Jadira: Okay, well…Here's the first chapter for a new story I'm working on. It's pretty angsty and violent, but I know all you sadistic minds out there will love it. Lol. I know my alter ego did! (Don't ask)

Tate: I'm having a crisis!

Jadira: What's the matter?

Tate: I've run out of nasty things to say! Oh, the horror!

Jadira: 00 okaaay… On with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh…waaah!

Chapter One: Home?

2:57. That was what the clock upon the wall read, ticking ever closer towards 3:00. Three minutes until the bell would ring, signaling the end of school. A tidal wave of cheering students would race for the doors, eagerly anticipating getting home to play video games. All but one.

2:58. Two minutes.

Ryou Bakura, known to friends and classmates simply as Ryou, fidgeted nervously in his seat. He absently brushed a stray strand of pure white hair out of his eyes, eyes that kept glancing at the clock.

2:59.

Ryou's gut twisted in upon himself. He felt sick with fear. Every day he dreaded the awful sound of that bell. Most students looked upon it as a release from the prison of school. To Ryou, it seemed like it was tolling his doom.

3:00.

Ryou grimaced. 'And cue the bell,' he thought dryly. 'I guess it's time to go.' He swallowed past a sudden lump in his throat. Images of his volatile Yami flashed through his mind as he stood and gathered his things. The teen shook his head to be rid of the images, and pulled on his jacket. As much as he loved winter, he wasn't willing to freeze.

From the other side of the classroom, amethyst eyes watched Ryou worriedly. Yugi Mutou stood with his best friends, Jounouchi Katsuya (Jou), and Tristan Taylor.

"So waddaya think's up with Ryou?" Jou asked the other two.

"I don't know," replied Yugi. "But did you see his neck?"

"Yeah," said Tristan. "Looks like someone beat him up."

"Maybe it was one o' the bullies," Jou speculated.

"Well, why don't we just ask him?" said Yugi. "Did you know how he wasn't in gym? It's not like Ryou to skip classes. Come on, he's leaving."

Jou and Tristan nodded and followed Yugi as the shorter teen was following Ryou outside.

Once he stepped into the frigid December air, Ryou shivered and pulled his jacket closer to his body.

"Ryou! Hey, Ryou!"

Ryou cringed as he heard Yugi's voice calling after him. He turned, sticking a cheery smile on his face as the short duelist ran up to him. "Why hello Yugi," he spoke softly, British accent slightly rolling the consonants.

"Hey Ryou, we were just wondering what happened to your neck. How'd you get that bruise?"

Ryou's grin faltered for a fraction of a second, back in place before anyone noticed. He couldn't tell them, the truth. "What this thing?" he asked, pointing to his neck and grinning, as if embarrassed. "I bumped into my shelf yesterday and a book hit me. That's all."

"Oh…Ok!" Yugi seemed to accept the response. "So Ryou, d'you want to come to my house with us for a few hours? I'm going to duel Joey."

Ryou nearly laughed at the boy's naiveté. "Sorry Yugi," he replied. "I wish I could, but I've got to get home an do my homework."

Yugi frowned. "Are you sure? It won't be too long. I'm sure your dad wouldn't mind."

Ryou shook his head. "Sorry Yugi." 'Unbelievable,' he thought. 'My father's been dead for seven months, and he doesn't even know.'

"Well, if you're sure," Yugi replied uneasily. He felt like something was wrong, but he wasn't sure what it was.

(Perhaps he's ill aibou,) came the voice of his Yami through their mind link.

(( I don't know,)) said Yugi. ((I think it's something else.)) He continued to frown as Ryou waved and walked away.

Ryou sighed as he trudged down the snow-covered sidewalk. He wished with all his heart that he could have gone with Yugi, but he knew his Yami would never allow it. He slowed his pace, kicking at the snow.

After several minutes, Ryou glanced at his watch. It read 3:17. Damn! He was going to be late! His Yami always wanted him home by 3:30. It took Ryou all 30 minutes to get from the school to his house, and today he had wasted his time talking to Yugi. Now he was still nearly 20 minutes from his home, perhaps more because of the snow.

Ryou sighed again. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. Carefully picking his way along so he wouldn't slip on the ice, the teen made his way home.

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Finally, Ryou reached his house at 3:45. He forced his numb fingers to turn the key in the lock, and stepped inside, welcoming the slight warmth. He was greeted by absolute darkness. All the curtains were on, and all the lights were off.

"You're late."

Ryou jumped at the sound of his Yami's voice, cold and merciless, directly behind him. "Why are you late? Haven't I told you to be home on time?"

Ryou bit his lip. "I'm sorry Yami, but I-"

"Shut up! You don't speak unless I tell you to! And when you do, do not call me yami !"

"I'm sorry Bakura-sama." Ryou bowed his head, eyes squeezed shut.

A hand suddenly cuffed the back of his head. "What did I just tell you!" Bakura shouted. Ryou stumbled forward a step, but didn't say a word.

Ryou's heart was pounding wildly. He knew what was going to happen. It happened every day, whether he'd done something wrong or not. Bakura was going to beat him, and Ryou was going to take it. He always did, though he'd never figured out why.

"It's because you're weak. You're pathetic!" Bakura spun Ryou around to face him. Ryou's terrified eyes stared into Bakura's muddy, angry eyes. Bakura suddenly punched Ryou's gut. The teen doubled over, coughing and gasping for breath. "See?" sneered Bakura. "Can't even take a little pain."

Ryou stood, using the wall to support his body. Bakura smirked at him. "You make me sick," he muttered before kicking the back of Ryou's legs so he fell to the ground.

Ryou lay there on the cold floor as his yami continued kicking his stomach. He felt the pain to be sure, but he'd had worse. He had even started to ignore it, when Bakura grabbed his wrist and twisted it, forcing the younger teen to his feet once more. Ryou gasped in pain- Bakura wasn't letting go, and it hurt.

Bakura forced Ryou back until he hit the wall, and suddenly wrapped his slim fingers around Ryou's delicate throat. "You're not worthy to be my hikari!" he shouted maliciously. "You aren't even worthy of being alive !"

Tears welled in Ryou's eyes. Could his yami actually mean that? Did he want him dead?

No you idiot, came the snarling reply in his mind. I need you alive so I can get in closer to the Pharaoh!

Ryou gasped. So his yami was just using him…figures. Bakura's fingers suddenly tightened and Ryou found it hard to breathe. After a moment, when the teen thought he would surely collapse, Bakura released him. Ryou fell to the floor, sucking in breath as though each would be his last. And with Bakura around, who knew?

"Get out of my sight," growled Bakura, storming into the living room. For once all to happy to obey, Ryou stood and raced to his room. He slammed the door shut and lay on his bed, thinking back to the day Bakura had gotten his body.

It had been a little less than a year ago. Ryou had woken up in the morning as he usually did, but he felt strange. He couldn't explain the feeling. He'd stood up and gone to cross the room to get to his door, but suddenly tripped over something. It had been yami Bakura, naked and confused as hell. Nobody knew how it happened, but the Pharaoh had his own body as well.

Ryou sighed. He wished his father had never given him the ring. He wished none of this had ever happened. Turning over, the bruised hikari drifted into dreamland.

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Jadira: OK, I liked it up until I ended this chapter. Then it kinda sux. But that's Ok, I'll do better on the second chapter.

Tate: …crickets chirp in background…

Jadira: Wow, I guess he really did run out of mean things to say…Interesting…