Thank you for the reviews. Unfortunately this story is almost over. I am trying to tie it together so any suggestions on how I should end it would be helpful.

Chapter 23

Padded Walls

(Asylum)

Yami Bakura woke up to find himself not in his room, but in another room that seemed to stretch endlessly. He rubbed his eyes and pinched himself just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He found his sad attempts to be with great flaw for he wasn't dreaming. This new environment became a reality as it began to fill him with memories of when he felt like a trapped rat when he was imprisoned in the millenium ring. He hated that feeling and wanted to forget it. It was one of the worst things to ever happen to him.

It was dark and isolated as he tried to walk around. He was surprised that it was so dark as he felt his feet rolling forward as he bumped into soft cushioned walls. Gritting his teeth between cursing a bit he tried to touch the atmosphere that felt comfortable and solid more like a fluffled pillow or even cotton. However, his hands would not cooperate as he felt a restraint on them. His mind was confused and pissed as he tried to remove them from behind his back. He struggled a few minutes rubbing the object that was restraining his hands until they began to get a little raw and bled.

"Where the fuck am I? Mariku?" His voice seemed to echo back towards him that gave him the awkward look.

Yami no Bakura loved the darkness, but he was not aware of where he was or what he was doing in this room. The spirit of the dark vaguely remembered that he was sleeping with Mariku. He did not remember anything else after that. Growling profusely he banged himself against the padded walls and thrashed himself at the things that bounced him back to the same feeling on the ground.

"Let me out of here." He screamed at the top of his lungs as he knew the millenium ring was powerless to help him since he could not reach it to get away from his prison.

"You must be enjoying yourself I you like the dark so much." A familiar voice interrupted from the cell that the yami was in.

"Kaiba, how did you…?" Yami Bakura glared hatefully at the billionaire executive who was smirking behind the closed cell doors.

"Shut up. You freaks are all alike. Let's just say I have my way of making sure scum is put out with the trash. Especially people who have trespassed on my blimp. "Kaiba folded his arms sternly.

"Bite your tongue." Yami Bakura wanted to attack the smirking brunette, but found that he couldn't since the straight jacket was preventing him from rattling the bars or even step a foot towards it against a force field that held him back.

"Yes, my technology is state-of-the-art." Kaiba bragged and then calmed himself. "I know you can bring Yami back from the realm you sent him. Bring him back and I may let you out of this asylum. It is for crazy people like you who torture themselves for no apparent reason."

Yami Bakura didn't care what he did to his body. In a way it felt good to relieve the disappointment and the stress in his life. He was not on a suicide mission and thought that what he did was fine. Though suspension rose over him on how the hell a present day human had caught him so easily, but not be able to catch Mariku.

"Fuck you. I will never bring the bastard back. Why would you care about the pharaoh unless he is your lover." Yami Bakura's tone was curt as he continuely tried to strangle himself for trying to get rid of the jacket. "Where is Mariku?"

Seto Kaiba frowned as he pushed open the door, pushing Ryou in it. "I don't know. Maybe your other half will convince you otherwise." The door then slammed with Ryou who carefully walked towards his yami who gave him an evil look.

This was the first time Ryou had ever seen his yami in person since before they had shared a body and now the hikari was just getting used to his yami who had a body of his own now. It was a bit awkward, but the silver haired hikari knew he must do something.

"Voice, you do know that it was mean to do that to Yami." Ryou tried to reasone with his darker half who only looked at him with hatred. For some reason he thought that perhaps his own mirror had arranged him to be in this crazy asylum.

"Get me out of this thing. I can hardly move." Yami Bakura snarled as he glared at Ryou as hard as his eyes could. "He deserved it. Besides, if I were to bring him back he would only send me to the shadow realm."

Ryou rolled his eyes as he sighed loudly and began untying the straight jacket that once his yam ifelt his arms free he immediately began looking at them. The little light happened to see the scrapes and blood oozing a bit from his yami's wrists. "Oh dear, let me do something." He gently grabbed a small cloth from the jacket and applied pressure.

"That hurts. Why are you being nice to me? I was always horrible to you." Yami Bakura tensed his eyes shut as he tried to back up far into the padded walls of the rooms.

"Just hold still. This may hurt, but I have to stop the bleeding." Ryou said calmly. He then looked at his yami. "I may hate what you do to people, but I have to accept the way you are. I also care for you." Ryou smiled sheepishly.

Yami Bakura seemed shocked with the reply he was given, but then he scoffed as he began to pout as he pondered on how to get out of this place, but then it hit him. He was free now so he could always disappear out. Smiling evily he waited until he was bandaged and then the millenium ring began to glow, however Ryou stopped him.

"Don't go yet. I really want to talk to you. Well, actually you wanted to talk to me about something, remember?" Ryou pulled on his yami's black trench coat. The hikari's face was getting really close to him now.

As soon as Yami Bakura felt the tug, he swiftly rose his hand back and slapped Ryou acrossed the face. The hikari could not understand the reason behind this, but he knew that his yami had other things in mind such as trying to get out of the asylum for one thing. He hated him and almost resented helping him, but he knew that his yami was more concerned about Mariku.

"My problems I can deal with myself. I don't need you to look after me. I do appreciate you helping me in your pathetic attempt, but I am not your shadow anymore." Yami Bakura replied in a dark voice as if he was fighting to control himself.

"Bakura, where are you going?" Ryou asked as he saw the ring glowing again as his yami's body was evaporating to where Ryou could only see his darker soul's chocolate orbs still visible.

"To find Mariku. There must be a reason why he abandoned me." Yami Bakura's voice was more quiet as if he felt betrayed by his lover.

"I'm sure he wouldn't leabe you alone on purpose." Ryou then pulled a letter from his pocket that he let Bakura's eyes read since they were the only things visible.

Akura,

I had to leave because the sun was rising. I will meet you tonight at your place. I hope your hikari gives this to you because if he doesn't I will personally kill him. See you tonight.

Love, Mariku.

Bakura seemed more content as he materialized back to his body form and actually smiled to Ryou instead of smirking like he usually did. "Thanks."

"What about me?" Ryou asked in disappointment and looked like he was about to cry.

"Oh, you can find your way out." Yami Bakura laughed evily as he soon disappeared as the shadows began to appear in the prison before Ryou.

End of Chapter 23. I know it sucked. Please review.