Thank you all for your great reviews! They really made my day and I apologize for that little cliffhanger.

Sometimes I think my story moves way too slow and then I think it moves too fast like this chapter...By the way, I hadn't the time to edit this chapter as often as I normally do, so a few parts can come across kind of awkward I think, but I didn't wanted to make you wait any longer. I hope you can enjoy the chapter!

The silence between them was tense, but none of them knew how to break it, at least Ryou didn't know how. Bakura was so eerily silent and now that he wasn't with his friends anymore Ryou's old, unexplainable fear for the older teen had returned full force.

He often wondered why he feared Bakura so much. Sure Bakura was intimidating and most of the time was surrounded by an aura that screamed "don't mess with me if you wish to keep your life", but the same could be said for Sennen and Hakamori, which they had proofed today. So, why did he only fear Bakura out of the three of them? The older teen had never harmed him, hadn't even spoken to him until today. So why? Why was he so afraid? Why was his first thought to flee or hide when he saw a glimpse of the other white-head? It was irrational.

Suddenly Bakura let go of an annoyed huff. "Why did you ask me to walk you home if you obviously don't want to be near me?" Good question. And he had a good answer to that, partly anyway, if he only could bring up the courage to speak. Stupid fear that made no sense. He wished his anger from earlier would return, it had been so easy to talk to Bakura in that moment. Where had it disappeared to? It had vanished as soon as he had stepped outside of the police station into the night.

Bakura muttered under his breath. Ryou wasn't sure, but it sounded like 'can't believe I got punched by such a weakling'.

Ryou lowered his head lightly to hide his from embarrassment red colored cheeks. He still couldn't really comprehend that he had done that, felt guilty for his action. He hated violence, was a pacifist, back then it had felt so right, though. How dare he to talk about Yuugi like that? But he never would have thought that it was in him to punch someone.

"Y-you deserved it," he mumbled quietly, "B-but I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done it." Why was he apologizing? He should have ignored that comment, that hadn't even been for his ears as far as he knew. Malik was right; he was too nice for his own good. On the bright side he could finally bring out some words. That was something, wasn't it?

"Finally found your tongue again, yes?" Bakura taunted in his typical sneering voice. Ryou wanted to disappear into the ground; his instincts for self-preservation ordered him to. But he wouldn't, he wasn't that weak, perhaps he should have thought this over beforehand, if he only wouldn't be so concerned.

The older teen heaved a sigh after a handful of minutes had gone by. "So, about what did you wanted to talk?" He sounded rather patient in Ryou's opinion for which he was glad, but he also wondered for the why. Bakura didn't look to him like someone who is patient with people who let him wait on the other hand he seemed to be one of those that could wait patiently for their plans to play out. Why was he even thinking about that? Bakura's characteristics shouldn't matter for him.

Ryou shook his head to get his mind back on track. So the other knew what he had intended. But well, why else should he have asked Bakura to bring him home, considering that he really wanted to be nowhere near the older teen. Then again, why had he asked him of all people? Why not Sennen or even Hakamori? Wouldn't they have been the better choice for him? In their presence he wasn't feeling the urge to escape.

He took a deep breath. He had brought himself into this situation, had defied that small voice, and he wouldn't run from it now. He might fear Bakura, but he would never bow to his fears, running would never change things. His life had taught him that.

Ryou looked at Bakura, who reminded him of a ghost in the light of the full moon. A ghost...somehow that sounded familiar. Maybe he truly should stop reading all those books about supernatural things; they were highly interesting, though. And his mind was drifting away again, wasn't it? What was wrong with him? Normally he hadn't such a problem to concentrate, especially if it was important.

"I-I...About today..."

'Really smooth move Ryou, you could have done that better,' he thought to himself. Why had it to be so hard for him to talk to the other white-head that looked like a darker version of him? He paused in his thoughts. That rung some strange bells in his head, not that he could grab them.

"Figures." Bakura replied with a snort. "What about today?" In Ryou's ears he sounded bored.

Again he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "A-are you friends with Yuugi?" Ryou had counted with any reaction to that question but not that the graceful Bakura would stumble over his own feet, not that he fell, he had his balance back under control in a heartbeat together with his indifferent attitude.

"You wanted me to walk you home for that? Shouldn't you ask the squirt?" He looked a little insulted, but Ryou wasn't caring about it. Maybe a little. For all he knew Bakura could have a dagger or something, not that he would need it to make him shut up. He looked frightening enough illuminated by the pale moon light, his eyes glowing in a bloody red. Perhaps he truly was a demon.

Ryou huffed and crossed his arms over his chest to not show his fear. "I-I w-want to hear it from you." He observed the older teen closely and was a little surprised to see him think deeply over that question, that he looked somewhat torn apart.

After a moment Bakura just shrugged, for some reason that disappointed the younger white-head. "I don't think so. Why is it so important anyway?"

"I'll come to that later," Ryou promised, his voice quiet, "I think Yuugi sees you as his friend." And he was surprised again. Bakura laughed. "Don't laugh. I know Yuugi." Now that the light of the moon was blocked by a cloud the older teen wasn't looking that unnatural anymore, giving Ryou the strength to talk normal with him.

"He has a soft heart, that's for sure." Bakura shook his head and looked directly at him with an annoyed expression. "Geez, if you want to know so badly, we haven't labeled our relationship yet. Ra, you sound like you're jealous or something." And his face was graced by his typical smirk.

Ryou's cheeks turned a light pink. "I'm not jealous. I'm concerned about Yuugi." When had they stopped walking?

"You don't need to be concerned." Bakura dismissed nonchalantly.

"You don't know him. Yuugi has a huge weakness, he trusts too easily and he is too forgiving." Ryou shoot back, a spark of his anger returning.

Bakura rolled his eyes. "You should give your friend more credit. He's stronger than he looks and capable of a lot of things. That squirt knows how to look after himself." For some reason he glanced over his shoulder as if he was paranoid and looked like he wanted to bite of his tongue, as if he couldn't believe that he just had said that out loud.

"Stop talking like you know him." Ryou growled, wherever his anger had disappeared to, it now was back as strong as it had been in the aquarium. Who was Bakura thinking he was? Ryou knew that Bakura was right, but still, Yuugi always had and always will only see the best in people even if they would try to kill him he would forgive them in an instant and welcome them with open arms. Ryou was pretty sure of that fact, he would bet everything he had on that. There only had been one person Yuugi had mistrusted and had had an aversion against and even that had changed overnight like those feelings never had been there. Oh yes, Ryou knew that Yuugi never truly hated Sennen in the first place, but that he had accepted it without a fight with himself was suspicious in Ryou's eyes, in particular since Yuugi himself thought that there was something wrong with Sennen and his friends.

Bakura glared at him and seemed to be frustrated about something Ryou didn't care to wonder about. "What is it you truly want from me? Get it out. Just say it instead of this stupid and pointless talk."

"Fine. I want you and your friends to stay away from Yuugi, Malik and me." He tried to lay all his anger and authority he could muster in his words, wanting to appear at least a little intimidating.

He could see Bakura's left eye twitch in anger but there was also something else in his eyes for which Ryou again wasn't caring enough to take a closer look to recognize it. He also wasn't giving him a chance to answer. "Something is definitely wrong with you people. I just know that you all did something to Yuugi. All of a sudden he is all friendly with you. And yes, I know that it also is his decision to spend time with you. But I'm his friend and I'll protect him even form himself if I have to. I want you to disappear from our lives." He glared harshly, his fists balled. "The more time I spend with you the more something is telling me to stay away from you, that you will destroy everything that's important to me, that you will turn my life into a living hell like-"

Ryou paused abruptly in his rant. What had he just wanted to say? And Ra, was he getting a headache. It felt like several parties had an all out war in his head with him in the middle, getting pulled by all sides.

/Ignore them, only listen to your heart. I'll accept whatever it tells you./

A foreign warm feeling washed over Ryou and he looked up sharply. When had he looked down? Unimportant right now. "What did you say?" Had he only imagined it? Had it only been his wishful thinking? The voice had been so quiet.

This time it was Bakura who looked surprised, but the expression turned into a blank one faster than the blink of an eye so Ryou wasn't sure, even his again bloody red glowing eyes due to the moonlight were vacant of any emotion. "I said you can ignore me as much as you want. I'm more than willing to accept that."

No, that definitely hadn't been what he had said. Why was he lying? Was he ashamed of his own words? They seemed to be out of character for him. Why the hell was he getting upset over it anyway? He shouldn't care. He should make sure that he had gotten his point across. He knew Yuugi and Malik would be upset with him, since they wanted answers, but Ryou had the feeling that there was no turning back as soon as they had them, no escaping from whatever scenario they would be dragged in. He couldn't let this happen.

"You can't decide for your friends." Bakura continued as if Ryou hadn't stared at him for several silent minutes. "You can't play mother hen for them. You aren't responsible for them. Protecting them is honorable and all that shit, but the way you're doing it is wrong. Talk with them and find out what they want instead of behaving like the loner you are for once."

"Shut up!" Ryou trembled in his anger. How dare he to lecture him! He knew all that and he would talk to his friends later. Truth be told he didn't even know why he had wanted to talk with Bakura first, he just had had the urge and that annoying voice, that made him think that he was going insane, had told him not do, had ordered him, alone for that reason he had gone with his urge. He didn't know why, but he was fed up with others that wanted to control him and his life. That was the reason he only would have had partly a good answer to Bakura's first question.

But, whatever. Someone like Bakura, such a kleptomaniac shouldn't be allowed to lecture him. And telling him that he was a loner? Bakura wasn't different. He feared to lose the people around him even more than he did and so wasn't even strong enough to try and show his real self under all those protection walls. He rather was hiding behind a wall of arrogance and indifference to avoid making bonds, too afraid of losing them in the future. And where the hell had that come from? He didn't know Bakura and here he just thought like he had known him for years, like he had spent most of his time with him in his lonely apartment with no other to talk to.

And then it hit him. If this would be an anime or cartoon the moon over his head would probably transform into a light bulb. His vision got blurry and images of a forgotten past flooded into him. One of the voices in his head cursed and slowly vanished into nothingness.

Ryou stumbled a few steps away from the other white-head. How in the name of Ra had he forgotten about all that? Or were those images only a lie? No, they weren't. He was sure of it, but wished that they weren't true. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.

"Ryou."

"Don't." He pleaded, completely confused with the world and a storm of feelings raging inside him. Tears formed in his eyes. One emotion was like a cold shower for him and he recoiled from it. A traitorous part of him was happy. Why? Bakura had only...he was a... "You only bring despair. You don't belong here, you never did and you never will!"

Ryou bolted away. He wasn't fleeing from Bakura, though. He wanted to run from himself, from this traitorous part of him. What was he supposed to do now? This couldn't be real! He would go to bed and tomorrow all would return to normal.

X

"Don't you want to follow him?"

Bakura shoot him a sideways glare. "He needs to be alone and to sort it out for himself." His eyes focused back to the direction Ryou had just vanished to.

Yami nodded absentmindedly, staring at the full moon. He never had imagined such a turn of events. He was more than grateful for it, but he wasn't so sure if it was good for Ryou, if he wouldn't have needed a bit more time, even if he had dreams about his real past every night according to Bakura. But then again, he had the feeling that Ryou would deny this as long as he could.

/Is it really alright to let him be on his own?/ Yuugi asked worried.

Yami teared away his eyes from the moon to look at Yuugi. /If Bakura says so then it is. No one knows him better./ He observed Yuugi closely. His little one was feeling guilty and was plagued by self-doubt. /Aibou, Ryou didn't remember faster. Don't feel bad. I'll explain it to you as soon as Malik remembers./

The corner of Yuugi's mouth twitched lightly into an almost smile. /I can't wait for that./

"You're wearing the Puzzle." Bakura made his observation known in a dry voice, interrupting their conversation.

Yami cupped the Puzzle with his right hand. "Yuugi wanted to try something." Like Bakura and Mariku he normally had his Millennium Item in a bag, since they weren't allowed to show them, because they were considered as direct clues.

Bakura looked back at him. "Do I have to ask?"

"It worked. Yuugi's soul is in the Puzzle right now." Or rather his soul was standing right beside him. Yami still wasn't sure if that had been a wise idea. What if his grandpa would go to his room? What if his body wasn't taking this so well? In the past he had the Puzzle around his neck, now he was using their link to be here. He should have said no.

/You worry way too much. And we have been over this./ Yuugi whined and gave him those damn puppy-dog-eyes.

"So, you two were stalking me. That I would see the day when his highness would do something like this." Bakura mocked him. "Aren't you supposed to be the good one that only ever does what is right?"

"Now, that would be boring, wouldn't it." Yami shrugged and stretched. "Seems like Malik is the only one left." He quickly changed the topic.

"Seems like it." Bakura ruffled his hair in frustration. "I don't understand this. This was too easy. Am I the only one who thinks that there is something fishy going on?"

Yami sighed. The next time Bakura would deny that he is concerned about Ryou he would point this out. /Aibou, would you mind to leave? I have to talk in private with the thickhead./

Yuugi shook his head and smiled faintly. /Not at all. Let him know that even I think that he looks pathetic like that./

Yami blinked at him and shook his head. /Okay. And aibou, you really don't need to feel so down. You remembered, there's nothing more I could wish for./

Finally his little one gave him a real smile, not as happy and carefree as normal, but a real smile nonetheless. /I better go now. Bakura looks like he wants to behead you./

Yami chuckled and turned back to Bakura, who really looked like he wanted to rip him into little pieces. "I apologize, but I needed to send Yuugi home."

"Whatever." Bakura growled. "What do you think?"

"Well, a lot of people get hit by enlightenment at night." He observed Bakura closely and could literally see how his brain worked. His expression turning from irritated to disbelieving.

"But, isn't that against the rules?" He looked suspicious around.

He had a point. Yami knew as much, but his friend was forgetting something. "Nature is nature, isn't it?"

Bakura stared at him and then scoffed. "I hate it to be a play ball."

"I know that feeling." Yami agreed. "Well, let's go home and tell the others the good news." He paused. "By the way, even Yuugi thought that you looked pathetic."

"Your squirt should better watch out. I won't take this cocky attitude for long."

Yami smirked. "And that after you spoke so highly of him."

"I hate you."

"I know."

X

A dark figure walked up and down, cursing silently. The figure was surrounded by a powerful aura, a deadly aura. He was several feet away from all the plants and food in the room, but still they rotted until only dust was left from them.

"Brother, don't you think you are a little overreacting?" Another figure said in a strange language, leaning nonchalantly against the wall.

"Overreacting?" The first one snapped in the same language and now even the light seemed to die around him. "You cheated!"

"I don't think so, my dear brother. I would know if I did, don't you think?" Through the darkness it was hard to see, but the other was sure that he had the nerve to smirk at him.

"Don't you dare to say that you just did your job. And don't call me your brother." He growled, punching the stone column next to him with his fist.

"My dear brother, why so angry? It isn't becoming for you. Why don't you drink a tea? It has something calming." A new voice said, making the first even more angry.

"What are you doing here?"

The newcomer raised his hands in surrender. "You should take the Pharaoh and the Thief as an example. Holding a grudge so long isn't healthy."

"I won't take this insolence. Leave, both of you!"

The second figure sighed and turned to the last one. "Care to join me for a glass of wine."

He smirked. "I would love to take that offer." He looked back at the first one. "I have to celebrate something."

"OUT!"

The two figures weren't wasting more time, but their mood hadn't dampened one bit. Silently they smiled at each other.

Well, I think this chapter had a few good hints. I hope you liked it. Oh, and I don't think the next update will be before the weekend. I really need to learn. Sorry.

Have a good time! And if you want leave a review please.