A/N: Hello friends. It's a very sad time in my corner of the world here in Louisiana, as it is in other places here near the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina decimated much of the coastline, wiping out entire communities, killing hundreds (maybe thousands), and nearly wiping the city of New Orleans off the map. Fortunately for me and my family, Katrina's wrath did not make it this far to the northwest to have an impact on my city. Before I continue this fic, I would just like to ask you all to keep the victims of this tragedy in on your minds, in your hearts, and in your prayers. If you wish to lend any kind of assistance at all, feel free to e-mail me and I can try to guide you to a place where you can help. Thank you for reading this, and enjoy the chapter.

Test of Friendship

Chapter 18

Mai sat down lazily on her sofa, holding Mokuba's sleeping form in her lap. The boy had told him everything he knew about what had went on with his older brother, and Mai was in a bit of shock. For starters, she knew the female whom Kaiba had fallen for and was wondering what in the hell was she thinking. Then again, she herself had played the same game. While she was watching some wrap-up show from a sumo tournament, she heard a knock at the door.

"Just a second!"

Mai gently lifted the boy off of the couch and placed him back on the sofa. After being assured that he was asleep, she went to the door and answered it.

"Joey?"

The teenager shrugged his shoulders nervously. "Can I come in?"

The young woman smiled. "Of course."

Ishizu and Kaiba sat in the dining room in absolute silence, waiting on their lunch to be served. Ishizu looked up from the table cloth and decided to speak.

"How long has he been missing?"

Kaiba looked up with his usual glare. "Since last night."

"Kaiba...what happened?"

"It's none of your concern...why the hell did you come back here anyway?"

"I'm here to visit my brother for a few days...I didn't expect to see such a terrible mess when I arrived."

Kaiba sneered from across the table. "Is that all?"

"Is there supposed to be anything else, Kaiba?" Ishizu's voice was quiet but angry.

"You tell me...you're the one who left."

"Kaiba...this isn't a game. Not only have you tampered into the lives of my friends and brother, but you've also shut yourself off from your brother? What's wrong with you?"

"YOU'RE WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME YOU FOOLISH WOMAN!"

Ishizu stood up, enraged. "Kaiba...if I'm what's wrong with you, why hurt everyone else? Life isn't some sort of damn game, Seto!"

"Don't you dare call me by that name ever again, Ishizu."

Ishizu stepped back, a little taken aback by his dangerous tone. "You're not the same person I met before. You have only bitterness in your heart now. You want the real reason I came back, Kaiba? I came back to see if you had finally chosen push the pain and misery of your past out of your heart. Instead I found a warped, frustrated and incompetent child who manipulates everyone around him."

"Warped and frustrated? HA! You sure as hell helped out in that department, leaving me out in the cold like that. You saw what I was going through. You knew that you could help. What did you do? Pack up and leave me behind!"

"I left because there were things that needed my attention elsewhere...you trying to becoming more and more of an obsessed, paranoid, self-absorbed bastard didn't help slow down my decision."

"I'm obsessed? What do you call standing at the front gate with a handgun for five hours?"

Ishizu kept silent for a moment.

"Well?"

"Stupidity...I brought it hoping that you're security would either take so seriously that they didn't come out or not seriously enough. I know what kind of cowards you hire." Ishizu stood tall and stood face-to-face with Kaiba, his height dwarfing her.

"But I'm no coward. And neither is Joey. Or Tea. Or Yugi. They'll continue to be strong, even when faced with someone as vile, disgusting, and perverted as you. Tell me, why is it that you cause so much chaos? Are you that angry at the world?"

Kaiba's voice failed him, an Ishizu continued. "Kaiba...what's your answer?"

Kaiba turned away from her. "Get out."

"Heh..having trouble coping with the truth?"

Kaiba reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. "Security...please come and escort Miss Ishizu from the compound...NOW!"

Tea and Yugi sat on the couch, snuggled up comfortably. They had finished all of their homework and had decided to spend a little time watching some TV together.

Good evening and welcome to our "Showcase" Duel Monsters Match of the Week. This week's match-up comes from the United States, where defending US Champ Mason Knight tunes up for his dream duel with Seto Kaiba by facing Jonas Quinn in Regional Tournament action. Due to the points system in place, both Duelists could qualify for the National Tournament, but this one could be an important as far as seeding relates. The site for this duel? In front of a US-record 90,000 fans in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...

"Yugi?"

"Yeah, Tea?"

"Do you think Joey and Serenity will be alright?"

"I don't know."

Ryou held Serenity close to him as they lay in his bed, fully clothed. She was sound asleep, dreaming peacefully Ryou hoped. Unfortunately, he didn't believe he would be able to do the same.

"Heheheh...if it isn't the boy scout?" Bakura said mockingly as his hikari entered his soul room.

"You again..."

"So, tell me...does the Wheeler boy know you're knocking up his sister?"

"That was a one-time thing...it wont happen again."

Bakura had a haughty laugh at that. "Really? So are you becoming celibate again?"

"Why can't you leave me alone, please! For just one night!"

"Because I can see where this is headed...and you can too. Wheeler will soon find out, and you two are going to collide like a Corvette hitting a brick wall. I don't want you getting hurt, child. You see...I need this body as much as you do. HAHAHAHA!"

"I'd rather go to Hell than share a body with you!"

Bakura looked over, not surprised by the words of his vessel, but by his face. He had never seen him this angry before.

"Really? What's stopping you?"

Ryou's anger slowly faded. "You know who..."

"Oh. The whore. I feel an incredible irony here: the woman you strive so hard to protect will condemn us both to lots of unwanted experiences."

"I hope you're wrong."

Bakura smiled. "For my sake, I hope I am too.

Friends, I'll have to cut things short here. It was pretty tough to get that out, and I hope it all made sense. I don't know what else to say but thanks for reading, and keep the people affected by this terrible storm, as well as people suffering all around the world, in your hearts, minds, and prayers. Take care, and I'll see you soon.

BDB...out