"Well according to this riddle we have to find the five brothers and speak with them, and upon encountering them, they will assist us with the clues",Yami stated.
"However, this scroll also says they may not seem reliable, so we don't know if these brothers can really help us.",he warned.
"But what about the part that mentions an unbreakable bond?",Yugi asked, still not understanding what these brothers, and the object had to do with finding the Pharaoh's body.
"I don't know , but we have to find the five brothers first",Yami replied.
"We won't make any headway if we check the same places. Why don't we split up so we can find them faster?",Yugi suggested.
"But Yugi,",the former pharaoh uttered,"Inside the puzzle is dangerous and is equipped with a vast quantity of traps and misleading passages.I don't want you to get hurt."He hinted.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine. We can communicate through our mind link, and You can guide me along a safe path.",Yugi assured the other.
"Ok then. Just be carefull. I don't want to lose you little one."Yami agreed to Yugi's plan, but didn't want him to leave just yet. He pulled the shorter boy into a warm embrace, hugging him gently and chastly kissing his forehead, receiving a blush from his younger counterpart.
"Just follow the path our mind link guides you to and you'll be fine."
Yugi nodded, hugging his Yami back before the both pulled away, splitting up to find the brothers.
/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Meanwhile, outside of the millennium puzzle, in the physical world, Yugi's body remained inactive and dormant. The boy looked as if he was sleeping peacefully in his spot on the swing. He was the only one in the Domino City Park at that hour of the night, or so it seemed.
A shadow-like figure was creeping behind the trees nearby. It revealed itself when said figure stepped out under the streetlight. It was Bakura, the friendly Brit that Yugi came to know as a friend. He saw Yugi in the swing and walked over to him.
/Hm.. must've fallen asleep. I wonder why he hadn't head home if he was wiry./,He thought to himself.
/I should probably take him to my flat and call his grandfather to pick him up./he scooped Yugi into his arms and began to leave the park.
/That's right Bakura. Take him to our place, where no one can hear his screams of suffering!/,The boy's evil counterpart mind linked to the young Brit.
/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yugi's spirit walked down a dark corridor, assuming it was kept dark intentionally to conceal something. He was constantly looking behind him, afraid something would jump out and attack him.
/There's nothing waiting for you in the dark, Yugi. Be strong./,Yami cooed over their mind link, trying to ease his light's uneasiness and help him vanquish his fear of the dark.
/Just focus on my voice. Ignore the darkness./The taller teen purred.
Suddenly a booming thud echoed through the hall, receiving a startled jump from Yugi. Yami heard it from where he was but only responded by raising his eyebrows.
/Uh, Yami?/,Yugi called.
/Shh.. close your eyes and take a deep breath. Everything is going to be alright little one/
/What was that?/,Yugi asked, his transparent body trembling in his spot.
/Nothing, just relax../
/Ok, I'll try.../,Yugi closed his eyes and began taking deep breaths. Due to his shaken state his breaths were came out fast, almost hyperventilating.
/Yugi, can you hear me?/, his darker half asked
/Y-Yes./,he panted
/Calm down. Please, you're worrying me./,Yami gently put forth out of his concern for his little one.
/You're going to be fine./,he purred.
/Yami, I'm scared…./,Yugi whimpered.
/I know. Close your eyes. It'll make your forget about the darkness./,Yami instructed.
Yugi's eyes slowly feathered closed until they were shut completely. It was just as dark as the corridor he was in but this kind of darkness didn't bother him. He found it rather soothing and his panicked breathing began to slow down.
/You're doing great, love. Keep focusing on your breathing./,the pharaoh praised his lover over the mind link. He hummed through their connection in attempt to comfort Yugi even more.
Yugi's breath became more shallow with every second passing by. His transparent body had finally returned to its ground state, calm and not worried.
An image started to form behind his eyelids, this time emerging from an orb of light.
Why, it was his fantasy Yami. He had returned to guide him and, this time with the exclusion of pants. The figure stood in a pair of black satin boxers and the look in his eyes a mystery.
/Yami?!/, he panted, this time of slight excitement.
"Open your eyes",the figure purred.
/I hope he's not in a front of me like last time../Yugi whimpered in his boy opened his eyes and his imaginary Yami was right in front of him.
"We meet again little one….",The figure purred.
"Where are your pants?",Yugi asked nervously, his face turning a crimson color and his breaths picking up speed again.
"I don't know…. Where are they?",The image teased, his sultry voice lightly ringing in the shorter boy's ear. It moved in closer to Yugi, ghosting his hands over Yugi's clothed chest. He knew minor as his actions were, they were making Yugi melt and he made it worse by looking directly into the shorter teen's eyes.
Yugi looked back, his blush darkening as he saw the obvious desire in the other's eyes. He knew that this Yami wasn't real, but what he was doing felt real enough to make him involuntarily let out a groan and make his body tense up.
/Oh God… what is this?/, he panted to his real Yami
/It's to help you relax. It helped you find me last time./,Yami chucked./And by the looks of it, I think you're doing fine Yugi./
/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Bakura had made it back to his apartment with Yugi's body. He had set the boy's petite vessel on his bed to let him sleep comfortably. The young brit watched his friend slumber peacefully for several minutes until he remembered he had to make a call to return the teen home.
/Well, his grampa is probably sleeping and it couldn't take a herd of elephants to wake him, so I guess I'll have to call one of his friends./ he thought reaching for his phone on the nightstand.
/Damn it…. the millenium puzzle was about to be mine and this fool goes calling over company…./ the spirit within the millenium ring growled.
Bakura proceeded with the call. He called Joey, who happened to be spending the night over at Tristan's, playing video games at his place. Joey's phone rang loudly, a fast rap song blasting in his ear, causing Tristan to get take the lead in their game.
"Agh.. who could be calling at dis time?! I'm in da middle of shoot'n this guy's head off!",he hollered in rage.
"Calm down you maniac. I'll just pause the game..",Tristan responded pressing the pause button on his controller."Uh hello?",Joey answered the phone.
" 'Ello Joey.",Bakura called back.
/Aw crap. Not him…./,Joey's mind groaned, the look of fear on his face, eyes wide and mouth clenched shut. Seeing the look on Joey's face, Tristan thought it was best to ask who was on the other end of the line.
"Who is it Joe?",he asked.
Joey let out a gulp before answering shakily,"It's B-Bakura….",he mumbled.
"The evil one?"
"Shh….
"So uh. Bakura, why are you calling so late. Did something happen?",Joey asked still a little freaked out.
"I found Yugi in the park asleep and now he's here with me at my flat. His grampa is probably asleep, so I didn't bother to call him. Can you come over and pick him up?",he corresponded.
"What was Yugi doin' in da park at dis hour? Joey questioned, thinking that Bakura had fabricated the whole thing. After all he'd been sharing a brain with a professional thief for years. What was to say that he wasn't a liar who helped carry out the spirit's evil deeds?
"I don't know, but I found him asleep on one of the swings.",Bakura retorted,"Can you drive him home?"
"Sure thing..",Joey answered,"But there's one thing I need to ask ya. What were ya doing lurkin' around da park?"
"Just get over here quickly and call me when you get here. Some bampot broke my doorbell and it doesn't work.",Bakura instructed, flouting Joey's question and hanging up.
"So why did Bakura call. Is he having trouble containing that evil twin of his?",Tristan asked.
"Nah, he found Yugi sleeping in da park, brought 'em over to his place and now he want me to drive Yugi home.",Joey responded.
"I don't trust him though. I'm gonna text Tea` and tell her to meet us in front of his place just in case he tries anything funny."Joey texted Tea` , instructing her to wait in front of the apartment building downtown for them.
"What was Yugi doing at the park all by himself at this hour?",Tristan inquired.
"That's what I just asked Bakura ya nimrod!",Joey commented."Let's go.",he said shutting off the video game console and heading out the front door followed by Tristan. They got into his car and set out for Bakura's place downtown.
/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Why the hell did you call them?!",The spirit of the ring shouted at his light, transparent and by the other's side."Finally I get the chance to steal the millennium puzzle without needing to duel this stupid git and you go calling your foolish friends to return him home?"
"He's my friend Bakura, and I can't leave him to get hurt. Anyone could've found him where he was and decided to harm him."The brit responded to his evil counterpart.
"What's worse…",his dark paused,"Him getting hurt by a stranger or me hurting you for going against my intentions that I have my clear to you?",he tilted his transparent body to the side, bringing his gaze into the eyes of the young brit's. His eyes were glaring into the other's with darkness, wickedness and a hint of something else, Bakura found quite mysterious. An evil smile crept across the spirit's face, sparking fear in his light.
"Please don't hurt me. I haven't done anything.",Bakura pleaded, almost helplessly.
"You need to learn a lesson for disobeying me. Time for your punishment",The spirit chuckled sinisterly. putting emphasis on the word 'punishment'.
He descended back into the millennium ring, pulling Bakura into the ancient item along with him.
Their minds were carried to a shadowy and eerie looking room inside the ring. There was nothing in the room except for a bed, nightstand, and a wall, hanging from it items, notably used for unimaginable torture.
/Oh dear, what could this nutter be planning to do to me?/,the young brit mumbled to himself in his mind
/Isn't it obvious? I'm going to put you in your place for being such and ill-mannered mortal and disobeying me./,his dark half purred in the other's ear, having heard his light's thought. He received a shudder from the teen and felt him trying to move away from him.
The dark spirit wrapped his arms around Bakura's waist, breathing his warm breath down his felt the boy squirm in protest, trying to break his grip and he chuckled evilly.
/You can't escape nancy-boy. I simply won't let you./
"Let me go you bastard. I haven't done anything wrong!",Bakura managed to yell at his evil counterpart, whose grip around his waist was getting stronger by the second.
"I'd like to see you try and get out of this little dilemma.."
"Just remember, Yugi's in the room. If he wakes up, him and the pharaoh will stop you",Bakura's voice strained, hardly able to breathe due to the spirit's strong grip around his stomach.
"The room…. haa!",the spirit cackled, "We're in ring now. That fool can't hear you scream in here. When he wakes up he'll think you passed out on the floor. And by the looks of it, I don't think he'll be waking up anytime soon…."
/Then I'm gonna have to try not to react to this demon's action, no matter what he does to me/,Bakura's mind commented to itself.
"The oh so sad fact of the matter is you can't!", the tomb robber growled shoving his weaker half onto the bed. Bakura let out a yelp as his head hit the headboard of the bed. He looked straight ahead to see his dark crawling up the end of the bed to settle between his legs.
"There's nothing you can do to avoid this. Now take your punishment like a man!",the spirit said.
"No I refuse. You can't make-",Bakura's protest was cut short when the spirit of the ring covered his mouth with his own. He licked the teen's bottom lip, before roughly biting it, drawing blood, which dripped down Bakura's chin.
Bakura let out a groan in slight pain, sending out his tongue, trying to push the tomb robber's away and lick up the blood trailing down his chin. Their tongues danced erratically as they fought a battle that Bakura lost.
The spirit kissed down the other's neck licking up the dripping blood.
"Agh!",Bakura moaned, turning his head to the side, which left his neck vulnerable. The evil Bakura sucked on the exposed skin, now grinding their hips together.
"Stop this at once,arsehole",Bakura panted, his face flushed feeling himself hardening.
"Not a chance… mmm",the spirit growled.
However the spirit of the ring stopped his ministrations abruptly. Had he stopped to have mercy on the young brit he was dominating… or had he stopped because the phone was ringing?
"Well, not exactly how I wanted to humiliate you but this will do…"he said.
Bakura's mind had been brought back to realitly, jumping from his dormant state on the ground to his picked up the phone on the nightstand
/Well, answer it, you nancy...?/, the spirit hissed.
Bakura pressed the button on the phone and held it up to his ear." 'Ello?",he answered, his breath still ragged from his previous activity.
"We're downstairs, Bakura. Can ya buzz us in?",Joey corresponded over the phone.
"Y-Yeah, sure thing.",Bakura panted walking over to the buzz-in box around the corner from his bedroom and pressing the button. Once they heard the buzz, Joey, Tristan and Tea` went through the door, walking up the stairs to the seventh floor.
/Ok you dolt, they're coming up the stairs and unless you're planning to embarrass yourself, I suggest pulling yourself together./ the spirit advised.
/Since when do you care about that?!/,Bakura spat back.
Knock Knock!
/Oh dear, they're here!/ he panted as rushed to answer the door. He opened it ever so slowly, hoping his excited state wasn't evident by his flushed face and the tent at the crotch of his jeans.
"Hey guys. Sorry I made you walk up all those stairs. The lift isn't working",he said panted his breaths refusing to let him catch it. His face was still flushed if anything it was redder than before.
"Woah, what happened to you Bakura?",Tristan asked in slight shock.
"Did we come at a bad time?",Tea` inquired noticing the little Bakura down below.
"I think it's best if we don't talk about it. Anyway Yugi's in my room. Follow me", Bakura responded, wanting to drop the subject. After all the three of them came to pick up Yugi, not question him on his sexual encounters with the spirit in his ring.
"I didn't know you were coming Tea`...",he said, only expecting Joey and Tristan whom in which he had spoke to and heard over the phone.
"Well, Joey did just text me to wait outside for them….",she replied sheepishly.
Bakura led the three to his bedroom, where Yugi was, his body remaining dormant there for the past hour."Yugi!",Tea` ran over to the bed,kneeling at the side of it with her elbows propped up and fists supporting her head.
"What happened to him?",she asked with concern. /Why is Yugi here. And why is Bakura acting so strange..?/her mind started jumping to conclusions of possible event that could've taken place a while ago.
" He's fine Tea`. He's just sleep'n",Joey assured her. "That's how I found him in the swing. Sleeping like a babe.",Bakura added,"So I brought him here.
"What was he doing there at this hour", Tea` questioned
"Ack, can people stop ask'n dat?!",Joey groaned,"It's obvious that something's not right!"
"What are you trying to say Joey?",Tristan asked
"What I'm trying to say is this is very unusual behavior for Yugi, even if he shares a mind with the pharaoh. I know my buddy. He'll go for a walk early in da morni'n but at eleven a'clock at night?!"Joey stated.
"Joey's right. People don't behave like unless there's something on their mind."Bakura said.
"So whaddaya think was on his mind…?",Joey asked, only to receive not answer but the silence of the room.
Author's note- There are some British vocab in this chapter considering the fact that Bakura is British. Joey's Brooklyn accent is also imitated in this chapter.
`Ello-hello
Bampot- clumsy fool
nancy- feminine boy/man. It could also mean homosexual male
lift- elevator
flat- apratment
nutter- crazy person, someone with a few screws loose.
da- the
dis- this
dat-that
ya-you
'n- ing
Well... see ya next chapter! TBC