All right! a nice long chapter to keep u busy...a little while anyway.
i could have split it up, but that would have been confusing...so i hope u enjoy

Part 1 (Chapter 8) – The Danger in Dreams

Well, Kira looked around with some familiarity. She was beginning to recognize this strange dream world of mist and shadows, where she was able to talk with both spirits and people from her waking hours. I know Ryou warned me to stay away...but I really can't control what I dream, she thought. And anyway, it is a sort of relief to be back in a place I recognized. After several nights of no dreams, I'm almost ready for some more adventure.

"Ryou!" Kira ran forward to greet her new-found friend. He had been waiting on his bench in the strange, grey garden. The white-haired boy smiled in greeting at my approach, standing to greet me.

"You shouldn't have come," he whispered. "But I'm glad you did."

She shrugged, not wanting to discuss it. If I come here in my dreams, maybe there's a reason why. "There's not much I can do about that anyway," she answered him aloud. "I just go to sleep in my bed, and the next thing I know, I'm here. I didn't even have to find my way in the garden this time. I was already inside."

Ryou frowned, "I don't know if that's such a good sign."

"Why? As long as Bakura doesn't come, I'll be fine."

Ryou shook his head, unable to answer. We started to walk down a dark grey path of mist. Finally, Ryou gained the courage to speak, "Why aren't you very afraid of Bakura? Do you have powers to protect yourself?"

"Hardly," Kira frowned. Questions again. "I'm just an average human being – just like you. But all Bakura's done to me is threaten. He's never hurt me yet..." she frowned, considering the damage done recently to my reputation, "I think."

"How much do you know about Bakura? Have you heard where he-"

Kira cut Ryou off, "Why all these questions? Why are you so anxious to know about me?" Ryou quickly shut his mouth. "Why not tell me about yourself instead? Why are you so interested? Why does Bakura seem to have something against me? Has he always been a part of you? What does he do to scare you so much?"

Ryou sighed, "He does more than threaten. He tortures when he has a mind to. He's stolen my life and any dreams of a future I once had. He's pure evil and I don't think he's afraid to kill..."

"Of course not." The two friends jumped in surprise at the voice. Turning around, they found themselves only a few feet from an angry Bakura.

"Yugi!"

"Yami?" Yugi yawned. "What's going on?"

"We need to find Bakura," Yami paced anxiously. "I've looked, but he's not anywhere to be found. I'm getting worried."

Yugi was immediately awake. Well, sort of. His body was still sleeping, but his mind and soul were fully in the shadow realm - alert and ready to go. "What's happened?"

Yami looked into the frightened face of his hikari and forced himself to relax. "Nothing yet. I just don't want to take any chances. "I can't put an end to him, not yet; but Bakura's up to something, and I want to know what it is."

"All right then," Yugi grinned at his yami. "Let's go."

"Ryou, I'm disappointed in you," Bakura growled.

Ryou fell to his knees as Kira watched on in disbelief. "Forgive me, my master," he begged.

Kira dropped down next to Ryou, placing her hands across his shoulders, forcing him to look up into her eyes. "Ryou. Be brave. Don't turn into a cowering slave. It's just what Bakura wants you to be. He's a bully. If you stand up to him..."

But Ryou pulled away. "No. It's not like that. You don't understand."

Bakura slapped Kira hard across the face before she could argue further. "I warned you to stay out of my affairs." She felt her stinging cheek in shock. "And you," Bakura continued, hauling a frightened Ryou to his feet. "You were to find out about her, not fall for her questions. You failed in telling me what I needed soon enough. I've got a new way to take care of things. So much for your help." With that, Bakura pulled back his fist, wrapping it with a magic power, and swung.

He hit Ryou in the gut. Hard. The air rushed out of the other boy as he flew several yards through the air, finally landing to slide farther along a surface that had suddenly turned rough. Kira gasped at the sight. Ryou was breathing hard, but did not move from where he had landed. She could see, even from where she was that his arm and side were covered in bloody cuts and soon-to-be bruises. How could I have been so wrong?

Ryou had betrayed her. The realization hit Kira hard, keeping her frozen in place. Ryou informed Bakura about who I am. Maybe it was even his plan to bring me to Bakura before I left tonight. In Kira's mind, the "friend" was now an enemy. But as she looked at Ryou, wounded and frightened, no harsh feelings would come.

All this came quickly through her mind, because the next moment, Bakura was above Kira again, this time with his saber in hand. "You've drawn the line with me, girl," he threatened, coming forward. She backed away, still on her knees. "And then you crossed over it. I warned you not to mess in my affairs!" He lifted his blade, and she cringed, waiting for a blow.

Instead, Kira felt herself lifted roughly to a standing position. Bakura's fingers pressed into her arm, cutting off circulation to the hand. He hauled her past a crumpled Ryou, through the garden. And as much as Kira had been paralyzed with fear, she now fought against Bakura with all her strength – lashing out whenever she could and struggling to stay away from wherever he was headed. It had occurred to her that something worse than Bakura could be waiting, and for the first time in her life, Kira felt truly alone and afraid.

Suddenly, Bakura threw his prisoner to the ground. "She's all yours."

Kira looked for who he might be talking to, realizing that his gaze was focused on something in front of the both of them. "Of course, my lord Bakura." Two shadowed eyes appeared above Kira. The next thing she knew, something slammed into the side of her head, sending fireworks through her brain. Kira looked to where Bakura was standing, trying to focus on something, but the other spirit had departed.

Something sharp sliced Kira's side, gliding across smooth skin, opening it up. Breath left her lungs in a rush as she felt a trickle of wet, sticky liquid run out. Then, her abuser kicked the fresh wound. Kira rolled over weakly to look up at the one attacking. A dagger glinted in the person's fist. Using her hands to clamber backwards, Kira struggled to move as far away from the weapon as possible. The eyes above only glinted, then grew closer. The figure stepped into the light, revealing its true identity: brown hair swept roughly aside to reveal dark green eyes, glaring angrily. It was a person Kira would have recognized anywhere. It was herself.

As its name suggests, the shadow realm is a place of shadows. Shadows are ever shifting and deceitful things. They fade away when you try to shine a light on them, and they cling to the darkness. They follow you, but you can't ever catch them. They mock and tease and are with you wherever you go.

Yami and Yugi searched all through the realm with no sign of Bakura anywhere. The spirits of cards and other magical beings occasionally caught their eye, but none of them were any help. Just as the two of them were about to give up any hope of finding Bakura, a little girl approached them.

"You're looking for Bakura." It was a statement, not a question. Though they towered above her in height, the little girl eyed them as though she was the more powerful. Finally she nodded. "You're all right."

"I'm glad we pass your test," grinned Yami. "Now could you explain what you just said? How did you know we were searching for Bakura?"

"And do you know where he is?" Yugi added anxiously.

The girl shrugged, "As to how I know, I just do. And as to where he is, try looking in a garden." That said, she suddenly vanished into the air before them.

Yami and Yugi both stared at the spot she had left. "I've seen a lot of strange things in the years I've traveled through these realms, but I've never seen that girl before," Yami mused.

"What garden could she have been referring to?" Yugi asked, anxious to complete their mission.

"I'm not really...what's that?" Yami pointed to an area just in front of them that had suddenly appeared out of the swirling mist.

Yugi stared at the grey vines, twined around the black gate. "It looks like we found what we're looking for."

Ryou lay in a huddle as Bakura came back, but his yami no longer seemed so interested in hurting him. Ryou dared to give in to his curiosity and looked up. A smirk had formed on Bakura's face. He stood next to Ryou, but didn't even give a second glance to the aching boy. Soon, the sounds of torment reached their ears. A scream. Then another. Finally, a sobbing. "Help me! Please, won't anyone help me?" the voice cried.

Ryou started. It was Kira. What had Bakura done to her? What had she ever done to deserve this? He started to stand, ready to respond to the cry for help.

Before Ryou could go through with the idea, Bakura laid a heavy hand on his host's shoulder. "Don't. It wouldn't be wise to go. Not if you want to live through this night."

Ryou understood Bakura's tone perfectly well. Though, he couldn't help but stare in the direction the cries were coming from, growing weaker and softer as time passed. His heart was torn. He couldn't leave Kira to face such evil alone, but to directly disobey his master would mean certain death - then he could help no one. "How could you?" Ryou whispered in horror.

"Why shouldn't I?" Bakura whirled on his better side, slapping him harshly across the face. "What would a slave like you know of my matters? Of right and wrong?" Bakura shook Ryou forcefully until the boy could no longer stand up. "Shut up, and don't question me again, or your pain will be ten times worse than hers."

Ryou shuddered, laying his throbbing head in his hands. It wasn't fair. He shouldn't have to endure this. Kira shouldn't have to endure it, but now he had made his own misery hers as well, and he didn't even have the courage to defend her against it. Silently, he wept.

As screams suddenly came from inside the garden, Yami and Yugi rushed at the door, scrambling to get it open. Their efforts were in vain, as the gate was tightly locked. "Stand back," Yami finally ordered. Yugi lifted the puzzle, still hanging from his neck. Yami placed a hand on the golden object, closing his eyes.

Power flew outward from his other hand, outstretched towards the gate. It bent but remained firmly locked. "Must be Bakura," murmured Yami. Sweat from his concentration formed across his brow as Yami poured all his power against the gate. Finally, it groaned, then snapped open, the door falling from its hinges. The two of them rushed into the garden.

Bakura sensed the power before he heard the gate give. "Pharaoh. You will not disturb my work, I swore to that," the spirit growled in frustration. Grabbing a startled Ryou, he flung the boy out of the shadow realms, back to the world of mortals. Then, he drew into him the power of the garden, absorbing all the mist and patterns into nothingness, locking the secret place away. Bakura let himself follow the mist.

The grey world around the two girls suddenly vanished, fading away in a matter of seconds. Kira had stopped her screams. The only ones close enough to hear were Bakura and Ryou, neither of whom was coming to help. Nothing seemed close anymore. She was in a black void of pain. Then came the sound of two others rapidly approaching. The more demonic version of herself cursed and put one arm tight around Kira's neck. She struggled for breath as it dragged her along the ground. There came a magical pull on her being, and even the darkness began to disappear into a sort of uneasy unconsciousness.

Just before Kira had completely left the realm, however, her eyes caught a glimpse of two spike-haired figures, just in front of her, watching. The eyes of the taller one glistened for a moment, and then they were gone.

Kira felt her surroundings hesitantly, and recognized her own bed. Fingers lightly brushed her side where the first cut had come. The skin was as smooth as ever, but it still throbbed as though it had just been opened. The same went for all of her wounds. Kira sat up and glanced in the mirror. There was no evidence of what had happened, but from the nearly unbearable pain beneath her skin, she knew it hadn't been a normal dream.

okay, maybe it was a little bit of a typical "bakura gets beat up by his yami" sort of fic, but that's actually not typical for me, so i thought i'd try it just for fun...
i'm really not sure where any of this is coming from, but as long as it keeps going, i suppose you don't mind... --

oh well, lol....

joey