Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. And it's a good thing too.

Utopia is now going to regular updates! There will be seven chapters so it will be done by the end of February.

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Yami lounged in the corner seat he had claimed for himself. The goth outfit had caused some questions, but he had just given the group of jocks a raised eyebrow and turned away.

Strange that the ringleaders of the irritating group were Yugi's best friends now in the world Yugi lived in, the fantasy world.

He hid the Puzzle, he didn't want to attract that much attention, though Yugi was able to wear it all the time without worrying about the school dress code.

The tedium of this life was punctuated by games, where he had taken out some frustration at not being able to talk to Yugi on those who had dared to harm him. Then, finally, Yugi had been allowed to stay conscious when Yami was in control.

His light was not afraid of him anymore. The thought made him cheerful enough to withstand the idiocies of the fools who surrounded him.

"Class, I would like you to meet a transfer student, Bakura Ryou."

Yami stared. At the exact same instant the teacher here had said those words, the teacher in Yugi's world had also introduced the same student.

Not the same. That Bakura had sad eyes and a softness about him that matched Yugi's. This one was harder.

This one was like him.

The one in Yugi's world was wearing a Millennium Item.

Yami's and Bakura's eyes met and Bakura chose a seat next to him.

At recess, they met to talk while Yugi and the other Bakura talked. The other's eyes showed he was watching his other's conversation as well.

The other spoke first. "Are you a weapon as well? Do you destroy those who try to use him?"

"Of course." Yami nodded.

"The Item told me to transfer to this school right when Ryou transferred. I think we were meant to meet." Cold eyes appraised him. "I don't like you for some reason, but you're in the same boat I am. You also have someone to protect. Someone you would protect with your life."

"Should we meet after school?"

"I'm not sure if I can make it today. Ryou's parents are divorced. I'm an emancipated minor, I have to work."

"When you can, then."

"Agreed." A nod.

When they met, Ryou invited Yugi over to his house while Yami invited Bakura. The game began.

Once again, Yami felt the Item limit what he could do. He could not break Bakura's spell, he could not speak to Bakura of their meeting. The hate in Bakura's eyes was a product of the Items, then there was more depth to it.

In the end, Ryou ended the game, rebelling against Bakura while Yugi found more reason to trust Yami. It was wonderful to look at him, even in a doll.

Yami realized he loved him. Loved him loved him. But he could not say a word. He was able to smile at him, though, and be given Yugi's trust, and the trust of those who mattered to Yugi. It was a great gift.

In the world they inhabited, Yami's and Bakura's bodies had blank eyes until the game ended.

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "I think I hate you."

"Why? I don't hate you, despite what you did to Yugi and his friends. It was part of the… of the story," Yami realized. "You are as bound as I am."

"The one you love knows you, doesn't fear you. Mine? I destroy the ones he wants to believe are his friends. I defend him, but only earn his hate. You think we share the same hell? I thought so. I hurt him." Bakura stared at his hand, hate in his eyes. "I stabbed this hand. I could not stop it. No, I could not make myself want to stop it. I could not even break the pattern of the story enough to spare him. In the story, I hate you. No." He shook his head. "We will be great friends, you and I."

"Why?"

"Because the story that compels me to harm my light tries to compel me to hate you. I have that much freedom in this world, at least." He held out his hand. "We will be allies, you and I. I am Bakura."

"He calls me his dark self. I am Yami." Yami took it. "It is hard to hate the Items, however. No matter how dangerous the world they create for him is, he is happy in it."

"I can see I'm going to have to try very, very hard to not hate you." Bakura bared his teeth in something that didn't deserve the name of a smile, no matter the shape of his lips. "My Ryou? I guard him, but he is alone. Melancholy. Less alone than in this world, true. In that one he is chased after for his skill as a player of that game, Monster World. It does not exist in this world."

"Any more than Yugi's game Duel Monsters does." Yami shook his head. "But, Ryou is not alone now. Yugi is with him, and as we just saw, the Items will not allow you to deal with him as you did with the others."

"I tried to tell Ryou I wanted to protect him, that everything I did was as much for his own good as I could. But the Item twisted my words." He took the Ring out of hiding. "Accursed thing."

Yami revealed the Puzzle. "Perhaps they are cursed. I have not been able to find anything out about its origin, except that it is Egyptian and very old. You?"

"Nothing, although Ryou's father in the Item's world is an Egyptologist."

"The monster I controlled. Zork Necro…whatsis. There is something important about it."

Yami nodded. "I sensed that as well. It seemed there was a presence besides the Items in that game."

"What power do you have?"

"I have the power to create games of magic and cast punishments upon people. You?"

"The same, although I have… other skills as well. I am a master thief." Bakura smiled. "I am a thief and a stealer of souls, and all who threaten Ryou shall feel my wrath. Have you ever been attacked in this world?"

Yami shook his head. "No. Do the powers work here as well? Although the Items do seem to hide themselves rather well."

"Oh yes, they do. I have had to live in some rather dangerous neighborhoods." Bakura grinned. "Using my powers with no restrictions, not having to play a game and keep to a script… it was fantastic."

"What do you feel for Ryou? You obviously care for him."

"I love him, of course. How could I not? I see his every thought, watch his every moment. How could I not care for him? And yet the Item orders me to use him, view him as a toy, a mere host." Bakura growled and struck the wall with a dagger he had certainly not come into the house with. The security would have picked it up.

"The same. Yugi is… so pure. It angers me that the Items' world constantly causes him to be abused. Though I must admit I like it. To punish those who would dare harm him. To summon the shadows on his behalf. He was right to name me Darkness, I am of the shadows, but then he is of the light. How can I not worship the one who casts me? I exist for him."

"This world was less kind to Ryou than it has obviously been to Yugi. This is a rich house." Bakura smirked. "I could so easily hate you."

Yami shrugged. "Call it fate, call it the story, call it the will of the Items. I certainly have had no control over it."

"You are missing out, then. Ryou's shell exists by my wits. I steal, I fight, I… adjust people's thinking for him, inside the fantasy and out. You seem to have an easy time of it." Contempt showed in his eyes.

"He has his friends as well, in his fantasy. One time, he faced game after game without needing to summon me while I could only watch while he was almost killed by electric guns, electrocution, a murderer with a chainsaw…" Yami growled. "And I was not allowed to kill the one who did it. Even though this was his second time threatening him."

"You had to let him go? Pity. None of the ones I face threaten Ryou a second time." Bakura grinned, cleaning his fingernails with the dagger. "One of the few perks of our position. We are thieves of bodies, thieves of life. We would not exist but for them."

"In fact, I am glad the Item restrained me. Yugi would have lost his trust in me if Kaiba perished." Yami frowned. "Now that I think of it, Kaiba seems to have something in common with Yugi and Ryou. Some common thread. How many of us are there? How many are living hollow lives with everything they love in another world?"

"We were brought together. Perhaps we will find others as well. We would be stronger together than apart."

"You're plotting something. What would we do?"

Bakura looked at Yami like he was a fool. "I don't know about you, Mister I-live-like-a-king, but I for one would like to be able to talk to Ryou. Even better, do a little more than talk." He winked.

Yami's eyes widened. "Would that be possible? The Items control us so easily."

"You beat me, and you give up so easily? The Items must have fixed that game." Bakura snorted in contempt. "This isn't something that can be given up on, fool. I will have Ryou."

"Yugi is so…so innocent. I can hardly bear the thought of corrupting him." Yami shook his head sadly.

"Then you watch and do nothing, voyeur. I know you watch when he's in the shower." A smirk. "I, however, will be gaining more power. There are powers besides the Items out there. I will find one that can break their hold and give me freedom to interact with Ryou, no matter what I have to do to do it."

Yami blushed. "You have my aid."

"I don't need your help."

"You can't steal everything, thief. A power that can fight the Items would be well guarded, perhaps too well even for you. What violence cannot get, money can."

"You speak my language, rich boy. I could use some cash to loosen people's tongues. And you need me to find those people, they'd never speak to you. I have contacts."

"An alliance, then?" Yami smiled, starting to bend the mind of a master gamer to the task. To truly speak to Yugi. He had not even dared to wish for it. He was grateful to Bakura. Even if all their efforts failed, at least there would be hope. At least he would be doing something.

"I work alone. But… I can work alone using you. Ryou seems to like your Yugi. So he'd be happy with me if I made your Yugi happy, and I bet you would. You're much kinder than I am. Ryou hates and fears me now, I'll have to give him reasons to trust me. And when he sees your little Yugi all happy snuggled up with you, well."

"Well indeed." Yami stood.

"Where are you going?" Bakura asked.

"To seal the bargain." Yami opened a safe and counted out money. "Three hundred. I have little to spend it on. This should do you some good. I expect results, however."

"You'll get them." Bakura made the money disappear. "Just think, sweet little Yugi lying in your arms, looking up at you with those big round eyes, blushing…" Bakura nudged him with his elbow.

"I exist to make him happy. I'm sure you'll do the same for Ryou. You'll have my aid."

"You bet Ryou will be happy with me. I'll steal his heart and his virtue." Bakura laughed. "Do you know what torment it is to merely watch?"

"I've known that torment long enough." Yami shook his head.