Author's note: I had more time and ideas than I expected so I hope everyone is pleased to have another chapter so soon. I hope it is to your liking. I am always up for feedback if you dislike the direction of the story. I can't promise to follow the reviews, but there's no sense in uploading this if everyone has lost interest, right?

"How long do you plan on following me?" Yami demanded after he had walked several blocks with Hotaru trailing behind him. The girl in question quickly looked up from her study of the snow and smiled at him. "I now lost. Yami-sama fault." She replied with another smile as she raised her eyes to the sky. "Japan snow so pretty. England too much. Not special day after day." Yami frowned at her conversation change and sighed, his breath forming a small cloud in front of his face.

"Aren't you scared of me? Shouldn't you go home?" He questioned, stopping a couple of feet away from her. Hotaru smiled once more and shook her head. "No scary now. Now lost, Yami-sama. I not to know this part." A moment passed and that grin faded slightly. "I to annoy? Yami-sama want leave?" Her voice was a little quiet now as she stuck her hands back into the pockets of her black coat. At her tone, he sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. "You are so dumb." He mumbled before taking a few steps towards her. "Your apartment is two blocks that way." He told her, pointing his finger west.

Hotaru looked at him for a moment, her eyes searching his. Finally, her shoulders slumped and she lowered her head, an embarrassed expression on her face. "Sorry, Yami-sama. No mean to bother." With her head bowed, she walked quickly past him without another word. Yami watched her go while feeling the ice in his chest expand painfully. Damn it, don't look like a fucking kicked kitten! Stupid girl! Against his better judgment, he caught up with her and wrapped his hand around her elbow. She turned back to him with startled eyes that mirrored the panic he felt inside. What the fuck am I doing now? I should have let her leave! That would have been so easy! "Was there somewhere you wanted to go? Bakura never did show you around properly, did he?" Yami asked, annoyed that the ice in his chest was shrinking at the hope shining on her face.

"Really, Yami-sama? Yami-sama to show?" Hotaru's voice betrayed her excitement as she clasped his hand in both of hers. He cleared his throat again and shrugged, forcing a nonchalant appearance to his face. "I have nothing better to do anyways. You're rare hunter bait, so maybe something exciting will happen." He said as he quickly freed his hand. What am I doing? Why did I agree to go anywhere with this wretch? "Ra, I'm such a fool.." He murmured aloud, ignoring the confused look Hotaru gave him. "Well? I don't have all day. Was there somewhere in this boring town you wanted to see?" Yami demanded after a moment, crossing his arms and glaring down at her.

Undeterred, Hotaru beamed and nodded once. "Yes, Yami-sama! Art picture building please to see?" Yami frowned at her Japanese but shrugged and began walking anyways. "There are not too many museums in this city. Don't get all excited over something so small." He told her as he strode down the sidewalk without a glance back at her. With another smile on her face and her hands in her pockets, Hotaru followed after him. As they walked, Yami cleared his throat again and glowered at the snow. On top of putting myself in a stupid situation, it's fucking cold out. Why in the hell did my soul have to wind up here of all places? There ain't nothing wrong with places that don't fucking snow.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud chirping noise behind him. Whirling around, Yami raised an eye brow as he watched Hotaru fumble in her coat pockets until she finally produced a small silver cell phone. With an apologetic smile in his direction, she flipped open the phone and held it to her ear. Before she could say a word, even Yami could hear the loud and angry male voice yelling at her through the line. "Ah…Setou, I'm sorry. I went out today since there wasn't anything to do at my apartment." Hotaru answered, her English words lost on Yami. Damn girl, she learned that language well enough. Couldn't she learn Japanese any faster? The Ancient Spirit thought as he watched her facial expressions. Even though Bakura had a decent grasp on English and through him, Yami did as well, Hotaru was speaking too quickly and too fluently for him to keep up. But it didn't take a genius to understand that she was both apologizing and arguing with whoever was on the other line.

"I didn't come to Japan to sit my room all day! I'm allowed to go out and have some fun now and then." Her voice rose slightly and she had placed her hand on her hip. Standing there in the cold and watching her become upset, Yami felt himself growing more and more irritated. Who the hell is she talking to? What are they saying to upset her? He waited a couple more minutes before he walked over to her and snatched her phone from her hands. Ignoring her protests, he placed the phone to his ear and cleared his throat before speaking. "What the fuck do you want?" He stated, satisfied to hear the line become absolutely silent for a minute. "Why the hell are you with her? Where is she?" The voice demanded, sounding incredibly familiar. A second passed before Yami realized who he was talking to and a sneer formed on his face at the presented opportunity. "Ah, Kaiba. You're awfully worked up for one little girl. Tell me, how important is she to you?"

Hotaru gasped at his tone, unable to fully translate the sentence but recognizing the intentions in his voice. "Yami-sama, please, no do." She pleaded as she tried to reclaim her cellphone. With a sigh, Yami placed a hand on her head and pushed her away before turning his attention back to the phone. The cold must have affected him because he sighed again and when he spoke once more, his tone was flat. "She's in front of the convenience store two blocks south of the library. Hurry now, Kaiba. Wouldn't want her kidnapped again with no one to rescue her, would you?" With that said, he hung up the phone and handed it back to her. "Be quiet and wait here. Kaiba will pick you up soon." He told her as she just stared up at him. "Yami-sama, why?" She asked, lowering her gaze to the tips of her shoes. "I have something better to do today than babysit the likes of you. Now stay put." Without giving her time to reply, Yami turned and walked quickly away from her.

Just before he rounded the corner, Yami paused and glanced back at the girl. She was standing where he left her with her eyes still focused on the ground. The ice expanding painfully in his chest, Yami made himself continue walking. Why do I feel like this? I was able to get rid of her and rather easily. So why… Shaking his head, Yami pushed his hair away from his eyes. "I really should do something about her now…If it continues like this, killing her might become too messy later on. I should have done something the day Bakura took an interest in her." He said aloud, ignoring the startled looks from the passersby.

With the same thoughts swirling around in his head, Yami reached Bakura's apartment and gratefully climbed into the warm apartment. "If I can find a way to make this body permanent, I am definitely going somewhere warm." The Thief King mumbled as he sank into the blissfully warm couch. A glance at the clock on the wall told him Bakura wasn't due home for another hour or two, providing plenty of time to sleep and force his mind to stop dwelling on that inconvenient girl.

()()()()()

Before he had realized it, Yami had drifted into a deep sleep that lasted all the way until the next morning. Sitting up, he groaned as he felt the irritation in his throat and the pounding in his head. Son of a bitch…I feel like shit… He groaned again when he realized he was unable to focus clearly on the living room. "Agh, Bakura…Bakura, where do you keep the medical concoctions?" He strained to use his voice and when he tried to speak louder, he dissolved into a coughing fit. "Damn it all…Is this the fucking common cold people in this era are so prone to?" He mumbled as he dragged himself off the couch.

Staggering slightly, Yami managed to reach the bedroom by using the wall as a support. Upon finding the bedroom empty, he growled his frustration. What time is it? Where is that boy? Slowly making his way back to the living room, he nearly fell to see that he had managed to sleep the rest of the previous day, all through the night, only to awaken in this condition after the time Bakura would have left for school. "This would fucking happen…" The Ancient Spirit grumbled as he grabbed the phone. He stared at the device for a moment, trying to remember in his groggy state how to find a programmed number. A moment passed before he hit a series of keys, mildly satisfied to hear the ringing.

"Bakura, where are the medical supplies? I'm loathe to admit this but I seem to have caught a fever after spending so much time outside yesterday." Yami said as soon as the line picked up and before the other party could even say a word. "I blame you for this. If not for that damned girl, I wouldn't have been in the cold for so long." He turned to move back to the couch when suddenly the floor rushed up to meet him and his sight went black.

The next thing he knew, he was laying on something soft and warm but the pounding in his head hadn't diminished in the slightest. With a groan, Yami forced his eyes open and his body into a sitting position. Looking around, he raised an eyebrow to see that he was lying in Bakura's bed and was wearing a set of black pajamas. A half-filled bowl of soup was on the night stand near him, which he couldn't remember eating but still had the taste on his tongue. "How in the world…Bakura, are you home?" Yami wondered aloud before raising his voice. He could hear footsteps down the hall and abruptly a figure appeared in the doorway. He tried to sit up to better see the person but the world spun and his vision went black again before he could clearly see who was caring for him.

()()()()()()

Instead of drifting on into dreams, Yami found himself within the Millennium Ring, images from his past flying around him at a dizzying rate. "So this where they were stored…All along I had access to them.." Yami murmured as he attempted to focus on a memory. Within the chaos he caught glimpses of his life in Egypt, Bakura's childhood and then the years he had been with Bakura. "What a mess…Simply because I have a mere fever the Ring spirals out of control." He sighed and reached out his hand to the nearest memory. Just before it made contact with his fingertip, the image expanded and engulfed him before he had the chance to react.

The next thing he knew, Yami was standing underneath an awning, leaning against a building in the center of the town. The sun was beating down but a breeze made being outside bearable. He could hear children playing, women chattering, and men laughing. All around him he could see the lives of the townspeople and they all politely acknowledged him as they went about their way. "What part of my memories is this?" He wondered as he pushed himself off the building and looked around. None of his men were in sight so he assumed he was on his own. "I was dropped into a useless memory? What is the point of this?" Yami sighed as he began to walk. He couldn't remember but his feet knew the path to the tavern; maybe there he would find some answers.

However, he didn't take more than five steps when he felt something grab ahold of the back of his robe. Turning around, Yami's widened as he took in the sight before him. This girl…This Amunet…Why don't I remember this feeling clearly on my own? His mind had been reduced down to this simple line as he stared at her. Yami had thought her beautiful in each of his earlier memories, but this time, her loveliness was showing an entirely new hair had been washed and it shone in the sunlight, a spectrum of dark colors tumbling down her shoulders to lightly graze her waist. Even the tunic she was wearing was different within this memory. Judging from the fabric, it was new, and had been dyed a deep scarlet that complimented her pale skin. Unlike her previous one, this one was the proper length, floating around her calves. The top was similar though, with a knot at each shoulder and a black cord to secure the material at her waist. Her dark eyes shone but her red mouth was pressed into a nervous line as she glanced up at him.

Yami smiled, unable to do anything else at the sight of this girl, and raised a hand to gently cup her cheek. "This color suits you, my Amunet." He told her, feeling something in his chest lift to see her smile in return. She bowed her head once before placing her small hand on his and turning to him, kissing his palm once before a bright smile lit her face. "Come now, I remember. I promised this day to you entirely. So tell me, what shall we do? What will make you smile, my Amunet?" Amunet shook her head, still smiling, before she wrapped her arms around his torso and stood on the tips of her toes to press her forehead against his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, not understanding but certainly not willing to fight the warm feelings surging in his chest.

I still don't remember everything about this girl, but I remember enough. Whoever she was, I loved her with all that I was capable. Her existence made this town worth protecting… Yami thought as he stared down at the top of her head. Even though he had been pushed into the memory, he had none of the knowledge his previous self had at this moment. Yet, he knew this memory to be true; he was not one to conjure peaceful memories just for the sake of having them.

He lowered his head and replaced his hand under her chin. Carefully, he lifted her face to press his mouth lightly against hers. "You still will not share your voice with me?" Yami questioned once he had pulled away, slightly amused by her starry-eyed expression. It faded though, at his question, and her charming eyes widened and filled with panic. She took a step back from him, shaking her head as her hands encircled her throat. Her lips parted and moved rapidly but no sound save her rapid breathing escaped them. "Oh Ra!" Yami quickly stepped forward and enveloped the girl in his arms, sheltering her within the voluminous folds of his robes. Carefully, he pulled her back into alley, away from the peering eyes of the villagers. "Be calm, my Amunet. You are safe. I swear on my life none shall harm you." He murmured softly, one arm pressing the trembling girl to his chest while the other stroked her hair.

Several long moments passed before Amunet stopped shaking and her breathing slowed. With small hands clutching the front of his robe, she looked up at him with frightened and injured eyes. "Oh, my Amunet. I am sorry. I did not mean to scare you." He cupped the side of her face, the pad of his thumb tracing her cheekbone. "I am sorry. I desire to possess your whole being. In my avarice, I frightened you and for that, I am truly sorry. Please forgive this greedy thief." Slowly, her expression calmed and she released the front of his robe to wrap her arms around his neck, standing on the very tips of her toes to reach him. With a relieved smile, he placed his hands at her waist and lifted her so that their faces were on the same level. "My precious Amunet, I do not deserve such a treasure." Amunet smiled, playing with his long hair with one hand while the other she moved to press against his cheek. Her eyelids fluttered shut and she leaned forward to press her lips against his.

The second their mouths touched, the memory shattered, leaving Yami to float inside the now empty Ring. "Damn it! What happened to her? Why can't I find that out? Why show me such happy memories and then steal them away again?" He shouted, his fists clenched and the Millennium Eye appearing on his forehead. "They are my memories! I have the right to them!" Even though it was pointless, it brought some relief to shout his frustrations. After all, he couldn't very well confide in Bakura that someone from his past shared Hotaru's face. His lighter half might not be able to handle that and there was no one else Yami would ever consider confiding in. The only other person to seem to have had his trust was swept away by the sands of time, leaving him with no clear idea as to what had happened to her. This sensation…I feel as if I actually was able to kiss her in person, rather than through a memory… Yami thought as he raised a hand to his mouth. There was no mistaking it; the lingering feeling was almost too strong to be a remnant of his memories. Before he could dwell on it further, his mind went blank as whatever medicine he had been fed took effect and forced him into a dreamless sleep.

()()()()

Once the final bell had rung, Bakura leaped to his feet and darted out of the classroom, ignoring any startled cries of protest left in his wake. Sometime during lunch he had received a message from Hotaru. She had sent it entirely in English however, so it had taken some time to convince the English teacher to help him translate it. He changed his shoes before running out into the cold snow, barely taking the time to fasten his coat properly. Some more of his classmates called to him, their voices unheard as he glanced at his phone once more. Her message had stated that Yami called had mistakenly called her instead of Bakura and that he was ill. She had gone over to his apartment to take care of him until Bakura finished with classes. The very last line had said she would be angry if he left school early and he should not worry about Yami, that his 'brother' only had a slight fever.

"It's not that jerk I'm worried about…" Bakura muttered as he flew down the sidewalk. He didn't believe for a moment that Yami was actually sick, that instead the Ancient Spirit had planned it this way to lure the girl into their apartment on her own. Who knows what he could have done to her in the time Bakura wasted in class? Shaking his head, the teenager willed his legs to move faster and he made it to his apartment in hardly any time.

He made quick work of the stairs and pushed open his door, afraid of what would be waiting for him on the other side. There, sitting on his couch, was Hotaru, appearing to be completely fine. Her face was flushed however, and she had a hand pressed to her mouth but she didn't seem to be in any pain. "Aoimori-san? Are you alright?" Bakura asked, relieved, as he moved over to her. Startled, the girl jumped up and stared at him for a second before sighing. "Ryou-san, to scare." She murmured, shaking her head. "Yami-sama to sleep. Little eat, small medicine. No problem." Hotaru said in a rush, quickly pulling on her coat and sliding her feet into her boots. "Wait, you're leaving already? What happened?" He asked, both surprised and disappointed at her reaction. "Yes, day to clean and to laundry. Much to do. Bye, bye, Ryou-san." And just like that, the girl had rushed past him and disappeared down the stairs.

"That bastard…Did he do something to her?" Bakura growled, shutting the door before stomping down the hallway to his bedroom. As he pushed open the door, Yami sat up in the bed and yawned, facing him with a dazed expression. "Man, Bakura, what did you people do to herbal remedies? That was a powerful drug you gave me." The Thief King yawned again, stretching his arms above his head before sighing contentedly. "Thank you though, for your attentions. I feel a lot better now." Bakura stared at him for a moment, dumbstruck. "My attentions?"

Yami glanced up at him as he stretched again. "The fresh sleep wear, the meal, and the medicine. Not to mention, allowing me to sleep in peace. I thank you for that." He doesn't know or he doesn't remember that Hotaru was here…Then he couldn't have done anything too heinous or he would be rubbing my face in it… With a sigh of relief, Bakura leaned against the door frame and laughed. "We'll call it even then, for the times you saved Aoimori." His darker half frowned but nodded. "Fine, but don't assume the slate is wiped clean. Once I am back on my feet, that girl will be handled. She's proven to be too stubborn, too reckless, and too prone to needing rescue for my taste." As he spoke, the Ancient Soul lied back down and pulled the covers over himself. "Leave me. I doubt I'll need anything more than sleep for the night."

Bakura made a face at Yami's tone but nonetheless shut the door and retreated to the living room. That was less violent than his usual threats…Not to mention that he stated Aoimori wasn't to his taste instead of calling her a problem or a threat…Maybe he finally is warming to her… Sitting on the couch, Bakura's relieved train of thought suddenly came to a crashing halt. "Wait. If he's becoming less violent towards her…Atemu can't be right! There's no way Yami would ever have those feelings for her!" He cried out, his eyes shifting back to his bedroom door. "No way in hell would that happen…He's just trying to make me lower my guard. He surely has a plan to harm Aoimori the second I'm not expecting anything..."

I won't let him. No matter what I have to do, I won't let him hurt her anymore.