A/N: Wow! ^^ Thanks so much for the warm reception for Ch.1 of this story! You guys are amazing. (Btw, I ADORE continuous reviewers. If you review more than 1 chapter of my fics, I usually will check out YOUR guys' stories as well, and REVIEW THEM! Fantabulous, I knows.)

So... I had an awesome time out of state, visiting family for the holiday, going to parades, eating patriotic desserts, getting yelled at by drunk guys saying "U-S-A! U-S-A!"... I love my country. lol... ^^ Hope everyone had a happy 4th of July, even if you're not American!

But I COULD NOT go this long without writing, especially for this story. (RTS update will be soon also.) I brought a notebook along on the 6-hour car ride and wrote o some of this chapter out by HAND. Ugh. So hard to use pen and paper when you're used to Word. Appreciate my use of primitive tools, readers! XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!- Kazuki Takahashi does. Or did he sell it along with the rest of his dignity when ZEXAL started...? :P

After crying, Ryou supposed he must have fallen back asleep, because the next thing he knew, he was waking up… to the smell of chocolate. Ryou opened his eyes. Mariku stood there, his hand through the bars of the cage, waving a cookie tantalizingly in front of Ryou's face. When he saw Ryou was awake, Mariku grinned.

"Sweets for the sweet," he said, holding it out to the whitette. Unconsciously, Ryou sat up and reached out for the cookie, his stomach growling once again. Food… But as he did, Mariku withdrew his hand, tittering loudly.

"No no no…" he chided, violet eyes flashing with amusement. Ryou gave an involuntary whimper. "Treats only go to good little pets who will talk to their masters."

Ryou looked down, twisting his hands in his lap and biting his lip. To him, remaining silent in the presence of this monster… he was clinging to his last shred of dignity. He had already been kidnapped, torn away from his family, stuck in a bird cage, and essentially starved for the past couple days. And now… it looked like his fate was to be the pet of this sick, twisted demon. Singing for its enjoyment. It was a horrible prospect, and Ryou was reluctant to part with his remaining autonomy. But what was more important- self-respect or his wellbeing?

Ryou contemplated this question for a few minutes. I don't want to die. Even if I have nothing to live for… I want to live. He looked up at Mariku, who was standing there patiently, a small smirk curling his lips. Ryou cleared his throat.

"I-I'll t-talk…" he whispered. He winced slightly, both at the weak-sounding stutter and from the hoarseness of not having used his voice for so long. Ryou clutched his neck and tried to massage his sore throat.

Mariku's smile widened, and his long tongue poked out to run along his sharp teeth, making Ryou shudder, but he didn't seem to notice the boy's discomfort.

"Now was that so hard, snowbird?" he cooed, surrendering the cookie to Ryou. Ryou took it from his hand slowly, despite his now unbearable hunger, and looked at it warily.

"Oh, it's not spiked with anything. At least I don't think so… I stole it from some passing travelers in the woods. In fact…" He picked up a small basket from where it lay at his feet. "I have their entire picnic lunch!" (1) Mariku grinned and rummaged around in the basket, pulling out a sandwich. Stripping it of bread, vegetables, and condiments, he stuffed the meat into his mouth and chewed it slowly, letting out little sounds of content.

Ryou stared at him longingly. He had finished the cookie quickly, and was still extremely hungry. Surely… Surely…

"Um… Excuse me?" he managed to squeak out. Mariku turned his disconcerting pupil-less eyes onto Ryou. Ryou swallowed. "Ah- could I… have s-some more f-food, please?"

Mariku's eyes narrowed, and he looked at Ryou for a few long moments, face giving away nothing. Ryou fidgeted under his un-blinking gaze. Had he said something wrong?

"You can have food… when I offer it to you," the monster said, each word slow and deliberate. Ryou ducked his head.

"I-I'm s-sorry," he said softly, ducking his head as he felt his cheeks burning. Stupid stutter…

Mariku's gaze softened slightly. He ran a hand through his unruly mass of blond spikes.

"But," he continued. Ryou perked up. "Because you've been so good today, snowbird, you can have some more to eat." He handed Ryou a thermos of iced tea and a peach from the basket.

"Th-thank you!" Ryou choked out, not caring that he stuttered yet again. He rapidly chugged down the iced tea, feeling the gratifying effects on his sore throat. Then he started on the peach, taking his time now, relishing the sweetness of the fruit. After a minute, he realized that Mariku was staring at him again.

"I-is something wrong?" he asked, unnerved.

"… Come here."

Ryou hesitantly crept forward in the cage until he was close where Mariku stood. His captor studied him for a moment longer before licking his thumb and, reaching his hand through the bars, swiping it over Ryou's chin.

Ryou drew back in fright as the monster then sucked on the thumb, licking it clean. When he caught sight of Ryou's face, Mariku chuckled.

"You had some peach juice on your chin," he said as way of explanation. Ryou self-consciously rubbed his mouth on his sleeve. Didn't that basket have any napkins?

Bakura sat on the front steps of the Touzouku family cottage. Head in one hand, the other hand held a long stick with which he scratched something into the dirt. He was muttering quietly to himself. He didn't pause what he was doing, even when he felt someone come up behind him.

"Bakura, sweetie, why don't you come inside? It's… it's almost time for dinner." Mrs. Touzouku's voice was cautious. Bakura felt her place a timid hand onto his shoulder. Angrily, he shook it off.

"Do you think Ryou will be eating where he is?" he snarled, turning to look up at his mother. The woman wrung her hands under her son's heated gaze. He turned his face back to what he was drawing on the ground. "That's what I thought."

Mrs. Touzouku sighed, attempting to steady her breathing. She knelt behind him.

"Oh my darling… I know you miss your brother. But starving yourself isn't going to do anything! Bakura..." she said gently, threading his long white hair through her fingers rhythmically. "It wasn't your fault." She jerked back in surprise as her son stood up suddenly.

"Of course it wasn't my fault! It's your fault, mother!" he said furiously. Mrs. Touzouku looked at him, bright green eyes wide and welling with tears.

"You don't mean that-"

"YES I DO! You… that stupid legend… You never said it was fucking TRUE!" he screamed at her, letting out all of the tension and fear that built up over the past few days.

"I didn't know!" Mrs. Touzouku stood up slowly. "It was just a story… My mother told it to me, and her mother before her… Just- just a story…" She trailed off and began to braid her long black hair, as she always did when she was upset. "Oh my poor little Ryou..." Tears ran down her face, and she broke down completely, shaking with silent sobs.

Bakura looked at her, breathing heavily, trying to calm down. He knew it wasn't his mother's fault, not really. But… he needed someone to blame. He turned around and stalked off to his favorite place, a tall oak tree in the middle of the yard. He scrambled quickly up the bark, climbing until he reached one of the middle branches.

Bakura leaned against the trunk, his respirations gradually returning to normal. He looked down at his hands. He had unintentionally curled them into tight fists. Painstakingly, Bakura unclenched his hands and let them slide to his sides, where they hung there limply.

He gazed out at the cottage below him. Mrs. Touzouku had gone back inside. That was selfish of you…

"Shut up brain," he grumbled to himself. Well it was. It was you who didn't reach him in time, not her.

"I said shut UP!" he growled loudly. His conscience went back to muttering little guilty thoughts in a part of his head where he didn't hear them.

Ryou… Bakura gritted his teeth as he felt a tear streak down his face. No!

"Bakura Touzouku does NOT fucking cry!" he said angrily, wiping away the tear on his sleeve, and becoming even more irritated as the tears continued to fall. Letting go, he buried his face into his hands and wept bitterly.

Amane remained where she was, perched on a branch high above Bakura.

"Big brother…" she whispered, sympathy tearing at her heart. Bakura, the strong sibling, the one who took charge when their father had died, who never showed any hint of indecision or remorse… Bakura was crying. She had never seen her brother look so fragile.

If Ryou were here… Ryou would know what to do. Ryou was the brother she loved the best, the one who always held her when she was scared, calmed Bakura down when he got too angry, who listened to her and understood her dreams. Without him here… she knew the family was falling apart. Although Amane was only seven years old, she wasn't completely naïve.

She wondered if Ryou was okay. All anyone would tell her was that Ryou had been taken away by someone… or something. Bakura had come home in a kind of daze that day…

"Big brother!" Amane cried happily, running up the path to meet Bakura. She leaped onto him, tackling the older Touzouku to the ground. "I was beginning to think you would never get home! Where're the flowers you were getting for me?" Then she looked at the path behind them that led into the winding forest. "Bakura… where's Ryou?"

Bakura shoved Amane off him unceremoniously and stood back up, walking to the door of their cottage. He didn't even glance at her once.

"Hey!" she cried indignantly, running after him and grabbing a hold of his arm. "I'm the birthday-girl! That means you gotta be extra nice to me and answer allllllllll my questions!"

He whirled around, and, crimson eyes flashing dangerously, threw her hands off him. Still not speaking a word, he turned back around and strode inside the house.

Amane stood there in the doorway, staring after him in confusion. From inside the house, she heard Bakura speaking in a low murmur to their mother. Then- her mother's shriek and a moment later, heart-wrenching sobs.

She walked cautiously inside the house to find Bakura standing in a corner, his back to the room, and their mother hunched over the kitchen table, shaking and moaning. Amane crept over to her.

"Mommy?" she asked, tugging on the woman's sleeve. "What's wrong, Mommy? Where's Ryou?" Her mother just shook harder.

"Where's Ryou, Mommy? Where is he? Where's big brother?"

Bakura suddenly let out a loud growl from he sat below her. Amane started, almost falling off the branch. His face was tear-stained, and his eyes were redder than usual, puffy from crying. He wore a determined expression on his face as he stood up, both feet on the branch. Amane gasped audibly, covering her mouth. But Bakura didn't fall. He remained completely balanced, never wobbling in his stance.

"Ryou… Ryou!" he said, words growing gradually louder until he was shouting at the top of his lungs. "RYOU! I SWEAR TO GOD (2), I WILL SAVE YOU!

Amane gazed down at him, standing so resolute and purposeful. And I'm coming with you big brother…

... *head-desk* I don't especially like this chapter. I like the flash-back scene, and Bakura's little mental breakdowns, but... Meh. Positive reviews would make me feel like a million bucks. Seriously. The main purpose of this chapter was to advance Ryou to the point where he would talk. Everything else just kind of fell into place. :]

(1)- Mariku is the Yogi Bear of Yu-Gi-Oh! XD
(2)- The only reason I used "God" is cause it sounded dramatic-ish in my head. I usually use "Ra". I know Christianity isn't particularly popular in Japan... :/ Anyone have a real problem with it? Tell me, and I WILL change it.