D'AWWWWW this chapter's even more precious than the last one! So Yami Marik is still definitely around, he just can't manifest himself physically yet, it seems? And Yami Bakura not acknowledging him as much as possible weakens him (at least right now), since he relies on illusion and 'shock value'. Ugh...but he's coming back though...that'll be a barrel of fun. Better start figuring out the Infinity Ring, Yami!

I loved the ending. Atem's and Priest Seto's interactions up in the Afterlife were very funny...Seto's reaction, though! "And that's the fearsome King of Thieves..." Why yes, Seto, yes it is XD And the snowball fight, oh my gosh...that is one type of scene I don't ever think I could tire of! XD Oh, Ryou...your Yami has been around the block a few times; perhaps you should have thought twice before lobbing freezing water at him XD XD XD "Come back here and take your snowball like a man!" XD XD XD Hilarious, just hilarious, and I read that part more than once already. I've enjoyed all of your YGO fics so far, but this one's definitely a new favorite! Much kudos!

D'awww that was a sweet chapter...I'm glad Ryou knows the full extent now of what happened, painful as it is. But Yami needed him to know. I think it's necessary if they're both going to heal.

Interesting conversation near the end about good vs evil and what differences one's intentions can make (or can't, as Yami seems to believe) and it opens up a lot of philosophical questions. How many who instigated that massacre felt that what they were doing was wrong, and how many felt that they didn't have any other choice? Desperation makes it very easy for people to become confused. Yet doing the dark things they did - believing that the ends justified the means - in the very end only brought upon them a greater danger than the threat they initially faced. In the end, sadly, Thief King Bakura actually did get his wish: Aknamkanon and then Atem very much *did* pay for those sacrifices.

This chapter had me straight-up alternately delighted and amused from start-to-finish! The beginning was humorous, and even though there were definitely some more serious and heartbreaking parts (the part where Yami Marik reaches out to grab him...yeah still creepy!), the vast majority was funny or sweet, the perfect counter-balance to the hair-raising events of the previous chapter.

I remember Gabrielle from the "Twilight and Dawn" stories! I was so excited to see her again! :D Being already familiar with that section of your overarching universe made this part that much more fun because I could see *where* the pieces were overlapping and entwining: "Oh, Jenova Corp would exist in *this* way, and there's the Phoenix Wright-verse making an appearance, too!" (Although I admit my wires did cross a bit when you said 'district attorney'...my mind immediately went to Perry Mason and I had to remember you very obviously meant a different attorney XD)

The ending to this chapter was so, so cute. Yami's doubting that poor Ryou would come and forgiving him so easily (as well he should!), Ryou refusing to have him committed. I absolutely loved Marik here, too; sort of a 'subtle sweetheart'. Not out-of-character at all, but his actions here do the talking for him. I think this might be my favorite chapter so far - love love loved it!

AAAAAUGH well gee that just took a sharp turn into Horrortopia, didn't it?! I didn't know Steven King wrote fanfiction for YGO but I guess your secret's out now! ;P

(I have to say though, that "You're not the boss of me" made me laugh. I know it's supposed to be scary - and for the most part it definitely is - but..."you're not the boss of me" is what kids say to their friends/siblings when they're annoyed for telling them what to do too much XD That line was funny and the fact that Yami said it makes it even better XD)

UGH...well this experience isn't going to set him back at all! I wondered if there was actually something creepy lurking in the basement, but Bakura being okay with it threw me off! I also wondered if Yami Marik could travel through the shadows or something...if he's one with Darkness it makes sense. I like that Light chased him away. Truth in metaphor. Crazy ending...very creepy and made shivers go up my spine! 0.0

(Fun fact: "Tetris" has been proven to help reduce the effects of PTSD...if started soon enough after the incident ;)

"I've never been very good with girls." Ah, Ryou, you'll probably find someone eventually (though let's be honest the female specimen is a rare find in "Yu-Gi-Oh!" and *good* ones are even more so! XD) Crap now my shipper brain is scrambling...XD) BUT he's got more important things to worry about right now than girls, anyway XD Wait until you're older, Ryou XD

That ending, though...fluffy fluffy with squee on top! Yes, Yami, Ryou is right. "Gruff" is *not* the same as "unkind". Your whole family isn't back, but neither is Ryou's and at least you're literally still each other's family. Enjoy the /storge/, darn it! XD

That beginning, though...*squee*. Yami and Bakura right here remind me of that story floating around the Internet about this battle-worn old cat who wouldn't accept affection from ANYBODY...but then they put kittens with him. And the kittens loved him and he opened up and was happy again. Yami, is of course, this battle-worn old cat, and Bakura is his several-generations-apart grandkitten XD Warm fuzzies all over. Poor Tristan. He's so trying to protect his friends; you gotta love him. And Yugi! Even when he has his doubts, he keeps his faith up despite it!

...Why do I keep thinking your Domino City is on the *East* Coast? I keep thinking it's near New York City, for some reason XD

Geez, that *last* scene, though! Ugh...Yami, this is what we call 'PTSD'. (And given Yami Marik is responsible...who's to say he doesn't *still* have some hold over Yami Bakura's mind? They don't know what he's capable of at this point, only that darkness makes him stronger. Maybe he's remotely torturing him or something!) Well, hopefully he and Ryou can grow from this...

WHAT THE...WHITE DEATH?! THAT MONSTER THAT'S WHAT HE SHOWED YAMI BAKURA?! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but a string of VERY impolite words went through my head when I read that! What a creep, what a creep, what a creep!

I'm glad Yami's safe with Bakura (at least for now...there are, after all, six more chapters and you *do* like your twists!). The reunion scene between them was heartbreaking but touching; I like that throughout all of it, Yami does maintain *some* sense of logic (Marik wasn't ever in the illusions, etc), and I loved that Bakura was able to bring him back to his senses. I figured he would, but I was wondering how you'd stage it. Poor Yami; he really would have gone mad if he'd hurt his little descendant by accident!

Oooooh that Penalty Game, though! That's the second-nastiest one (besides White Death's "Anything I Want Goes" stinking version XD). Glad to see Yami Bakura discovered a way to make his Ring work! I figured it was going to be something like not giving into his rage (not to say Yami Marik didn't deserve the beating he got!). BUT a negative plus a negative only equals a greater negative!

(I was going to try and put this one down for the night, but then you lured me in with 'P. Seto'. Oh...and the Afterlife? Well, I think I can do another chapter or two...)

Anywho, nothing much I can say for this chapter except how much I enjoyed it. The interactions between Atem and Priest Seto, Atem's keeping hold of the faith he learned from Yugi, and the whole of Yugi-tachi coming out to help find Bakura's Yami. I knew they wouldn't let him go to Egypt alone! I'm glad they know just how much his Yami is willing to sacrifice to protect him now, too.

Ah! This scene nearly made me cry! That was painful to read! The knowledge that this happens breaks my heart when I read the manga too (I own the Millennium World arc); it doesn't make Yami Bakura's actions right, but grief breaks people in ways they don't realize and it would take a really strong soul to go through this and not come out a little cracked T.T And UGH what a nasty forging scene - made me cringe! "Wear [them] around your neck!" Creepy, creepy!

Yami Marik here reminded me of Emperor Palpatine from "Star Wars": "Yes, yes, let the hate consume you!" Except that Emperor Palpatine is now a meme (and therefore cannot be taken seriously). This guy, on the other hand...yeah he's a scary one. Definitely makes a great villain!

Poor Marik. I always really liked his and his siblings' relationship; it's not something you see in a lot of shows nowadays. I'm excited to see him work with Yugi and Bakura!

...And here I thought your Professor Hojo was bad in "Bend and Break". Yami Marik genuinely likes torturing people; Hojo likes it, too, but at least there's *some* (admittedly twisted) "for science!" motivation behind it. Yami Marik is on a whole different level!

YAAAAAAAAAY ATEM! And YES Yugi’s going to help and Bakura thought to ask him!

Oh Yami Marik you screwed-up, twisted creature...of course you’d think the Infinity Ring couldn’t work. An evil entity as yourself always underestimates the power of Light.

YES can’t wait to see Marik!

It never fails to surprise me how those who make alliances to the deepest parts of Darkness do not understand that it *will* one day betray *them*, too. Their hubris is astounding. Yami Marik, you do NOT know what you’re saying!

The Eon Spear. I thought we’d seen the last of that nasty little thing. Of course Yami Marik would know about it!

that dude just DOES NOT DIE easily! BY dude I mean Yami Marik.

off topic, ever thought of a story where Yami Marik took Yugi and Atem (or even a story where Atem needs to go back to the afterlife (temporarily) and the only one he can take is Yugi, or Yugi, Tea, Joey, Tristan, and Kaiba? out of curiosity)