(A/N: Grrrr. I can't believe ff.net has got rid of the double slash marks and asterisks that my fics are filled with. Thanks to them, half of my fics don't even make sense anymore, as the speech is all muddled up with the rest of the text. So of course, I have to go through ALL my fics and replace the slash marks with brackets. Stupid website…it'll probably fix that error five minutes after I've re-uploaded all my fics, irony being what it is.
I've called this fic "Northern Darks" because it is a sort-of pun on the title "Northern Lights" and this is going to be a crossover between Northern Lights and Yu-gi-oh. American readers will know the book by the title "The Golden Compass" and it is written by Philip Pullman.
This is Ryou centred, with Bakura and Malik as other main characters.)
Ryou = light, Bakura = dark, Yugi = light, Yami = dark
Relationships etc:
Bakura still abuses Ryou, who doesn't tell anyone because he thinks his yami doesn't mean to be so horrible, and 'just loses his temper' every now and then. Having said that, this is not a standard abuse or abuseapology fic. It may seem like that at times, but its not, I promise. Malik is as almost as evil as Bakura, and the two are best friends. Malik doesn't seem to mind Ryou, but he knows how Bakura treats him and doesn't say anything because it 'isn't any of his business.' Bakura and Malik both hate Yami, who dislikes Bakura but puts up with Malik (barely). Everybody hates Yami Malik, and he hates everybody back, especially Malik, Bakura and Yami. Yami and Yugi are together, but there is only a few small amounts of yaoi in this fic.
Summary: While having an argument, Bakura, Malik and Yami create a force of conflicting energy so big it tears through the 'curtain' separating the worlds and they find themselves trapped in the world of Northern Lights. What will happen? Will they ever get home?
Chapter One: The Big Bang
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh or Northern Lights
……………
Bakura peered out of the window, and muttered angrily under his breath. "Lazy baka. Where the hell is he?"
His hikari looked up from the book he was reading. White bangs fell haphazardly over his pale face, and he shook them away impatiently. "Yami, that's the fourth time you've looked out of that window," he said cautiously. "Are you waiting for anyone?"
Bakura gave a low growl. "Malik said he'd be here five minutes ago. NOONE keeps me waiting and lives. NOONE!" His hair was even more spiky than usual, and when he spoke Ryou could hear the rage building up in his voice.
Ryou made a neutral noise and continued reading.
……..
"He's still not here!" Bakura ranted. Idly, he pulled out a knife and pressed it into his long, slender finger. Red liquid welled up and he sucked at it hungrily.
Ryou sighed. "Please. You know I don't like it when you do that." There was the hint of a plea in his voice.
It was the last straw. Bakura spun around, eager to have something to vent his anger on. "I don't need you telling me what to do!" he snapped. Grabbing his hikari by the shoulders, Bakura shook him hard. Ryou stayed silent. He didn't say anything; even when Bakura dug his nails in so deep they drew blood.
Eventually Bakura stopped. He gazed, interested, at his bloody fingers and licked them, uttering a soft moan of satisfaction. The gruesome sight made Ryou want to shudder, but he knew better than to attract his yami's attention again. When he got like this, it was usually best to co-operate and hope he got bored.
Pushing his face so it almost touched Ryou's, the spirit of the Ring pushed a single blood soaked finger towards his host's mouth. "Come on, hikari. Try some. You know you want to."
Ryou's soft brown eyes stared back at him unhappily.
Losing interest, Bakura pushed him away and started playing with another one of his daggers, twirling it backwards and forwards.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang; breaking the uneasy silence and making Ryou jump slightly. "That's probably Malik. Go answer it, and ask him to come up here," Bakura ordered, his eyes never leaving his dagger. He might have been talking to the wall. "It'd better be him…" he murmured softly.
Ryou heaved a silent sigh of relief and went downstairs, almost running in his anxiety. Bakura didn't hurt him so much now, anyway. Only when he got 'in the mood.' Ryou was still hoping his yami would change. Everyone seemed to think he had. They said Bakura was trying to turn over a new leaf. So why did he feel so confused? Ryou sighed miserably. He was doing it again: questioning his yami's actions. He always felt guilty when he did this, because he was sure that Bakura was genuinely trying to be nicer to him. After all, he couldn't help it if he lost his temper now and then, could he?
Ryou had continued to make excuses for Bakura when Yuugi noticed the fresh bruises. It was my fault. I deserved it. It's not Bakura's fault. Deep down, Ryou knew that Bakura hadn't really changed, and was just the same as before, but he refused to accept this. He was sure that there was some good in Bakura somewhere, and that he deserved another chance.
Ryou opened the door, hoping it was Malik.
"Oh…hello."
It was Yugi and Yami. Yugi's face fell almost comically at Ryou's obvious disappointment. "Is this a bad time?"
"No, no," Ryou said hastily. "Come in." They followed him into the lounge. For a while they made small talk, discussing harmless subjects like T.V, school and books they had read recently. All were careful to steer clear of subjects concerning Millennium Items or Bakura. Ryou was beginning to relax. He wondered why he had ever thought that it was safer to keep at a distance from people. Yugi was so easy to talk to. He mostly ignored Yami, feeling strangely embarrassed at talking to any yami other than his own. Besides, he knew Yami was still unconvinced about Bakura.
"Ryou?" Ryou noticed with a start that Yami had been trying to talk to him. He blushed slightly.
"Sorry?"
Yami looked at him strangely. "I said, what's that on your shoulder?"
Ryou looked down to see a few drops of dried blood on his shirt. "Oh." Underneath the shirt, the marks of Bakura's finger stood out in flaming red.
Yami raised an eyebrow. "Well?" he said expectantly.
"I cut myself earlier," Ryou lied flatly. He avoided Yami's eyes.
Yugi seemed to accept this, but Yami still looked slightly suspicious. He started to say something, but was cut off by the sound of Bakura running down the stairs.
"Yadonushi!" he called. "Why didn't you bring Malik up? And-Pharaoh?!"
"Tomb Robber." Yami's face was carefully expressionless.
"What the hell are you doing in my house?" Bakura demanded.
"Ryou let me in," Yami said quietly. His voice was calm, but they could all hear the effort it was taking him to keep his composure. On his forehead, the Eye of Ra flickered ominously.
Bakura glared at his hikari, who cringed and shrank back into the chair. "Just get out, Pharaoh." Ryou was slightly relieved - Bakura was in a good mood. Now all Yami had to do was to leave quickly and quietly, without making a fuss…
"I've got a right to be here!"
…Damn.
…………
Malik walked casually up to the house. He could hear angry shouting from inside. The door had been left ajar, so after a quick look behind his shoulder, Malik went straight in. He found himself in the middle of a flaming row between the Thief and the Pharaoh. Malik sized up the situation in an instant, and smirked to himself. This looks interesting…
Bakura was saying, "It's none of your business what I do to my hikari anyway!" Privately, Malik agreed with him.
There was a nasty silence, broken by Yugi tugging at Yami's arm. "Come on aibou, let's just go home…"
"NO!" Yami roared. Malik had never seen the Pharaoh so out-of-control before, and he looked on in interest. The Eye of Ra now showed up clearly on the Pharaoh's forehead, which was a good sign that he was really, really angry. Yugi was looking worried, but not half as worried as Ryou. When his yami got this angry, a lot of people usually got sent to the Shadow Realm. It was enough to make anyone nervous.
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!" Bakura screamed. His eyes flashed crimson and he took a step forward.
"SO HAVE I!" Yami yelled back. The Millennium Puzzle began to glow. Malik's eyes narrowed and his fingers strayed, almost casually, towards his Millennium Rod. Out of nowhere, a yellow beam of light came from the Puzzle and streaked towards Bakura. Malik pulled out the Rod and sent purple energy hurtling towards Yami, just as Bakura prepared to counter the Puzzle with the Ring's powers. Everyone watched, open-mouthed, as the three beams raced towards each other, and met with a deafening BANG!
There was a flash of light, and suddenly the were flying through space…through time…through worlds…
And everything turned black.