Thanks for your lovely reviews last chapter, guys! :D This one took an extra week to get out. Now that I've started a new school term and I have no more pre-written chapters of this fic, updates are more likely to be fortnightly rather than weekly. Still, expect them around the weekend.

Here's where the plot starts moving. Something actually happens in this chapter!

Enjoy!

The sky grew dark with heavy clouds as Yugi walked home; the first patters of rain even began to fall. The boy took no notice of it, too focussed on reaching the Game Shop and keeping his frustration in check.

Aibou? Yami asked gently.

"Yes?" the light huffed, not bothering to communicate through the link.

Are you alright? The Pharaoh knew he had to tread carefully now.

"I'm fine. It was just too loud in the museum." Yugi kept walking.

I'm sorry, Aibou, Yami said quietly. I let him anger me. I shouldn't have yelled.

"You shouldn't have lied either."

…No. He hadn't been thinking when he'd come out with his petty false retaliation; he'd just refused to let his Other get the better of him – which, he supposed, he'd ultimately failed in preventing. Now his hikari was embarrassed and upset with the both of them.

"You two are always fighting," the boy said. "It's ridiculous, why can't you get along?"

Yami didn't reply. Yugi sighed.

I just don't like that I've got two yamis who hate each other.

I try being civil, Aibou, Yami insisted. He's just so infernal.

Yugi had reached his home and trudged upstairs to his room. Dumping his schoolbag on the floor for now, he took a deep breath to calm his temper. The Pharaoh stood beside the boy's bed, waiting.

Yugi turned to him. "He's really not that bad, Yami. He stirs, but you've got to be patient."

"I feel I could tolerate his insults," the spirit said with his jaw set, "if not for the way he treats you, Aibou."

"What do you mean by that?"

Yami's fists clenched. "He thinks he's entitled to you. He comes and goes from your soul room when he pleases. He asks you deeply intimate questions without any regard for your privacy. And now he has the audacity to tell you whom he believes your friends should be!"

"Yami…" Yugi began, but was ignored.

"And," the Pharaoh's voice grew quiet and low. "the way he looks at you – the way he touches you. It's so… presumptuous. He has no right. If I see him—"

"Pharaoh!"

Yami blinked and looked up at his hikari, jolted from his seething murmuring but failing to see at what point he'd crossed a line.

Yugi pursed his lips. "Kioku's done nothing wrong."

The spirit scoffed.

"I mean it!" the boy said. "Yes, he's been a little forward and he likes hugs, but he's never hurt me. He doesn't mean any harm, he's just lonely. All that time he's been locked away…"

The Pharaoh held his tongue about the fact that he'd spent millennia waiting to be released and his Other had only been imprisoned for a couple of years, but he didn't think that would make him sound any less petulant than he'd already been seen to be. He could see what his aibou was saying – he just didn't feel the Other was worth worrying over like the boy did. It was as if Yugi had forgotten the Shadow Games he'd been so afraid of – how can he be so forgiving of the Yami even the Pharaoh despised?

"And what would you like me to do, Aibou?" he asked stiffly, shoulders squared.

Yugi gave a heavy sigh. "I just don't want this fighting. I almost feel like you're not trying."

"Of course I'm trying," Yami said immediately, although they both knew he was stretching the truth slightly.

"Just…" the boy shook his head. "please try harder, Yami. If not for him, then me."

The spirit once again felt himself being swayed by his hikari's immense amethyst eyes. How they had so much influence over him at times like this! The Pharaoh frowned. Yugi really was upset with him.

"Very well," he relented. "I apologise, I'll be more tolerant."

Yugi smiled, "Thank you."

Yami nodded, noting a strange sense of déjà vu that told him he'd had this conversation before as he left his light to do his homework in peace.

His cursed Other was following him again.

Yami's eyes narrowed. He kept stalking down the corridors of his soul room, refusing to look back and satisfy Kioku's obvious desire to provoke him. He simply walked after the taller spirit, quiet and oddly reserved, until Yami couldn't take it anymore. The Pharaoh turned on him – as he had before – and asked him rather curtly to either state his business or leave. Then Kioku stared up at him for a long moment, his gaze unwavering, before leaving as he'd been told with his head bowed.

Yami found him several hours later sitting against the door to their Puzzle, eyes closed and brow furrowed slightly. The spirit decided against bothering him.

What are you looking for, Hikari? Kioku asked curiously through the link as Yugi entered the small store.

A special edition Monster World figurine is supposed to have been released yesterday – an Elven Priestess. I'm looking for it for Bakura, Yugi explained, holding the door open for the man behind him.

He had discovered the hobby store several weeks earlier and it sold all manner of collectibles and figurines. It was quickly becoming a favourite of Yugi's for Duel Monster cards and the rarer plastic models that came up for sale – behind the Kame Game Shop, of course.

Is it a gift for him? For a birthday perhaps? the Shadow queried.

Nah, Yugi shrugged, wandering to the corner of the little store. He was busy this afternoon and promised he'd pay me back if I bought it for him.

Kioku nodded and looked around. What do you collect, Yugi?

The boy thought for a moment. Uh, I'm not as committed as Bakura, but if I see some models I like I'll save for them. I2 releases Duel Monsters figures sometimes. Otherwise there are a couple of other games I'll collect for.

For newly released figurines they weren't well advertised, but Yugi found the tiny Monster World section easily enough. On first glance, there didn't appear to be any Elven Priestesses left; their shelf was empty.

"Are they there?" someone asked behind him.

Yugi looked up to see the man he'd held the door for. He stood a fair foot above the boy – although, begrudgingly, this wasn't uncommon – and looked every bit of the word awkward. He was gangly and pale, and if Yugi had been the judgemental type he would have noted a somewhat crazed gleam in the young man's eyes.

"The Elven Priestess figures," he prompted when Yugi hadn't replied. "Are there any left?"

"Oh," the boy smiled apologetically. "No, there doesn't seem to be. Don't worry, I didn't get one either."

The man's face crumpled into a scowl and he swore, storming off to the other side of the store to brood over some other merchandise. Yugi sighed, resigned. He wandered off towards the store exit. As he passed one of the war game shelves, something caught his eye. He stopped and bent over; partly obscured by one of the front boxes was… an Elven Priestess! Despite his excitement at having found the figure he was after, Yugi was a little confused.

"What's it doing over here?" he wondered aloud.

He shrugged, supposing someone must have put it there after they'd changed their mind and forgotten where it went – it could have even been hidden there by someone who wanted it but was still saving up for it. Well that's hardly fair, Yugi reasoned, and took it.

"You're awfully lucky finding that," the jovial shopkeeper told him at the counter. "I'd thought we'd run out. That Monster World is insanely popular."

"It definitely is," Yugi agreed, taking the box from the man with a grateful smile. "Thank you."

As he left the hobby store, he counted finding the figure as a definite highlight to his day. He glanced down at the shiny box, the beautiful Priestess flashing him a hand-painted, vinyl smile.

Look at the work they've put into this one, he mused to his yamis. They go to so much effort with some of these figures.

Indeed, Yami remarked with mild interest, followed by a sound of agreement from Kioku.

I forget how much I like plastic models. I should really look out for more, actually—

Yugi didn't get to finish as his feet came out from under him and he tumbled to the ground. Groaning, he rolled over and looked up at who'd tripped him. He realised it was the man who'd been looking for the Priestess as well. He was glaring down at Yugi, the somewhat crazed gleam in his eyes now a very obvious gleam of rage. He lowered his head until his face was inches from the boy's, nostrils flaring. Yugi swallowed.

"I see you have a Priestess," the young man whispered. "Give it to me."

Yugi barely had time to gather his bearings after being tripped – let alone formulate any kind of response to the man's order – before being lifted roughly to his feet and shoved towards the alleyway beside the hobby store. The boy cursed silently as he was pinned against the wall, unfortunately out of sight of any passers-by on the street.

The collector snarled. "I asked you if there were any figures left. You lied."

"I didn't see it until later!" Yugi told him, holding the box to his stomach. "It's only fair that the first to find it should be the one to buy it."

"I should have been the one to buy it!" the man growled, forcing Yugi's small body further into the wall with surprising strength considering his own lithe frame.

The boy sensed alarm from his yamis; they were certainly alert but neither yet felt the need to step in.

"I don't know what to tell you," Yugi said, determined to stay calm. "I'm sorry. This is for a friend, and I'm not giving it up."

The collector's eyes flashed with fury.

"Fine," he spat. "If you'd just handed it over I'd be on my way, but now I'll have to use this."

Keeping Yugi pinned against the wall with one arm, the man produced a stun gun from his pocket. Immediately he jabbed it against the boy's side.

Yugi let out a startled yelp as the shock coursed through him. He dropped the Priestess figure, shaking uncontrollably. The collector withdrew the gun after only a second, but it had been more than enough time to bring his victim down. He snatched up the box and ran off down the alley with his prize. Yugi sat crumpled on the ground, disorientated, as his body jerked fitfully – it was a terrifying and bizarre sensation, lasting all of several seconds before dying off. The boy lay where he was, dazed and suddenly worn out, his chest heaving.

In his confusion he easily yielded to the gentle tug on his mind; it wasn't until it was far too late that he realised he'd failed to connect the rage he felt through the mind link with the fact another soul now desired the use of his body.

"How dare he," Yugi heard his lips whisper, but he wasn't the one moving them.

So I ended on a cliffy. Have fun with this for the next little while.

By the way guys, I'm very flattered by the reviews I've been getting. Unfortunately, going by the number of reviews I get each chapter and who sends them (shout out to Chaos Twin of Destruction for being such a loyal reader :D), I've only got about four people who are enjoying my fic. I'm going to do something a little bold here. I am requesting five reviews for this chapter before I post an update. If it gets five, the update will come at the regular time. It only takes a minute, guys - I really appreciate the feedback. Thanks :)