A/N: Hello! sorry in the delay in getting this up. Am a little nervous about this one. As you may have guessed from previous chapter, feelings are becoming mixed and confusing... which is proving highly entertaining but difficult to write. Any constructive criticism is gratefully received! Any how... enough of my blabbing. Please enjoy! Xx

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Chapter 8

Hina relaxed into the warm water, allowing herself the freedom of letting her worries escape her mind for the time been. She may have horrendous torture awaiting her just outside that door, but for now she chose to forget. She stretched her legs out, only truly realising how exhausted and achy her whole body was. Her muscles seemed to ease out in the hot soapy water. She lay out in the water and allowed the water to soak her hair. It felt so good to wash the horrid reminders of her torment away. She sat up and watched the water droplets run over her hair, back into the bath, although noticeably darker in colour. She must be really filthy. Hina ran her fingers through her locks, trying to detangle it as much as possible. When she thought she'd done as much as she could with it, she moved through the water to the bottles Bakura had gestured towards while trying to supress a yawn. The heat of the water was making her sleepy. She picked up one of the bottles and examined it. She tried to read the bottle and managed it, although it was a struggle. She knew how to read, but her knowledge was rather limited. She'd only been eight when the darkness had swept the land and after that, school hadn't really continued. Hina flicked open the bottle lid and watched as a small trickle of the liquid escaped into the bath water. She quickly used her cupped hand to catch some of the contents. She flipped the lid shut and looked at the nice scented pearly shampoo. Hina quickly began rubbing the soap into her hair, making sure to coat every strand. She wanted to get this bath over with as quickly as possible despite how relaxing it was. She felt too exposed, too vulnerable as she sat there naked. It made her nervous. She quickly finished washing her hair and dipped her head under the water to wash the soap out. She resurfaced, spluttering. She pulled the curtains of hair that had fallen around her face back. She cried out in shock. The white haired King was stood over her his expression fierce. Hina instantly curled up, trying to cover herself up. She hadn't heard him come in. He sneered at her. He held his hand out and in it he clutched a towel.

"Out." He ordered harshly. Hina glared at him. He had to be kidding. She wasn't getting out with him watching her. Hina shook her head, her cheeks burning.

"Girl… I will drag you out myself!" He spat angrily. Despite his anger, Hina stuck her chin out stubbornly.

"Look away," She pouted. Bakura glared at her for a few seconds more before shaking his head and turning his back on her. He heard the splashing of water as the girl stood up out of his bath and the water ran off her body. He felt the towel get taken from his grip and retracted his arm, folding them across his chest as he waited.

"Okay, I'm done," The girls voice spoke awkwardly. Bakura turned around and scowled at the tiny girl wrapped up in a towel. Hina scowled defiantly at him. She didn't like this, not one bit. She was completely at his mercy. She just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible and away from that man.

"Good." He snarled at her, throwing her a bundle of cloth he'd been holding in his hand. Hina caught it and felt the rough material under her fingertips. She glanced up at the man who was stood watching her, arms folded.

"Get dressed," He snapped when she remained still.

"Oh, erm… okay then," She replied pushing back a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Hina toed the floor nervously as the man continued to glare at her.

"Look away," She eventually muttered, annoyance in her tone. The King glowered at her, but did abruptly turn from the girl.

Hina quickly got dressed in what felt like new clean clothes, although they were still slave attire, she felt much better. She tried to brush through her black hair with her fingertips, untangling the worst of it. When she'd finished she gently coughed and Bakura turned back around to glare at her again. When he saw that she was done however, his expression turned to a smirk. It was time to play. He grabbed the girl by her upper arm and dragged her back into the main room. The girl didn't fight against him as he threw her to the floor. Hina shuddered at the pain, but got to her feet all the same. She felt quite sleepy and oddly relaxed after her short bath. She tried to stifle a yawn, but Bakura saw it. It angered him.

"I'm sorry, is your imminent torture boring you?" He asked sarcastically. He walked forwards so he was stood just before the girl. She stifled another yawn as if to mock him. He growled and grabbed the girl's hair, yanking it. She let out a gasp of pain as her head was pulled backwards. Hina glanced around and saw the shadows had already sprung to life around them. Suddenly, she felt cold steel press against her throat. He'd already started with the knife?

"Isn't it fantastic, knowing your life rests in the balance of this cold blade?" The man's whisper was deadly and too close for comfort.

"All it takes, is one movement, a little effort, and you'll bleed out," He hissed again, his lips next to her ear. Hina shuddered as she felt the knife get drawn across her neck, cutting her skin, but not enough to be fatal. She gritted her teeth against the sting. He withdrew the knife and threw the girl away from him. She crashed on the dusty floor. Hina gazed around. They were here in this waste land again. She hated this, she hated this place, and most of all she hated this man. She sat up her hand going to her neck. She glared at Bakura, hatred in her eyes. She withdrew her hand and gazed at her palm. There was blood there, but not enough for her to really worry about. Despite his efforts to torment her, it didn't appear he wanted to kill her.

"Why?" She asked her face serious. He sneered at her and marched over to her, kicking her in the stomach. She cried out, the air knocked out of her.

"You dare question me, you mere mortal!" He laughed, the noise echoing around the empty landscape. Hina curled up on the floor, panting heavily, trying to regain control. She forced herself back up and gritted her teeth.

"Why keep me alive?" She cried out angrily. She was exhausted and fed up of all this pain. She wanted nothing more than to escape this world. Knowing she almost longed for death made her feel weak and pathetic and gave her all the more strength to keep on fighting. She couldn't allow this man to win against her. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction, but even so… she needed to know why. He had so heartlessly killed her best friend without a second thought, why was she so much different? She pushed herself to her feet, her legs trembling. The man still had the knife in his hand. Even so, if he used it, Hina decided she would just refuse to die. She tried to stand up tall against the man. He could do whatever he wanted, he couldn't break her spirit. She was fuelled by her hatred and that wasn't in short supply. He grabbed her hair and yanked her closer to him. Hina gulped as he surveyed her with disgust.

"I do what I like," He spat, his eyes glowing. Hina shuddered. She felt her knees give way and she fell to the floor, her hair falling from his grasps. She sat quietly at his feet. He kicked lazily at her. She felt the kick hit her in her side and was tossed sideways. She landed in a heap on the floor. She curled up into a ball, her cheek pressed against the dusty floor.

"Stay here girl, I'll be back shortly," The man's voice spoke, Hina just scrunched her eyes closed not paying him any attention.

Bakura sent himself back to his room and sighed seeing his usual surroundings. He wasn't sure how, but he felt it when he looked at that wretched girl, his mind softening towards her. Bakura clenched his fists and growled. How stupid. In the ten years he'd ruled over this pathetic mortal world, he'd never once felt anything towards the idiotic creatures who served him. He'd had to remove himself away from the girl to regain composure. He didn't want to feel this… this feeling of weakness. He gritted his teeth, his expression darkening. It was all that stupid brats fault. She'd done this to him. He would make her pay. She had no right to manipulate his emotions so. He would beat her to within an inch of her life. He clutched the knife in his hand tighter. He would use it if he had to, although a jolt in the pit of his stomach told him he didn't want to do that. He didn't want her to die.

"Don't hurt her,"

A voice spoke in the back of his mind. He froze hearing the voice. Why the hell was he feeling this way? He couldn't be told what to do. He was King. He ruled. He would not obey the wishes of a tiny part of his mind. Just for that, he would hurt her beyond anything she could comprehend. With a sudden urge of anger, he shrouded himself in the darkness, stepping into the Shadow Realm once more.

He stepped out just by the girl. She was lying on the ground in the exact position he'd left her in. her eyes were closed and her chest was rising steadily up and down. She'd fallen asleep. The rage he'd felt suddenly evaporated seeing the girl breathing so gently. It was stupid, he knew it was foolish, but he couldn't harm her while she was asleep. It felt… wrong. He stooped down to the girl's side and picked her up in his arms. She stirred slightly, but didn't awaken.

"Pathetic," He mused, but there was a softness in his tone that he'd never heard before, neither had anyone who'd known him. It was new. He allowed the shadows to drain away from them till he was stood back in his room, the girl draped in his arms. He scowled as he walked across the floor and reached the canopied bed. He rested the girls sleeping body down onto it and straightened up. He scowled at her and shook his head slightly before leaving the room.