Kitty: Alright! Another chapter down by wonderful me!

Ryou: *scanning chap* You put yourself in it?

Kitty: Yes! But only in a memory! I can't stand original characters, and I know that no one else likes them either so don't worry folks! Let's just see if you can decide whether everything I wrote about myself actually happened in real life or not! How about... the winner can request a one- shot?

Ryou: Sounds good to me.

Bakura: Feh, you'd never take the time!

Kitty: Dude, shut up, how about flapping your mouth doing something useful, like the disclaimer!

Bakura: *Disclaimer* Kitty does not own YuGiOh...

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A Story By:

~Shrine Maiden Kitty~

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Bonded

Chapter 4~ Liar

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~Ryou's Dream Sequence~

When I was in the seventh grade back in England, I knew a girl with strawberry blonde hair (dyed) and aqua blue eyes. She was very shy and usually kept to herself. I believe her name was Kaity Summers.

Anyway, I had a sort-of crush on the girl and I observed her from afar often.

I was in Social Studies one day and happened to glance her way when I noticed something very peculiar about my blonde little angel. She had pushed up her sleeves subconsciously (as I noticed she often did), and I noticed quite a number of ugly cuts dressed across her wrists. I averted my gaze quickly before she noticed and my mind was instantly overwhelmed.

'Kaity cuts?' I thought sadly to myself as I pushed up my own sleeves revealing milky white skin, untouched.

Each day it seemed to look worse and worse, but no one seemed to notice other than I. One day in gym class though, I saw one of her friends abruptly pull her from the weight room. I watched as there was pointing and concerned faces and a hug that was much too somber. I remember Kaity following her friend back into the room with tears in her eyes and I instantly wished there was something I could do.

The last I had seen of her that year was the day her grandfather died and I just remember her sobbing as she walked through the empty halls with her favorite teacher. I so badly wanted to tell her that things were okay, even though I barely knew her. She just seemed so untouchable, so far away from me.

She just sorta slinked out of my life from then on, but I did find something that had belonged to her... It was a diary. There were a few particular entries in it that disturbed me the most... they read:

November 10, 2000

Dear Journal,

Good Evening. Things are much better then they were a few days ago. I went over Renée's on Saturday and we had a lot of fun. She's coming over this weekend, and she's coming with me to a TCE program and to and Art Contest on Sunday.

I framed a picture of Patch (my deceased guinea pig) and I put it on my desk. I plan to make a merry little picture gallery on my desk. Wouldn't it be lovely?

I tore out all of the awful pages from the front of this diary that were years old. They held such awful memories and I have a hard enough time trying to better myself without such awful images from the past. I know that I can never be a truly kind or well person; I don't really know why I try so hard sometimes. I have no motives. I hate having to hide the truths from so many of my friends. They don't understand that the deep gashes on my arms aren't from my cats, bless them, but are my own doing. They don't need to know, because I don't want their help or pity. I don't want to hear the whispers as I walk past, or the disappointed looks cast from adults.

But I'm becoming bitter once again, and I really mustn't.

...But...

My blood is very pretty. I love the pain; I love the scars that stay. One day there will be too many to cover for. Oh well. This is my way of repenting I suppose. I can never take back what I just did. I'll carry the scars for the rest of my life. It will hurt for a while, but that's okay. As long as everyone is happy... Good Evening.

Love, Kaity

January 13, 2001

Dear Journal,

Today, I requested that Mum give me some classical music to occupy myself with. I want to distance myself somewhat from the superficial garbage blaring uninvited from every radio channel. I also thought it bright to broaden my horizons a bit. But routinely, this could not be provided, and it was foolish of me to request of something that is not an essential, but merely a desire.

Mum also says that Domino (my kitten) must go. I wish to scream, "THEN TAKE HIM NOW!", so defiantly, for I cannot bear to part with him now with this knowledge. To take away my most loyal companion would destroy me; more than any could suspect.

I let no more than 3 tears kiss my cheeks in my solitude, but it's not like me to completely break down. There is nothing left to weep about after all of your dreams are gone.

I find it much simpler to idly let the world slip by. Sands of time are falling freely from my hands, and I smile with little or no reason. For this creates emotion. My world spent empty and ideal-less creates all the emotion I need. That way, I'm untouchable. I stand upon my soapbox and drift out to sea. Endless blue; so peaceful and vacant, just as my eyes are. My lips may smile, but my eyes remain indifferent and unblinking; settling their empty gaze upon nothing in particular, searching for nothing vaguely familiar to hold onto.

In this cliché and material world, I finally find myself not caring whether I live or die, whether my character survives in this place. I won't cry because my house burnt down in a fire and all of my comic books are beyond retrieval. It's nice to have things, but they're not crucial to survival.

I must stop; I can't recollect my thoughts and muse at the same time.

Love, Kaity

After reading those two particular entries, I was left disturbed by the bloodstains on the pages, and saddened by the mere... loss of life and feeling of hopelessness that I would have never guessed Kaity sheltered.

Thinking back, I wish I would have done something. While reading the girl's lost diary was bad enough in the first place, it at least showed me a beautiful girl's inner-feelings, and maybe, if I would have acted upon my instincts, Kaity wouldn't be six feet underground in a casket right now... due to her suicide two days after I had found the diary.

In all honesty, it was Kaity's death that finally made me realize how cruel the world truly was. I had gone to her funeral, and as I looked upon her angelic figure laying there on her deathbed, who I really saw was my mother, and my older sister, taken before their time, because there is no one watching over us. I stopped praying that night.

I don't know why I'm dreaming about this now.

I don't understand the purpose of this particular memory to surface at this time.

Something is terribly out of place.

~End of Dream Sequence~

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Yuugi's POV

I stared at the form on the bed, assuming that it was Ryou, which I hope to Gods it truly was! He was sleeping seemingly peacefully, an occasional twitch of his bare feet, but not a sound escaped his lips. He had a blue hood shielding his face so I couldn't read his expression. I assume it was serene, even if the feeling of the room was anything but. I looked at the Sennen Ring, lying forgotten on a desk not far from the bed.

"That must be why I couldn't sense the Ring," Yami mused from behind me as he studied the room with unnerving scrutiny. I finally shook myself of the paralysis I seemed to have acquired upon entering the room and approached the sleeping boy no more than 5 or 10 yards in front of me.

I closed the gap between myself and Ryou's bed in short hesitant strides as if crossing a battlefield with nothing but an empty musket and a bag of coffee grinds. Fortunately, I made the journey safely without a tale to retell to my grandchildren. Pity.

"Ryou," I whispered as I shook his shoulder lightly and his body gently bobbed from side to side fluidly from the slight pressure. After a few more "gentle persuasions", Ryou finally began to come to his senses and his light blue eyes opened slowly. "Yuugi?" he murmured unconvinced, squinting at me as his eyes adjusted to the room. Yami had turned on a bedside lamp, brightening the area near the bed.

His eyes suddenly dilated as he processed that Yami and I were in his home, standing next to him. He shot up quickly into an upright position and wavered dizzily as his body adjusted to his quick actions. "W-What are you doing here, Yuugi-kun?!" he squealed in an almost terrified manner at me. It would have seemed comical if he weren't so seemingly distraught. Not exactly the greeting I had expected.

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, his wild gaze washing over me feverishly, I shuffled my feet nervously as I searched for the right words to say. Yami noticed my discomfort and came to my rescue; now I remember why I love him so much.

"We came to check upon you," he stated matter-of-factly. That's my yami, cool, and quick thinking! I'm so proud of him...!

I nodded dumbly along with my yami, the gears still turning slowly in my peanut brain *a/n: sorry Yuugi fans ^^;*. Ryou seemed to contemplate this slowly, calming down a bit. I still don't understand what he was so worked up about when he fist awoke. Maybe he'll tell us... hopefully? Maybe we'll finally discover what's been bothering him the past few weeks. That's why we came over here in the first place, isn't it? I was awakened from my musing when Ryou's heavy, yet soft accent finally broke the silence.

"Well, I'm fine, fellows, you really mustn't worry. You should be on your way; you're wasting your time here." He had paused unsurely after speaking, eyeing Yami and I wearily, he looked absolutely exhausted now that I stopped to take a good look at him.

His fatigue showed in the dark circles under his eyes, and the slur in his voice. His eyes were almost expressionless, not bright like they used to be. The past few weeks seemed to have taken their toll on my usually bright and cheerful friend. He looked completely stressed out.

"You don't look alright, Ryou," I said quietly, "If it's not too bold... you look a mess."

"That IS too bold," Ryou growled agitatedly. I decided to blame the lack of sleep. Then he sighed and gave a soft smile. "Please, guys, I'm very tired, that's all, I've been awfully busy lately, and soon, I will be much better."

He was lying through his teeth. He was the worst liar, the WORST.

//He's lying, Aibou."

/I know./

//What should we do?//

/Nothing./

//What? Why?//

/He's being stubborn... Perhaps we should go./

//If that's what you think is best...//

/Hai, let's go./

"Well Ryou," I smiled convincingly, "it was nice visiting, but Yami and I really must be on our way, plus we should leave you to rest. You know how to reach me if you need anything."

"Of course."

"Okay then. Ja ne, Ryou."

"Ja."

I hope Ryou knows what's best for himself. Somehow I have the feeling that our little liar is hiding a bigger secret than I had first imagined. I just pray to Ra that he's not in so far over his head that it will be too late to save him in the end...

To Be Continued...

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Kitty: Okay! Short, I know, but I felt it best to leave the chapter off there. Hope you liked it!

Ryou: Why am I always the troubled one?

Kitty: Uhh...

Bakura: You're useless! WAHAHAHAHAHA!

Ryou: *cry cry*

Kitty: *twitch* Well, I don't think I got 5 reviews last time... but oh well, I will again request 5... but who knows! Even if I don't get that many I'm having so much fun I may even just update for the heck of it!

WOO WOO REVIEW!