Mijikai: Well I haven't written this in a while…

Yami: Tell me about it.

Yugi: You didn't update this Winter Break.

Mijikai: I was having too much fun with my own free time. --

Yami: Ah, well, no problem. Just quit.

Mijikai: What do you mean quit?

Yami: Well for one thing…

Yugi: Oh dear.

I:I

Guardian Angel

Chapter Seven

The man, Bakura, glanced down at the swirling cloudy glass as he glared angrily at the smiling Pharaoh.

"The Pharaoh, who twisted my soul, is now happy and I, who was the victim, ended up in this hell," he spat and glanced back as he saw the man, Shi, sitting on what appeared to be nothing and seemed to be chanting.

Heavy chains bound his hands and ankles to the realm of darkness and shadow, yet they were breaking. Bakura could easily see the cracks and chipping of the bindings.

'And I thought the chains of shadow were suppose to hold their prisoners forever,' Bakura thought cynically as he walked towards the man.

"You're not going to succeed," Bakura hissed in the man's ear and the man glared up at him. "Try and try yet these chains just teasingly crack and crumble but still hold you here. And while you're on your ass trying to free yourself your little guppy is still out there, happy. How does that make you feel?"

The man looked up from his shaggy black hair and showed his teeth.

"If you're trying to intimidate me…"

Bakura shrugged as he went back to the glass.

"Now why should I want to intimidate you?" he asked tauntingly. "You're my key for revenge."

Shi snorted.

"All I want is to tear that little brats wings off and finally drag him here where he belongs. I have no intention of being a tool of revenge for you."

Bakura placed a finger to his lips.

"Now let's think here. You were a floating body, with chains wrapped tightly around you. And then I came a long…and our agreement was that if I freed most of your chains you'd work under me. Hmmm…does that not mean you did agree to my tool for revenge?" Bakura asked and smirked. "I think it does."

Shi snarled under his breath.

"You were suppose to work for me," he hissed.

Bakura shrugged.

"I'm not the "following" type," Bakura said and sniggered. "And you thought I would work for you? No wonder the bastard pharaoh defeated you long ago."

Shi got up and grabbed Bakura around his neck.

"I could snap your neck in half."

"Try," Bakura said and when Shi's hands started tightening their grip, something under Bakura's shirt glowed and Shi was thrown back. "Oooh, hope I didn't hurt you too bad."

His sarcastic laughter annoyed Shi to no end as he scrambled up.

"Now, if you could be a good boy for a moment," Bakura said and gestured with a long finger. "Look in the mirror."

Shi did and his eyes darkened with hate as he saw the boy, Yugi, being hugged my his Oji-san and by the young Pharaoh. He spat on the surface and Bakura wrinkled his nose as he flicked his hand over it.

"Clean that up. I don't want to see your phlegm on this mirror or anywhere except in your mouth."

Shi only shrugged but felt a bit smug he was able to wipe that smile off of the arrogant brat's face.

"Now, as I was going say, I will open the exit again. This time, instead of being stupid and trying to kill the brat head on, bring him here."

"Bring the brat here?"

"Had it ever occurred to you that you could?" Bakura asked rolling his eyes, and Shi looked away.

It didn't occur to him.

"You see, this here, is our turf. You've been trying to kill him on his. If you bring him here, the Pharaoh and your Yugi will be at a disadvantage, while we dark souls will have the greatest advantage."

"But it would be almost useless to bring him here. They'll still be in body and…"

Bakura raised an eyebrow and Shi immediately shut up. He knew that look. It was the look Bakura gave him when he thought he was saying something stupid.

"Trust me, even if he weren't a soul down here, it would still work," Bakura said as he turned back to the mirror. "A body has warmth while we souls are cold. We'll suck the light from him and then his body will be like us, a cold empty shell. Of course I'll need to distract the Pharaoh long enough for that to happen. And when the boy dies, so will the Pharaoh."

Shi nodded slowly.

"By the way, Shi, you never did really explain to me why you want revenge on the boy's soul."

Shi's lips pressed together into a thin line as he shook his head.

"The boy and I have a long feud going on. You wouldn't understand."

"No and I wouldn't care either," Bakura said.

"Then why did you ask?"

"I like the way your face contorts to hate and anger," Bakura said with a laugh as he disappeared into the swirling black mist.

Shi glared at where the brat had been before turning back to the mirror as Yugi smiled.

That smile…the smile he wanted to break badly.

'Someday,' he thought. 'Someday I will.'

I:I

"Pan…cakes?" Yami asked, as he stared down at the round flat bread.

The stuff didn't look too tasty as it was brown from back to front but the edge was all white. The middle didn't look cooked.

"Uh huh," Yugi said with a nod. "They're good with butter and syrup."

Yami's head was reeling at all the new words that were thrown at him and stared in a daze as Yugi pointed to the butter and syrup.

"And this is fully cooked?" Yami asked as he poked at the thing with his fork.

"Yes."

"I don't know. Bread is usually brown all the way."

"But this isn't bread Yami. Well…sort of…but…just try some, it's good."

Yami cut a small piece and placed it into his mouth.

"It's sweeter then bread."

"Yeah, and it tastes even better with this," Yugi said and poured the syrup on top of the pancakes,despite Yami's protests.

Yami didn't quite want to try this syrup. It didn't look good either.

"The syrup will make the pancakes even sweeter."

With his purple eyes, he glanced from the food to Yugi's smile, and then back to his now…soaking pancakes.

In truth, Yami didn't have much of a sweet tooth, but he didn't have the heart to say this to his aibou. With a forced smile, he took a small bite and just as he suspected, it was too sweet.

He tried not to wince visibly as the shocking flavor hit his tongue and when Yugi turned his head as his Oji-san came in the room, he chugged his orange juice and slid the pancakes onto Sugoroku's plate.

"Morning Yugi, Yami," Sugoroku said cheerfully.

"Morning Oji-san," Yugi said.

"Morning," Yami said and munched on dry bread from the basket.

He appreciated that his aibou was trying to get him used to the new things around him, but for breakfast he preferred what he knew he liked. Eggs, dry bread, and fruit.

"I got a notice today that a new crew explored more of that palace we found Yugi," Sugoroku said as he sat down and glanced down at his plate. "Did someone take a bite of my pancakes?"

Yami shifted his eyes and took up a knife.

With one smooth motion, hesliced away the eaten part and threw it out the window.

"Yami!" Yugi shouted and ran to the window and looked down. "You can't just throw food out the window!"

"Why?" Yami asked, as he wiped his sticky fingers on a napkin. "The animals will eat it."

"It could have hit someone down there," Yugi said, gesturing frantically to the window.

Yami shrugged.

"Their fault for standing there."

"Yami," Yugi said sternly, and he glanced at his aibou's angry face.

"Alright, I won't do it anymore," Yami promised and held up his right hand. "My promise."

"Good, then you can apologize to the man down there," Yugi said and Sugoroku choked.

"It actually hit someone!"

"Unfortunately."

"Oh boy," Sugoroku murmured as his face flushed.

Yami glanced from Grandfather to grandson not quite sure why they were getting so worked up in him throwing food out of the window. He did it all the time in…well…somewhere. It was just a habit he remembered. He looked in distaste at the stickiness that was still on his fingers and stood up.

"I'm going to wash," he said and headed towards the bathroom.

"You want me to draw the bath?" his aibou asked and Yami felt his face grow hot.

"No, my charge shouldn't be acting like a servant for me," Yami said, then smirked as a joke came to his mind. "But your Oji-san on the other hand…"

"Not on your life," Sugoroku said as he took a bite of the pancakes. "Unless you're crippled or sick, and you're neither."

Yami sneezed.

"Nice try," Sugoroku said as he continued eating.

Yami shrugged.

"Thought I'd try," he said as he went inside.

At first he felt overwhelmed as he looked at all the different objects in the bathroom, but with a deep breath, he got onto his knees and pulled the tab that was labeled "H".

He hissed at the hot water that hit his hand, and pulled the "C" tab.

Steam filled the bathroom quickly and he continuously stirred his hand in the water to make sure it wouldn't get to cold or to hot.

As the water rose, Yami quickly turned the water tabs off before the bath overflowed…like the last time he first used the bath.

Feeling the water again, he sighed. The water was more on the too warm side but it would do. He stripped and slid into the water, sighing in pleasure as the water lapped onto his skin.

Glancing around slowly, he suddenly felt alone.

"I return home…to find it no longer exists," he whispered as he sank deeper into the water.

I:I

Yugi read the notice over before handing it back to his Oji-san.

"They're going to actually transport the whole thing to England?"

"Yep."

"But wouldn't that be fragile work?"

"Not for them," Surogoku said. "That palace is money for the government and they will get it no matter what."

"But it's big and most of it is ruined from the cave in…"

"Yes, but the Pharaoh's room and his mysterious companions is still in tact."

"Is it?" Yugi asked with hope.

Hehadfelt somethingspecial from those rooms and was glad that the magic hadn't been buried underneath rock and rubble.

"Surprisingly when the rubble was cleared out, the rooms were not damaged."

"Hey…Oji-san."

"Nani?"

"Let's take Yami back to the palace."

"I don't know, it's no longer our find…"

"But it should be!" Yugi said determinedly. "We found it first. And I think Yami will be able to find some things out if he goes back there."

"How so?"

"Well…this woman appeared and she said that Yami was a Pharaoh. And we were in a Pharaoh's palace right? So couldn't there be some kind of connection?"

Sugoroku frowned at this.

"It's a stretch. There were many pharaohs a long time ago…"

"But I found this Pharaoh's puzzle there," Yugi pointed out and Surogoku threw up his hands.

"I give, we'll go when Yami's done."

"Yes!" Yugi said and stood up and knocked on the bathroom door. "Yami!"

There was a stir inside.

"Huh? Is something wrong aibou?"

"When you're done, there's someplace Oji-san and I want to take you."

"Alright," Yami called from inside and he could hear Yami getting out of the water.

As the door opened, Yami stood in the doorway with a curious look on his face.

"Where are we going?"

Yugi's face turned red as he stared at the young Pharaoh that stood before him… naked. Water ran down Yami's glistening wet body, his spiked hair flattened a bit towards the shoulders.

With a cry, Yugi covered his eyes and turned away.

"What's wrong aibou!" Yami asked with worry and Yugi's face grew more heated as Yami grasped his shoulders.

"No, no, I'm alright. But Yami, in this time…we're not so open with nakedness."

"Huh?" Yami asked, then he suddenly laughed which caused Yugi to peek through his fingers to look up at Yami's amused face. "Are you saying this is all because I'm naked?"

"Yes," Yugi said slowly.

Yami shook his head.

"You are all certainly a mystery to me, aibou. I am male, and so are you, right?"

"Of course I am!"

"Then what is there to be modest about? Unless there is something I have that you don't that I'm not aware off."

Yugi glared.

"Humph, of course I do…although I'm not as tall…and good looking as you…"

Yami raised an eyebrow and Yugi turned his back again.

"Just please put something on Yami."

"If it makes you more comfortable, aibou," Yami said and when Yugi glanced back, he was relieved that Yami now covered a towel around his waist. "I still don't understand why it's so embarrassing. We are both male and have a male sex org…"

"It's because in this time we don't walk around naked!" Yugi shouted, feeling very uncomfortable and embarrassed. "I mean, do you want to see Oji-san naked!"

"Okay, that's enough," Sugoroku said as he got up. "You can talk all you want about nakedness, but when you involve me, that's when I draw the line."

Yugi nodded but hurried towards the bed and flung himself on top of it, throwing his pillow over his head.

'This is more embarrassing then when Grandpa tried giving me the "Bird and bees" talk,' Yugi thought.

He felt the bed suddenly sink and a hand touch his shoulder gently.

"Aibou?"

Yugi scrunched his pillow over his head harder. He really didn't want to have another argument like that with Yami again.

"I apologize."

Yugi blinked and glanced up from under his pillow. Yami's face was sincere and even innocent looking with his strands of black and red hair falling on his cheeks and shoulders.

"I am still learning, so please be patient with me."

Yugi sat up and nodded.

"It's alright…I'm just not used to those kinds of conversations with anyone."

"Although I would like you to still explain to me why you people are so embarrassed."

"Another time," Yugi said, his cheeks heating up again.

"Very well then," Yami said and stood up, and Yugi couldn'thelp but stare.

Such a slender back and nicely toned muscles.

'Will I look like that when I grow older?' Yugi thought curiously and glanced down at himself.

Right now, Yugi was scrawny and barely had muscles.

He glanced at Yami again as he changed and glanced at himself again.

'Well…now that I think of it….Yami is a couple of years older then me, physically, so if he looks like me that means I'll look like him when I get older. Cool! I definitely willscore some girls if I look like Yami in a couple of years.'

"Is it normal to grin widely at nothing?" Yami suddenly asked and Yugi started, throwing his head back tosee an upside downYami, who now wore loose jeans that ended at the knees, tied with a thick belt with a loose red t-shirt on, looking down at him.

His hair still hung loose around his shoulders, wet and his purple eyes were staring at Yugi curiously.

"Uhhh…if your day dreaming about something exciting yeah," Yugi said with a grin.

"Can I ask what you were day dreaming about?" Yami asked.

"Well I figured that in a couple of years I'll be like you, right? Tall handsome and good looking! Which means I'll probably could score a girlfriend!"

Yami blinked.

"But why would you want to be tall and good looking?"

"Yami please tell me you didn't ask me that," Yugi said as he buried his face in his hands.

"What I meant was, shouldn't you be happy the way you are?" Yami asked tucking his hands in his pockets. "Small and kind?"

"No," Yugi said as he got off of the bed. "Oji-san, we're ready to go!"

"I like you the way you are," came a murmur and Yugi glanced behind him.

"You say something Yami?"

Yami shrugged.

"No."

I:I

"But…"

"I'm sorry, but the property is off limits to civilians," the man said for the tenth time.

"…But…" Yugi tried again and the man rolled his eyes. "Look kid, we're still clearing out the cave in that happened here and we can't have anyone going in there but professionals."

"Oji-san's a professional," Yugi pointed out.

"I don't care, you're all not gong in there," the man said, pointing to the palace.

"People's rights!" Yugi shouted.

"To bad kid, now leave before I call the guards over!" the man shouted back.

Yugi glared.

"Yugi, let's leave the nice man alone now," Sugoroku said, laughing nervously.

Sugoroku tried reasoning with the man politely but Yugi had gotten frustrated and started arguing with the man, fiercely. And it wasn't helping at all.

"But…" Yugi protested, but a hand grasped his shoulder tightly.

"It's alright aibou. You can show me another time," Yami said with a smile, and looked at the man with a grim expression. "Excuse me sir, but it seems my aibou wanted to show me something here. And it would be much appreciated if you would allow him too."

"Kid, I told your little brother…"

"He's not my brother."

"Little cousin, little kid, I don't care," the man said. "But bottom line is, your not getting in there."

Yami stared at the man for a long time, and could feel a surge of power coursing through him as he looked through the man's eyes into his mind.

You will let us in. Tonight!

"You can all come later tonight," the man said, and Yami smiled in satisfaction.

Yugi looked surprised.

"But you said it was of limits."

The man's slack expression returned too normal.

"It is!"

Yami narrowed his eyes as he went into the man's mind again.

You will let us in, and you will make an exception for us.

"But I'll make an exception for all of you," the man said.

Sugoroku raised an eyebrow as did Yugi but he nodded.

"Okay, but you better not go back on it," Yugi said and turned. "Maybe we can check out the town some more while we wait for tonight."

Yami smiled.

"That will be nice," he said, feeling happy that he was able to give his aibou what he wanted.

As the three left the site, Yami glared at the man, leaving him with one last message.

If you don't keep your promise, your soul will be banished to hell.

The man looked shaken as he looked around frantically for the voice, before shaking his head and walking away.

Yami snorted in satisfaction before placing a hand on his aibou's shoulder.

"Where will you take me now?" he asked.

"Souvenir shopping," Yugi said.

I:I

Mijikai: Okay, my brain's run out of ideas.

Yami: You give them a chapter then don't update for a year, how nice.

Mijikai: You love making me feel bad don't you?

Yami: I try.

Mijikai: XP

Yugi:…Is Yami going to fall in love with me or something?

Mijikai: I don't know. It originally was going to be you and Jounouchi's sister Shizuka but then I got into shonen ai so I don't know.

I know I didn't update in forever, but Review! And I fixed my prologue! Yay!