I have not posted since this summer and I appologize. I wanted to post this on my birthday (back in February) but it wasn't edited and I finally have it edited.

Enjoy :)

Ryou walked home from school at a leisure pace. He was in no rush. All he had to look forward to was homework. Besides, it was a beautiful spring day. He walked past a group of bullies from school without noticing.

But they noticed him. With one hand gesture from Ushio, the small group surrounded Ryou. They violently pulled him into the alleyway.

"What do we have here? A boy that's never heard of scissors?" Ushio tried.

Ryou gave no answer but a glare. He knew saying something would get him hurt.

"Well, looks like cats got his tongue," one of the groupies said.

"I know how to get him talking," Ushio said seconds before he punched Ryou in the face.

Ryou feel to the ground but got up instantly, despite his now bleeding nose. The training with Bakura was finally coming in handy. Ryou gave a kick sweep to one of the boys, causing his head to slam against the concrete ground.

"Big mistake, girly." Ushio punched Ryou in the gut.

He doubled over in the middle on the alley. The two remaining boys began to circle him. Ryou threw a punch to the back of the second boy's knee and tripped Ushio. He tried to run away but abruptly stopped as his hair was yanked back.

"Shouldn't have such long hair, girly. Someone might pull it out," Ushio taunted.

"Let me go," Ryou whispered.

"What will you do if I don't?" Ushio pulled out a pocket knife and brought it to the back of Ryou's neck.

Ryou carefully pulled out one of the smaller knives Bakura had on him. He did a swipe at Ushio's arm. The larger boy dropped his weapon. Ryou spun around and pointed his knife at Ushio. "You might get hurt," Ryou replied in a Bakura-like way.

Ushio and Gostso, the second goon, stared at the normally quiet and calm boy in horror. Ushio's arm was gushing from the deep wound Ryou made.

Ryou stood, holding his knife. He looked at the blade and the blood that covered its shiny surface. He looked interested at what he had done.

"You freak!" Gostso yelled, bring Ryou's attention back to him. "You'll be expelled for this."

"I will only be expelled if you bring forth information that I attack someone with a weapon. I did not attack you. I defended myself. You would also have to tell someone and you both look to old to be tattle tales," Ryou replied confidentially.

Ushio and Gostso exchanged a worried look. Ryou turned his back on the two.

Without warning the spirit took over and dived to the ground. A stinging pain went through his back.

While Ryou had had his back turned, Ushio had picked up his dropped pocket knife. He had tried to stab Ryou, but only managed to graze his lower back.

Bakura stood, to the surprise of the other two. His shirt was ripped where the blade had cut it and there was a shallow cut bleeding. He turned to face them.

"You are cowards. Attacking a man while his back is turned is low, even for scum like you. Now you better take your friend and get the hell away from me before I do something we will all regret."

The two leaned down and picked up the unconscious form of Saiki. They dragged him away from the frightening youth wielding a knife. He had a look in his eyes that said he was dead serious. His smirk only encouraged this thought.

Once they were gone from view, Bakura began to walk home.

/Where did all of that come from?/ he asked Ryou.

/I am fucking tired of being picked on, bullied, and insulted./

Bakura stopped in his tracks. /Did you just swear?/

/Yea. But I can't take people like Ushio anymore. Every school I went to I had to deal with bullies. I've seen you do it enough to know how to scare them. I won't be bullied anymore./

The next day at school, no one approached Ryou. That was no different than regular days. Since finding out Bakura had returned, Yugi and the Friendship Crew had deserted him. They were afraid that the spirit would try to harm them in broad daylight in front of the entire student body. It was rather dumb, but no doubt the pharaoh's doing. Ryou did not bother to try to explain to them that Bakura was different. Instead of taking over for his own fun, he would take control in the night as long as nothing happened. He was even giving his weak hikari defense lessons in case someone tried to take advantage of his small size.

That was fine with Ryou and Bakura. If Ryou's 'friends' chose to abandon him, then he would let them. Thanks to Bakura, he had become friendlier with Malik, who was happily living without the psychotic Marik.

Rumors did spread through the school. Some of them were the dead on truth: Ryou had been attacked and defended himself, though few believed that. Many people believed that Ryou had been replaced with his evil twin or had joined some sort of colt and was planning on killing them all. Bakura didn't have to hear anything to know that the Friendship Crew thought that he had taken control of the sweet and even tempered Ryou again. Despite what they thought, Ryou went through his normal routine like he would any other day.

One teacher asked Ryou a few questions about what happened. Ryou answered that three students attacked him and he had acted like anyone else would. The teacher asked who the students were and Ryou stated that they were the three not at school today. Another teacher, acting on a rumor that Ryou had used guns that he always carried on him, asked him to show that he carried no weapons. Thanks to Bakura, the two knives Ryou had on him remained hidden.

As the week passed, the rumors only increased. Every little thing that Ryou did was part of his master plan to take over Japan and put the world into World War III. His 'A' on the history test was so he had knowledge of his country. The advanced math and science classes were for creating weapons of mass destruction that he will use to bomb the Americans like they did to the Japanese in World War II. His Russian class would get him powerful allies. It was amazing most of these rumors came from some of the worst students. Only the Friendship Crew knew these rumors were rumors, because it was Bakura in control.

One day during lunch, Ushio and his groupies approached Ryou who was sitting with his back against a tree. They looked down at the white haired boy with disgust. How could he get the upper hand over them?

"Can I help you with something?" Ryou asked, not looking up from his sandwich.

"I think it's about time you pay for what you did," Ushio sneered. "Meet us-"

"I'm busy," Ryou interrupted.

"You don't even know when," Gostso noted.

"I'm still busy."

"Doing what?"

"Staying away from you. Now, if you do not mind, I am trying to eat my lunch. I would appreciate it if you left," Ryou replied in a normal voice and tone for him.

The students watching gasped as Ushio picked Ryou up by the collar of his jacket. Ryou stared into furious blue eyes with calm brown ones. Ushio pulled the smaller boy close and whispered something only Ryou caught.

The smaller boy dropped to the ground when the hold was broken. The three boys laughed and began walking away. With speed and strength that amazed everyone present, Ryou tackled Saiki. The boy fell to the ground with a loud thud. Gostso was the first to react but fell when his legs disappeared from under him, landing on top of Saiki.

"Don't you say a thing like that to me!" Ryou screamed. Ushio stared at the smaller boy in disbelief, much like the onlookers. Ryou had been attending the school for about two years and none of them had seen him raise his voice once.

Quickly getting over his shock, Ushio plastered an amused grin on his face. "Such big words from such a little girly boy. Weren't you the one that said it is wrong to attack someone from behind? What kind of a person goes back on his own advice?"

"You know nothing about me or my family. No one here does. No one knows what I am capable of!"

"And what would that be?"

"I think you already know. Touch me or say something to me again and I will not hold back, teacher or no teacher around." Ryou turned back to the tree and picked up his disgared lunch remains. He began walking away before turning and looking at Yugi. "And, in case you are wondering: no."

By the end of the week, Ryou was a ninja assassin in discise working for the Russians in an attempt to take over several of the world's leading countries. No one, other than the Friendship Crew, understood Ryou's final comment. Even though they did not know what Bakura (they had decided against referring him as their sweet friend) meant, they had figured out something. Bakura had been acting like Ryou and told them that he was Ryou, but that was a lie. He was Bakura. There was no other way to explain his sudden violence and change in character. But his eyes shown with hikari innocence but had a rage plastered above the innocence. How could an angry Bakura still hold onto the innocence he copied when acting like Ryou.

Ryou and Bakura had been telling Malik about what had been happening. Or in Bakura's way, bragging that he was an assassin ninja. Malik got a kick out of the whole ordeal like it was a joke. It nearly was. The students saw one thing and made wild assumptions to fill their imaginations. To outsiders, like Malik, it was hilarious to watch his friends' discomfort.

As this gossip spread, Bakura noticed some differences in Ryou. He was quieter than normal and paying more attention in their defense lessons. He spent more time alone and withdrawn from the world around him. In class, he remained silent but paid the same amount of attention he always did. Because Bakura was the only one paying attention to Ryou and his non-homicidal habits, he was the only one that noticed these changes.

Despite once being the evil thief king that planned on putting the world in eternal darkness, Bakura was worried. Ryou's uncaring behavior was beginning to scare him. Never before had Ryou been able to block out what he was feeling or thinking, intentionally or not. He was also eating less than normal, and normal wasn't always that much.

The Friendship Crew had taken to shunning and ignoring the white haired male. Something about him said he was Ryou, something said he was Bakura, and something said something was wrong. They were worried for Ryou because they knew Bakura was hurting him again. They were just too scared of Bakura to do anything about him.

Wednesday after the week after the lunch time confrontation came with rain. Students covered their heads as they ran across campus. Mud footprints from students who had walked in the grass covered the tiles in the hallways.

In classes, girls complained about how the rain was ruining their hair. They whined about how the mud was getting all over their shoes and getting splashed on their legs. More than one guy looked at the mud puddles with the idea of throwing someone into them. Ushio was one of them.

As sixth period was letting out so students could get to their final class of the day, Ushio and his goons decided to act on their thoughts. A freshman boy was tossed into a rather large puddle, splashing nearby students. The girls let out high pitched squeals while the guys yelled out at whoever they chose to blame. The large boys laughed at the freshman's angered and embarrassed face and began to walk away before seeing a familiar head of white hair.

Saiki grabbed the unsuspecting boy by the arm and pushed him into the puddle. Successfully making the quiet boy land on the freshman, Saiki turned to be congratulated by Gostso and Ushio.

A scream from a girl was the only warning the three had before they were attacked. Saiki managed to protect his chest with his arms as the silver blade came down on him. He cried out in pain as the blade pierced his flesh and left trails of scarlet liquid. Ryou, with anger burning in his eyes, kicked Saiki in the stomach and threw him into the mud puddle. He turned to Gostso next. The idiot did not have time to blink before Ryou had time stabbed in the leg and pushed him on top of Saiki.

Ryou turned to Ushio. The larger teen looked between his friends in the mud puddle and the enraged knife holder in front of him. He put his hands in his front pockets, looking causal. In truth, he was going for the pocket knife in the left pocket.

"I thought you were above attacking people from behind."

"I told you to leave me alone," Ryou replied coldly. He spun the knife that hung loosely in his hand. "Since you chose to ignore my warning you will pay."

Ryou, as his eyes blazed like Bakura's, charged. Ushio pulled out his knife and charged as well.

Four teens, three sets of parents, and a few teachers sat in the principal's office after all the other students had gone home. The adults wore looks of disappointment and worry. Three of the teens looked guilty, angered, and ashamed. The fourth boy showed no emotion.

"Mr. Ushio," the principal began, "we removed you as a hall monitor because too many students came to us complaining about you harming or harassing them in some way. Because we had no real proof of this, we did not punish you otherwise." He paused for a moment to look at the four teens covered in mud siting before him. "This I just cannot believe. We ignored your... disagreement last week, but there is no way around this."

"Exactly why are we here, sir?" the woman standing behind Gostso asked.

"These three threw a freshman into one of the many puddles outside. After they threw in Mr. Bakura, he attacked them with a knife," he explained.

"He should be expelled!" Ushio's father defended.

"And you son fought back with a knife of his own," the principal finished.

"How did all of this start?" Gostso's mother asked.

"That is not my tale to tell. Would one of you boys like to tell us how this started?"

The four remained silent for a while. Gostso, Saiki, and Ushio did not want to bring up their attacking of Ryou. Ryou was self-withdrawn. He remembered the looks on everyone's faces when he had attacked Ushio with Bakura's knife. He smirked to himself.

The principal saw this action. "Mr. Bakura, why don't you tell us what happened?"

"I was walking home about two weeks ago when these three threw me into an alley, punched me, and insulted me. When Ushio had a knife to my neck I pulled out my own and cut his arm. Last week at lunch they approached me, picked me up off the ground, and insulted my family. I told them that if the said anything or touched me again they would not like the results. When he threw me into the mud today I made good on my promise."

"Is this true?" Mr. Saiki asked his son.

"Yes, father, it is." The three boys had their heads bowed in shame.

The principal looked between the four boys in further disbelief. Ryou Bakura was a quiet and smart boy. Who would have thought he would carry a knife and use it against another student? "I am going to have to suspend you four boys. Mr. Gostso and Mr. Saiki, you will each remain off of school grounds for two weeks. Mr. Ushio and Mr. Bakura, you will be suspended for four school weeks. If either of you are caught with a weapon or using something as a weapon on school grounds again, you will be expelled."

He dismissed the four teens and parents after giving the 'any questions' spiel. The three larger boys followed their parents who were giving audible lectures about fighting and weapons. Ryou walked in the other direction. His face had a few small cuts, but his expression was blank. Still in his muddy uniform, he walked to the apartment that Malik was renting. It was a few blocks from his apartment so he stopped their on his way home.

Malik listened intently to Bakura as he told the story of how his hikari attacked the three idiots and scared every mortal watching. Bakura explained in detail everything he saw. He described the way Ryou's blade sliced Ushio and the way Ushio's sliced Ryou. He spoke of Ushio pushing Ryou into the mud puddle and Ryou pulling him in with him. He told Malik what the teachers looked like when they saw one of their star pupils with murder in his eyes. He admitted that he was proud of the way Ryou defended himself.

Ryou sat quietly in his soul room while Bakura and Malik spoke. Normally, the room, much like the Change of Heart card, was half-light and half shadows. Now seventy percent of the room was in shadows. In the past weeks Ryou's soul had grown darker. Something in him had changed. Something in him had snapped. Something in him had left, never to return. No one, not even Bakura, knew of this change.

The first week of suspension, Ryou did his required classwork to get it out of the way. He let Bakura take control regularly to do what he pleased. This included thieving and eating because the boy had nearly completely stopped eating. Bakura was curious about his freedom at first but said nothing. He might as well enjoy the time while he had it.

The second week Bakura and Ryou visited a weapons convention that was in town. The first four days they looked at the knives on display and security. The last three were spent taking items and buying a few cheap ones so they did not look suspicious. They would listen to the evening news to hear if their crimes were mentioned. They usually were.

The week after the second was a school break. They visited Malik often. Without many things to do, they spent a lot of time at the blonde's apartment. Mostly, Bakura and Malik would talk and plot while Ryou sat in his soulroom. His face remained void of any emotions, even when he was alone. The room had grown darker, but there was still enough light.

Bakura didn't notice. He enjoyed the time he had out of his soulroom. He still continued his training with Ryou in his soulroom, but left his hikari alone for the most part.

In the third week of the suspension, the Friendship Crew came over. They wished to check on their friend since they had not seen him in who knows how long. Ryou had answered the door when Yami knocked.

"What?" Ryou asked rather rudely.

"We're here to talk to Ryou," Yami said as he gestured to Joey, Tristan, and Tea behind him.

"You already are. So what?"

Yami narrowed his eyes at the white haired boy. "Bakura, let us talk with Ryou."

Ryou rolled his eyes before switching with Bakura. "You were, pharaoh."

"What have you done with Ryou?" Joey asked.

"I have given him lessons in self-defense," Bakura replied with a sly grin.

"Are you trying to tell us you did nothing to him?" Yami questioned.

"No, it is you who has done nothing. Tell me, pharaoh, after Battle City, did you associate with my hikari?"

"Yes, we did. Until you came back and-"

"There! When I came back you abandoned him. Have you even bothered to look at him before now? Why are you here anyway? To make sure I hadn't sent him to the Shadow Realm? It is surprising he hasn't allowed me to send you to the Shadow Realm."

"What are you talking about?" Tea interrupted. "Ryou is our friend."

"No, he's not. He is a nice person that hangs around with you until you grow bored of being around him or you find some excuse to ditch him. You are as much to blame as the idiots for him getting suspended."

"So you're saying you had nothing to do with his?" Tristan defended.

"Nope. I'm saying you did nothing to help prevent this. I only taught him to defend himself and how to use a knife. Any other ridiculous question?"

"Let us talk with Ryou for a moment," Yami demanded.

"Very well, your highness," Bakura replied with a sneer. As he changed with Ryou, the body grew

"What?" Ryou asked again. Underneath an emotionless mask and eyes filled with frustration and boredom, you could he a small hint of his hikari innocence.

"We came to make sure you were alright."

"No Yami, you came to make sure I was still alive and Bakura wasn't planning on putting the world into forever darkness while I was home all day."

"We're worried about you," Tea told him.

Ryou, however, saw through the concern she had laced into her voice. He could detect the fact that his words were true and hers were a lie. "I'm peachy."

"What's gotten into you?" Joey asked. "A few weeks ago you were all smiles. Now you're... depressing."

"Depressing, am I? Well I wouldn't want to rain on your parade of lies, rainbows, and friends now would I?" Instead of waiting for a reply, Ryou slammed the door into their faces. He gave control to Bakura and retreated to his soulroom.

Bakura looked at the now closed door. He was proud that his hikari had the ability to slam the door into the face of those friendship-worshiping people, but worried. Ryou was acting very different lately. Letting him out, not eating, staying in his soulroom for hours at a time, it all seemed very odd all of a sudden. Grabbing his shoes, Bakura exited the living room and headed for Malik's. He wanted to talk with someone about this.

"Why are you so worried, Bakura? So Ryou told the pharaoh he wasn't a good friend. I don't see the big deal," Malik told Bakura after hearing the events that had taken place not too long ago.

"It's everything that he said, not that he said it. I'm worried about him. He is darker than he should be."

"Look, it could be something he's going through. Keep an eye on his but don't seem too suspicious. Is he listening?" Malik asked a little concerned.

"No, he's in his soulroom. That's another thing; he is able to block me out or lock himself away. He could never do that before. Wait, he has a question for you."

Bakura, whose eyes were red and his silvery-white hair pointed, changed into Ryou. His eyes were the usual chocolate brown with hikari innocence and his white hair fell flat compared to Bakura. Yet something was different about his appearance. His eyes, with the exception of innocence, were empty. His hair was not as white as it had been a few weeks ago. He did not give off any emotions. He was just there.

"What's your question?" Malik asked.

"It's more than one question. Marik was created from your anger and Shadow Magic, right?"

"Um, yea, I guess that's right."

"So he is not really a yami. He was just your negative emotions in a yami-like form."

"You could say it like that. Why are you asking?"

"A yami needs a hikari to survive in the mortal world and a hikari needs a yami to be complete, correct?"

"Unless there is a mortal that has a hikari. Otherwise yes." Malik looked at Ryou oddly. So far Ryou had not made any form of eye contact with anything other than his shoes. It seemed like he was beating around the bush.

"If a hikari, or the body, were to die, what would happen to the two souls?" Ryou finally asked. He looked up to Malik's eyes as he spoke.

"Are you planning on killing Yugi?" Malik asked quickly.

"No, just curious." The reply was simple and preplanned.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure. Either both would be sealed into the item or the human would pass on to the afterlife while the spirit goes back to the item. There is also the chance both move to the afterlife."

"Thank you." Ryou gave a pleasant smile that held no emotion before disappearing to his soulroom once more.

Bakura returned in his place. "Do you see why I am worried?"

"I do, Bakura. Keep a close eye on him and call if you need anything."

The remainder of the third week and fourth week came and went. Bakura and Ryou were both ready to return to school so they could find something to do.

Over the five weeks Ryou had been absent from the learning facility, more rumors had spread. Everyone knew about the fight Ryou and Ushio had had that rainy day. Many believed Ushio to be a hero for trying to get rid of the Russian weapons specialist. A few people thought that Ryou was the victim and Ushio should be expelled, though few shared that opinion. Bets were taking place to see when the next fight would be, who would die first, and if anyone would get expelled.

Saiki and Gostso had changed. When Ushio had approached them, they turned the other way and refused to associate with him. Whether it was from their scars or parents, the two had wizened up.

Ushio was in a state of anger. Because of the white haired girly boy he had been suspended and gotten in trouble with his parents. Street gangs respected him less for not killing the smaller boy. All of his lackeys had deserted him. Somehow, he would get his revenge on that freak.

Ryou had grown smaller. His lack of eating and social activity had affected his physical body. It was skinnier and paler. His beautiful white hair was now mixed with light gray. The gray shade suited his personality. He never made eye contact, he never spoke unless spoken to, and he never showed any emotions unless someone was trying to find something that wasn't there. He participated in class like he always did and turned in perfect papers. His school uniform was always present and clean with at least one knife secretly tucked away.

Students were weary of Ryou and Ushio's presence but did not stop gossiping. The only people that complete avoiding Ryou were those of the Friendship Crew. Since their encounter a few weeks ago, they had come nowhere near the boy with white-turned-gray hair. Just being in the same room as him was terrifying. He had the aura similar to that of psychotic man in therapy. At some point, the psychotic man was going to be tired of the therapist and snap. It was only a matter of time before Ryou did. Hopefully he would not harm any when he did.

For two weeks, Ryou went about his days undisturbed. It was the second Sunday after his suspension had been lifted that something happened.

He had been walking back from Malik's when he happened upon an alley. He stood there watching as Joey attempted to take on one of the street gangs that he always claimed to easily beat. For five minutes, it was amusing watching Joey get hit, kicked, and punched.

It was one of the gang members that noticed Ryou first. He didn't say anything, seeing as that was the white haired boy that humiliated Ushio. The boy, a small boy at that, simply gave him an empty smile before turning and leaving.

When Ryou had gotten home that evening and retreated to his soulroom, Bakura decided to pay his hikari a visit. Without bothering to knock, Bakura strode into Ryou's room and stopped in the doorway. The normally half-light, half shadow room was nearly all shadows. To Bakura's left were shadows that had darkened to darkness. To his right was the light side of the room. The area that was pure white was tiny. It was maybe a foot across of pure light before becoming shadows.

The room was empty except for Ryou. He sat cross-legged with his back against the wall directly across from Bakura. His head was facing his lap. If he had heard Bakura enter, he did not acknowledge the others presence. His face and eyes were as emotionless as always. The only difference was the tears. Running down his checks and dripping from his nose were the tears he had not visibly shed in so many weeks.

Bakura watched as one tear fell from Ryou's nose and landed on something in his lap. Bakura did not dare move his feet from the spot they were glued to. He cranked his neck to see what it was Ryou was entranced by. It was a picture. There were four forms. Two of them were small while the other two towered above the smaller ones. Bakura realized that this was Ryou's family before the car accident.

"They are the only thing that gives me hope," Ryou whispered, his voice filled with sadness. With the intense silence that had fallen, the words easily reached Bakura's ears. "At times all I want to do is visit them, but they wouldn't want that. Mom always said she was happy when I was happy. I was always happy with Amane. I haven't been really happy for eight years, Bakura. I really want to play with her again. I want to hold her hand and swing on the swings. I want to race to the pond and watch the ducks swim. I want to wake up at six on Christmas morning and wait with her so we can open the presents. I just want to see her smile again."

Bakura remembered what it had been like after the pharaoh's men had taken his family when he was a little boy. Some nights he was angry. Others he would cry himself to sleep with the thoughts of his sister. The sister he had not seen in five thousand years.

The room darkening broke Bakura from his thoughts. Ryou did not seem to notice. He was still looking at the picture. His eyes held no emotions but his tears said everything. The transformation Ryou was going through was a combination of his snapping when Ushio first attacked him a while ago, what he said that day at lunch, and wanting to be with his sister again.

Bakura slowly left the room. He shut the door on the crying boy. At this point, there was nothing he could do to help him. He would need to talk to someone, and soon.

Malik was watching televisions when Bakura came through the front door. Two weeks ago the blond Egyptian had given his friend a key so he did not have to answer the door or have to worry about Bakura finding other ways to get into his home.

"Weren't you here an hour ago?" Malik called as Bakura entered the living room.

"It's Ryou."

"What's up with him?"

"On the way back he watched Wheeler get beat up. At the house I went to his soulroom to talk with him and it was dark."

"Dark?"

"Normally it is half-light and half shadows. The shadow side was dark as night and there was only a little bit of light. The rest were shadows. He was sitting in the middle of the room and told me that he wasn't happy and wanted to be with his sister."

Malik gave him an odd look. "So he's depressed. Use your thief skills to find his sister and let him visit her."

"She died years ago."

"You think that was why he was asking about hikaris dying? He's thinking about suicide?"

"I don't know what goes on in his head anymore. Do you think there is some spell that will let him see her?"

Malik thought for a moment. "I'm pretty sure Ishizu does have anything, but I'll call and ask. The only other person I can think is the pharaoh."

"Me? Ask the pharaoh for help?" Bakura scoffed.

"This isn't about you and your grudge. This is about Ryou," Malik retorted. "I'll call Ishizu tonight but if she doesn't have anything you need to go see the pharaoh tomorrow."

"Fine. She better have something," Bakura mumbled to himself as he stormed out of the apartment.

As the body slept that night, Ryou and Bakura remained awake in their soulrooms. Ryou sat on the floor of his room with the picture of his family in his lap. His thoughts were centered on the sister he wished to be with. Bakura, on the other hand, paced for the majority of the night. He was worried. Ryou was upset and darkening and Bakura was feeling. Since when did he have feelings?

He prayed that Ishizu had the scrolls that would show Ryou his family, at least for a moment. There was also the fact that he did not want to turn to the star-headed freak for help. If it succeeded he would never live it down.

The Tomb Keepers had scrolls thousands of years old. They had ones that allowed crops to go with less water. They had to have one that allowed a person to see those who had been taken by death. There had to be something that would bring Ryou out of his depression.

During the school day, Bakura did what he always did. From inside his soulroom, he watched what happened through his host's eyes. If he were to get bored, which happened often, there were always ways he could entertain himself.

That day, he continued to think about the spells that Malik had to find.

Lunch break at Domino High lasted for thirty minutes. The students were allowed to sit outside but not leave campus. Some did anyway. The courtyard was large and open, allowing people to pass through as they wished. That Monday, Malik was one of those people.

His presence surprised most students. Never before had they seen the blond boy with an amazing tan at the high school before. He stood in the open courtyard, surveying the heads before spotting the white hair.

"Hey Ryou," Malik greeted once he had reached the tree.

Looking up from his small sandwich, Ryou smiled his empty smile. "Hello Malik. What brings you here?"

"Bakura asked for something. Can I talk with him?"

"Sure."

In a less than a second's time, Ryou's form changed to fit the features of Bakura. "Did you find it?" he asked quickly.

"Yes. There is a spell that lets someone brings lost soul to a willing body for an hour. The two souls can talk with each other but they cannot touch each other," Malik explained.

"Thank you, Malik. This means a lot," Bakura replied sincerely. He looked up at Malik who had his hands in his pockets. Narrowing his eyes, Bakura asked the question Malik was dreading. "Where is the spell?"

"Um, that's the problem. Ishizu doesn't have it. She gave it to someone she really trusted. So, what do you do all day? This place is rather boring."

"Malik, who did she give it so?" Bakura asked with a threatening tone.

"Um, Yugi. Hey, is that applesauce?" Malik grabbed the little cup that sat next to Bakura.

Bakura, unhappy with the situation, grabbed the cup from the blond. "What did you say?"

"I said that Yugi and Yami have the scroll."

"And how, pray tell, do I get it without confronting the twerp?"

"Um, you could-"

"No, you are going to ask for the scroll. Make up some excuse; I don't care what." The bell rang, singling the end of lunch. "I'll come by after school. Have some excuse by then."

Bakura returned control to Ryou when they had arrived in class. When asked, he did not answer what it was Malik wanted. He just told Ryou that they would see him after school that day. Ryou did not ask any further. He knew that Bakura was more stubborn than a mule when he wanted to be.

As promised, the duo visited Malik. Ryou was a little suspicious of what was going on, but did not show his feelings.

He trusted Malik and Bakura enough to let them do what they wished. Or maybe it was that he did not care anymore. He did not care if they put him through hell again; he had already there. He did not care if they destroyed his body; it wasn't completely his anyway. He did not care if they decided to go after his 'friends' or the world; as long as his pain would not increase.

In truth, all he wanted was the pain to stop. His physical body had been through so much. There were scars and a few small burns. The body had been put through extreme conditions than most mortals could not handle. Ryou could handle them because he experienced them too often. Not only did the body hurt, but his heart. He had never loved someone. The only people in his heart were family members. Amane and his mother had the largest presence. His father was hardly around, but he was still with Ryou. He almost considered Bakura a brother. Despite what he put him through in the past few years, he was here now. Bakura was trying to change. He had changed. He did care about Ryou, though he tried not to show it. The way he listened to Ryou talk about Amane a few days ago proved that he cared.

Ryou was pulled out of his thoughts as he and Bakura entered Malik's apartment. The blond was pacing in the living room. He looked a little worried about something.

Bakura took over the body, but did not allow Ryou to retreat to his soulroom. They stood there for a few moments before Bakura became impatient about being ignored. "Malik!"

"Whah?" Malik screamed as he turned to meet Bakura. "Oh, it's you. How long have you been standing there?"

"Too long. Ryou's here so we need to make this quick before he leaves," Bakura stated. He walked over the worn couch and sat in the corner.

"Very well. Ryou, a few days ago Bakura told me that you missed your sister."

"He did what?" Ryou cried as he took control back.

"He told me about your sister. Ryou, he's worried about you. Have you seen what has happened to you the last few weeks?"

A blank expression returned to Ryou's face. "I've decided to stop being picked one."

"We admire you for that, but there's more. You are completely different than you use to be. People are scared of you. You're fighting some guy with a knife and getting suspended. And your eyes are different. You use to be able to see your innocence. Now you can only see it if you know it's there. Even then you can hardly find it."

"So what are you and Bakura thinking?"

"He asked me if there was some way you could talk with your sister. I found this spell that will let you do that."

True emotions filled Ryou's face for the first time in weeks. Hope and innocence fill his eyes. "I can see Amane?"

"That is what the spell is supposed to do. It has never been tried before."

"Can I see it?"

"I took it from the pharaoh after I left your school. He does not know I have it so you can't tell anyone outside of this room," Malik firmly stated.

"How does it work?" Ryou asked as he took the offered scroll.

"When said correctly, the spell allows the speaker to reconnect with someone that has been lost. It only lasts for an hour. In that hour you can talk with that person in your soulroom but you cannot touch them."

"I don't care. I want to see Amane again."

"There is one more thing. The spell can only work as the sun sets the night the moon can best be seen. So you need to say the words as the sun sets the day of the full moon. The next one isn't for three weeks."

"That's alright. If it means I can see Amane I will wait. Thank you, Malik." Ryou stood from the couch and walked over to Malik before embracing him in a hug. Malik hugged back as he felt tears hit his shoulders, Ryou's tears.

After the visit with Malik, Ryou was in an all-around better mood. He ate, slept, and felt. He still avoided the Friendship Crew, but they avoided him as well. Ushio, surprisingly, did not bother him. His soulroom, Bakura noted, regained some of its light. The darkness had lighted to thick shadows, but they were no longer black.

If you looked well enough, you could see the emotion of hope on Ryou's features. No one noticed. No one dared come close to him anymore. They feared what he might do to them if they rubbed him the wrong way. Ryou did not care. He was going to see his sister for the first time in eight years.

Two nights before the full moon, Bakura decided to stay at Malik's until some ridiculous hour of the morning. He only left when Ryou insisted the body get some sleep.

It was Ryou who walked the few blocks to his apartment. His backpack, containing the scroll, was slung over his shoulder. With a knife up his sleeve, he had no worries about getting mugged. That was until someone came up behind him and hit his head.

Ryou fell to the ground as his vision swam. A large pair of feet came before him. They looked familiar. "So what we have here?" a hated voice sneered.

Ushio kicked Ryou in the head. The teen moaned but remained conscious. He felt his back pack get pulled off of his person, but hardly registered it. His sight told him that the dead of night contained every color of the rainbow.

"What is this thing?" Ushio asked as he pulled out the scroll. "How are you supposed to read this? It looks ancient." Ryou did not give any form of reply. His head was pounding with the intensity of a dozen angry pre-Battle City Bakuras. "No answer? Fine then."

As the papyrus burned, Bakura tried to gain control. The scroll was important to his hikari, Ra dammit! Yet Ryou would not give into the pain or his yami's requests. With all the energy he could muster, he pulled the knife out of his sleeve. Barely able to tell if the world had started to spin, he stood. Ushio took no notice of his actions until the shooting pain of a stab wound shot down his arm.

Amazingly, Ryou had struck his arm. The blade stuck out in an odd angle above Ushio's elbow.

Ushio swore colorfully as he pulled the blade out of his arm. It made a sickening sound as it slid through the skin once more. Blood poured from the deep wound.

Both boys pulled out clean knives and began to attack, despite both of them being light headed. The fought their hardest, and not once did Bakura emerge.

"I told you before that there is no one to care for you. Your father has abandoned you," Ushio taunted as his weapons scratched Ryou in the thigh.

"You're wrong. I have my sister. I'll see her soon."

It is unclear who fell first, but both of them ended up on the ground. Their blood spilled onto the streets. Their bodies were left to be found by chance. The sun was rising before an early morning jogger called for an ambulance.

They suffered from massive blood loss. In one spot or another, there was a fractured bone. It was a miracle in itself that they had not bled to death on that sidewalk.

Ushio's parents came to visit him. He awoke the afternoon he had been found, demanding to know what had happened. When told, two things crossed his mind. He had gotten his revenge on the white haired freak. He was also in major trouble. When he got out of the hospital, his parents would kill him if Ryou didn't.

Ryou did not fair was well. He had several bruises and swellings along his head. His blood loss amount was much greater than the attacker's. How, he did not know. Only one person came to visit, Malik.

He had a large sense of guilt on his conscious. Ryou had left from his apartment. It was him that did not suggest Ryou stay the night because it was already dark.

The worst thing was, Ushio confessed to burning an old paper with odd writings. Malik knew it was the spell. Ryou had been two days away from using it. Now he would never get the chance. Now he would have to wait like all other mortals did to be with his sister.

Looking down at the ghost pale form lying in the bed, Malik feared it would be soon.

It had been four days since Ryou was brought to the hospital. Only when the doctors ordered him did Malik leave the room. He wanted to be there when his friends woke. He wanted to know that they trusted him. It was his fault they were here in the first place.

Ryou's form was still pale. His fists would clench and unclench, like some debate was going on. At times, Ryou's face would twist with some indefinable emotion for a second before going back to a black state. Each time the body moved, Malik hoped that one of the two had taken over. For four days it did not happen.

The doctors said that the body was healing itself. Malik knew it was something more. From Bakura's descriptions, he guessed that it was Ryou debating with himself. He would not wake until a decision was made.

Ryou sat in his soulroom across from the door. He looked at the room. It was dark. There was only a small bit of light. The rest were shadows and darkness. Ushio had burned the spell. It was the only thing that had pulled him through the last few weeks. Now he was ready to give up. He was willing to give in to the feelings of loneliness and pain. Once the door unlocked, he would get Bakura and bring him with him. Very soon, Ryou was going to see Amane again.

In the soulrooms, time does not move like it does in the mortal world. It seemed to take Ryou fifteen minutes to decide he would see Amane. In the mortal world, it was a decision that took five days.

On that fifth day, Ryou's pale form stirred. Malik woke from his bored state to watch his friend. When Ryou opened his eyes, they did not have the expected blankness. They were determined to do something. Hopefully, it would not involve Ushio's blood.

The doctor came in after he awoke. Ryou would be released in a few days. Until then, he was told to take it easy and eat something.

A week after Ryou woke in the hospital, he sat in the classroom. Students had had no sympathy when they heard he had nearly bled to death on a sidewalk. The rumors had stopped. Now Ryou was just a freak.

Ryou did not care. He did not care about his peers. He did not care about his once friends. He did not care about Ushio. He did not care about anything. He spent his days thinking. He still needed to talk to Bakura. How to do that without getting the spirit angry?

Knowing that going to Bakura and saying 'I want to see Amane' would get him in a world of uselessness, Ryou was planning carefully. There also had to be a way to get Malik to go along.

When Ryou had woken, Malik had been in an odd state. He was glad for his friend's recovery but guilted with the idea that it was his fault. He had felt so upset that the spell had been lost. Ryou told Malik that he would find another way. And he had.

As the teacher began class, Ryou took no notice. He no longer felt concern for his course work. He did not want or need it. Instead, Ryou learned in a world of his thoughts. He learned ways he could approach the two and make his wish seem normal. He learned of how they could react to each sinerio. After a week of thought, he had his plan.

Malik sat in his living room. Ryou had told him that he would come by that afternoon because there was something he wanted to talk about with Malik and Bakura.

Since Ryou had woken two weeks ago, he had been different. Before everything, he was so innocent and caring. The last few months he had grown cold, dark, and uncaring. The past weeks were spent in a hopefully state that undid some of the changes. Now he was cold and determined. Malik had no idea what it was he was so determined about. Not even Bakura knew.

He felt a cool breeze reach his exposed skin. It was nearing the beginning and he was wearing a lavender tank top that bore his midriff. He turned to the door to find Ryou in the doorway. His eyes seemed more determined than Malik remembered ever seeing them.

"I need to talk to you and Bakura about something important," Ryou stated simply. He entered the apartment and joined Malik who was heading for the living room.

"What about?" Malik asked.

"I figured out a way I can see Amane."

"What? How? Did you find another spell?"

"No, I'm not going to bring her here for an hour. I'm going to visit her."

Bakura, who stood in spirit form next to Malik, spoke for the first time. "How are you going to visit her?"

"The only way possible," Ryou responded. The determination was unchanged, but he seemed a little sad and there was a third emotion mixed in. "I want you to come with me, Bakura. You might also see your sister."

"You know about her?" Bakura asked after a moment.

"We are connected" was Ryou's simple reply.

Malik and Bakura stood in silence for a moment. Whether or not he understood, Ryou was thinking of taking his life so he could be with his sister. He also wanted Bakura to be happy with his sister. Even with this thinking, he cared about Bakura and Malik enough to tell them. That was it. The third emotion was a caring one. He did not want to leave the two, but he cared for Amane more than anyone else.

"Ryou, can you give me time to think about this?" Bakura asked after the silence had stretched for a minute or two.

"Of course."

Ryou retreated to his soulroom so Bakura could take control. His last words had been empty, as if he feared Bakura would not allow Ryou to visit his sister.

"Has he locked himself away?" Malik asked. At Bakura's nod, he continued. "Something is wrong with that boy. He's thinking about-"

"Yes, Malik. I know. Ra, I don't know what to do. I'm afraid that if I do nothing he will go ahead with it on his own. Yet I'm not ready to leave this world."

"Do you miss your sister?"

"Yes. With the way Ryou has spoken of his sister, quite often recently. If that spell had worked for Ryou, I would have used it myself. You can tell from his eyes that he wants this to work and he will make it work. But he wants us to go along with it and help him through it."

"He's been planning this for a while," Malik said slowly. "Remember when he asked me what would happen if the host was to die? He's going to take his own life and wants you to come with him to the afterlife. What does his soulroom look like?"

"I haven't seen it since we got out of the hospital."

"When it becomes completely dark, I think that will be his breaking point. Bakura, you have to make a decision or do something soon. He is probably near the breaking point."

"I'm going to crash here. If I try to go out like this I'll get us hit by a car."

Bakura stood in the hall between the two soulrooms. He had a made his decision. First, he wanted to talk with Ryou and make sure he wanted to go through with this.

He pushed the door open. Ryou was sitting with his back against the wall opposite Bakura. Tears ran down his face much like last time. The room was dark. Black dyed black darkness was to the left. The right hand side of the room was shadows. A small sliver was white was visible, but only if you looked hard enough.

"Are you sure about this?" Bakura asked.

"I want to be with her more than I had ever wished I had never met you," Ryou answered. Bakura knew how much that was. In Duelist Kingdom, Ryou had said he would rather live for eternity in the shadows than be stuck with an evil spirit inside of him. Many times he said that he could give his own life to be free. Now Ryou was going to take his own life to be with someone he loved.

"As long as you are sure about this. I have made my decision."

Ryou attended school for a week in a dream-like state. His head was somewhere else at all times. He did not pretend to pay attention in class. He did not eat a little something during the thirty minute lunch break. When Ushio approached him, Ryou gave no signs that he noticed. He most likely did not.

He, Bakura, and Malik had deeply discussed what they were going to do. Not a topic or idea was skipped. Not once did they go back on the decision. Malik would attempt to make them think, but each time, Ryou would shoot down the idea instantly. It was agreed that they would met once more on Friday to put the final parts of the plan into action.

Sirens erupted in the small neighborhood. On a sunny Monday morning, paramedics were rushing into the small apartment. The man in the apartment living next to the one in question had gone to see if the person had a few eggs to spare for his wife's birthday cake. The door opened on its own accord when he had knocked. Taking one look at the room, he ran out and called for an ambulance.

There had been no blood, no signs of violence. There was no weapon or anything out of the ordinary, other than the body of the boy.

What the man saw changed him in ways unimaginable. Sitting on one of the chairs in the front room was the body of the boy that lived there. On the table next to him was a bottle of pills and a note. It was a suicide note addressed to the boy's father.

Malik walked through the halls of Domino High. His cheeks were stained with tears. His eyes were pink and bags hung under them. He had not slept since Thursday. Everything went as planned. Now there was one last thing to do.

Finding the correct room, he entered. The teacher looked up from his lecture. Every one turned to see who it was that had interrupted.

Malik looked among the room for a familiar head and noticed the empty seat. As he spotted the desk, a fresh tear escaped his eye. The person he was looking for spoke, tearing his eyes away from the empty desk.

"Malik, what's wrong?" Yugi asked.

"H-he wanted me to give this to you," Malik managed. He walked to Yugi and placed a paper bag on his desk. Without giving another word, Malik wiped his tears and left the room.

Yugi followed Malik with his eyes. Once the blond was gone, he turned to the bag. Everyone's eyes silently asked what was inside. He opened the bag and looked inside. Tears sprung to his eyes as well.

"What is it Yugi?" Tea asked.

As an answer, Yugi pulled out the Millennium Ring.

Mr. Bakura received the call that no parent should have to hear. An officer in Domino told him that his son was dead by suicide. There was a note addressed to him that the man offered to read over the phone. Mr. Bakura did not allow him. He would read it for himself. He had to do that. He needed to get back to Japan and honor his son. He felt that he had failed Ryou.

Malik walked home in a daze. The events of Friday night were playing over and over again in his head.

"Are you sure about this?" Malik asked for the umpteenth time.

"Yes Malik," Ryou replied. He finished writing the note and set it down on the table. "Bakura and I will be fine. You don't have to be here."

"You know I do. I will be here with you until the end."

"Alright. One more thing." Ryou pulled the Millennium Ring from under his shirt and gave it to Malik. "Give this to Yugi. He will make sure it is safe."

"I thought you didn't like him."

"I don't. He is the one that will best keep it safe, like he is with the Rod."

"Fine then." Malik took the offered item. Even though he had agreed to go along with the plan, he did not like it in the least bit. The only reason he was is to make sure that Ryou did not do something drastic to visit his sister. It helped that Bakura had decided to visit his family, but not much.

Ryou sat in the chair with the bottle in his hand. He put a few onto his palm. Without hesitation, he downed them. It was Bakura that Malik saw first. He gave a sign of gratitude before Ryou had the body again. He muttered "Thank you" before closing his eyes.

It was maybe an hour that Malik sat there. The whole time, he stared at Ryou. His face was calm and his hair had returned to its magnificent white. He looked to be asleep. Malik hoped that any moment Ryou would stir. He never did.

More time passed. Malik still sat there with tears running down his cheeks. He did not move. He did not make a sound.

It was well into Saturday before Malik stood from his spot. He picked up the Ring but did not dare put it on. Ryou was the Ring wearer. He walked to the door slowly. He did not wish to leave his friend.

When Malik did finally reach the door, he gave Ryou one last look. His face was still calm.

"Goodbye," he whispered before closing the door.

Malik could still see Ryou's calm face. He could still hear his final 'thank you'. His job was done.

He walked down the street by himself, but he was not alone. He could feel four other presences beside him. Two were small. The others were about his height and size. A small smile stretched his lips as he realized what had happened. "You're welcome," he whispered.

Father, I am sorry it had to be this way. I want you to know that you have done nothing wrong. A few months ago I decided that I really wanted to see Amane again. Since then I have been acting out in ways that I should not have. The last few weeks have been really hard. One of my good friends helped me through it the best he could. I do love you. And I love my friend almost like a brother, but I miss Mom and Amane more. Please do not see this differently. I always have and always will love you. I will bring Mom and Amane the love that you have for them.

Ryou

Thank you for reading.

Sometimes I wander if JK Rowling cried when she wrote Harry 7 because I cried when I read that.

I cried when I wrote the ending, and I honestly hope you cried reading it.

This story is my pride and joy, heart and soul. I want to hear from you whether you liked it or not, please.

~AleCat1230