A long time ago, there was once a young artist who went by the name of Hikari. He was an intelligent but sometimes cold boy with an unimaginable talent in art. The music he played sounded more blissful than a choir of angels, the paintings were more beautiful than real sunsets and his statues were given more grace than even Aphrodite herself. In a word, everything he created was perfect, a feast for one's eyes and soul. People around the world were captivated by his works, not just because of their flawlessness but because they also 'spoke' to those who saw them. Maybe not literally but each piece of art was so incredible that it seemed to everyone who saw them that they were in fact very much alive.

As the Hikari worked, he would put everything he had into the art until he was drained and exhausted. Even if it meant giving up part of his soul, it was alright, so long as the work came to life in his eyes. He didn't care if he gave up his very being if it breathed life into a lump of clay or sheet of music. No one realized how hard he worked for what he wanted. He literally poured his blood, sweat and tears into every piece he did. That didn't matter though, for even as he would slump across the table, gazing at a work that only a God could create, he was content.

He was very selfish really.

At the same time, there was another boy whose name was Niwa. A bit of a troublesome youth, he still had his heart in the right place most of the time. He was poor, living on the streets and didn't have many talents to speak of. In fact he could be a bit clumsy sometimes. Yet every night he'd sneak into the art galleries and gaze up in wonder at the visions before him.

"That Hikari boy, his work is so beautiful…" He would say, admiring with much respect for ability he didn't have. He had tried painting before but, alas, it wasn't he who the muses favored. No, the only way he'd ever possess such beauty was to take it for himself. A simple task really, for his one true talent lay in stealing. He stole from the rich, the poor, the lucky and the downtrodden. As long as he could have something wonderful, something that made him happy, then it didn't matter. He'd take it, just to be content for a little while.

He was very selfish really.

Both boys desired happiness, happiness that truly came from the expense of others. The Hikari hurt himself, slowly destroying his mind to create works beyond compare. Inching ever closer to madness by the day, his happiness came with a huge price. The Niwa, in turn, desired the Hikari's work. It wasn't just another piece of jewelry or a vase to him though. No, these were the finest masterpieces ever created and he knew it. He could feel the artist's soul, see it shining through and it was beautiful. He needed them, craved them and would do anything to get them. It was driving him crazy.

Two boys who were so different were exactly the same in the end. In the end, when their paths crossed and forever changed history. They never got their happiness, because it always hurt others.

But that was their wish. That was their curse.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Hey boys and girls, not much farther."

"There aren't any girls here Bakura…"

"Really? I thought Sock was a girl."

"Bakura!"

"Damn, he's one hot man chick thing."

"I am going to kill you, you do know this right? In fact, I was going to kill you anyway but now torture sounds more appealing."

"Death by beautiful woman…hm sounds good if it's in bed."

"That's it, now I'm going to help Krad-san kill you!"

"Two beautiful women!"

"Would you guys just shut up!" Satoshi yelled, as loud as he could, his fingers twitching. There hadn't been a moment of peace since they started walking and Satoshi's headache had only gotten worse. He was half tempted to turn around and ask Krad to kill Bakura at the least but in honesty, that only got rid of half the problem and no way in hell would he ask Krad to do anything for him. Of course, they were already in hell now but that wasn't the point. 'Hell' in Satoshi's mind met being stuck with Krad in physical form, as he kept rubbing and touching him. This was even worse, mostly due to Bakura and Krad clashing continuously. The place certainly looked like hell with its super eerie graveyard theme and the church bells that were occasionally ringing sinisterly in the background. Hearing Krad's constant sweet nothings mixed in with shouts at Bakura weren't helping matters at all.

"I'm sorry Hiwatari-san." Ryou sighed and punched Bakura in the arm, earning a glare from the man. "Bakura's just excited."

"Oh, you mean he's not always this stupid? Shocking." Krad muttered, stretching his wings with one arm still gripping Satoshi's shoulder.

"Krad you're not helping so shut up." Satoshi grumbled, before turning back to Ryou. "It's fine Ryou-kun. I just have a headache. How large are the realms inside of these items?"

"And are they all filled with such lovely scenery?" Krad asked hopefully, indicating the headstones and purple-ish mist that surrounded them. "Because if so then what a wonderful place to be trapped in."

"Eh not all of them." Bakura shrugged, draped around Ryou because 'he was tired'. "The Puzzle is a damn maze that that staircase painting that one guy did…"

"M.C. Escher?" Satoshi asked, his Hikari side snapping up instantly. "Wait painting? He didn't do a painting like that. Hmm…"

"Oh I don't know, it was in the old cartoon shows." Bakura waved his hand. "You know they walk into a door and end up on the ceiling?"

"Cartoons are not art." Krad rolled his eyes in disgust. "Another reason for me to kill you, dragging the name of art through the mud…"

"Hey I'd like to see you draw cartoons!" Bakura shot back, letting go of Ryou to stand straight up.

"If Satoshi-sama wished he could draw anything. You, being a foolish thief, would know nothing of the great artistic power that flows through Satoshi-sama's veins." Krad snapped, stopping to glare at Bakura. Bakura too stopped, walking up to Krad.

"Now no offense to your wonderful logic but I said 'you'. Are you and Sato-chan over there the exact same?"

"Why as a matter of fact—"

"—We are two completely different people." Satoshi finished, his tone settling into an icy grip.

"Oh that went well eh Sock?"

"You are an insolent…do we even need you to escape this realm?"

"Oh so it's we now? So you and Sato-chan are different now?"

"How long until they kill each other?" Satoshi wondered as he and Ryou sped up to escape the shouting of their other halves. The commander sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. The shouts were suddenly accompanied by a wave of magic energy but both ignored it, mostly because the fighting continued after the surge had passed. Then there was a low roar and Ryou mumbled something about 'Diabound'. Great, now they were really fighting. Sure enough, when Satoshi glanced back he saw Krad flying through the air, throwing balls of light at Bakura, who was standing proudly on Diabound's shoulder. "Good maybe Bakura will take out Krad for me. Of course then we're still stuck with Bakura. Don't get me wrong Ryou-kun, I don't know how I put up with Krad some days but how exactly do you put up with Bakura?"

"Honestly it is hard some days." Ryou sighed, looking annoyed. Another blast, a shout of 'Fuck you Sock' and both boys hung their heads. "To answer your question, I don't think we can truly die in here. So they're just going to keep going…"

"Great." Satoshi frowned, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He peered deep into the fog, trying to figure out where the gravel path was taking them but all he saw ahead of them were grave markers and statues of broken angels. "I don't even know where we're going."

"I don't either." Ryou paused for a moment, glancing back to see if Bakura and Krad were still fighting but saw that the fog has hidden them from his view. All that was behind them was more mist, headstones and the sounds of their shoes on the pebbles. Church bells rang out again distantly and sent a shiver down both boys' spines. "It's a bit…creepy in here though. I don't like it." He rubbed his arms absentmindedly, trying to bring some warmth back into his body.

"Hmm…" Something flashed suddenly and caught the teen's attention. Satoshi stopped for a moment and glanced at the nearby grave, his eyes widening instantly. "Niwa-kun!"

"Where?" Ryou blinked as Satoshi rushed over to the grave and stared in horror at the name written upon it. He sank to his knees, pressing his hands against the name 'Niwa Daisuke'. Above it was a statue of a charcoal angel that greatly resembled Dark. "Oh…" He walked to Satoshi's side and looked down at the marker. "Hiwatari-san, I'm sure it's just a trick. The spirits that reside in the Items like to do their best to scare us with stuff like this."

"H-how do you know?" Satoshi asked, trying to keep his voice calm. In the meantime, his brain occupied him with images of gruesome death after gruesome death for the young Niwa. Shutting his eyes only provided theme with a curtain to project on.

"I saw a grave for my father not too far back and another for Yugi." Ryou said softly, his hand on Satoshi's shoulder. "I'm sure Niwa-san is alright. He's probably in here with us actually. I sense more than just the four of us here."

"Oh…right…yes of course, a trick…" Satoshi cleared his throat and stood, willing his body not to shake from the sudden scare. "This place is a bit…eerie. I guess it's just getting to me." They stood silently, heads bowed as they gazed blankly at the name, lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't often that Satoshi let something like that show, especially around a near stranger. He barely let Daisuke see that side of him; his ideal that no one see him at all actually. The lies he lived were much more preferable to any truths about himself and now Ryou had just seen one of them, at least part of one.

"…You care about him a lot don't you?" Ryou asked as they stood in front of the fake grave. Well there was the other part.

"Why do you ask?" Satoshi was still staring down at the name. The images were not quite as easy to forget, given that most of them had already appeared before. Usually in nightmares or Krad inspired 'games' of mental torture.

"Just a feel I've had." Ryou shrugged and glanced back into the gathering darkness, expecting to see Bakura and Krad walking up at any moment. "But…I also think Krad, err, likes you." Satoshi scoffed loudly the moment Ryou finished his sentence.

"What was your first clue on that?"

"Right well, I didn't think you returned them by how you act. I was just saying…" Ryou trailed off then turned back to Satoshi. "But do you like Niwa-san?"

"…It's…complicated." Satoshi said finally, hating himself right then for even saying that much.

"Oh, well isn't love always?" Ryou smiled at him then looked back up at the statue. "So Krad and Dark are opposites then? Krad lives in you and Dark lives in Niwa-san…hmm…then…"

"It's not just that, like I said it's very complicated." Satoshi sighed and turned away from the grave, starting down the path again. Ryou caught up to him but didn't ask again. Satoshi was relieved really, because he had barely tried explaining it all to himself let alone someone else. Nor did he really want to explain it all. He didn't want Ryou to know how deeply he felt for the Niwa, he didn't want anyone to know. He didn't want to talk about it; he didn't want to think about it. Satoshi always did think about it but that was beside the point. Nor did he feel like admitting it out loud. Krad had already forced him to do that so many times in his terrible games. Satoshi found himself rubbing his eyes like a tired child and stopped almost instantly. The truth was he was exhausted and could feel a drain on his energy from just being in here. He didn't realize he was walking crooked either until he bumped into Ryou. "Sorry…"

"Hiwatari-san? You don't look so well." Ryou frowned and helped the boy stand properly. "It must be from the shadows…this place is part shadow realm and that can have a bad affect on your body."

"Mmm probably." Satoshi mumbled into Ryou's hair, his head feeling too heavy to lift. "Maybe we should sit down for a moment…"

"Good idea." Ryou agreed, looking around for a bench or something.

"Excuse me." They both looked up and saw a girl who had not been there a moment ago, leaning against one of the statues. She wore a tight, pink nurse's outfit complete with a little hat in her long, wavy blonde hair. She smiled at them and walked over calmly and properly in her small high heels. "You gentlemen look as if you're fatigued. If I may be so bold as to suggest that you accompany me to rest area?"

"Who are you?" Ryou asked as Satoshi struggled to stay on guard around the new stranger.

"I am Eliza. My husband and I are good with medicines. I think we can help." Eliza's voice was draped in an accent that sounded thick and distinctly German. "Please, follow me."

"Um but we were going to sit and wait for our friends." Ryou said quickly. He was unsure if he really wanted to trust the woman.

"Ah yes, the other two will be along soon ja? We will wait for them and they can come as well. I am sure they too will be very tired." She smirked a little then looked down the path. "I believe that Black Wings and Tamer Niwa have finally settled with Faust…"

"I thought they were here." Ryou said, more cheerfully now when he saw Satoshi's body jolt slightly at the name. Eliza motioned for the two to sit in some chairs that, like her, had not been there before and having no excuse not to, the boys sat. Eliza gave them a motherly smile.

"Now while we wait, who wants cookies?"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"No thanks." Dark muttered, eying the plate of cookies suspiciously.

"No? But my wife made them." Faust seemed put out by his rejection but much happier when Daisuke ate one of them anyway. "Well if that suits you I suppose. Then to business?"

"Yeah, like oh I don't know, why the hell we're sitting in a graveyard eating cookies?" Dark sneered, crossing his arms.

"You really don't like cookies do you?" Faust sighed, shaking his head. The flower in his top hat bobbed slightly.

"What? No I…ugh…never mind just tell us why the hell you brought us here." Dark groaned, hanging his head. He didn't know how long they had been sitting with this fruitcake drinking tea and eating cookies but he was sick of it. He was sick of sitting on the hard stone benches without any answers to his questions. He was really sick of those church bells and he was just plain pissed off. Daisuke had remained fairly quiet since they had arrived and every so often Dark would reach out and touch his tamer gently. That was something he didn't mind in the slightest though and would definitely not get sick of doing. He could still scarcely believe that they had their own forms, even if it was only for this little bit. It was nice being able to reach out and feel the warmth of Daisuke's skin under his fingertips…oh right, he had to deal with this crazy guy first though. Always something.

"Well why would I know that?" Faust frowned, his gaunt, heavily bagged eyes staring in confusion. "I didn't bring you here."

"…Then why the hell are we wasting time with you?" Dark asked, resisting the urge to tackle the man and strangle him.

"Well that's all up to young Tamer Niwa." Faust shrugged before sipping some of his tea. "He's the one who used his magic to bring you in here."

"Dai-chan did?" Dark said in surprise, turning to the redhead. Daisuke blinked, stopping in mid chew of the cookie.

"I did?" Daisuke asked, swallowing the snack.

"Yes you did." Faust smiled at him. "Excellent show really. Your desire to escape the situation you were in synchronized with the Item's own magic signature and allow you to temporarily access the power of it. Thus, you brought yourself here."

"I didn't think I could do anything like that…" Daisuke said softly, eating another cookie to distract himself. "So then what's next? We're here but…but Ryou and Bakura already know who I am so…that ruins everything. They, well, Ryou won't want to be my friend and then Bakura's going to come after me…"

"Ah well I have the answers then or at least suggestions." Faust set the tea cup down and went off, disappearing behind one of the plentiful mausoleums. He returned a few seconds later holding a large, oriental mirror. He heaved the mirror back to them, setting it directly in front of the pair. "Now this is the suggestion itself. This mirror will allow you to go further into this Item and thus gain access to the rest of the powers and become a Guardian for it."

"And we want to do this because…?" Dark asked, his eyebrow raising.

"Because then once you're a Guardian of an Item, it's yours." Faust smiled, not faltering under the look Dark gave him. "Oh yes, and you can use the powers and abilities of the Item. Now please, step forward so we can begin this test."

"Err well…" Daisuke fidgeted for a moment, then stood and approached the mirror. "If this is the way out then…alright." He turned back and nodded at Dark, who sighed and threw up his arms in defeat.

"Fine, whatever, we'll go through the strange mirror we know nothing about at the suggestion of some crazy guy who loves tea and cookies who lives in a graveyard in the middle of some ancient Egyptian artifact." Dark paused, then shrugged and joined Daisuke. "Well I guess I've done stupider things so why not?"

"Great!" Faust smiled and grabbed the plates of cookies. "For the trip?"

"Thank you." Daisuke beamed at him, taking a few.

"Would you forget the damn cookies!" Dark cried, shaking his head. "What do we do once we get in there?"

"Simply pass the tests given by the Spirit of the Ankh." Faust smiled cheerfully, pushing them before into the mirror. It swallowed them like a poor of rippling mercury. "And that's me. So we'll have loads of fun…"

&&&&&&&&&&&&

Argentine stared up at the moon and smiled, fingering a few strands of Krad's hair as he did. The moon was beautiful tonight; its light seeping into the blackness of the sky around it, oozing in the way of the flecks of stars that were pulsing dimly. They did their best but the moon's light eclipsed even their greatest attempt. He reached one gloved hand out, stretching his fingers as far as they could go in hopes of grazing the moon's surface. Alas, no matter how far he extended his arm, he could not reach. He sighed and returned to playing with Krad's hair. The angel's body was slumped on the group, having toppled over Ryou's own unconscious form. Bakura was nearby while Daisuke was hunched over by the door. Although he hadn't checked for himself, Isis had been nice enough to inform him that several others were behind the door in an enchanted sleep. One apparently she knew well, her brother or something but he decided to keep them where they were and have Isis stay out here with him.

"The moon is rather beautiful tonight, isn't it?" Argentine sighed wistfully, laying down on his back, fingers still entangled in Krad's hair. "The breeze is perfect too…I love the wind in my hair…do you Isis?"

"Argentine…can I please help my brother?" She said softly, sitting next to Daisuke by the door. She had her knees drawn up to her chest with her eyes gazing sadly at her captor, arms crossed loosely over her legs. Isis had been fairly silent since they had arrived, the one exception being when she saw her brother draped over the staircase.

"There's no need my dear lady. Your brother will be just fine." Argentine brought some of Krad's hair closer, inhaling deeply. "As soon as Tamer Niwa and Black Wings escape from the Item, these ones will awaken. Of course, we'll have to leave before then." He pouted slightly as he held Krad's hair to his chest. "If they see me here well, things tend to get violent. I don't really feel like bloodshed today, do you?" When she didn't answer, he continued to talk as if she had. "You know, they really don't like me much. I am the Hikari's Argentine but you won't hear them speak too highly of me. And Black Wings well…" He chuckled, "I think he'd like to paint his bedroom walls in my blood. Not that I blame him but it is a bit barbaric. Ah well, que sera sera." Argentine sat up, letting his fingers slip from Krad's hair.

"I'm going to ask you again…but I doubt you'll answer me…" Isis sighed, standing. "What are you doing?"

"Doing?" Argentine smiled at her, jumping to his feet. "Why I'm only doing what needs to be done. The Ultimate Hikari work, the Black Wings, requires both pieces you see. And I myself am the final phase. I had been looking for something, anything really, that could make my job easier and I have found it in the Millennium Items. Now all I need is a few more pawns and we'll be ready for the finale. It's exciting isn't it?" He spun around in a circle, his arms out to his sides like a child in the spring time. "Just think, the grandest of the Hikari projects, the one that they gave their souls for and started a blood curse for…ah, it's almost…" He paused to catch his breath, exhilaration written all over his face, "it's almost too delicious to be true."

"What will this…Black Wings do?" Isis asked, surprised to actually be getting fairly coherent answers from the musician. "It's not just a painting I'm going to assume."

"Oh heavens no!" Argentine cried giddily, jumping over to her and taking her hands. He leaned forward, much resembling a boy telling his mother exciting news. "No it's so much more than a painting! It is all art combined into one poetic masterpiece. It is song only more vocal, it is music only more soothing, it is painting but the colors are more vivid than any you've ever seen. I am the song composed for it you know." He said with a hint of pride. "Krad and Dark are needed for it too. Of course they are being so difficult." He frowned, letting go of the woman's hands. "I wish they weren't. They make things so…hard on the rest of us. My master he…he was different. He wanted the world to hear the beauty of music. He wanted everyone to have access to the hymns of the ancients. That's why he made me. So that when Black Wings awoke, everyone would hear his song. But those two don't want it to awaken, because then they'll be sealed in it. Don't you think they're being selfish?"

"Aren't you?" Isis now found her courage returning and glared at him. "You're being rather selfish too. Dragging all of these poor people into your game just so some piece of art will come to life…what gives you the right?"

"No one but the Hikari lineage." Argentine admitted, causing Isis to blink. He was being so…reasonable. "But Isis, my dear dear Isis! If you only understood fully…ah but now that we are here in Japan, I can show you Black Wings! I know where it's hidden. Once you see it, your heart will weep and your soul will yearn with passion! Of course…" He paused, as if considering something important, "Your mind may go insane. It is an unfinished work…and the building materials weren't…conventional. But trust me, it's a sight to behold."

"Fine…" Isis sighed, hanging her head. There was no point arguing with him. Suddenly he grabbed Isis' hand again, smiling widely.

"Ah but first we must make sure the other pawns are ready. I have so many…pawns really are most plentiful in the game aren't they?" Argentine grinned, his blue eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "We have to move a few more into place before we go visit Black Wings. Oh and we'll go visit Rishid and Shadi for you. I still have them laying around somewhere I'm sure. I think today was nice, don't you?" He said, taking her into his arms bridal style and hovering a few inches off the ground, his cape and hair blowing gently. "You got to see your brother and soon we'll be visiting even more people. I'd say tonight calls for a special piano recital. Which song shall I play? It's your choice my fair lady." He said, beaming at her in genuine delight.

"…That one from a few nights ago…Vamo Alla Flamenco." Isis had to admit, as disturbing and bizarre as his songs could be that one was actually very nice. It was still rather intense and even somewhat creepy but compared to some of the emotions he let loose on his music, it was soothing. "I enjoy that one."

"Good! It's a fun one to play and I do breathe new life into it if I do say so myself…and I do." Argentine preened. "Well then, let us be off and leave the Tamer to his trial. I'm sure it's rather…hard so he needs to focus." With that his smile faded and he shut his eyes, levitating away from the museum and to their next destination: The Harada Residence of Azumano.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The test is very simple; it's just going to take a few minutes. I'm afraid you must be separated for it though. Sorry but it's the rules. Just follow the forest path and I'll be waiting at the end with your test. Oh and have you met my wife Eliza? She baked those delicious cookies, which by the way Eliza dear they loved. She will also be helping me with the test. If you pass, you'll not only be sent back to the outside world but you'll also be the official Guardian of the Millennium Ankh. You'll be allowed to use its powers at your leisure. These include memory changing and personality reforms. Mostly mental uses or brain and heart related purposes but they can be useful. Well I believe that covers it, I'm really not good with giving directions unless it involves surgery.

Oh yes and one more thing you two. This test will take place in the forest clearing. That is your goal, to get there. Do not take any side trips or get distracted. You'll see why when you reach the center…so do hurry. It could cost you dearly if you don't.

Ah yes, of course Eliza, thank you for reminding me dear…but for medical reasons, don't run. The path is littered with branches after all. We don't want you to break anything! Well have fun.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Dark kicked a stone down the path, sighing heavily as he trudged through the thick, overgrown forest. The tree branches twisted and turned like thousands of jagged snakes. There were no leaves but rather large and disgusting looking spider nests covering the trees. Dark leered at them before kicking another rock. The stone bounced across the muddy, leaf covered ground before smacking into one of the dozens of uplifting roots in the trail.

"Have fun my ass." Dark growled, jamming his hands into his trench coat's pockets. He was glad he was wearing a heavy coat, the forest seemed to be just after dawn for it was dewy and cold, with a wet mist clinging to everything. The dull, gray sky above was bleak and provided no comfort on his journey. "This is the stupidest thing I've ever done for a heist. No wait…" He stopped in the middle of the road and frowned, "No the stupidest was when Krad thought going through the ventilation system would avoid all the traps. Yeah that was brilliant. Stupid Krad. Stupid vents. Stupid mirror. Stupid…whatever." Dark grumbled loudly, as though complaining would magically fix everything.

With a groan, he forced his legs to continue their trip, moving his buckled black boots through the drudge of the forest floor. He really really hated this place and wished it a million deaths. As he got further down the path, he wondered how Daisuke was doing. Of course there hadn't been anything odd yet or any enemies but still, it was cold. Daisuke caught colds like Hikaris caught curses, that was to say often and continuously. Of course he was probably fine and of course Dark was just worrying over nothing but…they had been separated and for the first time in a long time, dark couldn't feel Daisuke. He didn't feel him anymore, he wouldn't even know if he was in the same forest, though he assumed he was. No, now he was just Dark, just a bitter old thief without anything in him. He felt so…cold and empty without Daisuke's warmth. It was a new experience for him and one he didn't like. The second he saw that boy, he was going to hug him. Or pat him or kiss him or whatever.

It was further down the trail that he encountered his first obstacle. There it was, the Tori no Tenko, one of the most prized Hikari artworks. It had yet to be placed on display simply because the family treasured it so much. It was a statue of an elegant fox soaring up to meet a beautiful phoenix like bird, who was diving down to see the fox. In the statue they were intertwined and it was beautiful. Dark had stopped dead in his tracks to stare at the art, sitting off to the side of the path. It seemed to have a strange, shimmering blue dome over it with a lock settled on the center in front. It was huge, with chains leading from it and wrapped tight around the statue.

It was begging to be plundered.

Dark smirked, walking off the path, a little ways into the forest where the statue sat. He rubbed his chin, inspecting the force field first. He tapped it, receiving a lovely shock, poked it with one of his feathers and tried to blast a hole in it. Nothing worked against the field itself but Dark was a bit surprised. The lock had seemed too obvious but whatever, there was no lock built that could hold him out for long. He took another feather from his wings, holding it in front of him as it became sharp and longer.

It was when he started to work at the lock that he remembered Faust's warning not to get distracted. Still, this was an once-in-a-lifetime chance! It would only take him a second to get the statue, then he could go back to the path and find the clearing. It was all quick and easy, there was no reason to worry.

"Heh, this won't take long."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Why did it have to be so cold? Daisuke shut his eyes tight as he walked, rubbing his arms rapidly in an attempt to gain some heat. It wasn't working. His teeth were chatting and he could no longer feel the tip of his nose. Suddenly his foot caught on one of the tree roots sticking up in the path and he fell face first into the mud and leaves with a dull splash. Great, like he didn't already feel like crying anyway. Sure the cold was bad and the place was creepy but that wasn't all of it. Daisuke had only been without Dark once and he had never felt so alone since then. Now here he was, sitting in the mud, caking in it and utterly alone. He wiped some of the muck from his face and forced himself to think of anything but this place and his Dark-less-ness.

"Hey, need a hand?" Daisuke's eyes widened and he looked up to see Ryou smiling down at him, his hand extended.

"Ryou-kun!" Daisuke gasped, taking the hand. Ryou helped him to his feet and began to wipe some of the sludge from the boy's hair. "Ryou-kun wha…what are you doing here? Where's everyone else? Have you seen Dark?" The moment the words left his lips he regretted it. Ryou's smile faded and a hurt look replaced it, his arms falling to his sides.

"Niwa-san…you lied to me. You lied to Yugi, you lied to Yami and Bakura…you lied to all of us." Ryou said softly, every syllable shaking with sadness. "You're Dark…were you planning this the entire time? Are you just some thief? I thought you were my friend Niwa-san…"

"What! No no Ryou-kun I…I…I'm sorry but…please believe me it's not like that!" Daisuke cried in shock but his voice faltered at the look in Ryou's eyes.

"Another lie?" Ryou sneered, crossing his arms and taking on a surprisingly Bakura-like stance. "Is that all you're going to do is lie to me? I can take the truth you know. You can tell me that you were never my friend, that you only wanted the Items…that you're Dark. You could have told me…but you didn't because you don't care."

"Ryou-kun…" Daisuke's legs were shaking, threatening to give way under the sinking feeling in his chest. "Please, I…I'm not lying now!"

"Oh now? So now you want to be honest? You can't. You tell lies Niwa-san! You tell lies all the time. You lie to everyone! It's just what you do." Ryou yelled suddenly, surprising the boy again. "Just admit it."

"…I don't want to lie…" Daisuke said, tears now welling up in his eyes as he lowered his head. "I…I want to tell the truth. I want to Ryou-kun. But please believe me, I am your friend…I didn't want Dark to steal the Items…I never want him to steal!"

"That's a lie." Ryou hissed softly, grabbed Daisuke's collar and pulling him close so their faces were inches apart. "How about you start telling the truth? You lie because you think it doesn't hurt others? How about you stop lying to yourself first. Then you'll see."

"See what?" Daisuke gasped, his shirt's neck choking him.

"You'll see just how much pain you cause."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"So…this is a big tree…" Bakura said, eying the tree.

"Yes it is." Faust agreed, smiling at the thief. "It's very nice don't you think?"

"Oh yes it's a lovely tree." Krad spat, tugging at the manacles around his wrists. "And we are chained to it because…?"

"Because you're a reward!" Faust said cheerfully, as if Krad should be very happy about this. Shockingly, he was anything but. Krad's words were true. He, Satoshi, Ryou and Bakura were bound together like a chain gang, their hands and ankles cuffed tightly. They sat in a circle inside the illusionary tree's trunk. The tree, while roughly the size of a five story office building, was completely fake. It was nothing more than a holograph surrounded by several wooden posts, to which they were bound, and a moat-like river that ran the base of the tree. Faust stood happily outside of the illusion's range, so that he did not see the prisoners inside but rather he only saw the giant tree loomed over them all, full green leaves spreading out over them all like an umbrella. "I think it's only fair that you're escape is based on the performance of the others."

"The others being that thief and the kid?" Bakura asked. Faust nodded excitedly and Bakura pondered his situation for a moment. "Ah then we're screwed. Goody."

"Not necessarily." Ryou said, trying to stay upbeat. "Faust er…Faust-san? How are they doing right now?"

"I'm not sure…Eliza?" He turned to the nurse at his side, who was holding a clipboard now. "What is the status of the thief and the boy?"

"The Thief is stuck on our unbreakable lock task and the boy is being yelled at and crying." Eliza said in a very matter-of-fact way. The reaction of the four captives was fairly easy to figure out.

"See, this is why you don't bring strange boys home Ryou." Bakura scolded, yanking at his bindings for the fiftieth time. "You'll end up chained into a tree with a madman and a hot nurse."

"I'm not mad." Faust frowned, leaning against his massive spear like weapon.

"Not you, I meant Sock over here. You're not so bad though Fausty." Bakura said, jerking his head at Krad. Krad decided to ignore him for once though and focus again on trying to break the strange magic seal that graced the bonds. For some reason, his magic didn't seem to work against it and this aggravated him to no end. None of Satoshi's lock-picking skills were working or even any of the magic he himself possessed. Bakura and Diabound were doing their best but nothing they did worked either. Ryou, while useless on his part, was doing a good job keeping Bakura from falling back on his new hobby of annoying Krad. A good job but not perfect. Krad focused his energies again but found them repealed away from the chains once more.

"Oh you can't break them." Faust said happily. "Only Dark and Daisuke can do that. Once…or rather, if they get past their trials. Then they can come save you."

"I don't know how you're keeping us bound here but I refuse to believe only that thief can undo the spell." Krad said evenly before returning to his escape attempts.

"…That's a lovely thought." Satoshi sighed, having been in the thief's debt before. He had a feeling Krad had been too, from the ranting he heard sometimes. "And if they fail?"

"Well then you'll be trapped in here forever and join the graveyard's other residents." Faust said, then paused thoughtfully, turning to Eliza. "Actually that blonde one with wings would make an interesting dissection."

"Oh yes I agree." Eliza nodded. "He's very fascinating. I wonder what type of extra bones are needed…"

"They are rather short aren't they? You'd think they would need to be several feet longer." Faust mused to his wife.

"Would you please refrain from speaking of me like a frog in a biology class?" Krad's lip curled in disgust. When he was free, though he didn't like to think of how that would happen, he would have to give Faust a working demonstration of his wings…and so much more. The thought comforted him only slightly. He was still losing valuable time where he could be enjoying their separate forms with Satoshi.

"You know…" Bakura frowned, trying to find a comfortable way to sit, "when this is over…I'm going to have to punish you and your sexy nurse."

"Say that again and I'll punish you next." Ryou muttered, glaring at Bakura.

"What was that Ryou dear?"

"Oh nothing except if I hear 'sexy nurse' again I'm going to rip it off and shove it in your ear."

"…That's both violent and rude…and creepy. You have some creepy fetishes Ryou. Maybe I don't want to be with a crazy person…"

"Would you two shut up? Your stupid lover's spat is strangling what brain cells are left after all of Bakura's talking." Krad said as he did his best to shoot some magic at Bakura. His attempt failed, much to his dismay. Satoshi meanwhile resisted the urge to bang his head into the ground until unconscious. The only good thing was that Krad couldn't touch him right now. However, since he still had to hear everyone bicker, this wasn't saying much. Being unconscious was still more appealing.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

It was only after Dark had blown up a few dozen trees that most of his frustration and anger had ebbed away to calm clarity. At least as clear as Dark's brain could become. He was now back on the path and well on his way towards the clearing, having realized that the statue was a trick.

Yes, a trick, a goddamn trick Dark thought with a sneer. The force field had really just been a powerful hologram type of spell. It was a rarely used magic these days, made for cloaking things in a special illusion. There was no need to shield things anymore, tricks had gone out the window long ago and now only confrontation and pain was left. Dark sighed, his arms dangling tiredly at his side.

That statue was starting to piss him off. Just thinking about it made him feel mocked, insulted. Like some cruel, stupid god had decided to taunt him with yet another endless reminder of his past. His theory was proven by the fact that Krad was walking along side him, grinning like a cat with a mouse. Oh, wait…

"So, how long are you going to ignore me Dark?" Krad asked calmly.

"Oh, you know, about as long as it takes the drugs to kick in. Oh wait, they already did and you're still here. Huh, that's a new one." Dark rolled his eyes. He'd tried to escape the illusion by running but Krad had been able to easily catch up. So he decided to do what he had always done when Krad bugged him: annoy him back or ignore him. So far it looked like he'd have to annoy him back. This wasn't going to end well.

"Dark, I'm afraid you can ignore me all you wish but I won't be leaving so soon…" Krad's smirk widened as he pointed as a boulder. "Perhaps this is just silly me but haven't we passed that already?" Dark stopped, looked at it and blinked. It did look familiar but it was a damn rock, rocks all looked the same. Like trees. Except some were bigger or different colors and all that. "Why yes, I believe we have. I think we are lost Dark. Why, that reminds me of another time when we were lost. Do you remember? I believe that was when Niwa Tatsuke was in his rebelling phase and wanted to steal from his own father." Fake Krad chuckled at the memory. "Oh yes, that was an interesting evening. You and I dodging and jumping traps together and then we saw it, the Kame ni Kaze. Do you remember Dark?" Oh yeah, he remembered but like hell he'd tell that to this bozo. He was going to ignore him more or at least try to. "We found it, deep under the Niwa fortress and yet none of our spells could break the seal on it. I remember young Tatsuke was so upset, he wanted to steal that back to win Hikari Momoko's heart. One of few times a Hikari had a sibling born but they were twins so it's to be expected…"

"You hated her." Dark said before he could stop himself. Krad instantly perked up, his gold eyes gleaming in delight.

"Oh yes! I absolutely loathed her. Only because she held Tatsuke's heart in her hands and never broke it, like she should have." Krad continued on cheerfully. "Ah but Tatsuke never knew how deeper my tamer loved him. It's funny…the Hikari always love the Niwa, don't they? The Niwa have so rarely returned that feeling though. Why do you think that is?" Krad moved behind Dark and wrapped himself around the thief. The angel leaned down and trailed kisses along the other's neck. "I think it's because of us. Do you?" That was too much and finally Dark spun around, smacking away the mirage with a powerful punch to the face. Krad stumbled back, holding his face. It only pissed Dark off more to see him in pain and smiling like that, like he has just won. Because, you know, he hadn't.

"Just shut up." Dark growled, trying to maintain his cool mask on the outside even as his voice betrayed him.

"Why did you punch me Dark? That hurt." Krad said in mock hurt, pouting slightly. "Ah, that's right, you loved Tatsuke didn't you? Or was it that one girl…Sana-chan? Hm, for a man who once claimed to love me, you sure do love so many." He sighed, placing one delicate hand on his cheek. "I just don't know what I'm to do with you Dark."

"What about your precious Satoshi-sama?" Dark sneered and now even the false Krad's eyes flashed for a moment. Real or not, Krad had his weaknesses.

"Do not bring Satoshi-sama into this thief." Krad said softly.

"Oh? Why not?" Dark straightened up, getting to his full height. Now he had to attack back. "I don't just 'love' anyone you know. Maybe if you actually knew a damn thing about how my life is now, you'd understand. You like to bring up the past but I think I prefer the present."

"Of course you prefer the present." Krad smirked, his eyes boring into Dark. "Living in the present is what you're good at…when you don't have to think of how many young boys you've killed in this feud or innocents who got in the way…watching the Niwa you care about age and die. Then you don't have to see the future either. Daisuke will die you know…either by old age or by my hands. Then you'll be put into the darkness again…just like me…"

"It's funny but…I'm starting to remember why I hate you." Dark whispered, every word said slowly. "You talk too much Krad. You always have."

"Heh. Really?" Krad smiled, then pointed away from them, down the path. Dark turned and saw, much to his surprise, the clearing was just ahead. "I do talk a lot Dark but you understand, don't you? I won't always have someone to listen to me. You won't either Dark. In the end, all we have is each other…and I will always hate you for that." Krad shut his eyes and the image faded away until Dark was once again alone. Alone…he shivered before shaking the thought from his head. He couldn't let it get to him now, he was about to see Daisuke after all.

"Love you too Krad." Dark muttered before racing down the path, ready for whatever was at the end.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

It was times like these that Daisuke was so glad he was a thief. Thieves were fast and therefore could escape situations with relative ease. This however was one situation that refused to leave him alone. He panted, stumbling as he ran and jumped over roots popping out of the ground. Ryou however seemed to be able to run faster, because no matter which way he ran, there the boy was, waiting patiently to torment him again. Daisuke grabbed an over hanging tree branch and swung his body up and over it, only to find Ryou sitting with Satoshi on the branch.

Oh yes, at some point Satoshi had joined the chase. He and Ryou were a deadly combination as it turned out, both seemingly designed to chase him all over the damn forest. He was well off the path now thanks to their superb skills and completely lost in the woods. He didn't dare stop running though, because he didn't want to hear it. He couldn't take it anymore. Still his heart was thumping loudly in his ears now so perhaps he wouldn't be able to hear them while he rested for a moment.

He wished Dark was here.

"Oh look who's back." Ryou said cheerfully, smiling at the young Niwa.

"Hm, hello Niwa-kun." Satoshi smirked, nodding once. Daisuke only panted in response. He doubted he could speak between taking massive gulps of air and he didn't really want to talk to them right now anyway.

"Ah, no words for us?" Ryou frowned. "Well I suppose that's best. Then you can't lie to me."

"Or hurt me." Satoshi agreed.

"I…I don't…" Daisuke gasped, trying to form words. Most of the air was needed for other things though.

"You don't?" Ryou frowned. "Oh dear are you still lying to us?"

"He's really lying to himself too." Satoshi sighed. "That hurts me as well. Watching you lie to yourself everyday…" Great, they were starting this up again. Daisuke shut his eyes and jumped off the tree branch, dashing into the woods again. "Oh, Niwa-kun!" He heard Satoshi shout for him but he didn't want to listen anymore.

He didn't lie. Well, that was a lie. Daisuke knew, at least some remote part of him, knew that they were right. He knew that sometimes he did lie, once and a while, just to make people happy. If it made others happy, then so what? So what if it hurt him inside and made him feel worthless? That didn't matter as long as he saw happiness in others. They needed it, not him, right? Right…?

Daisuke shook his head, his legs suddenly feeling heavy. He slowed down and braced himself against a tree, his chest rising and falling quickly. His vision was blurred in sweat from running and his heart felt like it was going to explode. Finally his legs gave out and he sank to his knees in the mud, leaning his head against the tree trunk. He knew they'd find him too, just to tell him more of his faults. He knew his faults, at least he sort of did.

"Niwa-kun, I wasn't done talking to you." Satoshi's soft voice came. Daisuke turned his head slightly to see the thin boy leaning up against the tree with his arms crossed loosely. "You always run from me Niwa-kun…"

"That's because he's afraid of you perhaps?" Ryou was on the other side of the tree in the same position. "Or afraid of Krad?"

"I…I'm not afraid…of Hiwatari-kun." Daisuke breathed.

"You're not? Then why do you act so strangely around him?" Ryou questioned.

"I just think he hates me." Satoshi shrugged. "Just being nice to me because that's how he is."

"I don't…I don't hate you!" Daisuke cried, lifting his head from the tree. "Please…please believe me on that! I wouldn't just…just be nice to you. I mean it! Hiwatari-kun…you're my friend."

"Have you ever really thought about that statement?" Satoshi asked, bringing his pale face down to Daisuke's level. "We're friends then? Just friends?"

"Er well…yes…?" Daisuke blinked, feeling a blush rise to his face as Satoshi got uncomfortably close. Satoshi always got that close though. In fact, he was always around. But that was just how things were. Satoshi was always there, watching him, talking to him, pinning him into walls…Daisuke frowned slightly. He and Takeshi were friends but was that different? Takeshi was nothing like Satoshi and their relationships were completely different. In fact, Satoshi was different from everyone else but it wasn't just the curse that made him special. Whatever it was, it kept him from being like all of Daisuke's other friends. He was special. So then, were he and Satoshi not friends? If they weren't friends, then what were they? Daisuke's brain was starting to hurt. "Hiwatari-kun, I don't understand this at all."

"And that, Niwa-kun, is the first honest thing you've said all day." Satoshi smiled grimly. With that, they both faded away right before Daisuke's eyes. The boy blinked several times, then rubbed his eyes furiously. When he opened them again, he was on the path, the end of the path to be precise. He stared in surprise as he saw the clearing just ahead, light shining through. He got to his feet shaking as he did and made his way slowly towards the exit, wishing only that the nightmare would end.

That was not a lie.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

/Another Side, Another Story/

It wasn't often that Saga Keiji got excited. Ok, scratch that, he got excited every damn minute of every damn day of his life. He was always excited, always overflowing with ideas, words constantly tumbling out of his mouth. This trip was just another of those stupid ideas. Funabashi hated car rides with him because he was like a dog, sticking his head out the window, saying things loudly, jumping from seat to seat as he explained whatever his plans were for their destination. Funabashi made a mental note to cut back on how much sugar he consumed, difficult as that would be to control.

Today their destination was Domino City, for many reasons that Funabashi would have rather not heard but had to listen to anyway. It was part of his loyal henchman contract, not that he liked being called that but it was one of Keiji's favorite words. It ranked right up there with 'minion', 'Funi-puni-poemi' and 'puppy'. There were others but every time Keiji said them, he earned a kick or a bar of soap in his mouth.

"So we needed to take one million of the company's dollars and go on a cross country trip to some remote gaming city for…?" Funabashi frowned, waiting for his boss's excuse.

"Because we need models and Seto-chan is there and so is some hot guy I saw on the TV the other day and oh! Dark is there and guess what? I know for a fact that Sato-chan is there, you remember him right he's the scary kid always threatening me when I get too close to Dai-chan and I know the Harada twins are going there for Seto-chan's party! All of these people all together in one place is just way too tantalizing. So we're going so that we can go get wonderful shots for our next commercial and the clothing line I'm planning I did tell you about that right oh well yeah I am and it will be perfect just you wait Funi-chan!" Keiji said happily at two-hundred miles a minute.

"…That explains nothing and sit down you're making the driver nervous." Funabashi sighed and grabbed Keiji's belt, pulling him down next to him. Keiji pouted but the resumed staring out the window. "So let's try this again: We are going to Domino City to…?"

"To see Seto-chan and all the hot guys that are there! And a few girls." Keiji added as an afterthought, then grabbed a paper from Funabashi's briefcase. "Ok so! Here's the guest list for Seto-chan's party! We are going to see….this one aaaand this one and….hm…this one…these two…oh yes and I have blackmail on this one, this one…"

"Would you stop that sir?" Funabashi snatched the paper back, stuffing it in his case. Keiji pouted at him again but Funabashi was starting to become immune to this look. It was still really really cute though. Cute, great, now he thought his boss was cute. He would later regret this thought even more and cancel Keiji's dessert for it. Poor Keiji would never know why he was denied ice cream that night. "We can't just go for models!"

"We aren't." Keiji blinked, as if Funabashi were the crazy one here. "I'm also planning on talking to Dark and lately wherever Dark is, the blonde angel is there too so maybe I can talk to him…wouldn't that be nice? Oh and I want to get Seto-chan laid…he's been so uptight ever since he lost that Battle City thing. I say it's my job to cheer him up!" He said gallantly. Funabashi, for his part, did a very good job of not voicing his opinion on these plans use those wonderful four letter words. Instead he leaned forward and tapped on the glass to get the driver's attention. The man rolled the window down and glanced back at them.

"Please, please take me back. Or let me out here. Or something." Funabashi said very calmly.

"Nooo!" Keiji frowned, tackling his employee. "Funaaa-chaaaaan! Please? This is a really good idea and I'm paying you double time for this!"

"Driver, if you'd please pull over?" Funabashi ignored the man hanging around his neck.

"Triple time?"

"Driver?"

"Quadruple!"

"Driver please…"

"I have blackmail against you." Keiji said in a dead serious voice. Funabashi's eyebrows rose as he had the driver roll the window back up. "Heh yep, I think you might remember it too. It was last year and we were celebrating the opening of the new studio down in Shinjuku and—"

"I remember." Funabashi muttered, feeling both horror and utter defeat at once. He sank into his seat, ignoring his boss's smug look. "Fine, fine but I only agree to this on one condition."

"Oh, what's that?"

"…No getting Kaiba-san laid." Funabashi tried not to sound like he was begging but he was. "No talking to Dark-san or that other one either."

"…You're funny Funa-chan." Keiji laughed, patting the man on the head like a child who didn't understand. He honestly did not understand his boss, a man who could be dumb as a rock and smart as a mafia boss all at the same time. He was cute and deadly and that didn't make sense. Nothing he did made sense actually, even if it was all very logical to him.

Funabashi was going to go crazy one of these days.

&&&&&&&&&&&

A/N: Sage: Hee I put them at the end now so as not to annoy you!

Kaley: We're so sorry for the delay, summer has been rough on us! College starting and a whole mess of compy issues! Ugh.

Dark: Right well first off someone caught the Shaun of the Dead reference, good job SubakuNoFangirl!

Bakura: Next up yes, this is Faust from Shaman King. (passes out cookies) Good job all! He's only guesting though so no there won't be any more Shaman King. Sorry everyone!

Argentine: Someone likes me!

Dark: Ugh, crazy freak…

Kaley: (gives Victim of Time a new gerbil) Feel bad for our beta, Les Scribbles. She deals with far worse. Thanks Fa-chan, by the way. We mention Funa-puni-poemi just for you. People, read her fic Love's Sake! We promote her!

Sage:…Right, anyway, Dark and Bakura try to help write the chapters but they are asses and can't do anything write so yes they complain and read reviewer mail.

Kaley: Lots to answer…Another Side, Another Story is building up a side-story that is going to cross with the ongoing plot. This way we don't break the pace of the main plot though. And Monnieme we'd love to read your poem!

Dark: heh and glad that everyone will now call Krad 'Sock', we've already got one person thinking sockKrad.

Bakura: Well there's a lot more questions but we'll answer everything properly after this chapter. Just leave a review and tell us what you think!

Kaley: See ya next chapter, where the test ends but the true trial begins!