It was getting late. Class had ended a handful of minutes after it should have. The stars were coming out. What was worse was Ryou was assigned to clean up duty. Just because he was a transfer student didn't mean he was free from responsibility. That wasn't the problem. He didn't mind cleaning up. He didn't mind doing his fair share. But tonight was not a good night.

He could feel that itch in his soul. The one that took over and made him burn on the inside just before everything went dark and he woke up somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. People got hurt when that happened. He wanted to go home in some vain attempt that he could lock himself away and everything would be fine.

Instead he was stuck with a mop in his hand while the other kids assigned to clean were joking around. He was too soft-spoken to really tell them to stop and help, though. Or maybe it was that he was scared they'd confront him and prompt a black out much sooner. Nobody deserved to get hurt.

Finally when he was finished he felt the stirrings of relief. The cool air met his face as walked down the steps. And then irritation brushed him again as a head of blond hair hit him head on.

"Sorry!" The dopey voice of his friend Jonouchi alerted him to the fact that he might have more problems on his hands than he first released.

Ryou rubbed the bridge of his nose, checking for anything broken- Jonouchi had a fairly hard head. When there was nothing and no blood to be found he smiled. "That's alright. Heading home?" For the life of him he really didn't want to make idle chitchat. He just wanted to go. But he had to be polite.

"I was actually, yeah." The other student said, sounding kind of bruised about something. "Well, actually," He started kicking the dirt beneath him with his foot. Asking for help was hard. His pride barely allowed such things but…

He picked up on it almost immediately. He was always rather in tune with how people were feeling. He still wanted to leave, though. "What's wrong?"

Jonouchi made a frustrated grunt. "Well! …" He really had to just do it. Spit it out. Get it over with. "There's that big test tomorrow. I really don't get any of the stuff they teach in this stupid place." He was having a tough time with it. And one more bad grade…

Ryou smiled. "Come on now, I'm sure you'd get it if you studied." He had an inkling Jonouchi barely did that.

"Maybe. But I think I'd get it more if you studied with me." This was his plan. It was a very good one. A solid one. Ryou was too nice to refuse and he was also pretty damn smart. "You're always getting As in that class. Can't you just spare a few hours?" As toned down as he was trying to make this it really wounded his pride to have to. He just couldn't slip any further.

The other student shuffled awkwardly in place. Normally he might jump at the chance to teach someone else, hang out with a friend- but every time Jonouchi had spoke up thus far he'd gotten that painful itch. And now that he was being asked to spend time it had turned into more of a knife twisting its point slowly into him. "I really have to get home…" He was sorry and it was written all over his face.

"Aw come on man! Just an hour?" Bartering. He'd been reduced to bartering for help. At least it was Bakura and not anyone else.

His hand went to his arm, somewhere that had also started to burn. "I just-" It was hard. Too hard for him to turn away.

And that's when the lights dimmed and his head started swimming. He'd been too late to stop it. Faintly he heard himself muttering sorry. It wouldn't be enough.

"I don't have time." The meek voice returned but it had just a little edge to it. The spirit had had enough training in the ways of his host but he had to get the other to back off. This one was as stupid and pushy as they came. So he had to put his foot down enough to scare him off.

Jonouchi turned his head up. "Whaaaat? You don't have time for your friends? That's not the Bakura I know!"

The spirit stepped forward, smiling though the tense lines around his face were starting to show up. Any other day he would have had this idiot cornered and believing him. But he had somewhere important to be. This stalling was unacceptable. "I'm sorry. I have to go." Making excuses for his host made him sick. If this one wasn't one of the Pharaoh's friends he may have been sorely tempted to-

Jonouchi put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on. I'm only asking for sixty minutes of your time. I really could use the help." Maybe if he leveled with him. Being a bit more forward would help too. He was sure of it.

"I don't care." The control snapped. The situation was getting out of his hands. In the distance he could hear Ryou struggling. How did this simpering blond moron have this much control?

"Of course you do, Ryou." The name switch was pivotal.

Jonouchi was dumb. Jonouchi was sometimes blind. But he could see what was happening here. And now it had become his job to stop it. Ryou was in there somewhere. "You've always got time for your buddies."

A swift hand came up to twist the idiot's wrist. Jonouchi hissed and had to desperately fight against his instinct to throw this smaller body into the nearest wall. He couldn't hurt his friend.

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "Take this as a lesson you mutt." He spat, already dropping the rouse where it was no longer needed. "You could be dead. But instead you'll live another day to fail that important test and be a disappointment. How lucky for you." He'd gotten closer, glaring death at the boy before shoving him back hard enough to dislodge him.

"Ryou! Come on! I know you're in there!" He cradled his wrist. Any other person he might have gone after. Anybody else he would have helped.

But this was out of his league. And he didn't want to hurt his friend. He'd have to go get Yuugi and the other Yuugi.

Bakura threw his head back in a dark laugh. "He's somewhere around but will be of no use to you." And with that the disappeared into the darkness he craved so much