A TRAIN OF THOUGHTS

Elenion: Obviously, I don't own anything Yu-Gi-Oh related or any songs of Enya, so please don't sue me or anything... So for the responses to the reviews:

SilentAngel014- Well, I'm very honored that you like how I write. And that one line of Bakura's was actually an afterthought that I almost didn't put in, so I'm glad I did. And I'll second you on the Ryou&Serenity 4ever!

Elenion: Just a note- /these brackets/ mean talking via the yami/hikari link. Okay... so let's continue with the story.

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CHAPTER 4: Protecting You From Myself

Two smooth hands patiently let the stream water wash away the dirt and leaves. The gurgling of the stream was calming the delicate auburn-headed girl as she attempted to clean off the evidence of two days out in the wilderness. Despite the fact that four potential murderers might be out looking for them, Serenity was feeling somewhat better than she had a few hours before.

Reflecting silently on it, she knew this was because they had finally stopped to rest. She had been worried about Bakura. Afterall, he was obviously hurt and yet he still was determined to carry her so she wouldn't stumble. However, he was also sensible and knew that he couldn't keep going forever. This stream had presented a welcome ideal spot to rest.

There was no doubt that she admired him. He wasn't largely built, but his muscles were healthy and well toned. He also had a sharp, analytical head on his shoulders, which was much more than most people his age could say. And he was agile. Serenity bit her lip. Maybe it was just insecurities, but she couldn't ever just tell him that she thought he was one of the most amazing people she'd ever met.

As much as they both had wanted a fire (who wouldn't if they were soaked to the bone), they both knew that a fire was a sure way to attract unwelcome guests. Therefore, they'd opted against it. They had focused on the more pressing needs- their own scrapes and bruises.

"It feels like we just did this..." she had whispered sadly.

Bakura had just gazed at her. "We did."

But not all was lost. Even as they both felt déjà vu as they tenderly cleaned each other's wounds, they realized that Bakura still had stolen food in his jacket pockets.

In all the commotion, neither of them had realized just how hungry they had become, and they both ate gratefully. So Serenity thus had plenty of cause to feel better. Who wouldn't after eating for the first time in two days?

The brook was cool and Serenity watched the leaves flow through the ebbs of the current. It had seemed like an eternity, but the storm had finally decided to move on to terrorize a different valley- leaving destruction in its wake. It was the middle of the night, although neither of them knew what the precise time was. Clouds were still everywhere, but the light of the moon shown peacefully behind them.

Not far from the girl, the white-haired teen leaned against a gnarled tree gazing at the sky. He sighed wondering what on earth was to become of them. His forehead still ached every now and then- along with the rest of his body for that matter. With the combination of the formidable train wreck and the encounter with the four criminals, Bakura had really taken a beating. Yet strangely, he didn't regret it.

'Where did I suddenly get the impulse to take on those men?' Bakura couldn't help wondering. He'd never hurt anyone in his life. He was the shy, polite boy who was always there to lend a hand like any loyal friend would. 'But I have always tried to protect my friends too- especially from my yami...I've always distanced myself, because I've been afraid that he might hurt them. Serenity, Fates know I don't deserve you, but I promised I'd protect you.' Yes- it dawned. Serenity had been the reason for his sudden bravery. She was his light- someone who meant more to him than his own life... 'And I will.'

But it wasn't a one-way street. Serenity was worried about Bakura. She had felt so guilty when she seen the hideous knife-gash on his arm. 'What did they do to you, Bakura? Why did you suffer for me? He's lost a lot of blood. And then he carried me with that arm. Oh gods...'

Their jackets now hung from tree branches in an attempt to dry them. Now that the rain had stopped along with the storm's wind, there air was not as chilled as it had been.

Bakura turned his gaze to watch Serenity's graceful movements as she allowed the stream's water to trickle through her hands. There were so many things that he wished he could tell her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Even he knew that he could be insecure at times, and this being no exception. He tried to convince himself that he had nothing to tell her- not until he himself figured out his own feelings at any rate. He'd never felt such a thrill whenever he looked at someone before... or when someone laughed with him... It was as if there was an electric quality to the air.

Unsure as he was, the silver-haired boy stepped towards her and hesitantly kneeled next to the girl by the stream. He ran a hand through his white hair absently and looked at his own reflection silently.

"How did you do it?"

Bakura looked at the innocently beautiful girl next to him. "Do what?"

"Get them to leave us alone."

The British teen just shook his head grimly. "I, myself, did very little. It was mostly them and their greed that caused them to destroy each other."

"Weren't you afraid?" Serenity looked at Bakura as if she might cry.

Bakura thought for a moment. It was hard to say. The whole experience had been something so new to him that he could hardly comprehend what had happened. His only concern had been Serenity- his own safety had never been an issue so fear had never really entered the picture. "I'm not sure," he answered truthfully.

Serenity choked on her words as a few tears came trickling down her soft cheeks, "You could have gotten hurt even worse than you are or even... even killed!"

'What did I do right to deserve the care of an angel?' Bakura thought amazed, then he gently used his fingers to wipe away the tears. "I could say the same for you, love. You were in just as much danger as I was."

The redhead just nodded, her tears ceasing. 'I'm just so worried about him.'

Bakura's head snapped up at the sound of a branch snapping. They weren't out of the woods yet so to speak. Any noise or movement could represent a grave danger.

Serenity looked at him knowing what he was thinking. Gently but firmly, his arm took her shoulder and pushed her down to the ground. "Stay down," he whispered.

A strange thought came into Serenity's head at that moment. 'Is it me that's worried about him or him that's worried about me?'

Bakura's heart was pounding slightly as he followed his senses to the cracked branch. Perpetually, he was forced to fight the impulse to keep glancing at the petite girl to reassure himself that she was all right. He kept going swiftly through the trees following instinct and a hunch. Two eyes peered at him through the darkness and he immediately froze in place. Every muscle on his body pulsed with energy and his entire body tensed.

The eyes narrowed and came closer...

A low chuckle escaped Bakura's lips. A raccoon. "I should have known that there would be a number of false alarms."

Turning and shaking his head in slight disbelief, Bakura retraced his steps toward the stream. His thoughts turned to the girl waiting for him and a thrill tingled in his mind, when he gasped from shock.

His millennium ring had appeared on the outside of his shirt where it had been hidden beneath it. In disbelief, his hand moved to his millennium ring, which was about his neck.

"Oh no..." His other hand clutched his forehead as if he was in severe pain. Everything seemed to be whirling before him. A grave dizziness had overtaken him.

A recognizable surge rippled through his mind- both powerful and smug. There was a dark chuckle in the back of his mind.

/Not now, yami. Oh please, just not now.../

Feeling helpless, Bakura knew he had never been able to overthrow his yami before. It had taken months to recognize the signs that he was being overthrown by the spirit of the millennium ring, but he still could not exercise control. The moment that Bakura had first been given the ring was one of the disastrous turning points of his life. If there was one thing he could go back and change in his life, it would be accepting the ring from his father. Wishing didn't help him, however.

The dark voice he'd come to know entered Bakura's mind: /Stop struggling, hikari. There's nothing you can do./

There was another aching surge through Bakura's mind. The combination of the train wreck on his physical body and the constant anxiety about how he and Serenity could survive were enough to weaken Bakura enough for his yami to take control fairly easily. No amount of fighting had ever been able to prevent it before.

Ryou Bakura was overcome, although he fought his yami the entire way before he was locked in his yami's soul room.

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Serenity lifted her head slightly, rotating her head slowly in an attempt to catch a glimpse of Bakura. A mental struggle was going on in her mind. He had told her to stay where she was, but if something was wrong what if he needed her help? But then, if something was wrong, wouldn't she have known by now?

Undecided, she took a breath. "Bakura?" Where had he gone?

'Oh gods, what if something happened to him?' Serenity bit her lip in anxiety completely unaware that something was indeed wrong but not quite in the way that she had anticipated. 'That's it. I can't keep waiting like this. I'm going to look for him.'

Putting on a brave face, Serenity clenched her fists and pushed herself up on her elbows. Her abdomen and head were dully throbbing, but she ignored them. She drew her knees up beneath her so that she could effectively kneel. From there, she hesitated. Again the poor girl was at a crossroads. 'What if he comes back here looking for me?'

Movement from among the trees...

Serenity froze. Her eyes widened, but she didn't cry out.

There was the silhouette of a person among the trees. It was too dark to see the features, but the movements were precise and calculated. Serenity's first thought was of Bakura, but the way he moved was wrong. It couldn't possibly be him.

Petrified, Serenity couldn't move.

The figure moved closer towards the stream. Its movements were obviously masculine and an image of her father popped into Serenity's mind, but she quickly dismissed it. This person wasn't stocky as he was.

The frightened girl held her breath. She realized that in this kneeling position she would be easily spotted, but there was nothing that she could do now. Movement would just be worse.

The man was moving as if he was a tiger patiently stalking its prey- both ethereal and calculated. Although Serenity was all but psychic, it seemed like this person was radiating a dark aura; it was dark even compared to the night air beneath the trees.

It was then that the clouds separated allowing the moonlight to peak its head through the overhanging trees. But now Serenity wished fervently that it would go away. She felt like there was a spotlight shining right upon her head, and she began to panic.

Finally, the stranger stepped out of the trees...

It all happened in a moment. White hair, brown eyes... Serenity was frozen in amazement and disbelief...

Bakura.

And yet, it wasn't Bakura. Dark... The pure aura the British boy carried was dark. Those brown eyes were cold. Murderer's eyes... All the soft edges of his face were chiseled and sharp. He seemed taller, or perhaps it was just the way he carried himself. The usually beautiful silver hue of his hair had become grim, losing its shine.

It wasn't Bakura. It couldn't be.

Serenity gasped in horror as the cold eyes focused on hers. As a reflex, she closed them tightly.

'This is just a bad dream. I will wake up and find Bakura sleeping next to me, and he won't be changed at all.'

But if that was true, then why could she still feel the lingering presence of those dark eyes staring at her. Serenity couldn't breathe. It was like a nightmare. Maybe she hadn't seen it right, and it had all been a figment of her imagination... But she couldn't bring herself to reopen her eyes. It was too much for her to see him again.

She could hear him moving steadily towards her in that cunning manner that resembled a predator. Then it stopped. The rather pretty girl couldn't sense what was happening, but if she had, she would have seen this strange Bakura grasping his forehead as if he was in pain with a look of cruel disbelief written across his face.

The air was so tense. Everything seemed to be depending on this one moment, and Serenity wished that she had the inner strength to open her eyes so that she could better understand what was happening. There was something Joey had said once about Bakura, but she couldn't quite remember what...

Now something had changed. Serenity could feel it.

Strong fingers curled around hers. Serenity jumped slightly, of course fearing the worst. Her scared eyes snapped open, and she looked at her hand with surprise. Bakura's hand held hers as if it was fragile and might break at any moment.

"Serenity?"

Serenity lifted her head and gazed into his eyes. They were weary- as if he'd fought a monster against all odds- but they were soft and sparkling.

'So I was imagining things...'

Her slender fingers on her free hand touched his face wanting to confirm that he wasn't some illusion, a figment of her mind. She was still a bit unraveled, and her eyes were still wide with lingering disbelief. 'Please be real. Oh, please be real.' Serenity looked into the face she'd become so familiar with and slowly felt wonderful relief come pounding down into her heart.

She ran her fingers over his cheek, which no longer seemed harsh and angular. Calming down now, Serenity sighed and just stared at him.

Then she seemed to realize that her hand remained on his face. Embarrassed, she jerked her hand back and turned her head to the side so he couldn't see her blush. Swallowing, she closed her eyes tightly wishing she hadn't done something so stupid. Of course it had been Bakura. In her anxiety, she had just imagined something awful like that. Like when she'd imagined that the criminal attacking her was her father.

The white-haired British teen stared at her. That hand on his face had been so soft and gentle. Mixed with the intoxicating feeling he got when he was around her, it was a feeling he'd never really felt before. Gently, he squeezed the hand he was still caressing reassuringly. He was so tired... But there was also a strange sense of triumph. Somehow, he'd been able to reclaim his consciousness from his dark avatar.

Serenity looked at him again with wonder in her captivating eyes. Then everything came back to normal for her. As she usually did, she smiled. "I had a weird dream while you were gone."

Bakura smiled back haltingly. "Of what?"

She just shook her head. "Something that I'm sure will never really happen."

The British boy gave her a quizzical look, but he didn't pursue it. He was so exhausted now that it didn't seem to matter. Somehow he wasn't able to grasp what it was that she had "dreamed".

Seeing the way he was struggling to remain alert, Serenity smiled sympathetically. She had gotten some sleep in that cavern while he hadn't... "Why don't you get some sleep?"

"What about you?"

She giggled. "I'd really like to rinse my hair out. I'll be fine." She peered at him suddenly concerned. "And you look exhausted, you poor thing."

Suddenly, his eyes sparkled playfully. "Indeed. Protecting an angel isn't easy, don't you know."

Serenity's mouth opened in a small "o" of surprise. 'Did he- Was I imagining things? Did he just call me an-' "Angel?" She had never blushed so heatedly in her life.

"What else could I possibly compare you with?" Bakura's eyes were gleaming flirtatiously despite the exhaustion that was now plaguing his mind like a disease.

"Well, what does a hero like yourself want with a damsel-in-distress angel like me?" Serenity finally snapped out of her reverie and giggle helplessly.

It was Bakura's turn to blush. "Now, wait a minute, love. That's uncalled for. I'm no hero."

"Oh? What are you then?" Serenity squeezed his hand gleefully.

Bakura saw an evil opportunity- and took it. "I..." he smiled winningly, "am a water spirit."

This threw her into confusion. "A water spi-"

There was no opportunity to finish as Bakura tackled the petite girl into the water. The stream was only a few feet deep, but it was sufficient enough for them both to become completely soaked as they plunged to its bottom and came shooting back to the surface. They were both laughing good-naturedly, forgetting their grave circumstances for the moment.

"A water spirit?" Serenity giggled as they both kneeled before each other in the water. Her auburn hair was spreading out in the water, and mixing that with the glowing moonlight gave her an elfin appearance.

The silver-haired boy just smiled in response. He'd made her laugh, and that was all that mattered. But now the realization of how closely his yami had come to her made Bakura become grim. A pounding headache from his mental fight hit home. "I think I'd better..."

"Get some sleep?" Serenity finished helpfully. "I tried to tell you earlier, but noooo... you didn't listen." She flashed him a heartwarming smile. "You go ahead. While I'm here, I might as well rinse my hair."

Bakura nodded gratefully and sloshed out of the water. It seemed like he'd never be dry again what with the storm that only recently passed on and his sudden decision to send him and Serenity tumbling into the stream. He leaned his back up against a gnarled tree and gazed at the moon. Closing his eyes, he let his mind wander. He found few thoughts to comfort him, and he sank deeper and deeper into an abysmal depression.

'Yami came so close to Serenity. If he hurt her, I'd never forgive myself.'

/Hikari.../

It was faint, but he heard his yami speaking to him. His thoughts became deeper and suddenly he was standing in his yami's soul room. Bakura was standing before the man who was so like him- and yet, so unlike. Upon first glance, they might be mistaken for the same person, but they were truly opposites in spirit. They were two sides of the same coin- a yin-yang if you will.

Yami Bakura glared intensely at the spirit of his host. Never before had his lighter side been able to overthrow him, and he didn't like this loss of power. But something in his hikari had changed... Somehow, he'd grown livelier, more determined, braver...

Ryou Bakura stared back at his darker self. He was surprised that his yami wanted to talk to him. Afterall, he rarely had before.

/Where did you get power like that?/

Bakura shook his head, honestly not knowing. /I don't know, yami./

Yami Bakura growled and remained glaring at his softer counterpart.

/I've never been able to reclaim myself before.../ This was Bakura's turn to be angry. /But I've wished many times that I could have./

It was true. Yami Bakura had sent his hikari on a trip to the fires of hell and back. He'd made the already shy Ryou Bakura afraid to associate with others for fear of hurting them. He'd hurt his hikari in every way possible: physically, emotionally, and mentally. He'd kept Ryou from developing relationships like other kids his age... He'd unjustly made Ryou grow up beyond his years, and his hikari knew all this.

/I want my life back, yami. I just want to be myself./

Yami Bakura snarled at his hikari evilly. /Why should I do all that you ask?/ His chilling voice could have frozen the ocean over.

/All I want is to live my own life. Why is that so hard?/ Bakura was gritting his teeth as he watched the spirit who'd taken his life mulling all this over in his evil mind.

Something in Bakura's response sent a cold smirk onto the tombrobber's pale face. /It's that girl, isn't it hikari?/

Bakura's eyes hardened at the smug tone his yami was using. His yami might have hurt her, and, yes, that had been his motivation to regain control...

/You want your life back so that you can be with that girl./ Yami Bakura threw back his head and roared with sinister laughter. /So that's what spurred on that sudden fight... I must admit, that fight was highly amusing. I never thought I'd see the day when my hikari actually picked a fight with someone.../ Again he laughed. /She is beautiful, eh, hikari?/

Ryou Bakura felt vengeful tears pool in his eyes but he refused to let them get the better of him. His yami had taken away from him his freedom and hurt almost all he cared about... There was no way he'd let him hurt Serenity.

Yami Bakura's keen eyes stared into Ryou's as if they were searching his very soul. From the look on his hikari's face, it was plain that he did care about her. And his hikari also knew that getting close to anyone was dangerous... /She really is one of the sweetest little girls I've ever seen.../

/Don't you talk about Serenity as if she's just a toy./ Ryou Bakura hissed protectively.

Yami Bakura chuckled again. /You're so soft, aibou. This "sweet" courting of yours is pathetic./

Ryou Bakura felt heat rise to his face. How had his yami been able to see all of this so easily and state it so coldly?

/You and your idealistic beliefs make me sick./ Yami Bakura practically spat the words out, and then he smirked once more. /Let me guess, you love her, am I right?/

Ryou's face paled. He never thought he'd be able to love someone. He'd sworn to never let his yami hurt anyone, and to do that, he had to distance himself. But now there was Serenity... Somehow, he'd never admitted to himself that he loved her, but it all fit. It just felt right.

/You fool!/ Yami Bakura hissed amused nevertheless. /It's all an illusion. It will be my pleasure to make you see that.../ He smirked then.

/Don't you dare hurt her.../

Yami Bakura adored this little game he was playing with his host. /Is that what you're so worried about? Don't worry, aibou... I wouldn't hurt her./ Yet.

There was no trust in Ryou Bakura's eyes. He had never trusted his darker counterpart, and he doubted that he ever would. Those eyes were so filled with lies and deceit. He felt as though he was being toyed with, and he didn't like it at all. About to say something, Bakura was cut off when his yami gave him a stern look and hissed at him.

Then Bakura was sent out of his yami's soul room. Whatever it was his yami was up to, Bakura swore to himself that he'd put an end to it.

Bakura's mind drifted back to the waking world. 'I promised you, Serenity, that I would protect you. I will, even if it means protecting you from myself.'

A beautiful voice was singing sweetly as Bakura woke from his strange sleep. He recognized the words as an Enya song, and he let the melody pour over him.

"Who can say

Where the road goes

Where the day flows

Only time"

Bakura slowly opened his eyes to see the beautiful girl kneeling by the stream. Serenity's hair had been braided and tied in a knot at the end. She was still soaked, and her hair was sending little rivulets of water trickling down her back. Her voice was so captivating... Just like everything about her.

"And who can say

If your love grows

As your heart chose

Only time"

Innocently, Serenity turned her head around, and Bakura immediately shut his eyes so that she thought he was asleep. Straining his ears, he could hear her movements. Her footsteps came towards him, and the teen held his breath.

Serenity had forgotten the inexplicable change in Bakura that she had seen. Her optimism had nearly erased it from her memory and she had further dismissed it as being a weird twist from her overly-exhausted mind. She smiled down at Bakura's apparently sleeping form. He seemed so peaceful in his sleep. Like that, he looked like a fallen archangel absorbing the moonlight. She sat and leaned against the tree next to Bakura. Her mind was going haywire. All her emotions that she'd tried to hide were whirling around her chest so fast that she could scarcely breathe.

Taking down her now-dry jacket from the tree, she took out a plastic-encased Duel Monsters card. It was the only one she owned, but it meant the world to her. Joey had given it to her for her 16th birthday. It was a Mystical Elf card. He said that it reminded him of her.

Joey... She missed him, but there was something inside her that was screaming something else at her. Slowly, she put the card back in her jacket pocket.

Unsure of herself, she whispered to the white-haired boy whom she assumed was asleep. "Something really hit home just now... Even if we do get back home to all our families and friends, we're still going to have to leave one another. And at first, this didn't bother me because I thought that we were just friends and would be able to see each at school and on weekends with everyone else. But now, I realized that every moment that I spend away from you is one of the longest moments of my life." She stared at his handsome unmoving face watching the wind blow his feathery hair in ethereal movements. Leaning over, Serenity brushed away his bangs and suddenly kissed his forehead. "Sweet dreams, Bakura."

The innocent beauty closed her eyes and fell into her own dreams quickly. Her breath came slowly and evenly. Truly, at that moment, Serenity was embodying her name.

Slowly, Bakura opened his eyes in wonder. "Sweet dreams to you too, Serenity..."

He would make sure that his yami would never hurt her, even if that meant that he himself might have to suffer for it.

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Mrs. Desato's voice went in one ear and out of the other of a certain Joey Wheeler. History had never been his favorite subject, but it wasn't just his dislike for- in his opinion- useless dates and facts that kept him from concentrating... The blonde teen sighed audibly, not even seeing the notes that the teacher was scribbling on the blackboard as she lectured. His yellow pencil was still in his hand, but the sheet of paper before him only had his name and the date.

It was the first day of school of the year... and his sister was missing. Nearly dying of anxiety, Joey had stayed awake all night long waiting to hear the phone ring. His friends had tried to cheer him up, saying things like Mai had... It probably was just some technical problem... Maybe the conductor had just stopped to avoid the weather... Whatever the cause, neither Serenity Wheeler nor Ryou Bakura were present at their own "Welcome Home" party. The gang had decided to postpone the party until the actual return of their friends, and, instead, they had gone their separate ways in hopes of a good night's sleep.

"Joseph Wheeler!"

Joey's head snapped up to see Mrs. Desato glaring at him through her saucer-sized glasses. "Wha'?"

The teacher made a sound deep in her throat that resembled a growl. She absolutely hated incompetence... but this was the first day of the year for goodness sake! What was this boy thinking? From the bags under his eyes, she could tell he'd stayed up all night, and she despised him for it. "I was reviewing last year's history with the class so that we're all on the same page. And I asked you which of Rome's emperors was..."

The rest of her question just sounded like "blah blah blah" to Joey, and he was eternally thankful to his pal Yugi for scribbling the answer on a piece of paper and inconspicuously showing it to Joey.

"Er... Augustus."

Mrs. Desato ground her teeth together, before snapping, "Yes, that is correct." She gave him a look that plainly said- 'I'm keeping my eye on you.' When she turned back to her blackboard, Joey flashed Yugi the "V" for Victory sign, as he tried to smile.

Joey's brown eyes wandered down to his hand, which was holding a rather beat up picture. He swallowed as he stared at the picture of Serenity and himself both flashing his signature "V" sign at the camera. It had been taken at his last birthday party, which could easily be surmised by all the confetti in their hair. Tea had gone a little overboard with the decorations that time...

Forlornly, Joey stared at his sister, who was smiling winningly at the camera with one arm resting on her big brother's shoulders. He wondered if she still had that Mystical Elf card he'd given her. Once more, he sighed. The blonde boy just knew that if anything ever happened to his little sister, he'd lose a large part of himself...

It was at that moment that a secretary carefully opened the classroom door and entered. Obviously, she was nervous, and she was twirling a strand of bleached blonde hair between her fingers. When she spoke, her voice was nasal and annoying:

"Sorry for interrupting, but I'm looking for a Mr. Joseph Wheeler."

Mrs. Dasato gave Joey a death glared, thinking perhaps that it was his fault that her class had gotten interrupted. "What do you need him for?"

Joey just sat in his seat in bewilderment, a bad feeling stirring in his gut.

"Well, he received a call from the train station..."

"What did they say?" Joey leapt to his feet, heart pounding. He no longer cared what that Dasato-bitch thought of him.

The blonde secretary bit her lip and said in a low voice. "Well, they-uh- they told me to just turn on the TV..." She walked over to the classroom television, and flipped it on to the morning news.

The entire classroom froze in shock, staring in complete and utter horror at the television.

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Elenion: Please tell me how I'm doing! Criticism is what makes the writer write!