Ryou grit his teeth, his hands balling into fists. "No! Don't do it! Get out of me!" He clamped his hands over his ears in a vain attempt to silence the sadistic laughter that rang in his ears, dropping to his knees and curling into himself. "Don't do it…please, don't…" He whimpered pleadingly, his eyes squeezing shut tightly. "I don't want them to die…."

"My silly little host. They won't die; just eternally be here to play games with you…" The voice murmured darkly. "Friends forever…until the end of time. It is what you wanted, right? To play games with your friends, to have fun...forever."

Ryou's eyes jerked open with a soft gasp or horror. "You wouldn't!"

Not again, oh please not again..

"Oh wouldn't I?" The voice murmured, a trace of amusement in his voice before he chuckled softly. "Rest easy, master. You will be with your friends soon enough; giving me the opportunity to have his body to myself." The ring began glowing before an almost identical image of Ryou cane from inside his sennen ring. He was ghostly; almost transparent. "I like this body of ours…I will make it my permanent home." He purred, leaning over Ryou and tilting his chin up; gazing at the wide, tearfilled eyes that stared back at him pleadingly.

"Please…I'll do whatever you ask. Just don't do this, not again. They're my friends! I want to live a normal life. I want to have normal friends!"

"You are a far cry from normal." Bakura murmured, though his expression flickered with interest. "Anything I ask of you, you say?" He straightened himself out, an arm wrapping around his waist as his other hand tapped a finger against his chin thoughtfully. "You may be of use to me after all."

Ryou's eyes widened as he felt a cold chill creep down his spine. He shuddered to think of what this spirit would want from him. He was ashamed to know Bakura could overpower him at any given time, push his own soul back and take complete control.

"Alright, little hikari. I may spare your friends…if you become my servant. Do as I say when I say it. No matter what it is. You will receive dire consequences should you defy me." Bakura's head cocked to a side, an evil and sadistic grin stretching across his lips. "Very dire consequences, indeed. Don't take me lightly. I protect this body of ours; and I expect your obedience in turn." He glanced at the door as he heard footsteps in the hall. "Ah…consider yourself lucky we came to this arrangement. Or else your new friends would be joining the others inside your little figurines." He disappeared into the ring again, though Bakura's voice was still heard, strictly by Ryou. "I warn you…if you say anything, or reveal my presence I will take over and slaughter them. I haven't sampled the simple pleasure in tasting blood in a very long time."

Ryou nodded dazedly, rising to his feet and wiping the tear stains from his eyes as he opened the door, having to forced a grin. But when he saw all of his new friends standing there with such eager and happy expressions, the smile became real. He had just saved them all. To what consequence he wasn't sure of yet, but he knew it would be worth it to know he would be able to see his friends everyday. Alive, well….and not in a comatose state.