(A/N: the violence continues…mwahahahahaha…

Oh, and for all you anti-Yami Malik people out there, this is a pretty good excuse to continue hating him.

I've changed the story genre from drama/action/adventure to angst/action/adventure, cos of all the stuff I've got planned for later on.)

Warnings: violence, bad language, general mayhem

Dicslaimer: if I did own Yu-gi-oh, it would not be Yu-gi-oh as we know it. Especially the dub. For a start I would take all sentimentality and Anzu-friendship-talks out, then I would re-write Malik's plot line so it isn't a load of messed-up crap, then I would give Ryou and Bakura the attention they deserve, and then…well, you get the message.

Chapter Ten: …and its consequences.

His darker half chuckled softly. It wasn't a nice sound. Focusing his shadow powers, he drained his hikari's strength into the Rod, to make sure he wouldn't get in the way. Malik collapsed onto the sofa. Yami Malik looked down at his semi-conscious hikari and smiled. "That's what happens when you try and fight me." He looked at Yami, and his smile grew even wider. "Hello Pharaoh. Long time, no see." A careless glance at Ryou: "By the way, it was me who told you to scream a few minutes ago, not my weak little hikari. Just in case you were wondering."

Ryou's eyes travelled to Malik, who was lying motionless on the sofa, and he clenched his fists.

Yami Malik followed his gaze. In a voice of mock-sadness he remarked casually, "Such a pity. Actually, I admit I was surprised how much he fought me when I told you to give in to the Tomb Robber. I had to hit him quite hard to shut him up."

Will, who was following the events with shock, reached over and shook Malik's shoulder softly. "What did his yami do to him?"

"I don't know." Yugi's voice was a whisper. "I think he'll live. But whatever you do, don't make a sound, or Yami no Malik will almost certainly kill you instantly. If you're lucky. If he stops to think, he'll probably torture you first."

Will's eyes widened. "Is he really that insane?"

Yugi nodded grimly. "You think Malik can be scary at times? Or Bakura? That's nothing compared to Malik's yami. He's the sort of person who makes Bakura look like a baby by comparison."

They watched as the Pyscho raised the Rod high above his head. "I shall enjoy watching you die, Pharaoh."

"Oh shit…" Yami mumbled, edging slowly backwards.

Yami Malik's trademark insane grin appeared on his face. "Going somewhere? I don't think so." Purple mist appeared around Yami's ankles, preventing him from moving. The Psycho walked forward, sniggering. "I don't believe I've ever had so much fun in my life."

Bakura decided it was time to intervene. Much as he hated the Pharaoh, he hated the Psycho a lot more. Especially after what he had done to Malik. Bakura didn't have many friends, but Malik was one of them. Speaking loudly, wanting to attract Yami Malik's attention, he stated, "Pharaoh, you are pathetic." He used the Ring's powers to break the Rod's control over Yami, whose crimson eyes went wide at the thought that the Tomb Robber was helping him. "Hey Psycho, why don't you try killing someone who can fight back?" The Ring glowed, and purple-black smoke unfurled around the other spirit in an attempt to banish him to the Shadow Realm. But nothing happened.

Yami Malik snickered. "Challenge accepted. And by the way Tomb Robber, I agree with you. The Pharaoh really is pathetic. How about we show him what a yami is really capable of?" He waved the Rod. Bakura was hurled across the room and smashed into the wall. There was a hideous crack. The white-haired spirit slid slowly down the wall, leaving a red smear behind him.

Lyra gasped involuntarily at the sight.. "Yugi, is Bakura going to be alright?"

"He'll be fine. It takes a lot more than that to get rid of Bakura. Not that Ryou hasn't ever tried." There was a tinge of sadness in Yugi's voice, mingled with pity. "My God, I'm glad I don't have the Ring."

"Can't he get rid of it?" the girl whispered. "Throw it away?"

"No. When he does, it always comes back. And Bakura just punishes him more." Yugi looked down at the floor. "I didn't believe it for a while, the things Bakura did to Ryou. But I do now." He sighed. "And for all that, I think he still cares about him. A little. Not that Bakura deserves it."

Their eyes followed Yami Malik as he stood over the Tomb Robber, giggling hysterically.

Will was looking distinctly unsettled. "Why…why is he giggling? I mean, I could understand if he did an evil laugh, the way Malik and Bakura do, but giggling?"

"It's a psychological thing," Yugi explained in a whisper. "It unnerves opponents. Also, he finds death and destruction and all that stuff funny, so he giggles. He's insane, remember?"

Yami Malik heard himself being mentioned. He turned, and gave the teens crouched on the sofa an evil grin. "You want me to laugh instead, weaklings? I'll show you how I laugh." His hair flaring out in crazy spikes, he threw back his head and let loose a maniacal cackle, the awful sound echoing around the room and bouncing off the blood-stained walls. The spark of insanity dancing clearly in his purple eyes, he walked over to them and smiled. "You like it when I laugh, don't you? Just like everything else I do. Come on weaklings, just give me an excuse."

The Millennium Rod spun through the air, but Yugi saw it coming and dodged it by a millimetre. The Rod was impaled in a cushion exactly where his head had been a second before. Yugi, Will and Lyra leapt off the sofa and ducked behind it, dragging an unconscious Malik with them. Panting heavily, the three teens pressed themselves into the furniture, wishing they could become a part of it.

"Aww, you want to play hide and seek? I love playing. Come out and play with me, little weaklings."

Yugi chanced a glance upwards, and jumped as he saw the spirit had climbed onto the sofa and was looking down at them, grinning madly. As well as the obvious pleasure, there was also something oddly child-like in the pointed features. Yugi was suddenly reminded of a young kid with a machine gun. A very crazy kid with a very large machine gun.

"Hey Pharaoh, your hikari's going to die now. What're you going to do about it?" Yami Malik called in a sing-song voice, still giggling.

In answer, a blast came from the Puzzle, knocking the Millennium Rod out of his hand and onto the floor. Yami grabbed it.

The Psycho's expression flicked from hyperactive to murderous, so quickly it was frightening. "Pharaoh, get your filthy hands off that now."

Yami shrugged, and made a gesture as if to snap the Rod in half. He let out a cry as it suddenly became white hot, scorching his palms, and dropped it.

Yami Malik smiled. The Rod reappeared in his hand, and he raised it slowly. "Now Pharaoh, where were we?"

Will shivered. "Oh my God, he really is insane."

Yugi sighed. "Don't you remember Bakura telling you earlier?"

"Yeah, but I thought he meant just a bit, well, weird. I didn't realise he meant actually insane."

"Manic-depressive, actually," Malik whispered. "It means he switches between being hyper and depressed. And there's always the psychotic part of him too."

Realising he had woken up, the Puzzle-holder looked at him in obvious concern. "You okay? Remember anything?"

"A bit. He took over just after Ryou and Bakura started yelling at each other. The last thing I recall is him splitting off…" The hikari looked around dazedly. "W-what's happening now?"

Will and Yugi exchanged worried glances. The latter said slowly, "Well, he tried to hurt my aibou but Bakura stopped him, so your yami g-got him instead…"

Sudden horror and realisation dawning in Malik's wide eyes, he pulled himself up with an effort and looked around the sofa. Seeing Bakura lying in a tangled pile on the floor, covered in blood, he let out a strangled moan. "Oh Ra…"

Ryou hesitated, then ran up to his fallen yami. "Hey, you want help?"

Bakura's eyes widened. "…Hikari, why are you helping me?" he whispered.

"I've no idea," the light said coldly. "Come on before I change my mind." He looked at his yami's leg, which was bent at an odd angle below him. "Can you stand?"

Bakura took Ryou's outstretched hand and tried to get up, but a spasm of pain made him fall to the ground. "I-I think my leg is broken…"

"It'll heal if you go back into the Ring." Ryou pulled his yami up, and he clutched at a nearby chair for support.

"I really don't think you'll have time to go back into the Ring." The Psycho stood over them, smiling eerily. Yami lay in a senseless heap in the corner, and the psychotic spirit had come after his next victim. "Tomb Robber, would you like to die first?"

"Fucking bastard." Bakura could barely stand, but he was still defiant.

"I'll take that as a yes." Yami Malik raised the Rod, but someone stood in front of him, blocking his aim. It was his hikari.

"Don't you dare hurt either of them or I'll-"

The spirit raised an eyebrow, amused. "Or you'll what? Everyone knows what the Tomb Robber does to his hikari. But no one knows what you do to me. Would you like me to tell them? About how you-"

"S-shut up," the hikari whispered. His yami had taken all of his strength and put it into himself, and Malik was barely strong enough to talk.

"That's your answer to everything," the Psycho said, with another one of his insane smiles flitting across his face. "Would you like me to shut you up? How about permanently? I was planning on killing you last of all, my weak little hikari, but I'm quite happy to do it now."

Ryou stood up. He was shaking from head to toe, but not with fear. With fury. Yami Malik took one look at him and burst into laughter. "Weakling, are you going to try and defend my hikari?"

Ryou's eyes had a red glint in them. Taking a deep breath, he shrieked out words in a language that few people knew or understood. The room instantly turned dark. Sinister black flames rose up from the floor, and Ryou was surrounded by an angry blue light. Black mist encircled Yami Malik, trapping and ensnaring his body. Fiery shadows lapped at his feet, and he realised what was going to happen as they grew larger and larger, smothering him.

"I'll kill you all!" he screamed suddenly. "All of you! The Pharaoh, the Tomb Robber, everyone! Especially YOU." He pointed at Ryou with a shaking finger, and his face was contorted with hate. Then the flames consumed his body, and he vanished.

The room suddenly became light again, and the fires disappeared. Malik could feel his yami forced back into his soul room, barely alive, and his body shook violently as his darker half re-entered him. He spent the very last of his remaining strength rebuilding the mental barriers. The effort exhausted him, and he lay down on the floor. Noticing that the Rod was lying next to him, he picked it up weakly and as he did so his strength was released from it, and flowed back into him. Malik pulled himself up and leaned back against the wall, eyes half-closed.

Ryou crouched down next to him. "Remember last night, when you said you'd saved my life? I think we're equal now." Malik nodded soundlessly.

Bakura was still gaping at where Yami Malik had stood. "H-hikari? How the hell did you do that? Even I can't do that."

Ryou shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, you have other things to worry about right now."

"Like what?"

"Malik," Ryou said softly.

Bakura followed his hikari's gaze to where the Egyptian was. He was sitting up, clutching his head, and looking like he was about to cry. Understanding appeared on the spirit's face. "Oh Ra." He limped painfully over to where his best friend sat. "Hey, Malik?"

The teenager looked up dully. His eyes were dry, but Bakura could clearly see he was on the verge of tears. "How could I have let him out?" he whispered. "I promised myself I wouldn't and-"

Bakura sighed. "Come on. Let's talk." He put an arm around his friend, and together they walked slowly to the door. Ryou hesitated a moment, then followed.

…………

The room was unlocked, so Ryou went straight in. Malik was sitting on the sofa and Bakura was next to him. He was comforting his friend as well as he could. "Look, no one can hold their other back all the time. It's impossible. He was going to come out sooner or later, and he happened to choose that particular moment. Don't beat yourself up about it." He looked up and saw his hikari standing there silently. "Oi yadonushi, can you help?"

Anger was burning its way through Ryou. So he wants help now does he?

"With what?"

Bakura gestured towards the blonde-haired omote next to him. "I need a hikari view on things. What else do I say to him?"

"Oh, so now you want help from your hikari? What if I don't even want to be your hikari? Then what?" Ryou ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

There was a stunned silence from Bakura. "But-" He stopped as Malik got up and followed Ryou.

…………

(A/N: I appreciate I'm straying off the 'His Dark Materials' part of the fic quite a bit, but I can guarantee the next chapter is almost totally Amber Spyglass-orientated.

Also, Yami isn't as weak (in terms of shadow powers) as I made out in this chapter. He is actually a lot stronger than he appears, possibly more so than Yami Malik. But he doesn't really like using his powers (vaguely understandable, when you consider what the other two yamis use theirs for) and tends to hold himself back.

One last thing: I'm not going to be answering any of your questions about this chapter. Partly cos I want you to draw your own conclusions, and partly cos you'll find out everything later, I promise. Oooh, wait til you see all the things I have in store for you people…

Thank you for all your reviews. I can hardly believe I hit fifty!)