Disclaimer: Yugioh not mine, only the ideas in this story is.

Author's Note: This is the chapter I owe for Thursday. So I only owe two now. . This means today's update'll be pushed back to about six or seven at night. I'll probably write a Christmas special sometime, but that'll be after the Duelist Kingdom arc, so the earliest would be on the 27, 28th.

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Ryou's maniacal laughter woke me up. Wait, Ryou's maniacal laughter? I didn't even know he could do that.

I shuddered, quickly getting up. Through Ryou's eyes I could see Seto: paler than usual, with his lips tightened. He had eight hundred life points left, while Ryou had three hundred, with Dark Magician, equipped with Big bang Shot and Swords of Revealing Light on his side. How did Dark Magician get there? Must have forgotten to take that card out.

Ryou was hesitating whether to attack Seto's Judgeman, apparently remembering back to what I said.

I was, on the whole, confused. I thought Ryou just wanted to practice dueling. The deck I built was good enough for even Ryou to beat everybody (I just got the best cards from the best duelists around the world thanks to Pegasus' little tournament), I just didn't think he'd actually try to beat Seto given what I told him.

"I attack with Dark Magician," Ryou called out, "Dark Magic Attack."

I got even more confused. Is it just me or did Ryou turn evil now that the real Yami Bakura's gone? "Ryou," I tried talking some sense into him.

"What?" He snapped. I never even knew he could do that. "Scared that I'll hurt him?"

I was left dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.

"Good job, now I have one hundred life points left" Seto called out. His voice sounded strained, almost hurt. He blue eyes shining fiercely with anger and betrayal.

Ryou matched his death glare! It must be raining purple this morning and I missed it.

"Ryou…" I called again, extremely freaked out. "Are you okay? 'Cause you're acting really weird right now… This isn't your normal self, right?"

My words were like magic, Ryou immediately calmed down. Or I thought that he calmed down at first. But then he jumped into my soul room, effectively proving me wrong.

Him coming into my soul room means our body will be left unattended, even Joey would figure out that something when wrong. Ryou apparently didn't, or didn't care.

"Yami?" he grinned, sitting in my lap naturally, acting as though nothing had happened. "You made an awesome deck. And I wasn't acting freaky, was I?" he blushed. "I was just a bit excited. It's my first time dueling at this level."

"Ryou, that's not the point right now!" he looked at me innocently. Was that sincere or did he learn that from me? Either way, it successfully rendered me guilty of crimes I didn't even know I committed. "I didn't think you'd go so hard on Seto, that's all. I mean, he has his family on the line here." I said weakly.

"Sure, defend him. I never saw you coming to my rescue." Ryou bit my ear. It really hurt! And it bled! Maybe Ryou has a vampire side to him after all.

"Ryou. Sit." I took Ryou off my lap and onto the bed. Realizing he had gone too far, Ryou obediently sat where I placed him, leaning over to lick the blood off my ear. I pushed him away, however reluctantly. Now is not the time for what the ear-licking may lead to.

"Ryou," I patted his hair, holding his head to my chest, "I never knew you were this violent."

"Don't you like me like this?" He looked up timidly. "If you don't, I'll change back. I-I, I don't mind. I just thought you'd like me more, like this- with more fire and more spirit. You always said I lacked that, before last night as least." He whimpered, quickly losing all signs of both fire and spirit. All I knew was that if I didn't say something soon, the waterworks would definitely start.

"Ryou, I like you the way you are, naturally. Fire or no fire." How did we get on this topic? I thought I was supposed to be telling him off for what he did to Seto.

"I'm, sorry Yami." Ryou hugged me closer. Somehow, without me noticing, he got on my lap again. "I promise it won't happen again. Don't be mad at me, please? I wouldn't be jea-"

I put a finger to his lips, not wanting him to finish the sentence. I'm still not sure what I felt about him, and putting it to words would make it a reality I can no longer run away from. I sighed. I found that I was doing that a lot lately.

"Go," Ryou tugged on my sleeve, "go duel. Seto's waiting."

I looked at him, worried. "Are you sure?" His little head bobbed up and down. "And you wouldn't burn my soul room, set up traps to maim me?" I smiled, referring to the doll I found in his room. He turned beet red, shaking his head. I kissed his forehead, and resided the body again.

Seto had summoned his Blue Eyes again, but my Swords of Revealing Light doesn't expire till next turn. Having no other choice, he ended his turn.

"Your last attack took seven hundred of my life points, for every hundred-" I cut him off.

"Seto, sorry about that." I scratched my head, apologetic. I had wanted to spare him of this, and failed miserably.

He looked at me straight in the eye. "You're back." He paused. "So what?" You left me the first time, his eyes told me, so now you have no right to come back and be my savior. I long for somebody to hold me, somebody to lean against. I know that I need to be saved, but I'll rather drown than to take your pity.

"Seto," I repeated, "I'm sorry." His eyes softened a bit. "It's a long story," I scratched my head, "I'll tell you some other time, okay?" He actually nodded, seeming to have forgave me for the moment.

"Meanwhile," I put my hand on my deck, "I forfeit the duel."

Seto walked up, and to the astonishment of everybody except for me, punch me hard in the stomach.

He'd lie, he'd cheat, he'd kill to get what he wants; but he wouldn't take mercy. He'd sooner threaten me with his own life than give me the chance of sparing his. His pride was robbed from his a long time ago, when his 'father' told him to turn one million into ten million dollars. But his dignity he protected: until I robbed that from him today.

"I'm sorry Seto," I repeated, not knowing what else to say. I knew he'd hate me for forfeiting, but I couldn't risk him stepping on that ledge. God knows if he'd fall over.

"I have really good balance you know," he suddenly said.

I shrugged, asking him the question he posed to me minutes ago, "so what?"

He punched me again, on the shoulder this time, lightly.

Then just like that, he left.

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Next update at six/seven tonight. Next make-up chapter'll probably be tomorrow.