Yami's koi: wow! A total of nine new reviews! Radical! Okay. I meant I would write the next chapter, and if I got 100 reviews or more for that one, which would be chapter seventeen, I would drag out the next chapter (eighteen) to conclude it.

Neutral Man: by the way, she hates me now, so this is the last you'll hear from me. Ever. Bye.

Yami's koi: Yeah, so fuck off already. Anyway. See ya at the bottom…

The Pharaoh looks at me with the same weak, tired eyes that he has done for the past two days of our lives'. Their crimson now reminds me of my own blood, and I instinctively go to touch my wrist. I freeze, however, not needing another reminder of why I had been driven to that point.

I can no longer blame Ryou for doing what he did. I can only blame him for falling in love with someone both as dense and as… well, just generally somebody like me. So undeserving and so… dark. He must have been insane.

I mean, think about it. How can hikari and yami's fall in love with one another? I thought that they were completely different things, which would mean that no two could be more wrong for one another. As a result, why the HELL would any of the hikari's want to go out with their yami's, anyway? We're all complete idiots!

But then I remember the typical women's phrase. 'Opposites attract.'

Perhaps it's not to be taken in the sense that many would now take it... the most obvious way. But maybe for the bearers of the Millennium Items… maybe… it means that light and darkness attract one another. After all, didn't I just say that we are complete opposites? So I must be at least half right… Yami and Yugi are still yami and hikari, yet also lovers, and they seem perfect for one another! The world can be so frustrating at times.

The Game King stares at me now, questioningly. Oops. I must have been staring at him whilst being a philosopher back there.

"What now, then?" A straight-forwards question. But now I get no reply. Instead Yami still stares at me, but he raises his hand to his side. He seems to press in against his hip, and, releasing the pressure there, I see blood spread in the material. It causes his clothes to stick to his body and, picking up my curved swords in my old, stylish way, I fall into a fighting crouch. It was involuntary, and purely out of instinct that I did this: it's almost like a second nature to me now, even after all those years of being dormant within the Millennium Ring.

Something is afoot here. No one just begins to bleed out of their own accord. Something must have struck the Pharaoh…

… Or something very dark is stirring. Again, I see the Pharaoh as I once did, us two fighting against each other, our spirits of dark or light respectively battling it out to win the ultimate prize. For me, it was the Millennium Items. And for him, both his father's corpse and my dead body.

And in the next instant, the vision has gone. I blink once, and then resume my attentiveness. I grip my blades tightly, and begin circling around the Pharaoh in a silent, watchful prowl. Nothing is going to get past me.

"Yami!"

I whirl around and get ready to stab something, only to be met with the face of Yugi Mutou. He stares at me in horror, looking from me to the blood spreading from the Pharaoh's wound. I frown slightly, wondering what his problem is.

And then I realise. With the outburst that he just gave me, Yugi won't exactly be singing praises to me anymore. And since his Yami's bleeding, there's no one else in sight, and I'm holding two swords, things somehow don't look too great for me.

"Bakura…!"

"Yugi, I haven't--"

"Bakura, I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" Yugi screams, lunging himself down at Yami's side, sobbing as he sees his lover's blood being spilt. Odd, however, that he isn't exactly doing anything to cease the blood flow, I note idly, despite the seriousness of the situation.

"You've done this to him, you Tomb Robbing bastard! You're just so… you're just so fucking mean, Bakura… I can't believe you would hurt my Yami like this! After all that we've done for you for the past few days, this is how you decide to repay us!" He begins to get hysterical now, bawling like the little child that his eyes make him look like.

"AND WITH RYOU GONE, I HAVE NO ONE TO TALK TO! GOD, WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME? I CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT ANYMORE, BECAUSE I ALWAYS--"

That's it. I snap. I swing at him, slapping him across the face. And I don't exactly go easy on him either. His hand touches his reddening cheek, and more tears well in his eyes.

But I don't care. I advance on Yugi, grabbing the collar of his shirt roughly. I glare into his eyes.

"Don't you dare think you're the only one affected by Ryou's death, Yugi," I hiss, seething. He has just contradicted himself in front of everybody; making me feel guilty, and then doing what he just said was a crime! What the hell was the bloody point!

I can't stop at just that, however. I need to tell him where he's going wrong.

"As soon as you stop feeling sorry for yourself, I can explain everything. Now, you either accept that you were neglecting my Ryou, or fuck off. It's that simple. Now do what you want. I don't care anymore."

With that, I release him, shoving him to the side. I leave the room, and also my house. I begin to walk down to the park, ignoring the large raindrops that are now splattering my face. I can barely feel things anymore, so something born from nature won't affect me now.

At least now Yugi's actually got something important to think about.

The weight of my hair suddenly increases, but I don't care. I jump over the gates that lead to the park, now devoid of all children thanks to the rain, and I sit myself on a swing. I slowly begin to rock myself, leaning my head against the chain that falls beside me.

I think about all of those precious times I spent with Ryou. I think about the day I realised I had fallen in love with him, and I smile. Since I was not familiar with love, not even from a parent or even a first girlfriend, I was oblivious to everything… I was in a right mess.

Flashback – Normal POV.

Bakura watched silently as Ryou did various chores in the kitchen. Nothing was said, but soon the hikari felt slightly at the stares and the quietness that Bakura was maintaining. It made him uneasy. Wiping his hands, he stood in front of Bakura and touched his shoulder lightly… something that he would have once feared doing, but now he had no problem with.

"Bakura… what's wrong? It's not like you to be so quiet…" Ryou asked, his chocolate coloured eyes imploring the Thief to confide in him.

Bakura stole a glance up at his light above him, and rose, sighing. His eyes betrayed a lot about him, but no emotion within them was readable. They were devoid of a recognisable emotion, but they were not soulless like many would suggest.

"If I knew myself, I'd tell you. Something's… not right."

Ryou gave his alter ego a look of both confusion and concern. "What's bothering you? Marik?"

Bakura snorted. "No. I wouldn't let him get to me anyway. It's something else, and I can't quite place who, when or why… I'm like this."

Ryou blinked. "You're so mysterious at times, my darkness. I just hope that you know if you ever need to talk to me…" Ryou smiled, blushing, "…I'll always be on the other side of the link."

"Or on the other side of the hall," Bakura murmured, with a smile. "Yes, I know, Ryou. But somehow, I think this is something that you really… don't want to know. It would only corrupt and disgust you… and what kind of a yami would I be if I let that happen intentionally? Why, I would be like Marik! And even though I may be a pretty sucky yami sometimes, I'd like to think that I was at least better than that bastard."

Ryou sighed, sitting opposite Bakura. Even though he hated the curses Bakura used, he had come to understand that that was the way Bakura was. And such things cannot be changed.

"So this is about Marik?"

Bakura shook his head. "No. Not him."

Ryou stared at the Thief then, and Bakura caught the stare, and froze. He was seeing his hikari in a completely different way. The way how Ryou's hair was shining because of the sunlight beaming in through the windows… the way his eyes showed how much he cared, just by one little look… the way how he held himself… it was all just so perfect… and it was completely the opposite of Bakura himself.

And the scariest thing? It allured him. That little creature, as innocent and pure as freshly fallen snow, as beautiful as an angel, so different to what he was, had actually made an impact on Bakura. Ryou wasn't the sexiest, nor the kinkiest person in the world, Bakura knew, but he could be a romantic… just for his hikari.

As soon as these thoughts registered, however, Bakura blinked and shook them away.

"No way… that's just not even possible…" Bakura murmured to himself, startling his hikari slightly. The Thief closed his eyes, wishing everything in life could be as simple as seeing. When he reopened his eyes, however, he found that nothing had changed. Ryou was still beautiful to him, in every single way. The pale, snowy hair still made Bakura finding himself falling… the hazel colour of his eyes still caused the Tomb Raider to pause and inhale sharply…

And everything, just for that one moment, was perfect.

However, love is never perfect.

"Bakura?"

Bakura turned away, hiding the look of pain in his eyes from his hikari.

"I am sorry, Ryou. But I'm not ready to tell you… not right now."

And with that, Bakura rushed out of the room, slamming the front door behind him as he raced away, his own thoughts confusing him. He thought he heard his hikari pounding on the door to his Soul Room, but Bakura refused him access of any kind.

Now that his problem had been identified… Bakura was afraid. He knew that such love was doomed, and that if Ryou was… gay… he would never fall for someone as heartless, as cruel and as different as Bakura, the King of Thieves.

Such things were cruel. And, once fully out of breath, Bakura collapsed on a nearby bench, curling his legs up to his body and resting his head on his knees, exhausted and distraught.

Nothing would be the same anymore, he realised. Nothing, not even the way he interacted with his own hikari, the man whom he loved… would be as it once was.

And the fault was his own. He was to blame for this… and he loved every moment of it as much as he hated it.

End Flashback, Ryou's POV

Still I run, but I must find some way of getting out of the building soon… my asthma is getting the better of me. And being the careless person I am, I wasn't carrying my inhaler when I died, as I thought that it would be pointless to me if ever I went to a better place.

I storm past windows, slowing down just enough to see that I am on the third floor… damnit, I'm still way too high up to even think about jumping down. And if I did, if the impact of the landing didn't give me a second death, then Mokuba's gun would.

My chest feels as if a white-hot knife is being twisted in me from within, and my legs feel so heavy… a stitch is beginning to form in my side… I feel like quitting, just quitting so that I can stop and be rid of this awful responsibility…

But where would that leave me? It would gain me nothing… and so I must carry on. For if I do… I will eventually gain something much more precious…

The love of my yami.

To keep Mokuba guessing, I often dart around random corners at the last possible moment. I hurl myself forwards even faster to keep him unsure of my next action, but still I hear a deafening gunshot echo throughout the hallway.

"I WILL KILL YOU!" He screams, firing more shots at me. I am quite surprised that he is missing, but in a blind fury, either power can be found, or lost. And more often than not, it is lost. I approach the open door to my right and, clipping my shoulder very slightly on the doorframe, I hurtle through the opening.

I push myself forwards, clutching my left arm as a searing pain shoots through it. Without thinking, I discard my shirt, throwing it behind me. I hear Mokuba's usually rhythmic steps clutter themselves for a moment, and again I race on.

Just when I thought I had lost him, I know why the footsteps have stopped.

I have reached a dead end. And there are no more doors to run through… and I would most certainly be risking it all if I leap from the window, as I am still on the third floor.

I whirl around, and the other idea of escape has gone, too. For now, Mokuba is silently advancing on me, a look of dark and evil glee on his face. He looks almost mad, and I am, for a moment, scared. What can he not do, I ask myself, when he has already taken two lives'? What can he not do when today, whilst enraged and hurt, he tried to kill his own brother?

If I am about to endure a second death, then I hope it is quick. But from a point of view that I think could be Bakura's amazing effect…

… I know that I need to fight. I can see my yami now, urging me on, giving me sweet nothings as well as words of encouragement.

"So… it's the end of the road," Mokuba sneers, smirking darkly at me. I steal a glance outside, and my heart lifts somewhat. I may not need to dodge anything yet… I may just need to create either a diversion, or stall for time. I believe, however, the latter shall suffice.

And if not? Well… Bakura will find a way of getting me back, I am sure of it. Confident inside, I begin to exploit my acting skills I once used actively at school.

"But why does it have to be?" I whisper feebly, trembling. I feel the urge to laugh, but I demolish such thoughts and instead focus on the task at hand. I make sure that I do not give Mokuba much eye contact, but I train my eyes, stricken in fear, at the gun he is now pointing at my chest.

Mokuba scowls. "What do you mean?"

I swallow, hard, exposing my neck so that he can see the reaction. "Well… what would it give you? What have I… ever… done to you…? I thought that you had a mildly valid reason for… for Jou…"

"Oh, come the fuck ON!" Mokuba cries agitatedly, waving the gun slightly. It gestures for me to sit, and I do so. He stands above me now; the evilly deranged look set on his face again. "Can't you get that yourself?"

"No," I state hurriedly, taking in deep, shuddery breaths, "As a last wish… please… I just want to know why I'm going to die… please?"

He regards me strangely for a moment. He then laughs cruelly, the sound piercing and cold.

"Well, at last! I thought you'd beg, but for a last request… you ask why I am about to kill you! What a waste of--"

"I have nothing else to ask for," I plead, tugging at his trouser leg for a moment, careful not to overdo the entire act. "Please… why am I going to die?"

He lowers his gun slightly, his eyes as thoughtful as they are malicious. I watch him, still taking long, deep gulps of fresh air as I pant, and for a moment I worry that this act will be seen through.

Mokuba's long, dark hair shimmers in the light as he slowly brings it back, running his fingers through it. I recognise that as a gesture used by Seto, and my heart aches. Kaiba is in a hospital because of the little boy in front of me, and I can do nothing to avenge him until the people below find where we are.

However, if they have any sense, then the trail of blood will be a large enough hint.

He opens his mouth now, and my thoughts fall silent as my full attention is given to what Mokuba has to say.

"I… want to feel that thrill again. You wouldn't understand what it is to kill… but I just feel this instant rush when I pull the trigger… and as I watch them fall to the ground, I am at peace for a while." He explains slowly, lifting the gun again.

"But what does this gain?" I whisper, staring at the gun in fright, which is now what I feel. I am desperately running out of reasons to stall him, and if I die, then - - "I mean, will it make Seto die in that hospital? Will it give you what you want?"

He scowls at me. "What I want is not your business," He spits, aiming the gun at my head. "And now, you die…" He pauses now, and glares down at me. I am not cowering, I cannot move. I am just so numb inside… an intense, almost crucifying wave of defeat and loss crashes over me, and I feel a warm wetness slide down my cheek.

Mokuba still watches the tear fall down my face, and bursts into fits of laughter – he is mocking my fear, which is what he has always wanted from me.

"Any last words?"

I swallow deeply, more tears falling.

"Yes…" I answer slowly, unable to look at who will shortly by my killer, "I… am sorry." The gun is lowered as he listens, and I press on, stammering slightly. "My love… Bakura… I-I am so sorry t-that you'll n-never be able to… to…"

"GET ON WITH IT!" He bellows, raising the gun again. I cry out in fear.

"THAT YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT I AM! THAT YOU NEVER KNEW THE REAL ME, THAT YOU NEVER GOT TO BE WITH ME!" I scream, crying hysterically. "AND IF I HAD ANOTHER CHANCE, 'KURA, I SWEAR I WOULDN'T BE WHERE I AM NOW! I WOULDN'T BE THIS PERSON, I'D BE SOMEONE YOU'D ACTUALLY WANT TO LOVE! Oh, Kami… please…" I weep now, my anger and desperation gone. I have nothing left to live for, I decide. If I must die, then I want it to be now. At least my pain won't be felt for much longer…

"Please… just get this over with…"

Mokuba's eye twitched for a moment, but then he grips his gun hard.

"Goodbye, bastard…"

I squeeze my eyes shut.

Bakura

I swing myself slightly on the childish contraption, and I smile. I remember something else, as well… something else that I can feel both happy about, and pissed off because I should have remembered this sooner.

Normal POV, Flashback

"Bakura! Come on, or the kids will be out of school before we get a chance to go on!" Ryou cried, running towards the park with an alarming speed for someone who looked so fragile and weak. Bakura, of course, caught up with him easily, slowing down as they reached the gates.

"All right, but not all day, okay? I have to--"

"Oh, yami! Please… just ONE day with your hikari, am I REALLY so terrible that you can't stand a DAY with me?" Ryou asked, pouting cutely. Bakura sighed, diverting the gaze by checking his watch.

"You know you're not…" He mumbled, eyes filled with shame. The thoughts he had of his hikari… the love he felt for his hikari… they were so wrong that they were right. But before Bakura could dwell on them, Ryou had already jumped on one of the swings.

"BAKURA! COME ON!"

Grinning, Bakura copied his light. He swung his legs backwards and forwards on the swing, intent on getting higher than his hikari. Taking up the challenge, Ryou leaned back further, kicking his legs out further to gain more height. It was a good technique, but Ryou knew deep down, that Bakura would win. For one thing…

"Quite a height up here, isn't it!" Bakura yelled over the rushing wind pounding against his ears. He could feel mild panic coming from the other side of the link, and it was so straightforward that Bakura almost laughed. Ryou could just be so cute at times.

"Kura… can I stop racing with you now? You know I'm afraid of heights…" Ryou pleaded, both verbally and through their mind link.

Bakura grinned: he'd won. And, that meant that he didn't have to go any higher himself. He wasn't afraid of heights, but his ass was lifting slightly from the seat when he got to the peak of the swing, and his fingers were already numbed from gripping the bars so tightly. But again, there was no fear detected anywhere within his heart, body or mind – it was pure instinct.

"Aw, okay, party pooper," Bakura agreed, pretending to be disappointed. He immediately stopped swinging his legs out, letting the eventual toll of gravity play itself out.

(Bakura… promise me something.)

Bakura glanced at his hikari, as they were both just sitting on the swings, barely moving. Ryou was staring at the ground, his face quite pale. Maybe Bakura shouldn't have challenged his light… but then, he wouldn't have anything else to do.

((For you? Anything.)) Bakura paused. ((Unless it's about the Pharaoh. There aren't many promises I can keep when it comes to him.))

(Promise me you'll never put me in a position where I'm getting freaked out like that again?)

((I promise,)) Bakura vowed at once, leaning over and pushing Ryou on the arm. The hikari just smiled and moved off his swing, over to a seesaw.

"Come on, Bakura. It's not as fun as a swing, but it's still good." Ryou pleaded, half sitting on one of the ends. Bakura stared at it for a moment.

"What is this contraption?"

Ryou laughed. "It's a seesaw. Look, just sit on that end, and hold onto the bar. You'll probably not find this as exciting, but…"

Bakura grinned. "Watch me." And so, he sat on the other end, causing Ryou to abruptly sit on his end of the wooden 'bench.' Ryou was now in the air, with Bakura's feet touching the floor.

"Now what?"

"Now you kick off from the ground, and then I do the same when I get down there. And then, the process starts again." Ryou explained, watching his yami's face with amusement. Bakura shrugged, and did as his hikari said, feeling himself rise, and, just as he got to the peak of the rise, his ass lifted from the seat and he almost fell off. Ryou laughed, a happy sound that was often more frequent when Bakura was around, and followed his own instructions.

They did this for a while, and by then, Ryou was crying with laughter.

"I'm gonna call Yugi, okay? I just want him to see this… and he thought I'd never get you into a park? Bullshit!" Ryou cried out, still at a high. He took out his cell and dialled the number.

"Hey, Yugi! You wanna come over to 'Kura and me in the park? We're having a blast--" Ryou stopped there, his smile faltering. "Oh… well, okay then… sorry I interrupted your private time… Bye…"

Ryou called off. Bakura narrowed his eyes slightly, getting off the seesaw (with slight difficulty), and strode over to Ryou.

"Come on, Ryou. We don't need them to have fun. We just proved that on the seesaw and swings, didn't we?" He asked brightly, nudging Ryou's sides. Ryou forced out a smile, and nodded in partial agreement.

"Yeah… you're right… I don't…"

End Flashback

That was about a year ago. Yugi was out with his oh-so-perfect boyfriend, so he didn't have the time to go out with Ryou once in a while. And whenever I wasn't feeling sociable, he never went out… in fact, neither of us did. It wasn't that I didn't want to go out, oh no… it was, come to think of it, Ryou that always declined. He usually said, 'No, that's where I planned to go with Yugi and Yami today… I can't ask you to rearrange your plans just for me. I'm not worth that much.'

I move from the drenched swing, making my way over to the now slightly more graffiti covered seesaw. I sat on one end, a faint smile coming over my face.

"I should have just forced him out of the house. That way I'd never be here, and even if the Mutou's and Ishtar's would still be fucking each other, then… Ryou would always have me." I say to myself, and to the stormy sky. It replies with a dull outbreak of thunder, and the rain begins to really pelt down on my skin.

It seems that I have no other choice than to go home. Just to see what has transpired there. And if I find out that sex has been transpiring… then I will see to it that they will never enter my house again… regardless of what Ryou says when he gets back.

That is what I can only hope for now: that he sees through what Ra and Osiris have organised for him, and that he comes home soon.

Ryou

I hear Mokuba's fingers slide over the trigger, can literally feel what it is like to pull it back, pressurising it until a shot is fired, and someone's life is taken away.

Well, there goes the neighbourhood. Guess I won't live to see Bakura's face when I return.

Everything here is do dank… so evil… I feel that I have been here before. Everything is so familiar, yet I put it aside to be the fact that it is the same setting that I was in a few years ago. I am almost glad that I'm dying, just so that I can be rid of this place.

CRACK!

I open my eyes. Mokuba is hurtling towards the floor, his knees giving away. I try to run past him, but an immediately met by the face of someone I never thought I would see again:

Marik Ishtar.

Oh… shit. The last time I saw him… I clutch my side as I remember the pain of having a knife twisted inside of me, and I whimper. It's gone from fucking bad to worse, how can this happen to me!

"Hello, little one," He says, accent thick and full of evil. "I hear that you seek death… that's why you attempted to enter this mansion?"

I shake, relaxing as I fall back from my standing position. I lean against the wall, exhausted.

"This place isn't a mansion… It's a fucking Sanitarium. I've never run across somebody so screwed up by jealousy… of his own brother! And what the hell for? Being happy because for once in his pitiful little life, something has actually gone according to plan for him! Why can't everyone just be happy for Seto and Jou, and get on with it!" At this, Mokuba groans from below my knee. I glare down at him.

"You're not dead." I state simply. Great. Two nutcases, two guns, possibly three knives, and a Millennium Item.

Marik points something at me, and I can instantly tell that it is his Millennium Rod. I glance up at him, sighing.

"Can't you be original, just for once? I kinda guessed that you'd use the Rod against me, you're getting old." I say, tonelessly. Mokuba seems to be coming round, but doesn't make much of an effort to get up. I prefer it that way, but if he has a knife hidden somewhere… he might just stab me in the leg. Uneasy, I edge away from him.

"But still, it seems to have had the right effect… you're shaking, little one." Marik growls, gesturing to me.

I shrug at this. "Oh, please, call me Ryou."

He blinks at this, his tanned face frowning, as if confused. "But first-name terms usually gives the impression that we are friends… and after what you did between me and Malik… I wouldn't say that we were nothing short of being enemies."

Fine by me. I have too many at the moment in this world, so one more usually wouldn't make a difference. But, come to think of it, when the enemy is Marik… it's time to start worrying. He's a total insane man, and that's to put it lightly. He almost gained world domination, but he screwed with so many people's lives at Battle City… though, come to think of it, that wouldn't have even happened yet… is this how insane he's always been, then?

"Too scared to talk? Don't worry, I won't make this too long for you… but what the Shadows do to you is a different matter entirely." Marik scorns, tightening his grip on the Rod.

I take off my Millennium Ring, something I've refrained from doing, due to the loneliness it causes… but no. Nothing.

"Then do your worst… but I have a Millennium Item, too."

Marik pauses at this, then looks me over thoroughly… something I've adjusted to in the past few days. His eyes narrow, the look inside of them making judgements and seemingly confused – sincerely this time, though.

For a moment, he lowers the Rod. "I knew you looked familiar."

I raise my eyebrow, pretending to look both interested but bewildered. I must play this carefully… I don't want to destroy these next few moments now, do I? Or, at least, not unless I want to bring my death to me much sooner.

"Why, of course. You stabbed me a few days ago before throwing me out of your house."

He sighs, shaking his head at me slowly. "No. I thought I'd seen you before… but now, looking at you, I can actually notice the differences between you and him."

Inside, I know what is coming. He will ask me about Bakura, and if I have ever seen him, ever heard of him, ever been touched by him… Still, I feign innocence and ask him: "And who would that be?"

"Ever heard of a man called Bakura?" He asks, taking a step closer. Automatically, I step backwards. I'd like my personal space, even if I might lose the inevitable battle that is looming ahead.

"I can't… don't think I have…" I say, raising my eyebrows. "Why? Should I know of him?"

Marik tilts his head at me, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "Are you sure? Bakura? His eyes are like yours, but are slightly sharper around the edges… but I think his are darker than yours. Has hair like yours, but seems more… angry, if you know what I mean. He has a big scar on his cheek… like three lines?"

At this, I do not understand. I never knew Bakura had a scar on his cheek… why hasn't he ever told me? I almost feel hurt, but I push that aside and concentrate on making myself look innocent.

"No… I can't say that I've ever seen him… or heard of him… Bakura… what a strange name…" I mutter, half to myself.

Marik sniggers. "You think so, too? He was Egyptian, like me… we met in circumstances that, had he have stood just an inch closer to the wall, he would have died, not just been scarred… damn those traps… stupid Pharaohs, insisting that we have them in our tombs…"

I almost laugh. Now is my time to have some fun.

"What was he, then? A Tomb Robber?"

This time, he seems very suspicious. A dangerous game to play, right? Well, to be honest, it's not like I give a fuck.

He raises the Rod again.

"Whatever he may have been, if you do not know him, then it's no concern of yours." Marik says coldly, eyes grim, "Prepare for a Shadow Game! This will be played--"

"-On the boundaries of our minds. Yeah, I've heard that before as well." I interrupt, enjoying every minute of this. I grip the Ring tightly. I hope this doesn't let me down.

Marik grimaces. "So you know something. Care to tell me what 'Diaha' means?"

I grin. "Start Duel."

"Right."

We stare each other down, like always, and his eyes flash in an instant.

"DIAHA!"

Yami's koi: ah, another small cliffie… this should get me past the hundred reviews mark, right?

Nefertiri: if you're lucky.

Yami's koi: hush! Anyways… I'm gonna regret this, probably, but I doubt there will be another five chapters left in this. How will it end? You'll have to keep reading and find out. But anyway… when I write the last chapter, it will appear to be very long. This will be because I will have a complete list of everyone who has ever reviewed me… and inspirations, a long AN, etc, etc… so I thought I'd just give you some warning! Please, R&R… And, until we hear from each other yet again… peace out.