((Kanneola: Interesting and entertaining story; It'll be fun to read more about Yami's reaction to Duke.

One tiny piece of criticism: some of your asides like the (chapter 3) reference above or the (not DM) comment in an earlier chapter breaks the flow of the story. You don't need to have that much clarification; it goes into the realm of over-explanation. You do just fine without these notes.

TDM: Thanks for the criticism, :). I'm aware that it's kinda interrupting the flow, I just thought that I'd be funny details to notice. Comments like that are probably not going to appear in later chapters but I understand what you mean. :) Also, I answered your review in my chapter because I couldn't reach you via PM.))

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Codenames:

Yami Atem: Onyx/Garnet

Seto Kaiba: Sapphire

Marik Ishtar: Citrine

Bakura Akefia: Emerald

Yugi Mutou: Diamond/Amethyst

Joey/Josephine Wheeler: Zircon

Malik Isis: Yellow Topaz(or just Topaz)

Ryou Bakura: Peridot

Warnings: Mentions/Has Blood, death, possessive tendencies, Jealousy, questionable language…

"You know what… It's really late… We should go to bed…" Ryou said nervously as she sweated bullets while Malik kept quiet, pondering her luck. Curse her big mouth that always got her in trouble.

She just called the king of darkness himself gay!

Or wait… Maybe this wasn't about her assumption that he was gay…

A tiny spark appeared in the Egyptian's eyes as she inwardly smirked. While she did agree that Yugi and Yami shouldn't become an item… that didn't mean that she couldn't play on the leader's nerves…

"Oh, Duckie? Yup, he's after Yugi's virginity alright." She said proudly patting her own back mentally as she kept her nonchalant act together without screaming at the positively demonic face that Yami currently wore.

"Malik!" Yugi screeched as she hide her red face behind her hands, what was the Egyptian thinking!?

Yami who might have seen demonic before was nothing less than the devil himself now. Malik was almost sorry that she couldn't take a picture and show it up during campfires. Almost. She'd terrify herself and wouldn't that just be pathetic?

"Oh?" He purred darkly as he took another step towards Malik who now hesitated slightly. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all… "Tell me more, I'm die curious."

"Eh… Oh i-it's just a crush…" She stammered slightly as Joey decided to cut in. "A very stupid crush since Yugi is obviously not interested, not that you have anything to do with that, now shoo!" Joey motioned as Yami merely quirked an eyebrow at the gesture.

"Joey!" Yugi hissed as Ryou simply tightened her grip on the table, the strength put into it causing her hand to shake slightly under the pressure.

Yami narrowed his eyes as he obviously wanted to ask- demand for more information but stopped and tilted his head to the side, appearing to listen to something that went unheard by the rest of the Hikairs.

Yugi almost wanted to facepalm as she caught sight of the small earplug located in the male's ear, not so hidden that they shouldn't have noticed but enough for it to not attract too much attention.

The teen frowned as he listened to whatever the other person on the other line was saying. Watching Yugi with interest yet obviously not truly paying her attention.

"Got it." He said sharply, causing Malik and Ryou to flinch slightly. "Yes, yes. I'll be there soon enough." He continued, a flash of irritation crossing his features before it was gone.

Without saying a word he left the kitchen, ignoring the tense aura that still was present as he left.

"Oh my dear god. That must have shaved of at least 10 years of my life, Malik. If you ever fucking do that again I'll bloody lynch you!" Ryou finally screeched as a good five minutes had past since the teen left.

While it was slightly out of character for Ryou to both swear and raise her voice it was more than understandable and judging Yugi's expression, Malik's scolding was far from over.

"Malik! I can't bloody believe you!" Yugi screamed as she stood up from her position by the table.

Malik winced slightly at the sound of Yugi's chair scraping against the floor.

"Look, I'm sorry!" She tried, her little game had gone out of line and she knew that.

"No, YOU'RE NOT!" Yugi hissed, the exhaustion creeping over her like a heavy blanket, thus triggering the emotional breakdown.

However, unlike most girls Yugi didn't cry. Tears didn't start to flow uncontrollably nor did petty insults fly. Instead, rage was the mayor emotion.

"What the fuck were you thinking!? Are your head really that empty!?" She shouted before she violently exited the kitchen, throwing her empty bowl against the wall as it shattered and fell to the ground with a loud sound.

No one moved to stop the girl, no one did in fact move until they heard the slamming sound of Yugi's door closing behind the obviously raging teen.

Joey whistled lowly as she sighed and sat down, quickly but carefully collecting the shattered pieces of the broken bowl. She let out a relieved sigh as she realized that the bowl hadn't actually shattered into tiny, tiny bits, just a couple larger shards.

"Malik, you've messed up big time." Ryou said slowly as she cast a glance towards the quiet girl.

Malik was completely silent, she just stood there slightly paler than usual but did nothing but stare at the stairs where Yugi had gone.

Ryou looked at the other girl carefully before she gently rose from the chair. The white haired teen slowly reached out towards Malik only to have the hand slapped away.

"I'm going to bed." The Egyptian informed thickly as she too retreated to her room.

Ryou sighed as Joey appeared from the floor, the bowl shards held carefully as she opened the trash can and unceremoniously dumped said shards.

"She didn't mean that." The blonde said seemingly uncaring as the blonde once again sat down by the table, peering up at her white haired team member.

"I know." Ryou sighed tiredly as she picked up her glass of water, leaning against the fridge. Joey frowned, Ryou suddenly looked so tired and exhausted, like she was playing at her last tune but that didn't make sense.

The white haired teen shouldn't have experienced anything to trigger such a tired expression- Oh god damnit.

"He's still on your mind?" Joey sneered as she saw the girl wince. A silent confession.

"It's… It's not easy to forget." Ryou mumbled as she dragged a hand through her hair.

"How hard can it be?" Joey grumbled as she rested her head in her right hand's palm.

Ryou glared, "It's harder than you think!" She hissed as she pushed herself of the fridge.

"You know nothing until you experience it yourself!" She continued, slamming her hand down on the table in a rare show of aggravation, slightly startling Joey. She expected it from Malik, hell even Yugi but Ryou!? Never in thousand years.

"It hasn't happened yet!" Joey insisted stubbornly.

"Yet being the keyword there." Ryou continued, eyes flashing. "They won't let you avoid it! I don't know what it is, and I've searched, trust me. The only thing I can do at the moment is asking Mai but I doubt that she'll answer us." Ryou continued, her logical part completely dominating the usually timid girl.

"I don't trust Mai…" Joey muttered.

"Me neither." Ryou admitted unabashedly. "Things aren't adding up, she knows too much and is obviously not keen to share." Ryou hissed.

Keeping secrets could be necessarily but it could also end up in a disaster, something Mai know yet obviously decided to ignore.

The question was… Could they still trust Mai?

She had already kept so much important information away from them, only now throwing wave after wave of surprises at the completely unexpected team.

"I don't like this situation we're in." Ryou said as she grabbed her cardigan that had previously been lazily thrown over a chair.

"I really don't like it," she repeated, "But I doubt that we're able to back out now, if we even were able in the very beginning. I have a feeling that our destinies were set the moment we meet Mai, and I'm no longer sure if it's for the better or the worse."

Ryou left.

No surprise there but that left Joey completely alone with her own thoughts in the kitchen.

She sighed. Well there was no use in just sitting around and sulking.

Joey also left for her room. She had never been religious in anyway but for once she almost wished that she was. If only so that she could pray to some lone god.

She was tired.

A hand grabbed her upper arm and her back forcefully connected with a wall. Joey growled as her teeth flashed, her honey colored eyes catching sight of a Duel Monster card seemingly attached to some chain, functioning as a necklace.

She froze. There was only one bastard who had a necklace like that.

"Huh, a pity that you didn't fall for it." Mother effing Kaiba drawled icily.

Honey brown eyes stubbornly bore down into the floor. She had a bad feeling about what would happen should she watch the bastard in the eye.

"Look up." Kaiba ordered, a hand roughly grabbing ahold of her chin, forcefully tilting her chin upwards in an attempt to strike eye contact with the girl.

"Piss off!" She hissed yet still kept her eyes on anything that wasn't Kaiba and his overgrown ego.

"Scared?" The man mocked, patting the side of her head like a fucking dog.

"Fuck you!" resisting the urge to punch the bastard in the face.

Kaiba didn't answer, but he did lean closer, his breath ghosting over her face. She was almost disappointed that he didn't have a bad breath, it would be another thing to add to her list of growing insults regarding the young man.

"Look at me."

"My aren't we insecure." She fired off, as she heard a low chuckle.

"Feisty." He said as an afterthought. "Suits you, puppy."

"I'm not a damn dog you blind asshole!"

"Watch your tongue!" Kaiba hissed, the grip on her chin tightening, she winced unwillingly but the grip didn't let up.

"Do you mind backing the fuck off?" She said with forced calm, doing everything in her power to ignore the panicked feeling churning in her lower stomach.

"I think I do."

Joey opened her mouth in order to fire off another round of insults but the male beat her to it.

"However, if you look at me I'll let you go." Kaiba said smoothly and Joey shuddered.

"I'd rather not." She said, but she had already messed up. Her retort was too weak, to uncertain. She knew that she'd lost.

And judging by the amused air coming from the male in front of her, he knew that too. But he didn't press, small mercy, she decided bitterly.

She hesitated slightly before her eyes peeked up, clashing with his blue eyes before quickly flashing down again. But it was too late.

Honey colored eyes had for a moment clashed with blue and that was all that was needed.

It was as if the whole world suddenly started to spin, like as if they no longer stood on fast ground but on a stormy sea.

Joey almost wanted to throw up, she had never felt this pathetic and panic struck, not since Serenity-!

She closed her eyes in hope of shutting out the serie of horrifying memories, if anything the sickness simply got stronger and more intense. She vaguely realized that she was wobbling back and forth. Ugh. She would puke if it didn't stop soon! She was sure that this wasn't what Yugi and Ryou had experienced, this horrible gut wrenching experience couldn't be what haunted them through the day.

She noticed with horror and humiliation that she was crying.

A hand gently tilted her head backwards, Joey almost flinched, she had forgotten about the bastard's presence.

She watched the taller through narrowed eyes, tears or no tears, she wouldn't show this bastard how vulnerable she was. Joey was, if anything stubborn, like hell that she'd allow her weakness to shine through.

"Calm." Kaiba mumbled gently as he gently stabilized her, accepting her weight as if it was nothing.

Joey though for a horrible moment that she had gone mute. She wanted nothing more than punch the demon in disguise and run towards safety,

A lie.

The sickening motion that the room had been in for a couple of moments had gradually started to disappear the longer she looked at him.

A spark of curiosity appeared in honey brown eyes as they inspected the figure in front of her.

It was so very confusing yet intriguing. All these clashing emotions, a bit of devotion there and a bit of hatred there, some compassion and like on that side of the fence and disgust and dislike on the other side.

Maybe this was what managed to hook both Ryou and Yugi. She would lie if she didn't say that the emotion, the emotions, wasn't addicting.

She suddenly realized that she wanted to get closer, she wanted to touch.

Like a moth drawn to a flame, she realized bitterly but it was far too late now.

Just like that moth she'd burn, she'd burn and burn until there was nothing left but a small amount of ash, and whatever then raised from the ashes would be decided by the flame itself.

But one thing remained assured.

It wouldn't be the moth that remained after meeting the fire.

Seto Kaiba was intrigued.

The blonde was still fighting the bond, she unlike her friends that fell prey to it the moment as their eyes clashed with his team members still fought.

He chuckled softly, gazing at the shorter with adoring eyes, she was feisty but he'd tame her. Eventually.

The fact that she fought was just another sign that she was more than acceptable, he had never expected much from his so called soulmate but he found himself pleasantly surprised.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she with dazed eyes halfheartedly glared up at him from a curtain of blonde hair.

"Stop fighting it. You'll just make it worse." He said as tenderly as he could, scaring her now wouldn't be ideal.

"Fuck off…" The shorter mumbled softly.

Joey let out a surprised shout as she was forcefully pulled forward, by the scruff of her neck.

She almost couldn't keep herself from gaping, tears angrily prickling in her eyes as the humiliation struck her with full force.

She flinched slightly as a hand gently started to stroke down the the back of her head in a calming motion.

Calm was as far as she could get from her current feelings.

She was angry and humiliated, she didn't want to feel calm.

But just as usual she was left with no choice, her eyes grew heavy as the angry headache that had build up from nowhere calmed slightly.

Joey could almost feel every limb that belonged to her body, everything from the aching muscles from the work out during P.E to the furiously pounding heart.

She was tired.

She just wanted to sleep, fall into a slumber and forget everything that had happened during these days.

She wanted to forget meeting the Yamis, she wanted to forget traveling here. Joey just wanted to wake up in her bed in Domino, go to the normal school with Yugi and the others and then tackle the different missions as they came without getting too involved.

Alas, miracles never happened to people like her.

Happy New Year! :D

…

Soon…

This has been betad.