Slave Of Darkness
Gee- thanks for the comment. /huggles/ Sorry- I don't write yaoi. It's okay to ask, of course. It seems pretty pro-yaoi, though, huh? What with Yuugi and Marik's arguing like an old married couple (if old married couples call each other demons/vampires/dragons and elves/nymphs/starfish o.o;;), and Yuugi and Bakura all…bwoosh. Hah hah… Though I do like Yuugi/Bakura fics (/giggles like a rabid yaoi fan girl/), I don't write it.

DreamCherry66
/giggle/ That's because I love Yuugi-chan soooooo much/glomps him/ Aw hee hee hee… And though it isn't very well known, unique is a synonym for special. /grins cheekily/ S-p-e-c-i-a-l. /wink, wink, nudge, nudge/ The special kind of special, ne? … Virtual ice cream/cookies/whatever-doesn't-cause damage, eh? That's too bad because… /sneak attack and steals virtual dagger/ I have stolen a dagger. /insane laughter/ Meep… /gets attacks by rabid squirrels/ No! Not Mr. Daggy! Gr…fine. But I'm keeping my pitchfork. /huff/ Here's the next chappie!

Hikari Skysong
Yay! I like OOC-ness. It shows…new character in characters. /sheepish grin/ Thanks for the review! Here's more. /throws chappie at HS/

/ - With Yuugi - /

Yuugi rubbed his neck wearily. Those guys sucked. But really, they were pretty cool if you took the time to know them. He let a genuine chuckle escape from his mouth. He wouldn't let anyone hear him say that about them. He would never hear the end of it.

He walked up the walkway to the house, grinning lightly at the door, which was still flat on the ground. Marik had the annoying 'habit' of knocking things down whenever he felt impatient, or even when he was just plain bored. Yuugi sighed contentedly as he lifted the door up with both of his hands. He groaned as he heaved it up, only lifting it up three of four inches.

"Damn midget strength…" he murmured to himself, letting it flop back down with a loud snap. "I'll just give Yami some crap about a hurricane that only cornered our house. He'd believe that, I'm sure."

Yuugi stepped over the fallen door and into the house. Darkness shrouded his used-to-the-sun eyesight. "Damn. I do sit in the dark to often," he mused to himself, searching for the light switch, fumbling not to knock the photos off the wall as his fingers grazed it.

"Yuugi."

Yuugi jumped, barely restraining himself from yelling out profanities. His hand jerked and his fingers somehow switched the light on. He slowly turned.

There sat Yami, seated regally in the loveseat. His legs were crossed comfortably, and his hands were cupped over his knees.

Yuugi bit back the urge to snap something rude at his darkness, but he settled with "Yes?"

Yuugi swore in his head. Yami was seated in the loveseat. Marik was sitting in the loveseat earlier. Marik was also bleeding due to the…stabbing…Bakura gave him. Needless to say, Yami was sitting in a bloodstained loveseat.

"Where have you been?"

"Out."

"Out where?"

"Just out."

Yami arched an eyebrow up. "Out with who?" he inquired.

"Friends," Yuugi stated shortly.

"Who are these 'friends' of yours?"

Yuugi sighed in exasperation. "Ugh- Yami, why do you want to know all of a sudden? You never did before! Just lay off, okay? We both know you don't really care. You're probably just thinking in your mind about glorious sand, and lofty pyramids. Aren't you? You are, aren't you? Yes, Pharaoh-sama. There you are, sitting atop your throne, taking people's lives, and doing whatever the hell else pharaohs do. Just lay off!"

Yuugi stormed off. He stomped off, in through the kitchen, and out the back door.

/ - With Yami - /

Yami stared after his hikari. What was with the outburst? His hikari seemed so angry. Why, though? What was it that he said?

Shaking his head in confusion, Yami stood up. He leather attire stuck to the leather of the loveseat slightly and he looked down at it with perplexity. Dried, sticky red liquid contrasted with white, rawhide leather. Yami gasped in horror. Blood? His aibou's blood, maybe?

Yami swore under his breath, clawing at the patches of dried blood. The sticky substance stuck into the insides of his nails. Those sadistic bastards had hurt his aibou! If they oh-so-casually hit him out in public, who knew what they had don't to him in the confines of an enclosed house? It all made sense- piece by piece, the puzzle was completed by the oh-so-smart-and-charming (/gags on words and dies/) pharaoh. The dark red stuff drizzled on the walls of the porch and the doormat, the door knocked off its hinges, and the blood on the leather loveseat. Yuugi's blood was spilled that day, and maybe even more days, by those darks, because Yami was too busy with his new life to pay attention.

They sure didn't brainwash him into being their 'friend.' They had obviously threatened him. Ah- his brave aibou. He had tried to refuse the call of 'friendship', because he knew Yami would never approve. But, oh gods, Yami mused, that meant Yuugi was punished. Right here, on this piece of furniture, and outside the door. It was Yami's entire fault! In his attempt to stay loyal to his yami, Yuugi had been hurt.

Not to worry, he told himself. He would definitely make it up to his partner. Those darks would pay, if he got his way. No one threatened his devoted hikari, and then attacked him until he submitted to their call. No one.

Yami strode away from the bloodied loveseat, to the phone. He racked out the phone book and looked up Malik Ishtar.

/ - With Malik - /

Malik entered his house, vaguely seeing the couch as he flopped onto it. Only one thought spun through his head: why was Yuugi hanging out with his and Ryou's yamis? You see, Malik, unlike the rest of the group, was aware of the fact that the smaller teen was being ignored. He wanted to include him- really, he did- but he was too caught up in being accepted and having his first group of friends to. Now, Yuugi was lost to the two darks, caught up in their webs.

Well, Malik wasn't as stupid as Yami. He saw the grin on Yuugi's face when he was 'attacked' by Bakura. Somehow, in some sort of crazed situation, the young duelist chose this company, and enjoyed it.

BRIIIIIIIIIING!

"Malik?" Isis' voice rang in through the den. "Get the phone, please."

BRIIIIIIIIIING!

Malik only grunted in response.

BRIIIIIIIIIING!

"Malik?"

BRIIIIIIIIIING!

Grunt.

BRIIIIIIIIIING!

"MALIK! GET THE DAMN PHONE BEFORE I CASTRATE YOUR ASS OFF."

Malik jumped. "Fine!" he yelled back. He picked the phone up off the receiver. "There! Happy?"

"Very."

Malik rolled his eyes. "You have reached the Ishtar residence, and this is Malik Ishtar. Whatever it was, I didn't do it. To whom am I speaking?"

( -- "Malik, you baka, it's me, Yami." -- )

"Hi."

( --"Yes, hi. I called because I have made a startling discovery! Marik and Bakura, for reasons unknown, threatened Yuugi to be their friend. Yuugi, being the loyal hikari he is, refused. Of course, they resorted to violence. Finally, he had no choice but to submit, and that's what happened. That's why Yuugi fraternizes with those darks." -- )

Malik blinked. "And you know this…how…?"

( -- "Well, I saw blood on the format and on the loveseat, and the door was knocked off its hinges." -- )

Malik blinked again. "So you've inferred that story from blood and a fallen door?"

( -- "Yes." -- )

"From that?"

( -- "Yes!" -- )

"I think you're wrong, Yami."

( -- "But a Pharaoh is never wrong-" -- )

"Then you're still wrong. You were a pharaoh. Now you're just a regular, modern-day teen. If you look like closely at Yuugi, don't you see happiness? I've been watching him. I must seem like one ass of a friend, but I knew what he was like after you got your own body, and before Marik and Bakura. He was miserable! Didn't you see him slouching around school? And how the bullies came back? He barely stopped them by bringing a knife to school to protect himself. Get it through your head, Yami. Yuugi was being ignored, so he became friends with my and Ryou's yamis. No torture, blackmail, or punishment; no nothing. They're real friends, so we have to learn to live with it."

It was silent, and Malik thought Yami had hung up. Then, ( -- "No, Malik. You're wrong! He was avoiding us because he had to study all the time. We didn't ignore him." -- )

Malik gave a bark of dark laughter. "Is that what he told you? Jeez- you sure are dense…"

( -- "It's the truth! Now you've got to help me destroy Marik and Bakura." -- )

"Then Yuugi wouldn't have any friends, you baka."

( -- "He has us!" -- )

"He doesn't want us! He hates us! I mean- I would hate us too if I were in his position."

( -- "He doesn't hate us! That's my point! He hates Bakura and Marik for extorting his friendship!" -- )

"GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD, PHARAOH NO BAKA! YUUGI CHOSE TO BE-FUCKING-FRIEND THEM!"

The line was silent again.

( -- "You really think so?" -- )

"I know so."

( -- "Well…what do I do to get him back?" -- )

Malik shrugged, then remembered Yami couldn't see him. "I'm not good at this sentimental crap," he replied doubtfully. "But I know someone who is." His index finger hovered undecidedly over the button pad of the receiver.

"Hn…"

( -- "What are you doing?" -- )

"Shh."

He pressed the 3-way button and dialed in seven numbers.

/ - With Yuugi - /

Yuugi burst out from the back door, into the backyard, not ceasing his running until he reached the giant oak tree by their fence. Why had he blurted all that out? Yami was sure to be suspicious of him now. But, Yuugi reminded himself, he had a reason to snap at him. Yami was just being too interfering. But really, Yuugi wondered, why was he so interested all of a sudden? He never was, as he had yelled. Yami never cared. Why now?

Yuugi sighed and shuddered at the sudden deepening of wind. A leaf floated down from the oak and smacked him in the face. He sweatdropped and stomped on it. The wind intensified and Yuugi felt himself shivering violently.

Damn wind…so cocky…thinks it's so great… Yuugi sighed again. He could just walk back into the house again, couldn't he? Yes, but Yami was in there. And after that sudden outburst, it would be absolutely humiliating to walk back in there because it was cold.

But the damn wind was too cold. Yuugi gave in and slouched back to the back door. He slowly pushed it ajar and stepped onto the cool tile of the kitchen floor. With painstaking silence and skill, he edged against the wall as he traveled through the living room where Yami was to the stairs. Luckily, the baka was on the phone and paid him no heed.

Yuugi managed to make it to the top of the stairs without making a single sound. It paid to be a thief's friend, he noted. He was about to take a step towards his room when Malik's static-y voice filled the air.

"GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD, PHARAOH NO BAKA! YUUGI CHOSE TO BE-FUCKING-FRIEND THEM!"

Yuugi stepped back and stood frozen. Yami was talking about him with Malik. They knew about Marik and Bakura. Why else would Malik be yelling that out? Oh no…they knew. No one was supposed to know. Yami and the gang would be angry. Not that Yuugi cared, or anything. It was just nice to have friends. Now, knowing his yami, Yuugi would end up friendless, because the pharaoh was most likely to kill/Mind Crush Bakura and Marik. Ah…so that was why Yami was so infatuated with Yuugi's day.

Yuugi sighed. What should he do now? Tell Bakura and Marik that his vengeful yami was after them because he knew of their friendship? Hn…knowing them, blood, screaming, and running around in circles would be involved as a result. He could either do that, or listen to the phone call. Hn…the latter was a more agreeable choice.

/ - With Ryou - /

"Albino!" Bakura yelled, obviously left out from the spar of name-calling between Marik and Yuugi. He grinned sheepishly- if you could evencall it a sheepish expression- and rubbed the back of his neck as Marik, Yuugi, and everyone from behind the hedge stared at him strangely.

Ryou sighed, fingering the pointers of his Millennium Ring, from his lying position on the couch. What was it about Yuugi that made everyone so happy and carefree? Take himself for an example. Before Yuugi, Ryou had been a dark teen. He had wallowed in self-pity over the death of his mother and sister while brooding over his father's neglect. Yuugi taught him to be optimistic and happier, taking life one step at a time and living with all of its hardships. Sure, Yuugi had his ways; it was a fact…but Bakura?

Ryou had thought his yami were a lost soul, neither untamable by man nor magic. His yami, the sadistic creep who wallowed in the glory of darkness and its blood-lusting inhabitants, had never been the happy type. Sure, there were times the dark smirked, but those never counted. True happiness meant enjoying something without blood or torture. But there he was, in the park clearing, with Marik and Yuugi of all people, smiling, laughing, and joking around.

To unfamiliar eyes, this would have seemed like something dark and violent, their laughing and joking around, but to Ryou, this was the happiest he had ever seen Bakura. And it was because of Yuugi. Yuugi had somehow domesticated his yami, without any violence whatsoever. Ryou applauded the smaller teen's actions.

But inside, there was envy bubbling in the pit of his stomach. Ryou had known the spirit for more than half his life, and he had been the same. The same darkness who loved the blood, the gore, and the torture. Then there was Yuugi, a newbie to the spirit's inflicting pain. And how did the dark treat him? He joked along with him, as if he were a second, shorter Marik.

Ryou was glad he didn't have to deal with a violent yami, but green envy clouded the relief. He sort of…wanted…to be in Yuugi's place. After all, if Yuugi and Yami got along so well, he believed he and his yami should. But Yuugi had already befriended Bakura, and they had become fast friends. Ryou wanted a real relationship with his yami, where they would talk, and duel side-by-side, like Yuugi and Yami, not just the assurance of knowing the other was alive.

Ryou sighed again. He had lost his chance.

BRIIIIIIIIIING!

The phone rang. Ryou lay on the couch unmoving, letting the answer machine take the call.

"Hallo, you have reached the house of Ryou Bakura. I'm not here right now, so if you want me to call you back, leave your name and phone number after the tone. Ja!"

( "Ryou?" ) Malik's voice projected from the automatic machine. ( "It's me, Malik. Me and Yami were talking about the scene at the park, and- " )

Ryou made a mad scrabble to the phone and fell off the couch. He recovered in a rush and grabbed the phone.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Killah: Well, there you go! Another chapter done just for you (all of you o.o). I'm getting myself confused in this mucky excuse for a story… Too many feelings! Noooo… /dies/ Too many feelings to bare… Yuugi is worried, Yami is misled, then confused, Malik is calculating, and Ryou is jealous. Too complicated… /dies again/ x-X

Ryou's situation is not meant to be taken in a yaoi-ish manner, no matter how pro-yaoi it is. He just wants a relationship with his yami that doesn't involve violence, but something more than just knowing the other is just there. If you want to picture it as yaoi, go ahead. /sheepish grin/

2,402 words. This chapter is tainted by notebook-y-ness… I wrote Malik's POV in a notebook when I was bored. NOTEBOOK-Y-NESS!

Review or I'll blast your head off with my red-buttoned detonator. /maniacal laughter/ As I said in chapter one, I'm looking for a genre. Now that I've got a second, feeling-filled (/gags and dies/) chapter, I'd appreciate suggestions for what you would categorize this story. If you want me to keep it general, just tell me. Now I must jet again… o-O Ja!

HAH! It's November 19 and I've finally made the entire story completely horizontal scrollbar-free/cackles insanely/ About time, too. >X I've always hated those