O.o...oookay then. You all reacted in a variety of ways to the evil cliffie. I was praised by some, threatened by others, and even had one of you send an automated axe after me. (don't ask) So overall it went quite well! (ignores bandages that are holding head on) Oh and just for info: the head DOES stay alive a few minutes after it's chopped off. (smiles happily) -.o

silva moonlite: (tackles) Yay! You have returned to me! I haven't left you guys hanging long at ALL. I'm such a weakling, having updated like two days ago...meh. >.

Lily: Fear not! Early updates seem to have become a fad of mine! (dammit I'm such a weakling!) Yeesh. Until later, honey!

Skittles the Sugar Fairy: O.o...never let Yami copulate again? (winces) I don't want to even know how you're planning to do that (though I have an idea. shudders) Anyhoo...You like Yugi? Excellent. I find him amusing. He's kick-butt awesome in this chapter! (huggles Yugi) Salivating for the next chappie? (hands paper towel) Onward!

Tabby: Yes our wittle Yugi knows. How will he react? Has Yami finally snapped? Will he discover the truth in time? Why the HELL do I update so damn often? -.-; yeesh

DreamingChild: Almost started crying, did you? (smiles) TRIUMPH! I have touched the readers' emotions! Mwahahaha! (laughs) Honey, I'm not that easily offended, believe me. (adjusts head on neck) Anyhoo, loved your amusing review! (hides knife behind back) Why don't you come here for a nice make-up hug, neh? (smiles innocently)

Freedom of Darkness: I see I've astounded you with my amazing amazingness! (needs a thesaurous -.-;) Anyhoo, the stick is no more! Mwahahahaha! (pets Mladen) OW! Damn the stupid crab...meh! (mladen:...) He can't talk. -.o

KeraJeir: Tsk tsk, such language. Damn me? (shakes head sadly) Not a very nice thing to say. Although I had worse. I'm updating on the double! (two days after my last update) I am such a WEAKLING...>.

Satra: Wow. That was a wide range of emotions you went through honey. (hugs) There. Doesn't that make it all better now? (satra: -.o) (smiles) I thought so. It would be really cruel to have Yami kill Kura off now. Don't worry. There's still five more chappies. I wouldn't kill anyone off...yet...(smirks)

Spryte: (tackleglompsback) Hi! Yes Yami has incredibly bad timing! hehe. It's all sooo amusing! Where's our Kaiba? (smiles secretly)

KilaInverse: (glowers) Me hates your computer too. (sighs) Yes poor Kura's in a big pile of doodoo right now. (laughs at when Kila hits Yami with newspaper) Why didn't I think of that?

moonlit-leaf: Yes Kura's being choked. Yami's being hot-headed and dumb, and Yugi knows the truth. Think you know what will happen? (smirk) Please tell me in your next review if you get it right! (waits impatiently)

Blackangeltwin1: (tackles) A new reviewer! HI! "IF YAMI DARE HURT BAKURA THEN HE CAN BURN IN HELL ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER STUFF THERE" (laughs) That's awesome dear. (huggles) Thank you for all the comliments. You've touched my heart as well as my large ego. (sighs) It can be SO hard to keep under control. Hail Kookie!

Wish-full Thinker: "let kura...die"? Hmm...interesting. Ummm...maybe he'd see Ryou again...maybe not...(shrugs) Yay! I had good adjectives and didn't "I feel" crap! Whoot for me! (hugs self) Strawberries in...sugar? (frowns) Strawberries are the bestest fruities in the whole wide universe. They don't need anything added to them! (pops strawberries into mouth) I choose these over candy and cookies ANY day!

dragonlady222: Yes someone needs to tell Yami the truth. And someone's going to. Just not maybe whom you're expecting. (smiles secretly) I'm sooo cool! (readers: o.O...) I can't help it! You're all feeding my ego! (pets ego) Precioussss...

Silver Mirror: (laughs) Yes, Yami will have an army and much much more to deal with if he kills off our kura. (jumps up and down) Review! Review! Review!

Bluegrass Elf: (stares at sticker) ... YAY! I get a sticker! (polishes sticker) Thankyou! (huggles) I've been eating too many sweets lately anyhoo...(eyes glaze as ferris stares at sticker) Preciousssss...

Roku: (laughs) I love the shock collar. It could come in quite handy right now. (presses button) (sound of screaming in the distance) Hehe! This is fun! (runs off to push button more)

wolfjessica5: Yes our Yugi finally knows. (huggles Yugi) He's so cute. And tough (as you'll see here...)

Cruel but Unusual: (laughs) I think I like this name best so far! Awesome! Ack! Quit stabbing Yami! I need him for the story! (Yami: Xx...) ooooh dear...

TheGodFish: (tackles again just for the heck of it) Hi again! I wuv you too! (stares at Yami choking Kura) Determined, isn't he? (sighs) What are you talking about? Of COURSE I'm crazy. I'm looney! hehe! (hugs self) but that's beside the point. My depression is getting worse (again) Gotta love it, neh? -.-...yeesh. I'm glad you liked the poem. Yes, Yami's finally going to find out the truth. (poor guy's outta the loop a bit)

blackalbino: (attempts to recessitate) Stop dying, you! It's not healthy! o.O...(realizes just how strange that comment actually was) Anyhoo, hate hate hate Seto, eh? (smiles) Don't hate him TOO much, honey. He's essential...though brutal...(winces) ya...

NOTE: Finally! It is time! Yami's going to find out the truth! Booya! I know you all have been waiting for this for FOREVER. You poor things. (cackles) I find your angst and such amusing. This chappie will be dedicated to Blackangeltwin1 (our newest reviewer) as well as all of you out there who have been DYING for this chapter. Onward!

Struggle

I am tired of hiding

I yearn to see the light

I want the truth to be known

Even if it brings a fight.

I want to be accepted

For the person that I am.

I am a stranger to myself

I must stop this if I can.

I am tired of living a lie.

I just want to be me,

But they are blind to my struggle

There is much they do not see.

But how can I become myself

When I've been two-faced for so long?

I was just trying to please them

How could I let things get so wrong?

Chapter 27: Brutal Reality

(Yugi's POV)

I'm in a daze as I allow Jou to pull me along. We enter the kitchen, my mind swimming. This can't be possible. I mean…I thought….

"Yugi, are you going to help or not?" Grandpa asks from the sink where he's scrubbing a dirty pan.

I stare at him, unable to move. Marik's sitting at the table giving me a questioning look. I jolt slightly when a hand touches my shoulder, turning to see Jou eyeing me with concern.

"Yug? What is it?"

Grandpa turns and looks at me curiously.

"Yugi? Is something wrong?" he asks, wiping his hands on a dishtowel and coming over.

I stare at his eyes, my lip trembling. Gods, why am I crying? They all stare at me with alarm, Marik standing up and coming over.

"Yug? Come on, man, you're scarin' us here," Jou states, shaking me by the shoulders.

"It wasn't Ryou," I murmur, hardly able to believe the words coming out of my mouth. It feels like someone else has just said it because I feel just as stunned as the rest of them.

"What are you talking about, man?" Jou asks.

We all turn to Marik when he tenses up suddenly, turning and looking toward the living room. He narrows his violet eyes, jaw tight.

"Marik?" Grandpa questions.

"There's an item in the house," Marik says quietly.

We all widen our eyes, tensing.

"Oh gods no!" Grandpa exclaims, all of us dashing for the stairs.

I'm in the lead, climbing the stairs three at a time. My heart is pounding in my rib cage. I dash into the room to find Bakura on the floor covered in blood and cowering before Yami who's standing above him, eyes dark.

"YAMI NO!" I scream rushing forward.

(Bakura's POV)

My eyes widen, entire frame trembling as it's deprived of oxygen. I open my mouth but nothing comes out. His fingers tighten around my neck. His eyes are insane, burning into mine in a torrid fury.

"I'll make you regret what you've done," he whispers, picking me up by my neck. I choke, vision swimming. "I'll make you suffer for this."

I'm not prepared when he releases me. I land on the floor on my side, wincing at the fall. I turn to look at him just as a foot connects with my gut. I cry out as he kicks me viciously again and again in the face, chest, stomach…There's blood everywhere. I shriek as he lands a blow to my face, stomping on my hand with his foot as he grabs me by the neck again, holding me up so we're face to face. There's a demonic gleam in his eyes that promises death.

"You took Ryou away from me!" he hisses, fist connecting with my gut again.

I cough, blood sputtering from my mouth as he drops me again. I stare up in agony, unable to do anything. This is it.

"I'll fucking kill you!" he shrieks in rage rushing forward again fists raised.

I curl up, shutting my eyes tightly waiting for the blows to come. There's the sound of his fist connecting with something, but I don't feel the pain from the hit. I look up in shock to see Yugi standing in front of me, shielding my body with his own. There's a red mark on the side of his face, his entire body shaking.

"Yugi, move aside," Yami whispers venomously. I don't even recognize his voice.

"No," Yugi replies icily, standing his ground. Oh Ra…

I feel the Shadow magic crackle in the air, entire room tense. Mr. Mutou, Marik, and Jou are standing in the doorway, watching with wide eyes.

"Aibou, I must finish him off. He must pay for what he did to Ryou," Yami hisses, glaring down at me. I shrink back, terrified beyond belief. Yugi doesn't move.

"No."

Yami narrows his eyes. "What?"

"I said no, Yami," Yugi replies firmly. "I won't let you hurt him. It's not what Ryou would have wanted."

Yami smiles darkly. "Ryou didn't know the bastard was going to murder him. He would have let me finish this ass off if he'd…"

"No he wouldn't have. Yami, about Ryou…" Yugi begins.

"Hush, hikari," Yami says.

I suddenly let out a scream as Shadow magic engulfs me, jolting through my body like electricity. I can faintly hear Yugi screaming at Yami, begging him to stop. Blood gurgles from my throat, pouring out over the floor. Then the darkness consumes me.

(Yugi's POV)

I let out a shout when Bakura starts shrieking, convulsing violently on the floor. There's a yellow glow swallowing him up. I can smell the blood that's gushing from his mouth. I rush over to Yami grasping his arm and shaking him.

"Stop it! Yami stop!" I scream desperately as he doesn't deter, staring darkly at the figure on the floor that's writhing in agony. Marik and Grandpa rush over and grab onto Yami as well who's ignoring us, eyes never leaving Bakura.

"Yami stop!"

"ENOUGH!"

We all cry out as Shadow magic engulfs us, sending us all to the floor. Yami groans beside me, sitting up quickly. I struggle up, eyes widening at the sight of the figure in the doorway standing next to a distressed Jou. Kaiba's face is cold, the Millennium rod clutched in his tense hand still glowing. He strides forward and over to Bakura who's lying motionless on the floor in a pool of his own blood.

"Bakura!" I cry, rushing over and pulling his head up against my chest.

He wheezes slightly, eyes opening a bit wearily. He stares up at me, eyes not focusing. Blood's seeping out from the corners of his mouth and down the side of his face. I hold him close, cradling his shuddering form against me protectively.

"Kaiba," Yami growls, puzzle flashing dangerously. "I'll only warn you once not to get involved."

"You're warning me?" Kaiba laughs coldly, eyeing my darker half with a look of amused contempt. "Don't you think it should be the other way around?"

Yami narrows his eyes, Millennium symbol glowing on his forehead like an omen.

"Don't hold me responsible for what may happen should you get in the way."

Kaiba sneers. "So when are you going to take some damn responsibility for what happened?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yami growls, advancing on the CEO.

My heart's pounding harshly yet there's nothing I can do. Bakura moans in pain, shaking in my arms.

"It's all right," I whisper softly, wiping the blood from his face with my sleeve.

He looks up at me pleadingly. "Yug…" He goes limp in my arms, loosing consciousness.

"Oh come now," Kaiba scoffs. "Don't tell me you're placing all the blame on Bakura for what happened. You're the one who forced Ryou to take the spell after all."

Yami clenches his fists, Millennium puzzle increasing in frightening brilliance.

"I did so only with intentions to protect him."

Kaiba scowls. "What one's intentions are doesn't matter. It's what occurs because of one's actions. You should have accepted the fact that Ryou would never use that spell."

Yami's seething in fury now. "I was only trying to protect him. And just what were you doing to shield him from Bakura's wrath?"

Kaiba glares. "Like hell you were protecting him. The fact of the matter is that all of you ignored Ryou except when Bakura was some kind of threat…or you were at least assuming he was one."

The CEO dodges as Yami blasts a bolt of Shadow magic at him, the wall crumbling slightly. Jou slinks around them, coming over and kneeling beside me protectively.

"Just what should we do?" he whispers to me warily.

I look down at Bakura's limp form against my chest.

"Let Kaiba take care of it," I murmur.

"How dare you! How dare you question my intentions!" Yami hisses in fury.

Kaiba smiles grimly. "You never cared about Ryou in your life."

He dodges another attack Yami sends at him, the window exploding. Grandpa pulls a struggling Marik back towards the doorway. The Egyptian is trying to get over to us. Kaiba stands tall in front of the shattered window, refusing to back down.

"You didn't even know him."

Kaiba is forces to lunge for the floor and twist his body in order to avoid Yami's continuous attack, the carpet burning all about him. The CEO stands shakily to his feet, Millennium rod still in his grasp.

"How dare you! How dare you!" Yami screams, entire frame trembling. "I know for a fact that you and Ryou were friends and that he left you after he started dating me…that doesn't however give you the right to even suggest that I didn't know him!"

Kaiba chuckles darkly, shaking his head. "I'm not trying to imply anything, Yami. Ryou never left me for you."

Yami scoffs. "Who's living in a fantasy world now?"

Kaiba smirks. "You are. You believe the person who died the other day was the person you were in love with. I came here to push some brutal facts into your spiky head."

Yami narrows his eyes menacingly. "What do you mean?"

Kaiba chuckles darkly, running his hand over the razor edge of the rod. "You gave Ryou the spell that afternoon making him swear that even if he wasn't going to use it to at least keep it close. Ryou called me that day after school asking to meet me early the next day to discuss the situation. He never showed up."

Yami frowns puzzle still glowing. "I don't see what that has to do with…"

"You still don't get it, do you?" Kaiba yells angrily, advancing on my darker half who's looking slightly apprehensive.

Jou wraps an arm around me protectively. "What doesn't Yami get?"

I look down at the limp figure in my arms. "Kaiba will tell you," I whisper hoarsely.

"Kaiba, I'm not sure what you're getting at here…" Yami begins impatiently, glaring over at the motionless thief in my arms. I look fiercely at my darker half, pulling Bakura closer against me. "That Ryou chose not to show up to your little meeting is not of my concern. You can't go blaming me for him abandoning you."

Kaiba sneers. "He didn't abandon me, as you say. He couldn't come. It's hard to show up somewhere when you no longer exist."

Yami's eyes widen. Jou's arm around me tenses. From the doorway I can see Grandpa's expression, his eyes doubling in size as he looks over at Bakura in my arms.

"What…?" Yami whispers, voice trembling slightly.

Kaiba smiles callously. "That's right, Yami. Ryou was destroyed by Bakura the sameday you gave him that spell. You never knew Ryou."

Yami's trembling violently, turning and staring over at the thief whose bloodied body is nestled against my chest. He drops to his knees, the puzzle's glow ceasing. There's a strained whimpering sound coming from his throat as he stares at the person we all fell in love with the past six months…the person through all that time he'd been so adamant on killing. Kaiba looks down at my darker half icily, turning without a word and striding for the door. Marik pulls a dazed Grandpa out of the CEO's way as he pushes past. Kaiba stops in the doorway, snapping his fingers. We look up in shock when a few people dressed in doctors' jackets enter the room with tons of equipment.

"What….?" Jou exclaims as they hurry over to us.

Kaiba smiles grimly. "I saw one pharaoh wandering about with murder in his eyes and decided they might be needed."

I reluctantly hand over the thief to the doctors who gently lift him onto the bed, stripping the old bandages off his arms and chest. I feel Jou's hands pulling me back, though my eyes don't leave the limp form they're hovering around.

"Are you all right, Mister Kaiba?" one nurse asks, coming over to inspect a gash on his forehead.

He swipes her hands away, glaring. "I'm fine."

She looks as if she wants to protest but seems to think better of it, turning back to assist her comrades. Marik and Grandpa are beside us in an instant, the latter's face covered in shock. Marik suddenly gasps, all of us turning to Bakura.

"Holy shit," Jou whispers.

There are deep, bloody gashes lining Bakura's chest. It looks like some type of hieroglyphs. Marik's eyes are suddenly boiling with rage, his bandaged hands trembling violently at his sides.

"What…are those?" Jou asks, voice shaking.

"A message from my yami," Marik hisses, eyes dancing with fury.

"That's just sick," Jou mutters, turning away.

"He's coming back," Grandpa whispers, unable to tear his eyes from Bakura.

"What?" I ask.

"Malik's coming back. It says so," Grandpa replies, concern playing across his features.

I turn and glance over at my darker half who's remained unmoving on the floor. He's kneeling, head bowed. He's shaking violently, fingers curled around the shaggy carpet. I clear my throat, walking over to him amidst the doctors talking urgently to one another as they clean Bakura up. I slowly sink down in front of the other half of my soul.

"Yami?" I whisper, reaching out and putting my hand under his chin, forcing in to look up at me.

The look in his eyes shows the unbearable agony and shock he's feeling right now. I open my mouth but can't think of anything to say. Sighing heavily, I move forward and pull him into a constricting embrace. He sobs, burying his face in my shoulder. I feel my own tears beginning to reform again, sliding down my cheeks as we sit silently holding one another as if it could make everything go away. All the pain…the misery…the guilt…But it won't go away. It's here. And it hurts.

"I didn't know," he sobs against me, tremors wracking is frame. "I didn't know!"

I bite my lip, unable to speak. Everything's changed now from what we knew—or thought we knew—earlier today. We assumed we'd been with Ryou all this time, only now to find the boy who died only a short time ago was basically a complete stranger to us, and that we were shunning the person we had been mourning.

"None of us did, Yami," I whisper as he continues to trembling against me. "None of us."

Da da DA! (readers: O.O) Oh yes, my friends. This is gettin good, neh? Time for Malik to come back, don't you think?mwahahaha!

I'm currently working on chapter 8 of Son of Apophis! It's getting damn awesome, that's what! (with some great humor too!)

Kura: Xx

Yami: (sobbing) I'm such an ass!

Kaiba: (smirk) Took you long enough to realize that.

Malik: (standing off in shadows) Heeere I come! Ready or not! Mwahahaha!

Kaiba: (glares) Man, don't we Ever get a break?

Ferris: (smiles secretively) No.

Kaiba: -.-;

Review!