"Sensui set me up…?" Few words beyond 'total shock' could describe the expression on poor Amanuma's face. It took all my strength to keep from crying at the sight; how a man could be cruel enough to seduce a mere child into giving up his own life for an insane cause was beyond me. Yet it was happening, right here before my eyes.

There was a small intake of breath as chestnut hair fell into the Game Master's eyes. Tears were welling up and running down his cheeks. "B…but…" He sniffled, and I couldn't help but be moved by it. My face became more and more gaunt, and a chilling sensation swept over my fingers. That bastard Sensui…

"Threes Sevens, GO." The automated voice on the game blared out the three words like a megaphone was positioned right by it. As the game started, I noticed that Amanuma wasn't playing; he merely trembled in place. Wet circles were at his feet.

"He…he tricked me. He made so much sense, but in the end…" Amanuma looked at me with huge eyes drowning in tears. "I don't wanna die…" Now his wailing began to fill the room. "Oh, God…

"Please, God, don't cast me out…!" His legs gave out and he fell to the floor.

There was something about the God comment that made me have a sudden change of heart. Although I knew doing what I was about to do would give Sensui more time for his hole to the Demon Plane, I purposely began to lose. I stacked as many blocks as I could on top of each other; still I had to hurry, because his stack was almost at the top. Sweat began to roll down my forehead. 'If you die, Kuwabara, you can blame me.'

Then…

"Loser: Challenger." Amanuma's eyes popped open, as they'd been closed as he sobbed and begged God for another chance. I sighed. I didn't care if the whole world was obliterated; this boy now meant more to me than earth, or even my friends. He was my reminder of him…

Amanuma turned to me, trying desperately to form a grin. "Th…thank you so much…So much…" He struggled to his feet.

"Kurama!" Annoying as ever when something didn't go his way, Yusuke had decided to shout at me. "Why did you lose! You know what'll happen if we wait any longer!" Unfortunately for him, I had no intention of responding.

"I concur," Amanuma muttered. "You kill me, then go and stop that cheater Sensui. So why spare me?"

Sighing, I looked down onto my left palm. Imprinted into the skin was a swastika with a line running diagonally through it. Broken balance…I knew that feeling all too well. "You remind me of someone…" I said, though unclearly. Hiei cocked his head, and I had to quickly reiterate.

"He reminds me of someone very important to me…"

"Who?" The question seemed perfectly innocent from Amanuma's point of view, but to me it was…

I clenched my hand, curling it into a fist. My teeth came together and began to grind; a genuine tear meandered down my face and off my chin. I couldn't stop myself. The memories were too painful.

Whipping around in a fast, rather rude manner, I fled the area.

As I left, I heard Amanuma ask, "Was it something I said…?"

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It was very clear to me now that the Game Master's realm was endless. The shadows stretched on forever, and the ground never seemed to cease. By this time, I had taken up walking and trying to think straight. Everyone must've thought of me as extremely rude, and who would've blamed them? I had saved the boy's life, and hadn't even told him why?

After finding a lone rock, I plopped down and let my head rest on my hands. What was wrong with me? I should've been strong enough to combat the emotions those memories held…but for some reason, they'd broken me down. It might've been that I'd tried to push them out of my mind. It also could've been the fact that…that…I clutched my stomach. That was the reason.

"You okay?"

My arms glowed with an eerie, luminescent yellow color. Looking up, I noticed Amanuma. He looked at me curiously. The torch he held burned intensely, and it was slightly blinding.

"So, who do I remind you of…?"

There was no point in trying to hide it. "Well…"

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A/N: I know this first chapter is short, but the ones afterward should be longer. Bear with me!