Ryou: ^_^ *hugs cane* So much for running into telephone poles! *glares at WSJ, although it's technically impossible for him to glare*

WSJ: ^^;;; Heh heh... This chapter will mostly focus on Bakura, but I may put in a small smidgen of the Ishtars and Ryou at the end, just to see what they're up to.

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Chapter 4 -- Bakura's Secret: Brother, My Brother

~Bakura's POV~

I ran to the park, without really knowing why, and collapsed onto a bench, trying to catch my breath. "Dang you Jonathan." I hissed through clenched teeth.

'Who, me? I thought you'd be happy to hear from me Thomas. Brotherly love and all.'

I grit my teeth and resisted the erge to punch something. "Don't call me Thomas. That name died when I robbed my first tomb. It's Bakura now and you know it."

'Tsk tsk little brother, your temper always was worse then mine.'

I jumped to me feet looking around through narrowed eyes for the sourse of the voice. "Temper my butt. What do you want? And how can you even talk to me, I locked you in the Shadow Realm!"

Mentally I could feel him pout. 'Yes, and that wasn't very nice of you either. But when the Pharoah sealed you in the Ring he unwittingly sealed a peice of me in there as well, and so I've stayed connected to you all these years.'

I groaned. "Great, just what I need... Jonathon, I swear, if you so much as make yourself known to Ryou I'll kill you!"

'How? I'm already dead.'

I swore in frustration, turning the few heads of people nearby who hadn't already been staring at the white-haired freak who was talking to himself. "I'll ask you again," I said evenly, trying to keep my temper down. That would only make him happier. "What do you want?"

'I've been watching the way you 'take care' of your hikari. I can't say that I'm pleased. I do believe it is time I took over for you.'

I rolled my eyes and sneered. "Jonathon, you know that's not possible, much to my thankfulness."

I felt him chuckle. 'Really? As far as I remember you're only two and a half minutes younger then I, and we're as identical as you and Ryou are. So who says I can't trick the curse and take your place?'

He began to chant what I knew was a Shadow-Spell and I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me, along with a rush of feelings. Now I wouldn't have to worry about that weakling hikari of mine. Jonathon could have him! But why did that thought make my insides knot up? It wasn't like I was going to miss the little twerp. I should be happy to get away from Ryou and the Ring, but I wasn't. I knew Jonathon would be a lot kinder to him then I ever was, but that thought made me mad.

My last thought before blackness overtook me was very much like the first.

'Dang you Jonathon...'

--~Jonathon's POV~--

I smiled to myself as the spell I'd released pulled my brother from his body and sent him to the Shadow Realm, allowing me access. I stumbled a little, unused to actually standing on legs. After a moment I regained my balance and began to walk toward the location of Bakura and Ryou's house, which I pulled from my twin's memory.

I smirked. "Oh, my dear Bakura..." I muttered to myself. "You never told them about me? How rude. Well, I suppose Ryou will be happy to know I'm a lot kinder then you'll ever be."

'You stay away from my hikari!'

I frowned. "Bakura?"

'The link works both ways you know. Stay away from Ryou!'

"Why?" I asked. "Do you actually care about him?"

There was silence for a moment. 'No.'

"Then what's your problem?"

No answer.

I smiled. Ah well. There never had been much love between us. Born Hebrew slaves, he'd been taken into the palace early on while I was stuck slaving away on the pyramids. I heard news of him occationally, because our Egyptian guards were fond of talk, so I knew he'd abandonned his name and life and become a tomb robber, as well as a participant in the deadly Shadow Games.

The last time I'd seen him (in life) he'd been following the Pharoah toward his palace, seemingly in bondage, a big, burly guard holding on to each of his arms. The Pharoah had glanced causually over my way, then done a double take and turned toward my brother, then back to me. For once I'd really wished I didn't have white hair that stood out against the dark-headed slaves around me.

The Pharoah had ordered me brought to him, but before either of us could do anything Bakura had muttered a curse and sent me to the Shadow Realm. I still don't really know why. Well, no time like the present, right?

"So, why did you send me to the Shadow Realm when the Pharoah could have beaten me to a bloody pulp? I thought you'd've liked that."

'...I would've. But I had this really weird sense that if Yami got his hands on you I'd be the one paying the price.'

"Yami? The Pharoah's name?"

'Yes.'

He sunk back into silence and I continued on my way. 'Funny...' I thought to myself. 'I can't sense that hikari of his. Could me switching places with Bakura done more harm then good?' I frowned and quickened my pace marginally.

--~Yami-Malik's POV~--

I glanced over at Malik, an unseen question passing between us. He nodded slightly. I turned to Ryou.

"Let's get you to the doctor's."

He nodded and I took his arm to lead him toward the door when suddenly he gasped and clutched at the Ring with his free hand, a look of anguish crossing his face.

"Ryou, what is it?" Malik asked, hovering at his other side.

Ryou shook his head, a couple tears of pain slipping from his dulled eyes. "I-it feels like s-something's r-ripping me a-appart!" He dropped to his knees, and Malik and I dropped with him to make sure he didn't tumble completely to the ground. As it was, he almost did, but I caught him in time.

He looked up at me, his teeth gritted and his eyes, sightless though they were, worry-filled. "Y-Yami-Malik?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper. "I can't feel B-Bakura..."

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WSJ: *chuckling evilly* My my, it seems that Jonathon has unwittingly broken the bond between yami and hikari, ripping poor Ryou's and Bakura's souls in half as he did.

Bakura: *confused* But I'm just sitting there talking with Jonathon. Shouldn't I be writhing in pain like Ryou?

WSJ: Well yes and no. You're in the Shadow Realm at the moment, and disembodied to boot. So you can't feel the pain since you don't have anything to feel it with. The reason Jonathon isn't on the ground in pain, since he is occupying Bakura's 'body', is that it isn't his body in pain, it's his soul.

Oh, and to answer someone else's question, the reason Bakura isn't affected by Ryou's blindness is because when he seperates he copies Ryou's DNA, which dictates how he looks, and not anything else. Blindness isn't in your DNA unless you were born with it. However, if he tried to posses Ryou's body, instead of creating his own seperately, he would be affected. Get it?

Malik: *scratches head* Sorta... You get it Bakura? ...Bakura?

Bakura: *is on the ground, twitching*

Malik & WSJ: *sweatdrop* Er...