/How did I get drafted into this?/ wondered the spirit of the ring, gazing down at the kindred soul spread out over the couch. Yami Yugi appeared to be fast asleep, his chest rising and falling in peaceful breaths. /I should leave, since I don't want to wake him. Besides, I've got better things to do than play matchmaker for a timid little boy and his yami. The spirit of the puzzle is well over 5,000 years old! Damn, one would think that he'd be able to pick up on straightforward human emotion by now!/

Frustrated with the situation he was thrown into, the older version of Ryou turned away from the ruby-eyed individual in silent slumber.

"Am I too boring for you, Bakura?" a deep voice asked, stopping the old violet-eyed soul in his tracks.

Peering over his shoulder, the silvery haired person inquired, "How did you know I was here?"

"With the magical properties of the millennium puzzle." Answered the ruler of all duels matter-of-factly, raking his fingertips through his tri- colored tresses. Stifling a yawn, he began to massage his sore upper arms. "You should understand that better than anyone else. I'm surprised at you, my friend."

"Let's just say that I have more on my mind than the uses of the millennium items."

"Really? What could be weighing on your thoughts more than total and complete power?"

"World domination." Replied the snowy haired spirit, a wicked smirk lifting the corners of his mouth.

Yami Yugi laughed, the sound a soft rumbling in his throat. "But of course. How rude of me to neglect to mention that."

"Actually, I'm only jesting. Those divine trinkets are the least of my concerns at the moment."

"That sounds convincing." Said the king of the Nile sarcastically, scratching the side of his neck.

Blinking innocently, Bakura placed his hands over his heart in mock hurt. "How can you be so cruel? I tell you I've mended my ways, Pharaoh."

The ruby-eyed individual raised a contradictory eyebrow, regarding the snowy-haired male suspiciously. "What, did you find God or Jesus or something of that nature?"

"Yes, they've shown me the light, and I'm so in love with the Catholic religion that I think I want to be the next pope." Snapped the spirit of the ring, returning to his typically spiteful self.

"Better brace yourselves, Rome, because Bakura is coming in for a crash landing."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, except I know that you're trying to conquer earth by using religious means."

"I am not trying to take over the world!" protested the old amethyst-eyed soul, reaching a maximum level of irritation. "Why can't you just accept that?"

"Because I know you." Yami Yugi stated plainly, forcing himself into an upright position. "You're probably up to your old tricks again, concocting an evil scheme to control the universe as we speak."

Bakura shook his head, opposing his comrade's beliefs. "You know about as much as teenager sheltered in a science lab for most of his life."

Shooting the snowy haired person a death glare, the spirit of the puzzle said, "I am not a dork. Don't you dare put me in the same category as Joey."

"Ha! Even that idiotic smart mouth is more intelligent than you!" snorted the purple-eyed individual, enjoying the dark look that was claiming Yugioh's features.

"Oh? And how does what you're saying have any genuine merit to it?"

"He at least knows when someone is flirting with him relentlessly!" snickered the silvery haired soul, his lilac eyes shining contemptuously. "I mean, you don't even catch on to the fact that you have a secret admirer that wants to put you in more suggestive spots than has ever been illustrated in the Kama Sutra!"

A profound shade of scarlet swelled across Yami Yugi's visage, the redness in his cheeks becoming quite a vivid contrast to his regularly pale complexion. "What did you just say?"

Now it was Bakura's turn to roll his violet orbs. Sighing in absolute exasperation, the old soul stormed over to his friend and positioned his fingers on top of Yugioh's shoulders. Shaking him soundly, the spirit of the ring shouted, "Someone likes you, you idiot! Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?!"

"I understand that I'm pretty well deaf now." Grumbled the ruler of all duels, pressing his hands to his ears ruefully.

"Oh, you're just impossibly dense!" remarked the white haired individual, letting go of his colleague in antipathy. "You pride yourself on being such a wonderful disciple of Locke and Hume, can comprehend obscure and difficult essays by the greatest philosophers of all time, are the best gamer I have ever met, and yet you're too damn dumb to see what's right in front of your nose!"

"I don't get it, what are you rambling about?"

"See, that's what I'm referring to!" cried Bakura, past the point of mild annoyance. Throwing a hand up in the ruby-eyed male's direction, the spirit of the ring said, "You aren't getting a word I'm telling you!"

"Maybe if you improved your dialogue and didn't sound like a kindergartener with major A.D.D. and a slew of personality disorders, I would actually grasp the depth of your statements." Growled Yami Yugi through gritted teeth, eyeing the person beside himself coldly.

"I give up!" yelled the white-haired person, throwing his arms up in the air. "If seeking the meaning to life is more important than finding the love of your life, than move to Tibet and quit bothering everyone with your backwards ideas pertaining to meditation!"

With that much said; the malicious spirit of the ring stomped out of the living area and into the kitchen. All Yami Yugi could do was continue to sit where he was, perfectly perplexed by the behavior of those he had come into contact with that morning.

"Well, that makes two people who are upset at me now." Sighed Yugioh, unsure of how or why everyone he conversed with turned out leaving his presence in the most emotional fashions. "Would someone please tell me what's going on here? I'd really love to know why I'm the bad guy all of a sudden."

Tired of reflecting on the outlandish conduct his friends were portraying, the fatigued duelist changed his train of thought. /Maybe Bakura was on to something, though.that random comment he made pertaining to studying in a foreign country sounds awfully appealing. Monks in China and India love to endorse spirituality and enlightenment, so I could always expand my horizons a little./ an incredible revelation hit the ruby-eyed male, and a smile brightened his face in the process. /Why don't I just venture to those far-reaching landscapes and isolated places? I could spend as long as I wanted to discussing the views of prominent Eastern philosophers and enhance my mind! That way, I'll be surrounded by individuals who are interested in discovering the truth about all the major philosophical questions that has plagued mankind since the beginning of time! What makes us human? How do we know that we do, in fact, exist? Is God truly with us and all around us, or is He just a figment of a creative person's imagination? Is love and faith an intertwined concept with one stemming from the other, or are they separate innate ideas? What is actually real in life? Can we trust our senses completely, or are we constantly being deceived by sensory perception? Is it within our power to understand what perfection truly is, or is that divine knowledge that only the gods are privy to? These are all concepts that I'd love to work out in my head and reshape my opinion on, and I believe some religious teaching would do me some good./ Deeming that his departure to Asia would somehow aid him in his quest for wisdom, Yami Yugi decided that he would travel overseas to fulfill his destiny.

"The truth is out there, and I'm going to find it." Declared the ruby-eyed spirit, walking out of the living room.

Though he was ready to embark on an expansive journey to discover the purpose of his existence, he still didn't understand that his fate lied with a certain demure child that pined after him in total angst.