Ryou was in his bedroom, sitting at his desk with his laptop in front of him. He opened up his laptop and signed in. He had twelve tabs open. When he opened a new tab, his mind went blank for a moment. "What was I doing again?" he wondered. A few seconds later he remembered. "Oh yeah!" he said as he typed in DID-research . org.

For the next hour he browsed the website, learning more about dissociative disorders. He had been researching dissociative disorders for a couple of days now, ever since Malik first told him about it. Malik had texted him resources to learn more about it, and Ryou had learned a lot in the past couple of days.

Malik had told him not to participate in DID communities, but that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to read posts and blogs that people with DID had written. There was valuable knowledge to be gained from reading things that were directly posted from the DID community just as much as it was valuable to conduct research from official sources.

Ryou was amazed by what he learned. It turns out that many of his experiences he thought he was alone in were actually pretty common. Now, common did not mean it was normal, because many of these experiences were the types of experiences that should not be normalized, but it gave Ryou comfort that he wasn't the only person who had to deal with an alter who did impulsive, risky, and inappropriate actions such as breaking the law, hurting others, destroying things, wrecking healthy relationships, getting him hospitalized, and so on. Many people with DID experienced the same problems.

The different personalities found in DID and OSDD-1 were referred to as "alters," "parts," or "others." The term "system" was used to refer to the entire group of alters, though some people might prefer different words like collective, family, or clan.

There were labels that were used to label the common types of alters found in a system, and Ryou found that some of those roles could apply to his system. Ryou's role was obvious; he was the host, aka the alter who most commonly used the body. The host's job was to do the normal human things such as going to school and making friends.

Ryou's alter, the Ring Spirit, could be described as a protector, considering how he protected Ryou from people who tried to harm him. In the past the Ring Spirit would've been labeled as a persecutor, which was an alter who purposely harms the body, system, or host.

Persecutors were sometimes called "abuser alters," however that doesn't mean they were bad parts. They were just misguided protectors who harm the body in an attempt to protect the system, and these alters should be valued as any other alter and guided through therapy to change their maladaptive thinking and behaviors. Persecutors often have a distorted view of reality, and may disrupt therapy or intentionally injure the person's body. All alters should be treated with equal kindness, despite their behaviors. There was no such thing as an evil alter. Every part of the DID/OSDD system was trying their best to keep the system safe. The problem is that sometimes parts were misguided, and sometimes different alters got in each others' way.

The cause of DID was prolonged early childhood trauma. It's often the result of child abuse, but it doesn't necessarily have to be child abuse; it can be things like prolonged hospitalizations and medical trauma, war, and terrorism, and neglect.

Many of the things Malik had said a few days ago turned out to be true. It was very common to have alters who identified as nonhuman. Alters could be animals, fictional characters, mythical creatures, robots, machines, demons, spirits, ghosts, and supernatural beings. Alters could be all kinds of different ages ranging from infant to teen to thousands of years old.

As it turned out, headspaces were very similar to soulrooms. Many individuals with DID had an internal world or headspace in which they or their alters can manifest as themselves and interact. These internal worlds, which were also known as inner worlds, headspaces, or bedrooms, could range in size and complexity. Some systems might have an entire house that is fully equipped with everything that the alters would feel that they need. Others might have small towns that may even be filled with static NPCs that can interact with alters.

Headspace aren't created on purpose, although they can sometimes be modified on purpose. New areas or objects typically represent new experiences; newly-discovered areas or objects typically represent old experiences you're just now recalling or exploring. Not every system has a headspace, and for everyone who has one, it's different. Some system's headspaces are a single room or a single building. Some systems - typically polyfragmented systems, with 100+ alters - have much larger headspaces, with cities or countries or continents. Some headspaces have levels, and those can represent different "levels" of conscious awareness, or something similar. The overall structure of headspace can have a lot to do with the kind of trauma experienced. It's possible not every alter has access to headspace, or some may only have access some of the time. An alter may have access only to certain parts of headspace. It's probably possible for an alter's (imagined) body to be harmed or healed in headspace. Dying would probably represent an alter going dormant, since alters cannot actually die.

While Ryou was learning about dissociative disorders, the Ring Spirit looked on with disdain.

"Are you still trying to make me go to therapy?" the Spirit spat out with disgust.

"Oh come on, therapy is normal. It's rather mainstream for people to go to therapy these days. Besides, now that we know what DID is, we can go to therapy without telling the therapist about the Millennium Items or possession," Ryou reasoned.

"Why bother seeking professional help when we can just read about how to help ourselves online? There are plenty of mentally ill people who need therapy more than we do. Isn't it a bit selfish to be taking up resources that others need more than us?"

"There are plenty of people who don't necessarily have any mental illnesses who go to therapy. Some people go to therapy just to improve upon areas of their lives that might be a little sub-par. There shouldn't be any stigma attached to going to therapy," Ryou signed. "How about this. You don't even have to come out to meet the therapist if you don't want to. It'll just be me doing all the talking."

"I still find it distasteful, considering neither of us really need any help."

"The fact that you self-harm means you need help."

"What's wrong with it? I do it in the soulroom which means I'm not even harming the actual body. And injuries heal very quickly in the soulroom."

"Even so, I think we should seek help just in case. And besides, what if one day you injure yourself so badly that you can't even recover in the soulroom?"

"Relax, yadonoushi. I cut out my internal organs many times and it always heals. There's nothing to worry about."

Ryou's jaw dropped open in shock. "If that was supposed to reassure me, it didn't work. All it did was make me more concerned." He pursed his lips, trying to think of a convincing argument. Then he came up with an idea. "You know, I really wish you'd just let me go to therapy."

At first the Spirit just stared, not understanding what Ryou was doing. Then he remembered. One of the powers that each of the Millennium Items held was the ability to grant the owner one wish, and the Spirit had taken it upon himself to grant Ryou's wishes. When the Spirit remembered that, he gave his host a look of disdain and crossed his arms.

"Oh, you think you're so clever, don't you?" the Spirit said haughtily. "You know you only get one wish."

"The first one didn't count because you screwed it up," Ryou said coyly. "And besides, the Millennium Ring might only grant one wish to each bearer, but the Ring Spirit can grant more than one."

The first wish Ryou had made was to always be able to play games with his friends, and the Spirit had granted that wish by sealing his friends' souls into tiny figurines. Ryou hadn't been happy about it.

The Spirit sighed but caved in. "Fine, go to therapy. But I'm not coming out to meet the therapist ever. You'll do all the talking."

Ryou grinned in satisfaction. "Great. Glad we got that settled."

With a yawn, Ryou stretched his arms. "I think it's time for a break," he said as he closed his laptop. He went downstairs and started making himself lunch.

"Malik agreed to meet with you every week so that you can talk to him more. I think it's great for you to make some friends other than me," Ryou said as he added seasoning to the frying pan. While he was cooking, he thought of the stone tablet with Yugi and Kaiba's faces on them and pondered what it meant. "Say I was wondering. If Yugi and Kaiba have past selves who are from Ancient Egypt, that means you have one too, don't you?"

"Obviously. I lived there three thousand years ago."

Ryou's eyes lit up with excitement. "Then you can tell me what life was like back then! What was it like? Did you have the same problems that modern society has or was it worse?"

"I can't tell you that. I don't remember much about Ancient Egypt at all. It's been too long."

"But you've got to remember some things. I've always wanted to learn how to read hieroglyphics, or speak the language! Gosh, it would be so amazing to be able to learn how to speak the same language as the Ancient Egyptians? Do you think you could teach me?"

"...I don't remember how to speak Ancient Egyptian."

Ryou picked up a little bit of food that was still cooking and tasted it. "Then can you teach me modern Egyptian?"

"You mean Arabic?"

"Yeah!"

"I'm warning you that Arabic is a very difficult language to learn. The singular and plural forms of each noun are completely different so you have to learn each word twice, and there's a separate set of conjugations that you have to learn when you're speaking in a group of two people versus a group of three or more people."

"I know, and that's what I think makes the language cool! I already know a good amount of Arabic because my father and I used to live in Egypt when I was a little kid. It's just that I haven't spoken the language in a while, so I'm a little rusty. I'm wondering if you could help me become fully fluent."

"Well, alright then. If you really want to learn, I guess I'll teach you."

"Yes! Thank you so much!"

By now Ryou had finished cooking so he put the food on a plate and took it to the dining table to eat.

"You really don't remember anything about your life back in Ancient Egypt? What about your name?" Ryou asked.

"I remember images and sounds, but that's about it," the Spirit admitted. "And no, I don't remember my name."

"I guess Yugi's alter isn't the only one who needs help getting his memories back," Ryou mused.

"Speaking of Ancient Egypt, you remember how Malik said that Domino Museum is going to have a new exhibition on Ancient Egypt?" the Spirit said.

"Of course! How could I forget! It's very exciting."

"I forgot to tell you this before, but Malik told me there was something missing from the exhibition that I think you could help with. They need a diorama of Ancient Egypt to display in the exhibition. Maybe you could build one, just you made one for your tabletop RPG."

"A diorama of Ancient Egypt?" Ryou repeated..

"Yeah why not? It would really help your father out."

"That...that sounds like a fantastic idea!" Ryou took a bite out of his meal. "I'll talk to Malik about it later."

When Ryou finished his lunch, he decided now would be a good time to look for a therapist. He went back into his bedroom, but then his mind became blank. "What was I going to do again?" he wondered. He went back into the kitchen and stood in the same spot where he decided it was time to look for a therapist, and that's when he remembered what he went to his bedroom to do. He went back to his bedroom and started researching therapists.

That evening, Ryou called Malik on the phone. Malik picked up almost immediately.

"Hello?"

"Hello Malik, it's me, Bakura."

"Oh hello Bakura. Did you check out the websites I sent you?"

"Why yes I did! Thank you for all your help by the way. I have a therapy session scheduled for Wednesday."

"That's good to hear."

"Yeah! Also, the Spirit of the Millennium Ring told me that the museum needs a diorama for the new exhibition on Ancient Egypt. I think I can help you with that. It's my hobby to make dioramas for tabletop board games. I could make one of Ancient Egypt to put in the exhibit for the museum's exhibition."

"That would be a great help if you could do that! Can you get it done in nine months? That's when the exhibition's scheduled to open."

"That's more than enough time!"

"I'll let your father know. And of course, we'll be sure to compensate you for your work."

"Oh no, I don't need compensation."

"You're sure?"

"Oh yes. I enjoy making crafts, and helping out my father is enough satisfaction for me," Ryou said. "By the way, I've been doing research on DID just like you advised. It's amazing! I have all the information I need to go to therapy without having to reveal any information about the Millennium Items."

"That's wonderful! Glad I could help."

"I've been thinking, if people with DID are called 'systems,' could I apply that to myself too even though I technically don't have DID?"

"Whatever you want to call yourself is fine. I'm not going to stop you from using DID terms for yourself."

"I suppose that instead of Dissociative Identity Disorder, what I have is Millennium Identity Disorder! You know, since I get my plurality from a Millennium Item?" Ryou chuckled.

Malik paused to ponder it. "I've never heard of anyone calling it that before. That certainly is creative."

"Plus, me and the Spirit could be known as a Millennium System! You know, to differentiate ourselves from DID Systems. And I suppose Yugi would apply as a Millennium System too."

"...I don't know what to make of that." Malik silently shook his head. "If you want to call yourself that, be my guest, though I find it a little strange."

"Oh no, I just realized something!"

"What?"

"What if I accidentally get diagnosed with DID for real? Since I don't actually have the disorder, wouldn't that be bad?"

"Just tell the therapist that you don't want any official diagnoses. Tell them you want answers but nothing on paper. They should respect your wishes."

"Alright, I'll do that. Thanks Malik."

"You're welcome. I am happy that you're looking to go to therapy. Honestly I worry about you sometimes."

"Really? Why?"

"Well, you remember back during Battle City when I used the Millennium Rod to control your mind? I was only manipulating your memories and pain receptors and not your personality. So when you started acting so weird around your friends, I had to double check that you were really under my mind-control. But none of your friends were even surprised by your behavior because you're always that weird. The only thing they were suspicious about was why you were able to get enough locator cards to qualify for the finals. It was convenient that your friends didn't think your odd behavior was out of the ordinary because it did aid in my evil plans, I can't help but be a little concerned. I think you ought to get yourself checked out for ADHD or something."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

"If you need any more help feel free to ask me. And remember, therapy is not as invasive as you think it is. If you don't want to talk about something, you can just say you're uncomfortable with talking about it and the therapist won't push it. At least, a good therapist wouldn't push it. Not all therapists are good, so you do have to be careful about choosing one. Do you need any help with finding a therapist?"

"No, I'm all set. But thanks anyway."

"I think we'll be seeing each other a lot for the next couple of months. I want to see your progress on the diorama of Ancient Egypt as you work on it. Plus I can help you with research."

"That'll be great!" Ryou said excitedly. "Hey, do you think you can continue meeting up with the Ring Spirit too, so you can talk with him? I feel bad about him being cooped up in the Ring all the time with no one except me to talk with. It'll be good for him to have a friend other than me."

"Why yes, of course I'll talk with him," Malik said in a low voice. There was no way he was going to leave Ryou to deal with the Ring Spirit alone.

"Fantastic! We'll see you next week then. Goodbye now!"

"Goodbye Bakura. I'll see you soon."

Yami Bakura considered himself to be a reasonable man. Straightfoward, rational, logical. Sure he might be a thief, and he might be a criminal mastermind, but he didn't act irrationally. Everything he did was usually for good reason.

It was for good reason that Ryou was forbidden from entering Yami Bakura's soulroom; because the room hid a deep dark secret that was simply too dangerous for Ryou to come in contact with. Inside Bakura's soulroom there dwelled an ancient, powerful demon named Zorc who was the embodiment of evil. It was for good reason that Bakura wanted to keep Ryou away from Zorc. Only a small fragment of Zorc's soul was there, but his presence was still a force to be reckoned with. Anyone who came close to Zorc's presence was affected by his passive influence, causing the individual to become more irritable and more likely to commit evil deeds. Bakura's personality was already naturally irritable and criminal, so being with Zorc didn't affect him that much, but it was better to keep Ryou away from such a being. In fact, it was better for Ryou to not know Zorc even existed. It was for his own good.

Bakura got along with Ryou well enough. Sure in the past they had their conflicts, but now they had an arrangement where both of them were content. Bakura didn't have a body of his own so Ryou allowed him to share his body, and in exchange Bakura helped Ryou with his problems from time to time. That was all their relationship really was; an arrangement. They did have a close relationship the way the Yugis did, and Bakura wouldn't really say they were friends. Not really. And it was better that way, in Bakura's opinion. They didn't need to be close, and they didn't need to be friends, especially since they didn't have a whole lot of time left together. Ryou wasn't going to be keeping the Millennium Ring for much longer; it was only a matter of months before the two of them got broken up. While Yugi was counting down the time he had with his Yami, mourning for the loss of a dear friend when it was time for the Pharaoh to leave for the afterlife, Ryou had no such emotional attachment, so it wasn't going to affect him much when it was time to part ways.

There was also the fact that Ryou probably wasn't going to be alive anymore when it was time to part ways, but Ryou didn't need to know that little detail.

All in all, it was a pretty good arrangement that they had. It was very good luck that Ryou was friends with Yugi, therefore Bakura could keep a close eye on the Millennium Puzzle.

"I see you finally got the host to do his job."

Bakura didn't even look up when Zorc appeared in his soulroom. He sat on the ground, chin resting against his fingers.

"Obviously. The boy has many useful talents we can utilize," Bakura said.

Today, Zorc was in a good mood. Because today, the plan was finally being set into motion. Collectively, Yugi and Bakura had collected five out of the seven Millennium Items, and Bakura had obtained the information necessary for opening the Door of Darkness. Once the Door of Darkness was opened, Zorc would be released from his imprisonment in the Millennium Items and be free to wreck havoc on the entire world. It was going to be glorious.

"I am curious though. What is this 'therapy' that he keeps speaking about?" Zorc asked. Since he was a three thousand year old demon, he wasn't familiar with modern advances in psychology and didn't know (or care to know) about the lives of humans.

"Oh that? That's what mortals do when their lives are miserable. They talk to a mental health professional to help them improve their minds and their lives," Bakura answered.

"Ah I see. Mortals are very weak-minded."

"Indeed they are. I don't know why my host insists on taking me to therapy. I'm not weak-minded."

"Nevertheless, you should heed his wishes. After all, you need to keep him happy if you expect him to continue to help you."

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

And with that, Zorc decided the conversation was over considering they said everything they needed to say, so he disappeared into the depths of Bakura's soul room to sleep.

Once Bakura was alone, he groaned heavily to himself, because he really wasn't looking forward to going to therapy. "Ugh, I hate having social plans. Like I don't have the energy to build a new personality by Wednesday."