I have returned!
I swear, time between updates always feels like forever, even though it's always only a week...
I realized that I had submitted the chapter with SEVERAL editing errors. I have a chem project thingy due tonight, so I don't have tome to fix it ALL, but I fixed it a bit. You're welcome.

A quick recap: While Yami Bakura is distracted with an angsty rant, Kuriby somehow manages to unclasp the chain that the Millenium Ring hangs from, and Bakura is let out. After thanking Kuriby, Bakura is threatened by Marik to not interfere with thiefshipping, and also learns about Melvin. Coincidentally, when Bakura asks for a hug from Marik moments later, Melvin comes out and scares Bakura so much that he faints. Just as Melvin is having second thoughts about 'hugging' him, Bakura wakes up and grabs his arm. Or does he?

This chapter gets a bit confusing. It's not a continuation of the previous chapter; it's a bunch of Meanwhiles. I'm not going to say much more than that. Hope you don't get too confused!

In this and next chapter, Ryou will be referred to as "Bakura" again and Bakura will be referred to as "Yami Bakura". After next chapter, Ryou will be called "Ryou" again and Bakura will be called "Bakura" again.

R&R

ENJOY~!

"Ugh... This is getting too complicated..." the white-and-fluffy-haired evil person said. "I wish this whole thing had never happened. I wish that Ryou hadn't been let out unexpectedly, I wish he had never found Kuriby, I wish Ishizu hadn't called you, I wish that he hadn't nailed the Ring to the wall, and please don't be offended by this but I wish that you hadn't come back with me to Japan."

Kuriby's eyes widened. He knew that this other 'Bakura' didn't like him. And he somehow knew that the other Bakura was in the weird shiny ring. He had sensed it. But when it was on the wall, the real Bakura had been out. So maybe...

He had said that he was in Bakura's body. So... He just needed to get that ring away!

He remembered helping Bakura pick out the chain around his neck a few days ago. It had an easy-to-open clasp.

Kuriby eyed the shiny silver chain...

The started slowly and carefully turning the chain around, hoping that the evil Bakura wouldn't notice.

The evil Bakura noticed, but by that time Kuriby was done moving the chain. He reached under his hair and briefly scratched the back of his neck.

Then he noticed Kuriby playing with the Millenium Ring. He gently slapped the kitten's paw away from it. "Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"You know what. Just stop it."

"But-"

"No buts! Leave it alone!"

"uuugghhhh."

He knew that it would be slightly difficult to open it because he had paws and not fingers like Bakura did. But he tried his best and used his teeth and claws to open it.

It worked! All he had to do was make the evil Bakura move and the ring would slide off the chain.

He did the only thing he could think of that would accomplish this: he jumped out of his arms and started running away.

~Later~

Bakura sat up. In doing so, he made Kuriby fall off his chest. "Sorry," he murmured to Kuriby. Kuriby mewed his forgiveness, but Bakura was too distracted to notice.

After that, Kuriby decided to relax under the bench.

~Later~

"Marik..." Kuriby heard Bakura say in a small and scared voice. "...you can let go now..."

Kuriby curiously looked up between the planks of the bench to see what was going on. What he saw shocked him.

The tanned human's hair was all spiked up all over the place. Just like...

Melvin.

Bakura started panicking. "Let go let go let go let go let go of me please!"

Kuriby tried to stay as still as possible so "Melvin" would not notice him.

He started panicking and trembling. What would happen to Bakura?! Would Melvin hurt him or what? What's deathshipping and why would it happen? Could he do something to help out? But what?

He zoned back in moments later.

"What? You want this thing? What for? Bakura can't help you now. And even if he could, would he? Would your yami really help you if you asked him to?"

"H-he might..."

"Ha! I highly doubt that. Face it, he doesn't really care about you. But it doesn't even matter. You're not getting the Ring."

Kuriby heard the sound of metal falling on the ground. He turned towards the sound and saw the evil golden ring on the ground a few feet away from the bench. He looked up and saw Melvin's hand outstretched towards it. He had thrown it away... Why?

Then he realized... The presence in the ring. It was still in there.

Maybe, just maybe, the evil Bakura was stronger than the real Bakura. And maybe the evil Bakura could fight off Melvin! But Bakura had to be wearing the ring for the evil Bakura to take over.

So he had to put the ring in Bakura's hand.

He noticed that Bakura had fainted. His hands hung from either side of the bench seat; one in front, one in back.

Still trembling, Kuriby bravely and stealthily crept towards the golden ring. He watched Melvin as he crept, making sure he wasn't detected. Finally, he picked it up in his mouth by the top hole of the ring. He raced back over to the bench quietly and pressed the ring into Bakura's hand.

The hand closed around the triangle in the center.

Kuriby waited for his owner's appearance to change. But nothing happened.

He wanted to help in his ultimate way, but he wanted to save that for when all hope was lost for the Bakuras to win.

He didn't have to wait long for something to happen; a minute or two later, Kuriby sensed a change in Bakura's presence and he saw Bakura's free hand shoot up.

~Meanwhile~

"Never thought I'd need to be back here..."

"Marik?! How did you get in here?!"

Marik turned around and faced Yami Bakura.

They were both somewhere in Bakura/YamiBakura's mind, in that weird dreamlike place from Season 2 where Yami Bakura told Marik to go get some more spray-on tan. It wasn't either Bakura's soul room, though

"Oh my gosh thank the Winged Dragon of Ra that you're here, Bakura!"

Yami Bakura folded his arms and leaned to one side. "Marik, what are you doing in the Millenium Ring? What happened out there? Did Kuriby do something?! I swear I am going to kill that kitten..."

"Calm down, Fluffy. Pay attention. Apparently, Kuriby undid the clasp and Ryou was let out. I warned him to not come between us by threatening him with Melvin. Then he asked me who Melvin is and then he got all terrified and angsty like you were just before Ryou was released. Then I offered him a hug."

"You did WHAT?!"

"He looked like he needed it! Apparently, Melvin took that to be a signal that it was his turn and he took over! Now, Ryou is stuck alone with Melvin!"

Yami Bakura's face went from agitated to bored. "Okay. So what do you mean, 'his turn'? What do you two take turns or something?"

Marik sank to his knees and lowered his head. He wrapped his arms around himself. "No! We were fighting a few chapters ago over who would get to take over in a few chapters! I'm sorry Bakura, but he won! I'm sorry I didn't mean for this to happen."

Yami Bakura walked over to him. "Don't be sorry. I'm not upset. It's not your fault."

Marik looked up. "But he's with Ryou, now! Aren't you the slightest bit worried?"

The spirit shrugged. "No. Not really. Ryou wouldn't give Melvin a reason to hurt him because he wouldn't irritate Melvin in any way. And I really don't care if deathshipping happens. I'd consider it more payback for all that has been messed up because of him."

Marik's jaw dropped. "WHAT?! Are you kidding me?! Bakura, Melvin is insane and you know it! He would kill Ryou just for the hell of it, not because Ryou irritated him or something! Don't you understand that?! Melvin is frigging insane. And do you REALLY n"

Yami Bakura's eyes widened. He honestly didn't care about what happened to Bakura. It but if Melvin was going to stab his host...he certainly cared. He didn't want any more physical harm to come to his host because then he would have to deal with it later. "Fine I'll help him," he said at last.

"Yeah about that..." Marik stood up. "Ryou didn't take back the Ring. Didn't want to."

"Don't you think I know that? Of he had, I would have taken over again by now!"

"Of course, but I've been watching and Melvin isn't letting Ryou get his hands on the Ring."

Yami Bakura's eyes widened even more. "No..." he whispered. "Ryou needs to get his hands on the Ring... I know, I'll simply teleport the Ring to him. Simple. It worked before, and the Ring isn't nailed to a wall as far as I know, so it should work now. Is Melvin still holding the Ring? If he is, I can't teleport it to him. It won't teleport if something or someone is holding it."

"Erm..." Marik zoned out for a moment, the zoned back in. "He was, but then he tossed it aside so Ryou wouldn't get it."

"Perfect!" He tried to make the Ring teleport to Bakura. But he sensed that it didn't work. "What the...someone is holding it again!"

"Not Melvin! I know that much."

"Hm..." He tried again. But again, it didn't work. "What is going on here?!"

"I have no idea. Maybe-"

Marik cut himself off when he noticed the scenery changing. Instead of empty black darkness, he found himself standing in Yami Bakura's soul room. Before he could say anything, he disappeared from the room and was transported to where he rest of his soul was: trapped in his soul room by Melvin.

Yami Bakura eyed the spot where Marik was just standing. "Marik! Where did you go?! And why am I...in my soul room...!"

He gasped. He turned to the door. It was closed but...

He grinned. "Never thought this would happen. Kuriby... That useless furball actually did something useful for once!"

He opened the door and raced out of the hallway.

Kuriby smiled adorably and he cheered up when he saw Bakura's arm move and his fingers grip the Ring tighter.

Marik found himself trapped in his soul room, watching the events going on through his eyes, but without being able to take over. It pissed him off because Melvin had the choice to let him see or not, and Melvin was letting him watch as torment.

But his eyes lit up when he saw Bakura open his eyes...

Bakura was suddenly pulled out of the darkness and into a lit room. He was on his back. He sat up and looked around. He was in his soul room.

But he suddenly remembered why he had fainted in the first place, and promptly fainted again.

Yami Bakura felt himself have a physical form. He felt a cool, yet warm, metal in his left hand. He knew what it was, so he grasped it tighter. Then, at the same instant, some instinct feeling in him compelled his arm to move and his eyes to open.

Everyone knew what had just happened: Yami Bakura had taken over again.

Hope you liked that little look into how certain stuff happened.
I feel like that didn't flow very well. But then again, that's what I said in some of the beginning chapters of this story, and people still liked that. Hopefully I'm not pushing my limits of not-making-sense-ness... (~_~) ugh...

The real continuation of what's going to happen next will happen next chapter!

So there MIGHT have been a bit of deathshipping last chapter. There might not have been. Who knows? It's up to interpretation. Either Ryou is so cute that no one dares hurt him or Melvin thinks Ryou is too adorable to want to hurt him. You decide!

I know that Kuriby seems to act and think more humanly than he should. That's not an accident. That's how he is. That's why I made him an OC instead of just a character in this story! Kuriby will show up in another fanfic of mine that I may or may not decide to start.

See you next chapter!

BYEEEEEEEEEEE~!