeah, I guess," I think he laughed a bit at my current state. "Squeamish?"

"No," I inwardly groaned again as we continued moving. Bakura obviously knew I was lying, but he was polite enough to not say anything about it. He only held me closer and I allowed myself to smile. Everything was rather quiet as we walked through dark tunnel. I could hear splashes of a liquid drip down from the curved ceiling, but other than that it was fine - until a stream of the liquid landed on my arm and I cried out, falling away from Bakura to the ground.

He looked down at me as if I were insane and it took him a minute to realize I was being burned. "B-Bakura!" I cried out once more, watching my sleeve sizzle away and my flesh start to boil as the liquid buried into my arm. I clenched my eyes shut, unsure of what to do, knowing if I touched it then my hand would burn as well.

"Shit…" Bakura cursed, eyes wide and face blank before he dragged me to my feet, running through the tunnel and through another of the doors. "It's trying to eat us…" I looked at him, sweat forming on my face. There was "only" a flesh wound now, the liquid seeming to dissolve, but I was still bleeding a good amount from it…and the pain was still present…still tingling. "Did it stop?"

"Y-Yeah…" I nearly whimpered, sinking back to the ground of a very open, circular room. My hand ignored the feeling of blood and clasped over on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding as best I could. Unconsciously, I leant against Bakura's legs, knowing he was looking down at me from where he stood…but I felt more secure in the position.

"….We need to get that healed up…"

"Brilliant. Any idea of how?" I growled unintentionally. He winced a bit at my tone and I vaguely slumped, "Sorry."

"Don't worry…." he seemed to pause, voice dropping as he finished, "…about it…"

"What is it?" I tried to sit up as he moved away, but he told me to stay and rest and I sighed out. I want to help, and know what the heck seemed to be on his mind suddenly. "Bakura, tell me what it is!"

"Shh!" he snapped and I fell back a bit, immediately going silent.

He turned around a few times, I could see his eyes searching the room, confusion evident. "There are no other doors…" he was talking to himself, not me. Figures…ignore the injured. Yeah, thanks Bakura. Thanks for being so helpful.

"Bakura…" I growled out in my pharaoh-like tone that I can only sometimes manage now it seems. Oh well. It used to be easier to do, a natural habit I guess. Then again, the tone did always get people on my bad side.

He finally responded to me, "I thought I heard something. But nothing came in after us…and there aren't any other doors."

"Maybe it's the creature's stomach. I bet he's hungry. Maybe he feeds on ancient spirits all the time," I scoffed and he looked over at me, raising a brow. I got his point and gave a nervous chuckle. "I'm tired and injured - cut me some slack."

"I would, but all your witty remarks are going to my head," at first I thought he was angry with me, but he was smiling and in return I forced the gesture…it wasn't that difficult to smile back when watching him. Then again, how could I not smile at him? How the hell did I use to manage when he was….alive? Never mind, never mind…don't think about that Yami…I'll get him alive and then everything will be fine again…

I felt something brush against my back and I turned to look, seeing nothing and faltering. "…Bakura…?"

"Hn?"

"I think something is in here…"

I caught him tensing from the corner of my eyes and forced myself to stand. He walked over by my side, nervously gazing around at the blank room. I was the first to notice the flesh walls move very slightly, and yet constantly. I informed Bakura of this and before I knew it, he threw me to the ground. I yelled out, cursing him loudly in pain, looking back up angrily as he fought to keep standing…I couldn't see what was attacking him. He was…protecting me…'Kura… I shifted slightly, noting a long scaly tail from the creature, opening my mouth wordlessly when I saw the full being. It was snake like for its main body, though two strong, clawed arms jutted out from its upper chest, claws encircling a spear which Bakura held onto in order to keep the being away. Its head was like some sort of dragon…I guess more similar to a Red-Eyes out of anything….

I started, watching two more move into the room right through the flesh wall and shuddered as they came towards me. My blood. My blood from the wound led them here…

I scrambled to stand, almost falling over right away. My breath hitched as I managed to side-strife to the side to for the most part avoid a spear to my arm, though a small portion of my skin was scratched at and sliced. I clenched my eyes shut in pain. How the heck were we going to get out of here alive? All I want is Bakura to live…

Two of the beings came for me after circling and all I could do is stand there. I felt Bakura's back press against my own, a shiver running through him first and seemed to travel through my own body as well. Don't you dare die, Bakura… "Chain of Energy!" I literally eeped when instead of getting hit by a spear, I get a chained up body fall into me. Bakura clutches me and the body falls to the side, squirming and screeching to be released. The others in the room (three in total) go through the same process and I sigh with relief, slumping. I'm really starting to not ignore all these injuries… "You ok…?"

I give Bakura a brief nod before collapsing, too quickly for him to even catch me. But…the floor is just so comfortable… The glowing flesh below me is kind of reassuring…

...Wait.

…Glowing flesh?

…Not something that was there a minute ago.

"Baakkurra…." I groaned in a delirious state, hand numbly rubbing the surface below me, kneading at it to beckon to my will. My gaze stares off to nowhere it particular, just…gazing….gazing……gazing…

"Yami, stay awake," I hear Bakura distantly, that is until the glow rises up and completely engulfs us like some sort of mist. I gasp, trying to clutch to the floor and I manage.

The floor isn't glowing anymore.

I sit up, shaking, stomach lurching, but I hold back what it wants to get rid of. "Bakura…" I wrap my arms around my stomach and clench my eyes shut, a bile rising before whatever was left in my stomach was now on the floor. He supports me carefully and I can feel his gaze, "W-What happened…?" One minute I'm laying down, the next…well…still laying down…but it felt like the world just tipped in every direction…

"…I think that glow…er…transported us somewhere else…" that would explain it.

I wipe my mouth and lean into Bakura, using his aid to slowly help me stand. We need to find a way out, dammit! I feel so useless to him, like I'm slowing him down - which in reality I am. I'm sorry, Bakura…I really do want to help…just…everything is against me… He embraces me as if he knows my thoughts. I shudder and glance to another mouth-door and pull from him, stumbling towards it. He silently follows, both stepping through after it opens for us.

"Might as well keep trying doors…" I mumbled and I believe he simply shrugged as we made it in. I smiled at seeing another door across the room, maybe that meant this was the right way? Perfect! Things could be looking up! I kept my arms circled around my chest, staggering along and ignoring the small shrill sounds all around me. I don't care anymore. I just don't care…I just want to get to that damn flesh door over there…

"Yami?"

"What?" I spoke in a drop-dead tone. I already knew what he was going to ask, but humor him, right?

"You do realize you're walking on…well…um…"

I suppose the nips at my feet would mean I am stepping over some array of animals. But if I ignore them it's like they aren't there, hn? "Yes, Bakura, I do realize I'm walking over….mmm…snakes…" it took me a minute to actually solve that, after all the room did hold a certain darkness too it. I continued trudging along and he finally started to follow me, the hesitation gone.

Ha! That's it now, nearly to that door. Perfect. It better lead out of here.

"Wait, Yami, I don't think this is such a good id -" his voice was gone.

I turned around and blinked, not seeing him anywhere. "Bakura?"

"He'ssss mine now…" I heard the snake-like voice, but couldn't see the speaker itself. "And you will be too…all of your memoriesss and all of your flesh will be food for my children and myssself…but it isss your own fault…you two came in to kill my children!"

Crap. Not good. She doesn't sound very happy…assuming it is female… "…Where did you take Bakura?"

"You ssshould worry about yourssself and not othersss right now…" I saw the tip of a tail move not too far from me and searched for the head, only to find a more serpent length body wrapping around the walls of the room. I watched the muscles move all through the form, leading up to where I could finally see a bird sort of head, scales all around a beak. I caught sight of it right on time to dive away, her beak having shot forward to try and grab me.

I rolled onto the ground, the hundreds of snakes pulling away almost to make room…only to converge back for my body. I screamed in pain as the realization came: they could smell my bloody - they knew exactly where every one of my wounds were.

"That'sss right my children, feed on hisss flesh, pull open hisss sssoul…and I will take hisss mind…"

I felt my body being held down to the ground, loosing my jacket somewhere along the way, trying to roll over to avoid the small fangs pricking into my skin.

"GET OFF ME!" I yelled, body shooting up in a last attempt to free myself. I managed to stand, body numb and my mind swirling.

…I couldn't see.

"Your mind isss mine….human…"

/ YAMI! /

The puzzle shone with brilliant light and my body spun with confusion. I swore I just heard Yuugi….ah…maybe I'm going insane for certain now…

I hadn't realized that the light the puzzle gave off was cause her to pull back until her tail loomed upwards and came down with screeches of her children right besides me. "Now is my chance…" I mumbled, taking a hand and grasping the puzzle to hold it towards her as I ran for the door, body falling against it as her tail came around again, hitting against me and actually pushing me through. I almost didn't make it…yet it closed again and silence fell around me. "…Bakura…I'll find you…"

I stared at the closed door for at least five minutes, watching the pieces holding it together move slightly every so often, that creature trying to push her way through with little success. I finally turned away and glanced around, raising a brow…nearly horrified. "…Now I know where her children come from…"

I gulped, staring around at bundles of egg stored in sunken areas of flesh, some of the smaller ones with a coating of pinkish film around them. I tip-toed along, making sure not to…well, wake any of them. Er…not to disturb their…development. Yeah…that sounds right…

"Dammit…" I mumble at random, falling to one knee when my stomach's muscles pulled tightly into a cramp. Just another one of my many injuries…she hit me pretty hard with her tail back there…

…I wish I could have grabbed my coat.

But no, I didn't, and now I'm wishing I never developed a liking for sleeveless shirts. I'm sure there's probably much more that want to have my arms as their dinner here. Just…damn.

I moved on in my own silence, passing through yet another door and continued on through a crypt kind of place, rotting bones scattered. Must have been her last what, hundred meals? Probably. …I rather not look at see what could have been me.

"Hey…yeah….thanks Yami…keep on walking…"

I stopped and tilted my head to the side, hearing some of the bones shift.

"…Ugh…hey I could really use some help here…"

"Bakura?" I blinked and walked to where the voice was, catching sight of a hand and pull at it, lifting the one I love from the scrap of the dead. Thank Ra he was alive… But….what the hell? There's a slime around him… "What happened to you?"

"Something opened up from the ground in that room…fell into a tube…got covered in this shit and ended up being pushed from the ground and into here…some voice said I'd be the after meal…"

"Lovely."

He scoffed in response, standing and trying to free himself from the substance. He was on his own with that.

Have I mentioned that I hate this place? I don't think I have, surprisingly. As if things couldn't get much worse, we had to fly our way over a river or acid. Yes, fly. As in I handed Bakura a card, he summoned the Curse of Dragon for me. And we flew.

The door there wouldn't open when we landed.

Leave it to a thief to solve some sort of puzzle to open it….after ten minutes. I was nearly in tears by the time we go into the empty room, dragging myself along…nearly collapsing a few times…I hate this place.

I hate it.

I hate it.

"….Bakura."

"Ye - umph!"

I fell against him, weakly staring up into his eyes in desperation.

"You're the only reason I'm alive…" I whispered incoherently, causing him to simply watch me as I slumped, exhausted.

"Just a bit further, Yami. We must be almost out by now…then we can relax in the world of the living…together…ok?"

"…Ok," I smiled.

"Fucking shit…"

I glanced tiredly at Bakura, noticing he stopped moving, though I continued forward a bit. Another door was just ahead and I was determined to get through it. "Keep going, Yami."

"What?" I halted and turned at the comment, quickly spoken.

"I said keep going," he snapped and I glared.

"Why?"

"Please, Yami!"

"No," I straightened, crossing my arms and went to lean against the door, feeling it shift a bit from my body contact. That was odd. "Come on, Bakura. Let's go. I think we're almost out, the puzzle is giving off this weird feeling." He still wasn't moving and I stepped forward just enough to grab his arm, dragging him towards the door. I felt a rumble and blinked when the center split open, quickly pulling Bakura to me.

"Wait, Y -"

"Too late," I cried out, clenching tightly to him as I lost my balance and fell to the ground. The area around us crumbled in an arc shape, dark mist filling over where the rest of the flesh had been. I gulped and glanced down, hearing a groan as a silhouette shifted down in the darkness. We're dead. We're going to die. Dammit, no! This was not supposed to happen! I pushed away from Bakura to stand up, clenching a fist, my body aching.

"Yami, what are you doing?"

I offered him a smile, but his sudden uneasiness remained

"It's going to be ok, Bakura. I understand it now," or I really hoped I did. If not, well…oops? I took a breath, seeing more of the creature below as it started to rise, waiting for its meal. Bakura managed to stand as well, grabbing my wrists to hold me still. "Really, Bakura. I get it. Let go and trust me."

"…Yami…"

"Let go," I whispered and felt his hands sink away. Another breath in as I closed my eyes, opening my mind. "All I want is Bakura to live."

I dropped.

"You idiot! Yami!" Bakura called out, body starting as he reached out, darkness filling over his eyes.

"YAMI!" russet eyes moved quickly around a room, body trembling and arm still outstretched. "Where is he…? Where is he?!" Bakura caught sight of the other people in the room…everyone he and Yami had left in the start of all the tests. Shinkou blinked at him, confused. "Tell me where he is!" he snapped, panicked.

Mariku moved over to Bakura, stumbling slightly and then prodding his head, "He seems real enough."

"What are you…?" the silver haired blinked, then quickly went to look down at his hands. I'm not a ghost anymore…so where the hell is Yami?! "Where is he?"

"You're the only one that came back…"

"That's not funny, Mariku!" he snapped, grabbing the other's shoulders roughly. "What the fucking hell kind of prank is this?! Yami! Come on, get over here, now!" his gaze met Ryou's saddened one and his shoulders slumped. "He's not here? H-He really isn't here…?"

"We'd tell you if he were, Bakura," Isis whispered.

"But…if I'm here…he should be…too…isn't that how it's supposed to work…?" he glanced back over to Shinkou who gave him an unsure shrug. Bakura fell to his knees, face twisting in despair. He said he knew what he was doing…did he really think we were going to both die? So what? He let me live…? "Damn you, Yami!" he shouted, arms encircling over his head and he crouched into the ground. Ryou stumbled over to his side, though was unsure of how to get his darker half to relax. "We failed…I failed…"

Wow, that really sucked. Damn. Damn, damn, damn. -curses- And I took so long to post it too. -.- I'm really sorry, this didn't come out how it was supposed to…-sighs- Well, nevertheless, there's just the epilogue left…I'll try not to take nearly a year to post it… -mumbles and goes to sulk-