Together We Make Shadows

Chapter Four

"Good morning everyone" Bakura greeted them, as if he hadn't been at deaths door the night before. He looked quite healthy and cheerful, relieved to be around close friends even if the environment was unfamiliar. "I felt shadow magic last night when I woke up for a bit. Does anyone know what it was from? Is it anything I need to be concerned about?" He reached his chest where the Millennium Ring once laid. A lost look glazing over his appearance for a few moments. He'd already been updated by his friends the events of the day before of what happened after he'd been hit by the unforgivable curse which should've killed him.

"Nothing to be concerned about. That was me. The Millennium necklace showed me how to possibly heal Kaiba so we tried it last night." Yugi replied shyly.

"Did it work?" Joey asked. It still surprised him how accepting Kaiba was of the Millennium Items these days.

"I won't know till he wakes up" Yugi told them, slightly embarrassed and didn't want them to know he'd mind crushed him.

"How long till he wakes up?" Mokuba asked.

"I'm not sure, it might be a while" Yugi replied. He could see the slight worry in Mokuba's eyes. The young teenager run in the direction of his older brother's room before Yugi could stop him.

KC

It was a lot quicker to assemble his soul again this time round compared to the first time he had to pull all the pieces together. He started with the section of his soul which had been fragmented during his time of torture. The pieces that had broke off while he was with the Death Eaters, the blackest pieces from the kills he'd made, all covered by remnants of Shadow magic, protecting them from becoming more corrupt then they already where. It was rather easy breaking down and removing the protecting layer of magic attached to each soul fragments. After the protective magic was removed each piece of his heart would be cleaned, he'd done the cleansing part once before and found it a lot quicker and easier to cleanse each piece of his heart this time around then last time around. The circumstances where also a lot better than the last time he was mind crushed and didn't have as many fragmented pieces as the last time. He truly had become the type of person he hated, and probably would still be that person today if it wasn't for Yugi and Yami. It was relaxing having a clear mind and no pain, the shadows around him a bright blue and light purple mirrored his relaxed feeling. He'd always been fond of light blue and purple colours. It wasn't just the pain caused by the death eaters that was gone, it was the pain from losing his parents, the pain from being abandoned by his own relatives, the pain of the pain he'd caused his brother and all the guilt he'd built up was also gone. He hummed a nursery rhyme that his mother used to sing to him, one that he planned on singing to his own children if he ever had any, he'd sung the nursery rhyme to his brother when he'd been a baby, it used to make his father cry every time he sung the old song. He'd also sang the song with Luna when she'd had a restless night, it also seemed to calm Draco even though neither could understand Japanese fluently. Before long his soul was cleansed and had been complete, no more fragmented bits floating around. He feel into the first relaxed sleep he'd had in a very long time, even long before he'd been captured and tormented by Death Eaters.

KC

He awoke in his room finding it was daylight and that he was alone. His mind felt clear and he wasn't in any pain or numb. His heart felt light for the first time in a very long time, he suspected this would've been how he would've felt the last time he was mind crushed if he didn't wake to someone trying to kill him and a kidnapped brother or at least he assumed his brother hadn't been kidnapped this time. This time he was happy to say that he didn't have anyone in the room trying to kill him, in fact his room looked exactly as it had been left when he'd allowed Yugi to mind crush him. He could move with ease and it wasn't affected by the items, on the bedside table where the Millennium Ankh, so he knew that it wasn't interfering. Only time would tell if what he and Yugi had tried was a success but so far was looking promising.

The young CEO got out of bed, ready to start his day, and find out how long he'd been unconscious for. He was anxious to find out if Mokuba was alright. He didn't have to wait long, just as he was pulling off his pyjamas the door was flung open by his worried brother.

"Seto, you're awake" he shouted happily and flung himself as his half naked brother. "Yugi was telling everyone that you both tried something last night that might make you better but he said that it might be a while before you woke up. So did it work, what did you do?"

He was relieved to find out that only a night had passed, he hadn't missed out on anything by the sounds of his brothers chattering and Ryou was obviously fine because his brother would've been more worked up if he wasn't. He assured Mokuba that he was fine, not that he knew for certain at this stage, before completing getting dressed and coming down stairs.

He found the whole nerd patrol in the dining room eating breakfast.

"Kaiba, glad to see you awake already" Yugi exclaimed happily.

He nodded in acknowledgement and sat down, breakfast smelled good and it was amazing how hungry putting your soul back together could make you.

He noticed Bakura was also up and about, looking at him you couldn't even tell that he'd been in cardiac arrest the night before. It seemed that the previous day's events had caused the white haired boy to be just as hungry judging by the pile of food on his plate.

"Yugi and Tea told me what you did for me, thank you very much" the boy had a red blush on his face. "I don't think I would be alive if you, Yugi and everyone hadn't found me first."

He sent acknowledging nod in Ryou's direction before sending a quick glance at the clock which told him that it was almost time for school.

"Mr Kaiba" Roland greeted his young boss. "I called your school as requested for yourself and Ryou Bakura informing them you'd both be absent."

"Arrange a car to take everyone else to school" Kaiba requested. Roland acknowledging the request.

"I've had my grandfather call the school for me as well" Yugi informed Kaiba. Which was what he was wanting to hear, Yugi's life was in danger just as much as Bakura and his own life and he couldn't be walking around on his own just in case the wizards attempted to wipe his memories of yesterday's events though he had a strong suspicion that Yami wouldn't let anyone play with their mind.

"You're not going to school today either Mokuba" he informed his younger brother. Mokuba was grinning from ear to ear, happy to get out of school for the day. He wouldn't be for long once he found out he still had to work on his schoolwork.

KC

It was quiet once Wheeler, Taylor and Tea left, those three where the rowdiest of the group. Sensing that he wasn't needed for the discussion the three teenagers were about to have Mokuba left with instructions to work on his school assignments. Pouting as he left, school work on a day off would be no fun.

From his time with Luna, she'd made it very clear that the killing curse was near impossible to survive; Ryou Bakura was only the second person to be hit who'd survived that particular curse in living memory and recorded history. The magical community would be very interested to know how he'd done it so they could protect themselves. But the magical community wouldn't be able to replicate the method of survival the half Japanese boy had used, he'd only survived the curse due to his soul not actually being in his body when he was hit anyone else but a shadow user attempting to remove the soul from the body would end up with a soul less dead body. Ryou was affected more then he let on, what everyone else saw was a mask if the thief kings spirit was still around he suspected that he would be in charge so the other boy could recover in the comfort of his soul room, but the thief king wasn't around. He could see the mask because he himself wore a mask majority of the time. He'd also seen a number of occasions when the Thief King had been in control at school, it usually coincided when Ryou's father was in the country, but not always.

Yugi who was in tuned to the feelings of everyone around him was comforting the other boy, and like that the mask was down and you could finally see how worried the other boy was. He took a long drink of his tea while Yugi comforted Bakua all too happy to let his shorted older friend comfort the half Japanese boy. He had enough time trying to deal with his own emotions and Mokuba's emotions, he didn't want to add or need to add other people into the mix.

"Yugi, is it strange that I miss my Yami?" Ryou told him with much concern. "He scares me and I hate it when he overshadows me and I find days and weeks of my time missing or wake up in strange places and situations I don't know how to deal with, wishing that he would disappear forever and never come back. Beforehand whenever the ring has gone missing it felt like a part of me is missing till I get the ring back again. I miss him, even though I wish he was gone."

"Not at all Ryou, you're his reincarnation, he's the complete of your soul. I understand, it's the same way I feel whenever the Puzzles been stolen." Yugi reassured him. It relaxed Bakura because after all Yugi was the only person who could possibly understand.

"Before we head to Egypt we're going to have to get the ring back" Kaiba interrupted the two other boys one he'd finished his coffee.

"It's bad enough that we don't know where the eye is" Yugi agreed with having to get the ring back as soon as possible.

"Once the Death Eaters realise you're still alive they're going to come after you Bakura, especially when they realise the ring can only be used to its full potential if you're the one wielding it." He told them. "Do you have any family members that could be used against you? Like you're sister for instance"

Ryou had a look of shock on his face that he knew the white haired teen had obviously forgotten they'd once attended school together; the other boy hesitated for a moment before answering. "My sister Amane, she's in the long care ward at St Mungos in London" he answered quietly.

"Then the first thing we do is get her out of the hospital" he told them. "From their we then work on tracking down the ring and the eye."

Yugi pulled out his phone to contact his grandfather while he pulled out his own phone to arrange a plane. Two hours later they'd boarded his private jet and where flying to England.

KC

"Harry what's wrong?" Hermione asked with much concern as her best friend cowered in pain, rubbing his forehead. She'd seen him in pain from Voldemort before, but this was worse than normal. She hoped since the Dark Lord had lost his body that it would be a long while before he got one back again, which would hopefully give them a change to hunt for his horcruxes. They'd taken the chance of his temporary downfall to replenish stocks, replace Harry's broken wand and obtain spares a short break with hot meal and warm shower, comfortable bed, using the Hogwarts library and visiting the bookshops for possible clues of where the Dark Lord may have hidden his soul containing artefacts before returning to their journey. They'd spent a lot of time with Luna and Neville while they were back, not seeing Neville or Ginny once.

"It's really odd" Harry spoke just above a whisper. "Voldemorts being possessed. I didn't even think it was possible for him. The oddest thing is the ghost possessing him is torturing him the muggle way."

It confirmed what they had both already suspected, he'd managed to get his body back in the few months since he'd been destroyed and they where no closer to finding any of the horcruxes. They now suspected one was in the school and where both kicking themselves for not checking the school more thoroughly during their short stay. They hadn't even thought to check the Chamber of Secrets which was the most likely place in Hogwarts for a artefact like that to be hidden. After all the only people that could enter where parseltongue and that was a very rare hereditary gift that had practically died out. They couldn't even go back now if they wanted to due to holidays and strengthening of the wards which happened annually. Only those involved in the wards where at the school during the critical spell work. Hermione grabbed her best friend and apparated them to another location which was hard doing side along apparation with a person in extreme pain she was lucky that she didn't splinch either of them.

"You said his name again" Hermione scolded her friend. It was such a pain having there enemy have a tracking spell on his name, but now that they knew they could move instantly if either of them slipped. Considering how much the Death Eaters forces had been weakened he probably didn't have many people to come after them anyway, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.

Hermione watched in silence as Harry withered in pain, sweat pouring off his body, his scar bleeding, his skin complexion pale. There was not much she could do to remove the pain, so she just sat with him until it was over and continued comforting him.

KC

Voldemort was furious, he'd managed to get a new body using one of his horcruxes the one from Bellas vault since she wasn't to be trusted since she'd her personality changed. His once my loyal subject had told the auror's to much information about the Death Eather, she was a hindrance in her current position and was only a matter of time before she handed the Black family vault over the auror's or her blood traitor relatives. This body was nowhere near as strong as his last; he didn't have Potters blood to complete the ritual. He ended up using another enemy since the same trick wouldn't work twice on Potter and he needed to move fast. Since his most recent resurrections he'd managed to steal the Millennium Ring which he'd longed for since he'd first come across it as well as the Millennium Eye as nice bonus. He just needed to come across the key and scales again and he'd be all set. Excpet for one minor problem he had with the Ring. Okay so his problem with the ring wasn't minor at all, it was down right deadly.

"Not you again" the spirit of the ring had exclaimed in a bored tone when he'd placed the ring around his neck. The spikes planting themselves deep into his chest like he knew they would. "I've already deemed you as unworthy to be my host and killed you once already. Were you really that desperate for me to kill you again?" The spirit asked him.

The spirit looked different but similar at the same time, he no longer had a scar down one side of his face, his hair, skin and eye colour was a different shade than the previous occasion as well as being shorter then he was previously but you could still tell he was the same spirit.

"Apparently I was too kind with my treatment of you before I killed you last time." He whispered to the fallen Lord, in a sinster tone. A purple haze entering the room of the muggle building they where currently hiding out. After all the ministry wouldn't think to look for him in a highly populated muggle area. The haze terrified his Death Eaters, the lowly scum they were. He missed his inner council, they were so much more competent then the trash that stood before him now. Terrified of a few simple purple deadly looking shadows with eerily eyes of all different sizes now peering at them. Yes nothing to be afraid of.

When he was much younger the spirit had killed him and he was forced to use one of his horcruxes, his second one he'd made at the time. This wasn't boding well for him, he'd already died this year at the hands of a muggle boy and it looked like he was now going to die at the hands of the rings spirit. It was shameful to died such a humiliating way, it was bad enough that he no longer had his inner council, only a few member had remained conscious, and most of those Death Eaters had turned out to be betrayers and spy's. Bella was the only loyal member of the council who'd stayed conscious and that was only because she had her personality re-written and was currently in Azkaban. Whatever they'd done to her the dementors weren't affecting her at all, in fact she was affecting the dementors, they couldn't deal with all the happiness and no fearful memories. The dementors had returned to the island prison after his temporary downfall and he wasn't yet powerful enough to call them back to his side. He didn't know what had happened to Bella to be able to effect dementors, he hadn't even known it was possible. Another thing about this new Bella was she'd somehow managed to paint her cell pink, she'd made a patch work quilt and a knitted blanket which marked her sleeping space after all the prison didn't provide beds, have sun shining through her windows even though it was grey dreary and raining constantly on the miserable little island, and grow flowers on her window sill. She was even talking about having a baby, the Bella beforehand hated children, she couldn't stand her own nephew when he'd been a baby she didn't even like her own sisters when she was still a child. It was very disturbing seeing the cheerful Bella with her baby blue dress and silky black hair who claimed to love muggles and hate pureblood wizards. The human guards didn't know what to make of her. That was how he'd seen her when he'd been in wraith form and what had made him decided he needed to use the horcrux she possessed, though that all seemed to be in vain. The spirit cackled at him as more horrifying purple haze thickened making it hard to breath, it was like he was surrounded by a swarm of Death Eaters.