A/N: Hello! Sorry for not posting sooner. There really is no excuse for such a heinous act, but I've just struggled to get any kind of thing resembling an idea together for a while. At least now, it is done! I hope this is almost worth the wait! :D Please enjoy! Xx

Disclaimer : I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Chapter 22

"Get your hands off me!" Hina snapped defiantly as they arrived at the horrifying desolate landscape. She pushed herself away from him and surprisingly enough he let her, watching her with those eyes of his. They had the ability to make her shiver and her temperature rise all at once. Fear and anger mixed together was a dangerous concoction.

"Why have you brought me here?" Hina demanded turning to face him, her arms crossed. She hated this place and instead of been the fearful girl she usually was, she'd force it away for the moment. She didn't want to be afraid any more. The different emotions she experienced just been around this man were draining. She was tired of it all and was taking a stance. He couldn't just expect to kiss her and not have things change.

"I want Joey back." She demanded, laying her cards on the table. There was a flicker of emotion in Bakura's eyes.

"I will obey you for the rest of my pathetic existence, I will never disobey and I will be a perfect little slave girl… just allow me to see him. He's my friend!" Hina practically begged, but in reality it was bargaining. She watched with baited breath as Bakura walked forwards. He stopped just before her, his expression unreadable.

"This is not a negotiation," He sneered at her, "You will do what you promise without question and without reward,"

Hina felt a lump form in her throat and had to fight to keep it back knowing it wasn't sadness, but rage.

"No, I won't." She breathed. The grin she had grown so accustomed to spread across the evil man's lips and he grabbed her by the throat, pulling her face closer to his. Hina gasped and lifted her hands to try and pry his fingers off her. He leaned in close and Hina felt her face flush as she dreaded what he was about to do. His lips gently brushed against Hina's, causing her breath to catch in her throat. He was still smirking manically as he shoved her away. Hina fell back on the floor hard and winced. She watched with terrified eyes as he laughed at her.

"You will," He laughed.

"You're Insane! Why do you take pleasure in hurting people! What's wrong with you?!" Hina shouted desperately up at the man. He just sneered in response, crossing his arms across his chest. Hina sat up, kneeling on her knees.

"Please…" She whispered, knowing she was begging again.

"Please… I'll do anything, anything you want, just… just let me see him… I want to know Joey's okay," She spoke softly, bowing her head, her eyes directed towards the dry dusty land just before her. In response, his laugh rung out, echoing for miles around them, surrounding Hina and swallowing her up. Her fingers dug into the dirt as she shook with hideous anger. She looked up and although tears had now escaped her eyes, it was anger that quivered in her eyes.

"Ryo's a better man than you'll ever be!" Hina shouted at him, her voice breaking from emotion. Hina saw Bakura's face contort with disdain.

"You are weak compared to him!" Hina continued, enjoying getting a reaction from him.

"You think so? I have kept his pathetic soul tucked away for a decade, allowing it to slowly fade into nothingness," Bakura growled, eyes flashing dangerously.

"But you've failed," Hina almost laughed as she stood up and faced her demon.

"You've lost control, he's making more appearances, fighting against you and winning!" Hina actually laughed this time.

"You can't control him fully! You are weak. You. Will. Always. Be. weak." Hina spoke, putting emphasis on each word clearly, mocking Bakura.

"And you can't control me," She finished. Silence fell between them. Hina wasn't sure what to expect. She felt better for releasing some of her anger and directing it towards him, but even so, had she gone too far this time? Would she live through this encounter?

"Let's test your theory," He spoke, a grin evil and malicious spreading across his face. Without another word, he folded himself into the darkness, disappearing from the realm of the shadows.

Hina stared with fearful terrified eyes as he disappeared, leaving her behind. There was barely enough time for Hina to contemplate the situation she now found herself in before the inevitable overwhelming sickness and terror washed over her, completely drowning her. Hina choked, the air knocked out of her as if she'd been winded. She staggered, unable to keep steady. It felt as if her insides were shredding themselves apart in a frantic insane frenzy. Hina tried to scream, but no noise escaped her lips. Her legs quickly gave way and she stumbled to the floor, kneeling on hands and knees as her finger tips dug painfully into the dirt. She tried to take a deep breath, but could only manage tiny short shallow ones that barely reached her lungs. She spluttered as she fought against a heightened panic that was quickly consuming her whole. Her arms shuddered and she felt them grow weak. She fell to the floor and clutched at her chest. Her breathing was short and ragged, her fingertips were tingling as were her lips and toes from hyperventilation, but Hina didn't notice. She couldn't think. All her energy was numbly focused on the agony splitting her soul apart in her chest. Her stomach twisted and churned as the anxiety mingled with a pit of unimaginable horror which was quickly making her physically sick. Her stomach heaved and she forced herself onto her side as she wretched dryly. Gravity seemed to have intensified upon her and was driving her into the ground. Her fingers dug into the skin upon her chest as if she could claw the pain out of her, but she hadn't the strength.

"Pl…plea…please…" She choked the single word out. Speaking the single word seemed to break the spell that had prevented her voice from working. She screamed out, her voice sounding un-natural and unlike her own as a deep rooted agony distorted the only sound for miles around.

Bakura stepped back into his room, shrugging off the darkness and leaving the shadows behind. As they faded and he truly left the realm of shadows behind, he was quite suddenly struck by a sharp pain in his chest. He staggered sideways and growled, clutching at the part of him that had caused such pain as he stumbled to his knees. The aching in his chest intensified harshly and he was caught short of breath. Despite the pain he was in, he let out a laugh, although not as cruel and confident as usual. Never would he of thought the girls presence been so far away, on a different realm, would affect him! Of course he could imagine the unbearable pain she'd currently find herself in as the part of his soul concealed within her own, fought to find him. Knowing he was nowhere near would eventually drive her insane, but he'd never expected it to be uncomfortable for him to be so far from it. That was something he hadn't foreseen. He gritted his teeth as he stood back up, trying to ignore the jolt in his stomach. Bakura smiled. He had out smarted his host. The pathetic boy only ever fought his way out when he'd caused the girl physical pain. He wasn't causing her physical pain this time. No it was worse and all in her head, all mental pain. He had of course planted the seed that caused it, but it wasn't physical. The boy couldn't protect her against something he couldn't see. The pain in his chest shot through his body again, causing him to tense up and growl. When it passed and subsided down to a bearable dull ache, he found himself short of breath. He walked round his bed and lay out upon it, arms behind his head. With every piercing jab of pain, it made the urge to return to the girls side grow and test him.

"Go back!" A voice echoed around suddenly. Bakura clenched his teeth as he recognised the voice. So, he was trying to speak to him! It was laughable. He wasn't strong enough to force the bond through. The pathetic boy couldn't connect to him.

"She's in so much pain…" The voice inside his mind spoke again. The voice was distant and sounded like it was coming through a badly tuned radio.

"You can feel it!" It exclaimed getting slightly clearer. A jot of pain like lightning shook through Bakura again, making him weaker. Bakura could feel the other boy's presence now. While he was weak, his dear host was using it as an advantage.

"My sweet dear host," Bakura sneered, "No matter how weak her pain may make me, I will always be stronger than you!" Bakura laughed, sending out a shockwave of his energy to demonstrate. His host fell silent and he grinned with satisfaction. The girl could wait.

The next fifteen minutes were bearable but uncomfortable for Bakura. Every so often, a jolt of pain would shake his core, making him breathless and weak. Each time this happened, he felt his Host edging closer to the surface, trying to fight his way out, not that it mattered. If he came out, there was no way he could get them to the Shadow Realm, he hadn't the power.

"Why torture yourself?" A voice spoke to him quite suddenly after a particular painful spasm of pain. Bakura let out a roar of laughter at the words inside his mind.

"Ha ha ha! You think this is torture! You wouldn't know the meaning!" He laughed loudly.

"You once said you cared for me, do you remember?" The voice whispered sadly. Bakura sneered.

"The day you first heard me, I told you then it was a day to remember," Bakura laughed harshly,

"You no longer know if what you feel for Hina is my feelings or your own…" Ryo spoke gently, like the timid shy boy he had once been. Bakura growled in response.

"Don't make her suffer any more," He finished, pleading with the man who'd stolen everything he'd held dear.

Ryo fell silent and it felt as if he'd grown weak and had slipped back into the nothingness Bakura had originally stored his soul in. Bakura thought over the boys pleas. He had once cared for his host, but it had all been for his own gain. The fool was even more idiotic than he had originally thought if his host believed bringing up old memories would sway him. The girl could last a lot longer than the amount of time that had passed. Another spasm of pain swept through him and he growled his hand clutching at his chest as pain captured him. Once it had subsided, he shifted off the bed. He was angry at the pain he was enduring because of that stupid disobedient brat, but part of him fought against it, recognising the itching need to go to her and relieve her of the pain he had inflicted upon her once more. He'd promised her after whipping her in front of his kingdom he would try to make it up to her. He'd regretted causing her so much pain and yet here he was, doing it again. Without another moment's hesitation, he folded himself back into the darkness.

When he stepped out of the dark and into the realm of shadows, he was instantly met with the sounds of pathetic whimpering and suffering. His eyes fell upon the girl lying on the floor several meters away from him. She was curled into a ball, her body shaking harder than he'd imagined possible. The earth all around her had been disturbed, as if she'd been thrashing about. He took a step forwards and instantly felt himself lose control, falling into darkness.

Hina could barely register the feeling of pain easing off. Her body ached too much and her mind was numb from trying to comprehend the agony. She felt someone rush to her side and fall to the floor besides her. She was lying on her side and she felt hands gently clasp at her pulling her over on to her back, an arm snaking beneath her. In an instant, she was being cradled in someone's arms. She clutched at them, finally finding the strength to move.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I'll do what you say… I won't… disobey," Hina gasped, her voice barely audible, hoarse and rasping. She was so weak.

"I'm so sorry Hina…" A voice whispered back to her. Her mind was so numb she barely recognised it as Ryo's, but she clutched against him harder. She didn't ever want to be apart from him again, she would never leave his side. She didn't want to feel that pain again.

Tears brimmed over Ryo's eyes as he observed the girl. She looked nothing like her usual self and it scared him. He wished he could save her. He wished what she had told Bakura was true. He wanted, dreamed of a day he would be stronger than the Thief King, but knew it would never happen. He was weak. He would always be weak. He couldn't save his friends when the spirit of the Millennium Ring had first taken over. He couldn't save Yugi or the others. He felt the hot tears trailing down his pale cheeks.

"Hina, please forgive me," He whispered as he lifted a hand up to wipe the droplets away. It was as he did that he felt the inevitable pit of darkness rising up within him and exploding over him, dragging him back down into the nothingness that had become his prison. No matter how hard he fought against it, the light got smaller and smaller until it no longer seemed to exist.

Bakura opened his eyes and felt himself take control once more. The girl was cradled in his arms, her head burrowing against him as she sobbed like a child.

"Foolish girl," he spoke, although his voice lacked its usual venom. He picked himself off the floor, pulling the limp girl with him, cradling her in his arms as she clutched against her. He almost looked bemused as she nuzzled her head against his chest. He felt his chest tighten at this and a strange warmth spread out from where she rested. He tried to ignore the feeling, but couldn't resist the urge to indulge in the odd feeling. He held onto her slightly tighter as he took her out of the nightmare he'd left her in.