Hello all! I am back and better than ever. A reason for my absence was school and also because I have been revising the previous chapters. Please do reread them. There aren't many differences, but I did try to make the story more sensible. And I have also been working on another at the same time...-hides- But updates shall now be more frequent...my muses haven't stopped badgering me forever! Now...on with the story!

The young woman looked back at the handheld TV in her hand and replayed the events that had been left to her once more before reading them again. She was hardly even paying attention to what was going on anymore and her eyes were beginning to ache.
Bakura sighed, leaning against the door, laughing to himself softly. "So, the killer is virtually divine, victorious, assumingly, in death, Hell's perverted justice, and a king of final judgment." He shook his head, smiling dryly. "In some ways, it sounds like how I used to be. Before that damn pharaoh was born, that would have been me."

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Ryou looked behind him as he threw a cloth on top of the canvas, although it was too late and smiled pleasantly as the door slammed shut behind them. Whatever happened, he could not let them leave with the knowledge they possessed. And Yugi, even if he wanted to take back his words and rat him out, he could not. The moment he'd been in a room with him, alone most of all, and when he'd confessed that he knew, he'd cast a shadow spell. But it wasn't just any shadow spell that the others could detect, no, it was directly from the Book of Magic that the damn Dark Magician could be equipped with. Who knew it would be so useful? So now his lips were sealed. The moment he would try to speak about it, he would have some sort of fit, disabling his ability. But them…

"Good evening Mai-san. May I ask as to why you are here?" Mai scowled at him. Oh, did he forget to mention as to why nobody that figured it out, save Bakura, could identify him? Silly him. Right, well as soon as he'd even touched them, he'd passed a small shadow creature, unworthy of even being a duel monster…to Pegasus, the stupid twit. These were, in truth, extremely useful little devils. The little parasites fed on the mind, mental thoughts, memories, everything. And the moment that they caught on that they knew about Ryou, they would literally shut down all vocal systems when that thought rose into their minds until Ryou spoke to them personally.

Mai gasped, letting out her breath in one whoosh. "You bastard!" She cried out, her purple eyes wild. "You bastard!"

"So you've said before Mai. May I ask why?" Ryou leaned against the counter, crossing his arms.

"Don't ask as if you don't know!" Mai snarled audibly, her lips curving in a delicate grimace. (although how that's possible, I don't know.) "You killed Yami! How could you! And Honda! And Tea!" Ryou raised an eyebrow and smiled gently.

"So you know. What a pity." His green eyes were tender, not cruel or hard hearted as with the others, but carried a hint of sadness behind them as well. "I was hoping that it wouldn't come to this." He said, uncovering his latest demise. "I don't have a personal grudge against you Mai-san, and you have truly never done anything wrong, save the Orichalcos, and I believe that in itself is forgivable." Here his eyes grew a little colder though. "However, it's a pity that you found out. You know you won't be able to leave?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Then why did you come?" Ryou sounded disappointed. "You could have stayed alive! And isn't that what all of us want?"

"All of us Ryou. All of us but you." Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears now. "After this, you aren't planning on staying alive."

Ryou's head snapped up, and he suddenly seemed much more dangerous than before. "How did you know?" He demanded in a low voice, but it was rapidly rising. "HOW DID YOU KNOW?" Mai reeled back, suddenly seeming to be afraid.

"I knew!" She said softly. "I'm not just that pretty shallow face that everyone sees anymore. I'm not just interested in fashion, or power. I love all that still, but I'm concerned about others too." She was pleading now, walking towards him with an extended hand, intelligence gleaming in her eyes. "I'm working towards a master degree in psychology. Ever since the incident with the shadow realm and the orichalcos, I couldn't let anyone else suffer in their own minds. And Ryou, you'-"

"Be quiet." Ryou was trembling, his eyes fierce. "Yes, I'm weak. I'm suffering. But I'm too far gone. Take your words and caring somewhere else. I'll let you leave."

Mai shook her head. "I can't do that." Ryou glared at her, asking. "Because…you'll kill Jou eventually." Ryou looked at her through hooded eyes. "And he, he loves me." She said, her voice quivering now. "I can't, I don't love him back, but he loves me, and I'll protect him for that. What'll stop this madness?" She demanded harshly.

"Someone." Ryou shrugged. "It's useless telling you and I'm not an idiot. So the only thing that can save Jou, is time." Mai's face went white and she fell on her knees, grabbing Ryou's hand desperately.

"Ryou, if time is what he needs, then let him have it." She whispered softly, tears brimming at the corner of her eyes. "Ryou, take me first. Take my life before his. If it'll save him."

"It won't." Ryou said blankly, staring ahead, yet not seeing anything. "Don't be a fool Mai. I won't let an innocent die."

"And I'm innocent?" Mai sounded incredulous and laughed.. "You idiot Ryou! I'm no innocent. You don't know what I'v-"

"But haven't you felt guilty every time? Instead of just brushing it away, forgetting it, justifying it, haven't you felt guilty?" Mai looked taken aback again.

"Well, I"

"Of course you did. Mai…why won't you just let things be? He'll die anyway."

"Because, I can't keep living, knowing that I didn't do anything to try to stop this." Mai said, her eyes scrunching up, tears filling them as she spoke.

"Mai, you know it will be futile. Why bother?"

"Because, it's human." Ryou recoiled slightly at her underlying message, one she hadn't even meant to convey.

"I see." He said, turning away. "Good bye Mai. We'll talk later."

In two nights, Mai was found, peacefully sleeping in bed, her hands clasped around a black rose, shaved of its thorns so it did not cut her. Her eyes were closed gently, long lashes closed, her blond hair moved artfully around her. The sheets were moved up so they were tucked underneath her arms and her lips were curved in a sad smile, the remnants of a trace of tears on her face. The visible strike of a knife lay on the side of her neck, hair shifting in front of it, as if to hide the horror from view.

In the note that lay further down on the covers was thick and neat, almost heavy.

She died for you, those whose souls deserve death for sin. She gave her life in vain and she flawed little.

And among the tears that fell that day was joined by a remorseless murderers.

This was kind of a crappy chapter. Gomen! And I know Mai was out of character what with the psychology stuff...but I just thought it would be a nice twist.