A/N Holy Crap, guys. Just holy crap. Warnings: Vexshipping and Hostshipping. Subtextual Tendershipping. Could be considered a slight AU, because the timeline really makes no sense with canon, I'm thinking it differs a little bit before Duelist Kingdom - manga canon. Dedicated to Bakura's Guardian Angel who requested this quote and a romance.


Why do we love when losing hurts so much? We love to know that we are not alone. ~ C.S. Lewis


Anzu is so bored.

Yuugi wasn't answering her calls, Honda and Jou had landed themselves in the hospital after a particularly brutal fight, and Anzu was positive that she had never been more bored in her entire life than she was at this exact moment.

Even though she was out enjoying the beautiful summer day, she still wasn't having fun. Anzu had thought maybe going to the park would relieve her boredom but in fact it was doing quite the opposite. It was making it worst. Nature was beautiful but no fun if you didn't have anyone to enjoy it with.

She sighs loudly. She really needs her friends.

"What's wrong? Too much of girl to stand up for yourself?!"

Anzu's looks behind the bench she is sitting on, the rude obnoxious voice breaking her out of her pity party. The voice was loud and stupid – only fitting of that brute Ushio.

Anzu feels her anger rising, no one deserved to have put up with that beast.

"Please just leave me alone," says another voice, strained but still very polite. Anzu recognizes this one too…could it be Bakura? She hadn't seen him only once or twice since school had let out – actually, Anzu had just figured he had gone on some sort of vacation.

But obviously that wasn't the case. He was stuck here, being picked on by creeps like Ushio.

Well – not on her watch. No one messes with her friends.

She rises from her bench and dashes towards the voices. Finally she sees them behind a large tree, Bakura trying to read a book while Ushio was throwing insults at him. Bakura was grimacing; it was plain to see that while he was trying to ignore the ugly thug he wasn't succeeding. He was clenching his eyes shut a lot and each time he opened them it…it almost looked like they were changing shape.

Weird. Really weird.

"Hey!" Anzu shouts and places her hands on her hip. "Why don't you crawl back to that hole you live in and leave him alone?"

They both turn to look at her, both of them having the same expression of disbelief plastered over their faces.

"Anzu?" says Ryou quietly, like he was just awaking from a daze.

"Get lost girlie – this is none of your business!" Ushio barks.

Anzu rolls her eyes.

"Please. You couldn't scare a three year old, Ushio," she marches over to Bakura (who still has the glazed over look in his eyes) and hoists him up.

"Let's go," she whispers and the way Bakura hurriedly grabs his book she can tell he feels them way.

"Coward!" Ushio calls after them.

"Don't listen to him, Bakura," Anzu comforts, "He's just – "

"Bully?" Bakura finishes for her and then smiles slightly. "I know. All their insults sound the same after a while. It doesn't bother me."

He emphasizes the word 'me' as if there would be someone else.

Bakura faces her straight on now. Anzu never realized how brown his eyes were, they were so deep. Seemingly endless.

"Thank you, though, Anzu. I appreciate it." He gives her a wide smile, his eyes closing in the process. She feels a few butterflies flutter in the pit of her stomach.

"Um…are you doing anything right now?" She questions, hoping that he's not. "Because I don't have any place to go."

"No, I was just reading."

"Oh! What book?" Anzu takes the book from his hands and turns to the first page. On it, in elegant feminine handwriting there are four words.

To Ryou with Love

'Ryou', Anzu mouths to herself.

"Is that your first name?" Anzu turns to Bakura, "Ryou?"

Bakura looks up. "Oh, yeah, it is."

His smile is so soft and cute.

Ryou. Anzu really likes that sound of that. It fits him more than Bakura.

"Do you mind if I call you Ryou?" She asks, the butterflies coming back.

Ryou gives another small smile.

"Not at all."

-0-

"Hello, Anzu-chan," Ryou says a bit hesitantly as he sits down besides her. He shouldn't be so nervous; it had become such a routine to set on this same bench every Sunday since their first meeting. But today was special. Today was August 18, Anzu's birthday.

"Hey Ryou!" says Anzu happily, waving. "How have you been?"

"Good," he says with a slight smile. (That almost wasn't a lie either, he had been better. Anzu had made him better.) "And you? Are you having a happy birthday?"

Anzu paled a bit, "I've been worrying about my dance recital all day. Not even the birthday cake could cheer me up."

"You'll do fine, I'm sure of it."

Anzu's looks at him, so trusting and welcoming. It's more than Ryou ever dreamed of.

"Here," Ryou says as he rummages through his bag, "I got you something a present for you birthday."

Anzu's bright, beautiful blue eyes shine with excitement, "Really? You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted too." Ryou assures her and smiles. He gives a small black box.

"Sorry, I didn't have time to wrap it." Ryou laughs a bit uneasily, hopefully it doesn't matter. (All he really wants is to see Anzu smile…)

"No, no. It's fine!" She reassures, eagerly opening up the box. Anzu pulls out by a silver chain a beautiful necklace with a ballerina pendant. She gasps and Ryou smiles.

"I thought you could wear it doing your performance tonight," He blushes a bit and looks away, "You know, for good luck."

Anzu smile turns into a grin and she throws herself into his arms.

"I love it," she says.

(Ryou can't help but agree.)

-0-

It's a little later than usual, but Anzu is sure that Ryou will be there anyway. Ryou is very patient, she had been two hours late before and Ryou had still been there. He had just sat on their bench and waited.

Further ahead, in the distance, Anzu sees a figure with striking snowy white hair. Ryou. It's amazing how comfortable she was around him now. Maybe even more than Yuugi.

She runs up ahead to see him, excited to spill all of her secrets.

"Ryou!" Anzu calls. The white-haired boy turns around. He's dressed in black trench coat, and the millennium ring is hanging around his neck. He is standing with his shoulders back (so uncharacteristic of Ryou) and there is a half smirk plastered over his face.

"You're not Ryou," Anzu realizes and takes a step back.

Not Ryou's smirk widens.

"You're the spirit of the millennium ring…" Anzu trails off, remembering the Monster World game they had played long ago.

"I am," he says and takes a step forward, closer to her. Anzu's instincts tell her she should be afraid, after all the last time she saw them he tried to kill her and all her friends, but Anzu's not. She's just not.

So when he comes closer to her, she does not move.

"And your name is Anzu…correct?" His features or his version of Ryou's features are very predator like. Handsome, but…dark. "My host thinks about constantly."

That throws Anzu off…Ryou thinks about her? Why would he tell her that?

"You know my name, but I don't know yours." She raises her voices a little and stands up straighter. Anzu wants him to know she's not afraid.

The spirit cocks a brow. "You can call me Bakura."

Bakura? She had only just gotten use to calling Ryou, Ryou.

"Perhaps I'll see you again," Bakura purrs, "Anzu."

The way he says her name sends shivers down her spine.

But somehow Anzu hopes she sees him again soon.

-0-

They're sitting at their bench again. It's different than all the other times though. There is more tension. Do they talk to each other, Anzu wonders. Ryou and his other personality?

"I saw your other personality last week," she says finally.

Ryou sort of flinches away. "I know."

"Yeah, Bakura said…" she trails off, blushing. Anzu still can't believe that Ryou thinks about her. The way he reacted to his fan club always made Anzu assume he wasn't that interested in girls.

Ryou cocks his head, "You call the spirit Bakura?"

"Oh, yeah," Anzu says, "Is that weird?" Don't you do the same thing? She wants to ask that but doesn't quite have the courage.

"A bit. Yeah." Ryou sounds more and more distant with each word.

Desperate for any other reason to give Ryou other than that's what he told me to do she finally settles on one.

"It helps me keep you two separate."

Out of the corner of her eye, Anzu can see Ryou mouthing the word separate.

"You and him are so different," she says, more to herself than Ryou, "Even more than Yuugi and his other…"

"Him?" Ryou asks, eyes glazed over a bit.

Anzu tries to say something, but his one word leaves her speechless.

"I don't think that the spirit that lives in the millennium ring is a 'him'. Or a person. Just darkness…it's just darkness…"

He's cringing, and Anzu reaches out to touch him while gently saying his name, but he moves away.

Ryou gets up from the bench and with a quiet barely there goodbye he leaves.

(Leaves Anzu alone.)

-0-

It's raining.

Anzu had never particularly liked the rain. It was always a nuisance. Now was no exception. Especially since the billowing rainclouds had block out the sun, making it even darker than it already was. She rounds the street corner, knowing that going down the next alley would probably bring her some unwanted attention. But it was the only way to get home.

Furthermore, Anzu knows she is being followed. Ever since she was thirteen she always had creeps trying to pull something. She was use to it by now and besides she could take care of herself. What was the worst that could him?

Her hair dripping as she walks, Anzu turns right and starts her journey through the pitch black alley. She'll give it five seconds.

1…2…3…4...5

"Hey, beautiful. Where are you heading?"

Perfect timing. Up in the sky thunder cracks.

Anzu didn't even have to glance at him to know what he looked like. Probably some bone-head buffed up on testosterone looking for an easy mark.

"I'm not interested," Anzu replies curtly, keeping her pace steady.

"Aw, come on honey bunch – don't be like that."

Honey bunch? She hadn't heard that one before. The jerk in question, white shirt and black hair, tries to cut her off by stepping in front of her. Anzu simply walks around him. She's almost out of this creepy spot, she'll be fine.

Suddenly, Anzu feels a sharp pain through her arm. That guy was squeezing tightly, glaring out her. Apparently, he didn't like to be ignored.

"You should be a little nicer to people, don't you think?" he sneers, pressing even hard.

"Let me go!" Anzu demands and tries to wiggle out of his grasp. She is already thinking of plan. Something along the lines of biting his arm, kicking him in the groin and then making a run for it.

But before she does any of that, the man lets out a loud scream. Instantly he let's go of her hand and Anzu falls back into a brick wall.

Bakura (she's knows its Bakura because his eyes are hard and piercing and he is standing straight and tall) let's go of the man's hand. By the light of a flickering street lamp, Anzu can see that Bakura had twisted the man's arm back until it cracked.

There's blood everywhere.

Bakura's angry. That much is clear. His features a lit up by such a deep cold fury. His eyes are as black as Anzu has ever seen him, his mouth is pressed into a fine line and his posture is similar to lion on the prowl. She knows she should be intimated…but she's not. Anzu knows (knows with all of her heart) that he's not here to hurt her.

The man, on the other hand, she wasn't too sure about.

Bakura pulls the man up by his hair and Anzu is close enough to hear what he whispers to her attacker.

"If I ever see you again, I will kill you. Get out of my sight."

He throws the assailant into the wall and the man trips, stumbles, and then darts of the alley.

It's only her and Bakura now. Anzu's heart is pounding even louder than it does when she is dancing on stage. She doesn't mind it much.

Bakura looks at her up and down, then takes a step towards her.

"You're not scared," he sounds amused and faintly surprised.

Anzu stares him back, the twisting in her stomach becoming unbearable. But still, she replies.

"Not even a little."

She close, so very close, closer than she would ever have thought possible. He wasn't retreating, or flinching away (Like Ryou, says a part of her mind that Anzu had been ignoring more and more lately). In fact, maybe it was just her imagination but he seemed to be moving closer too. Closer, closer, closer…

Bakura pulls Anzu straight into his arms and their lips meet.

His kiss is everything Anzu would expect of him. Sharp, aggressive, controlling and…and something else. A sort of hidden tenderness, behind everything. She parts her lips a bit just to see if she can find more of his secret good.

The rain pours down harder, but Anzu's sure they've both stopped caring.

-0-

Anzu's memories of love and rainy kisses are interrupted rather rudely when she's see a familiar white-haired boy walk stepping on to the bus.

It's Ryou.

"Ryou!" Anzu exclaims, excited. It's been so long since she's seen him, "Over here!"

Ryou looks at her, or more accurately towards. His eyes are like another world to Anzu, though he is looking at her it really feels as if he is looking through her. Like he can see everything.

…Does he know?

Ryou gives a small polite and so extremely forced smile and sits in the seat across from her.

He doesn't give her a reply.

Deeply hurt, for no real reason Anzu turns to look back at him.

"Um…" the air between them is so thick Anzu can barely breathe, "How have you been?"

"Fine," Ryou replies curtly without looking her in the eyes.

Anzu cringes a bit, but tries again. They're friends after all. She had to try.

"What have you been up to? I feel like it's been ages since we've seen each other. Whenever I'm around it's always your other who's in control..."

This time it's Ryou who cringes. Hard. It's really was nothing less than a full body twitch.

In retrospect, that was probably not a good icebreaker. But his reaction hurts Anzu so severely, right in the core of her heart. If he could just know Bakura like she did, if he could just put aside whatever had between them he would see too that he's not evil../ just damaged goods.

Just something broken that needs fixing.

"He really is a good person Ryou!" Anzu blurts out, desperate to defend the theft of heart. "I know he doesn't always show it…but deep down, there is light to him. I can feel it." (Whenever he looks at me, or grabs my hand, or kisses me…)

No response.

And then a quiet:

"You don't know him."

"What?" Anzu says, of all things she was not expecting that.

"I know you think you know him, but you don't. Anzu-chan, he's only going to hurt you. I know I've…" Ryou trails off, but his big chocolate brown eyes are wide with concern.

Anzu smiles softly. He still cares about her; they're still friends.

"I have faith in him," she assures him, "I know I can fix him."

The worry from Ryou's eyes drain and in a split second they become dark and hard.

Ryou was glaring at her.

"You can't change him or fix him," Ryou says coldly, borderline sneering. Anzu flinches. This is the first time he has ever spoken to her with aggression.

"He's not like you or me, he doesn't feel anything. Not really. And no matter how much you look for it, there will never be good in him."

Ryou's words are so definite, nothing at all like she is used to from him (he is always so swaying like the wind). They are cruel, devoid of any sympathy and most of all they spoken with bitterness of experience.

Had he ever tried to find good in the darkness?

It had never crossed her mind (another thing she found she was losing, her ability to consider her friends) that Ryou would ever actually try to be friends with Bakura.

"Ryou," she whispers and tries to hold back tears. Anzu reaches out to grab his hand (always reaching out, but Ryou never seems to be within her grasp) but he pulls away.

He stares at her for a long moment; deep, endless brown eyes.

"Goodbye, Anzu," Ryou mumbles and gets up out his seat. Any sign of his former attitude is gone, replaced with classic Ryou – slouching, quiet and an unfathomable amount of hurt in his eyes.

He leaves the bus and Anzu doesn't even bother to go after him.

-0-

Ryou steps into the crowded arcade and the first thing he is sees is a striking brunette racking up massive points on the DDR machine.

Anzu.

Ryou recoils a little. He hadn't come here for Anzu, he had come for Yuugi. He hadn't even known Anzu was even going to be here. If he had, he probably would have never come (maybe that's why Yuugi didn't tell him). He really didn't want to see Anzu…now instead of pleasant warmth at the sight of Anzu he only ever saw the spirit.

Ryou tries to blend in with the crowd, hopefully long enough to leave without being noticed.

"Bakura-kun!" Yuugi calls and waves his hands to motion Ryou towards them. Ryou sighs heavily.

For Yuugi. He was only doing this for Yuugi.

"Hey, Yuugi-kun," he says and smiles a bit.

Anzu eyes widen at the sight of him.

"Ry – Bakura," she gasps, and Ryou knows she is only calling him that because Yuugi is here. She doesn't want Yuugi to know about her…whatever… with the spirit. Ryou stiffens a bit. That's good though, she should be ashamed.

(But now his heart stings for Yuugi, who now has two liars for friends.)

The shock of Ryou's arrival wears off and Anzu turns to Yuugi, pouting.

"I thought it was just going to be you and me."

Yuugi laughs nervously.

"Yeah, well, I invited Bakura too."

Anzu huffs.

Ryou stares at the ground.

Yuugi lets out an exasperated sigh.

"I don't know why you two are mad at each other," Yuugi says looking at both of them, "But I know whatever it is can't be worth losing your friendship!"

(If only Yuugi knew.)

"So come on! We are going to play some games and eat some pizza and have fun! Okay?"

Right then and there Ryou wants to just make up with Anzu, purely for Yuugi's sake. But then he remembers why he was angry with her in the first place.

She was in love with the spirit of the millennium ring.

A wave of nausea hits him. She loved him. The spirit who stole, killed, and trapped his friends into figurines – tortured him on daily basis. (Because no matter what the spirit claimed, it was torture. Everything the spirit had ever done to him was torture.) She loved that! Darkness, soulless…things that should not be loved. The spirit was a thing that did not deserve Anzu's love. (Anzu was lovely, he was beginning to forget that fact, beginning to forget that he had started all this mess…everything was being forgotten in his rage.)

But he had a right to be angry! (Didn't he?) Couldn't she see that the spirit was a lost cause? Couldn't see learn from his mistakes?

Defeated (by everything) Ryou looks up at Yuugi.

"Okay," he says.

Anzu looks down at Ryou, brilliant blue eyes filled with sadness.

"Okay," she says.

Yuugi smiles so big and bright. "Great! Let's go have fun!"

-0-

Anzu's not sure how it happened, but somehow the crazy crowd of the arcade had pushed them to the very back of the building. People were bumping and pushing into them, she was sure she was going to be covered in bruises by the end of the night.

"Quick!" Ryou (it was Ryou right? She didn't get a look at his face) says as he props open a door, "In here."

Anzu quickly follows him in, anything to get away from that death crowd. Yuugi trails behind him. Someone turns the lights off and then there is only blackness.

A feeling, like a snake slithering around her leg, consumes her body but it is as fades as quickly as it came.

"Yuugi! Ryou!" Anzu shouts, but neither of them respond.

She tries again and this time she is responded with light filling the room. Except, it wasn't a room at the arcade anymore. It was…a hallway.

Ryou and Yuugi lie on the floor, Bakura and the other Yuugi standing above them.

Anzu takes a step backwards. What had just happened?

The other Yuugi helps Yuugi get up, while Ryou pulls himself up as Bakura refuses to look at him. Anzu looks around trying to piece together where they were and why the spirits who resided in the millennium items suddenly – for no apparent reason – had bodies.

The hallway was just a hallway. Nothing exciting or unusual about it. The only thing rather odd was the five doors surrounding it. Each one was different. There a light blue one coated in what looked like dust, a bright orange door, a childish looking one, a big metal door, and then another metal like door wrapped in chains and locks.

"What's going on?" She asks all four of them, but none of them give her an answer.

Ryou, who still hasn't said a word to Bakura (and vice versa), brushes off the dust from the light blue door. He sighs.

"Do you recognize yours?" He asks at Yuugi and the other Yuugi. They both give small nods.

"What do you think we should do?" Yuugi asks his other, whose face despite it being stony, still betrays a bit of fear.

"I don't know aibou," he says softly to Yuugi.

Bakura rolls his eyes and walks straight to the door that had all the locks and chains. Wordlessly, he steps in.

Ryou then too opens his door.

"Maybe we should just see what's inside," Yuugi pleads, "It can't be that bad right? They're our souls."

They stare long into each other's eyes and Anzu feels even more disconnected and confused. How could souls relate to doors?

"Alright," the other Yuugi finally agrees. They both depart, Yuugi going towards the childish one and his other towards the one next to Bakura's.

That left Anzu with the one right next to her. A bright orange door with a sign saying "DANCER 4 LIFE" hanging off the doorknob.

Slowly, Anzu pulls open her door.

She tentatively and gracefully takes a step in. It – wherever it is – is dark, pitch black in fact. Anzu squints but she still can't see anything. Then, a bright white light shines down on her – a spotlight. It's only then she realizes she is no longer in her school uniform, but in her tutu and toe shoes.

Her body moves by its self and she begins to dance. She twirls and spins all while trying desperately to regain some control. The blackness around her changes and instead of blackness there are memories surrounding her. The first time she met Yuugi, the first time she danced, the first stalker she had…all things good and bad were playing like a movie on the walls.

If the forced movements weren't already making her dizzy, her life movie was. It didn't go in order either, just flashes of things. Flashes of Ryou – smiling and content – head bent and eyes glazed. Flashes of Yuugi, then Bakura, then that kiss…everything rushing together and blurring together until –

Yes! She's regained control of her body. No more dancing.

The room is black again. Then, slowly, she sees a dim white light in the distance. She runs towards it, anything to get away from the darkness. As she gets closer she sees the outline of a boy. A boy she knows, but not well enough.

Ryou turns around and looks at her. He smiles. It's soft and sad and everything that Ryou really is. She reaches out for his hand but she can't grab hold of him. His hand disappears like the wind and swiftly Ryou fades away.

Darkness again, until the crack of thunder illuminates the room.

Where Ryou stood, there is a shadowy figure. He is smirking and radiating a subtle arrogance. Again, Anzu reaches out for him, but she trips over herself. Stumbling, stumbling.

Anzu stumbles out of the doorway, gasping for breath. By far, that was the worst thing that had ever happened to her. It scares her more than it should that she's still in her ballerina outfit.

At least she's out of the terrible, fun house on drugs, room now. The empty hallway is way better than that.

There is a loud noise – is it screaming?– coming from the large metal door. Bakura's room.

She takes a step forward, hoping to eavesdrop and maybe learn a little bit about the unending mystery he was. But before Anzu's made more than three steps the door flies open.

A small gasp escapes her.

Bakura too stumbles out of his room in an outfit just as bizarre as her is. He is wearing a blood red cloak (and much too her embarrassment no shirt) and is dripping in gold. Bracelets, chains and few other things that she can't name. Everything on him looks so ancient.

Bakura staggers closer to her and only then does she see that he is bleeding.

"Bakura!" She cries and rushes towards him. He glares at her, black eyes that burn like cigarettes. It doesn't deter her though. Anzu, no matter how much she knows she should be, is not afraid him.

She rips off a piece of her tutu and gently wipes off the blood in the center of his chest. There is blood other place on him (like his hands) but she's certain the wound was here.

He hisses, "Don't touch me," and clutches onto the wall for support.

"You're hurt," she says without stopping her work, "Let me help you."

Bakura eyes widen, shocked by her serenity and then settle by glaring at the ground. Before Anzu can smile and relish in her victory a low sort of rumble comes from Ryou's very plain looking door.

Anzu's breath hitches and Bakura's eyes narrow.

His door opens very slowly and Anzu is sure she hears it creaking. Ryou's form becomes apparent and he is always wearing something ridiculous, something she only saw him in once before. Monster World. The robe and staff he is holding are identical to the one his lead figurine had on. Complete with that funny hat too.

Bakura growls.

Anzu impatiently waits for Ryou to just come out already; her heart is about ready to burst.

Ryou stops, takes one step out of the doorway and then collapses into a dead faint.

-0-

When Ryou regains consciousness a couple seconds later, he is pressed against the wall and the spirit is searching for a wound.

(The spirit is bleeding too, but Ryou ignores it. There is always blood on the spirit.)

There would be no wound; he fainted from the memory of losing his soul during the Monster World Game. Suddenly, awareness dawned on him about how violating what the spirit doing was and he shook the spirit off.

"Don't touch me," he mutters, speech slightly slurred.

The spirit (as always) ignores him.

If Ryou didn't know any better he would actually think that the spirit was concerned for him. But that was impossible (…merely wishful thinking.)

Anzu was concerned though; he could see it in her eyes. They were a bright sky blue, but a bit watery like she was holding back tears.

"Are you alright?" She asks, leaning down towards him. Her hair tied up in a bun and she has the necklace he gave her on. In fact, in looks like both Anzu and the pendant were wearing the same outfit.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Ryou sneaks a look at the spirit, whose face betrays no emotion. He's dressed in the attire Ryou has seen him in before; those nights when the spirit's nightmares would also become his own.

Yuugi and the Pharaoh's doors were still present, which meant they would just have to wait for them to come out as well. The sooner, the better.

He still hadn't the slightest clue as to what was going on.

The spirit scans him up and down and then gently places his back against the wall. That act of kindness feels Ryou's stomach with pure, unrefined hatred.

"…I don't understand you," Ryou finally says, his voice partly a growl and partly a plea, "At all."

The spirit snorts but cannot stand Ryou's glare and finally averts his eyes.

Somehow that feels like a victory.

-0-

Their absolute refusal to acknowledge each other was astounding. Anzu was just in awe. They never looked at each other or talked to each other. And when they had to relay some message to the other, it was either done by one of the two talking about the person instead of at, or simply telling Anzu.

It was as remarkable as it was infuriating.

Yuugi and the other Yuugi doors had disappeared. Just vanished. They sat in the same place, hoping that maybe the two doors would reappear but Anzu was having doubts. It was hard not to. No one had explained to her just what exactly was going on yet.

But that she could deal with. She would have faith that Yuugi and the other Yuugi would be just fine. She would wait for them. What she couldn't deal with was the dead silence that was suffocating them all.

"Why won't you two talk to each other?" She declares, the anxiety and the silence finally pushing her to the edge.

They both regard her with contempt. Ryou with a polite edge and Bakura with a far more pissed off edge.

"Ryou?" She puts him on the spot, a thing she knows he hates.

He looks away. "As far as I'm concerned he is nothing more than a voice in the dark corners of my mind."

Anzu looks at Bakura who is snarling.

"And you?" She's a bit more nervous when talking to Bakura. Not out of fear of him, but of fear of what he'll say to Ryou. For whatever reason, they brought out each other's flaws.

He doesn't address her; instead he looks directly at Ryou.

"You're pathetic," he says with a low laugh, "Denial is the only thing you're capable of. You deny the reason for your existence, your family and even that night in the rain…"

Bakura taunts and Ryou's eyes flash. Then quickly he turns his focus at Anzu.

"Anzu?" He asks quietly.

She hasn't the slightest idea what to say, or what had just been said. It was like she was still in the room, where everything was spinning and crashing in on her.

"I…"

Ryou, eyes wide with hurt, gets up. And then he runs.

"Ryou, wait!" Anzu yells and takes a step forward to go after Ryou.

"Don't bother," Bakura sneers, "All my host ever does is run away. He's a coward."

Bakura lets out a low chuckle.

"He'll come back though. He always does."

Anzu purses her lips. Ryou was a lot of things, but he was not a coward. But maybe he didn't know Ryou like she did. When he was in presence of Bakura, it seemed to Anzu that Ryou was an entirely different person.

"He's different when he's around you," Anzu says, voicing her thoughts, "You make him…cold."

She always wants to tell him that he's a lot crueler when Ryou is around too, but she thinks he already knows that.

Bakura visibly cringes. Anzu takes it as a good thing…that means he cares, right?

"I have to go after him. I can't lose another friend." She had meant for the words to sound strong and self-assured but it really just sounded like she was apologizing.

She starts running.

"Ryou! Ryou!" Anzu calls, jogging after him, "Ryou wait! You can't just run away! Ryou!"

He pays her no heed, so Anzu has to drastically increase her running. The hallways had no end either way, so they could feasibly be running forever. Besides, they all had to stick together. That was the only way all three of them were going to get through this. And she couldn't lose Ryou like how she lost Yuugi. Yuugi.

Finally, Anzu is close enough to Ryou to yank his arm back.

"What is your problem!?" She demands as she pulls him to face her.

Ryou's face is even paler than usual.

"You kissed him," He accuses, nausea clearly written on his face.

Anzu's face turns a bright red.

"Um…yeah, well…" She has no idea how to explain what had happened that night to Ryou, especially because essentially Anzu had been kissing Ryou too.

Ryou isn't fazed by her demeanor.

"Why?" He asks, so truthfully Anzu knows Ryou can't even begin to comprehend why she would do such a thing.

"I um…" I love him, she thinks but for whatever reason she can't bear to tell Ryou that. "He saved me!"

There, that was reasonable.

Ryou looks up with wounded eyes, "Saved you?"

"Yeah, from a stupid thug. Not that I was scared…it was just really thoughtful and sweet and romantic…" Anzu trails off, remembering the bliss of that night.

Ryou blanches.

"It's funny," Ryou says with no hint of humor, "He always shows up just in the nick of time. He saves you from everyone and everything. Protects you."

He snorts.

"But he's not protecting you because of you. He's protecting you because he thinks you're his," Ryou pauses, "I don't think there's anything romantic about that."

Anzu frowns, startled by his tone. It was so bitter, the kind of bitterness only borne out of experience, yet it was still Ryou. Still a polite, barely there, sort of voice.

"…I think I hate him," Ryou says and then stares at the ground as if those words had robbed him of any courage he had.

"Ryou," Anzu consoles and reaches out to touch his shoulder. She is beginning to realize Ryou is just as damaged as his other.

To her surprise, he lets her touch him.

"He doesn't deserve to be hated," Anzu explains, "I know he's done some bad things – but I always know everyone deserves a second chance. Don't you think you should give him that, Ryou?"

Ryou flinches away from her, looking confused and even a bit hurt.

"Anzu," that word pains him, "You don't understand…you couldn't understand…what he has put me through. I used to be like you too, I used to think that everyone deserved a second chance. But I was wrong. Sometimes, sometimes people are just…unchangeable."

That glazed look is back in his eyes and she knows she has no hoping in reaching him.

"He'll hurt you," Ryou says bluntly. Suddenly, all of Anzu's affectionate towards him is gone replaced with righteous rage.

"You don't know that!" She says angrily.

"I do." His words are soft, wistful and windy.

Ryou looks towards and gives her a sad broken smile. "You deserve so much better Anzu, so much more than he has to give. He has nothing to give."

Anzu's anger vanishes.

"He does. I know it. You both do," she smiles at him, the clear hope shining through her eyes, "I help him because it helps you too, Ryou! You two, you're two halves of the same soul. If one of you is redeemed, you both are. But if one is lost…then you're both condemned. Don't you understand? You two need each other." I need both of you too.

Ryou does his look passed, look through and then stares behind towards Bakura.

"No. I don't understand. Not even a little bit." He sounds so sad, like he has lost the most important thing to him.

All Anzu wants is to help him, heal him, make him smile like he did those days they spent in the park.

"Come on," Ryou says finally, "We can't just wait around anymore. Let's go find Yuugi."

Yuugi…Yuugi…it feels like he was a millennium ago. She misses him.

"Right!" Anzu agrees and they walk back towards Bakura.

-0-

It feels like centuries have passed, it feels as if he, the spirit and Anzu had been here since the dawn of time (and at the rate of progression, until the end of it.)

Ryou tries to shake the negativity off of him.

He had to find Yuugi. It was his…his fault that they were in this mess. He had to get Yuugi (and Anzu, for that matter) out of it.

They round another corner is the infinite hallway and again there is no sign of either Yuugi or the Pharaoh's door. It's as if they had been erased from history.

Ryou continues on through the hallway. They had to find them. They just had too.

"Hey!" Anzu shouts, her voice full of enthusiasm, "Look!"

He does just that and to his relief he sees a door. It's not either of their soul room doors, but it is most certainly better than nothing.

Anzu opens before he does and they both file in. (Ryou is acutely aware of the spirit behind them, but ignores him the best he can.)

"Yuugi?" Anzu says and Ryou pushes passed her.

What Ryou sees next is nothing short of terrifying.

Yuugi and the other Yuugi, bound by thick chains and attached the wall of this nowhere room.

No.

-0-

So it had finally come. Millenniums spent waiting and now the moment was well within his grasp.

His host catches on before the girl.

"Y-yyou," he stutters out, forever weak, "You planned this all…it was a trap…"

His host clasps his hand to his mouth, the weight of the truth crashing down on him. Bakura can see it in his eyes as his host realizes (or remembers, more accurately) all that has happened and all that will come to pass.

With a soft "Yuugi" his host collapses on to his knees.

The girl rushes towards him, trying to shake him out of it.

"Ryou!" She says, "Ryou? What's wrong – what's going on?"

His host will tell her eventually, for now he deserved to wallow in his victory. The Great Pharaoh and his container, chained and helpless. Truly a beautiful sight.

He walks toward them, trying to decide how to kill them. He's already made up his mind to kill the container first, just so he can see the look in the Pharaoh's eyes as he murders his precious 'partner'. But he still hasn't worked out how.

"W-wwwhat?" The girl cries out. So now she knows.

He wonders what she'll do now. The girl is always surprising him, unlike his host who is dreadfully predictable. The girl always does something unexpected, something to change and reshape his previous thoughts of her. Perhaps she would willingly stay by his side. Bakura, in truth, would much prefer that. He knows already that his host will throw a fit.

Everything would be so much easier if they both just accepted the fact that they were his.

"Bakura," the girl whispers, "Please, tell me that it's not true."

"I am only delivering justice that was never served." That was the truth. There was nothing truer than the blood on the Pharaoh's hands.

He has decided. He'll slip the little one's throat and watch the blood spill out like rubies. And, of course, make the Pharaoh watch too.

Knife in hand, he takes a step towards where they are both chained. The girls let's out more cries, but doesn't do anything. Good. Finally, everything was working perfectly. Working out in his favor.

His host steps in front of him, holding up his ridiculous game staff.

His host – again always in his way. He did not have time to waste on his host! Too much time had been wasted as it was and Kul Elna was to be avenged now!

"Move aside, yadonushi," He hisses, nostrils flaring.

His host looks up at him with dark, never-ending brown eyes and says the two words Bakura never thought he would hear.

"I won't."

-0-

"I won't."

Ryou stares at his feet and to Anzu it looks as if he's gone insane. He's shaking, trembling, he can't even hold the staff steady in his hands. And all she can he is the slurred repetition of 'I won't.'

(I won't, I won't, Iwon't Iwon't iwon'tiwont.)

She wants to run to Ryou but her feet are glued to the ground behind Bakura.

Anzu, to her horror and self-disgust (weren't they friends – she should help him, the Anzu she used to be would help him – ), can do nothing but watch as Ryou falls apart.

-0-

"I won't let you hurt them!"

Ryou says, and means it. Means it more than anything he has ever said, more than anything he has ever said to Anzu. (And that was everything…and now he would lose it all.)

No. He wouldn't be selfish. Keeping Yuugi as a friend, trusting the spirit, being with Anzu, believing the spirit – all that had been due to his egoism. And all it had brought was destruction and misery.

So, no. No more selfishness, no more second chances.

It would end tonight.

"I won't let you hurt them or anyone – not ever again!" Ryou says this louder this time, his words ringing from the walls with his new found certainty. A wave of magic goes through, vibrating the room.

The spirit looks at him in disbelief.

Ryou stands his ground. He couldn't care anymore.

The spirit's eyes flash with the realization that yes, Ryou was standing up to him.

(Stopping him.)

"How dare you get in the way of my revenge!" The spirit roars, "Stupid, pathetic ungrateful little boy, after all I've done for you, you betray me like –"

"Shut up!" Ryou screams and the crack in his voice makes it apparent the tears he is holding back.

(He would not be swayed, and he didn't care and the spirit was a liar and all he wanted was to be strong just once, just this once…)

"I'm sick of you and whatever twisted justice you think you're doing. You're a liar!" He's screaming now, screaming at the top of his lungs, "All you do is speak in lies! Everything…everything you ever said to me was…! Yuugi – he! He is my friend! And I won't…I won't believe you…I don't believe or trust you or…" he trails off; eyes back to the floor again, shaking.

The spirit laughs. Loud, frenzied and completely devoid of whatever it was that both he and Anzu were looking for.

(And then Ryou regains his composure.)

"I won't," he tells the spirit, directly and forcefully, "I will not– let you hurt him."

His staff begins to glow.

The spirit's laugh dies off. He is not intimated or amused. He is furious, his face twisted into an expression of pure disgust that Ryou would have never before that moment thought possible.

"You wouldn't," the spirit snarls and taunts, "You couldn't. Not me, you're not strong enough, you don't hate me enough…"

"No! BE QUIET! You're wrong…you've always been wrong…all this…I don't want it anymore. I don't! And I don't…care about you and I'm not – I'm NOT afraid of you!"

The spirit steps back, in shock and awe.

Ryou eyes are burning with almost as much power as the staff he is holding. The bright white light from radiates and starts consuming the room, consuming them both (together, how perfect, didn't Anzu once say they'd be each other's redemption or condemnation?)

"Anzu…" The word spills out of Ryou's lips.

The all consuming light drowns out everything; he can't even see the spirit a couple of feet in front of him. It burns a bit, but not as much as that word he spoke moments ago.

"Sorry…"

Then, eternity.

-0-

When that light, (that light that is so impossibly bright, so bright it hurt) finally fades, Anzu sees everything.

Yuugi is still curled up in a corner like a sleeping kitten, the millennium puzzle still in his grasp. It was glowing slightly, throbbing actually so with a sigh of relief Anzu assumes that the other Yuugi is safe too. They had been transported back to that room in the arcade and everything appeared just how they left it; the light that Ryou had created hadn't left a speck of damage. Everything looked exactly the same.

Except there was no Ryou or Bakura. Tears are already spilling out of her eyes and she hasn't even looked properly yet. She just knows. In the deepest part of her soul she knows.

The millennium ring lies motionless in the middle of the room, all gold and lies.

Anzu races towards it, maybe there was hope, maybe there was a way –

When she pulls the ring to her chest, it burns her slightly. But that only makes her hug it closer. Anzu lifts it up by the string and presses her lips against the metal.

And whispers those three small words, over and over again.

Many years later, she still kisses the ring every night before each of her performances.

("For good luck.")


OMG. I promise from now on no chapter will ever be that long. I don't even /like/ Vexshipping. I don't know how this happened. Especially because...me and romance don't mix. Maybe I should stick to my angst. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it.

If you did, Review!!!