Yami …
XO'MagickMoon'OX
A/N: Ok, well, as of so far, "Hikari" isn't too popular. But I just had this sequel in mind, and it begged to be written! Please don't hate me for it!
In this world, there are two realms that coexist, only divided by a thin veil: Earth and the Shadow Realm. The inhabitants of the Shadow Realm are duel monsters, mostly, and human prisoners. The inhabitants of Earth are, well, you know … humans and animals. Though these realms overlap each other, the veil in between them keeps them apart. The veil can only be lifted by certain means … certain, dark means.
Then there are the Millennium Items. These are links between the Shadow Realm and Earth. Only those who possess knowledge of Shadow Magick or a Millennium Item can sever the veil and control the monsters in the Shadow Realm.
The Millennium Items also house spirits of the past, spirits whose business in this world is not yet finished. Therefore, they are kept grounded to this world by the Items. They exist in the Shadow Realm, and can only exist on Earth by inhabiting a host who is in possession of the Millennium Item the spirit is housed in. Of course, the spirits can faze through the veil and exist on Earth, but only as spirits, phantoms of the men they used to be. If they want a body, they need to possess one through means of their Item.
I am one such spirit. Ancient Egyptian Thief King Bakura. That is me. My host is Ryou Bakura, holder of the Millennium Ring. He's a weak, fragile boy, easily overtaken. I own him, and he knows it. I hold power over him because I think with my animal instinct rather than humane moral. I live by only one law: survive. Growing up and living in the ancient times does that to a person, I guess. And turning to the life of a thief only encourages it; it hands over complete and total control of my mind to animal instinct, labeling morality as weakness. Those who are weak don't survive. Those who have power do. That is why I need all of the Millennium Items. To possess all of them is to have power, and to have power means to survive. And that is my truth.
I don't mind using my host to get what I want. I won't use him to the point of killing him, because then I have no host. Besides, I've grown quite attached to the boy. I'd never want to permanently hurt him … then what fun would he be to push around? Abusive, you may call me, cruel and cold-hearted, but it's just the way I am. I am a spirit with a cold past. I need to vent my feelings, otherwise I might – Ra-forbid – take them out on myself.
I stand against a glass case displaying the mummy of a pharaoh. I want to shatter the unbreakable glass around the mummy and set the corpse aflame. Whichever pharaoh the gruesome mummy used to be doesn't matter. Just the word "pharaoh" makes me cringe.
I stand there, though no one can see me, no one save Ryou. But he can only see me when I want him to. For now, I prefer to remain invisible, a shadow of the man I used to be. A spirit, here waiting for his weakling of a yadonushi to hurry up so we can leave. I hate this Egyptian exhibit. It's practically a shrine dedicated to the ancient pharaohs. These idiots have no idea what ancient Egypt was really like. This exhibit gives it too much credit, making it sound like a great, exciting, regal time, full of magick and mystery, romance and tragedy, like a Hollywood film.
But I know that I can never get rid of it. It's too late for that. It's a part of me, and no matter how I run or where I go, it will always find me. Those are Ryou's thoughts. You see, him being my host and all, we share a helpful little mind-link, in which we can hear each other's thoughts. Though that sometimes works against me, usually it puts me at an advantage.
He will always find me.
Bakura, the ancient Egyptian, self-proclaimed "Thief King". The inhabitant of my ring. My yami.
I hate him.
Ouch. That stung. Heh, I can't really blame him though.
"Life is so unfair, isn't it?" Malik. Apparently my yadonushi wasn't aware of the young tomb keeper standing no more than a few feet away from him.
"Malik. I … I didn't know you were here," Ryou mutters. I called that one.
Malik begins talking again, but I only catch a few words here and there. My mind is focused on Ryou's thoughts. He feels a stab of pity for Malik, and a little bit of sympathy. Pathetic fool. How can he feel sorry for a guy who used his body as he did in Battle City? Albeit, I was the one who volunteered him, and then proceeded to impale his arm with a knife and throw him into situations he was unfit to handle in his dangerously weak state. But still …
Then, Malik gasps, screwing his eyes shut. I smirk as I feel the dark energy pulsing through the air. His body tenses, seemingly drawn by an unseen force. He falls forward onto his knees and reaches out to grasp the metal railing surrounding the exhibit.
His breath his strained, and he's trembling. Ryou's worried and frightened as he takes a step towards Malik. He's frightened? Ah, he hasn't forgotten Battle City.
Ryou says softly, "M-Malik …?"
The boy's trembling quells. Slowly, as if each movement causes him pain, he stands up and leans back against the railing, smiling reassuringly.
"I mustn't think such things. It's those thoughts that created my yami, after all. Even though he's gone, I can still … feel the darkness in my mind, threatening to take over again," the tomb keeper explains dryly.
"I can sympathize," Ryou says wryly. I frown. What's he getting at?
Malik looks away. "I'm sure."
Ryou looks the boy up and down. No doubt Malik is attractive, but why is Ryou studying him so closely? Why is his heart beginning to race? Yes, I can feel it, as if it is my own heart racing (not that spirits, literally speaking, have hearts).
But it isn't just his appearance that attracts me to him, but the fact that he understands me … and he's probably the only one in this pathetic world that does.
Attracted to the young Egyptian, are we, my Ryou? Don't forget that I own you. You are my Ryou. I'm not going to share you with anyone else.
I can't bare to share you with anyone else.
"We didn't fair as well when it came to our yamis, did we? Yugi has the Pharaoh," Ryou chuckles sardonically, "and I get an underhanded tomb robber."
'Underhanded'? I like to think, clever … witty … roguish … charming, even. Does my yadonushi really think of me that way? As underhanded?
Malik smiles sadly. "Yes. It's unfair …" Then he frowns. "But at least it's not your fault that your yami is the way he is –"
Which is what?
"–Mine was derived from anger and pain … my anger and pain. It's really my own fault that he was ever created."
Ryou takes a few steps towards Malik, covering the distance between them, and leaning back on the railing as well. Malik's attention is on the floor, but his mind is wandering.
And so is my yadonushi's, as are his eyes. Wandering all over that tomb keeper, from his pale mane of blonde silk to his wonderfully tanned skin right down to his feet. So he likes this young Egyptian, does he? He likes him in a way that I'm, quite frankly, not comfortable with. Besides, you worthless twit, Malik doesn't like you back, at least, not in the way that you like him. So get over it. I'm the only one who can have you.
Maybe if I take control I'll remind him of who is the master and who is the pet.
I faze back into the Shadow Realm before slipping into the Millennium Ring. Then I make my way into Ryou's mind.
"Agh!"
He begins to buckle under the pre-possession symptoms, his mind flaring with fever, his body numbing with cold, his vision blurring, his world spinning, ears ringing. Delightful.
But, as soon as I begin to feel his body succumb to my control, Ryou collapses …
Right into Malik's arms.
The incident surprises me so much … the warm touch … the strong arms wrapped around Ryou's body … that I run from my yadonushi's mind, fleeing into the Ring, and back into the Shadow Realm, only to slip through the veil and watch the inevitable unfold before my invisible eyes.
Moments pass and Ryou lies there, unconscious. Weakling. I watch in horror as the tomb keeper tightens his grip ever so slightly around Ryou … my Ryou … holding him against him.
As my yadonushi slowly comes back to consciousness, his mind begins to race. I cringe at the onslaught of emotions that rages through his heart in that brief moment. I feel each one as clearly as if they were my own emotions. Surprise … confusion … happiness … excitement … gratitude … relief … and a strange sense of … fulfilled longing.
Ryou closes his eyes again. He's enjoying that? Being held like that by Malik? The impudent brat … I ought to …
Malik, still holding Ryou, sits down against the wall. Ra-dammit, Ryou's practically sitting in his lap! He is sitting in his lap! And neither seem to mind …
I feel so safe and protected, comforted in his arms. It's strange that, after all we've been through together … at Battle City and all … that I feel this way towards him.
I blink. He really does have feelings for Malik, doesn't he? Feelings that are stronger than I realized.
The young blonde inclines his head towards the other's ear, only to whisper, "Ryou, are you all right?"
Ryou nods. "Thank you … for catching me."
"Any time."
I shudder in disgust at his suggestive tone of voice, the subtle meaning behind his words. Ryou's clinging to the boy's chest, resting his head beneath Malik's chin.
I can just feel the words balancing on the tip of my tongue, the words I want to say. But, I'm afraid that I may be confused. I might not really feel the way I think I do about Malik. After all, we're barely friends. But, I feel like we have a strange connection, like he knows everything I've been through, and I, in turn, know everything he's been through. We share the same curse, and when you're alone in a dark, cruel world, understanding is the only light you can hope to find, the only warmth when you're stranded out in the cold.
Malik understands me. Malik is hope, warmth, light … he's everything to me.
When did my yadonushi become such a poet?
Wait … WHAT WORDS? What words does he want to say to Malik? What? It can't be …
"I love you."
My eyes widen, my breath catches in my throat. No … way …
My lips part, as if to say something, but the word only comes out as a whisper … rather, a whimper – a pathetic, heartbroken whimper. "Ryou …"
HEARTBROKEN? Since when do I have a heart? And why would Ryou saying 'I love you' to someone break it?
I must be delirious. It's being here, in this exhibit. It's messing with my head.
Malik hasn't said anything yet, much to my relief.
Then, Ryou murmurs, "M-Malik?"
I can feel Ryou's heart sinking. I hear his crestfallen thoughts, Why doesn't he say something? Why doesn't he react? He doesn't love me back. How could I think that he would? How could I think that, just because we share a special bond, he feels the same way about me that I feel about him?
That's right, how could you think that? How could you think that anyone besides me could have you …
Ryou's eyes begin to sting with tears. I won't cry in front of him. Just because the one person in which I find true solace, the one person that I feel I can trust with my life, the one person that makes my heart pound and my stomach flutter doesn't love me back isn't cause to cry.
I can't help but smirk. My yadonushi really is pathetic …
But then, to my complete and utter horror, Malik reaches out and runs a hand through Ryou's hair … his beautiful, snow-white mane of silky tresses, like strands of spun moonlight …
Now, when exactly did I become such a poet? And, why would I be thinking such things about Ryou? I hate his hair … I hate him.
Malik combs his fingers through Ryou's hair, trailing down to the side of his face, until he reaches his chin, which the blonde raises. Then he leans in and …
KISSES RYOU?
No, this cannot be happening. Not happening …. NOT happening …
But it is.
Ryou reaches up and wraps his arms around Malik's neck, pulling him closer. Malik wraps his arms around Ryou, hungrily deepening the kiss. Ew … please don't let tongues be involved …
Yup. The tongues are now officially involved.
I want to throw up.
At the same time though, I want to cry. It's like having my non-existent heart ripped out of my non-existent chest, thrown to the floor and then run over by a herd of diseased camels. Why? Why do I feel this way? Why is this happening to me?
I shouldn't feel this way. I shouldn't be feeling emotions I can't name.
Finally, the two pull away from each other. But then, Malik leans down to brush his lips against Ryou's neck, and whisper, "I love you, too."
And just like that, I lost my Ryou.
A/N: This is TBC, unless I receive a large amount of outraged protests, convincing me that this story sucks, that the pairing's awful, and that it should've never been written in the first place (which I'm sure everyone's already thinking after reading "Hikari"). Please, please, please review! I must know if "Hikari" & "Yami" are really as bad as I think they are!