Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Wow, this is one of the only times I don't have anything to say...
Here's the new chapter!
/Ryo, I'm going to kill you,\\ the Millennium Ring spirit (who now went by "Bakura") groaned as Ryo walked unsteadily through a forested area of Duelist Kingdom.
/We've been through this already, it's not my fault,\ Ryo sighed as she held her mouth and stomach as dizziness and lightheadedness hit her like a ton of bricks. /Scratch that, I'm going to kill myself. This is the worst bout of flu I've ever experienced.\
/I can't concentrate on anything, let alone track the Millennium Items here.\\
/I think I'm gonna blow.\
/Don't you d—\\
Ryo fell on her knees as she dry-heaved, since she hadn't eaten since she'd gotten here.
"Who's there?!" a familiar voice commanded.
She forced herself to stand and walked through the bushes. She smiled and Bakura perked up.
/The Millennium Puzzle!\\
/You didn't sense it?\
/Too sick…\\ Bakura growled impotently.
/Then why don't you stay back and let me handle it.\
/I hate you.\\
/I know.\
"Bakura!" her friends recognized happily.
"Hello everyone," she replied as she sank down gratefully in front of the fire. She held her head as it began to spin and pound again, sweat beading on her face.
"You don't look so good Bakura," Yugi observed, worry in his eyes. "Are you okay?"
/Don't you dare tell him we're sick!\\ Bakura ordered with renewed vigor.
/What's the worst thing that could happen? No one knows you've come back in the first place! Come on, we need food and rest, since you dragged me out here without so much as a candy bar or a sleeping bag,\ Ryo whined back, and her other half fell silent with a scoff. She answered aloud, "I've been ill since before I came here, but now that I've found you guys…I can rest…"
She slumped over, exhausted and famished. Anzu caught her head and laid it on her lap. "Poor Bakura, do you need anything to eat?"
"Anything you can spare…please…"
"Here Bakura, eat up," Jonouchi offered as he held out some packages.
Ryo sat up with Anzu's help and took a package of dried fruit from the pile. She began to nibble on a piece of apple and when her stomach didn't reject it, ate with more energy. "Thank you."
"What brought you out to Duelist Kingdom when you're so sick, Bakura?" Yugi asked, scooting closer to her.
Ryo shook her head, then winced as that caused a wave of dizziness. "I was lonely, since I don't have any friends beyond you four. When I overheard you were going to Duelist Kingdom, I thought I should tag along. I got separated from all of you when we got off the ship, and I've been searching ever since. I didn't encounter you until just now, I was so lost."
All four sported various levels of guilt as they ate up Ryo's lies. She'd learned a lot from Bakura about duplicity, since she needed it with the situation she was in. She couldn't feign innocence all the time, or else people would get suspicious. This was one skill she was thankful she'd gained from her other self. He was a silver-tongued individual and commanded her to learn to lie better, or else she'd be caught in more ways than one. And she didn't want him mad at her for any reason. His anger hurt way too much when she woke up in the aftermath.
"I'm sorry we didn't think about bringing you Bakura," Honda apologized.
"You didn't express any interest about going," Anzu added.
Jonouchi patted her back. "Next time, tell us, we can't read your mind. You don't talk that much, even if we do talk to you. You're shy, kinda like Yugi was at first."
Yugi smiled as he put a hand on her arm. "Once we get to the castle, we can see if we can get you some help. I'm sure they have doctors there for people who get hurt."
Ryo smiled back, a warm feeling coming to her heart at how sincere they were about her welfare. "Thanks, you guys. I feel better knowing that you'll be looking out for me."
Later that night, the Millennium Puzzle spirit came out while the others slept and crept over to Ryo, who slept fitfully, sweat pouring down her face. A concerned look came over his face as he placed a hand over her chest, using his magic to check her over. He found out some alarming things as he soothed her sickness and lowered the fever she'd developed. He was confused as he lowered his hand. He'd have to have a few moments to speak with her when he had the chance. Of course, he wouldn't tell his other half, because this was Ryo's secret and she needed to reveal such things to her friends when she felt the time was right. He'd wondered why she'd acted so oddly, and now he knew, and some things he was sure she didn't realize herself.
He noticed she was covered in sweat from her multiple layers and sighed mutely at her foolishness. She didn't need to cover up when she had a fever, in fact, she needed the opposite, especially when she was sweating so badly. He reached under the hem of her cream sweater and slowly pulled it over her head, throwing it beside them as he began to unbutton her teal button-up shirt underneath. He'd gotten only two buttons undone when he was suddenly tackled to the sleeping bag, a knife blade at his throat. A pair of merciless eyes bored into his own and a deep voice growled, "What do you think you're doing, Yugi?"
The nameless spirit whispered, as to not wake the others, "Your shirts are soaked through with sweat, and it's making you worse. You're suffering from a bad fever unrelated to your sickness, and it's no sickness you're afflicted with."
Bakura's eyes narrowed. "Explain."
"It is very extreme, but you're having nausea that's caused from pregnancy."
Things froze for a tense moment, before Bakura leapt off his prey and stalked off, muttering something that sounded like "When I next see him, he's a dead man" as he vanished into the trees.
The Puzzle spirit followed, worried for Ryo's health. She was very sick, and if she overdid it, she'd collapse.
Bakura halted at a stream and knelt in front of it, washing as much sweat off as he could reach, cooling their body a small amount before yelling mentally, /Ryo! Ryo!\\
/Nnngh…?\ Ryo replied, then fell back into her deep, feverish sleep.
/BAKURA RYO! WAKE UP OR I'LL PUNISH YOU!\\
At the word "punish", Ryo jolted awake. /What? What?\
/I've found out that Yugi's other half knows your secret.\\
/Which one?! Which?!\ she cried, freaking out.
Bakura smacked her mentally. /Shut up or I'll really hurt you!\\
/Ow…\
/He's discovered that you're female, and the reason why we're ailing.\\
/Why?\
/You're pregnant.\\
She fainted dead away.
/Ryo! RYO!\\
Bakura balled his hands into fists. "Curse him to the underworld, I knew she'd do this once I told her. Ryo's such an innocent fool, she never thought that boy's coercion into her lying with him would cause such a thing. I don't care what I have to do, I'll kill him."
"Bakura!"
He gritted his teeth. "For Ra's sake, I don't get any time to think, let alone plan. What does he want now?"
He stood and turned as the spirit of the Puzzle crashed through the underbrush onto the bank of the stream.
"You shouldn't exert yourself, you're very sick and will only get worse if you run around like this. I know you're in shock, but please, relax."
"I don't need your advice, Yugi."
"Bakura, I'm just trying to help."
Bakura crossed his arms. "If you want, the best thing is to leave me alone. I just received news that has caused me to realize that I've been played by the father of my spawn."
"Played? Who is the father, Bakura?"
"Someone I want to cause great bodily harm to, that is all you need to know."
"Is it…Kaiba?"
"That overconfident fool? Don't make me laugh."
"Even if the others haven't realized it, I have. I've seen how you act around each other, when you think no one is watching. Kaiba's bullying was a front to hide that he likes you, but I doubt he knows he's going to be a father, if you didn't know yourself. What will he do when he does find out?"
/He won't be happy, even I know that,\ Ryo murmured. /He actually fancies me? Here I thought we had a deal not to like each other, that it was merely physical.\
/If it had been merely physical, you two wouldn't have wept during that kiss,\\ Bakura replied. /You're back in the land of the living. What did you hear?\\
/That you want to hurt Kaiba-san. Don't hurt him, I don't think he realized what could happen when he had unprotected sex. He's just as innocent as I am.\
/He's interfered with my plans with this foul up.\\
/This is between us, Bakura. Please don't get involved when I tell him. You're not the one he likes, anyway. I don't think he fancies guys.\
/If he hurts you, I'll inflict two times the damage.\\
/Thank you, I appreciate it.\
A very grumpy Bakura snarled, "Enough of this! We'll talk later."
He didn't let the other Yugi reply as he walked back to camp and got back into Ryo's sleeping bag. He closed his eyes and allowed Ryo control again, so she could sleep. He needed time to plan so he could at least warn that fool who put his host into this position that he'd better know she had a dangerous force inside her that would destroy him if he hurt her in any way, shape or form.
I decided to have Bakura interact more with Ryo in my story, since I'm sure with her gender being different, he'd even have the urge to protect her.
Please review!