*It's night in the apartment in which Saraha lives. The sound of snoring comes from down
the hall but in the room of the authoress someone is still awake. Her little brother is sleeping
in his bed in the room they share while Saraha is sitting up on her bed dressed for bed in
blue fleece PJ's and oddly a black cat ear headband. Peering over at her sleeping brother
to confirm that only she was awake she turns to the poster hanging around her bed. Carefully
she pulls off the bottom two pins that hold a sailor moon poster up and places them on her
side table. She lifts up the edges of the poster and reveals what appears to be a swirling purple
vortex (tm). With an almost evil looking smile she jumps into it only to fall to the floor of a room
unlike any others in her home. It's a large room with no doors or windows though
plenty of furnishing fills the space. The rooms look is comfortable and cozy with many
pillows laying scattered around the room. Each corner of the room seems to reflect a different mood
too, the closest in a neat and clean den like setting covered with computer equipment and a
tidy bed with dark blue coverings; a puppy lays on the bed, it's gold-ish fur clashing nicely with the
informal blue. A teen sits at a computer sipping coffee glancing ever so often at the puppy and paying
no mind to the girl. A pillow with the features of Joey is in his lap with a plushie on the same boy
on top of it. The puppy that we can now clearly see wears a collar with 'Joey' printed on it
whines before getting off the bed to follow the girl hoping to get a treat of some
kind. Saraha continues across the room seeing to fangirl-ish delight that Ryou and Bakura are in
the corner across from Seto's sleeping on a queen size bed with black sheets; two kittens
and tiny dragon curled up at the foot bed taking up a good amount of space causing Ryou and
Bakura to cuddle in the smaller space left. Ryou wears silvery pajamas while Bakura wears black
pajamas. On the side table nearby a large pile of books about cats, collecting millennium
items, Ryou's journal, and a vase of white and yellow tulips. A pretty dream catcher hangs over the bed.
Joey seeing the calmly sleeping Bakura growls at one of the many banes of Seto existence before
leaping up to bite him only to be stop by the glare of the Pharoah-lookalike kitten who's sleepy
magenta eyes then blink at Ryou's purple eyed kitten before it falls asleep again. The puppy whines
and runs back to Seto who is now standing outside his self-made cubicle glaring at Saraha before
flipping a light switch near him. The entire room lights up and groans and cursing is heard from Ryou
and Bakura's bed.*

Seto: Did you hurt Joey!?!
Saraha: Hey! I didn't do anything!
Seto: Un, huh... sure. If you upset Joey again I'll kill you!
Saraha: OO;;
Bakura: What's going on out here? Who the hell turned on the lights!?
Ryou: *yawns* Mornin... I'm gonna make hot chocolate, who wants some?
Bakura: Me!
Saraha: I'm fine thanks.
Seto: *points to his coffee mug without ending his glare at Saraha*
Saraha: Seto, I didn't do anything! It was the mini Pharaoh who scared Joey!
Seto: Suurree. That's what they all say!
*Bakura now absently looks over his shoulder to see 'mini Pharaoh once again sitting on his
shoulders looking at him.*
Bakura: That stupid thing won't leave me alone! Ack! *kitten digs claws into Bakura's bare shoulder*
*Bakura runs around screaming, the tiny kitten holding on tight before our favorite little tomb-robber
crash lands into a pile of unopened packages that had appeared 'magically' in the middle of the
room.*
Saraha: Ah! The last of the presents are here! *runs up to them looking each over*
*Ryou now carrying hot chocolate comes to sit on one of the many pillows next to Bakura handing
his Yami the second mug. Seto still glaring at Saraha sits down too*
Saraha: Alright the last of the packages are from S-F and Serendipity! Who gets there presents first
this time? Um Ryou! You should get um first! *hands Ryou the first package for him*
Ryou: Ok! This ones from S-F! I got a collar for my kitten, a hot fudge sundae and a blue headband!
Ryou's kitten: Meew!
*Ryou puts the collar on the cute little kitten and the headband on himself. The hot fudge sundae
is sat next to him to eat later* Thank you S-F! *cute little smile*
Saraha: Ok and here's Serendipity's gift for you! *holds up a black t-shirt with 'I only do what the voices
in my head tell me to do' written on it*
Bakura: *eyes widen* That is the coolest shirt Hikari! Your wearing that today!
Ryou: *blushes* Who says I do everything you tell me to do?
Bakura: I do...
Ryou: *blinks* Ok, er thanks Serendipity!
Saraha: Ok! Um, I'll give Seto his present next before he tries to kill me.
Seto: I'm going to- oh present? For me?
Saraha: Um yeah..
Seto: It's a grooming kit for Joey! *holds up something from it* Look a little silk shirt for him too!
Joey: Ruff!
Pharaoh Kitten: *hiss*
Joey: *whine* *paws at Seto*
Seto: Who scared Joey!?! *looks at Saraha* Was it you?!?!
Saraha: No!! It was the Pharaoh kitten, really!
Seto: I'd kill you but I don't want my little puppy dog to see violence like that!
Saraha: Er, thanks I think. Baku! Your turn!
Bakura: S-F sent me Kissing Bears that look like me an' Ryou *raises eyebrow* You Otaku really
are weird. and also Chibi Change of Heart boxers!?!?! What kind of present is that!?!
Saraha:*snaps fingers and Bakura is wearing only the CCH boxers. hentai giggle* You look
great in those Bakura! So very Kawaii! *more giggling* Here's your next gifty!
Bakura: Freakin Hentai... Ok let's see what Serendipity sent. *opens box and a little white kitten
with big brown eyes jumps out to cling to Bakura and purr* Another kitten!?! What are you...
brown eyed kitten: *looks up with big puppy dog eyes* Meow?
Bakura: *eyes water* It's so cute! It looks like you Hikari! I'll name it Chibi Ryou!
Saraha: ^^; well isn't that original...
Chibi Ryou: Meeew!
Ryou: ^^ your turn Saraha!
Saraha: Oh yay! *opens S-F's package* Oooooh my favorite cookies held by chibi Yami, Yugi, and Seto
plushies! How cool! *glomps plushies while eating one cookie that says 'CONTINUE!' on it* I feel
inspired! Thanks S-F!
Ryou: Serendipity sent you some stuff too! She sent sugar and pocky which is in your sugar safe now.
*points to a huge safe across the room that had magically appeared* And something else... I can't
read the note!
Saraha: *grabs note and reads* A barely clad Yami Malik manservant!?! *Yami Malik appears
in front of Saraha wearing only black short-shorts and gold jewelry (XD). Saraha begins to drool about now*
Thank you Serendipty! I love the gifts!
Yami Malik: How the hell did I get here!?! *sees drooling fangirl* Oh shit!
Saraha: *glomps Yami Malik*
Yami Malik: *struggling to get out of the glomp* Ahhhh let me go, let me go!!!
Saraha: No way! Your my manservant Yami Malik-chan! I'll never let go!
*all the bishies in the room sweatdrop*


Saraha: Ok chapter 25 is here! Sorry it took a while!
You guys are soo very nice and patient. Anyway this chappie is in my option kinda cute
with a nice little Ryou/Yami Bakura scene in it.
I know you all have been just waiting for more romantic scenes, this sorta is.
Everybody watch Yugioh on Saterday? They made Malik's voice icky! ;_;
At least he wasn't made a girl though like someone was saying they might.
He's so kawaii though! ^^
My notes are getting too long, they take almost as long as the stories to write now
so I couldn't get everybody's presents on there Still thanks so much though the bish and I love them all!
Well I'm sure you guys want to get to the story now, here ya go!
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A sound. That was what I first noticed even before I opened my eyes.
It was a humming sort of pitch that I could just barely here. Something
that made my shiver slightly at it's dark feeling. I then opened my
eyes blinking slightly, realizing I was no longer on a cold stone
floor; I was on a highly polished wooden one. My body was slightly
stiff, probably from laying there for so long I mused rubbing my wrist
were I'd slept on it. I then turned to come face to face with a slack
body. Nearly falling over in surprise I realized it was Mokuba Kaiba.
The boy lay with his back against a wall head laying slumped against
his chest eyes barely shut. He was breathing lightly yet no other
motion came for his body. I remember then that the ebony haired child
was soulless. I watched the steady rise and fall of his chest; he
seemed so very alive, like he was just sleeping.
As he breathed though I noticed something that pressed onto his
shirt creating a rectangular indention; I could see a bronze-ish
necklace that trailed under his shirt ending above the indention.
I couldn't help but smile at this.
A locket just like Seto's.
For a moment I simply marveled at the love clearly shown here.
The humming sound was still there, a steady pulsing hum that sliced
into the still air. Careful of my stiff limbs I stood my eyes widening
as a massive purple-black void appeared to my eyes. I could now
tell I was in the balcony over looking the duel stadium that was for
the tournament finals; the stadium itself was covered by the void
though. Near it stood Tristin, Tea, and Joey all of which were staring
intently at it; a mix of horror and fear on there faces. I knew then
what had happen, like a burst of like through a darkened chamber
everything about the violet static covered orb of pure energies made
sense.
The Shadow Realm.
Yugi.
Pegasus.
Magic.
Power.
Darkness, a Yami No Game.
I don't know how everything fit into place in my mind so quickly,
how I simply 'knew' all this. I did though. I wanted to help Yugi.
But, somehow I knew to stay away. This was not my battle to fight.

'Ryou..'

Startled my mind flicked from Yugi to the voice in my head. My hands
moved to my chest feeling for my ring. It was gone. My mind raced,
the memory of Tristin came and I placed a hand over my mouth keeping
my own horror masked. How could I forget? Without even thinking I
rushed away from the shadow power Pegasus and Yugi pumped out finding
the nearest door and running down the castle steps leading back to
the forest covered outside. When I reached the bottom step I stopped
in my tracks. What was I doing? I didn't have any idea where the
Millennium Ring could have landed!

'..Ryou!'

Yami's voice again, how could he still communicate with me if I didn't
have the ring, wasn't that what tied us together? Closing my eyes I
tried to make sense of this all, a sense of dizziness weighting on
my conscious. Even through that wavering I could feel 'something'
pulling me towards the closest grove of trees. With my eyes still
closed I began to walk following the feeling that pulsed in my mind.
Where was this instinct coming from?
I wasn't sure but, did it really matter? I wouldn't lose Yami now,
I couldn't lose Yami now. Even if he could never feel anything for me,
if he would never realize this undeniable and unrestrained ache that
I felt every time I saw him, every time I heard his voice, saw his
face, felt his lips against mine...

Suddenly I stopped walking and opened my eyes. I was about a foot away
from a large oak tree. Blinking with surprise I looked up into the
branches; a glint of gold shimmered on the far right, maybe twenty
feet up from the base. The Millennium Ring?
Quickly I found the lowest branch and pulled myself up onto it's thick
mass, carefully trying to balance myself. I had never climbed trees
before, I'd never been an outdoor sort of person. So very carefully
I griped the next branch up standing on the wobbly one below me.
This wasn't that hard... as long as I was careful I should be able
to climb it. At that moment I slipped falling back down catching
myself only by the lowest branch again. I swallowed hard, if I fell
so easily from the lower branches what would happen if I fell higher
up? The likelihood of just walking away from a fall from twenty feet
up wasn't particularly good...

What was I thinking?

I couldn't just give up now!

I began to climb again.

This time I took everything a bit slower, moving as deliberate as
possible. Now I could see that most defiantly my ring was caught
in a forked branch a few more feet up. How had I known it was here
anyway? Griping the branch I knelt on with my left hand I stretched
my right towards the gold trinket mere inches from my touch.

Then as if sensing me the ring fell right into my grasp.

I'm sure anyone how would have seen me then would have seen shock
written on my features at that moment. And I must have been shocked,
for I lost my balance then, the ring griped in my fist. From over twenty feet
up I tumbled through branches feeling nicks and cuts form on the flesh
of my arms my eyes now closed tight in fear. I fell and I fell waiting for a
painfully impact. It never came. I opened my eyes to come face to face with
shadow-lined brown eyes looking at me inquisitively.

"Ryou..?"

The spirit of the ring was holding me rather child-like in his arms, I clutched
at the ring in my hand blinking at the situation. Yami raised an eyebrow before
rather unbecomingly plopping me down. now wincing slightly I peered up at him.

"Did you have to drop me?"

He crossed his arms smirking slightly.

"Well your pretty heavy for being so small."

I took this as an opportunity to glare at the dark spirit making his smirk grow.

"Well, aren't you in a wonderful mood.", I said quite dryly.

The teen so much like myself cocked his head to one side and sat across from me.

"You shouldn't even be up yet, I put enough in your wine to have you out all day."

"Glad to see your worried.", I muttered wincing as I looked over my numerous tiny wounds;
I could have done with some first-aid cream about now. Yami seeing where I looked
frowned and seized one arm quickly.

"What have you been doing my Hikari? Don't tell me you've taken up fighting?"

"I fell out of the tree, you caught me don't you remember Yami?"

"I know I caught you baka! I just didn't think you get all these from just that. I guess your a bit
frail little light. Hold still."

He then to my amazement began to lick the small cuts bring a sharp yelp of both pain and surprise
from my throat. The other teen pulled his lips from my flesh to grin.

"Sid I startle you Ryou? I have to clean them or they'll get infected."

The smooth pink tongue traced along a particularly nasty gash making me cry out in the pain.
His eyes turned to me with almost cat-like mirth.

"You need to hold still my Hikari."

Hands pined my wrists to the tree trunk and lithe tongue cleaned the cuts still exposed.
I struggled slightly, mostly to wince and pull as the salty touch coated my wounds. He looked up
from his work a few drops of blood had stained his lips a ruby red; he licked them and then pounced
on my slightly parted lips.

Warm and demanding he pressed against me his own eyes closed, mine opened wide in surprise.
His tongue still wet with my own blood penetrated my mouth so that the copper-ish taste lingered in
my mouth as well. He growled in his throat slightly, moving my arms so that they were together with a
single hand holding them, the other worked it's way under my sweater to undo my shirts buttons
not missing a beat in our kiss.

When I suddenly found myself in great need of oxygen he pulled his mouth away to nip the
sensitive place on the back of my neck causing me to gasp and moan in pleasure; the heat I
had felt the night before returning to me making everything spin around me. Suddenly everything
stopped. He released my wrist suddenly allowing his hand to slide to my forehead. His eyes were
dimly lit was something unfamiliar to his features; worry?

"You have a fever little Hikari."

The statement was so blandly spoken by this the darker half of my soul.
What had he said? My head was swimming. reddened mouth turned into a frown as I gave no
reply suddenly feeling not so up to doing anything at all. Just barely noticing that Yami was now
carrying me in his arms I blinked up and him.

"Thought I was too heavy?"

"You are."

Why was everything still spinning? Yami wasn't kissing me anymore so why did I still feel like this?
I felt myself being put down again, gently this time. His hand found it's way back to my forehead.
Through hazy eyes I could see Yami looking down at me, he removed his hand.

"Your body heat is rising too fast for it to be normal fever. The potion I gave you is reacting badly
to your body."

I suddenly found cool soaked cloth being pressed to my forehead and an energy of pale light pouring
around me. The hand came down to my head again.

"It's still a little high but it should go down soon. The potion's out of your system but your mind still
needs rest. You'll probably sleep quite a while."

I didn't really at that time understand what he was saying, everything was slowly fading from my sight.

Then there was only the haunted past that was not my own.


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I'm sorry I cut the Ryou/Yami B. scene but don't worry there'll be more later. ^^
The next chappie will probably be all about Aku just to let you know alright?
Don't forget to review, Ja ne! *glomps Yami Malik*