A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys. I know quite a few people have been looking forward to this chapter, and to be honest, I was too. I swear the hikaris are just too cute sometimes, you know? It's really quite unfair. Enjoy!

On a scale of one to ten, with one being an exceptionally bad idea and ten meaning that this was an idea that could end the world, the idea of going after the Millennium Items with only Mai for protection had to be at least a twelve. Isis looked around at the brightly lit halls of Illusion Castle, patiently swept her gaze over her younger brother, one of his best friends, and their sole guardian, and reconsidered. Surely this idea had to be closer to a twenty, and was likely verging on thirty when she added in the fact that Mai had already sent her partner monster off with someone else, leaving them even more vulnerable. Partner monsters were always the easiest and safest to summon in the real world; it would take time and effort for Mai to summon something else if it became necessary. The thought did not sit well with her. Not for the first time, she inwardly cursed her inability to say no to Malik when he really wanted something.

"Are we getting close?" she asked, winced as her voice reverberated around the hall. The sound effectively shattered the silence and nearly gave poor Ryou a heart attack; he visibly jumped and shuttered sideways towards Malik, seeking protection from wherever it could come. Malik wrapped a weak arm around his shoulders and Isis felt her heart break a little more for both of them. Silently, she wished that Bakura and Mariku would hurry the hell up and get here already.

"I think so. If he's keeping them where I think he is, then yes, we're getting close," Mai replied. She had taken the lead and didn't seem to be affected by the strange echoes, which was some comfort, as it meant that it was normal. The way her head was constantly turning in every direction, though, wasn't; the fact that Mai was so clearly on edge made Isis want to climb the walls out of sheer frustration.

"Good," Malik muttered, removing his arm from around Ryou's shoulder. Instead, he took Ryou's hand and placed it on his elbow. It had the effect of keeping his friend close enough to ensure that nothing would happen to him without also happening to Malik and vice versa. Considering where they were, it had a fairly calming effect on both of them. That he could feel his bond with Mariku humming with energy as his yami got closer helped even more. He suspected that Mariku was either in or very close to the castle and he prayed it was the former.

Mai looked back and put a finger over her lips to shush them before she leaned cautiously around the next corner. Seeing nothing, she edged out into the hall and smoothly pulled one of the doors open. Quickly, she gestured them through before leaping inside and quietly easing the door shut behind her. They were faced with another long corridor that had about a dozen doors, all of which looked exactly the same. It struck Isis then, what one of Illusion Castle's best defences was; it would be absurdly easy for someone who wasn't familiar with the castle's layout to get lost. Mai only knew her way around because of her years of service; otherwise, the four of them would have been walking blindly.

Ryou gasped suddenly and his hand tightened on Malik's arm. "I can feel it," he said, wonder evident in his voice. He turned and looked down the hall, longing written across his face. "The Millennium Ring... I can feel it calling to me. It wants to know why I've allowed it to be taken."

Isis was glad that she was at the back of the group, because she couldn't quite contain the shudder that went through her when she heard Ryou's comment. Uneasily, she fingered the Millennium Tawk. She had a connection to her Item, of course, but it was not nearly as strong as the one that Malik, Ryou and Yuugi seemed to possess with their Items. It was both disturbing and enviable. "Try to follow it, Ryou," she urged. "See if you can pick out what direction the Ring is in."

The four of them stopped as Ryou closed his eyes in an effort to focus. Isis watched him closely, looking for the subtle signs that he was using some kind of magic. There! Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the briefest flare of magic around his right hand. It was totally unlike anything she had ever used before, but she had seen it before. Malik had used it once when Hafiz had been on a particularly bad rampage. He'd targeted her before Malik got in between them. She vividly remembered seeing the flare of white magic that had sent Hafiz flying into the wall before Malik had collapsed. Come morning, neither one had remembered the incident, so she'd let it go and never mentioned it to her brother. Now, though, her suspicions were being confirmed; this was something that all of the hikaris seemed to be able to utilize, not just Malik.

"I think I've got it!" Ryou exclaimed, making them all jump. He blushed and added, "Sorry, but I can feel the Ring. It's that way." His hand rose and he pointed directly to one of the doors that was at the end of the hall. He released his grip on Malik and took several steps towards it.

"Are you sure? I can't feel the Rod," said Malik. There may or may not have been a hint of a pout on his face; in the dim light, it was hard to tell.

"You may not be able to," Isis told him gently. "Part of the Millennium Ring's special abilities is that it can find the other Items. That may be why Ryou can feel its presence. The Ring is likely calling out to him the way it would another Millennium Item. Now that it has found its true Master, it doesn't want to be separated from him. I'm sure the Rod feels the same way." And wasn't that a disturbing thought?

"Come on, you two," Mai hissed back at them before Malik could respond. She had followed Ryou over to the door and was now preventing the white-haired boy from flinging it open and running through with an arm across his chest. For once, Ryou seemed to have thrown politeness out the window, because he was actually struggling against her grip. The knowledge that the Ring was finally close at hand seemed to have possessed him and he was doing whatever necessary to get to it. "Let's get a move on before we're caught. Guards patrol this hallway every twenty minutes."

"Sorry," Malik muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and moving closer. He continued to hang back as Mai opened the door and only followed once she, Ryou and Isis had gone through. The second he had passed through, though, his whole attitude changed. His lavender eyes lit up and his head snapped around to stare intently in the same direction that Ryou had been looking in. "The Rod! It's close!"

"Malik, stop!"7 Isis yelled, throwing all caution to the wind as her younger brother took off. Ryou pulled free from Mai a moment later and raced after Malik. She and Mai exchanged panicked looks before running after the two hikaris, but their head start had allowed the two boys just enough time to make it to the door at the end of the corridor before either woman could stop them. Malik reached it first and jerked it open, only to give a yelp of shock when arms reached through the doorway and practically lifted him off of his feet. Isis skidded to a stop and sighed when she recognized the familiar figures.

"Mariku!" Malik squeaked. Even though he was firmly pressed against a warm body with strong arms that were clutching him so tightly it hurt, he didn't seem to believe that his yami was really there. Through squirming, he was able to free one of his arms so that he could reach up to touch Mariku's cheek, but he lost his chance to say anything when Mariku ducked his head and caught Malik's lips in a furiously passionate kiss that made Isis roll her eyes.

Meanwhile, Ryou hadn't moved an inch since Malik had opened the door. His face had gone a shade of white to rival his hair and he was staring with huge brown eyes at Bakura, who was standing on the other side of the doorframe. Bakura didn't say or do anything and his face remained expressionless, so it was up to Ryou to finally move. On legs that no longer wanted to work properly, he toddled closer, slipping past the preoccupied Mariku and Malik. Closer, he could see that Seto, Jou, Anzu and Harpy Lady were all standing in the hall behind Bakura, clearly trying to pretend that they weren't paying attention even though they were.

"You're real?" he asked faintly. He hadn't said as much to Malik or Yuugi, but the one time that he'd managed to fall asleep in that cell, he'd woken up from a dream in which their yamis had been coming to save them. It had disturbed him more than he wanted to admit, the notion that he wanted Bakura of all people to save him from anything, but now that his other half was actually here, he couldn't really remember why.

Bakura nodded once. "I am."

Some distant part of his mind pointed out that it could have easily been a trick, but there was a pouring of warmth and affection running down their bond and frankly Ryou just didn't care. He wanted it to be true too much to care. Another couple of steps brought him within arm's reach and a third left him close enough to collapse against Bakura when his legs abruptly gave out. Amazingly, instead of just standing there, Bakura's arms actually came up around his body and grasped hold of his shoulders, pinning him in place. Ryou clenched his hands in the soft black shirt and buried his face into Bakura's collarbone, shaking with the effort that it took to not break down into tears. Because once he started, he wasn't sure he would be able to stop.

Mai folded her arms across her chest and watched this occur with a curious look on her face. For as long as she could remember, Bakura had been a bitterly cold bastard who hadn't been willing to show affection to anyone, including her. That he was willing to do so now told her just how important Ryou had become, regardless of whether the boy realized it or not. Her heart swelled with pity as Ryou finally lost the battle and started to sob quietly, but that didn't prevent her from feeling a flash of satisfaction at the poorly hidden rage that flared in Bakura's eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her cousin so pissed and it was a good feeling to know that Hafiz was going to be on the receiving end of it.

"I assume you got Yuugi outside?" she called out to Anzu, deciding that her reunion with Bakura could wait. Though she was anxious to greet him, he was fully occupied with trying to soothe Ryou while looking like he wasn't. From the looks of it, it was difficult work and he probably wouldn't appreciate the added distraction no matter how much she had missed him. Instead, she twitched her fingers and recalled Harpy Lady before she moved forward, passing by the hikaris and yamis and joining the others out in the next hallway.

Anzu put her hands on her hips and nodded. Her face wasn't quite so pale as before and her big blue eyes had more of a spark to them now. "He's outside with Shizuka and Mokuba," she explained. "They'll protect him while he finishes the Puzzle. It shouldn't be much longer, but..." She trailed off and cast a doubtful look at Mariku, Malik, Bakura and Ryou. What she was thinking was evident: no one could tell how much of a help Yami would be. Mariku and Bakura had been unstable just from the brief separation; Yami had been away from Yuugi for so long that there was a good chance he wouldn't be able to do anything.

"The Millennium Items are close," said Isis, purposely averting her eyes as Malik finally pulled away and slapped at Mariku's hand when it wandered a little too far south. She really did not want to kill Mariku so soon after Malik had been reunited with him, and if she kept watching, that's exactly what was going to end up happening. "All we can do is go after them in the meantime."

"I can still feel the Rod," Malik said, panting a little and blushing deeply. He squirmed against Mariku, who merely smirked, and added, "It's even stronger now."

"It's you. You're stronger because your yami is with you," Isis muttered, giving into her urge and glaring at Mariku.

Mariku's smirk grew even wider, but he did release Malik, perhaps realizing that Isis was about two seconds from trying to make their separation a permanent one. When he slipped an arm around Malik's waist, though, he accidentally jostled Malik's wounded hand and the hikari winced. Narrowing his eyes, Mariku examined every inch of his hand before moving on, taking careful note of every bruise, scrape and puncture mark that littered the body of his light. "Did that plant do all of that to you?" His voice dropped, growing significantly more threatening.

"It was a combination of that and the guards that brought us here." Malik gave up on trying to get away and stood patiently until the examination was over, not bothering to point out the knot on the side of his head from where he'd been struck when Mariku failed to notice it. He could sense the growing rage that was flowing freely through their bond and knew that his yami needed no further incentives to lose control. It was a wonder that he hadn't already.

"If you're finished?" Seto said before Mariku could speak. He raised an eyebrow, though his voice remained softer than usual, and he had one arm draped loosely around Jou's waist in a gesture was entirely possessive.

"Which way are the Items?" Jou asked.

Malik started to point past them and then stopped, his face screwing up with confusion. "They're not behind that door anymore," he stated. "It feels like they're… moving?"

Before he'd finished speaking, Seto, Jou, Anzu and Mai were rushing over to the door he had been pointing to. Seto flung it open just in time to see Silent Magician and Maiden of the Moonlight running down the hallway; Silent Magician turned the corner while Maiden of the Moonlight went straight. The four of them took off after the fleeing duel monsters, with the boys following Silent Magician while the girls went after Maiden of the Moonlight. Isis hesitated for a split second before following Mai and Anzu, leaving the two yamis and hikaris alone. Malik stared after them, half-tempted to follow, but Mariku showed no sign of letting go anytime soon.

"Are you done?" he said with a faint amount of exasperation, turning to look at his yami.

"And here I thought you missed me," said Mariku, deliberately trailing a hand down Malik's side and waist and enjoying the resulting shiver that the feel of his hand provoked. Though he was anxious to retrieve the Rod, he was also interested in tracking down every person or monster who had dared to lay a hand on his light. He had some revenge to distribute and it was not going to be pretty, though it would be fun. "Which one was it that hit you on the side of the head?"

So much for Mariku not noticing. Silence reigned for about two seconds before Malik sighed and gave in. "Silent Magician," he admitted reluctantly. "The one that Seto and Jou are chasing."

Mariku merely nodded thoughtfully and glanced over his shoulder at Bakura and Ryou. The younger hikari was still clinging to his yami with all of his strength, though it appeared that he had stopped crying. Bakura had his head tilted low - not quite resting it on Ryou's hair, but close - and seemed to be muttering something that was too soft for either of them to hear. If it had been anyone else, the look in his eyes might have been described as soft, but this was Bakura, so Mariku knew that it was merely a growing thirst for revenge. Bakura had never taken kindly to people that were stupid enough to touch things that belonged to him.

As though sensing the weight of his stare, Bakura glanced up. His eyes were dark with a combination of pure fury and possessiveness. "What?" he growled.

"You ready to have some fun?" Mariku asked, knowing better than to tease when Bakura was so close to the edge. He might have been crazy but he wasn't suicidal, and directing any of Bakura's current rage at himself would be like signing his death warrant. "I heard the duel monsters that attacked our lights are wandering around somewhere."

Something feral flashed in those deep, dark eyes and Bakura smiled slowly, gently pushing Ryou away. Ryou stepped back willingly, revealing a tear-streaked face, but he didn't go far, staying close enough that he could transfer his grip from the front of Bakura's shirt to the back along the hemline without ever fully letting go. Surprisingly, Bakura didn't seem to mind. He crooked a single finger at Mariku in a silent command to follow and started walking, heading for the door that the others had gone through with his hikari close enough behind him that it required careful coordination for the two of them to walk without tripping over each other. Mariku and Malik were right behind them, both of them more than ready to do some serious damage.

GMA

Due to the fact that Seto had been more wounded by the attack in the forest than he had let on, Jou had no problem keeping up with his taller lover as they sprinted down the hallway in pursuit of Silent Magician. Realizing that they were on his tail, the duel monster had given up all pretence of sneaking through the castle and was now flat out running away from the two of them. Where he was headed, they didn't know, but it couldn't have been anywhere good. Jou's breath came in low, harsh gasps and he could feel a stitch forming in his side, but he didn't dare stop. He kept remembering the vacant, dull look in his best friend's eyes and the way Ryou and Malik had clung to their yamis when they were reunited. There was no way that Silent Magician was going to escape.

As though in agreement, Seto put on one last burst of speed and dove forward, tackling Silent Magician. The duel monster squealed as the two of them slammed into the ground, slid for several feet, and then tipped over the side of a flight of stairs. Jou swallowed back the instinctive yell that went to escape and sprinted to the top of the stairs, gazing down worriedly. He was relieved to Seto sitting up with a groan and a dazed expression, but he was less than pleased to see Silent Magician was already on its feet. As Jou scrambled down the stairs, the duel monster lifted its staff and shoved it into Seto's face. The priest recoiled and the resulting flash of brilliant light caught both of them by surprise; Jou froze and nearly fell down the stairs in the process before he caught himself on the railing.

When the light died down, Silent Magician was gone. The corridor in front of them was extremely long but lined with doors; Jou realized that the monster must have hidden inside of one of the rooms because there was no way it could have escaped in such a short amount of time. Putting that aside momentarily, he rushed down the rest of the stairs to Seto's side and knelt, putting a hand on his lover's shoulder. His lips parted and he tried to ask Seto how he was doing, but nothing came out. Blinking, Jou pulled back, put a hand to his throat, and tried again. Although he could feel his throat muscles vibrating, no sound emerged.

Noticing his panicked expression, Seto's blue eyes cleared of their temporary daze and he reached up to grab Jou's hand, squeezing it warmly. "Don't panic," he mouthed, making sure that Jou was looking straight at him.

That was easier said than done, but Jou tried in vain to calm himself down. He really wanted to ask Seto what was going on, but interpreting mouthed words was a lot more difficult than the people on television made it seem. Seto was trying to say something to him, and he was sure that it was important, but Jou couldn't understand a single word. Finally, the brunette's shoulders slumped in a (silent) sigh and he released his lover's hand in order to push himself to his feet. His body swayed slightly as he stood up and Jou quickly stepped up beside him, sliding an arm around Seto's waist to offer extra support. Between the fall down the stairs and the attack in the forest, Seto was well on his way to collapsing.

Somewhat unsteadily, the two of them began making their way down the corridor and checking every room they walked past. Despite Jou's theory, Silent Magician wasn't in any of them. It was eerie walking along in complete silence. The hair on the back of Jou's neck rose and he shifted, unable to let go of the idea that anyone could be sneaking up on them and they wouldn't be able to hear it. Even the sound of their footsteps had been quieted. He couldn't help darting a nervous glance over his shoulder just to make sure that the hallway behind them was still empty. Seto's arm tightened reassuringly on his shoulder...

... And then it stopped. The sudden return of all the sounds made his ears ring after the oppressive silence; even the quiet squeak of their shoes against the floor, the sound of their combined breathing, and the creaks from the walls all felt too loud. Wincing, he stopped walking and gave his voice a test. "Seto?"

"I'm here, pup," Seto answered, his deep, rumbling voice a comfort.

"What the hell was that?" Jou demanded.

"One of Silent Magician's special abilities," the taller boy replied with a sigh. "I heard that the board of Industrial Illusions had considered including the magic card Silence Wave in the standard game, but it was decided the ability was too powerful. Pegasus has been building his duel monsters up with cards that only he has access to. He is the creator of the game, after all." He scowled. "It leaves us at a somewhat unfair advantage."

"It's fucking creepy," Jou muttered, wrapping his free arm around himself. It reminded him strongly of the nights that he'd spent hiding in his room and keeping as quiet as possible in order to avoid disturbing his father. "All that silence is unnatural."

Seto examined his pup with worried eyes, taking in the distant gaze and unusual tenseness in his shoulders, before smiling. It wasn't a very nice smile. "It's also excellent protection considering that a fair amount of duel monsters need to call forth their attacks," he said, purposely gentling his tone so that Jou would stay in the present with him. "Most of them would be left helpless in this kind of situation. Fortunately, Silent Magician will be facing a couple of creatures that have no such problems."

Oh. Jou smirked, bizarrely pleased by the turn of events. He'd always gotten a little bit of a rush from seeing his lover do magic; Seto was the epitome of grace and strength and wielded magic as easily as he did everything else. Of course, it also helped that his lover was incredibly hot when he was focused. "Do you want me to summon Red Eyes Black Dragon?" he asked hopefully. His back no longer pained him, so he knew that Red Eyes would have healed from their battle as well, and he was looking forward to seeing her again.

"Not yet," said the priest, easing his weight off of his shorter lover and standing on his own. He shook his head a couple of times and then leaned against the wall when he still felt a little dizzy. "You need to conserve your strength. Silent Magician is merely a starting point; the real battle is coming and I'll need your help then."

"You sure you can summon on your own?" It hadn't escaped his notice that Seto's face was pale and his balance seemed to be off.

"I'll be fine," Seto said, closing his eyes. Calling for the Blue Eyes White Dragon should have been effortless. The path between them was so well worn that he could have done it in his sleep. But when he reached out, it was like he was running straight into a wall. Beyond it, he could sense the presence of the Blue Eyes, but there was no way of getting around the barrier holding them apart. Worse, he could tell that Blue Eyes White Dragon wasn't even aware of the fact that he was trying to reach out to her. His eyes snapped open and he threw a hand out to Jou without saying a word. The blond arched an eyebrow but obligingly took Seto's hand. Seto tried again, throwing his and Jou's combined strength against the barrier.

Nothing happened.

He couldn't summon any monsters.

GMA

Shizuka had been huddled up to Yuugi as close as she could get to help keep the cold away for several minutes when she felt him stir at last. Blinking sleepily, she raised her head and looked at him, having gotten used to the steady movement of his arms as he plucked pieces of the puzzle out of the box and slotted them into place without a moment's hesitation. It had become a rhythm that was almost comforting and it had been lulling her to sleep while Mokuba kept watch. Now, though, Yuugi was staring down at the Millennium Puzzle with that far away, distant look in his eyes, his hand hovering uncertainly over the box. There wasn't much further to go, just a little corner that was missing about half a dozen pieces and the middle piece that had the symbol of the eye on it, but for some reason Yuugi was hesitating.

"Yuugi-kun? What's wrong?" she asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly and looking around for Mokuba. Obviously she'd slept - the sun was more than halfway down and night was coming on. Mokuba was nowhere in sight but she could see a trail of footsteps leading to the edge of the forest and she guessed that he was checking out the bushes to make sure no one was hiding in them. She sat up a little, instantly missing the warmth that had been created by leaning back against Yuugi, and twisted to look at him more fully.

As expected, Yuugi didn't answer her question - or even act as though he realized she had spoken to him at all. His fingers darted down and selected a golden piece, pressing it smoothly into the right spot. Shizuka watched and sighed, running a hand through her hair. She had a headache, and she felt hot and sticky even though the air had cooled around them. Yuugi was closer to finishing the Puzzle than she had expected he would be and she was nervous about what would happen once it was solved. Would he and Yami come back to them? Hopefully. It was nerve-wracking to be around someone who was acting like a puppet whose strings had been cut. He didn't talk, didn't sleep, didn't even blink. If breathing hadn't been an automatic, necessary function he probably would've stopped that too.

"Okay, morbid," she muttered, not liking the route her thoughts had taken. Dusting her shorts off, she got to her feet and gingerly rubbed the base of her neck with two fingers. "Mokuba? Are you there?"

There was no answer, but then again she hadn't really expected one. Shizuka sighed and scuffed her toe in the dirt as she linked her hands behind her back. It may have been safer outside the castle, but it certainly didn't feel like it. The forest's proximity made her feel like anyone could jump out and come at them and she wouldn't have time to do a damn thing about it. Uneasily, she crossed her arms and shifted back a step, wishing that she felt well enough to call upon a monster. But she was already tired as it was, and burning her energy for no real reason was pointless when there was the very real possibility of a fight hanging over them. It was unlikely that Hafiz or Pegasus were going to let them just walk out.

Behind her, the steady clicking of the Millennium Puzzle went on. Shizuka counted the pieces sliding into place silently - one, two, three, pause. Four, five. Pause. Six, seven - and turned when she realized that Yuugi was finally on the last piece. She twisted and looked down at him, suddenly wide awake, as his fingers reached down and picked up the last piece of the puzzle. Her lips parted instinctively, but no words came forth because she just didn't know what to say. Yuugi made a soft sound, a sigh of what may have been contentment or relief, as he slipped the last piece of the puzzle into place. For a long moment, nothing happened, and Shizuka realized that she was holding her breath.

Then the eye symbol on the front of the Puzzle burst into illumination with a light so bright that she cried out and instinctively turned her head away. Footsteps crashed in the forest, branches creaking and snapping, as Mokuba heard her yell, panicked, and fought to return to her. She held a hand over her eyes, yelling Yuugi's name, and groped blindly around for him, but her hand came into contact with nothing. By the time the light finally faded away and her vision had returned, Mokuba had reached her side and was staring down at the place where Yuugi had once been with a mingled look of horror and confusion that made her feel ill. Because Yuugi was gone, and only the Millennium Puzzle remained.

Please review! You might just get some Yuugi/Yami smut out of it...