Thank you to my awesome reviewers! *heart*

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Please don't sue me…

Yugi-gumi sat at the pizza place talking, laughing, eating, drinking, snorting, and doing any other thing one can do at the pizza place. Except for Ryou. He sat quietly, lost in his own world, his own thoughts.

"Hey Ryou, what's wrong?" asked Mai, who was the only one not paying attention to Jou's and Honda's eating contest.

"Nothing, Mai," Ryou responded with a shrug and a small smile.

"Oh, come on Ryou. You can tell me," Mai coaxed.

"It's just that… don't you feel a little sorry for Anzu?" Mai looked stunned. "I mean, she just lost the two people who are closest to her in the entire world, and she has no one who can tell her everything will be fine, that she'll get over it… you know? It's exactly like it was before- this is what she was talking about when she left us. In front of us, she didn't cry. She was so strong and brave, and we expected it of her. But then Malik came over, and she broke down for him. And he comforted her- he did, we didn't. We would have been selfish bastards if she had come with us, making her do things to make up for her past actions, when true friends would have seen that they had driven her to do them." Here, Ryou paused for a breath.

"Are you saying that she's right and we're wrong?" Yami asked. Everyone was now paying attention to Ryou.

"Well, it does seem that way, doesn't it?" Ryou responded.

"But come on Ryou. Think it over. She was the one who left us. Right?" Shizuka continued before he had a chance to respond. "Of course right. It's her decision whether to come back to us or not."

"Why would she want to?" demanded Ryou, deciding to argue his case for all he was worth, even though everyone was against him. "What have we done for her that would make her want to return?"

"What do you mean, Ryou?" asked Yami gently, as though he were explaining a simple concept to a dimwitted child. "We're her friends. We are supposed to be the ones she turns to for help."

"But are we her friends now? Were we ever her friends? Did we ever support her or anything?"

"Did she ask for it?" said Bakura, annoyed.

"Yes. We just didn't listen." They all gave him weird looks, and raised their eyebrows to each other.

"I think he's lost it," stated Shizuka. Everyone nodded.

'Just great,' thought Ryou to himself. 'Now they act as though I'm not here.' "You know what?" he said aloud. "I'm leaving. I've had enough of your arrogance." He stood up and marched through the doors, leaving a stunned group behind him. He went to the fresh graves of Seto and Ishizu, placing flowers on the grass. Tears came to his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I wish I knew you better. I wish so many things…" he sobbed; no one was in sight. 'Is this what Anzu felt like when she was abandoned by us?' he thought. Just then, a pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders, embracing him in a hug.

"It's ok," Anzu's voice said from behind him. "Everything's gonna be ok."

"No it's not," sobbed Ryou. "I can't believe we did this to you. And I talked to the others, they thought I went psycho. And Seto and Ishiza are dead, and…"

"Shhh, Ryou. Shhhhh. It's all going to be ok. I know it Ryou."

"How?"

"I have the necklace."

"Oh. Anzu, I'm really sorry about everything," Ryou cried.

"I know. It's ok, Ryou. You can stay with me. Me and Malik. How does that sound?"

"What about the others?"

"What about them?"

"They'll take me back. And Bakura, he can come out through the Ring, and then…"

"Ryou, you forget that both Malik and I are now holders of Millennium items. He can't hurt you, Ryou. No one will hurt you again."

"Thank you, Anzu. I can't believe that you are still my friend, even after everything I've done to you."

"You don't have to thank me, Ryou. You would have done the same."

"Yes, I do need to thank you, Anzu. I want you to have my Ring."

"What?" Anzu gasped. "You can't be serious, Ryou."

"I am." Ryou turned around to face her. "Take it. First of all, I don't want it. Second, you deserve it. And third, I want you to gather all the millennium items, and not the pharaoh."

Anzu smiled. "I couldn't agree with you more, Ryou." She took the Ring from his outstretched hand and out it over her neck. Let's see if Bakura can take me on!"

/Ryou? Ryou, where are you?/ asked Bakura through the mind link. He had felt the pain of his aibou and was worried something happened to him. /Ryou, answer me!/

//I can assure you that he is very safe, Bakura.// Anzu's voice came through the link.

/What are you doing with my Ring, Anzu?/ Bakura roared through the mind link. /Return it to Ryou this instant!/

//He gave it t me freely, tomb robber. I am now your "aibou".//

Bakura froze. /Why?/

//So that he could be free of you and all your friends, baka. Now he's with me.//

/Let me speak with him!/

//I don't think he'd like that very much. Oh, and Bakura- this conversation is now ending. You will never use the mind link with me ever again. Goodbye.//

The link was indeed cut off. As hard as he tried, Bakura could not break the mental defenses that Anzu spent years building.

"Damn it!" he screamed, causing all the faces in the restaurant to turn to him. He glared, ad they turned away.

"What's wrong, Bakura?" demanded Yugi.

"Ryou gave the ring to Anzu," he hissed.

"WHAT?" six voices shouted at the enrages spirit.

"You heard me!" he countered.

"Damn, this isn't good…" sighed Jou.

"What happens now?" asked a frightened Shizuka.

"I don't know," groaned Honda.

"Why would she want it anyway?" demanded Mai.

"So that she can rule the world," said Yami, in a hushed voice. Everyone stared at him. "You can't be serious," they chorused. He nodded.

"We're in such deep shit," said Yugi, disbelieving. "She has two items. Malik has one. That's three out of the seven. We have two. Shadi has the sixth. He won't give it to her, will he? Will he???"

"He may. Ishizu gave her the necklace. Shadi and Ishizu were friends. He may give her the Tauk as well… damn it!"

"Where's the seventh?"

"We'll need to find it before she does." Jou shuddered. "Can you imagine what she'd do if she ruled the world?"

Suddenly, Yami grinned. "We're kidding ourselves!" he laughed. "In order to get our items, Anzu would have to duel us. And guess what? She can't duel at all! We have nothing to worry about," said Yami, relaxed.

Everyone else smiled, relieved. "You're right. There's no way she can beat me in a duel," stated Bakura. "And there's no way Yami will loose to her. That means that both the Eye and the Puzzle are safe."

/She won't get the puzzle, will she Yami?/ asked Yugi worried.

//Of course not,// reassured the spirit. //I'll protect our bond, Yugi. You don't have to worry.//

"So, Ryou, welcome to your new home," Anzu smiled as she pushed open the doors of a huge palace-like mansion.

Ryou gaped. Anzu smirked at his imitation of a fish.

"Yeah. You'll be on the seventh floor, eleventh door to your left." Ryou stared at her. "What? Seto thought big!" They both laughed.

Anzu looked up at the sound of Malik's footsteps coming down the stairs. Her smile was wiped off at the look on his face. "What happened?" she asked.

"Mokuba. He's getting home in an hour."

Anzu paled. "Oh my god," she whispered.

Ryou's eyes widened as realization struck him. 'He doesn't know…' He put a hand on Anzu's shoulder. "Don't worry," he soothed. "Everything will be all right."

Yes, I made you wait another chapter to find out about Mokuba. Hehe. So you better review to get an update!!!