He didn't go to the police like he was told to. Joey pretended, so to stop questions, that he was in shock. It worked, and they forced him to sit in the ambulance with his dad, but he didn't get far. As soon as they pulled up at the hospital, the white plain flashed in his mind.

Next thing he knew the molten flames were surrounding him and the medic who had been following the stretcher with his dad. He had stared in actual shock, afraid. He was causing these flames. But how?

The medic's coat was in flames. The flames were giving off black ash, while golden embers set more of the ambulance on fire. Joey's senses came back when he heard sirens.

Without thinking, he jumped out of the vehicle and ran. His dad was fine and they had doctors on sight.

He just had to get somewhere safe.

When he slowed, he found himself in the old part of Domino. He knew many gangs hung around here, but he also knew certain areas that not even Hirutani's gang ventured.

He slipped through the broken gate of an old school. It was burnt and broken, eroding with age. The rumour was a fire. Uncontrollable with many deaths. Apparently the school was haunted.

Right now Joey wasn't scared of ghosts. He had bigger problems.

He found himself in a classroom. Just an old classroom with a few desks and a chalkboard. He laughed a little at that. This place must be old to have a chalkboard.

"Well I didn't expect you to be here."

He turned quickly, the plain flashing in his sight again. But it disappeared quicker this time.

Joey saw the dark red flames in front of him. They were just sitting there, letting off the black and gold. He looked up to see Kaiba and Ryou, both eyeing the flames. Kaiba showed no emotion but Ryou had a small fear in her eyes.

"Alright…" Ryou whispered while slowly stepping around the flames. They flared a little, making her flinch, but they didn't move. "How about we work on that before the questions."

Joey couldn't speak, his mind half fogged. He wasn't sure what was going on anymore. He was tired, numb and feeling partially sick.

"Kaiba," Ryou again, "there's a fire extinguisher over there. Can you put it out?"

The CEO grunted and next thing Joey knew the flames were slowly dying from white foam. For some reason that made him feel sicker. He sat down to stop the dizziness coming on.

Once the flames were completely gone, Ryou sat next to him. She hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you too tired to speak or…?"

Joey shook his head and managed to whisper, "What is going on?"

He looked at her and she immediately avoided his gaze. Ryou sighed softly before sitting back, leaning on her hands for support.

"It's many things. Are you sure you can handle it? I mean, you look like you're going to vomit."

Joey felt like doing just that.

"If I don't find out now…" he muttered, "then I'm going to have dreams. I…" he could already see the white fog that started the plain, "I don't want to dream…"

Ryou sighed and he felt her look up.

"Are you going to stay or do you have to leave?"

Joey glanced up to see Kaiba come off the wall and sit near them.

"I need to rest my foot," he muttered but they both knew he just wanted information.

"Ok…" Ryou sat properly, crossing her legs. "So you know how we have that Egyptian life? Well there are more. Full of magic. I've only gone back two lives but, there might be more."

Lives? Multiple lives with magic? Joey knew he should be freaking out but his mind was so numb from the obvious fire magic, he said nothing.

"Diabound is only a small part of my magic," Ryou continued. "It is from my life as Thief King Bakura. But I have another life, with the both of you surprisingly, where I was born a dragon prince. I had dark magic. Dark Water, I think they called it."

"They?" Kaiba questioned.

Ryou shrugged.

"Creatures from that time. Not important." Joey felt her eyes shift to him. "I'm not completely sure what life this magic stems from, but I feel it is a combination. Your fire magic from Jonouchi's life mixed with Niythra's Red Eyes Black Dragon ka. It is powerful, Joey, and I don't know why you are the first to break from the human shell."

Joey glanced at her. All the names and titles went over his head. All he got was powerful, don't know, magic and human shell.

"I'm going to sleep," he muttered before lying down.

Maybe the dreams would be more helpful…


It didn't take long for the mutt to fall asleep. Only a few seconds and he was out, snoring softly.

Kaiba glanced at the girl across from him, who was watching Wheeler with a small concern. He waited until she looked at him to speak. He still didn't trust her. All this talk of past lives was worse than Yugi's rambling of magic.

Yet, it was all real…

"So how is your foot?"

Kaiba didn't expect Ryou to speak before him. He glanced at her with a bit more attention. His foot was aching but that would be from the movement.

"Fine," he muttered, looking away.

"…Am I allowed to see it?"

Kaiba looked at her now, surprised she'd even ask that. She was too comfortable, he realised. Too confident around him.

"No," he said coldly.

Ryou seemed to teeter on the edge of asking again but she sighed and stood, walking to a broken window instead. Kaiba didn't move, knowing he wouldn't be able to walk if he did. He probably should check the injury, but then that would allow Ryou to see it.

"Why is there a place like this?" she asked from the broken window, not looking at him. "You'd think the government would destroy something like this."

"You'd think," Kaiba muttered, glancing at her. "But they don't for…supernatural reasons."

Ryou glanced at him then, curious.

"Supernatural? Is there actually some sort of ghost here?"

Kaiba shrugged. He didn't care for magic but he knew the rumours.

"In a way. Just fears and all that make it stronger."

She nodded mutely before turning back to him. She leaned against the wall.

"So any magic in your life at the moment?"

Kaiba didn't say anything at first. Could the blue on his foot count as magic? The dreams did, but not like Wheeler…

"Not that I know of," he answered.

Ryou watched him a few moments, making the CEO uncomfortable. Eventually she looked away, deciding standing was tiring, and came back to sit. Kaiba shifted away as she sat next to him.

"Let me see your foot." She didn't give him time to answer with his usual no. "Do it or I'll call Diabound."

Kaiba paused. He glared at her, saying, "Didn't you say it wasn't listening?"

Ryou froze then, making Kaiba smirk. She huffed and looked away, white hair nearly smacking him as she turned.

"Why won't you let me look?" Her voice held a little emotion he hadn't heard. "You know I'm the only one who can help with magic. Something must be happening, for you are even more protective."

Kaiba stared, surprised she had picked up on that already. Observant. Like a thief.

He sighed softly, wondering if he should just let her see. He didn't trust her, but he knew she was the only one who would know what to do. Plus the pain was nearing unbearable, despite how hard he tried to ignore it. Mokuba would start nagging him soon...

"Fine," he eventually gritted out, making her turn back to him in honest shock. "But be quick. It pains me to let you, of all people, to see."

Ryou rolled her eyes and waited for him to take his boot off. Kaiba did so in a slow manner, annoyed he had to do this. If he had said no, she would just pressure him.

Slipping his black boot off, he placed it next to him. He then took his sock off and he heard her wince.

"Good thing I caught you now…" she whispered as she sat in front of him instead. She practically took his foot into her lap, making him nearly fall on his back. He glared at her but she gave him no attention. "I can still get rid of the poison."

He froze. What?

"You let your demon poison me?!"

"Shh!" Ryou cast a wary look at Wheeler, who only mumbled in his sleep and rolled over. "Be quiet you egotistical idiot!" she hissed in a tone that made Kaiba go cold. "If we wake him we'll have to deal with the wrath of multiple corrupted spirits. And trust me, you don't want that." The certainty in her eyes stopped Kaiba from arguing any further. He only nodded, letting his eyes drop to his foot.

"So?" he whispered. "Did your demon do it?"

"Hmm…" She shook her head after some inspection. "No. Diabound doesn't resort to venom unless it's dire. And even then, it grabbed you, not bite you."

Kaiba shivered as her ice-cold hands ran over the soft glowing blue veins. They covered most of his foot now.

"I can get rid of it, as I said." She placed his foot on the ground again, making him somewhat relax. "But you'll have to be quiet and expect some layer of pain."

Kaiba frowned. He still didn't trust her…but he wasn't a fan of dying either. Ryou would know how to fix it, he guessed. But how painful was the main question.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" he asked slowly.

Ryou gave him a half annoyed half unimpressed look.

"Really?" She rolled her eyes. "As much as I don't like you, Mr. Kaiba, I don't want you to die. And I know he doesn't either."

She inclined her head to the sleeping time bomb. Kaiba only grunted and looked away.

"Fine, but be quick."

Ryou had the nerve to chuckle.

"I will be as quick as I can."

Kaiba watched her place her hands on the ground. The room felt colder and he shivered. Suddenly something slimy wrapped around his wrists.

Jumping, the CEO looked down to find shadows holding his arms to the ground. He went to question the girl when another shadow wrapped around his mouth, gagging him. He growled and glared at the albino, but she didn't look at him.

Ryou moved to her knees. More shadows wrapped around his legs, holding them still. He was starting to get the feeling this was going to be worse than he had originally thought.

"Now Kaiba," she glanced at him then, eyes dark blue, "I suggest you bite down on that shadow. It will hurt and if you make any loud sound, it will wake Joey. So, try to be as quiet as possible."

Kaiba didn't like the somewhat sadistic smile that crossed her face. In a second, a shadow blade was in her hands and Kaiba's eyes widened. She was going to stab him? How did that help?

Ryou brought the blade down quickly. A startled and pained scream tried to come out of the usually composed CEO, but it was muffled and cut short by his own biting of the shadows. They were surprisingly tough.

Kaiba chanced a look at his foot and wished he hadn't. A small groan escaped him as the pain intensified. Seems that thought was right. Never look at the source of pain; it becomes a hundred times worse.

Thick red blood poured from the middle of his foot, where she had pressed the dagger into. It bled and pooled around his feet and her legs. Ryou's hands had a small blood splatter but that was it. She however, had sat back and was watching the blood with a mild curiosity. But Kaiba didn't miss the tiny disgust in her eyes.

"That should get the toxins out. And to answer the question probably growing in your mind, you won't die of blood loss. I made sure to avoid a vital vein and my shadows will slowly heal it as the night grows. It should be healed and movable by morning."

Kaiba had no choice but to nod.

"I'm going to let you go now." Her shadows started to recede as she spoke. "Do not yell at me or move too much. It will make it worse."

The gag disappeared and he spoke his answer.

"You could have at least told me," he growled, rubbing an eye for he had felt tears pricking at it. "My whole foot is burning."

"I figured," she muttered, laying on the ground. "Now go to sleep. You can't move until morning and we have to look after Joey. So, goodnight Mr. Kaiba."

Kaiba only grunted in answer and lay opposite her. It was going to be a long, painful, night.