(A/N: Much to my pleasure, I've managed to plan out the rest of this ENTIRE fic, so I now have a decent ending. (One thing I can't stand is fics that are really long and, although they may start out well, it becomes obvious after a while that the author really wants to end the fic but has no idea how.) This chapter is pretty angsty, and the next few aren't exactly going to be cheerful either. Before you all start flaming me about what happens in this chapter, I would like to reassure you all that this is NOT a standard abuse and apology fic. I appreciate the fic seems to be heading in that definite direction, but please just bear with me.) Thank you all for the reviews, I really appreciate them. Keep 'em coming!

Warnings: a bit of bad language.

Chapter Thirteen: Change of Heart

During their stay at the inn Ryou, Malik and Yugi had purchased various sleeping bags and blankets from a camping shop, and in the evening everyone "set up camp," unrolling their bedding and lighting a fire. It was only five o'clock, but they decided to stop early and rest.

Bakura and Malik had wandered off into the trees together to talk. Will was sitting on his sleeping bag, conversing with his new dæmon. Her name, for some reason, was Kirjava, and the two of them were more than happy just to sit and chat, Kirjava curled up on his knee in her cat shape and purring constantly. Lyra had fallen asleep already; Pantalaimon was coiled around her neck as an ermine – his favourite sleeping form. Yugi and Yami were talking too. Yami was catching up on all the things he'd missed while he had been in the Puzzle, and Ryou sat with them. He would put in the occasional word, but it was clear that his mind was on different things.

Bakura had made no references at all to what had happened yesterday. In fact, he was ignoring Ryou totally, which had the effect of making the hikari even more confused. An abusive or sarcastic yami he was used to and could deal with, but a silent one was just…strange. He wondered if this was another of his yami's psychological manipulations, to try and unnerve him further. If so, it was starting to work.

He jumped up decisively. Dammit, he was going to find his yami and make him talk, no matter what it took.

"That's the spirit," Yami murmured.

The white-haired teen blinked. "What? I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, but it's pretty obvious what you're thinking. Go talk to him."

He watched Ryou walk away uncertainly. Yugi gave his yami a jealous look. "You like him, don't you?"

"Don't be silly." The Puzzle-spirit gave him a hug. "My Ra, aibou, you can be so possessive. You know I'll never leave you."

Slightly mollified, Yugi hugged him back.

………….

Hearing his yami's familiar angry voice, Ryou hurried closer. When he realised what was happening he stopped, too astonished to speak.

Bakura and Malik were having a massive argument. And by massive, I mean they were screaming at each other. This alone was enough to make Ryou's eyes widen, as the two usually got on like a house on fire. But it was what the disagreement was about that gave him the biggest shock.

"You stupid bastard, will you stop yelling at me and explain what you're actually on about?"

"For Ra's sake, I've already explained it! Were you taught how to be annoying or did it just come naturally?"

"Will you quit the insults already! I'm trying to help!" Malik shouted.

A derisive snort. "Oh yeah, sure. Well, you've been really helpful so far!"

"Just shut-" The Egyptian took a deep breath, choking down his rising temper with difficulty. "Okay, okay, fine. Let's just start from the beginning. Now, what do you want advice about?"

Glaring at him, the spirit also tried to calm down. When he spoke, it was with hesitation. "About…about my hikari. I don't really know how to put this but…" He took a deep breath. "Last time I hurt him, yesterday, I didn't get any satisfaction from it. None at all. And whenever I come near him he cringes. Like he expects me to slap him or something. And I don't enjoy his fear like I used to. It's more irritating then anything else."

Malik raised an eyebrow. "Hell, 'Kura, how did you think he feels about you? Did you imagine he thinks of you as his best friend?"

"Well, no, but… Dammit, he hates me! You heard him a few days ago! He's rather have the bloody Pharaoh as his yami than me!"

"And you actually care?"

"Are you saying I shouldn't?"

"No. It's just that you never seemed to care before. Of course Ryou hates you. Why are you so surprised?"

"I don't know! I just don't like the idea of him hating me. Also, when I think of all the things I've done to him, I start to feel guilty. What's happening to me?"

The Rod-holder sighed in sudden understanding. "It's very simple. You're developing something called a conscience."

"A what? What does it do?"

"Whenever you do stuff…evil stuff, which people like Ryou or Yugi generally consider wrong, you will experience feelings of remorse. You also start being nicer to people."

"Oh, how tiresome. How do I get rid of it?"

Malik grinned wickedly. "You can't."

"So I'm doomed to becoming a nice person?"

"Yes. You know, some people consider being nice a good thing."

"Well, not me! I'm perfectly happy being evil! I'm practically famous for it! Now I'm actually starting to care about whether my hikari is happy or not. Oh my Ra, what am I saying?"

"I still don't understand why you're talking to me about this. You should talk to your hikari about stuff like this."

"Well, I wanted to talk to you because…because you're my friend and I trust your judgement!" Bakura burst out. "Besides, he wouldn't understand."

"He'd understand a damn lot more than you think."

"But how can I explain that I don't want to hurt him any more? Oh, and this is assuming he believes me, which he probably won't."

"Personally, I wouldn't blame Ryou for not believing you."

"Thanks," the Ring spirit said bitterly.

"Oh for Ra's sake, 'Kura, think of all the things you've done to him. He'd probably think this was another of your sick 'games.'"

"How can you say that when you've stood there watching and not said a word?" Bakura demanded. You hypocritical baka…

Malik didn't reply for a moment. Then he said quietly, "Maybe we've both changed."

"Great."

"I still think you should talk to Ryou," the Rod-holder stated.

"…Fine, I'll talk to him." Bakura sat down on a muddy log and stared morosely at the ground.

"You okay? It's just that you look sort of pale…" Malik broke off as his friend gave a shuddering gasp and threw up.

"Is this part of having a conscience too?" he whispered.

"Uh…no." Malik said slowly. "…My Ra, Bakura, you've thrown up blood. That's not good."

Ryou couldn't take any more. He ran towards his dark anxiously. (Yami?)

The spirit's eyes widened when he saw his hikari appear from nowhere. And to make things worse, he was concerned. Bakura's stomach gave a churn that had nothing to do with being sick. ((G-go away hikari. I'm f-fine.)) His face turned slightly green and he staggered off further into the trees.

Both lights winced as there were retching noises and an awful splattering sound. Their eyes met, awkwardly. Malik stammered, "D-did you h-hear what he said before? About-"

Ryou was equally embarrassed, but hurriedly cut him off before he could finish. "Um, yeah."

"Ah." Malik looked carefully at the ground.

Maybe he'll feel better if he goes back into the Ring. (Yami?) Ryou called.

His dark stumbled back, looking even paler. "I-I don't feel too good."

"Slight understatement," Malik muttered. After all, there was no need to suppose, especially when the evidence lay all around them.

(Do you want to go back into the Ring?)

((Yeah…)) Bakura vanished.

Ryou and Malik looked at each other again. "I didn't know spirits could get sick," the latter said quietly.

"Me neither."

They walked back in silence.

………..

When they got back they found Yugi, Lyra and Will surrounding Yami, and arguing loudly. Ryou wasn't sure whether it was a trick of the light, but he thought Yami looked paler than usual.

"Dammit, will you all stop fussing?" the Puzzle spirit demanded.

"Not until you tell us what's wrong!" Lyra argued.

"Nothing is wrong! I'm absolutely fine!"

"Aibou, you nearly fainted!" Yugi protested.

"That was NOT fainting! I…just felt tired and wanted to sit down!"

"…What's happening?" Malik enquired cautiously.

"Yami practically fainted just now, and he won't admit it. I think he's ill," Yugi explained patiently.

"For the last time, I am NOT ILL!" the spirit hollered.

Malik blinked. Yami, like all of the darker halves, had a bad temper, but he usually controlled it, and he never shouted at Yugi. Something was wrong.

"My yami doesn't feel well either. He was throwing up blood a minute ago," Ryou said slowly.

"Maybe…maybe there's a virus going round or something," Lyra offered.

Will shrugged. "Maybe."

Yami was silent, staring off into space. Will noticed this. "Are you even listening?" He waved his hand impatiently in front of the spirit's face.

Yami didn't respond. He definitely looked paler than normal, and Ryou suddenly noticed he was swaying slightly.

"Aibou!" Yugi rushed forward and caught his yami just as he fainted. The Pharaoh lay there for a moment, his body twitching, and then it drifted away as he went back into the Puzzle.

The tri-coloured boy straightened. "Poor aibou."

Will was obviously thinking hard. "I don't think this is just a coincidence. After all, what are the odds of both, uh…yamis falling ill at the same time?"

Lyra looked at Malik closely. "How's yours feeling? Cos if he's ill too then something is definitely wrong…"

"Hang on." The Egyptian closed his eyes. (Hey yami? You there?)

((…Fuck off. I have a headache. It is a big one. Now leave me alone, or I'll kill you.)) When Malik continued to hover outside his soul room, the spirit screamed, ((FUCK OFF!))

Something smashed against the wall of Yami Malik's soul room, making his hikari jump. The object sounded expensive.

Malik opened his eyes slowly. "Okay, he just tried to throw something at me. And he said he had a headache. Which is unusual in itself because he doesn't normally tell me when he's in pain."

Lyra was already fumbling in her rucksack for the alethiometer. "I can ask it what's happening…" She pulled the object out, pushing aside the heavy velvet cloth, and started to set the hands in place.

All eyes were upon her now as she gazed fiercely at the symbols, the fourth hand spinning round and round. Her eyes followed the pattern without hesitation. After a few seconds she took a sharp intake of breath, the blood visibly draining from her face. But the alethiometer hadn't finished yet, and she bent over it again, watching.

The group was beginning to grow uneasy. This increased even further when Lyra finally looked up, face pale and drawn. Pan was hopping about on her shoulder, sharing her agitation.

"Its bad, isn't it?" Will whispered.

The blonde girl's voice shook so much it was barely audible. "Y-yeah, it's b-bad…it's r-really bad…" She stared desperately at the now-still alethiometer. "It said…" A deep breath. "It s-said that yamis, they're l-like dæmons, if they spend a long time away from the world they were born in, they…they get really sick and eventually they…die…"

There was a strange ringing sound in Ryou's ears. His body had become completely numb. This…is not happening…please…

"B-but we can't go home," Yugi whispered desperately. "The subtle knife can't find our world, we can't-" He stopped unable to continue.

Will and Lyra were looking at the three boys with wide, horrified eyes.

"How-how long?" Ryou choked out. "Until…how long?"

Lyra consulted the alethiometer again, and the reply was painfully swift. "It…depends on close the two halves are…but, I'd say at the most…"

"How long?"

"Five days," Lyra said quietly. "Give or take a few hours."

"No," Ryou whispered. "Oh God, please no."

"There must be some way to stop this," Malik insisted. "Lyra…can't you ask the alethiometer if there's any way to stop it?"

"I could try…" The girl started to push the hands back into place, twirling a lock of ash-blonde hair around her finger as she did so. The hands spun rapidly round and round, and everyone watched, although none except Lyra knew what it meant.

"Yes!" Lyra exclaimed. "There is a way, I knew it!" She watched as the picture-reader began to explain. But as she bent over it, beginning to read, there was a harsh cry from the air, and a grey-white blur swooped down and seized the alethiometer from her in sharp, ruthless claws.

Lyra let out a shriek, more from surprise and pain, and made a futile grasp for it. But somehow her fingers wouldn't quite reach far enough, and the alethiometer slipped past her straining fingertips. The bird let out a caw of triumph and fled into the sky, clutching its prize.

The girl watched the thief fly away for a few moments in silence, then sank back down to the ground in defeat, head in her hands. "Why this?" she moaned. "Why does everything have to happen now?"

Will for the moment was more concerned for her knees. "Did it get you?"

"Only a scratch." Lyra clutched her hair desperately. "It had the answer!" she yelled. "It knew the answer and it was gonna tell me but then that bloody bird had to come and take it-" She clenched her fists. "I'm gonna bloody find it and pull its bloody head off, that- that-"

"It wasn't your fault," Malik said comfortingly. "How were you supposed to know it was there? It just came straight out of the air."

"But I've let them down," Lyra whispered. "I let Yugi and Ryou down, oh God…"

"But-" Malik looked helplessly at Ryou, whose face was expressionless.

"R-Ryou…?"

"Fuck off."