A/N : Hello! So, this was actually supposed to be included in the last Chapter, but I decided it would be too long so split them up. As this has been floating around my mind for a while now, I decided to get it up sooner rather than later. As ever any feedback is always gratefully appreciated so please feel free. I'm nervous but excited about this chapter as plot and stuff! Anyway's, I hope you enjoy! Xx

Disclaimer : I Do Not Own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Chapter 26

Hina crept out into the safety of the brightly lit corridor. She closed the door behind her as gently and quietly as she could. Only when she was certain she had managed to escape without disturbing the sleeping Bakura did she allow herself to exhale in a sigh of relief. She clutched the book in her hand to her chest and rested against the wall next to the door, closing her eyes and resting her head back. After several moments of utter silence pressing against her ears, Hina opened her eyes again, taking in her surroundings. She had been a fool to come here earlier. What had she been thinking? Hina bit her lip, her fingers tightening around the hard backed book. She had come for a book and she had gotten it, in the end.

"Among other things," She hissed to herself, completely irritated and ashamed of herself. Hina shook her head, forcing such thoughts from her mind. She looked down at the red covered book in her hands, inspecting it curiously. It was a collection of fairy tales. Hina forced herself off the wall and stood in the middle of the overly decorated corridor. She grimaced as she put one quaky foot in front of the other and began to walk slowly along the halls, heading towards her bedroom. With each step it became harder to take the next. The tugging sensation in her chest was worse than previously and Hina had to wonder if this was due to what had happened between them? She closed her eyes and shook her head violently. She was an idiot if she thought it wasn't because of what had just occurred. Hina forced her eyes on the book balanced perfectly in her hands. She would read. She would read and she wouldn't stop until everything blurred away. She wouldn't let her eyes leave the pages until the raging storm within her chest had disappeared from her thoughts. Hina opened the book and slowed her pace as she emerged herself in a world of fantasy and fairy tales and make believe.

It wasn't easy work, having to focus on her destination, making sure her subconscious didn't lead her right back to where she'd started. By the time she reached her room, she was wide awake. She didn't want to go in to her room where her bed would beckon to her. Hina looked up from the fading pages of the book and stared at her door. Coming to a sudden decision, she turned on her heel and forced her mind back to the story. She didn't want to think, she didn't want to remember. Hina would go and sit outside, hoping the night chill would keep her from feeling sleepy. She would stay there until day break and only then would she allow herself to sleep. Hina proceeded to wander the many identical hallways and passages, taking several flights of stone steps which were cold under bare feet, until she reached the entrance hall. Hina slipped out of the door, making sure to keep it ajar so the light from inside would spill out, allowing her to read. She sank to the floor crossed legged and rested the book on her knee's so it was cradled there. Hina quickly immersed herself once more in the tales of adventure and triumph. An hour passed by easily, quickly becoming two. Hina discovered she was a slow reader and on occasions had to speak a word out loud as she read, to make sure it sounded right. It was strange really, knowing that she knew the word to speak it, but reading it and understanding the letters and how it formed was difficult. Hina would have given almost anything to have Osamu by her side now, helping her through the complexities of reading. He had always been so smart when it came to teaching her and she couldn't help but envy him slightly.

"It's time," A voice echoed out from behind Hina. Hina started, completely caught unprepared for the sound to break the silence. She peered over her shoulder and saw through the tiny gap she'd left in the door that there was movement coming from the hall way. Hina heard the light shuffling of feet and stood up, closing the book quietly. She closed the gap between herself and the door in one stride and peeked inside. She was just in time to see a figure disappear down the right corridor. She frowned confused, her curiosity burning. Hina stepped into the hall and listened intently. The place seemed silent, but Hina knew something was happening and she had the unmistakeable urge to find out what. Despite knowing this was the same kind of feeling that had got her into so much trouble before, she couldn't deny it. She was curious and it seared at her insides.

Curiosity killed the cat, but the cat has nine lives.

Hina smiled at the thought. Without another moment of hesitation, Hina followed after the figure she'd seen disappear. Part of her doubted she'd even be able to find whoever it was. This place was so vast that it was a slim possibility and part of her, a very small part, hoped that she didn't. After only seconds of half jogging down the corridor, Hina heard footsteps ahead of her, round the next corner. She stopped and listened, pressing herself against the wall, just before the bend in the corridor. The footsteps seemed to have stopped too. She listened intently. Nothing. Then the sound of two people walking started again, except this time there was something strange sounding in the tempo of their walk. Hina chanced a glance round the corner and noticed with a jolt where they were. This was the entrance to the dungeons. Hina gaped at the small archway leading down to the depths of the palace. She had been so preoccupied with catching up to whoever it was she was following that she hadn't even noticed. The echoing steps were getting quieter and quieter as her quarry descended into darkness. Hina shuddered remembering what it was like down there. She hadn't been back since Joey had vanished. She walked through the stone door way and followed after them. It occurred to her that if she was caught and if this was something the King had ordered, she would be in trouble. She would likely end this little piece of safety and security she'd secured for herself. As she neared the bottom of the steps, these thoughts made her falter. Was it really worth it? Was satisfying this otherwise insatiable need to know what was happening really worth it? More footsteps as her stalked walked along the stone and lifeless passage, opposite to the side she'd been held captive on, well that's the direction she guessed they'd taken. It was hard to tell as their footsteps echoed around the dingy place.

Hina chanced a glance and poked her head out from the bottom of the steps. She had been right, they had taken the left. She was about to pull herself back when she froze, her eyes adjusting to the almost no existent light allowing her to examine the two people she'd been following. The second man she didn't recognise. He was tall and well built. His head was shaved apart from a small part at the back of his head which black hair was allowed to grow freely from, tied into a ponytail. The first man, the one walking in front, Hina did recognise. His white blonde hair gave it aware. It was Marik. What were they doing here? She felt herself trembling as she realised how much trouble she'd be in if she was caught. Wasn't he under Bakura's command? Wasn't he almost like his right hand man? If Bakura found out she'd been tailing him… It didn't bare thinking about. Hina was about to pull herself back behind the wall, sheltered from their view, when her hand slipped. She'd been holding herself out but now her hand which had become sweaty with fear had failed her. Her stomach flipped as she yelped as she tumbled out from her hiding place, her feet tripping down the last couple of steps. She crashed to floor in a way, that without a doubt, she knew wouldn't have gone un-noticed. Her knee took most of the fall and throbbed painfully. The book she'd been carrying with her lay sprawled on the floor besides her as it had been flung from her grasp, the pages bent awkwardly beneath its body. Hina sat up instantly and inspected her knee. Skin had been scrapped from her and blood was already weeping from her broken flesh. Hina glanced up, realising a bit of blood was the least of her worries now. Hina found the tall man towering over her. She saw his face now. He had dull grey coloured eyes and olive coloured skin. Down one side of his face he supported a tattoo of intricate looking symbols. He was looking at Hina with anger, suspicion and oddly enough, fear.

"Hello…" Was all Hina could weakly say. The man's hand reached down and pulled her up off the floor by Hina's upper arm. Hina tried to struggle, but quickly decided there was no point. He was a lot stronger than her and there was no hope of her escaping. The man pulled Hina down the corridor and shoved her before the blonde haired man. Hina stumbled but remained upright. She turned around indignantly and scowled at the taller man before looking back at Marik. She saw his eyes widen in surprise as he recognised her.

"You!" He exclaimed, suspicion etched into his expression

"Me," Hina replied, confused.

"What are you doing here?" Marik demanded reining in his shock at seeing her. Hina remained silent at the question, not wanting to admit to what was clearly obvious. She had to come up with an excuse and quickly otherwise there would be trouble.

"I asked you a question." He growled, his eyes blazing in all seriousness and again, surprisingly fear.

"I… I came down here to… I wanted quiet to read…" Hina exclaimed lamely, shouting the first excuse that popped into her head.

"Don't lie to me." He sniffed. Hina felt movement behind her and watched as a book was passed over her shoulder. Marik took it and Hina recognised it. It was her book, the book she'd dropped. The tall man must have picked it up without her noticing it.

"Fairy Tales from around the World," Marik read the front cover aloud and stared perplexed at Hina. Hina scowled back, feeling as if he was mocking her because of her reading material.

"What were you doing?" He asked.

"Reading." Hina replied shortly, folding her arms in irritation.

"You are trying my patience." He muttered. Hina shuddered. There was something sinister about him and she didn't like it. She'd dealt with monsters before, sure. The main one she'd had to handle was lying fast asleep upstairs unawares to what was happening down here, but Marik was different. He didn't seem like Bakura who would just hurt and torture for the pure enjoyment of it. There was fear and desperation in his expression and Hina was confused as to why.

"I was following you." Hina admitted deciding on the truth.

"Why?" He demanded.

"Because I wanted to know why someone other than me was up in the middle of the night," Hina replied. It was the only thing she could offer as the truth because in actual fact she had no idea why she'd decided to follow after them. There was no reason other than the fact her curiosity had been roused.

"And why were you up?" Marik asked suspiciously.

"Reading." Hina shrugged. They fell silent. Hina felt blocked in, knowing there was no way for her to escape and even if she did, what good would that do. Marik recognised her. All he would have to do is point her out to Bakura and that would be that. She'd been stupid to get herself involved in something that didn't concern her. Tonight was just the night of stupid, reckless, foolish mistakes and god knows she'd made plenty of them this evening.

"You know this girl, Master Marik?" The man behind her spoke for the first time. His voice was deep and gruff. Hina frowned. She didn't much like been referred to as a girl.

"I know this girl." Marik snorted, "She's with Bakura." He finished, his eyes darting towards her, full of malice. Hina gulped, aware the decision to follow her curiosity might not have been such a good one.

"I'm not with him." Hina retorted, feeling the need to defend herself, "I just… I'm forced to work here." She finished stubbornly, folding her arms across her chest.

"Oh yeah, well that's not what it looked like to me," Marik sneered. Hina felt the colour in her cheeks rise at his words and couldn't put it all down to anger. He, of course, had interrupted Bakura kissing her in the dining hall when he'd first arrived at the palace.

"No… that's… that wasn't… Shut up!" Hina scowled. "Despite everything, you are in the wrong here, sneaking around at night."

"And how do you know, your precious King hasn't ordered us to?" Marik retorted with equal amounts of venom in his tone. Hina turned aware from his piercing glare hiding her expression that would clearly read 'oh yeah, I don't know that'. Foolish didn't even come close to describing her actions this night.

"Master Marik?" The man behind spoke again, questioning what they were to do with Hina.

"She's seen us, Odion. She has to die." The words came out of his mouth as if what he was saying was an everyday thing.

"Wh… What!?" Hina exclaimed. He couldn't be serious? He couldn't honestly be condemning her to death? They couldn't kill her, they couldn't possibly go that far? Hina's mind began to race, working in over time. The first time she'd spoken to Marik. The first time they'd traded words, he'd seen her doing something she shouldn't. He had caught her wandering around the palace when she should have been locked away in her room like a good little girl. He'd spared her the pain of telling Bakura! She could do the same. She never planned on ratting them out anyway. She refused to be responsible for any more pain by becoming a tattletale.

"But…" The taller man, Odion, spoke.

"She's with Bakura, Odion. If she tells him we've been down here, he'll know." Marik sighed.

"No! Wait, please!" Hina cried out desperately. Both sets of eyes turned to her.

"I won't tell! You spared me once, remember? You caught me sneaking around when I shouldn't have been and didn't go running to Bakura. I'm willing to do the same." She felt herself practically pleading.

"How do you know I didn't?" He demanded.

"I… I…" Hina stuttered. She was starting to feel afraid, really afraid. She hoped the connection she had with Bakura, the part of his soul trapped within hers would realise the moment it was put in jeopardy. Despite the state of the world, she wanted nothing more than to live. She didn't want to die and certainly not like this.

"As a matter of interest, where had you been heading when I caught you previously?" Marik asked suddenly. Hina forced her eyes to meet his and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat the moment she thought about it.

"I was coming to see one of the other prisoners," She whispered, gesturing along the hall at the many cells built there.

"Other prisoners?" Marik repeated suspiciously.

"Yes, I used to be kept down here, and I made a friend with the person in the cell next to me." Hina sighed, pushing away the tears that were threatening her vision.

"I was coming to see a man named Joey… but I was too late. Bakura found out I was still speaking to him after I'd long since been moved away from this hell hole and he didn't like it. He'd done something to Joey or moved him or…" Hina let the unfinished sentence hang in the air, having no desire to finish it. Anger sparked over her as she remembered the night she found out Joey was gone. Anger white and hot like the sun had burned at her, engulfed her.

"Joey?" Marik demanded.

"Yes… wait…" Hina froze seeing the expression on Marik's face. There was a hopeful gleam in his eyes, recognition in his face.

"Did… did you… know Joey?" Hina asked with bated breath.

"Did he ever mention Yugi?" Marik demanded hastily, ignoring Hina's question, not that Hina noticed. At the mention of the name Yugi, her mind had momentarily become frozen in disbelief. It wasn't possible… It couldn't be… That name. That name had been said so many times.

"Not just Joey…" Hina whispered in a quiet voice, unable to believe the name had been spoken again. She gulped, her hands shaking and her head feeling hot. Her stomach had flipped as if she had just missed a step going down stairs and her heart was pounding.

"Ryo… he mentioned it too." Hina finished.

"You mean… he's still alive? He's still there?" Marik asked seemingly matching Hina's own shock. Hina nodded.

"He… he told me to find Yugi and that he would be able to help… that he would be able to save everything. I tried, but I had no way to. I don't know who he is or where he is. I can't leave Bakura's side or stray too far. I gave up." Hina deflated, sounding ashamed of herself.

"Do you still want the world to be free?" Marik demanded. Hina felt tears welling in her eyes. She thought of the man asleep upstairs, the man who had kissed her… No, that wasn't right. The man she had kissed. Her mind flipped through everything that had happened between them and it didn't take her long to work out the bad easily outweighed the good, and the good was only to her, not the rest of the people who existed. She wanted to free Osamu. She wanted to free any of her rebel family that may still be alive. She wanted to find and free Joey. She wanted Ryo to be back in control after so many years of been buried beneath an intrusion. She wanted all of this and more. Of course she wanted the world to be free, she just couldn't be the hero to do it. She'd already come to that decision.

"Yes. I want it. I want freedom, if not for myself, then for the rest of the world" Hina nodded.

"Then you're coming with us." Marik spoke, his tone stern. Without another word, he turned on his heel and marched back down the corridor. Hina was obviously expected to follow him and the presence of the man besides her loomed over her. Despite herself, she hesitated. The implications of the entire conversation she'd just had, came crashing down over her. Marik wasn't on his side. Marik wasn't on Bakura's 'rule the world' team. Hina felt weak at the knees and had to really fight to keep herself up right. She was in shock, complete and utter shock. She'd thought she'd been entirely alone in fighting against him. All those times she'd fought, her will against Bakura's and had failed. Each failure was a constant reminder of how she could never hope to win. Now, she found out she wasn't alone in the fight, she'd never been alone, but she'd found out too late. She'd left the battle field. She'd chosen between a path of pain and solace and had chosen solace. It was too late for her to go back on that, wasn't it?

Hina gulped down a few breaths of oxygen before finding the strength to put one foot in front of the other. She followed after Marik who was stood at the cell right at the end of the passageway. He cast an unreadable expression towards Hina before holding his hand out. Odion without needing any prompting dropped something into the man's outstretched hand. Hina barely had time to glance the key before it was shoved in to the lock of the heavy door. Hina frowned puzzled. As far as she had ever been aware, herself and Joey had been the only occupants of this dingy place, so why were they entering a cell. Was this a trap? Had she been played? Were they just going to lock her in here?

"This is dangerous for all of us, so you do as we say, nothing more and nothing less," Marik hissed over the sound of a mechanical lock clicking and clunking as a very complicated locking system was unlocked. Hina nodded once to show she understood. She waited with baited breath as the door was pushed open. Unlike the other cells, this door opened inwards into the cell. Marik stepped into the cell, darkness washing over him. Hina took a deep breath before following allowing the dark to smother her too. Seconds past and the door swung shut behind them as Odion closed it. Pitch black. Hina couldn't see anything and it scared her. She was terrified. Her eyes were wide and staring as she desperately tried to see anything. A scraping noise suddenly echoed through the silence and fire erupted to life, biting through the blackness. Hina could suddenly see Marik's outline as he shielded the match, doing something with it. Before long, Odion and Marik both possessed old fashioned oil lamps and they used them to light the surroundings. Hina couldn't help but gape in disbelief. They were stood in a small corridor, a hidden passage snaking away from the palace. Hina couldn't see the end of the passage and hadn't a clue how long it would go on for. She gulped as the familiar tugging in her chest became increasingly more uncomfortable. The brick work was cold under foot. The ceiling curved over them in an arch and the stone seemed old and new at the same time.

"How much further?" Hina whispered fearfully, clutching at her chest in a vain attempt to stop the pain. Marik cast a glance over his shoulder at her before continuing onwards. Hina thought he'd just decided not to answer her, but then he spoke.

"We're here," He whispered, his voice carrying around the small space. Hina saw a huge heavy door in front of them and was startled she hadn't noticed it. It had loomed out of the darkness as if out of nowhere at them. It was an ugly looking thing, big and bulky, emitting an ominous vibe. Without even been asked, Odion passed another key over to Marik. Marik thrust the book he was still carrying at Hina, who clutched onto it gratefully. He then took the key and within seconds the door was opened. Marik stepped through first, followed by Hina and then Odion. Hina blinked.

They were stood at the top of what Hina could only describe as an underground tower. They'd entered onto a walkway that ran the entire circumference of the tower, a set of stone steps breaking the almost perfect circle. Hina stepped forwards, wondering how far this pit would go. She reached the edge and clutched onto the rusting metal bannister to gaze downwards. She was surprised to find it only had two other floors not including the one they were on, three if you included the bottom one. Hina straightened back up and stepped away from the edge. She gazed around. Single bulbs were strung along the walls, some flickering and some bust, like a lurid set of Christmas lights. There was nothing festive or happy about this place though. There were doors set into the round wall at equal intervals; each thick and heavy, barred windows on them. Hina shuddered. If she thought her prison had been bad, this was definitely worse. Marik stepped past Hina, heading for the stone steps to their left. He didn't seem at all perturbed by these horrible surroundings. Hina followed after him without even needing to be asked. He grimaced, his eyes ablaze with unspoken anger at the place. The second and third floors were identical. Five doors on each level, each barred with no sign of life behind them. Hina found herself wondering if the inhabitants had simply been left to starve to death. That would be a horrible way to die. They didn't stop moving down the cold underground tomb until they reached the bottom floor. This level was different. Hina glanced around and saw there was only one door on this level. One single daunting door made of heavy steel. Hina found herself shivering, wondering what monstrous place this door would lead to. There were no bars on this door. She wouldn't be able to go much further without it becoming too much for her. The piece of Bakura's soul was already gnawing at her, making her feel ill and nauseous. She knew if she went too much further she risked alerting him to her whereabouts. Odion stepped forwards this time and unlocked the door as Marik turned to Hina.

"What is this place?" Hina asked before he could even speak.

"Hell." He answered simply. Odion pushed open the door with what looked like great effort. They both still had there gas lamps and it was very much needed as the room looked pitch black. Marik strode forwards without speaking and disappeared into the dark. Odion followed after him, leaving Hina stood staring after them. They'd left the door open and as Hina watched, light began to push back the shadows from inside the room. Hina took a deep breath and followed them.

She blinked as what looked like a dozen gas lamps were lit by Marik and Odion who then proceeded to hang them from hooks in the ceiling. Slowly but surely the room was cast in an orangey glow. Hina blinked as the true scene before her registered with her mind. Opposite the door at the far end of this narrow room, was a man. He looked crumpled and Hina was convinced what she was looking at was a corpse. He was slumped on the floor; his head bowed forwards, his arms outstretched behind him fixed by chains to the wall. Marik had walked over to this dishevelled figure and knelt beside him, muttering something to the man. When he stood back up, his eyes met Hina's in a gripping stare.

"This is Yugi."