Some time later I woke up in my soul room. It was dark, and quiet. My eyes adjusted and I sat up and took breath. So. What exactly had I done to trigger that flash of my memory? Or was it the boy? It's got to be the boy.

I fingered the Millennium Ring and looked towards the door. I've got to do something about that. If it was his subconsious dreams that found my memories, I have to find a way to stop him from tapping into me. I don't know much about the boy, and I don't think he even knows how to control the power to look into my memory. He probably won't remember doing it. Well, lets see how he feels when he's reminded of his bad memories. I wonder if anything horrible has happened to him in his short lifetime...

The ring flashed dimmly and then I saw images of a woman, the boy's mother, much like my own. She was trying to give birth, and there were many people trying to help her. Another vision came, she was holding the baby...

(flashback)

"Its a girl. Congratulations!" said one of thenurses around the woman.

"Mum!" said the boy, running in, "Are you okay?" he said, hugging her.

"Mhmm," she said, nodding, "What should we name your baby sister?"

"That's your job!" said Ryou, smiling brightly.

Ryou was small, maybe three or four. And his father was beaming happiness from the sidelines, giving them their space.

"Sir, you're the father?" said a nurse to him.

"Yes?"

"...we're very sorry, sir, but your wife is very weak. She might not live much longer. The baby should be strong enough to survive, however."

The man faltered, "What's wrong?"

"Your wife lost a lot of blood giving birth, I'm sorry, but there's not much we can do."

The man gave a sad glance over at the small white haired boy, his mother, and the new born baby girl. His perfect family... wasn't so perfect anymore. Even if his wife did live... he was an archeaologist! He was due to go to Egypt in less than a year and be stationed there on a very big find for months on end. He wouldn't make enough to support the family. Worse, he wouldn't be there for them...

The nurse spoke again, "She already knows she doesn't have long..."

Ryou held his mother's hand and snuggled next to her, "So whatchya going to name her? She's really pretty."

"Amane will be her name..." the woman smiled softly, "Ryou, dear, I might not... not be around much longer. I know you don't understand, but I want you to be strong for me. I want you to be strong for Amane."

The boy looked up with big, pathedic, rather scared eyes, "Why are you leaving? Where are you going? Will you come back soon? Don't leave me!"

"I'm sorry Ryou... I'm dying. I'll go to heaven where the beautiful angels sing. I won't be able to come back..."

Ryou's eyes brimmed with tears, "...you're going where Yukichin's momma and brothers and sisters are going? You're going? But you can't go! Not yet!"

"Yes, Ryou... I'll say hullo to your kitten's family, I'll take good care of them for you up in heaven Ryou."

The nurses came over and waited patiently. The young mother kissed Amane's forehead, and the nurses scooped her up and took the baby away. The mother closes her eyes and wept, "If I had a choice, Ryou, I wouldn't go yet either. But we all have our times Ryou, please, be strong..."

"Momma?"

"Momma? Momma, no!" and the boy cried hysterically and had to be carried away from the nurses, screaming...

(end flashback)

I let the ring fall dormant and sat back agaisnt the wall. ...the boy, too, had his family torn from him at an early age. I sympathized. The boy would not enjoy looking back at that memory. But I don't care, the boy needed a taste of reality. He lived such a comforted roofed up life where nothing but his memories and unforseen disasters can hurt him. Unless... someone taught him the world was a much bigger unsheltered place.

"And I'm just such a teacher." Bakura said to no one but himself and the empty room. "He needs to learn this now before he gets too older. If he's going to be my host body, he needs to get stronger. And quickly." Bakura added.

(Author's Note: Short chapter... I know. Yukichin is Ryou's kitten (completely made up on my part), its still around. Its white and fluffy like his hair. Only later do I learn that Ryou's sister Amane and his mother die in a car crash? I have never actually seen this confirmed before. But a very reliable source says this. I own the anime and manga of the first series and the only mention to Amane was in the letter Ryou wrote to her. We all assume he writes to his dead sister, but the source said she died shortly after the letter was written? No evidence. I'm sticking with this. But I won't have anymore Ryou flashbacks... this is about Bakura, NOT Ryou. I deleted this chapter, fixed it, and placed it back up. This also signifies I will continue to update this fic.)