Disclaimer:
Seto: What am I doing in the disclaimer? I'm not even in the story!
Yami Kaosu: Yet...
Yami Bakura: ...
Chaos: He's still mad about how we're treating him in this.
Yami Kaosu: Yeah, well, when I get my hands on Rokashimo (who, by the way, is my very own character)...how DARE he do those things to you!
Yami Bakura: *glares* And just WHO is writing all of these happenings?
Yami Kaosu: *whistles and waltzes away*
Chaos: *rolls her eyes* Anyway...we don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters.

A/N: Okay. I'm *really* sorry everyone. It's just that lately, I've been really depressed and not in the mood to write at all. But fear not, for I haven't given up on this yet! Even though it takes me *tons* of time to get these chapters out, they'll be done at some point in time!

Hmm...I ended the chapter in a bad spot last time, didn't I? ^^ Ah, yes. It just goes hand in hand with being so vague about what's happening. *shrugs* Which, as I said, is just because I can't have the rating going up *too* high... ~Yami

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Yami Bakura could more feel Ryou's screams then he could hear them. He knew what his light was seeing. He knew that Ryou could feel ever ounce of the pain that he had felt. But he could do nothing about it. It had taken all that he had to keep so much from Ryou, and now he just didn't have anything left. The need to protect his other was still strong in his mind, and despite his overwhelming desire to honor that need, he could do nothing, he was completely helpless.

He could see the memory just as clearly as Ryou, could feel every shred of pain from it, came to realize every last detail...just as it had been so long ago. The pain...the pain was too much to bear. It had always been too much. However, that memory in particular...the pain of that one night had been so much more terrible than any other that he had ever undergone. For it had been on that night that Rokashimo had completely marked him as his own.

It was something that the dark one would never, ever be able to forget again...just as Rokashimo had told him...

*~*~*~*~*~*

As it always had, morning followed the night preceding it. He couldn't understand how things could just continue on as if nothing had happened. Perhaps the rest of the world was exactly the same as it been the day before, but for him, everything was completely different.

Watching the rising sun in the distance, he raised himself from the floor. Only a few hours before had he been allowed to return to his chambers, and his eyes blurred from lack of rest. As he got to his feet, an intense pain suddenly shot up his back. His eyes widened as he gasped at the pain, unlike any he had ever felt before. Falling to his knees, he clenched his jaw, determined to overcome this pain as he had every other he had faced. Rising once again, he sought out support from the stone wall near him, leaning against it to remain steady. His legs felt unsturdy beneath him, affected by his fatigue and pain.

As he made his way out into the desert, he groaned slightly as the pain increased. In an attempt to make walking more bearable, he limped a little, his face burning at how weak he must have looked. A guard snickered as he passed him, reading the reasoning for his limp perfectly. He directed his eyes to the ground, not in any mood to face ridicule for what he had been put through.

And so the day went on. He performed all of his usual tasks, for words such as sympathy and mercy meant nothing to his master. He heard the others whispering behind him, and paid them no heed, for they knew that he always remained alone. They whispered the whole day long about him, about the master, about what had occurred the previous night. They watched as he limped, which only caused more talk amongst them. Still he ignored them, not allowing himself to confirm their rumors.

The sun set once again, another day having past. Passing others, he made himself numb to what he heard them say. Finally able to return to his chambers, he fell heavily to the ground. Had he not been stripped of his ability to do so, he would have cried. As he lay on the hard ground, his master's voice echoed through his mind.

"You are mine..."

His heart beat heavily in his chest. Could it possibly have been true? He shook his head. Surely, that one act could not bind him for all of eternity...or could it? More words flew through his mind, words that only confirmed his darkest fear...

"You are mine, forever...it doesn't matter if you try to escape me once again...no matter where you go, no matter what you do...forever will you be known as mine and mine alone...if, someday, far into the future, you have run, you will still remember that you belong to me, and nothing you can do will ever change that..."

He shuddered slightly. The thought alone was enough to make him feel ill. Oh, the night had begun as it generally had, which had always been suffering enough for him. But to be completely marked as his master's was completely unfathomable.

A dry sob echoed throughout the room, the only expression of grief that he was still capable of.

*~*~*~*~*~*

A soul shattering scream came from both both light and darkness at the exact same moment. Both were overwhelmed by anguish and pain, both were suffering.

Both were enveloped in the pain of the other.

Yami Bakura's scream turned to fury as he realized how much Ryou was hurting now. His violent gaze turned to Rokashimo, a new power, borne of anger, welling up from deep inside him. Furiously he swung at Rokashimo, and in his rage, he failed to notice that his movement had been restored to him.

Rokashimo stepped back, astonished that Yami Bakura had dared to strike him. "Something has given him a renewed strength..." he thought to himself, "Perhaps I have not caused him enough suffering." He growled as he felt blood trickling slightly from his mouth. "Oh, you will pay for this with more than you can imagine..." he whispered to himself.

Yami Bakura looked up, his eyes radiating intense fury. The evil spirit of the ring, who had only moments ago felt so utterly weak, was now ready to defend the only thing in the world that meant anything to him. But before he could do anything, Rokashimo disappeared from sight, leaving him alone in the soul room. Yami Bakura, too caught up in his anger, failed to hear the name that Rokashimo whispered before he vanished.

It was at that exact moment that Yami Bakura heard Ryou scream again from outside of the room. As he rushed out to him, his eyes narrowed. His light was huddled on the ground, shaking violently as he screamed. The dark one stood there for a moment, thinking about the one who caused his innocent side to undergo such trauma, and thus had caused him such great agony.

"Light and darkness are forever intertwined..." he whispered, "The light is always what shines upon the darkness, illuminating and equalizing. But the darkness always hides something." He clenched his fist, and continued, "But sometimes what the darkness hides is too much for the light to bear. Ryou is hurting because of what I hide, and because Rokashimo brought into the light what should have remained hidden by darkness."

He approached his light slowly. Ryou was still frantic, screaming and shaking uncontrollably. When he reached his side, he stopped suddenly. Yami Bakura then realized he had no idea how to calm his light. In Ryou's current state, anything happening around him could very well cause him to fall further into his fit.

So he helped in the only way that he had ever been taught to. Leaning down next to Ryou, he slapped him full across the face. Ryou stared at him with wide eyes, tears streaming down his face. He slowly raised his hand, touching the newly red area on his cheek. He hiccupped, his sobs slowing down. And for the first time, the dark spirit noticed the true pain in his light's eyes.

"He's hurting...because of me..." Yami Bakura thought as he looked deep into Ryou's pain filled eyes. "This is because I wasn't able to protect him..."

"Ya...Yami...YAMI!" Ryou screamed as he fell into his dark one's lap, his sobs echoing throughout the chambers of their shared mind. Yami Bakura sat startled for a moment, and then looked down at the crying boy in his lap. Cursing softly to himself, he drew his light close.

"Little one..." he whispered, "do not worry. I will make sure that Rokashimo pays for making you hurt." He looked once more deep into Ryou's eyes. "Yes..." he whispered, "he will regret each scar that he has put on your soul..."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Yami and Yugi had long since lain Ryou and Yami Bakura on the couch, and settled down to wait. Yami seemed very anxious to find out what was going on. Yugi noticed this easily enough, but what he didn't understand was his dark side's hurry to find out.

/Yami?/

/Yes, aibou?/

/Why do you seem to be in such a hurry?/

/You know, aibou, no one is here. Is there really a need for the link?/ Yami answered, evading Yugi's question.

Yugi grinned sheepishly. "I guess you're right..." he said, blushing slightly with embarrassment. But soon his face regained a serious look. "But, Yami..." he asked again, "what's your hurry to find out what's going on?"

Yami sighed. "Yugi..." he began, "you know that I accused Yami Bakura of this. But more and more, I'm wondering if the story that Ryou told us is actually true. You see, if Yami Bakura had been the problem, I believe that he would have been much easier to deal with. But someone who can transport souls to a lost dimension is a whole different matter. Aibou, this will not be easy."

Yugi's brow creased in worry. "But...Yami, what if Rokashimo goes after any of our other friends? How are we going to get them back?"

Glancing toward the window, Yami sighed again. "I don't know, aibou. I just don't know..."

Yugi gulped. "So...if Ryou's Yami really isn't the problem...then we're going to have a tough time on our hands, aren't we?"

Yami nodded slowly. Yugi was already upset enough at the loss of Jounouchi's soul. He didn't want to talk about it, knowing that it would only upset Yugi all the more. His little light, he was sure, just couldn't handle all of this. He glanced at Yugi, who was now standing across the room, his eyes directed toward the floor. Watching him carefully, Yami saw the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes. Yami growled softly, seeing his light side hurting like this. Walking over to him, he hugged him from behind. Yugi relaxed in his embrace, letting himself settle against his stronger side.

/Yami...I'm afraid.../ Yugi whispered through their link. /None of our friends can be safe while this guy's out for their souls.../ A tear rolled down his cheek. /What if we can't help them, Yami? What if Jounouchi's soul is gone forever, and the rest end up just like him?/ He sobbed softly, feeling Yami's grip around him tighten in an effort to comfort him.

/Oh, my little light.../ Yami replied in a quiet voice, /We will find a way to help. We will protect those that mean so much to you.../ He closed his eyes momentarily. "Yes..." he thought, "although it will not be easy, as we know. Yami Bakura will not accept our help easily." His crimson eyes opened again and narrowed. "But no matter what, we will help all of them...and I will make sure that you cry no more..."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Soft sobbing still echoed throughout the soul room, growing quieter as time passed. Ryou hadn't moved; his arms were still wrapped around his dark spirit, holding blindly on to the one thing that he knew he could draw comfort from.

Yami Bakura had not budged, somehow knowing that his moving away would only further distress his light. He was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, and every instinct told him to push Ryou away, to allow himself to get out of the situation. He would not allow himself to become too attached, to be the one that Ryou turned to. No...such an innocent soul deserved someone so much better than he, a thief, a tomb robber...the evil spirit of the ring...

But right now, there was no one else that Ryou could turn to. Yami Bakura was the only one who could comfort him, who could understand him. The only one who knew the depths of his current anguish, how deep his guilt and sorrow went. The only one that Ryou could ask comfort of.

He sighed again, looking down at Ryou. His body still shuddered with every sob, and the dark one cringed at the pain he could feel his little one going through. He felt every pang of guilt that shot through his other's soul, and closed his eyes in anger. How could Ryou possibly feel himself responsible for this tragedy?

Ryou finally seemed to be calming down, and the dark one thanked every god he could think of for that. "It's time we returned," he said sharply, and Ryou looked up at him, his eyes red, his face tear-streaked. "The pharaoh and his light are most likely wondering what's happened to you," he clarified, trying to remain cold but at the same time comforting. A combination which he found, to his dismay, quite hard to maintain.

"Bu...but Ya...Yami..." Ryou said, still hyperventilating and hiccupping slightly, "I...I can't..."

Yami Bakura narrowed his eyes. "Then I will take over for the time. You rest," he commanded, leaving no room for his light to argue. Ryou simply nodded, hugging him tightly. The dark spirit growled softly, wishing that his light would stop his sentimental nonsense.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Yami turned suddenly to the coach as Ryou and his Yami became one once again, and he waited to find out which would emerge. As he and Yugi made their way over, they were greeted by Yami Bakura's cold glare.

"What has happened?" Yami asked quietly, narrowing his eyes at the tomb raider.

The object of his disdain looked back at him with an icy stare. "Tell me pharaoh, what point is there in telling you something that you refuse to believe?"

Yami growled in reply, but Yugi put a hand on his shoulder, silencing him. "We're just concerned about our friends. And...I think that we've both changed our minds on that issue," Yugi admitted.

Yami Bakura snorted in contempt. "And what might have brought this revelation to you?" he spat.

Yugi sighed sorrowfully. "The way that you and Ryou were acting as you both went back into your minds...it just leaves little room for doubt." He glanced at Yami. The pharaoh said nothing, but nodded slightly.

Yami Bakura smirked, folding his arms across his chest. "And why couldn't that have been part of a plan? How could you know if we decided that this would be another way for him to protect me?" he nearly shouted. His anger over the matter was apparent, and Yugi cringed in response.

Glancing at his light, Yami turned back to Yami Bakura. "The emotion in all of it was much too real. Ryou's tears as he followed you into the depths of your shared mind were not of acting. They could only have been borne of true pain. How they relate to you, I will never understand, but the fact remains that they were there. Do you deny that?" he asked.

The dark spirit of the ring said nothing. He understood Yami's point too well. Just as he understood the question of why his light would shed such tears for him. He could feel that Ryou was finally relaxed, calmly resting in his soul room.

As he was about to answer, they all heard a knock at the door. Glaring at the door, Yami Bakura made his way over to answer it. Upon opening it, he found a frantic Mokuba.

"Mokuba," Yugi said, walking up behind Ryou's Yami, "what's going on?"

Mokuba looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "Guys," he said, "you've got to help me!"

Yami came over as well. "Help you?" he asked, "Why? What has happened?"

"It's Seto!" Mokuba sobbed, "Something's wrong with Seto!"

---
Once again, minna, I apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out. The writing spirit just seems to have been evading me for a while. ^^;; I'm not sure when I'll have the next chapter up, but I will try to make it so the wait is not as long.

Um... *coughs* Yes. I'm desperately trying to figure out where this thing is going. Um...I'm kind of hoping that everyone's figured out what's going on with Rokashimo... *coughs again* ^^;; Anyway...well, until next chapter...whenever that happens... ^_^() Eheh... ~Yami

New note on all my fics:
When reviewing, please leave more than just a few words. As nice as "Good story write more" seems, it really doesn't help. The same with "This story sucks," it really doesn't tell me what I need to fix. Write about the good or bad points of the story or the writing style. Write what you liked or didn't like; what appealed or didn't appeal to you. Tell me I need to add more detail or had an adequate amount. These types of reviews can offer more help to me as a writer, so I can improve, and hopefully write better fanfictions in the future ^_^