A/n: two chapters today, yay!

Forever in light: Mind games

''

Anzu and Shadi had been sitting in silence for a while in his realm as she stared at the as of yet unchanged stone tablets.

Finally she spoke as she turned to see that he was doing the same.

"Shadi...shouldn't the tablets be back to normal by now?"

He looked back at her and shook his head.

"When I said Kaiba kidnapping you was the last thing, I mean it was the last trip into the past. There is one other thing you must do after that but I won't tell you now."

She stared into his eyes, trying to find some clue as to what she had to do, but there seemed to be no emotion at all.

"So,"

She paused as she caught his attention again.

He waved his hand in front of the wall and it changed back to a regular looking wall.

"We don't know how I was able to...well what was it that I did anyway?"

He was quiet for a moment before answering.

"Normal humans can not comprehend what you did. If it was any other person, their standing at that wall, even if they knew about me, could not penetrate the wall of energy separating this dimension from yours. I heard your thoughts Teanna. Calling out to me through that wall. Not even the dead can do that."

She looked at im oddly.

"What do you mean about the dead?"

His gaze on her never wavered as he spoke.

"Do you remember what I said to you the first time you went to Egypt? That I was the spirit of the high priest Shada? We are in the spirit realm right now, but it's a separate field even from them. No other spirits can walk into this plane unless I bring them myself. It is the same for mortals, but you are different some how."

She leaned back, thinking heavily for a moment.

"Yugi and Bakura can come here easily right? Because of their items? Is it possible that since I've...been so close to them over the past five years that I somehow absorbed their energy?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment but then shook his head.

"It's your own energy. I suspect that had you known about me your entire life you might have been able to do it sooner. Before you met them. I believe that the only reason you didn't break through was because you expanded so much energy in getting here. Now, about tomorrow; I spoke with Seto earlier and I just want you to know that I will be there. Not with you, mostly keeping Pharaoh occupied. But if something goes wrong I'll be there the second you call my name."

She smiled slightly.

"Thank you. For everything."

He too smiled and brushed his fingers gently over her hair.

"You have all been my keeps, I couldn't stand to see you all so unhappy. But I can see that your mind is still wandering. The best thing to do is to concentrate on one emotion or thought."

So she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

After a moment she was able to think of only Ryou, but suddenly a very evil presence entered.

Her eyes flew open and she stared at Shadi for a moment before standing.

"Teanna, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, backing away.

"I can feel you trying to get into my head! Stop it! Leave me alone!"

He too stood, staring at her in confusion.

" No...I don't know who it is but it's not me."

She backed toward the door.

"You've done it to me before what's stopping you now?"

He narrowed his eyes at her for a moment but decided being angry with her would only make it worse.

Whatever she was picking up on was manipulating her into believing Shadi was going to hurt her.

"I also used my Ankh when I did that before. If I wanted to enter your soul room I'd have done it without giving you any warning. But there's no reason for me to enter your soul room now."

Without another word she turned and ran.

Shadi ran after her, finally realizing with horror what was going on.

She stopped at a tall door and turned to look at him.

"No! Don't go in that room!"

But it was too late and she flung the door open.

However once she saw what was inside she began to back away.

Shadi quickly closed the door and turned to her.

Her entire body shook.

"It's Pharaoh?"

He caught her with a sigh as she fainted from the dark energy pouring out of the room.

'Home'

He thought as he lifted her into his arms.

He disappeared with her and a moment later reappeared in her bedroom.

Ryou walked into the room just as Shadi was placing her on the bed.

"What happened to her! That horrible dark energy, I feel it all around you! Did you hurt her!"

He shook his head as he turned to Ryou.

"Pharaoh...or I should say the evil, hatred, and insanity that was inside of Pharaoh, attempted an escape using her. If you wish for someone to stay with her, it should be Bakura. You may become ill if you stay around her for too long. It will probably wear off within an hour or two."

Ryou stepped closer to them but the closer he got, the more he stared to feel dizzy.

"Aren't you...worried about her...at all!"

Shadi sighed and stepped away from her.

"Of course. There could be side effects that I need to monitor...but right now I really need to punish the one who did this to her."

And with that, he was gone.

''

Shadi stepped into the room with a death glair and closed the door behind him.

Before him hung a tall mirror, in which he could see his reflection, but it was gray and rotting.

Shadi smirked and stepped closer, watching as a bug ran from where his left eyes should be.

"Is that what you did to her? Spare your tricks on me...you know they won't work. I'm already dead, remember?"

The image faded into that of Pharaoh.

"I'm disappointed. It only took her two minutes and thirteen seconds to faint."

Shadi growled at the smirking image.

"That was your goal the entire time!"

Pharaoh began to chuckle slightly.

"That's not something you would understand. Unless you were with us..."

Shadi took a deep breath.

Anger fed this entity and he knew it was only trying to anger him.

"How about I amuse you Pharaoh, and say yes. Then what would you do?"

Pharaoh thought about this for a moment.

"I would pat you on the back and ask if it was a good show...but then I'm trapped here."

Shadi took a step closer.

"Let me tell you something else Pharaoh. I will not let you jade an innocent woman."

Pharaoh snickered at this.

"Innocent you say? You do know what she's doing with both of those men don't you?"

Shadi shook his head.

"I don't ask questions. She genuinely loves both of them and they love her. You on the other hand...cheating on her in both lives. And in both she showed she was the better one by waiting until you were hopelessly gone before she went on to Bakura. Or is it that it's Bakura who is one of her lovers that's bothering you?"

Pharaoh seemed angry by this.

"Of course Shadi. I can't stand seeing him touch her."

Shadi smirked suddenly.

"And hold her and kiss her and tell her the opposite of everything you told her..."

Pharaoh pounded on the glass.

"You stop right where you are! I don't want to hear anymore!"

Shadi shook his head.

"I won't stop Pharaoh, not until you tell me what you did to her."

Pharaoh stuck his tongue out.

"You'd like to know wouldn't you. So you can do it to her too. Admit it, you loved seeing her dangle from your arms."

Shadi crossed his arms.

"You're absolutely right. You know what else I forgot to tell you? I kissed her last night. Tenderly at first but I just couldn't stop myself. She has very soft skin too. If Bakura hadn't come in I don't know what might have happened. She's a very seductive woman you know..."

Pharaoh was growing angrier by the moment.

"And then I stuck around and watched to see what Bakura would do. He woke her up and kissed her. Never told her that I had ever been there. He bit the side of her neck and she whispered his name softly..."

Finally Pharaoh had enough.

"Alright! She completely cleared her mind so I snuck in and disguised myself as you."

He suddenly smirked.

"Funny you mention neck biting because the image she saw in the mirror was of you doing that very same thing to her. Shall I tell you what she thought of it?"

Shadi was growing tired of this battle of wills.

They each knew each other's weaknesses and played on them to get the upper hand.

Shadi knew Pharaoh didn't like the idea of Anzu being kissed by anyone but himself.

But Pharaoh knew that portraying Shadi as having ulterior motives when Anzu was concerned drove him over the edge.

He still hadn't figured out exactly why it was that Shadi acted the way he did around her.

At the moment Shadi felt like he was her sole protector.

A set back like earlier was costly to both Shadi's mind, and the mission.

"No Pharaoh. I'm sure she was frightened of that idea."

Pharaoh smirked.

"As she should be."

Shadi nodded.

"Yes as she should."

Pharaoh tilted his head.

"Why do you agree?"

"Because if I were to ever kiss her that way, it would be because I had completely lost my mind. There is a reason why I feel so close to her and it's not that kind of close either. Maybe I'll tell you right before you die."

He turned and left, unwilling to fight with him anymore.

''

Anzu opened her eyes feeling numb all over.

She didn't seem to have the will to move anything.

Even looking around tired her eyes but she felt someone else in the room and spoke in a whisper.

"Shadi?"

Ryou came into view and tears began to fall from her eyes.

"It's going to be okay now Anzu. Do you know what happened to you?"

She thought for a moment.

"I was so confused when we came back. Shadi told me to concentrate on one emotion or thought, so I thought about you but suddenly I lost you and...I don't know how to describe it. It was like a mass of evil and insanity clouded in. I couldn't think straight and the next thing I knew I was standing in front of a door."

She stopped as she remembered what had been inside that room.

"Ryou. Please tell me it wasn't true!"

Ryou sat beside her and gently stroked his fingers over her hair.

"What?"

She was slowly regaining control of her body and turned her head to face him.

"There was a floor length mirror in there and when I looked into it, Shadi was standing behind me, kissing me like you and Bakura do. I could feel it but then when he closed the door his reflection turned to Pharaoh. That's the last thing I remember."

Ryou lifted her into his arms and held her tightly.

" Shadi showed up here. He said pharaoh had tried to escape using you. It wasn't real Anzu, Shadi would never do something like that."

She nodded, wrapping her arms around him and taking a deep breath.

"I should have known it was Pharaoh. It was just so real."

Ryou kissed her forehead softly and rested her back down.

"You need some more sleep. You and I will take a nap together."

She glanced up at him in confusion.

"Where is Bakura?"

Ryou glared at nothing before looking back down at her.

"He's got a lot on his mind I guess. Last night he came home at nearly four in the morning, never slept and went back out at dawn. He's been gone since and for the life of me I can't seem to find him. Now, "

He laid down beside her and pulled the covers up over them.

"When we wake up I'll explain a little more and we should see Shadi. But for now we need to sleep some."

Anzu smiled softly and curled up in his arms.

"No objections here. I'm so tired. I barely slept at all last night."

Ryou brushed his fingers gently over her hair for a few moments until he was sure she was asleep.

As he laid there silently trying to fall asleep he began to think.

'Pharaoh is supposed to be okay now. Why is he still trapped there?'

It wouldn't be too long before got his answer, and he wouldn't like what he was hearing.