Title: Zugzwang – A chess term that describes a situation where a player would rather skip his turn (which is illegal) than to make a move, as all of the possibilities would only damage the player's game. It is German for "forced to move".

Initial Contact

The devil is a gentlemen who never goes where he is not welcome." – John A. Lincoln

Ryou sighed as he watched the duel laid out before him.

"Guess there's nothing we can do but wait for the duel to play out. Pegasus holds all the cards right now." He didn't even bother with trying to keep the pessimism out of his voice. "As long as he holds us prisoner we're going to be at his mercy no matter what the outcome."

Tristan frowned for a moment. What Ryou said seemed to be true, but he wouldn't give up now. One thing he had learned from the group he hung out with was that you could never give up until it was over, and even then you made hell for the opponent. He nodded. "Right."

Tristan turned and started to jog down the hallway. He had an idea, but it would take some luck if he was going to pull it off. He also had to act quickly. The security seemed to all be seven-foot tall men with an insane giant-muscle complex. Not good.

"Tristan, where are you going?!" Ryou called out.

Tristan slowed and looked back. "I'm gonna see if I can find Kaiba or Mokuba anywhere. Because if I can get them back, even without their souls, Pegasus won't hold all the cards!" He turned back and took off down the hall. He would pull this off. He had to.

Ryou felt something inside him stir, almost as though he was stretching into an impossible amount of mass. He calmed himself and tapped into his dark's link. Once the connection was established he was free to hear his other's thoughts for him.

A search for their empty vessels. Not a bad idea.

What's going on? Why is that a good idea? Ryou asked worriedly. The conversation was taking place so fast that Ryou waited patiently for the reply, while watching Tristan turn around slowly, almost as though he were moving through thick water. The edges of his vision always clouded with a misty haze when he opened the connection, and everything always slowed down. At times it could be as much of an advantage as a disadvantage.

Those soulless bodies could be of use to me. Do not question my motives.

Ryou bit his lip, or would have if he had been moving on the outside. These were his friends. He knew what Bakura wanted with them, as his darker half clued him in on things, whether it was out of trust or just the fact that he considered Ryou so insignificant enough not to offer a threat he didn't quite know. What he did know was that he couldn't exactly have his demented spirit taking control of one of their bodies. Granted Seto wasn't anyone's friend, and Mokuba could be a bit of a pain, but that didn't me he would put them through this. Tristan was completely turned around now and his left foot was stepping forward. Ryou could tell that he was going to run.

I won't let you! He shouted. Praying that his voice held all of the courage that he did not necessarily feel.

I didn't exactly expect you to cooperate.

Ryou would have responded to Tristan's last comment if the familiar sickening feeling hadn't come over him again. He whimpered mentally as the world spun, and Bakura took over. He was able to watch a few more seconds as Tristan disappeared into the shadows of the hallway, but then all his vision faded and he could hear and see only through his other.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

"This is crazy!" Joey shouted as the duel progressed.

Tea merely gave him another doe-eyed look and turned to whom she thought was Ryou. "Uh, where's Tristan?"

Ryou felt a slam and looked through the 'eye' to see what was going on. He called the hologram that appeared in his soul room the 'eye' merely because it mimed the one in his Sennen Ring. The hologram would appear and he would be able to see what was happening on the outside. Tea's lips were moving very slowly and Ryou noticed that no sound was coming out.

Take over. Talk to this girl. She wants to know where Tristan is. You best not try anything, little one. Understand?

Before Ryou could even answer he was thrust back into the real world and everything was moving at normal speed. Tea was looking at him and he realized he hadn't answered her yet. Trying to shake the dizziness away, Ryou thought up a response.

"Oh…Tristan…He wandered off somewhere by himself." He paused unsure of how to continue. A twinge of pain in his mind forced him to think faster. "I'm not sure where."

Joey, who had been listening to the conversation only half-heartedly, looked at them. "Probably just went to the john. Forget him. This is just getting interesting."

Joey turned back to the dueling arena, apparently more interested in what Yami Yugi and Pegasus had to say than where his best friend, who was prone to wandering, had walked off to. The two men continued to banter on the lower platform as Tea and Joey watched and Ryou listened, not really caught up in the entire spectacle. His thoughts were wandering more towards a certain brunette who was running around downstairs in the dungeons. A sudden outburst from Tea caused him to look up.

"Did you hear that? If Yugi loses, Pegasus will steal his soul too!"

Ryou nodded at the comment, but went back to thinking as he felt something pulling inside him again.

Can't stop thinking about him, can we?

He's my friend, was the lame reply. He was feeling nauseous from the world slowing down again. He was pulled inward by his darker half, and fear clenched his stomach as he thought his other would take over. Instead, he found himself face to face with Bakura in the hall between their soul room doors.

Bakura studied his other; head to toe. Ryou had been broken by him not to long ago. The night he had returned from the Shadow Realm and saved the boy along with his idiot friends had been a turning point for them both.

He'd beaten Ryou for his betrayal. Thrown the boy around and verbally assaulted him, too. He'd been prepared to even take him, as he had not touched him like that before. His other had cried at first, making him angrier, but eventually calmed and was resigned to his face. Looking into petrified brown eyes Bakura made a decision. He propositioned the boy that night.

He told Ryou that he would become what he always wanted, a guardian, a friend, even a lover, if he would only cooperate with him. No more beatings unless deserved, no unwanted touches unless wished for, and no needless deaths. Ryou had stared at him incredulously for a few moments, but conceded in the end. It was obvious that he couldn't fight and win against his other half, but if cooperation spared the lives of his friends, than he was willing to trust the tomb raider. Bakura had disappeared after he gave his answer, and not resurfaced until now.

He is quite pretty. The Yami said, tapping a finger lightly on his chin, thinking.

Ryou's mouth hung open in the corridor. What do you mean?!

Bakura stared at Ryou, almost as though he was annoyed by the sudden outburst of the other, as it interrupted his thoughts.

Your friends are talking to you.

With that Ryou was thrown back into reality again. This was getting bothersome. His head whirled and he had to remember what Joey had just said. It had been motivational and praising of…Yugi! Yes, they had been talking about the duel.

Almost giddily relieved with having remembered, Ryou said the first thing that came to his mind in a near shout. "True, he bet his own soul on the outcome!"

Joey looked at him, raising an eyebrow, but let the outburst slide. "That's our Yugi. He'd do anything for anybody."

Ryou tried to sound normal, but his voice still came out too excited, even for him. "Yes, but this is the biggest gamble I've ever seen anybody take on Duel Monsters!"

Joey ignored him completely this time, too caught up in the duel to care about Ryou acting weird again. The guy was prone to doing it anyway.

The duel continued and Ryou sighed, again only watching unenthusiastically. He didn't even listen to Joey and Tea's conversation that was happening. He simply didn't care at the moment. Something told him Yami Yugi would win, whether it was the cliché hero rule or merely the other's supreme dueling capacity, the white-haired boy didn't know. He caught the end of something Joey said.

"…and why the heck hasn't Tristan come back yet? We should all be here supporting Yugi!"

At the mention of the brunette, Ryou's ears perked, but he fought for apathy in his voice.

"Beats me. Maybe he got lost."

Joey sighed heavily. "Good grief. Don't he realize he's missing the match of the century?!"

Ryou merely nodded and let his head be supported by his hands.

Joey continued to watch the duel, and at a particular point when Pegasus had yet again second-guessed one of Yami's moves that he chose to comment. "This is a nightmare! We all know Yugi can beat anybody in a fair duel, but if Pegasus is able to read his mind...!"

Ryou couldn't stop himself from speaking. He wanted Joey to understand that it was Pegasus' Sennen Item that was controlling the outcome and not his friend's dueling skills.

"It's what makes his Eye one of the most powerful Sennen Items. He can read anyone's mind he chooses." He paused and then added. "Anyone who tries to oppose him must use extreme caution."

Joey sighed.

"I guess so." He turned to regard Ryou with a suspicious look. "You seem to know an awful lot about that eye, Bakura.

Ryou was about to respond, but felt the world slow again. This time he went with it, slipping into the void, and watched with fascination as Joey's body slowed down to a mere shiver of movement.

So you do listen to the things I tell you. Bakura smirked and ran a hand through Ryou's hair, causing the boy to shiver. He was in the hallway again. Ryou was torn between letting himself fall into the sweet caress and telling his other that he couldn't do this. That they were meant to be enemies and not…this.

Good things happen when you cooperate with me, little one. Ryou was uneasy at the use of his other's pet name for him, but Bakura leaned in a claimed the other's lip before another thought could take its place. His will slipped away, and he let himself be guided by his other, who kissed him deeply. This was so wrong, Ryou thought.

It was either shock or fear that kept Ryou from moving, and he was a little too busy to really care. Why on earth would his other want to kiss him? His mind briefly floated back to their conversation that night. Or even a lover if it so suits me…His other's words came back to him. Ryou could never forgive him for the things he'd done to both him and his friends. Bakura growled and traced the seam of Ryou's lips with his tongue. The shorter one sighed.

Then again, some people were just easy to forgive.

To Be Continued…