Bakura: Hm? *glances up from WSJ's newly purloined *cough* translated Gundam Wing "Episode ZERO" manga*

WSJ: I just pounded Yami-Malik to a pulp for impersonating that freakish chibi-sailor. *drops mallet and claps hands in delight* Guess what! This story's going to be longer then I first planned! We're talking 17+ chapters here! I mean, Ryou still has to make his way around school, he's got to let his dad know *cringes* (can't wait for that chapter) and plus, I've got a whole mini-arc in the works involving Yami and Yami-Malik, who get charged with Kaiba's murder and Mokuba's "kidnapping". *cackles*

Yami: *sweatdrops* Crap...

WSJ: *thoughtfully* Not to mention the whole "Yami-Mokuba" thing I keep hinting at... *shrugs* Anyway, here's chapter 10!

If anybody knows where i can get free English/Arabian translations, I really need it!!!!! I can't post chapter 12 until I've got them!

Oh, and Wildfire Flame? What better way to (to quote DarkGatomon) "vastly increase the volume without slightly increasing the plot". I do it all the time! Heck, I'm doin' it now!!! *shrugs* Writers like things to be long. It's an instinct of sorts. Adding more words makes things longer. And, in teh example you gave, it makes it sound just that much more mysterious. ^_~

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Chapter 10: The Gift of the Ring (I've dropped the "Bakura's blahblah" part because I'm running out of things. *sweatdrops* There's only so many things Bakura owns, ok?)

~Yami's POV~

Yami-Malik read his rag-tag spell, stumbling a bit here and there. I winced at some of the impromptu phrases, but apparently it worked all right. Bakura appeared abruptly in the middle of the floor, and on the couch Ryou twitched and began to cough.

Yugi and Malik grinned happily, and Joey, Tristan and Tea let out a cheer. Even Isis smiled. Everything was all right!

...Or so it appeared at first.

"Yami!" Malik gasped at his other. "What did you do?!?"

Yami-Malik looked striken. "It wasn't me!!! At least... I don't think it was..."

"You idiots!" Bakura wheezed, his eyes closed tightly in pain and his hands clutching at the shag carpet. "Help me!" His wound looked to be deep, and blood spilled crimson on the floor, causing Tea to look slightly sick.

Ryou sat bolt upright on the couch. "What? What's wrong?!?"

I suddenly remembered that Ryou couldn't see his yami's plight and quickly thanked every god I could think of on such short notice.

"It's all right Ryou," Yugi said quickly, and I was surprised that my usually-honest hikari would lie so readily. Ryou calmed down somewhat, and Tea took Mokuba from Yugi, who went to sit next to the white-haired teen.

Yami-Malik and I exchanged helpless looks. How do you help someone who's been sliced open without having at least four degrees in medicine?

A lightbulb went on over Joey's head. "'Ey, Bakura, why don' you jus' enter your soulroom an' then come back out? It's worked before."

Bakura gave him an annoyed look through eyes clouded in pain. "No Ring." he grunted. "Lost it. No link either," I blinked in surprise and saw that he was right. Neither he nor Ryou wore the Millenium Ring.

Joey's eyes widened and he sweatdropped. "Tha's not good..."

Tristan gave him a look. "No dip, Sherlock..."

Yami-Malik suddenly grabbed my arm in urgency. I prepared to bite his head off, but what he was saying reached my brain before my pharoah's instincts did. "Remember the Pharoah's Charm? Would that do it?"

My eyes lit up. "It just might! Come on Ishtar."

Yugi blinked at me. "Pharoah's Charm? The magic card?"

I grinned. "Yes and no. The card, I suspect, was created after the spell. The Soul Release card too, since that was the spell we used to get them here in the first place. Tell me aibou, what does Pharoah's Charm do?"

Slowly it dawned on him and he grinned at me in releif. "It heals."

I nodded and winked. "But of course."

The two of us moved forward and Bakura's eyes widened. "Oh no you don't! I'm not letting you use a Vulcan mind meld thingy on me!" Yami-Malik and I looked at him strangely and he blinked. "Ryou's dad collects old Star Trek movies. I get bored." He tried to shrug, but winced instead.

Yami-Malik kneeled down on Bakura's left, and I dropped to my knees on his right, taking his right hand in my left. Yami-Malik took Bakura's left hand in his right, and then we joined our free hands, forming a slightly lop-sided triangle.

I closed my eyes and began to chant, and in the back of my mind I heard Yami-Malik join me, adding his power into mine. I senced, rather then saw, the golden aura surround me, mixxing at my clasped hands with Yami-Malik's lavendar and Bakura's light blue.

Bakura grunted as the healing spell took hold and squeezed my hand tighter, although non-intentionally, I'm sure. I knew how he felt though. Seth, my preist, had once had to perform this spell over me after an assasination attempt that very nearly succeeded. It was rather unsettling to feel broken bones mending themselves in a hurry, flesh joining to flesh, adding the neccessary muscle and marrow.

After a minute or so Bakura was completely healed and we released our hands. I sighed and flopped backwards onto my back, flat on the carpet. "Yami!" Within two and a half seconds Yugi was at my side, helping me to sit up. "Are you all right?"

"I will be," I wheezed. "That took more out of me then I thought."

"No kidding." I glanced over to where Yami-Malik was sitting. He'd managed to stay upright with the help of his hikari, but only barely. "How do you feel Bakura? And what in seven pyramids happened?!?"

The tomb robber was sitting up now, gently prodding the place where a moment ago he'd been, quite literally, cut to the quick. "Like death warmed over. I'll be fine, I guess... And what happened is none of your business!" he snapped, more like his old self.

"Hey," Joey said suddenly. "Why don' you use that snazzy little spell thingy to heal Ryou's eyes!"

I sighed and shook my head. "It's a good idea Joey, and your heart's in the right place, but it won't work. Deadly wounds only, and besides, I don't think I'll have built up enough power to try anything like that again for at least a month."

Joey's face fell a little. "Oh..."

"His eyes?" Tristan asked, puzzled. Tea and Isis were also looking rather clueless.

We looked at them for a moment, and then Yugi and Malik symotaniously smacked their foreheads. "Of course!" Yugi said. "Sorry we didn't explain sooner guys..." Quickly Yami-Malik, Malik, Yugi and I outlined the events of the past twenty-four hours, Bakura and Ryou both staying obstinatly silent.

As we finished up Tea's eyes were watering. Marching over to Bakura she kicked him in the shin before turning toward Ryou and kneeling down in front of him, forgetting momentarily that he couldn't see her. "You poor thing... Ryou, I wish there was something we could do!"

Ryou just shook his head mutely, his eyes downscast. "Don't worry about me," he said quietly. "Just worry about Mokuba. He lost the last of his family today, and his big brother to boot."

We all looked over to where Mokuba was curled up in the corner, his face hidden from our view. We weren't sure if he was awake or not.

The resulting silence was broken when Tea yawned. She saw all of us looking at her and sweatdropped. "Ah... I'm sleepy..."

Tristan looked at his watch and his eyes widened. "Dear sweet mother of pearl! It's almost 1 AM and we've got school tomorrow!" All the mortals except Ryou, Isis and Malik (who were still off school) groaned.

"Man..." Yugi sighed, flopping back against the couch, seeing as Ryou was now sitting up and not taking so much room. "Can't we all just skip?"

Suddenly Joey sat up. "That's it! We'll jus' all sleep in and skip! I mean, it's one day, and a Friday to boot. No one's gonna care. Sure, it might look a little suspicious, but we were all out for a week and a half during the Duelist Kingdom, and longer then that during Battle City. The teachers won't care."

"You can all stay here tonight," Ryou offered. "My dad won't be home for at least a week, so someone can use his room. The couch in the den folds out into a bed, and there's the guest room too."

Everyone smiled at him thankfully. Yami-Malik, Bakura and I tried to stay out of eveyone's way as they went about getting ready for bed. Joey, Yugi and Tristan stripped off their jackets, shoes and socks, so they were just in their jeans and T-shirts. Yugi also had the sence to take off all his belts.

Tea and Isis, after getting permission from Ryou, rooted through several boxes of clothes that used to belong to Ryou's mother and found night-gowns the right size. Malik, being about the same size as Ryou, wore a pair of his pajamas, then helped Ryou undress and get into his own. Mokuba found an over-sized T-shirt of Ryou's dad's that, when he put it on, dragged the ground and slipped off on one shoulder.

"Alright, now the only problem is who sleeps where." I said, eyeing the group. "I, for one, am looking forward to my soulroom." Ryou looked a little miffed, but chuckled along with the others.

"I'll take my room." Ryou said.

"Oh no you're not!" Yami-Malik said. "We haven't had a chance to clean it up yet. You get your dad's room."

The white-haired teen blinked in surprise, but nodded. The rest of them soon worked out who would sleep where, and they departed to call parents/guardians and tell them they'd be sleeping over at a friend's house that night. Through all of this, Bakura stayed seated on the floor, staring blankly at nothing. As soon as all the mortals had emptied from the room, Yami-Malik and I approached him. Only when I hauled him to his feet did he look up at us, and I was startled to see tears in his eyes.

"Save it," he said roughly, shaking my hands off of his collar. "I don't need your lecturing, 'Almighty Pharoah'. So just take whatever you were going to say and shove it where the sun doesn't shine." With a misty glare he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.

I started after him, but Yami-Malik held me back with a hand on my shoulder. "Let him be. I don't think he'll hurt Ryou or Yugi or anyone else. At least not tonight."

"All the same, I'd feel better if we could keep an eye on him." I said. "He doesn't have a soulroom to go back to, and he doesn't need to sleep, which means he'll be wandering around here all night."

Yami-Malik smiled faintly. "We don't need sleep either, don't forget. And there's no law saying we have to go back to our soulrooms."

I nodded at him thankfully. "Good idea Ishtar." The two of us sat down on the couch Yugi and Ryou had recently occupied and settled in for the night.

~Ryou's POV~

"Ryou..."

I blinked and saw that I stood in a long, black stone corridor that stretched into infinity in either direction. Shadows played over the walls like living things, and with no small bit of fear I realised that this was the Shadow Realm.

Wait, saw?

I blinked very hard several times and could have jumped for joy. I could see!

"Ryou... Mokuba..."

Turning in surprise I saw the younger Kaiba standing behind me, clad in one of my dad's old T-shirts and an expression of fear. I moved a little closer to him and he eagerly clung to my hand.

"Who's there?" I called, trying to get around the lump in my throat. To my disappointment my voice came out as a muffled squeak.

Out of the shadows in front of us, three figures appeared. The first of the three stepped into the light and I nearly fell off my feet. "We're dead?!?"

Pegasus gave me a withering look. "No. Your first assumption was correct. This is the Shadow Realm. We were mearly able to bring you here in a dream. Oh, and that's the only reason you can see. You're not really healed."

I groaned and threw him a glare that would have made Bakura proud. "Well thanks a lot."

Pegasus grinned at me and the next person stepped into the light, causing me to raise an eyebrow. It was almost like looking into a mirror. "And you are...?"

He bowed slightly. "Jonathon. Your yami's unfortunate twin brother. I think this belongs to you...." He stepped forward and I gasped as he held out the Millenium Ring to me.

"You're just going to give it back when you could have kept it? Why?" I asked as I took it, casting a significant look at Pegasus.

"Because I said they had to." the third person said, finally stepping forward.

At the sound of the voice I gasped. As Kaiba stepped into the light I felt Mokuba shudder under my hands. "S-Seto?"

To my surprise, Seto Kaiba's face softened a little and he kneeled down as his brother ran to him. "Yes Mokuba, it's me. Kuroi killed my body, but not my soul."

Pegasus suddenly seemed to have a thought and snapped his fingers. "Remember what I said earlier Kaiba-boy? About yamis and hikaris?"

"Yamis and hikaris...?" Suddenly Kaiba's face lit up in rememberance, and his eyes darted to me, or rather, the Ring in my hands, its broken strap dangling through my fingers. He stood up, Mokuba in his arms. "Would it be possible to put both of our souls back into Mokuba's body?"

I thought for a moment. "Maybe... If it can take souls from their bodies and put them into cards and game peices, it should be able to take souls from the Shadow Realm and put them into another body..." I said, fingering the Ring. "I think so. Most probably."

Assured of that fact, Kaiba then backed away several steps to converse in reletive private with his little brother, leaving Pegasus, Jonathon and I to our own devices.

"What happened back there?" I asked. "Last thing I remember, you two arrived (I heard your voices), and then somthing else happened and I blacked out, and then I'm hanging from these chains on a wall or something, and then I'm back at my house. How'd we get out?"

Both of them looked like startled fish. "Bakura didn't tell you?" Jonathon asked.

I shook my head and the two exchanged glances. Jonathon smiled at me. "He'll tell you when he's ready. Be patient."

I was just about to question after his cryptic comment when the Kaiba brothers returned, determined looks on both their faces. "Let's try it." Mokuba said, and Kaiba added "Yami-Mokuba here I come..."

I nodded and concentrated as the Ring began to glow. The glow grew brighter, and then all went blissfully black as I sunk into a deeper sleep.

~3rd Person POV~

In the master bedroom of a certain house, Ryou slept soundly, Mokuba curled up in his arms. The Millenium Ring lay on the bedside table, glowing softly to itself. Bakura, for reasons known only to him, sat in a chair in the shadows, an oddly tender look on his face, watching over them both.

All was at peace at last.

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WSJ: *grins happily* You know, if I was really mean, I'd ignore the rest of the plot I have worked out and end the entire story right here, at ten chapters even. But I don't think I will. It's going to be too much fun to keep going. ^_^

Ryou: 0.o;; This is getting intresting...

WSJ: You're telling me? Just wait till your first day back to school. ^__^

Ryou: -_-;; Oh joy...

Pegasus: *looks over at Jonathon* ;_; We're alone again! Will we get any more screen time?

WSJ: *shrugs* I dunno. I think most of the rest of this will take place in and around Domino City, mainly Domino High and the Bakura house.

Chapter 11: It's a new day at last! Friday morning at the Bakura household will not be pretty. The coffee maker breaks *cough*explodes*cough*, thouroughly exhasperating Isis. Mokuba and Seto Kaiba try to get the hang of sharing a body. Even though the Ring's back, how come Ryou and Bakura still can't get their mental link established? I mean, seriously, at this point Bakura is desperate for a soulroom. And to top it all off, Tea desides to watch the news, only to find the faces of Kaiba (reported dead of an assasination), Mokuba (kidnapped by the murderers) and Yami and Yami-Malik (the "murderers/kidnappers") plastered all over the screen. ;D That can't be good...