Ryou: *sweatdrop*

Bakura: Why the heck is it always ME getting hurt?!? *frowns and begins to tick things off on his fingers* In VotH I got into a fight with Ushio, ASN had me beat up by my own aibou, SoS saw me shot, and now this!!!!!

WSJ: ^^; *politely ignores him as he continues to rant* Ah, someone asked about Ryou's father's name. It's pronounced exactly how it's spelled, Shen. In Chinese it means 'meditation', and in Egyptian it means 'sacred amulet'. *laughs at her own horrible pun*

Bakura & Ryou: *sweatdrop greatly*

WSJ: *coughs* Anyway... Okay, to answer another question. The reason Ryou can see in his dream sequences is because his mind wasn't affected by his blindness, just his eyes. And since he doesn't need his physical eyes in a dream, he can see. He cannot see in the Shadow Realm, however, because even though he still isn't using his physical eyes, the Shadow Realm is a physical plane, and his physical characteristics (including the damage to his eyes) are copied exactly to his body there. Does that make any sense at all?

Ryou & Bakura: No.

WSJ: -.-; Poor me, I thought not... WAI! I'm getting presents again!!! *pulls out kareoke book and begins to thumb through it* Hey, this is the J-Pop edition! Sugoi! *begins to absently hum "In My Words Alone"*

Ryou: Oh dear...

Warnings: Slight romantic fluff in this chapter. *giggles* The couples you've probably already guessed.

WSJ: Ah yes, the fic I was talking about last chapter is called Just a Game. READ IT! I command you!!!!!

()()()()()

The Yamis of Tokyo U: Freshmen

Chapter 7: All's Fair in Love and War

When Ryou next awoke, he was laying in a bed, staring up at a pale blue ceiling that seemed familiar. His eyes widened, and he blinked hard. He could see, which meant they couldn't be in the real world, or the Shadow Realm. So where...?

Slowly his memory came back, and he became aware of humming coming from nearby. He started to sit up, but let out a hiss as pain shot through him. The humming stopped, and Serenity's worried face came into view. "Ryou?"

"What happened?" he asked. "Where are we?"

Serenity's face grew even more worried and she sank down onto the bed beside him. "Your soulroom... I think. I-I was in the graveyard, and when I saw Firas and Briar-Rose attacking you I summoned my Megami and blasted them. Then everything went black, and we were here." Suddenly she burried her face in her hands. "Oh Ryou, what does it mean? Why have they come back?"

"I wish I knew..." Ryou said quietly. "How did you get into my mind?"

"I don't know..." She'd raised her head, and was now staring toward the door of his soulroom, which was shut. Ryou took the opportunity to look at her. She had pretty red-brown hair that was swept back into a ponytail, and brown eyes like Joey's. She was small for her age, which was sixteen, and stood about as tall as Tea. Her hands where they clutched at the bed sheet were slender, with long, tapering fingers. Tears glimmered in her eyes, and one slid down her smooth, alabaster cheek.

"Serenity..."

Ryou ignored the lingering pain of Firas's electric shocks and covered her hand with his. She turned to look at him with a start, and saw him smiling gently. Uninvited, a blush crept into her cheeks. At that first moment of skin-to-skin contact, a vision flashed through Ryou's mind, although he wouldn't understand or be able to put it into words for many years to come. For the moment it was just shards. Something white, bells chiming, a sad, pitiful cry. But as he covered her hand in his, it also triggered something else, and his smile deepened.

"Serenity, you've saved my life twice now. First when you gave blood to save me after Ushio's torment, and now this. I owe my very existence to you." Serenity started to protest, and he shook his head slightly to silence her. "Your blood runs in my veins. And in that selfless sacrifice of yours, I think, somehow, I was forced, or maybe just able, to give something back."

"But it wasn't a selfless act," Serenity protested. "Joey's the one who talked me into it. I-" she dropped her eyes. "I was scared."

"It doesn't matter," Ryou said, and the tone of his voice made her look back into his eyes. "Sere', even if your mind was scared, your heart had already decided. That was back before I knew about my powers, and somehow, I think, when you gave me part of you, I was compelled to give you back a bit of me. You're not a telepath, but somehow I transferred a bit of my powers over to you. Or maybe they did it on their own. You're not a psychic. But you do have talent, almost magic. I didn't see it before because, like me, your powers have been sleeping until they were really needed. That's how you came into my mind when I most needed you."

Serenity's eyes were wide, her lip quivering just slightly. "I-I'm like you?"

Ryou chuckled dryly. "Well, you're not blind..." His eyes softened again. "Serenity, don't be scared. I'll be right behind you all the way. And," he paused. "This is the first, and probably last, time I've ever actually seen you. And, may I say, m'dear lady, you are beautiful."

"Y-you think I'm beautiful?"

"As beautiful as any woman I've ever seen. Even your aura shines. You're more beautiful then even my mother." He cocked his head slightly, as if listening to something Serenity couldn't hear. "I think it's time for us to go back."

"But they, Yami, Ishtar, and Shaadi, said something was holding you asleep."

A funny smile tugged at the corners of Ryou's mouth. "Yes, but now that you're here, we can get out together." And before he could think, before he could rationalize it and think it through, Ryou raised himself up on one elbow and captured her mouth with his.

His soulroom door flew open, filling the room with a blinding white light.

~*~

First kiss...

The True Pharoah's eyes snapped open in the darkness of his dorm. He sat up and slid out of bed, walking over to sit by the window and look out at the full moon, which shined a bright silver.

'So...' he thought. 'They have found each other, my two worthy opponents... Now all three of us are discovered. Two good, one evil. Two trained and ready for war, one a novice. The Catalyst Trinity. This will make everything so much more intresting!' He laughed quietly, mindful of his roommate sleeping across the room. Not that it would have mattered, seeing as his roommate snored louder then a deisel engine and was too thick to know a villain when he was looking at one anyway. 'Somehow they have escaped the sleep I put over him. But I will get my revenge. I will.'

The Pharoah placed his hand on the glass of the window, still laughing to himself. Yes, their love would be their downfall. Their love for each other, and their love for their friends, it would be their undoing.

Outside thick, dark storm clouds hid the silver-white glow of the moon.

~*~

"Hey, they're waking up!"

Serenity coughed slightly as she came awake, finding herself kneeling next to the couch in Mai and Isis's dorm, her head pillowed on Ryou's chest. She sat up quickly, blushing, and pulled her arms out from around his neck. Ryou caught her hand, and gave it a small squeeze, reassuring her.

Bakura was sitting half-awake in a chair near them, his arm wrapped in what appeared to be strips of bed sheet. Yami and Ishtar were standing on either side of him, with Shaadi farther back. Mai and Isis were right beside them, and Isis bent down to put a hand to first Serenity's, then Ryou's foreheads. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Serenity opened her mouth, but Ryou cut her off. "I'm not exactly sure. But..." he stopped and shook his head. "I won't," he said, half to himself. "I won't get you involved. Not this time." He stood up, pulling his hand out of Serenity's. Before anyone could protest, he'd left, slamming the door after him.

The slam jarred Bakura completely awake, and he sat up straiter. "What the hell?"

Yami and Ishtar exchanged glances, and Mai and Isis looked slightly shocked. Serenity still crouched numbly next to the couch. What was wrong with Ryou? What had he meant, 'I won't get you involved'? Was he denying what had just happened between them? She frowned and jumped to her feet, running after Ryou. The second slam of the door was almost louder then the first.

"I ask again, 'what the hell?' And will someone answer me this time?" No one did, and Bakura sighed deeply, wincing as he rearranged his arm into a more comfortable possition. "Great, just great..."

Serenity caught up with Ryou at the bottom of the stairs, grabbed his shoulder and spun him around to face her. "What was that about?" she asked. "What did you mean?"

Ryou had a defiant set to his jaw, but then it slacked and he passed a hand over his eyes. He sighed, and Serenity thought he looked older then just eighteen. "I won't let anyone else get hurt. The Shadow Realm is after me, again. The ones I love have gotten caught up in it before, and they always get hurt. You, Bakura, Yami and Yugi... I won't let it happen again. I won't."

Serenity stared at him for a moment, and then flung her arms around his neck and burried her face in his chest. Ryou wasn't expecting this, and hesitantly put his arms around her. "You won't lose us." Serenity told him, though it was slightly muffled. "You think we can't fight too? Ryou, let us help!"

"That's what Bakura said... 'We stand together, or together we will fall.' Do you mean it?"

"Baka!" Serenity was laughing and crying at the same time. "Of course I mean it! We mean it! We'll stand by you forever. No matter what."

Ryou smiled into her hair. "I'm glad..."

Both of them suddenly became aware of their situation. Here they were, middle of the night, standing at the bottom of the stairs in the women's dorm in the dark. Ryou was dressed in a pair of boxers and a tank top, and Serenity in a flimsey nightgown. Both pulled away from each other, blushing. "Ryou, about earlier," Serenity started, dropping her eyes to the telepath's feet. "I'm not ready for a... a romance. I'm only sixteen, and you're-"

"Eighteen. Nineteen next week." Ryou said. "I know." He smiled at her, and reached up a hand to brush a stray curl off her cheek. "I'll wait for you. Maybe in a year or two."

"Hai," Serenity agreed, smiling back at him. "Maybe in a year." She began to hum absently, and Ryou chuckled.

"I am sixteen, going on seventeen, I know that I'm naive..." Serenity sang quietly, making Ryou grin.

"I'm no Rolf!"

She grinned too. "Good, because I'm no Leisel."

He leaned over and kissed her solftly on the forehead. "Good night. Tomorrow's Saturday, no classes for me. Will you allow me to show you around the campus?"

"Sure." she dipped her head in a nod. "See you tomorrow then. Meet you at...?"

"Ten," Ryou supplied. "I'll come pick you up."

"Okay. Good night Ryou."

"Good night m'lady."

The door to the dorm Serenity was staying in closed softly behind her, and still Ryou stood staring at it until a voice behind him interrupted his thoughts. It was no surprise that it was Bakura's light blue aura desending the stairs, with Yami, Shaadi, and Ishtar behind him.

"Funny that you'll listen to her when she tells you we'll always stand behind you, but not me."

Ryou turned to face his yami, his expression strained. "You were right Bakura, about the telepath not being on our side. I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"I know." Bakura said, patting his shoulder with his good hand. "Come on, if we're away any longer, Hiro will wake up and wonder where we've been."

Ishtar chuckled lightly. "Malik's already awake. He's worried, and tempted to come find us."

//I'll be there soon hikari, I promise.//

/....If you say so Ishtar./

"Let's go on back to bed, Yami's already yawning."

"Am *yawn* not."

~*~

"Serenity?" Ryou knocked on the dorm door the next morning at about 9:45. To his own bemusement, he was somewhat nervous about spending the day with her, despite last night's kiss and the resulting conversation. He was wearing jean shorts and a green tank top, and his hair was pulled back into a pony-tail.

The door was opened a moment later by an annoyed-looking Gwen, who had Yunet in her arms. The playful little kitten had been batting at Gwen's long hair, but once she spied Ryou she meowed to be let down. Ryou chuckled and took her from the American, settling Yunet onto his head. "Ohayoo Gwen. Is Serenity ready to go?"

"Yes," said Serenity as she appeared next to Gwen. "Ohayoo Ryou."

"Ohayoo. Off we go then. I'm not sure where though."

"Go to Bunny's." Gwen supplied. "It's a kareoke bar just off-campus. Yugi, Tea, Hiro and I went there a couple nights ago."

"Good idea." Ryou said, brightening up a bit. He handed Yunet back to Gwen and turned to go. "Ja."

"Ja Ryou, ja Serenity."

Once outside, Ryou suddenly stopped and burst out laughing. "What?" Serenity asked, confused. Ryou continued to laugh for a minute or two more, then finally calmed down, wiping a tear of mirth out of his eye. "I'm supposed to be showing you around campus," he said, still chuckling a little. "And I can't even drive."

Serenity laughed too. "It's okay, I'll drive. I got my licence a couple months ago. Lead on, O brave guide!"

They arrived at Bunny's a couple months later, and walked inside. They sat down at a table near the center of the room and ordered an early lunch/brunch as they made jokes about the current singer. She was tall and blond and was singing a very bad rendition of Kenny Chesney's Big Star. (WSJ: LOL, any guesses as to who this young woman may be? Anyone? *^_^*v)

Suddenly Ryou groaned and dropped his head into his hands, causing Serenity to squeak in alarm. "Ryou, what's wrong?"

Ryou shook his head. "Nothing, except that trouble in the form of a bright red aura is coming our way..."

Serenity looked around, puzzled. "I don't see wha-"

At that moment, someone dropped into the seat between her and Ryou, and, indeed, Serenity with her almost-telepathic powers could see a bit of a red aura hovering around him. "Him" was none other then Duke Devlin.

"Ryoko!" Duke said, looking delightedly at Ryou. "How wonderful to see you again! Your friend Mahala is not with you?"

(I'll tell you later!) Ryou said quickly to Serenity before she could say anything. (Play along!) Putting on an appropriately saddened face, Ryou shook his head. "I'm afraid not. She had some classes to get to."

"Oh, well," Duke was obviously disappointed, but then he turned to Serenity. "Who's this?"

"I'm Serenity." she said quickly. "You must be Duke."

"I see my reputation preceeds me." the dice-master said, preening himself a bit.

Then Ryou got an idea.

It was a devious, horrible, spiteful, mean, evil idea, but he liked it.

He'd obviously been hanging around Bakura too long.

"Duke," he said, laying a hand lightly on the other boys arm, acutely aware that Serenity was trying her hardest not to laugh. "I should have introduced you first. You see, Serenity is my girlfriend."

Serenity sputtered and choked, but not as much as Duke did. "Y-you're... My dear Ryoko, you're gay???"

Ryou smothered laughter, but didn't lie by nodding. He let Duke's horrified thoughts do it for him. A wide range of expressions flicked across the young CEO's face, and then he asked, almost in a whimper, "Your friend Mahala?"

"Oh yes, he-I mean, she much prefers girls."

Duke's face fell further, and he dejectedly got up to leave. Once he was gone, Ryou broke down into laughter, folding his arms on the table and laying his head on them, he was almost weeping with laughter. Serenity however, just sat there opening and closing her mouth like a startled fish. "Girlfriend?" she finally asked.

"Well, it's not exactly a lie." Ryou said, raising his head again. "You are a girl, and you are my friend, right?"

Serenity stared at him for a moment, then dropped her eyes to her lap, grateful that, at least, he couldn't see her blush. "Y-yeah. Now tell me the whole story, it sounds like a funny one!" Ryou did so, and by the time he was through they were both pounding the table with laughter. "Oh I wish I could have been there!" she giggled.

Ryou wasn't listening. His head was turned to the left, so Serenity turned as well, just in time to greet Mai as she flopped down into the chair Duke had so recently vacated. "Ohayoo."

"Morning Mai." they chorused. "What are you doing here?" Ryou added.

Mai grinned mischeiviously. "Tailing my roommate."

"Isis?" Serenity asked. "What for?"

"Look," Mai pointed up to the stage, where Isis and a very familiar man were just stepping up to the mikes for a duet. Ryou's and Serenity's jaws dropped in unison.

"No way!!!"

()()()()()

WSJ: *giggles* Who is Isis singing with? Does Duke really think "Ryoko" is gay? And what happened to the Bakura-Hiro confrontation? Find out next time on Digimon: Digital- I mean YGO: Yamis of Tokyo U!

Bakura: *head in his hands* Ra spare me...

WSJ: *grins*

Chapter 8: Tea's excited. The drama department is putting on a play. The Sound of Music. Who's going to be involved? Why, everyone, of course. ^^

God bless minna-san!