Hello people. Yeah, I know I made my story almost into a vampire one. I suck at vampire fics. Chibi B channie is so much better with those than I am. #laughs# With Bakura and Mariku as shadows of Ryou and Malik it is partially the idea of coming up with a story. Also I needed to make Mariku's origin unique, so him meeting Bakura in the alley wanting to duel was vaguely a cover up for Mariku while he was on his nightly prowl for victims. It was a perfect place to start the story. I got the title name idea from a song that I heard. It was originally called "Shadows of the Nights," but I changed it because I only wanted Mariku that way and not Bakura. I coudl have made itmore obvious, but I wanted to put more character development in Mariku. I always thought of both of them that way since they are shadows of their hikaris in a way. That could be another meaning, thought it doesn't really matter. Malik has a reason why he hates Bakura and in this chapter you guys will find out why.

Chapter 22

Resentment

Ryou closed his eyes as Mariku approached him slwoly and the shadow spirit actually crawled on his fours as if he were a rabid reptile or tiger waiting to pounce on his prey. The psycho had a blood thirst look in his eyes as he growled in a high pinch tone that it sent shivers down Ryou's fragile skeletal body. The yami of the night was wishing to have blood and he thought that the little male hikari would be a good substitute for a snack. Even if he knew that the hikari looked pale and skinny he still was the only thing that Mariku had laid eyes on at the time since Bakura and Malik were still fighting each other.

"Mariku, don't look at me like that." Ryou scooted away with his back still pressed against the door until it made contact with the wall. He tried to reach for a phone, but Mariku's clawed hand flung it to the floor and he hissed and growled while licking his chops.

"There is no one else, Ryou. I am hungry and I need to feed. You are the only one available." Mariku's fangs were glistening as he made an attempt to pounch, but the white haired hikari ducked and tumbled on the floor towards the table to hide under it with Mariku following right behind him.

Bakura was on top of Malik and gracing the millenium ring's spikes at the egyptian's chest with a sadistic and insanely murderous smile seeped across his face. "This fight is over. You were a moron to ever challenge me, so you better beg for your life before I end up killing you."

Malik only smiled back as if he didn't care of what would happen to him. He distracted the thief by struggling to get up, Bakura cocked his brow and tried to pierce Malik's heart, but before he could, Malik had summoned up his strength and flipped him so that he was on top of the thief. He snatched part of the rope of the millenium ring and aimed it at Bakura's throat.

"Malik, this is stupid. Even if one of us kills the other, the hatred will never desist. What do you have against me anyway?" Bakura tried to struggle out of Malik's tight grip on his shoulders. In the other direction he saw Ryou crawling away from Mariku who was hot on his trail. "Great, another thing I have to worry about." Bakura mutterd under his breath.

Malik didn't know that ryou was in trouble and struggling for his life to get away from Mariku. The blonde had his attention focused on Bakura who was not too happy with being in this kind of sexual position that he was in.

"What are you going to do? Rape me?" Bakura rolled his eyes, surprised that he couldn't get up from the hikari's weak clutch on him.

"Maybe I should, then you would know how it feels to be betrayed by a friend and a partner that you showed some interest towards."

Bakura scoffed in a disgusted tone. "No, you wre the one flirting with me. I couldn't stand your guts. I only tolerated you so that I could get the millenium items...wait. Are you talking about the event with Battle City 3 years ago? That is over. We only did it one time. It meant nothing." Bakura snarled.

"You can't treat people like that." Malik turned away for a second to hide his streaky face that was going to shower with tears any second now. "Its a shame that you will be killed by your own item." Malik was shaky with the ring's points as he tried to not show any emotion on his features. He didn't want to do it, "I am only doing this because you rejected me and told me you could never love anyone. I believed you and then I found my way to Ryou, I love him with all my heart and I don't want to hurt you to hurt him anymore. You however, went after my yami and then you guys made love and lied to me."

Yami Bakura didn't know what to say, but he gave an innocent look to the hikari as he hited to Malik with his head towards the direction a few feet where Ryou was cowering behind a table. Malik looked behind him and almost screamed as he rushed off of Bakura and slapped his yami across the face. This did not phase Mariku one bit as the psycho turned on him and was about to bite him when bakura rushed between Mariku's legs and knocked him over by flying a hard kick to the shadow dweller's stomach.

"What's wrong with you? I turned my back for a few minutes and you are trying to digest my hikari." Yami Bakura shone the light in the others eye who covered his face fighting the urge to attack his lover.

Malik looked at Mariku suspiciously and then shook his head in disappointment as he got Ryou to climb out from under the table. "Mariku won't hurt you anymore."

"You still hurt my yami. That was uncalled for. If you relaly do love me, then end this stupid grudge you have against the dark half of my soul." Ryou replied in a calm and considerate manner.

Mariku only growled at Bakura as he shook his head and collapsed on the yami's stomach. He saw the fresh bleeding wound on the millenium ring owner's wrist and then his fangs did the rest of the work. Bakura felt the pierce of fangs licking at his wound and digging in as he clenched his teeth from the pain and was goign to faint. Mariku noticed this and stopped what he was doing and then got off of Bakura and fell asleep on the bed.

"Ryou, don't worry about it. I just realized that you are more important to me than a petty arguement I had 3 years ago with your darker half." Malik appologized as he fell on his knees in front of the other light.

"I forgive you Malik," Ryou smiled sweetly as he pulled at Malik's hair. Then he realized that Bakura was still in the room. "So Bakura, what were you going to tell me again?"

"I'll tell you later Ryou. You two enjoy yourselves." Yami Bakura replied in a curt voice as he walked over towards the bedside and lied on the comforter gripping at the blanket in anger. His bangs were covering his face as he tried to drown out their happy squeals of being with the other.

The hikaris seemed to be fine, but Bakura was not. He was torn between confusion and despiar and a bit of hatred towards Mariku. He refused to look at the happy couple who were not making out with eachother and he envied it. As he watched Mariku sleep peacefully on the bed, a few tears were beginning to show on Bakura's face as he wiped them away. He brought his dagger to his wrist and slit it open in despair and anger as he hoped that Mariku would smell the blood. Each time as he thought of Mariku he couldn't help his vampire tendencies, but how would thier relationship work if Bakura want to spend time with the other yami in the daytime? Mariku hates the light and wouldn't want any part of it and if he wanted to go be out in the day time they would always have to be somewhere where it was dark. In some respect, the yami of the ring resented that Mariku was cursed with such a fate.

Why did he have to be a vampire? This sucks. I may love darkness, but I also like the san and having a lover who is opposite is going to be aggravating. This curse it really going to be hard to compromise with. I do love him, but how am I supposed to understand his needs? Did I really make the right choice of accepting him?

Yami Bakura got out of his thoughts as he lay on the comforter once more. As he was about to go to sleep, he felt the bed shake and sudden body shift and make its way closer to him. It scared him for a second until he realized that it was just Mariku wanting to be closer to him. Bakura relaxed into his arms and fell asleep letting his thoughts wonder over the early morning.

End of Chapter 22. Please review.