Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. (How is that? Ha ha, can't sue me now! P.S…I hijacked this disclaimer. Do I need a disclaimer for my disclaimer? Scary thought.)

Author Notes: As promised, here is chapter 7 (pt 2). Nice and long, I might add. Watch out for the plot twist, don't let it trip you up. And, thank you for 40 reviews (!) and 1598 hits. You better watch out or I will get a big ego soon. Anyways, enjoy as always.


"You!" Yami explained, his voice sharp, and adrenaline making his heart beat fast. "What are you doing here, thief!"

The intruder pressed a hand to his heart, and then bent to pick up the album, dusting off the cover gently, almost lovingly. The millennium ring around his neck jangled as he did so, its gold glinting in the light. He looked up, his smiling brown eyes finding Yami's. "You scared me. I had no idea…is this your soul room? So sorry to intrude!" he brushed a strand of his white hair off of his forehead, smiling at the spirit.

The thief…is apologizing to me? And smiling? Yami took a step back and looked closer at the person in front of him. His white hair and clothes, they all were reminiscent of Bakura. But this boy held himself differently, and his eyes were softer, more human. His voice had a strange accent, where Bakura's was always harsh and grating. Yami spoke tentatively, taking a step closer. "You…aren't really Bakura, are you?"

The boy rubbed the back of his head and laughed lightly. "Well, I am. But I don't think I am the Bakura you know. Most of my friends, when they see me—" he smiled a bit brokenly, "tend to call me Ryou." He held out a hand, while holding the black album with the other.

The pharaoh glanced around, searching, before taking the youth's hand. He felt the cold ghost of skin on his rough palm, then let go. Ryou smiled warmly at him, and Yami wondered how he had ever mistaken him for his enemy Bakura. He paused for a moment, and then asked, "What are you doing here, Ryou? How did you get here?"

He looked a bit uncomfortable, and tapped the ring around his neck with a finger. "I apologize; I really didn't know this was your room. I have come here quite a few times and it's always been empty." He looked back over his shoulder to the far corner. Yami squinted at it and noticed with a start that what he assumed was a shadow, was actually a black opening.

Embedded in the wall's stones was a small golden spike, stuck deep in the rock. From it, a large crack dispelled down the side of the wall, opening just large enough at the base to admit one small person. Through the opening spilled not light, but darkness that seemed to drip and cascade to pool on the floor. Yami wondered with a shudder what it would feel like to the touch, and unconsciously moved away from the corner. He looked over Ryou, and noticed that one of the hanging points of the millennium ring was missing. "You came through that crack?" his voice held an edge of anger, he did not like the idea of anyone, especially anyone connected to Bakura, breaking into his soul room.

Ryou waved his hands in defense. "Oh, I didn't make the crack if that's what you are thinking!" he smiled disarmingly. "I just found it one day. When Bakura uses my body, it's best to make myself scarce. So I was poking around the chambers in the ring, and found this opening. I never knew it was part of your soul!" he scratched his head. "I guess that all the items are connected then, somehow?"

"It looks more like an intrusion than a connection." Yami kept his eyes on Ryou even though he knew his gaze was making the boy fidget.

"Yes, well…err. Like I said, I never knew this was your room. And I am terribly sorry. I never saw anyone here…" he trailed off helplessly, and looked down. Ryou poked at the floor of the room with the toe of his sneaker, the epitome of guilt.

"I rarely get the chance to visit all the rooms in my soul," Yami said grudgingly. And the only reason I knew he was here was because I am not connected to Yugi's soul any longer. I was able to sense him. He was about ready to shove Ryou back through the opening. He was in no mood for intruders—intentional or otherwise.

Ryou tapped a finger to his chin. "I forgot, you as the former pharaoh, have thousands of rooms in you soul." He hummed thoughtfully. "That is interesting how—"

"I have to ask Ryou, how you know who I am, when you have only ever met Yugi, and I have only ever seen Bakura." Yami interrupted coldly. He did not trust this boy to be exactly who he said he was.

Ryou tugged at a corner of his t-shirt. "Well, I know what is in Bakura's mind. Your face is part of his memory, there isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't…well, curse your existence." He shrugged helplessly. "I certainly don't share his ideas, but I know about you quite a bit."

Yami sighed shortly. "I must say I do not much care for the idea of you running about in my soul, Ryou. If you can get through, that means Bakura can too." He waited for a moment, while the boy looked at him quizzically. Yami raised an eyebrow and looked to the opening. "If you wouldn't mind…"

"I hate to correct you," Ryou said quietly, nervously tugging on a bit of his hair, "but you see, even if I wanted to—or Bakura for that matter—I couldn't run about your soul. There's no way out of this room, except back the way I came."

Yami turned to look over his shoulder to the door he came in, and was shocked to find it gone. There was just blank stone on every wall, and no trace of a door. He reached to touch it, but cool brick was all that met his fingers.

"Makes me wonder how you got in," Ryou continued almost to himself, "Then again, it is your soul so you can make the rules as you wish." He looked down at his hands, and seemed surprised to find the album still there. "Oh, do forgive me. This is yours as well. Bakura will most likely be rash when he finds it gone, but there's no dealing with him anyways."

Yami turned back to see Ryou holding the black book out to him with an outstretched hand. "How did you get that?" he gasped, all thoughts of the door forgotten. "I…it was in Yugi's desk, in his house. Did he give it to you?" Does my partner hate the thought of me so much that he would give my memories to my only enemy?

"Ah, well, no. Bakura, as you know, has a bit of a grudge against you." A stain of pink washed over Ryou's cheeks. "I apologize for him, though I am sure it doesn't mean much to you. He went into Yugi's house, looking for some way to get his revenge. He would have stolen the puzzle, but he needs to win it in a duel for it to be of any use to him." Ryou looked down at the book. "He thought that taking this would be a blow to you, though I have no idea how. He lost interest with it, and I managed to get a hold of it. I thought that one day, when I could, I would return it to Yugi. I meant no offence in looking at it; I really was going to return it."

Yami felt a spark of anger for the thief and his meddling ways. "Might I ask why you apologize, when you clearly let the thief use your body to steal the book in the first place, Ryou?" His crimson eyes were sharp.

"I would say that 'let' is the wrong word to use." Shadows crossed over his brown eyes, and Yami felt the boy's demeanor change drastically. "It has been quite a long time since I was ever in control of my own body. Bakura has taken over, forced me into the confines of the ring itself."

"He is controlling you? Are you two not partners?" Yami felt a twinge of empathy for this boy, and shame to know that he had done the same thing to his own aibou, even if it was one time. Was he as evil as Bakura was?

Ryou's eyes had a faraway look. "At one time, we were like you and Yugi. But that was long, long ago. Now, revenge has consumed his entire mind, and I think that one day soon, he will be destroyed by it. I can really only hope that he doesn't take me down with him." The boy forced a small smile, though it was shaky.

"Evil." Yami's fist was clenched. Is that why Yugi left? Did he go so that he would not be consumed by my evil? He clenched his eyes shut to stop the sting of impending tears. How could I? How could I, through my actions, become like Bakura?

"No."

Yami looked up at Ryou's forceful admission. He was standing tall, his shoulders stiff and his knuckles as white as his hair that covered his eyes.

"Bakura is not evil." He glanced at Yami's expression and smiled wryly. "I know what you are thinking; I have thought the same things too. He's stolen my body, and in turn, he has taken over my life. I have nothing left but the small hope that one day, he will go back to the realm of the spirits and rest in peace. That won't happen until he has completed his revenge." Ryou's words were harsh. "But I can't call him evil. It's not that easy."

Yami was stunned into silence. Was the boy brainwashed by the magic of the puzzle?

"I know his mind. He has never hidden from me, and I think that maybe he wants me to see. I know that what he is doing—trying to steal the puzzle, and all the people he has sent to the shadows that dare get in his way. That is wrong, horribly wrong. But I can't call it evil. Because his reasons for all of this, all the pain he inflicts on other people—on me—are not so black and white to be called evil or good. So much wrong has been done to him, and he has had 3000 years to think on it, to let the anger in his soul grow." Ryou's eyes were so sad, and his voice softened until Yami could barely hear him.

"If you knew, pharaoh, all that has been taken from him! He should just let it all go, but I know and he knows, that he would rather die. And that is all he really wants in the end, is his death. An end to all of his suffering, pain, and anger. It's not right to call him evil. I wish I could, I wish it was that simple to hate him." Ryou sounded so weary, and his brown eyes were dim.

The pharaoh sighed. He felt bad for this boy who thought Bakura's actions could be anything but evil. True, he did not know the thief's mind, and was glad not to. Yami still believed what his heart told him, that Bakura was trying to collect all the millennium items to use for his own dark purposes. "I am sorry for you, Ryou. I wish there was something I could do for you."

The boy smiled tightly, and handed the book back to Yami. "I will be alright. Here are your…memories back. There are some nice ones of you and Yugi in there. Be sure not to loose them."

"You can see me in them?" Yami whispered, not taking the book from Ryou. "And Yugi too?" his heart seemed to be in his throat.

"Yes," Ryou looked a bit confused. "Why, do you not see? I thought it was plain as day." He flipped the book open, and showed Yami one picture of just him and Yugi. Yugi was lying in the grass, looking at the camera and smiling, and the pharaoh sat by his side in the sunlight. "I wish I had a good picture of Bakura and me. I was so surprised the first time I ever saw us. But then I remembered the old wives' tale that pictures steal your soul. Not true, I might add, but cameras do see on a different spectrum than out eyes do. I am sure only people who have double souls like we do could see. Though, if you showed this picture to Seto Kaiba, I would be interested to see what he says." He flipped the book shut, and waved it at Yami. "Here."

The pharaoh had felt his heart clench at seeing his partner's smile, even if it was on the flat page. "No, Ryou, you keep it. I don't want it in Bakura's hands, but nor do I want it in mine. I don't deserve it. Please, take it away." He turned his eyes to focus on the wall, struggling to keep his emotions straight.

"I see. Something…wrong, between you and Yugi?" Ryou asked awkwardly. "I don't mean to pry, but you seem worried. Is there something I could do? I might not be much help, but you can talk to me if—"

"It's over. There's really nothing you could do, nothing anyone could do." Yami wished he didn't sound so bitter.

"I am—was—Yugi's friend, even if it was a long time ago. I think I could talk to him," Ryou persisted. "I'm sorry, I just saw you both so happy in the pictures, and it would be a shame to loose all that. Looking at the book made me wish that I could call Bakura my friend like Yugi calls you his." Something edged into Ryou's eyes, and he took a step closer to Yami. "If you could help me, if you would be willing to work together, then I am sure that I could talk to Yugi."

"What do you have in mind?" Yami asked warily, his heart suspicious.

Ryou outlined his plan. It was a risk, and it would be dangerous, to both parties. If one little thing went wrong, if Bakura just happened to…

"Alright."

If it will get Yugi back, then I don't care about the risk. Nothing matters but this.

Yami took Ryou's offered hand, and shook it to seal their agreement. Even as he looked into the boys smiling face, his heart felt heavy. The pharaoh wondered if he had walked into a trap, as the black ooze collected in a puddle at Ryou's feet.


Ok, just another quick author note. Please don't ask me, "How did something solid like the album get into a soul room?" because I will just ask you back, "When Anzu, Jou and Honda went into the Pharaoh's soul room how did they keep their clothes?" So there. Stumped us both. I try to adhear to the anime in any way I can, but sometimes I don't have all the answers. Gasp. I know, what a horrid thought. Any other questions, feel free to leave them in the reviews.