Disclaimer:
Yami Kaosu: See! I said that Seto would be in the story! ^o^
Seto: -_-
Chaos: We still own Rokashimo.
Yami Bakura: But they don't in any way own any Yu-Gi-Oh! characters or Yu-Gi-Oh! itself.
Yami Yugi: O_O Why'd he do the disclaimer.
Yami Kaosu: ^_^ He's happier with this chapter than he has been with previous chapters.
Chaos: Hmm...do you think Takahashi-sama would be interested in trading? ^_^;

A/N: Wow...I haven't updated in a while...I apologize deeply for this, everyone. Life's gone up and down, but I've been pretty happy for a while now, being that I am now the proud owner of a girlfriend! ^_^ And I'm very happy. Much happier then I've been in a *long* time.

Err...I'm getting the feeling that this chapter's a bit fluffier than previous ones. But I mean just a bit. I'm still trying dearly to make sure that I'm keeping them in character, and practically bending them over backwards trying to do that. Yami Bakura's a hard one to write something semi-fluffy for. Ra, I can only imagine what it's like to write him in full fluff mode. o_o; If the gods could even permit such a thing.

Bah...you'll see when after my unnecessarily long author's notes, won't you? =^^()=

Also, it might be a bit shorter than previous chapters. But I ended it where I wanted, so that's good, I guess. I'll try to make up for it next chapter, I promise!

Anyway...this chapter is dedicated to SilverAndBlackFlames, for being the only person to email me and encourage me to update this fic. *huggles and gives you a cookie*

And, of course, thanks to my Jess, for getting hooked on Yu-Gi-Oh!...it wasn't my fault, I swear! *coughs* =.>= Um...yeah. But she's also encouraged me to write more, so...yeah. *tackleglomps* *snuggles*

Yeah...on with the story... ~Yami

---

"It's Seto!" Mokuba sobbed, "Something's wrong with Seto!"

Yugi approached Mokuba and led him over to the couch. "Here, why don't you sit down and tell us what happened, Mokuba?" he said. As his distressed friend sat, Yugi sat beside him, violet eyes wide with concern. "Now, what's happened to Seto?"

"I don't know!" Mokuba nearly yelled. "He just...he just collapsed! We called a doctor, and they took him to the hospital, but they don't know what's wrong with him!" His sobbing increased as he retold the event. "It's got all of the hospital's staff mystified! Externally, there's nothing wrong with him, but he just won't wake up!"

Both Yugi and Yami's eyes widened at the same moment. They looked at each other, and then both of their glances settled on Yami Bakura. The dark spirit only shrugged, glaring back at them. Yugi sighed, and then looked back at his distressed friend. "Mokuba, there's absolutely nothing that the hospital can find wrong? You're positive?"

Mokuba nodded sullenly in reply.

"Well, it's not going to do us much good just sitting here," Yami Bakura growled, successfully gaining the attention of everyone in the room. Yami glared at him, feeling that he wasn't being very sympathetic towards Mokuba's present situation. However, as much as he hated to admit it, the tomb raider was right. Nothing was being accomplished.

/Aibou, what should we do?/ Yami's concerned crimson eyes settled on Yugi.

Yugi pondered for a moment. /Do you think we could let him stay with us at the game shop tonight, Yami? I don't think grandpa would mind, and I don't want him to have to stay at home knowing that Seto's in the hospital./ The dark spirit nodded in agreement.

"Mokuba?" Yugi laid a hand on Mokuba's arm, trying to get his attention. "Mokuba, do you want to stay with us at the game shop tonight? Then we can all go check on Seto in the morning."

Mokuba nodded slightly. He already knew that he couldn't stay at the hospital, and the thought of going home and knowing that Seto wasn't there was just too much to bear.

"Do you need anything from home?" Yami asked gently. Mokuba would be more comfortable if he could get some of his own things, but if worse came to worse, he could borrow some of Yugi's. It depended on whether the younger Kaiba brother wanted to go home to get his things or not.

Mokuba shook his head. "I'll be fine," he replied quietly, his eyes still shimmering with unshed tears.

Yami nodded. "Why don't we head back there, then?" he said. It seemed like the most helpful thing at the current time would be to get Mokuba back to the game shop, and hopefully find some way to comfort him. "Aibou, are you ready to go?" he asked, looking at Yugi.

Yugi glanced at Mokuba, and back at Yami Bakura, and finally his eyes landed on his Yami. He nodded slightly, and his dark side began to walk toward the door. Yugi stood up, and helped Mokuba to his feet. "Let's go, Mokuba," he said quietly, and Mokuba simply nodded and followed.

Yami turned to Yami Bakura. "I expect we'll see you again soon enough," he said icily. Yami Bakura said nothing in reply, but simply glared at him. Yami sighed, and waited for Yugi and Mokuba to exit the house. Lowering his voice slightly, he continued, "Don't let anything happen to Ryou. Make sure you watch out for him. I will take care of Yugi and Mokuba."

Yami Bakura growled. "As if you would expect me to simply abandon him?"

"I don't know what to expect from you," were the last words Yami Bakura heard as Yami exited the house, shutting the door behind him.

The dark spirit was alone now. From what he could tell, Ryou was still blissfully unaware in the comfort of his soul room. He sighed, letting himself fall heavily on the coach. Suddenly, his expression turned dark, malicious. "I will destroy you for all the pain you have caused..." he growled.

The dark spirit was not happy with the events that had transpired thusfar. He knew well how much pain had burdened Ryou since Rokashimo's appearance, and how his light had dared to blame himself for all that had happened. Closing his eyes, another growl escaped his lips. It infuriated him that Ryou would dare to blame himself for that which was clearly his own fault.

Sighing, eyes still closed, he leaned back on the couch. Crossing his arms across his chest, he let the events of the day catch up to him: the pain, the suffering, the helplessness...all of it crashed down on him at once. Leaving his eyes closed, he tried to relax, tried to escape the nightmarish world that had become his reality.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Grandpa?" Yugi called as he entered the game shop. He paused, listening for a hint as to where his grandfather was. Not getting a response, he went to the counter, looking around.

"Yugi, is that you?" came the delayed reply. "I'm in the back room. Hold on for a moment, will you?"

"Yeah, I'm back!" Yugi answered, waiting for the older man to return to the store. He looked behind him, to where Yami and Mokuba were standing, and gave Mokuba a hopeful smile.

A couple of minutes later, Sugoroku made his way behind the counter of the shop. He smiled at his grandson, and then noticed the two standing behind him. "Oh, I see you've brought company, Yugi," he said, giving Yami a nod of acknowledgement. "Mokuba, how are you?"

Mokuba didn't reply, instead keeping his gaze focused on the ground, and trying to keep the tears that were still threatening to fall from doing so.

Yugi looked worriedly at his friend. "Mokuba, why don't I help you get settled, okay?" he said, trying to draw attention away from what he knew was plaguing the young Kaiba's mind. Mokuba nodded slightly, and followed Yugi as he led him out of the shop. Sugoroku watched in confusion, having no idea what was going on.

"I'm afraid that things are not going so well for Mokuba," Yami spoke up in Mokuba's place. Sugoroku gave him a questioning look. "You see, something has happened to Seto, and he is currently in the hospital. We offered to let Mokuba stay here, because I doubt it would help him to go home knowing that Seto was not there with him."

Sugoroku's eyes widened, not having known that something so serious had happened. "What has happened to the older Kaiba boy?" he asked.

"Apparently no one is quite sure what is going on. Mokuba told us that they can find nothing wrong with him. He's worried about his brother. I hope you don't mind?" Yami looked at Sugoroku, knowing that the man would have no qualms with the idea. His suspicions proved true as Sugoroku nodded.

"You don't have to worry about me. You two just try to keep Mokuba happy, all right?" Sugoroku gave the spirit a look, and Yami couldn't help but smile.

"It will work out. We've already taken the first step in bringing him here, haven't we?"

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Yami?"

Upon awakening, Ryou had found himself once again in his own soul room. He faintly remembered falling into the depths of sleep, but the events previous to that were much more clear. He shuddered slightly as the memories came pouring back to him, memories that he knew now must have haunted his other half for millennia. Slowly, he got to his feet. He could feel that his Yami had control of their body.

"Yami?" he called out again. Still no answer. He wasn't feeling any sort of negative emotion from the evil spirit, so worry wasn't plaguing him. Ryou wondered momentarily if the other was also resting in his own soul room, unlikely as the thought seemed. Then again, he figured that his Yami must be even more emotionally drained than he had been.

Silently he peered out of his room. However, he was surprised to find his Yami sitting on the floor next to his door. Apparently the spirit had decided to opt for some rest. He leaned down next to him, smiling slightly. Yami Bakura had his back to the wall, and one leg outstretched. His arms were crossed over his chest, giving him a defensive look. However, his expression had lost its icy quality, making him look more peaceful then he would have elsewise been.

Ryou couldn't help but smile, and was thankful that the tomb raider's eyes were closed. It was rare indeed to catch him in such an unguarded moment; his few experiences previous were proof of that. He knelt beside the spirit, a smile still gracing his face. Cautiously, he seated himself beside his other, and quickly checked to make sure that he had not disturbed him.

Yami Bakura seemed to be in a deep state of slumber, and so Ryou decided to take a chance. Scooting closer, he carefully laid his head on his other's broader shoulder. Wrapping his arms around the spirit's waist, he sighed in deep contentment.

Despite the fact that most of his friends could never view Yami Bakura as more than a devil, Ryou had to admit that he knew better. In the beginning, he had yearned for freedom from what seemed like a vigilant plague of evil. But as time went on, as it was bound to, he found his opinion on his shared soul changing. Perhaps it was the slight surges of pain that he occasionally felt from the other. Perhaps it was the rare occasions that he had seen his face soften in sleep. Or perhaps it was just the fact that he couldn't help but look for the good in people. But whatever had made his feelings change, he could feel more and more the need to always be with this spirit, this tomb robber...this darkness.

Ryou quickly checked to make sure that his darker side was still asleep, and was relieved to find that he was. His eyelids were feeling rather heavy again, having not fully slept off the effects of the emotional turmoil that had raged earlier. Contentedly leaning against the person he trusted the most, he once again fell into a land of dreams.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Yami Bakura stirred slightly. Slowly, he realized that he was returning to the realms of consciousness, and let himself stretch out a bit. As his mind focused, he realized that something was next to him. The world was bit by bit coming back into focus, and as his eyes adjusted, he looked beside him to see what was invading his personal space.

And he froze, his eyes widening.

"Oh...shit."

And so Yami Bakura, the evil spirit of the ring, the tomb robber, did the only logical thing.

He panicked.

---
Yami Kaosu: *ducks from randomly thrown objects*
Chaos: -_- You deserve that, you know.
Yami Kaosu: *sobs* I'm sorry, loyal readers! *bows in sorrow*
Ryou: I'm sure that nothing too severe will happen.
Yami Bakura: Hmph...after all the time she's wasted NOT working on this story, I should think that something awful has the right to happen!
Ryou: *frowns* Yami!
Yami Bakura: *shrugs*
Chaos: o_O; Weird. He's actually upset that you didn't update sooner.
Yami Kaosu: ^_^ Hey, that's a plus!
Seto: -_-; How about I just get better so I don't have to take part in this foolishness?
Chaos: Now, where might the fun be in that?
Yami Kaosu: Too true, too true. ^_^ Now, dear readers...I have a question for you. I'm debating whether or not to add another, minor pairing into this. First of all, I would like to know if you think I should or not. Second of all, I would like suggestions as to what the pairing should be. What I'm leaning toward include Seto/Jounouchi, Yami/Yugi, Jounouchi/Honda...although I'm open for suggestions, thus the point of this. So please, if you can, let me know! I'll take everything into consideration and write in another pairing (or not, depending on what you guys think). Feedback would be most appreciated. Anyway, thus ends chapter seven, and hopefully chapter eight won't be another half a year away! But don't worry, I'm sure that I'll get it out sooner...if nothing else, I've got my Jess to make sure I do, right? ^^