Eh... -waves- Gah, please don't eat me -nervous laugh-
I really am sorry I took forever to update. But all your lovely reviews, thank you SO much! -hugs for all-

So, without further ado. Enjoy chapter eight!

CHAPTER EIGHT: Breakdown In Rivalry

The rain was still hammering down as the frightened light sprinted down his road.

He was freezing cold as he ran, topless and only in his jeans, which, thankfully, he managed to pull back up before exiting his home. The light crossed his arms as he slowed down, hugging his naked torso as he looked around.

Ryou was starting to slow to a fast walk and trying to cover his chest as much as he could.

A faint flash caught Ryou's eyes, followed by a low grumble in the clouds above of him. The Hikari looked up at the sky, droplets falling in his chocolate, tear swollen orbs. He felt saddened suddenly, as if something unbelievably obvious inside of him had just clicked and hit him dead on.

The light lowered his head again, finding a pointless interest in his shoes as he stared. His mind was dizzy and spinning with thoughts, questions, regrets. For some reason only one person was in his mind.

Bakura.

He knew it was stupid and he knew it was sad. Why should he be worrying about someone like his Yami? A cruel, twisted, utterly messed up spirit who had hurt him countless of times. Yet, he still felt horrible inside. Ryou just couldn't get the image of his other half lying there with blood spilling from his head out of his mind. It haunted him. Even more so than the Thief himself. Guilt started to overtake the youth, soaking him like the storm above him.

Absentmindedly, Ryou fell down onto his knees onto the soaked, cold floor. His head ached from the millions of thoughts racing through his mind. He just couldn't take it and his tears of pain began to fall freely.

The light crunched up his eyes, holding his head in his hands. Why was he being like this? Why was he feeling so guilty? Bakura was bitter and evil towards him, he got what he deserved, Ryou just had to fight back.

Right?

But, why did he feel so wrong?

The teen knew what would have happened to him if he didn't hit his other half. If he did let Bakura win again, he'd be curled up on his bed, bloody and beaten. Shaking in a quivering ball of fear and self-loathing. He didn't want to experience that pain again. He didn't want to give his twisted Yami the satisfaction of hearing his screams. And he didn't want to feel like there was no one in the world who could hear his screams. Making him feel as if he was the only one who felt the pain. That, by far, hurt the most.

"R-Ryou?" A soft, questioning voice sounded, snapping the weeping light back to reality. "Oh my god Ryou are you ok!"

Chocolate depths snapped up at registering the voice, "Y… Yugi…"

"Ryou-san what's wrong? What's happened?" the shorter teen asked quickly, his bright amethyst eyes wide with worry for his friend.

"I'm fine…" the cotton-haired light said simply, rubbing his eyes violently hard to try and stop the flowing river of tears.

"Fine! Ryou! You're out in the rain, crying your eyes out!" Yugi blurted out, kneeling down by the youth and putting his jacket over his shoulders before putting one hand on his arm.

Ryou chose not to say anything in reply, instead finding a sudden interest in the ground he was sitting soaked upon.

"Ryou… Come on, lets get you back to mine, out of this rain, you're freezing cold," Yugi said, not bothering to ask the light, instead just standing up with the other Hikari and leading him back to the Game Shop.

Yugi opened the door to the living room of his home, leading a dripping Hikari in with him. Shocking Yami instantly.

"Yugi? Ryou?" the pharaoh questioned, looking at the two of them.

"I don't know… I found him like this…"

Ryou, trembling slightly, wiped his cheeks, trying to erase the tear tracks and redness.

"Sit him down," Yami said simply, going over and switching on the warm and glowing fire.

"Has he said anything to as why you found him like this?"

"No… Nothing…" Yugi said quietly, watching his white-haired friend, hug his knees close, bathing in the warmth of the fire, his eyes glazed as he simply stared at it.

"Ryou-kun. Are you all right? You look… Distressed…" Yami said politely.

Ryou sat in silence for a moment. Sinking into his thoughts like an overflowing river. Hating the regretting thoughts that were trampling over him like he was nothing. Yet, he felt like nothing. The nothing that had hurt the one person he thought he hated, yet the one person he can never stop thinking about. The ont person he can never escape.

"I'm ok…" the light replied simply, finally deciding to speak.

"Onegai Ryou-kun tell me what's wrong. You know I can help you if you need me too. I'm not saying it is but if it's anything to do with Ba-"

"I SAID I'M FINE!" the Hikari suddenly snapped, his deep brown depths narrowing in an angered gaze, fixed on the royal spirit; his stare, in an eerie way, looked like his other half himself. "JUST BECAUSE YOU HATE MY YAMI DOESN'T MEAN I DO!"

"Ryou please calm down!" Yugi said with wide eyes.

"No! I will NOT calm down! You're just the same Yugi! You think it's Bakura as well don't you!" Ryou cried, sitting forward on his knees and throwing his arms out.

"I… I don-"

"You do! I can read you like a book Yugi! You're so innocent whenever you lie you you're as clear as glass! It's not always my Yami ok! For once, it's me!"

Yami blinked in surprise, where as Yugi simply looked hurt.

"What do you mean Ryou?" Yami asked calmly.

Taking in a deep breath, Ryou collapsed back against the hearth, collecting himself and keeping his raging thoughts to himself.

"Tell us Ryou…" Yugi whispered, watching his friend.

"Bakura… He tried to…" the light buried his head in his hands before carrying on, ashamed to speak, "… Rape me again… He, he nearly did… But I hurt him… I didn't want to but I did. And I… I don't know why…" the light managed to usher, his voice shaking and quivering as much as he was.

Yugi simply stared at the Hikari, his mouth open as if he was to speak but his words were simply suffocated by the shock. The innocent light didn't know what to feel. That one simple word sent a million and one thoughts racing through him.

Again.

Did Ryou mean what he thought he meant? The thought of his friend already having to go through a thing such as rape sent a chilling touch down his spine. But what haunted him the most was the fact that it was his Yami who had done it. His own spirit, his other half.

His 'protector'.

"Ryou, what did you do to him?" Yami asked softly, breaking the bitter silence that was engulfing all three of them.

"I hurt him…" said teen replied in an almost silent tone.

"How?" Yami questioned again.

"Hit him…"

"You yourself?"

"No."

"How then?"

"Why are you asking me all of this? Does it matter if you know how I hurt my Yami!" the cotton-haired teen snapped.

"Yugi, I'm just trying to help out. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Bull!" Ryou cried out.

Yugi's head snapped round at his friends outburst, tears gathering in his eyes, not being able to take the overload of information and emotions being fed to him.

"You're just annoyed that it wasn't you that did it to him!"

Yami's eyes darkened slightly with anger as he rose to his feet. "Don't make assumptions about me Ryou. I'm only trying to help."

"No your not! If you were trying to help you'd ask me what happened then actually DO something about it! Not ask how I smacked Bakura over the head with glass!"

"Ryou d-"

"Is that enough for you Yami! Huh? Or do you want to know that he's lying on my bedroom floor bleeding all over the place and probably STILL IS!" Ryou screamed out at the top of his lungs, getting to his feet and waving his arms up.

"Ryou calm down!" Yugi protested, staring at the other Hikari.

"NO! Yugi! I won't! I know Yami's thinking about what I said!" Ryou hissed, glaring at the darker half. "I can tell! You've always hated him Pharaoh, and I know you'd do it too if you had the chance!"

"Maybe your right Ryou!" Yami suddenly argued back, a low growl escaping the back of his throat, "Maybe I do want him gone! He's low, cruel and downright bitter! Not only to me, but to my Hikari, to all my friends. To you!"

"He d-"

"He's RAPED you Ryou! RAPED! DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND HOW BAD THAT IS! It's not as if he cares about you! Why are you getting so worked up over a no good THIEF!"

"SHUT UP YAMI! JUST SHUT UP! YOU'RE JUST PISSED THAT YOU WEREN'T THE ONE TO MOST LIKELY HAVE KILLED HIM!"

-gasp- Ooooh! What's gonna happen? -grins- Promis the next chapter will be up sooner, and... Interesting -waves-

S4K