This fic seems to take a loooooong time... Well, people like that, so... this is a lil, um, odd… Well in this chap, something happens to ryou… if you don't get it, I'll explain at the end. Also… a little Ryou&Samayo fluff, nothing really bad happens, but I think they realze that they kinda sort like each other… Oh what the hell, they-

Readers: DON'T GIVE IT AWAY!

Shibby: ;;; sorry.

\ \-Ryou to Bakura
/-Bakura to Ryou
#:footnotes (if any)

-Devil's Food-

Chapter Seven

Samayo's eyes remained closed. She remained asleep, unconscious, lost in her own subconscious. Bakura's grip tightened on her fragile neck, his fingers pressing into her windpipe in the front of her neck. Her eyes squinted together and she began to cough, the oxygen being cut off from her throat.

Bakura's heavy breaths were all she heard when she awoke, coughing. Her eyes popped open, staring into the darkness of the room. Her body froze, her heart beating quickly, her lungs heaving, trying to get more air.

"Zamiya..." came the whisper in her ear.

She froze. She began to breathe rather quickly, her lower lip trembling. A tear slipped down her face and landed on the side of Bakura's hand.

"Who..." she managed to whisper, although Bakura's hand landed over her mouth.

"Listen to me, Zamiya," he instructed in her ear. Samayo, now fully conscious, began to recognize the sinister voice... "I did this to warn you; one finger on him, and you're dead. You know who I'm talking about, bitch. You did it once before, and I refuse to let you do it again. Traitor." The hands fell from her neck. Before Samayo could turn around, light flooded over her body as the door opened, then darkness fell again as Bakura shut the door.

Shaking, her face damp from sweat, Samayo placed her hands around her own neck. She felt the sores that Bakura had made with his cold hands and tight grip...

That voice had sounded just like Ryou's.

Bakura was sitting on the stone wall, his hands shoved into his coat pockets. He couldn't feel the stinging rains that pierced his arms, which would have made any regular person freezing. He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers.

"Hmmm," he muttered to himself. "She seemed so easy... Surely Zamiya is smarter then that girl..." He turned back to focus on the old, run-down house that his hikari lived in. Bakura scoffed.

"Ridiculous," he said, smiling devilishly. He was anticipated, excited, feeling stronger then ever before. He was so antsy to go off and get Zamiya... He hadn't been out of the Ring for four months now... It was wonderful to be back in control again...

"Hey! Hey, Ryou!" a voice was calling him. Bakura leaned forward, the wind picking up his white hair, blowing it back, revealing the coldness in his eyes. Yugi's small figure could be seen in the distance, his jacket tightly closed against the harsh rain and winds. Joey was following right behind. Bakura smiled to himself, leaning back, partially hiding himself behind a bush. The Ring was glowing brightly around his neck, and he feared that they would realize who he was right away if they saw it. Quickly, he buttoned his school jacket, so the Ring was hidden from view.

Yugi appeared beside the wall, smiling. Joey was behind him, frowning slightly, a look of suspicion dancing in his eyes.

"…Oh…" Bakura muttered, smiling boldly. "Hi, Yugi. Joey." Joey narrowed his eyes at him, then looked out at the road.

"Ryou-kun," Yugi said slowly, looking at Joey, then at Bakura. "Umm, why exactly did you run out on class today? What were you talking about?"

"What? Oh…" Bakura muttered, struggling to think of something.

Damn! Bakura thought. What would Ryou say? He mentally attempted to contact Ryou in his soul room.

/Ryou! Ryou/

There was no answer. Ryou was still asleep, the spell Bakura placed still in effect.

Both Yugi and Joey waited patiently for an answer. Well, one of them was waiting patiently. Joey was hopping from foot to foot, waiting anxiously for Bakura's answer.

"…Erm…" he said, wringing his hands. "…I don't know why I did it… Something that happened a few days ago that caught up with me, that's all…" Yugi nodded slowly, smiling. Joey, however, was not as trusting. The freezing rain was still pittering on the ground, patches of ice forming on the street.

"…Aren't you cold, Ryou?" Joey asked. "Why don't we go inside your house?" Bakura looked up the path to the house. He frowned.

"Well…" he started. He wanted to go back to his soul room and investigate Ryou's room, forcing Ryou to take control. But if he made the switch while the Pharaoh was present, he would notice…

Wait.

The Pharaoh wasn't present. He was gone.

A smile curled onto Bakura's lips. He could get to Yugi… draw some of the Pharaoh's power from his weak, fragile soul… Kill him off, then use that power to force Zamiya to leave Samayo's soul…

…Then Samayo would be unprotected…

"Sure," Bakura said, standing up. He was careful not to let the Ring glint; if it did, they would see it through his jacket, even though it was very thick.

"Okay," Yugi said, marching up to the house. Bakura was about to follow, when Joey put his hand on Bakura's shoulder. Bakura turned to him, ready to tell him off, when he was met with a sinister stare. His chocolate brown eyes were filled with malice and hunger, as if dying to reveal him to Yugi.

"Ryou," he started, a fake smile crossing his face. "Bakura hasn't been any trouble since the Pharaoh left, has he?" Bakura shook his head quickly. It didn't dawn on him that Ryou would have questioned Joey on why. Joey smiled and nodded, then followed Yugi up, leaving Bakura at the end of the walkway.

"Ryou! Hurry up!" Yugi called, pulling his jacket tighter. "Brr, it's cold out here…"

"Just to be safe," Bakura muttered to himself. He began reciting something quickly in Egyptian, under his breath, taking his time in walking up the walkway so he could have time to recite it all. The words swam in his mind.

…Thy soul hath descended, thy master is rendered useless, let no one see the truth behind thy front, thy jealous whim be seen if advertis'd by accidental… Thou wonder whom shall rain down the fire of hell and heaven unto thee… Protect thy position, protect thy disguise from the thieving eyes of the one thou sees…

The spell was set. Yugi's eyes glazed over for a moment, all the life leaving them. A moment later, he shook his head violently, the spell sealed. He looked at Bakura, and didn't notice the coldness in his eyes, the height difference he and Ryou shared, or the strange way that he seemed to be unaffected by the cold.

Bakura reached out, key in hand, and unlocked the door.

Let the games begin, he thought, almost giddy with excitement.

Samayo shook violently, peeling off her clothing. She stood in her bedroom, a towel wrapped around her small frame, looking in a full-length mirror. She was trying to convince herself that Ryou had nothing to do with that.

"He didn't hurt my brothers," she muttered to herself. "He couldn't have. He wouldn't. He has no weapons… No way of hurting anyone." She nodded defiantly to herself. "Yes, he couldn't have…" Her mother had arrived at the hospital, relieving her daughter of the duty of watching her brothers. She told her to go home, take a hot shower, work on something, keep her mind off Ju and Ki.

"Visit Ryou," her mother had said, pushing her daughter out of the room. "Get outta here."

"…Yeah," Samayo said, walking into the bathroom. "Maybe I will visit Ryou..." She reached into the tub and turned on the hot water, letting it pour over her fingers. She smiled as she knelt next to the tub, letting the water run over her hands and arms. As it filled, she felt a sudden chill run through her body as she thought of Ryou.

She looked down lazily at the water filling the white tub. She dipped a dainty hand into it, turning her head to the side, letting her black hair fall over her arm. She closed her eyes and let the fumes of warm, moist air consume her… Her thoughts drifted back towards Ryou, her heart quickening…

She felt hands on her back. They were warm and inviting, and she didn't bother to open her eyes to see who it was. She felt the hands drift towards her arms and run down to her wrists, gently squeezing them. She licked her lips and lifted her head a little, feeling someone's warm breath on her neck. A hand rose to her ear, and pushed her hair aside.

"…Samayo…" a soft voice whispered in her ear. Samayo turned slightly to see her visitor. Ryou was kneeling behind her, a towel wrapped around his waist. He was nose to nose with her, the steamy air making everything in the room look misty and unreal. Samayo gasped, but not from fright; from surprise and happiness.

"Ryou," she said, closing her eyes. The tub was full. Gently, Ryou reached out and turned the handle, the water coursing to a stop. Samayo had poured bubbles into the large bath, making it a sea of foam. She opened her eyes and looked down, slowly standing. Ryou followed.

Carefully, she stepped into the bath, towel still wrapped around her. She lowered herself into the tub, the moist air and warm water comforting after that long, cold day. She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. She felt the water rise and fall in little waves as Ryou followed her. He lowered himself in, leaning against Samayo.

Carefully and slowly, he moved Samayo's small body against his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist. She could feel his heart beating, and she closed her eyes, leaning her cheek against his damp chest. He hugged her closer to him, as if afraid she would drift away.

They were in a corner of the bath, so they could hardly move. Samayo could feel the warm, fuzzy feeling of the towel wrapped around Ryou's waist… Until he removed it and hung it over the edge of the tub.

"It'll dry faster that way," Ryou whispered in her ear. "Yours will, too." Samayo carefully untied the knot she had tied, and pulled it off. She tossed it onto the floor.

"I'm not a neat person," She whispered back. Ryou shrugged.

"Neither am I." She giggled, feeling his heart pounding against her bare back. She turned her head, putting her hand on his cheek. Her fingers slid down to his chest, sliding out and down his arm to his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. All down her body she could feel the smoothness of his skin, and he looked so pale in comparison to her copper skin.

He leaned down in the water, so she was nearly lying on top of him, her back against his chest, both of them with closed eyes.

The mist in the room made the atmosphere seem even more dramatic.

"…Ryou…" Samayo whispered, partially turning around. Her hair had been pulled into a ponytail for the bath, since she hated getting the tips wet. Ryou reached out and pulled it down, letting it flow between his fingers. She turned so she was sideways to him, still keeping contact with his body, and put her nose against his.

"Why are you here?" she said in a breathy voice. Ryou smiled gently down at her.

"Because," he whispered. "I wanted to be." He drew his arms up her abdomen and stomach to right below her breasts, tightening his grip. She closed her eyes, leaning against him. She didn't question why he was there, or how.

She didn't want to leave this room, ever. She wanted to give her body up to him, become part of him, let him hold her and warm her in his embrace... She just fit so easily into the contours of his distinguished body...

She loved him.

Joey knew. The way he was watching Bakura, never taking his eyes from his body. Yugi, of course, didn't notice that Ryou was actually Bakura; the spell was on him, and the bit of power Yami had given to Yugi to protect him was still 'unlocked', waiting for the time when he would truly use it. Bakura wanted that tiny bit of protection, because he could easily turn it around and corrupt it into a force that could dispell Zamiya from harming Ryou...

Ryou, however, wasn't in his soul room.

Bakura wasn't aware of that.

"Joey," Yugi said, smiling broadly, "why do you look so angry?"

"Hmm?" Joey said, looking at his friend. "...Oh, just... Thinking about something, Yugi... That's all..."

"Oh. You sure?" Yugi asked, watching Joey with an innocent look. Joey smiled and sniggered.

"Don't try that innocent act with me," he said accusingly. Yugi laughed and stopped acting like a five-year-old, stretching out his legs on the floor and closing his eyes.

"Well, I'm glad you're alright, Ryou," he said, his eyes still closed. Joey crossed his arms and slid to the floor, crossing his legs as well. He looked over at Bakura, wondering how long this charade would be up.

Bakura, he thought. I'm on to you. Apparently, Bakura could sense Joey's thoughts. He shot him an angry look, then went back to Yugi.

"Yugi-kun, I-" Yugi jumped up mid-sentence, silencing Bakura.

"Eeks... I have to use the bathroom," he said, looking around the room. "...Erm, which way is it again?" Bakura pointed down a hallway, and Yugi took off, slamming the door behind him.

Joey took this moment to jump up, stomp over to Bakura, grab him by his collar and lift him up. Bakura was smirking during this action.

"Listen, you bastard," Joey mumbled, keeping his voice low. "I don't know what you did to Yugi, but I demand that you tell me where Ryou is, right now! Why are you doing this?"

"To prevent someone from hurting my little Ryou," Bakura hissed back. "That little twit may be useless, but he's the closest I have to my old body, so I have to protect him at all costs."

"What bitch would want to hurt Ryou?" Joey asked, lessening his grip. Bakura smiled. Joey's eyes became less violent, as concern for Ryou flooded them.

"Someone who is very close to him, Joey," he said, a devil smile appearing on his face. "A certain girl I knew in the past has come back... In the form of the girl-next-door role... Innocent, sweet, and beautiful. She hurt me," Bakura muttered, feeling his old hatred rekindle. "She sold me out. And I know she's taking refuge in the Alluige girl." Joey let Bakura's collar go. Bakura smiled, feeling success. His persuasion spell worked. In his mind, he had been chanting quickly, setting the seal of persuasion on Joey. Now he was convinced that Samayo was out to get Ryou as well.

Now that he knows, he thought to himself, Time to mess with his head a little. He stood up, and Joey stepped back, staring right at Bakura.

"Wow, I never knew that," Joey said sincerely. "I'm sorry, Bakura. I had no idea that Samayo had done that to you."

"Not her," Bakura said, missing the obvious in the sentence. "The person who is hiding within her."

"Ah. I see." Joey gave a little smile. "What did she do?"

"She sold me out, gave away my hiding place," Bakura explained, shoving his hands in his pockets. "So I don't want that Samayo Alluige doing the same to my hikari."

"What will you do?" Bakura pulled his hands out of his pockets and began cracking his knuckles.

"I'm going to kill her," he muttered, flexing his fingers. "And I know the perfect way..." He looked up at Joey, to see he had disappeared.

Hmmm... Where did he go? Bakura thought, turning around. He turned around in time to recieve a fist in his face.

Bakura reeled back, tripping over the leg of a chair and falling to the ground. Joey had missed his main target and had hit his cheek instead of his forehead. Bakura rubbed it and scrambled to get up, Joey barging towards him.

"Do you think I would fall for that?" he said, breathing hard. "The Pharaoh gave all of us some of his protection, in case slime like you ever came back." Bakura wiped a streak of blood protruding from his lips away, cursing under his breath. "The spell you put on Yugi wore off only a few minutes after we came in here. It was all a scam, you son of a bitch." Joey came closer, rage burning in his eyes. "And now, I'm gonna kill you." Joey raised his fist, and was about to punch Bakura, when Bakura got a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"Joey... Remember, Ryou's innocent..." He slithered out of his vulnerable position and stood instead, brushing his hair over his shoulder. His eyes became full of fire, as if he could light a match by staring at it. Joey shivered as that fiery, malicious look was focused on him.

If looks could kill...

Yugi was watching from the safe distance of the hallway, anxiously waiting to see what would happen. His grip tightened on the wall, his large eyes settled on Bakura, watching him, making sure he wouldn't do anything drastic...

It was a split second. Yugi saw his forefinger move, the switchblade click. The blade itself seemed to poke between his fingers. Yugi didn't have time to react; he ran forwards, attempting to stop Bakura.

It didn't work. Bakura lifted his arm, and, with all his power and strength, stabbed it into Joey's shoulder.

Yugi froze, shock stopping his movements. Joey's eyes played open, becoming glazed over. The sound of tearing flesh rippled through the room as Bakura dug the blade deeper into Joey' shoulder.

Joey stumbled, falling over onto his back. He landed with a thud, his head lolling to one side, his eyes wide open and glassy. He was breathing in short, harrowed gasps. He closed his eyes and squeezed them as hard as he could, clenching his teeth to keep from screaming. He was in so much pain, he couldn't even lift his other arm to grab his shoulder, like most people would have done.

"No! Joey!" Yugi cried, running over. Bakura sighed, his tone annoyed, pulling the blade out of Joey's body.

So maybe the Pharaoh's protection will have to wait... he decided to himself. He examined to blade, Joey's dark blood staining the edge of it. He frowned, and wiped it on the edge of his jacket. He didn't like having the blood of the enemy on his knife.

Yugi was kneeling next to Joey, trying to get him to say something.

"Joey... Say something, please..." Yugi begged, leaning over his friend. Joey took a deep breath, teeth still clenched, tears slipping down his face in pain.

"Yugi," he said in a hoarse voice. "He's going after Samayo... He thinks she did something..." Yugi looked up at Bakura, who was getting angry that he couldn't get his blade completely clean.

"Damn you, stupid blade," he muttered, closing it angrily. He shoved it into his back pocket and looked down at Yugi, making a reassuring sound to himself that he had won.

"Bakura," Yugi said, his body shaking as he stood. His hands were clenched into fists, his fingers digging into his palms. "Joey didn't do anything to you. Samayo never did anything to you; Hell, she loves Ryou! And you..." he shook his head. He pointed at Bakura, as if doing anything would really get Bakura to take him seriously. "When this is over..." he let his threat stand. Bakura shrugged.

"Ryou is fine, you twit," he said. He liked the sound of 'twit' much better then a normal swear; it made him feel so much more superior then either Ryou or Yugi. "He's asleep. As for Samayo..." he cracked his knuckles.

"First her brothers, now her." And with that, the Ring glowed brightly, sending a shock wave throughout the room. Yugi was thrown backwards, and he hit the floor with a loud thud. Bakura laughed, his voice echoing throughout the house, even after his departure.

When the house was silent once more, Yugi sat up, shaking terribly from the ordeal. Joey's gasping breaths were all that were heard as he struggled to breathe, and his body began to convulse, since he was losing blood so quickly.

Yugi sat there on the floor, crying without knowing it. His tears mingled with his sweat. He knew Bakura would wait until morning; he always liked to do things when the sun was just coming up... It was dark now. Yugi closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands. He felt ashamed of himself. All this time...

"It wasn't a new threat that had caused this," Yugi said softly. "It was the old one."

And Bakura was fed up with waiting.

He would attack at dawn.

Samayo would die for no reason.

dun dun dunnnnnn... when i wrote 'He would attack at dawn' i felt like i was talking about an army commander... well... anyway... eeks, this chap is goes to count 8 pages long! you lucky, lucky people...

if yall are confused on how Ryou was, erm, with Samayo in the bath without a body, if he feels one emotion strongly, so strongly that it blocks his train of thought and his body, mind and soul feels this one emotion, he can produce a physical form for himself temporarily. Like a second body. Because he has a Sennen Item. . I made that allll up!

My crisis is semi-over.. Im not as sunk as before, but... ;; yeah... anyway...

-----Next chap------

Samayo reflects on her feelings for Ryou after that night when he showed up, hardly getting any sleep. At dawn, she finds that a mysterious man who greatly resembles Ryou is at her door... And keeps calling her Zamiya. Is she, truly, the reincarnation of Zamiya?

Or does he just want to kill her... For fun?

tata

Shibby-One