Authors Note: Well I am ahead in chapters again so I decided to post this chapter early as a reward to my readers who reviewed. Guess what! A lot of stuff actually happens in this chapter so enjoy!

Oh and did I mention I don't own YGO? I don't, I wish I did but I don't. As a result I can only borrow the characters and have fun with them. Now, onto the chapter!

Unreal Truths

Chapter 4: Captive

Ryou's POV

I recognized his voice immediately, but not the face.

Bakura regarded me with hard amethyst eyes and wild silver-white hair. 'This is what he must have looked like when he was human' I thought to myself. Through my immense fear I was slightly relieved at the fact the he was in his own body for once instead of stealing mine.

Even though I was terrified of his presence, it felt like a hole inside of me was suddenly filled. It was a feeling similar to finding something you didn't know you missed until you got it back.

Regardless of the minimal good feelings, I swallowed several times and slowly backed towards the kitchen. I couldn't let him get hold of the millennium ring.

Bakura moved into the room and another person followed him. I had to blink several times to make sure I hadn't been hallucinating; the person looked just like Marik but with some very defining differences. His eyes were a harder and colder amethyst than Marik's and his face was much more angular. His hair was wild and flew back from his face in gravity defying spikes. He was also bit taller and his muscles a bit more toned and defined. All-in-all he looked like an older more athletic Marik.

The Marik look-a-like glanced at me then at Marik and chuckled darkly, "Omote, long time no see!"

Marik seemed frozen to the spot, luckily for him he still had the millennium rod clutched tightly in his hand. I could see him struggling to form words as he stared into the face of his look-a-like.

His eyes narrowed slightly and he shook the rod, "M….Mariku."

Mariku nodded and chuckled, "Aw so you do remember me Omote. I was concerned that you may have forgotten."

"Why are you here?" Marik took a small step back towards me, all the while holding the rod out in front of him.

"We want the millennium items of course." Mariku gave him a look as if that should have been glaringly obvious.

Marik shook his head, "Well sorry to disappoint you but your shit out of luck."

Bakura narrowed his eyes and looked at me, "We aren't leaving without the items."

Mariku chuckled, "Actually, we aren't leaving with them either."

I looked between them, thoroughly puzzled.

Suddenly Mariku took several steps towards Marik, causing him to scuttle in the opposite direction, away from me.

Mariku laughed and crouched, pulling his cape around him, "Just give me the rod and we can solve this very simply.

Marik held the millennium item out threateningly, "You're not getting either item Mariku! So just step back!"

Mariku only laughed and took several menacing steps closer, "You don't have the guts anymore Omote."

"Are you really so willing to risk that Mariku?" Marik stayed his ground and held the rod more firmly in his grasp.

I watched the transaction between the two Marik's with a sense of helpless apprehension. I never before felt so utterly useless. I was clutching the millennium ring so hard that my fingers were hurting. The fear was beginning to be overwhelming and I felt at such a loss.

"Landlord, hand the ring over and make this easy on yourself." I jumped as Bakura took a step around Mariku and began to head for me.

I shook my head and scuttled backwards towards the couch, "S….Stay away Bakura!" I swallowed so hard it hurt, way to sound tough Ryou.

Suddenly Bakura lunged himself at me and I cried out and moved quickly to the side, causing him to miss and tuck into a roll. I saw Marik turn to see what was going on and before I could scream to tell him to watch out, Mariku had tackled him to the ground and ripped the millennium rod from his hands.

Everything that happened after that seemed to go in slow motion. I looked up and fear shot through my veins like ice as I saw Mariku raise the millennium rod and point it directly at me.

I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out. I felt my body completely freeze up and everything seemed to go completely still. I couldn't focus on my surroundings and everything was enclosed in a thick fog. An immense calm abruptly came over my body and I suddenly felt…good. A voice in my head whispered for me to relax and just hand the millennium ring over, that there was no point in fighting.

I blinked slowly and looked down at the millennium ring. Wasn't I supposed to keep it for some reason? I couldn't remember. The voice urged me to hand it over to the person in front of me. Another wave of calm descended over me and I decided that it was okay to do what the voice said. I slowly held the ring out and the person in front of me took it. Blinking slowly again as another wave of calm filled me; I swore I could hear someone screaming my name. It didn't matter though. I was okay. I felt good.

Marik's POV

I screamed until my throat was raw. I was so angry and even a little bit afraid. When I saw Mariku aim the millennium rod at Ryou, I felt my stomach drop. I screamed and tried to run to him but it was of no use. Mariku grabbed my arm as I went by and yanked me back, throwing me hard against the wall.

I gasped as the air was knocked from my lungs and I watched helplessly as Ryou's eyes went from wide and afraid to dull and empty.

I felt tears come to my eyes. I couldn't stand to see my closest friend fall prey to rod's enslaving powers. As I struggled to catch my breath, Bakura took the ring from a brainwashed Ryou and slung it around his neck.

Mariku chuckled and looked at me before turning to Ryou again, "That wasn't so hard now was it?"

Ryou shook his head, "No Master."

I couldn't stop the tears from falling down my face now, "Please just leave him alone! Please! You've got your items, now just go!"

Mariku twirled the rod in his fingers, "I don't know. I kind of like him like this, don't you Omote? So quiet and obedient. The perfect mind slave."

I shuddered and my breath hitched as another batch of tears fell. This was not at all like my fantasies of Bakura returning. I don't know what I really had expected, but it certainly wasn't him busting down the door with my darker half in tow and demanding the millennium items.

Mariku unsheathed the rod and grabbed me by my hair and yanked me up, "Come here Omote. Let me get a good look at you." I stifled back a cry as he tilted my head back and held the dagger point to my throat. He chuckled darkly and slid the blade to my Addams apple, "Oh don't be scared, Bakura and I will take good care of you both." He laughed and Bakura joined in.

I gulped and Bakura turned his cold gaze to me. That was another thing I had not foreseen in my Bakura returning scenario; him returning in his original body.

I let my eyes wander all over him, exploring every inch and committing it to memory. His purple eyes were narrowed into almost slits and his silver-white hair was wild but it framed his face nicely. He had on a dark red muscle shirt that showed off the toned muscles of his chest and arms and he had khaki pants on as bottoms with sandals on his feet. He also had on a red robe with white accents on it and it curled around him as if offering protection, not that he needed it though.

I shook my head, Bakura had been handsome in Ryou's body but he was downright doable now.

Mariku clicked his tongue and dug the rod into my throat a little, making me gasp. "Come now Omote. I will give you and the thief plenty of time to catch up later. Maybe if he is feeling kind, he will show you more of that anatomy of his that you seem so fond of." He chuckled darkly and I gulped causing the rod to dig into my throat some more.

"Mind slave, do you have any rope?" Mariku glanced at Ryou who turned his head and met Mariku's eyes with a blank gaze, "Yes."

Mariku nodded and gestured with the rod, "Be a good slave and fetch it for me would you?"

Ryou stood and slowly made his way towards the hall closet where we had all our utility supplies stored.

I grumbled, "You won't get away with this you know."

Bakura walked over to me and slapped me across the face, "Still the whiny little brat from Battle City I see."

I felt my eyes water, not from the sting of the slap, but the sting of the words. I looked at Bakura, the hurt showing clearly on my face. I thought I saw a flash of something akin to guilt in his eyes but it was gone as quickly as it had come.

Bakura wrinkled his nose and turned, going into the kitchen, "Tell that worthless host of mine to hurry up. We have a mission to accomplish."

Mariku gave him a dirty look before roughly pushing me onto the couch, "Would you just relax thief? We aren't going anywhere for awhile, this is going to take time and patience."

I heard Bakura growl from the kitchen as he began to go through our cupboards. "You better have something good to eat in here tomb keeper."

I sighed, "We just bought food Bakura, there ought to be something out there."

It was at this point that Ryou came back with rope in his hands and handed it over to Mariku.

My darker half smiled, "Good mind slave, now, sit in that chair over there." He pointed to a kitchen chair that I had used earlier as a stool to change a light bulb.

Ryou went and sat in the chair while Mariku went over to him and began tying his arms, legs and waist to it with the rope.

I looked over at the unguarded door and the rash thought of running flashed through my head. Before I could even put the thought through the rational part of my brain, I bolted towards the door as fast as I could.

I had no more than reached the door knob when I felt hands grab my wrist and yank me hard back into the room.

I crashed into the back of the sofa and moaned lightly in pain.

Bakura stood looming over me and put his foot on my chest, "Nice try Marik, but not good enough I am afraid." He roughly grabbed my arm and held a large kitchen knife to my throat. "Sorry to say but you are just going to have to put up with us for awhile."

He roughly shoved me over to another kitchen chair and began to tie me up, all the while holding the knife to my throat.

Mariku finished tying up Ryou and he pulled the rod away and tucked it into the loop of his pants, allowing Ryou to awake from his mind control.

Mariku joined Bakura in tying me up as I watch Ryou blink several times in confusion.

Ryou's POV

The calm feeling slowly subsided and I blinked a few times to try and clear the fog from my mind and sight.

Suddenly everything came flooding back to me. Bakura. He was back. I immediately tried to stand up but found I was tied firmly in place to a kitchen chair.

"Ryou!"

I looked over and saw Marik in a similar position, "Marik!" I struggled and tried to get out of the chair but it was no use. I was stuck.

I looked around the room and rested my sight on our captors.

Mariku, as Marik called him, was standing in between us with Bakura. He was talking to the former tomb robber in an ancient tongue that I assumed was ancient Egyptian. I looked to Marik and he had his head cocked trying to listen.

"Alright this is what is going to happen."

I looked up as Bakura switched to Japanese and took charge of the situation.

"Mariku and I are in need of a place to stay. Lucky for us, it seems like you have a perfectly good place right here. It's close enough to the city but secluded enough that we won't attract unwanted attention."

"No way!" I yelled out and struggled harder, "Like hell are you coming in and screwing up my life again Bakura!"

He turned and looked at me, a dangerous glint in his eyes, "Excuse me? You don't seem to be in a position to be setting conditions Landlord."

I was shaking in both fear and anger; there was no way that I was going to go down without a fight, "Fuck you Bakura!"

I didn't even have time to think before Bakura moved like lightening and slapped me hard across the face, "Looks like you forgot my lessons already Landlord. It really hasn't been that long." He grabbed my chin in his hand and he got eye to eye with me, "I can always refresh your memory."

I gulped and shook my head no, fully remembering both the psychological and physical damage Bakura caused during the years of my sharing a body with him.

He nodded, "Good. Now, as I was saying, we need a place to stay and this happens to be the perfect location."

He moved to the center of the room once again and Marik gave me a concerned look. I shook my head and smiled reassuringly at him. He didn't look convinced but he turned back to Mariku and Bakura anyways.

"Mariku and I have devised a plan to make up for all our failed attempts to take over the world. This time we will not fail."

"So it was you?" I looked over at Marik when he spoke up, "You're the ones who brought back the millennium items?"

Bakura smirked and nodded, "We are."

I scowled and struggled again even though it was useless, "Why can't you just go? You got our items, now leave us alone!"

Mariku looked at me, "No can do. We need you and Omote to help us get closer to the other items."

Marik narrowed his eyes and struggled more, "As if we will actually help you!"

Bakura turned on him and snarled, "As if you have a choice!"

I yanked hard on the ropes, feeling the ones on my arms give a little, "I won't help either of you! You can't force me!"

Mariku suddenly pulled out the rod and pointed it at me again, sending chills down my spine, "Actually, Ryou, I can and will make you if you choose not to cooperate."

I swallowed hard and looked down feeling utterly defeated and helpless. There was no way we were getting out of this situation, at least not any time soon.

Mariku smirked, obviously happy about my concession of defeat, and slid the rod back through his belt loop.

Bakura spoke up again, "Now, all the millennium items should be in the possession of their previous owners, save for the scales and key. They will be the only real challenge to find." He began a slow pace across my living room, walking in front of me then moving over past Marik. "Landlord," he stopped and turned to look at me and I bit back a shudder, "where is your medicine cabinet?"

I raised my eyebrow at the question, "Why?"

Scowling he moved rapidly over to my side of the room, "Where is it?"

I gulped and nodded my head towards my bedroom, "In the master bathroom."

He immediately walked back the hall to my bedroom and I gave Marik a questioning glance and he shrugged in return.

Mariku even looked puzzled as Bakura came out looking victorious and holding a pill bottle.

I felt my stomach drop as I realized what they were. Vicodin, from when I had to have my wisdom teeth out a few weeks back. I had only taken two out of the entire bottle since I didn't like to take drugs and the pain really hadn't been that bad.

"Mariku, get me a glass of water would you?"

Mariku gave Bakura a curious look before going into the kitchen and returning with a bottle of water from the fridge.

Bakura nodded approvingly and read the bottle before spilling two into his hand, "Okay Landlord your first. Open up."

I gave him a look that clearly said that no way in hell was I letting him shove those pills down my throat.

He gave an exasperated sigh and as if on cue, Mariku pulled the rod back out.

Bakura returned his gaze to me, "I will give you both one last chance to do what I say willingly. If you don't cooperate you will get enslaved by the rod and you will do it anyways. Now, what's your choice?"

I looked at Marik and he met my gaze before speaking, "You're seriously not going to drug us."

"Watch me." He walked over to me and grabbed my chin in his hand, "Open Landlord. We have some things to do outside the house and we can't leave you here, alone and conscious. Of course I can always beat you over the head with something blunt until you go unconscious, that is an alternative option."

I sighed; maybe if we cooperated then they would leave sooner. Fat chance but with Mariku holding the rod we didn't have any choice in the matter anyways, "Fine Bakura. Just give them to me."

He smirked and I opened my mouth, "Your finally learning after all these years my host, I'm so proud." He laid the two pills on my tongue and gestured to Mariku who came and poured some water into my mouth.

I grimaced at the bitter taste and swallowed. Marik was looking at me in surprise.

"Marik, they are going to make us do it anyways, so just do what they say."

He frowned slightly but couldn't argue my logic.

Bakura and Mariku walked over to him and he didn't fight them as he swallowed the pills either.

Bakura smiled and stood observing us both, "Don't you worry, we'll take good care of you both."

I gave him a hard glare as I felt the pills start to take effect.

My vision started to blur some and my eyelids began to become too heavy to keep open. My limbs felt like dead weight and it was near impossible to hold my head up.

The last thing I saw before I completely blacked out was Mariku tilting his head and watching me with a cold but curious gaze.