Don't ask. I have no idea what this is. It started off with the first section, and the idea formed and grew. Hm. I think I like it. I think it explains itself, though it may be confusing. I've never written for Yugi or Yami, so I hope I did well.

On another note, this is my 30th story. Woo! It's almost been a year since I joined. Wow, almost a year. That's so weird! Hope you enjoy this.

DISCLAIMER: This is my 30th disclaimer. Nothing has changed.

---

"Hello?" he called to the darkness.

Nobody responded. He was scared.

"Is…is anyone there?" Panic rose in his voice. Eye searched frantically. He couldn't see anything. Where was he? He didn't know.

Then, he felt something. A presence. It seemed foreign, so different. But it was secure; dangerous; passionate. He gasped, and cried out feebly. Was his voice always so small?

It was silent for a minute. Then, a voice filled his ears. "Are you there?" It sounded deep, gruff. But it also sounded lost. It sounded confused.

It sounded like him.

"Yes! Are you there?" He was desperate. He needed the voice. The boy needed to hear it again.

"I'm always…there…here…"

The boy looked around. "Where?" The voice was in all directions. It didn't come from one place. It surrounded him.

"I'm right in front of you, idiot."

And there it was. Like magic, he saw the voice. The figure. Himself?

Wait, what was it?

It had hair like his. Long, blond, and spiky. Its skin was the same tan. Like a twin, almost. But the eyes…Eyes were different. They were gray; lifeless; angry.

Pained.

"Who…are you? Where am I…we?" The Egyptian didn't know what to say.

The figure studied him up and down, up and down. What did it see? Its eyes sent chills up his spine.

It didn't answer his question, though. It reached out and took his arm, eyes narrowed slightly. The voice twisted it, searching. It looked angry.

"What are you doing?" he whispered in confusion. But even though it should've scared him, he wasn't afraid.

He was answered by an animal-like growl. "Who did this? Who did bruises?"

Then, it dawned on the boy. "Bruises? You mean the ones from my father-"

"Father."

The young one nodded slowly. "Yes."

Sharp eyes flicked up. "He. He shall die." A slow grin rose on its face. "Yes, yes indeed. He shall pay. Pay."

He should've objected. And yet he couldn't. Maybe if he did, his whole life would've been different. Why didn't he try to stop him? Why did the young hikari just let it happen? Nobody understood. Nobody could get why.

Maybe it was because, if only for a moment, he didn't feel so alone.

---

He would protect him. No matter what happened, his hikari would be loved.

The first time he saw the round, amethyst eyes of the teen, he knew that he would be safe. He knew nothing else except that one fact. Even if it meant his life, the boy would have no harm fall upon him.

But the teen looked dazed. "Who…are you?" But, somehow, no fear reflected in his eyes.

"I'm your protector." What else could he say?

This thought pleased the hopeful boy. "You mean like a guardian angel?" A small, meek smile formed on his lips. The words sounded wonderful.

"No. You're the angel…I am insignificant to your light." He believed every word that he said to the teen.

The slightest blush formed on his round cheeks. "Well, what can I call you? Surely you have a name."

The spirit hesitated. "You can call me Yami."

"Yami," he murmured, testing out the word. "Yami…Yami…" His eyes locked right on the gaze of the spirit. "Hello, Yami. I'm Yugi."

"Pleasure to meet you."

That night, after 5000 years alone in the darkness, he found a bright light.

---

Rain poured down his cheeks, along with the saltiness of his tears. Choked sobs escaped his mouth, even though his head was buried in his small hands. It was late at night, but no one was there to take the child home. He just sat, crying, in the middle of the many graves.

The two he knelt in front of were identical, obviously by no mistake. They were the shapes of angels, smiling warmly down on him.

His angels.

The little boy cried and cried.

Around his neck was the golden ring he had just received, his only link to reality. The brown-eyed boy was swirling in a mass of tears, holding onto his ring. His ring. The only thing he cherished.

Who knows how long he sat there. Who knows how long he cried. The one witness was the ghostly figure that stood nearby, studying this heart-gripping show. The spirit watched with narrowed eyes. The rain didn't seem to touch him, or even bother him in the least. It just fell right through his pale skin.

After a long while, he decided to make his presence known. "Hey, kid."

The boy's head slowly rose, as if he was in no danger. He looked at the teen with his doe-like eyes. A numb pain could be seen through his innocent expression. The child made no attempt to speak. He didn't move. He didn't fear.

He was just broken.

The ghost-like man began to look concerned. "I'm Bakura. Who are you?"

Shouldn't a child be curious or scared or something? The little boy just stared solidly, not wavering at all. The look on his youthful face was one the thief knew well.

It was his own.

This sudden realization made the spirit try again.

"I know what you want more than anything in the world," he whispered, eyes locked on the hikari.

The boy looked at him with little interest.

"You want them back." It wasn't a question.

He spoke softly, "Of course. But that's not possible." A small smile curled on his lips. "And you know that. Just tell me what you want."

The ghost frowned slightly. "It's not like that, you'll see. I want to help you, to give you happiness again. You need to be put back together. And I can help."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

Then, at the same time, they both smiled the same smile: bitter; lonely; longing; hurt; innocent; wise.

The pair just got a little less alone.

---

They should've never been together. Well, technically, he should have never existed, but we'll look past that. Hikari was innocent; pure. But he…he was the darkness. He was hate.

But Malik loved him anyway.

They got along well. Even though Hikari didn't approve of everything, he wasn't entirely opposed. He could accept things easily. Besides, he loved the thrill of freedom. What person wouldn't love to have such power? The bike was a sweet perk too.

For a while, everything went well. Then it changed.

In the dark's mind, he was doing nothing wrong. His hikari was happy. His hikari was protected. The evil man – Father – would never harm him again. That made it good. Anyone who got in the way of that was evil.

Ishizu. Odion. The Pharaoh.

So why did everyone hate him? Why was his hikari – his lovely, happy hikari – so upset? Marik just couldn't get it. But most of all, he wondered what that aching feeling was in his chest.

Why, after all of these years, was he all alone?

---

What did he ever do to deserve someone so wonderful? He was a lonely kid. A weak little target for big bullies. The teen knew he couldn't have friends. People just didn't mesh with him. That's how it was; that's how it was meant to be.

Yet Yami didn't care.

He – Yugi – was always cared for by him. This confused the high schooler. His whole life was spent helping others. Why did it suddenly change? At first, he resisted the small acts of kindness. He wanted to do things his own, or refuse help.

Slowly, this changed. He grew more and more dependant on his dark. The attention, the strong bond…It was all so new. Now the teen understood how it felt. The taste was sweet. It made him feel loved.

He didn't want to be alone ever again.

---

I don't know if they ever loved each other. I don't know if they shared secrets on purpose or if they were unaware of it even happening. Maybe, because they were so used to the other presence, memories and thoughts and feelings just flowed through the link.

Their bond was fragile. Part duty; part caring; part hate; part abuse; part understanding. They each grew into the other. Ryou became sharper and more stubborn. Bakura learned the rewards of politeness.

Of course they fought. Bakura would step out of line; Ryou would rebel. But they understood each other. They hated each other. But they hardly knew any different.

Then, one day, their fragile bond shattered. Ryou sided against him. He thought he could escape this life he never wanted. But the ring came back. It always came back.

From that day on, even though they shared a body, they never felt more alone.

---

He wanted him gone. He ruined his entire life! But when he finally left – the thing he had dreamed of for a long time – all he felt was pain. The torn pieces of his heart were felt wherever he went.

Too late, Malik realized his mistake.

Who would have ever guessed he needed his other half? Though he was complete evil, it balanced out his odd light. They fit together, two halves of one whole.

The poor soul wandered through life, aimless and distorted. He was more insane than before. When he was at school, he heard his laugh. At work all he could see was people who didn't care. At home, he did nothing but mechanical motions over and over.

And he didn't know why.

For years, all he wanted was to be alone. Silence was all Malik wanted. But now, that very thing tortured him. He tried music, reading, TV…but nothing worked. It wasn't the same at all.

Slowly, he became a zombie. Pain was all he felt and his mind was just so numb. Tears hardly meant anything, though they did come frequently.

The loneliness was eating away at his heart.

---

Yami hated himself.

He was a liar. He was no better than Bakura, the stupid thief. Even if he never stole, murdered, or anything of that sort, he broke his hikari's trust. The Pharaoh told Yugi it would be okay; that there would be no pain.

"I'll always be with you, in your heart. It's for the best, little one."

All lies. Every single word. When he said this, it was out of greed. Pure greed. Even though Yami loved Yugi, he wanted his old life back even more.

(Or so he thought)

The decision was made: he would go away.

It was the worst choice of his (after)life.

Seeing all of those people – his friends – crying, sobbing, and so in pain was torture. But he needed to go. The show must go on, as they say. He hurried it, praying that his mask wouldn't shatter. He couldn't bear that. He didn't want the last memory of him to be weak and helpless. And, he might not have regretted that decision.

But one thing still haunted him.

The loneliness in Yugi's eyes.

Surely, he looked the exact same way: Alone.

---

Who would have thought he would be the victor? Not in the sense he would have hoped, but the victor nonetheless. Out of the three pairs of hikaris and yamis, his was the only one to be together at the end.

The fools thought he was dead. Ha! The Thief King was very much alive. Even Ryou, his oblivious (or seemingly oblivious) hikari, knew that. Neither of them were idiots. He always came back. It was no different than before, except that his enemy was gone and miserable.

And the fact that Ryou was filled with joy at the sight of him.

Like I said, he was smart. The white-haired teen understood the balance of the yami/hikari bond, unlike the others. They needed each other to survive. Without one, the other would perish. Malik was driven to depression. Marik surely withered and died. Yugi was scarred emotionally. Yami was always full of regret.

Who was the insane one now?

Nobody knew the secret that Ryou Bakura kept the rest of his life. No one ever saw the thing he hid. The pair mastered the art of switching fluently, without any indication. Their minds became almost like one, and they found they liked it better that way. For once, Ryou and Bakura were finally happy.

They were never alone.

---

Got to love irony. Hope I did well! I'm not sure if it's good or bad…comments would be loved! Thanks.

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