A/N: Phew! Finally finished, I'm uploading both the Friday and Sunday chapters now since I'm going to be out of town and probably internet over the weekend. Hope you like them!

They were probably the strangest group of teenagers that had ever wandered the streets of Domino City- Ryou at the front, staring intently at his gently glowing palm; Marik just behind him peering over his shoulder; Yami and Yugi, nearly identical, talking over what kinds of super powers they probably had; and finally, Bakura and Amane bringing up the rear.

"I don't think I like him being in front," Bakura glowered. Amane elbowed him.

"You just don't like him being able to do something you can't."

"You know what I would like?" Bakura turned angrily, "Fixing your soul to a baseball and hurling you at windows, that's what."

"Very creative." Amane acted casual about it, but pulled back, staring ahead coldly.

Bakura looked at his hand thoughtfully. He and Ryou had almost been merged into one person, and they were sharing a Millennium item; surely that would leave some kind of link...

His fingertips shone, and he felt a familiar presence in the back of his mind, followed swiftly by a ripple of surprise.

Miss me? Bakura thought, suppressing a smile.

[What are you- How did you get inside my head again?] Ryou looked back and saw Bakura still behind him, who winked conspiratorially.

Trade secret.

[Wow. I can't believe this is the first time we've actually talked alone to each other...]

I suppose you want me gone?

[No, not really; I'm a bit curious. It's funny, we've been sharing a head for nearly a decade and I still don't know what you're like.]

Bakura was slightly taken aback. He'd expected all sorts of lovely emotions to be floating around in Ryou's reaction- malice, resentment, fear, anger. Instead, all he could feel was a shy interest, like someone staring at you from across the room.

If you're so curious, why don't you just take a look?

[I wouldn't want to pry. I'd much rather learn what you're willing to tell me and go from there.]

Involuntarily, Bakura started opening up, partly out of surprise and partly because Ryou was the first person to treat him like this.

Like a friend.

Neither of them were really expecting it, so when Ryou suddenly fell into Bakura's mind, it took a second or two to get him out. Bakura could see disjointed memories pouring into his former host as the boy scrambled for an exit, all the while screaming [I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!] Frigid winters, heart-stopping chases, Bakura's last seconds of normal life, and a more recent memory that even Bakura himself had trouble coming to terms with. Finally, with a savage tug and a frantic push, they were separate again.

Bakura scowled, tore apart their link, and found Amane looking at him strangely.

"What was that about? You kind of spaced out."

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"How I'd like to kill you," Bakura replied coolly. "I'm debating slow, repeated cuts from a hot sword as opposed to drowning wrapped in barbed wire while being eaten alive by sharks."

"That's really annoying, you know."

"What, being eaten by sharks? You're right, they have such awkwardly placed mouths..."

"No, how you always clam up and act all intimidating whenever someone opens up to you." Amane started walking backwards so she could look at him. "You'd better take open hands while you can, 'cause someday one of them is going to slap you."

"Is that a threat?" Bakura's eyes narrowed.

"Ohh, but it's tempting." Amane rolled her eyes back and gave a sultry little laugh, twirling about to walk next to Bakura again. "What I wouldn't give to plant a good roundhouse on that smug little face of yours."

There was another thing he hadn't been expecting. Bakura shivered slightly, from something distinctly unlike fear.

"Wait a minute." Yugi frowned, tapping Ryou on the shoulder. "This looks familiar."

"Don't tell me..." Yami's eyes widened as he saw the house in front of them.

"Please let it be Mokuba," Yugi sighed, staring up at the leviathan that was Seto Kaiba's mansion.

They pulled open the gate and walked timidly up the driveway. Finally, all of them ended up huddling behind Yugi in front of the door.

"You do it," Marik poked him.

"Nuh-uh!" Yugi shook his head vigorously. "Yami, why don't you?"

"Bakura maybe?"

"I'll arm wrestle you for it."

"Oh, please." Amane rolled her eyes and rang the doorbell. "The guy doesn't get dressed until noon on a good day, how bad could it be?"

The door opened with a horror-movie creak, revealing a scrawny brunette. He couldn't have been more than ten years old, arms crossed furiously across his small chest and eyes glowing with unbridled rage. Amane took an uncertain step back, mumbling something like "I repent-" but the boy pointed squarely at Yami.

"You-" Seto Kaiba glowered, "Have some explaining to do."