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Era: that rhymed!
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I'm soooooooooo sorry for the late update. My internet crashed on me, soooo yeah. Thanks for your patience! THis chapter is amazingly short and crappy sooo, gomen! I'll have another out soon!

Fitting it Together

She woke up again and looked over at the other. He nodded and returned to her the book and the pen as he left to get something to drink, sparing her the details. Finding out from where he'd stopped, she began to continue.

Ryou walked out of bed quietly to go into the room of mirages. He loved to see the paintings, and he needed to know his paintings would help Bakura in some way. To his surprise, he wasn't the only one there. There was someone else, the cause of all his trouble. It wasn't Bakura, it wasn't the Ishtars, it was Yugi. Yugi looked behind as he heard Ryou's footsteps. He smiled tiredly and Ryou froze.

Yugi spoke softly, gently. "Hello Ryou. These paintings are really nice Ryou. Like the rest of your mansion." Ryou's eyes narrowed slightly.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "I don't have a mansion." Yugi smiled.

"I think you're lying Ryou."

Ryou raised a dark eyebrow. "Do you?" he asked softly, almost dangerously, his voice like poisoned chocolate

"Yes, I do Ryou." Yugi pulled up a chair and sat down. "Please sit down Ryou, standing makes me tired."

Yugi started talking. " I know you killed Yami. And Anzu."

"You don't have any proof." Ryou said callously. Yugi laughed.

"I don't care what happened to them. I don't care what happens to me. I haven't cared for a while Ryou." Ryou didn't blink.

"Ryou, let me live and I won't tell anybody. But promise me…please, I'll be the last one to die in this game of yours."

Ryou was silent. "I won't promise anything." He said quietly. "You will witness everything, but I assure you, this is one game, you cannot win."
Yugi smiled. "I'm counting on it."

Ryou looked back at the pictures and the new addition. Death of a King stood out, it's innocence and darkness mingling together. The first picture is a king staring into a dungeon while sand seems to sweep the blood and grime away from the hanging prisoner. In the second scene, the king sees the prisoner. It's his skeleton in his clothes.

"Leave Yugi, this is a sanctuary of my memories, your presence will not be tolerated any longer." Yugi nodded and left the room silently. Ryou sat in the room for a few minutes more, the swirling colors driving him mad. He shut his eyes and recited a rhyme from a long time ago.

"If you're scared just count to ten…" had he been scared? Yes, he had been scared almost to death. "You will feel all good again…" what a lie, counting hadn't made the fear that his mother was dead. Counting hadn't stopped his father's brutality. "If he sees you count to five…" If he saw him…then what? "Maybe then you'll stay alive…" Yes, he was alive.

"Hello Ryou." Ryou jumped and turned to look into crimson eyes. "Ba-Bakura…" he breathed, breathlessly. Bakura nodded.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, looking beyond Ryou and into the paintings. "How did you find this place?"
"Purely by chance!" Ryou said, controlling his voice. "I'm not sure how it happened. I thought I heard Yugi and so I followed him and here I was. What are you doing here?"

Bakura smiled. "I found it almost after this whole thing started."

"Really? How interesting!" Ryou said cheerfully, making sure it didn't sound forced.

"Isn't it?" Bakura suddenly looked tired. "Ryou…promise me that you'll stay close. I don't want you getting hurt." Ryou looked up.

"I won't." Ryou sighed mentally. He was sorry that he was causing Bakura all this trouble, but he knew that Bakura was like everyone else. 'Don't worry, don't get hurt, blah blah byah.' But who really cared what happened to him? What freaking person ever cared? But…why should they care?

Ryou felt so false. He laughed and smiled, sympathizing and partaking in everyone's joy. But underneath that facade, what was there? Depression, hopelessness, worthlessness. Why should he feel happy? What right did he have to be joyful? He sighed out loud. "I think I'll take a shower, see you later Bakura." Bakura nodded absently and looked at the Death of a King.

"How symbolic." He murmured to himself, almost crooningly. "That's very, very interesting.

Ryou let the cool water hit him, reveling in the pure shock of the cold hitting his flushed skin. He cleaned himself, scrubbed himself off the best he could, but he never felt completely clean. He would never be clean, even in death.

Ryou laughed bitterly. 'I sound like Lady Macbeth.' He thought humorlessly. 'out damned spot, out I say.' But it was so cruelly true. He never wanted this. He didn't want to be so tainted. But it was his destiny. He was sure of that.

With a start, the young woman realized that it was well after midnight. She should have headed home already. Closing the book and readjusting the pen, she dropped both into her bag before standing up and running out the door to meet up with him, wishing him a good night first.

DesirePassion :Thanks. Just, all I can say is Thanks.

Dark Magician Girl/ Hikaru: Thank you so very much. Thank you thank you thank you. You and the other wonderful reviewers really helped me through

Sami Ryou's Hikari: LIke above, thank you, thank you, thank you. Everyone has been so wonderful to me, letting me know that I at least sort of matter.

Thank you everyone

ANNOUNCEMENT: With that person, I've...been dealing with it. Thank you for helping me. I'm happy to say that my depression has been slightly alleviated and I have a slightly more positive outlook on life. Thank you everyone who reads, and God bless you! Candy and psychotic Ryou plushies for everyone that reviewed!