AGKamon: Yes! One more chapter before my school-related camp. I'm not completely excited, but I guess missing gym class is worth it... *hates gym class, but has never been away from home* Anyway, I had a hard time with this chapter at first, but I eventually decided to try writing from the point of view of someone beside Bakura and Kayla.

Yami: ...Why am I here again?

AGKamon: You're the center of attention this chapter, so I think you should say the disclaimer!

Bakura: I should kill you, Pharaoh, as you refused to protect Kayla. However, I know that killing you here won't change the plot of the fan-fiction.

Yami: Do I get to leave if I agree?

Kayla: Yeah... *glaring at Yami*

Yami: Uh...right. AGKamon doesn't own me, Bakura, Yami Marik, or anything else related to Yu-Gi-Oh! She only owns Kayla. I'll be going now.

Marik: Alright, whatever.

Yami: *leaves while muttering something about feeling 'extremely unwelcome'*

AGKamon: Start the chapter!

Yami's P.O.V.

A sigh escaped my lips as we quickly boarded the blimp again; Noah's intervention wasn't something I'd expected to happen during this tournament. As everyone gathered in the cockpit to watch us fly away from the entrance to Noah's virtual world, I noted that I felt exhausted. Even if it was only our minds that were active for so long, I felt like I could collapse soon.

"You alright, Yug?" Joey worried while we talked as we headed to our bedrooms that were generally in the same direction. I smiled tiredly up at him, stopping when I came to the hallway I needed to turn down that would separate us.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just think I need some sleep," I replied. He nodded eagerly in agreement.

"Mhm, I hear ya. We didn't get no sleep in that virtual world; Kaiba betta' give us a chance to rest." He directed a glare at said brunet, who happened to walk past the both of us. Next to Kaiba was his little brother, Mokuba, who, although seeming the most tired out of everyone, waved happily at us.

He certainly seems happy to be out of the virtual world. I returned the small boy's wave with a small one of my own; afterward, Mokuba went ahead down the hall he and brother were going down.

"Sure, whatever mutt," he grumbled, easily returning Joey's glare; he just barely flinched at the coldness of Kaiba's eyes.

Some things will never change. Saying a brief farewell to the blonde, I headed toward my room for some well-deserved rest. I had one foot through the doorway when I heard something that made my blood run cold. A scream from a girl. My first worry was that someone had gotten to Téa or Serenity, but then I remembered her warning.

I looked into the dark-blue eyes of the girl who had previously called herself Monique, but I couldn't call her that anymore. Her name was Kayla; the story she told me was too intricate for someone to come up with in the short time she had, right? Then again, she did have us completely fooled about her identity. I could tell that there was truth in her somewhere, but I couldn't bring myself to trust her; I couldn't risk putting my friends or I in danger.

"You seem sincere, but you were able to keep us fooled for so long, so I'm not sure whether I should believe you…" I said slowly. Her eyes narrowed before she turned toward the door, but she kept glaring at me from over her shoulder.

"Why not? Are you upset that I, a mortal, fooled the great Pharaoh?" she accused. The statement stunned me, surely that couldn't be it! I was trying to protect the people close to me, and she could be spinning me another tale full of lies.

"No, that's not it at all! I just don't want you to be tricking me again so you can hurt me or my friends," I explained quickly. Her gloved hand grasped the doorknob, and she let out a few shaky breaths before she spoke once more. With her hand still holding the doorknob, she turned toward me again.

"Take a leap of faith, Pharaoh. Believe me, or I'm leaving. I have no reason to stick around if you're not gonna protect me." Once more, I scanned her eyes for any sign of deceit, but I knew it wouldn't sway my decision. I couldn't detect the fact that she was lying to me before, so I couldn't trust myself with knowing whether she was telling the truth this time around.

"…I…I'm not sure. I can't bring myself to trust you, I'm sorry." I lowered my head so I couldn't see the look in her eyes.

"You'll regret that decision when Dark Marik gets me…" she warned. Her voice was cold, but I could hear a very slight hint of fear in her voice. She really was scared of him; if Bakura and the other Marik were gone like she said, then maybe she was telling the truth. However, by the time I'd realized this, the girl was gone.

I had checked Bakura's room soon afterward, but there wasn't any sign of either of them.

"But then again, this could just be my mind fooling me from hearing her warning, right?" I whispered uncertainly to myself. I would've been able to believe that if another, although slightly softer, scream hadn't followed my words. It didn't come from the direction Marik's room was in, but I still cautiously proceeded toward the feminine cry.

Should I have believed her story? That thought had pestered and nagged me since we were forced to leave the blimp because of the plot Kaiba's stepbrother, Noah, had thought up. She had been left completely alone with Marik's darker side; even I'd be afraid to be left alone with that monster. She must've had some kind of skills that she'd used to assist Marik and Bakura in their ploys, but still, who knew how she'd be able to fair against him?

The sudden sound of a second pair of footsteps made me pause where I was and hide behind a corner; I heard a pair of doors open. Peering around the wall, I briefly caught a glance of what I thought was white hair.

White hair? Bakura's in the Shadow Realm, how'd he escape so quickly? He's the only person who was ever on the blimp that has white hair. My purple eyes narrowed, and I crept closer to the doors that had recently closed. The faint sound of two distinct voices entered my ears; I pressed the side of my head to the door so I could hear what they were saying.

"Just give her back to me!" My eyes widened at easily recognizing Bakura's voice. The anger as well as the desperation that filled his voice were surprising to me.

So he has returned…are they arguing about her? Kayla? Does Bakura really care about her like she said?

"Oh, where would be the fun in that?" Dark Marik's voice always sent a shiver running down my spine. I strained my ears when they fell silent, and I caught what seemed to be whimper. However, it was quiet, so I couldn't be sure.

"Looks like she gave away her hiding place; such a disappointment. Ah well, might as well bring her out now," Marik's darker half sighed, a small clicking sound followed. I briefly wondered what was happening in there, only being able to use one sense was frustrating, but I couldn't burst in there. Dark Marik and Bakura arguing over a girl that I suspected was Kayla, and I suddenly burst in; I could just imagine that it wouldn't end well for anyone.

"Kayla…" Bakura's tone of voice thoroughly shocked me. He actually sounded relieved at finding the blue-haired girl who was obviously in there and worried about her wellbeing. It was something I thought I'd never hear.

"N-no more…" The voice was female, and I determined quickly that it must've come from Kayla. Her tone made my heart crumble at the fact that I could've protected her, but I was too distrusting to believe she was genuine. I heard two more footsteps, coming from close to the doors; they were probably Bakura's.

"Let her go! She doesn't deserve this!" The amount of anger Bakura was showing toward Marik's dark side was still surprising to me. He sounded like he could pounce on him and attempt killing him with his bare hands any second. I've always seen Bakura display remarkable self-control and was able to hide his emotions well, but he was unleashing every feeling he had right now so they could easily be seen, or heard in my case.

"Oh? And what does she deserve?" Dark Marik asked. The question confused me, as it was completely unrelated to the conversation. However, I awaited Bakura's reply; I wanted to hear how he'd answer. He voiced his words slowly, as if he were trying to choose them carefully and wasn't completely sure about what he was saying.

"Well…she doesn't deserve to be hurt anymore, that's for sure. She needs to be taken care of and-" Bakura was suddenly cut off by Marik's dark half.

"So she's broken and boring, is that what you're saying?" I raised an eyebrow at his statement, wondering where he was going with this.

"No, not at all! She's more fragile than she acts is what I'm saying, and she needs someone who'll take care of her. Just let her go, what do you want with her anyway?"

How does Bakura know any of this about her? Just how close are they? He definitely seems willing to risk himself to get her back.

"It's fun to hear her scream and cry. Everytime I come in the room, she starts shaking like a leaf; it's entertaining honestly." I wrinkled my nose in disgust at Dark Marik's reasoning.

How pathetic…

"You're twisted, you make me sick. I've told you three times, this'll make four: let her go." It interested me that even Bakura thought he was psychotic, a monster.

"Why should I?"

"She's of no use to you, she's just a toy. You'll get bored soon enough, why don't I take her off your hands?" There was a slight edge in Bakura's voice that made me think it over briefly.

He sounds almost disgusted at the idea of bargaining for her. That proves she's more than a toy or a pawn to him.

"It's a tempting offer, but what's to stop me from sending the both of you to the Shadow Realm right now?"

"Nothing, you could easily do so."

He's even willing to return to the Shadow Realm just to get her back? The very idea was astonishing to me; I never thought I would ever see the day that Bakura cared about someone, let alone sacrifice his freedom for anyone.

"Hm, she is starting to lose her voice; that's all I want to hear…"

"How about we make a deal?" Bakura suggested. I honestly wondered what he'd come up with; he was cunning, and I didn't see him as one to keep his word.

"I'm listening."

"You let her go with me, in return, we'll both go to the Shadow Realm. You get more powerful with each soul you send there, right? We'll be giving you more power, and you won't have to deal with us. How about it?"

So Marik's dark side gains more strength with each person he sends to the Shadow Realm…listening to this is more beneficial than I thought it would be. There was a long pause of silence, and I waited for Dark Marik's decision. I barely noticed the fact that I was holding my breath.

"…Sure. Take her; the screams I got today were nothing compared to before." It disgusted me that all he cared about were her screams. It was like he thought the only part of her that was worth anything was her voice when it was obvious that Bakura thought she was important enough to risk himself for.

"Kayla, come on, it's me…" Bakura actually sounded, gentle. His voice was soft, and his slight British accent was amplified by that fact. It actually reminded me of a harsher version of the good Bakura's voice. The girl's answer was so quiet that I couldn't hear it through the metal doors.

"Yes, it's me. Come now, darling, do you really think I'd abandon you like that?" The entire sentence was filled with the relief Bakura must've been feeling at seeing her. However, one word in particular stuck out.

Darling. He called her 'darling'. Why?

"I knew you wouldn't leave me alone…" Her voice was so quiet that I could barely hear her speak, but I was able to make out the words. It sounded like she completely trusted Bakura. Then the room fell completely silent. Suddenly, there was a golden flash that filled the room, and it streamed out from a gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. It reminded me of the lights that were normally emitted from the Millennium Items.

He must've sent them to the Shadow Realm; Bakura actually kept his word…

The sound of footsteps approaching the door I was leaning on caused me to step away from it and distance myself. You could never be too careful with Marik's dark side.

"Ah, greetings Pharaoh. It's a nice evening, isn't it?" the darker half of Marik greeting. The smirk he was wearing confirmed the pair's fate; they were now condemned to the darkness of the Shadow Realm.

"What did you do?" I questioned. He frowned, and I thought I saw a hint of a red substance on his lips.

What is that…blood…?

"It's partially your fault, Pharaoh, if only you'd believed her story. Maybe she wouldn't have had to be rescued by that white-haired annoyance, and maybe she wouldn't be in the Shadow Realm with him now. Then again, I probably would've found her anyways." He shrugged uncaringly as he spoke.

So she really wasn't lying…. Now she's in the Shadow Realm, and it could've been prevented if I'd just believed her!

"White-haired…how did Bakura get back here, I wonder…" I thought out loud.

"It's not my problem. I hope to see you in the finals, Pharaoh. Farewell." I was left to my thoughts as the crazed Egyptian walked away.

I would've thought Bakura would try harder to avoid being sent to the Shadow Realm…. He was more help in saving her than I was; I never thought I'd see a day where Bakura was the hero.

A feeling quickly bubbled up inside me, causing my expression to sadden and my stomach to turn. I had the chance to keep that girl, Kayla, safe and away from Dark Marik, but I turned her away when she came asking for my help. It took me a few moments to recognize the feeling as I didn't feel it very often, but I figured it out.

I felt guilty.

Bakura: Good, he should feel guilty.

Kayla: Agreed.

Marik: Also agreed. AG, the reviews?

AGKamon: I know, I know!

sorecess of the nile - Yeah, I like the normal Marik, but Yami Marik creeps the heck outta me. I don't really like Kaiba either, his ego is way too big. An ego that big should be bad for the atmosphere...

katz341 - Yay~! I'm still doing an 'awesmazing' job with Dark/Yami Marik! Yes...I tend to do that whenever I write a villain that opposes my OC, they always end up doing something like biting them, or acting like a sadist, or something that would make you think they're gonna do something perverted. Anyway, I like making Bakura protective. I think he would be if he had someone he cared about, and I do plan on making Kayla meet Ryou. Remember, they actually haven't even met yet, it'll probably happen during that time where it took Bakura longer to get out of the Shadow Realm after Battle City.

I liked the Hoenn seasons of Pokemon (I love Contestshipping, May/Drew!), but I didn't understand why people hated the Sinnoh region seasons; I liked them. Yeah, don't watch the Pokemon Black/White anime...just don't. Also, I already read the new chapter of Exercise. I laughed, at the authoress' notes, and the overly-dramatic mini-speech Bakura made when he shot Kristy with the laser tag...gun...thing.

I'm glad to encourage people! *Kayla and I are also laughing with you, Kristy, and Marik* Bakura! Don't kill her, she's an awesome reviewer! *Bakura: Fine, only because she's a reviewer, and more reviews means more updates.*

Also, I got the following suggestions for the Kayla/Bakura shipping name:

Darkshipping - suggested by sorecess of the nile - unfortunately is taken by the pairing of Yami Bakura/Yami Yugi (darn you yaoi...)

Kayshipping - suggested by katz341 (reasoning: Kay as in the beginning of KAYla, and both their names have the letter 'k' in them) - not taken

Blackshipping - suggested by katz341 (reasoning: Black as in BLACKmail, the blackmail incident in the beginning of the story is how Kayla and Bakura really met) - is also taken by (I think) the pairing of Kotone/Leaf from Pokemon

Blackmailshipping - suggested by me, inspired by Blackshipping from katz341 (reasoning: Again, the blackmail incident: 'I'm gonna tell the Pharaoh if you don't let me hang out with you!') - not taken

Spyshipping - suggested by katz341 - taken by either the pairing of Annie/Oakley or Oakley/Ash all from Pokemon

So the available choices are Kayshipping and Blackmailshipping. Personally, I'm leaning toward Blackmailshipping, but I like hearing my reviewers' opinions! Also, what did you guys think about my songfic series idea (using songs from Cascada's new album Original Me that has the song Pyromania on it)? Uh, I think that's everything.

Marik: Who wants to sign out?

Bakura: *yawns* No.

Kayla: I don't wanna!

Marik: Not me either.

AGKamon: ...Lazy... Read and review my friends! I go to camp this Monday so I have to survive a week without a computer... *collapses on random couch* It's gonna be horrible...