Chapter Twenty:

Reanimation for Dummies

It was eight before Ryou flopped bonelessly onto Yugi's bed, completely drained. Still, it was the most fun he had had in a good long time. He abandoned his conscious mind, shoving Yugi into control before he shuffled into Yami's soul room. The Brit had three seconds to register the grinning tomb robber that flew at him before he found himself on his back on the floor. "Yami...?"

"Ryou! Finally! Yami knows how to reanimate you!" Bakura grinned, looking like a little kid on Christmas morning.

All threat of sleep instantly disappeared, a wide grin identical to Bakura's lit up Ryou's face. "Really? You're not kidding me?"

"No, he's not," Yami replied, seeming to appear from thin air. "It won't be easy, but we can definitely get you back to normal now."

Ryou pushed Bakura off him and sat Indian-style, looking expectant. "Well, start explaining then we can get going!" he prompted after a second.

Yami winced as he sat down by Bakura. "You have to understand that this isn't going to be a snap of fingers and you're back in your own body. Everything has to be carefully planned or the consequences will be disastrous."

"For who? The whole world?"

"No. Just for you and Bakura."

Ryou made a face, his stomach and joy sinking rapidly. "Just what has to be done to reanimate me?"

Yami spared Bakura a glance, seeing the thief was just as anxious as his hikari for an answer. "When Marik told us the Ring and Puzzle can rip walls apart and put them back together, he was talking about the flow of time."

"What? That's nonsense!" Ryou countered. "There's no way in Hell that we can go back in time!"

Yami sighed, having expected this skepticism. "Remember the information we gained earlier from Marik?" The Pharaoh waited until Ryou nodded. "I found out, amongst other things, that you and Bakura are the guards of the Shadow Games-"

"So? What do we have to do? Go around and burn everyone's Duel Monster cards?" Bakura quipped.

"No," Yami replied with a lavish roll of his eyes. "Your jobs are to prevent the Millennium Items and god cards from falling into any one person's hands."

Ryou looked back at Bakura with a tiny smirk, putting things together quickly. "So you picked a thief to keep the balance?"

Yami nodded. "If I'm understanding this correctly, you and Bakura were thieves in your past lives. I must have figured that you two would be the perfect guards as you would constantly try to steal the extra Items from whoever had gained them."

"But... That's just screwed up," Bakura pointed out. "I mean, I've only gotten the Eye so far, but then I lost the Ring to that little brat..." Something clicked in the Spirit's mind. "You said there were three thieves that went after the Millennium Items, right?"

"Yes. You, Ryou, and Malik."

"Well doesn't that figure?" Ryou muttered. "Malik steals cards and Items and Bakura steals souls, cards, and Items. Looks like I'm the only one that's reformed."

Yami chuckled. "I have to admit, I must have been drunk or desperate when I decided who would guard the Games. But, I also knew that you three couldn't get the Items if your lives depended on it."

"Don't I feel better," Bakura grumbled.

"Wait, I remember there being mention of a Key," Ryou pointed out. "I'm surmising that the carvings on Malik's back are the-"

Yami cut him off. "Malik and Marik are the Key."

"WHAT?!"

"The carvings on their backs are different," Yami continued. "I don't know which one carries the information to close the games though."

Ryou sighed. "Okay, so me and Bakura are the guards, Malik and Marik are the Keys. That solves that problem. There's two more to be solved and we're saving my reanimation for last because I have a feel that that will take all night."

"Pretty much," Yami replied.

"Figures. So, what about the Priest? Any information on him?" Bakura asked.

Yami reached into the holder on the thicker of his two belts and pulled out a thin stack of cards. He rifled halfway through the deck before pulling one of the cards out. "Who does that look like?" he asked, handing the card to Ryou.

"The Dark Magician on crack," Bakura commented.

Ryou glared back at him. "Marik or Malik," he countered.

"What a load of bullshit!" Bakura shot back.

"Marik," Yami concluded.

"What?" Bakura yelped.

"The lines around his eyes and the hair is what gives it away," Ryou noted. "So wait, now this is slightly confusing. Marik isn't the Priest?"

"Marik is the Priest and that Duel Monster," Yami replied. "Don't ask me how, but he's both."

Bakura sighed deeply tugging at his hair. "What else is that freak? A houseplant, a god card reincarnate-"

"That would explain why he can use Ra," Ryou snickered.

"Shut up," Bakura growled. "That just isn't funny."

"Actually, Marik was the former holder of the Ring and captain of the guard," Yami pitched in.

Ryou's eyes rounded slightly. "So that's why he can use the Ring's power as well as Bakura or I could! He used to be its owner!"

Yami nodded. "Exactly."

"The how in the holy Hell did he wind up trapped in the Rod?" Bakura asked in a mumble.

Yami shrugged. "Don't ask, don't tell."

"You don't know?"

"Nope."

"Pharaoh no baka." Bakura laid down with a sigh. "On to Ryou's reanimation?"

"That's the only thing left to cover." Yami took the Dark Magician he had won from Pandora back in the small deck and replaced it in its holder. "Most of what has to be done will happen in the Ring."

"Why? What are we looking for?"

"I think the Ring has the same type of memory rooms that the Puzzle does. If it-"

"But, the Ring would only have rooms for Bakura's past life, not mine," Ryou broke in. "I mean, I know that Yugi is your reincarnation, but the Puzzle has no memory rooms for him."

"The memory rooms are created when the Item's holder dies," Yami answered. "Yugi isn't dead."

"Yet," Bakura muttered under his breath.

"But I'm not dead either!" Ryou insisted.

"Actually, you are," Bakura supplied. "You're actually a ghost of sorts, like me and Yami."

"So, in theory, the Ring would register this and store the memories from your life into rooms," Yami noted.

"But, I'm not bonded to the Ring nor am I Bakura's reincarnation."

"That's can actually be left up to debate," Yami retorted. "Bakura's soul was sealed into the Ring, his spirit is left to the gods to with what they please. It is possible that you are indeed Bakura's reincarnation, which ultimately bonds you to the Ring because he is."

"That's complex," Ryou grumbled. "Okay, so I'm dead and the Ring may have put my memories into a series of rooms. Just how does that tie into my reanimation?"

"That is the key to returning you too life, actually." Yami brushed his bangs out of his eyes, gathering his thoughts so they wouldn't come out in a confused jumble. "There is no way to reanimate you from this point in time. Not only has there been to much physical damage-"

"In other words, he's decomposed too much," Bakura simplified.

"I was trying to be tactful, but yes, that's basically it. But, we also have to deal with the others. If you suddenly show up in school one day, there will be too many questions."

Ryou looked troubled. "Then what are you saying?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I have reason to believe that the Puzzle and Ring together can create a rip in time," Yami replied. "If it can, then we can find the point where you were killed in your memory world and actually create a gate from memory to reality."

"Time travel, in essence?"

Yami nodded.

"That's crazy. There's too many variables!" Ryou shot back. "I'll admit, it sounds better then walking around looking like a corpse, but it's too dangerous."

Bakura chuckled. "How do you know it's unsafe?"

Ryou glared back at him. "The balance between past, present, and future is very precarious. It would be safer going from past to a future that hasn't been written. What we're doing is rewriting the future."

"Why not the past?"

Yami jumped in. "In the past, Ryou is alive. In this future, he's dead. So, nothing will be effected previous to your duel with Marik."

"So you two are saying that by reanimating Ryou in the past, we'll be rewriting the future?"

"What's so hard to comprehend?" Ryou sighed. "I'm dead right now. If I'm brought back to life in the past, then this future will cease to exist and a new future will be rewritten."

Bakura shrugged. "That's a good thing though. There's no explaining to do, we'll have the Ring again, and we won't remember this."

"Maybe."

Bakura glared hard at Yami. "What do you mean by 'maybe'?"

"Like Ryou said, there's too many variables to be certain about what will happen." Yami climbed to his feet, looking down at Ryou somewhat sadly. "There's no saying what will happen between you and Malik either."

Bakura looked a little put off. "There's nothing there. Last time I checked, Ryou was just trying to get the Ring from Malik."

"That's all you think it is?" Yami replied serenely.

"I haven't be told otherwise. I mean, I know Marik was all hyped up on the idea of Malik and Ryou, but he's a fruitloop, so his opinion doesn't count."

"Then why did you threaten Marik if he hurt Malik?" Yami asked.

"The kid hasn't done a damn thing wrong. That and he's still of some use to me," Bakura replied.

Ryou glanced at Yami desperately, silently begging him to keep quiet about his profound feelings for Malik. I hate to keep secrets, but with the chance that Bakura was once in love with Marik, he would go crazy if he found out I'm falling for Malik.

"At any rate, there's only one way to find out if this reanimation theory will work," Bakura piped up, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Ryou nodded as he climbed to his feet, nervous as Hell. "To the Ring then, I guess."

* * * *

[[Malik, what time is it?]]

Jerked out of his light slumber by the mental question, Malik spared his alarm clock a glance. [A little after six, why?]

[[Hm, late enough. Come to your soul room now,]] Marik ordered, voice bridging no nonsense.

Malik was put on edge by the question, but wasn't going to chance his yami's wrath again and ruin one of the best days he'd had in years. The instant he abandoned his conscious, he was met with Marik's all too happy continence. "What's wrong?"

Marik motioned to a discreet corner of the room, his dusty eyes dancing with several emotions. "I want you to accompany me on a little quest."

Oh shit. "Just what are you planning now?" Malik questioned, controlling his voice so it sounded more nonchalant then scared. With the Spirit's recent glee in mind, the hikari was more then afraid of what Marik was up to.

"Just come along, I promise you won't be disappointed," Marik assured the younger Egyptian, taking him by the shoulders and leading him forward anyway.

When the pair neared the door, Malik started to pick up on a familiar aura. "Ryou? ...Marik, just what in the Hell are you doing this time?"

The spike haired guardian just smirked and opened the door, revealing another room much like the Rod's soul room, just as dark and just as forbidding. "Do you know where we are?"

"I... The Ring? How... Wait, I know how." Malik pulled away from his other half, looking around the area. "I'm going to ask again, why are we here?"

Marik disappeared for a second, reappearing on top of a small column in the very center of the room. "Be patient, hikari. You'll see all in good time."

Malik eyed the unstable Egyptian a second longer before sticking his hands in his pockets and going over to lean against the pillar Marik had taken up residence on. I don't like this. Marik's too happy and when that happens, only the gods know what'll happen.

* * * * *

"Holy shit," Bakura breathed as he swung the door leading to the Ring open, shuttering at the cold that hung in the air.

Everything was black as night and the floor was layered with bright violet fog, save for one corridor in the corner that was an angry red and shimmered with a clinging gray smog. Hieroglyphics that weren't there before now littered the ceilings, walls, and even the floor while random bricks formed stalagmite-esque pillars.

And in the middle of the room, looking down at Ryou, Bakura, and Yami like a Pharaoh on high was Marik himself, wearing a feral smirk that spelled uncertain death at any moment.

"Oh my... Malik!" Ryou cried, spotting the nervous teenager by his guardian's side. He ran forward without thinking, embracing the Egyptian quickly. "I'd ask what you're going here, but that seems pretty obvious," he noted, glaring up at Marik.

Bakura, who had seen the exchange with a point of curiosity, finally addressed Marik. "Here to try and stop us from reanimating Ryou?"

Marik smiled dangerously. "Actually, I'm here to see you off and lend my hikari's services."

"You're what?!" Malik yelped. "I don't know jack shit about the Ring!"

Marik continued to smile. "But they trust you so much more then they do me. So," the Spirit jumped off his throne of sorts, patting his other half's head. "You're going to help them in my place."

Yami took that moment to speak up. "Absolutely not. Malik's in enough danger as it is with you around. I will not risk his life as well."

"Aw, how noble," Marik quipped, his smile fading to a nasty sneer. "Too bad you have no room to talk."

Ryou's glare just about matched the unstable Spirit's as he growled out a short, "No."

"No what? Are you challenging me, child? Marik asked, amused.

"If you want to take it that way, yes I am."

"No you're not," Malik jumped in. "I will not see you hurt because you're an airhead. If he wants me to go, I will."

Ryou's glared shifted to the seventeen-year-old. "Do you know what type-"

"I know no more then you do," Malik admitted. "But there's safety in numbers," he added with a sideways glance at Marik.

"Good child. I knew you'd see it my way." Marik smirked at the two hikaris, sweeping toward Bakura with a cat-like demeanor.

Yami moved forward, growling protectively.

"I see you've decided whom your heart belongs too," Marik murmured, lithe fingers tracing the scar he had recreated on Bakura's face. "Just like last time."

Bakura pulled back, looking disgusted. "I never belonged to you," he hissed, so Ryou nor Malik could hear.

Marik's smirk shifted back to a smile and he leaned forward, kissing Bakura firmly. "We'll see about that in a few days' time," he whispered before disappearing.

Bakura stood, floored, while Yami looked ready to track Marik down again and tear him limb from limb. Malik glanced over at Ryou, who shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know what that was all about," he murmured quietly. "And I don't want to."

Malik nodded in agreement, lilac eyes trailing over Ryou in what he thought was a covert glance. "You look better as yourself." The Egyptian ruffled Ryou's hair. "You look more like a little creampuff now."

Ryou blushed scarlet and ducked his head, going brighter under Malik's chuckles. "It's not funny," he grumbled, sneaking a peak at Bakura and Yami through his bangs. To his surprise, the former was physically holding the latter like a straight jacket. "Trouble in paradise," he muttered.

Malik looked over and sighed. "Dead guys, we don't have all the time in the world and I have no doubts that the more time we spend stationary, the more time Marik has to start setting up traps."

"He's right for once," Bakura agreed. "Stop overreacting. We've already been through this discussion and you know full well that I love you, not him." The thief kissed the top of Yami's head. "Screw what I thought of him in the past."

"He... I... Yami no Yugi..." Ryou blinked, throwing his hands up. "Why was I never told that you two hooked up!" The Brit sighed deeply. "Yami no Yugi and my yami, Seto and Joey... It's summer for crying out loud! Not spring! You're all a season too late for all this lovey dovey crap!"

A frown drew Malik's lips down as he regarded the younger teenager. Though he was displaying outward cynicism, it was apparent to the Egyptian that Ryou was not only nervous, but scared. It would be cute... If it wasn't coupled with uncertain death. "Hey, don't worry. You've got me here to help you."

Bakura snickered. "Ryou, start worrying."

"Ten steps ahead of you."

Malik rolled his eyes. "I feel loved." He went over and snatched Yami and Bakura by their respective sleeves. "Come along, lovebirds, we have a creampuff to reanimate."

Bakura instantly started laughing. "C-Creampuff!? Dear gods, that's rich!"

Ryou went bright red again, glaring at Malik. "Thanks a lot," he mumbled.

Still dragging the Spirits along, Malik grinned and patted Ryou's head. "Let's go, Ryou."

Refusing to be dragged along, Ryou started walking of his own accord, asking, "Do you even know where you're going?"

"See that hallway over there, the red one?" Bakura jumped in. "I have a feeling that's where we have to start."

"You had to pick the worst of the hallways, didn't you?" Ryou sighed. "Hey!" he yelped when Malik dodged ahead of him, feeling rather indignant. "What's that for?"

Malik shrugged. "I have a better sense of the lurking dangers then you do," he replied. In truth, he didn't want Ryou to get hurt.

Bakura, having the same line of thinking, pushed Yami behind him, shooting the Pharaoh a challenging looking that got him to back down almost immediately. "Besides, if something happens to me or Malik, Ryou's the only one who can use the Ring to guide him."

Yami kicked the thief in the calf. "You Item happens to be linked to mine. Coincidentally, that opens its powers to mine and vise versa."

"Good for you. But I doubt that your glamorous abilities to sit on your ass all day and order people around will get us far," Malik shot back, exercising his eternal dislike for Yami.

"Watch it, Ishtar," Ryou warned.

Malik turned to grin at the snow haired teen. "What? My yami could flatten him."

Ryou's glare turned deadly quick. "And mine can flatten you if you keep it up," he growled.

{{He's kidding, Ryou,}} Yami pointed out mentally.

(I don't give a shit. I've got enough problems to worry about without having grow eyes behind my head to watch for Marik,) Ryou replied.

{{You're afraid that having Malik here will endanger us further?}}

Ryou looked down at the ground, watching with some interest as the fog shifted colors from green, to blue, to red, to violet in a repeating pattern. {You know it will.}

{{Marik can appear at any time anyway,}} Yami pointed out. {{If anything, Malik can give us a warning so we're prepared.}}

Ryou sighed, knowing the former monarch was right. {I'm not afraid either, let's get that straight. I just... Bakura's just starting to trust him. I don't want anything to happen that will make yami think he's a traitor.}}

Yami nodded discreetly. {{Don't worry, Ryou. Bakura's an idiot, but he's not thick.}}

{I guess,} Ryou chuckled. {Thanks.}

Yami nudged the Brit with a smile. His amethyst eyes explored the area, not surprised that they were already in the crimson hallway. A forward glance revealed that it was just one straight expanse. "Any idea, O' Mighty Gurus?" he asked somewhat teasingly.

"We'll pretend we do and say yes," Malik replied, looking around the area restlessly. "It doesn't feel dangerous, but at the same time, it's too quiet. Something definitely wrong."

Bakura nodded his agreement. "Though, it gets quieter the father in we go. It's like the danger's behind us."

Now on edge again, Ryou dared to glance behind him, chocolate eyes widening. The stonework at the beginning of the hallway was beginning to crumble, as if being deteriorated by time in fast forward. "Guys, run!"

Yami, Bakura, and Malik looked behind them the same time the floor started to collapse.

"RUN!" Ryou encouraged them, shoving Malik into moving. He couldn't hear the bricks clattering against anything as they fell and didn't want to know what was below the floor.

The quartet tried to outrun the crumbling bricks, but the faster they ran, the faster the floor gave way. Soon, the bricks were falling apart under their feet and Ryou was falling behind.

"Come on!" Malik yelled, "Move faster!"

"I'm trying!" Ryou growled, cursing himself for not being born a track runner or something. Dear God, let this end. Make it end, he prayed, trying to run faster.

Yami reached out to grab the Brit and yank him into a piggyback, but the floor again accelerated its decomposition. With a terrified yelp, the Pharaoh found himself flying backwards, Ryou his only company as he fell into uncertain unconsciousness, Bakura and Malik's helpless screams the last thing he heard.

It's been a while since I've ended a chapter in a real cliffhanger (trailer's aside of course), so I figured I'd take this lovely opportunity and leave you all hanging. [smiles] That more then I gave Yami and Ryou, that's for sure! [glances around and puts on a suit of armor] Just in case anyone tries to hurt me. ^)^

Akuro: Arigatou! [hugs Ryou plushie] Malikism… Does have a nice ring, doesn't it? [grins] Now, all I need is a bunch of followers and I'll have a real life cult. ^)^U But, the last chapter was so fun to write. [giggles] If you do try to trash your little brother, let me know how is goes so I can try it on my siblings! So, do I get my Maly plushie now?

Sailor Comet: It's easy. You either have to no clue what you're doing or are wearing an exceptionally long skirt. (Like I was. -___-U) But, yeah, arigatou! ^)^U

Acid Reign:[eyes go around] Fanart? Really? [squeals and starts bouncing around] That would be so awesome! ^_______________^ But, calming down, I like Ryou in the manga so much better, Mokuba too for the matter. [sighs] Everyone has such a horrible habit of throwing things out of proportion. (Okay, so I'm a little guilty. ^)^U)

Dee-whY-Cee-aRe: lol. I'm not so good at witty reviews or comments either. ^)^U But thanks for dropping a review!

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Chapter Twenty-One Trailer:

The hall had blessedly stopped collapsing once Malik and Bakura set foot on black stone again, the pair bent double trying to catch their breath.

"We… have to g-go back," Malik panted.

Bakura glared at the seventeen-year-old nastily. "And how do-we do… that?" he growled.

"No clue. But-we have to." A second later, Malik found himself on the ground, silvery red blood running from his nose.

"There's no fucking way, you incomprehensible idiot!" Bakura hissed, prepared to hit Malik again. "We don't know if they're even alive-"

Malik tripped the Egyptian and hit him hard, splitting the thief's lip open. "Don't you dare even say it," he warned dangerously.

Bakura threw Malik off his chest and was about to beat the mortal's head inside out when he felt a shift in the Ring's aura; a shift for the worse. His dark gaze darted around the room, coming to rest on the hallway he had just escaped from.

Malik followed his line of sight, sensing the shift as well and his mouth fell open with a silent gasp. "No…"

The hallway had repaired itself, floor and all, possibly burying Yami and Ryou for eternity.

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