Sunset Blue

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! And all related characters therein do not belong to me. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: An introspection on the Millennium Ring as it reflects on past events, the Puzzle, and how it only takes the Shadows a moment...to tear everything apart.

Author's Note: This story came out of a challenge that Ocean and I issued each other: to write a short story using characters that we haven't previously developed. This allowed both of us to better understand our characters and thus our stories. I hope you enjoy, and be sure to check out Ocean's story, "Dusky Jacinth."

For those who have read "Tar," this story takes place around the same time period (before Battle City).

And just for another shameless plug, read Ocean's "Let Us Dance," for some really good Kaiba introspection and an overall good story.

I've also decided to take a page from Ocean's book, and respond to the reviews I had for "Tar" and "Koan Night."

Tar: Chaos-Chick3: I'm really glad you liked my story. I had fun writing the Items in "human" form, and I can't wait to develop them all more. I only hope I can do them justice!

Darkestbeforedawn: Thanks! I'm always trying to think of stories that no one has ever done before, and I think I've found my niche. I'm glad you liked it!

Rhelle: One of my most faithful reviewers!! I'm always absolutely thrilled when I get a review from you, and I always look forward to hearing your viewpoints on my stories. The duality between the Millennium Magic and the Shadows, light and dark, etc. is great fun to explore. And bowing?? Yay! I have a minion!! hugs

Koan Night: Hikari, Mokuba's Guardian: I've found that I'm a "dark writer." I like to write about the not-so happy aspects of the human spirit, and I try to portray a more "realistic" story. Thanks for reading!

Kekewey: Seto sure gave me a lot of trouble in that story! Even in fanfiction he has to be uncooperative!! Sometime, I just want a character to smack him for me, just for this story. I'm not quite sure why Seto thinks the God Cards will help...my brain short circuited when I read the question! I guess it's because the God Cards could help destroy Yuugi (And thus, Yami), and the source of his problem would be gone. I hope that helps!

KDA: Yeah, it was spell checked! I had to re-upload mainly for some weird symbols that appeared, but I made sure to spell check it before it went back up! Glad you liked the story!

Nightengale13: I'm sorry I haven't responded before...that's the problem with one-shots. I'm honored that you liked this story, and approved of my Seto. He gave me probably more trouble than he was worth, but he eventually came through. It will help in my future stories, and I can only hope that you like those as well!

Anonymous: Decent characterization has always been really important to me, whether it's fanfiction or original. It can be difficult, but I've always thought it makes for a better story. Thanks for reading!

Sakura-chan: Kaiba is always difficult to work with, and he is a lot more complex than a lot of people think. I'm really glad you enjoyed the story, and thanks for reviewing!

On to the story!

Three weeks.

Night after night, the same thing.

For three weeks.

Ryou frowned as he skimmed through his textbook, his pencil hovering above the pages. He was flipping through the chapters out of habit, the words blurring as he focused his attention on the pacing in his bedroom.

'Four more minutes,' Ryou thought as he glanced down at his watch. 'Like clockwork.'

Pausing on page fifty-nine, Ryou waited through the endless seconds before the door finally creaked open and Bakura stepped through. Lifting his eyes, Ryou watched as his yami crossed the living room to the front door. The former tomb robber moved with the air of distraction--his eyes clear but looking towards something no one else could see.

"I bought a new chair for the balcony. It's really comfortable, if you want to sit out there tonight," Ryou offered.

"I don't."

"Why not?"

A pause.

"Because of the ocean. I don't like it," Bakura answered and quickly went out into the apartment building's hallway. Sighing, Ryou looked down at his watch.

"Six forty-four. Hmm. It's gone slow, and I just bought this, too."

Bakura walked quietly down the corridor, following his well-worn path to the elevator and ignoring the inqueries to his father's travels and the occasional murmur about "that strange boy in 4-C." The elevator was mercifully quick, and the speaker that always belted out obscure lounge music was broken. Bakura had a suspiscion, then, but it did not stop him from being surprised when he reached the roof, walked to his spot, and found someone already sitting there.

"What are you doing here," Bakura demanded as he came to stand behind the other.

"Listening, mostly. And waiting for you," the visitor responded in a voice that was soft, cultured, and a quiet pool of love in mourning. The sound of it turned Bakura's stomach as the visitor turned around.

The Millennium Ring, in its human form, was identical to Ryou. Soft white hair framed an open, welcoming face with a smile lifting the corners of the Ring's eyes. The eyes were dark and deep, like a lake with no light on the surface. A large gray tattoo in the shape of the Ring itself took up most of its face, spreading from cheekbone to cheekbone and forehead to chin, making the eyes seem more deepset than they were. The Ring was also dressed in a white robe, but it was not the white of sea foam or snow--the material had the appearance of being woven from the purest abalone...its mother-of-pearl sheen nearly glowing with its own light.

"Listening to what."

The Ring's smile grew, eyes arching in an expression of true happiness.

"The Puzzle. It's singing. You should hear it, too," the Ring answered, and it reached up so it could pull Bakura down into its lap. A voice like whales caroling floated on the edge of Bakura's consciousness, accompanied by the distinct sound of cascading water.

Bakura pulled away immediately, clambering to his feet and backing up several paces. The Ring seemed unfazed, and it settled back easily. Bakura watched warily as the Ring closed its eyes and made a noise in the back of its throat that sounded suspiciously like humming.

"You really like that thing, don't you?" Bakura asked, not moving from his spot.

"Yeah."

Several long minutes passed before Bakura spoke again.

"What's it doing anyway?"

The Ring opened its eyes just enough so it could regard the spirit severly before giving a sharp exhale and answering.

"Letting its magic flow through me and the others. Not exactly 'feeding' us, but rather letting us feel it and each other. It feels.......good. Clean."

Bakura rolled his eyes, though he was not sure exactly why, and he stepped even farther away to retreat into a small alcove where he could sit on a ledge. From the vantage point, he could see the sun set behind the mountains.

"I can see why you come up here," the Ring said. "It's quite pretty."

"Go away. I don't want you here."

"What's wrong, Bakura? You always used to talk with me."

"I didn't have many options, did I? Go bother Ryou."

"Maybe later. Right now, I want to spend time with you."

"Three thousand years wasn't enough?"

Giving a small, secret smile, the Ring stood and stretched, letting its magic flex around it and sent some back to the Puzzle. Such occurrences were rare, and the Ring savored each time, even if there was an unwelcome eavesdropper. It could feel the burning that snaked up its arms, the skin itching and turning slightly red. The Shadows had decided to accompany Bakura, and were listening intently to whatever the Ring said. They were trying to understand the Puzzle...they wanted to understand the Puzzle...it would make it all the much easier to destroy it.

The Ring smirked at their wasted efforts and walked to the edge of the roof. The concrete barrier was high enough so that the Ring could comfortably lean forward to rest its arms across the top, and just low enough so that it could jump up to sit and let its legs dangle over the edge. Tapping its heels against the outside wall, the Ring watched the subtle plays of light on the mountain sides and wished the Puzzle was there to see it. It enjoyed things like that, but the Puzzle had more important things to focus on.

The Rod was, after all, free.

Tensing at the thought of the Rod, the Ring clenched its jaw and let its gaze drop to its knees. The Rod was proving to be more of a threat than the Shadows could ever hope to be, and was, in the Ring's opinion, more trouble than it was worth. As the Ring's older brother, the Rod was a constant source of fascination and vexation. It had always been anti-social and difficult....preferring to remain alone in corners and watch everyone.

Until the Puzzle entered the room.

The Ring's knuckles turned white as any trace of cheerfulness disappeared from its expression. No matter how quickly the Ring would move to greet the Puzzle, the Rod always managed to get there first. Its demeanor would instantly change from reserved and quiet to bright and demanding as it nuzzled and herded the Puzzle back into the darkened corners of the room

Though it was never shown the same enthusiasm as the Puzzle, the Ring was the only other being that received any open affection. The Rod would sometimes even actively seek out the Ring—to play and share magic—and it would be violently protective of the younger Item for days afterword. Only when the Puzzle was around would the Ring be shunned, any of the Rod's geniality melted away by selfishness and possessiveness.

The Ring knew that the Rod was the Puzzle's favorite, but it never held any hatred for the tempermental Item until the botched sacrifice. Something had gone wrong with Seth's sacrifice, and the Ring knew it the moment it happened. Seth's soul had been transferred to the Rod, but it had not stayed there. Instead it rebounded back into its original vessel, where it was trapped while the body died and decayed around it. The Rod went mad, then. Any semblance of sanity was lost as it refused to part from the body...even when the stench of death set in and no one could get within the same room. The Rod killed all who tried to separate them, not even sparing those it had previously called allies. It's magic would flare and fall spontaneously, at some points to a painful degree.

Feeling the back of its eyes get hot, the Ring tucked its head down and tried to fight back the memories.

The Puzzle had tried so hard to save the Rod...it worked tirelessly to find a solution, even when it became obvious that there was none. Pressure came down from all sides on the Puzzle...that it needed to kill the Rod and get back to helping them. The debates were long and hard, keeping the court in such a flurry that everyone was taken by surprise when the palace was raided.

Pausing in its reverie, the Ring glanced back over its shoulder at Bakura. The Tomb Robber had been paid to wreak havoc in the palace, to cause as much damage as he could while the Pharaoh's enemies kidnapped the Rod and Seth's body. It was also the battle in which Mahaado was killed. The Ring's promised sacrifice had died, and there was little hope for a future one. Even with the devastation of the Rod's kidnapping, the Puzzle kept the Ring close to its side, offering constant reassurance even when its own hope was swiftly deteriorating.

During the battle, Bakura had been caught and brought before the Pharaoh, who wanted revenge not as a royal distributer of justice, but rather a man who had lost a friend. In a moment of rage, the Pharaoh had brought a sword down on Bakura's right hand and completely severed it from the wrist. The thief was then put in prison, where he was sentenced to die from slow infection.

Everything was suddenly in tatters, and it was made worse when the Persians managed to resurrect Seth. With an insane priest and desperate Item at his side, an army made of demons and monsters was amassed, and the capital city did not even have a chance. The Puzzle was forced to act immediately, and in a rash decision, ordered that Bakura become the Ring's sacrifice. The Ring was nervous, but did as the Puzzle asked. The sacrifice was perfectly done, causing the Ring to enter a lucid, dreamy state until the Pharaoh was sacrificed. The Puzzle was almost immediately shattered thereafter, and the Ring was left alone for the first time in its existence.

"Does it still hurt?" the Ring asked, twisting its body around to fully look at Bakura. The spirit jumped slightly, as if he had forgotten the Ring was there. He blinked in confusion before glancing down at his wrist, where he was unconsciously rubbing the skin.

"Sometimes," he answered quietly and gave a bitter chuckle. "Must be a phantom limb."

Smiling, the Ring climbed off the barrier and and walked back to Bakura. It stopped halfway as it raised its eyes and caught sight of the eastern horizon.

"Oh, Bakura! Look at the ocean, it's so pretty!"

"No."

"But the clouds...See the light on them?"

"Everytime you start showing any semblance of intelligence, you ruin it by bothering me with things like this," Bakura spat and stood up, brushing past the Ring to take up his usual spot near the edge. The Ring did not follow...it did not even turn around. So yami and Item stood, backs to each other and waiting for the sun to set.

"Why do you hate the water?" The Ring spoke quietly, but instead of drowing it out, the wind carried it reverently.

"Stop asking me that. You know perfectly well why I hate it. Now leave me alone."

The Ring did know why Bakura hated the water. Just as the depths of the Millennium Puzzle consisted of an impossible labyrinth, Bakura had been kept suspended in a watery mausoleum, where he floated in an endless dream for three thousand years. Once Ryou had been found, it had taken months for Bakura to be able to orient himself in a Soul Room, and often he would still sway—unaccustomed to standing under his own weight and balance. Bakura hated the ocean because it was a void that was filled with memories of dreams he would just as soon forget.

"I'm supposed to be dead," Bakura said. "My bones should be nothing more than part of that god-forsaken desert, and yet here I stand. I didn't want any of this...I have no obligation to you or the Puzzle. I was dragged here by a mistake, and was left to rot in that ocean of a tomb. God, the Shadow Realm would have been better than that hell," he added resentfully. The Ring's eyes widened fractionally at the statement, shoulders dropping under the statement.

"That hurt," the Ring acknowledged in a pained whisper. "And very low."

Bakura snorted but did not answer, and instead stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"You're foolish if you think the Shadows are in any way kind, Bakura. They're ruthless...ready to destroy anything they come in contact with. I know they whisper to you...even now they are...but do you even know what they're saying? Have you ever listened to them? I know they're fond of you and the Pharaoh...they wouldn't mind owning you. But do you honestly think that they would treat you better than I have? Would care for you more? They don't know what it is to care...they're nothing but a cancer on this world...chewing away at everything you see and know. I don't particularly care what you do, but you know as well as I that Yuugi needs to remain in control of the Puzzle. You want to become Pharaoh? Go ahead. But you need Yuugi to succeed."

Bakura glared back over his shoulder, keeping a steady eye on the Ring and not looking over its shoulder, where a slice of ocean patiently rolled. The last bit of sun disappeared, and the sky quickly grew dark as a heavy layer of night crept in from the east.

"You made me miss it," Bakura accused. "And for some reason I'm thinking that neither you nor Ryou is going to let me come up here again."

The Ring only smiled and stepped forward to wrap the spirit in its arms.

"Anytime you want to talk to me, Bakura..."

"I'm going inside."

Bakura tore itself from the Ring's grip and walked back in the door that led to the elevator, leaving the Ring alone. A question of concern drifted through the Ring's mind, and it shrugged...deciding to send back to the Puzzle an embrace of magic, rather than an answer. It would not concern the Puzzle with trivial matters.

Turning back towards the ocean, the Ring watched as the sky turned a deep, navy blue, and stars started to appear.

"Any time you want to talk, Bakura," it murmured. "I'll listen."

FINI