I couldn't help myself. I had to write something. SO sorry folks. Anyway, reviews will be very much loved

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, Ryou would be the main character for sure.

Deciding Sanity

Even though it was still fairly early in the afternoon, inside the room it looked like it was just after sunset. This was owed to the thick, black curtains that were pulled across the windows. No lights were turned on and so the objects that littered the floor were only dark shapes to whoever happened to set eyes on them. Even their owner didn't entirely know what occupied the floor to his apartment, only that amongst the other, everyday mess of a teenage boy lay things that would raise a few eyebrows if they were seen. Things such as drawings of occult-looking creatures, an assortment of knives and quite a few bloody cloths and swabs of cotton wool.

His eyes weren't looking at any of that, however, even if he was sitting on the littered floor and a large number of the stranger objects lay in a semi-circle around him. Instead he sat with his knees drawn up to his chin and his back leaning against the large sofa that occupied the room as well. His shoulder was bandaged, the red stain prominent against the white. He also had a fresh cut down the side of his face, which strayed dangerously close to his eye. He wasn't paying attention to his injuries either. In fact, the subject of his concentration wasn't very worrying to those who didn't know any better. Interesting, perhaps, but nothing more than a momentary interest before it was dismissed as just another interesting decorative purpose. But he knew better.

He knew that the fascinating ring that was casually hanging over the arm of a chair across the room from him was more than just a decoration or ordinary collectors item. He knew the golden item was more dangerous than any of the knives surrounding him; that it could cause death quicker than a normal person could figure out what was going on. Death, or much, much worse. He shuddered at the memories.

His shudder caused him to wince, as his shoulder was cut deeply. It also caused his long white hair to flutter slightly. After a few moments the pain passed and he was able to open his eyes again. In contrast to his pale hair and skin, his eyes were a rich, dark brown. It was so easy to loose yourself in those eyes; they were deeply innocent and kind.

At least, they were most of the time.

Suddenly the ring shone quickly, like an object will if a reflection of light passes over it. But there was no way a smidge of light could enter the room…

He buried his face in his knees, refusing to look at the ring any more. He was trembling in fear, and he had no idea what to do. He couldn't sit like that forever; he knew that. But moving meant he'd have to choose. It should have been simple; that ring caused him far too much grief. He should find joy in tossing it away now that he was free. He looked up slightly and finally let the events of four hours ago play through his head again. They were fuzzy and half formed, like they usually were when it happened, and he had to concentrate hard to remember.

The bell was the most welcome sound of that entire day. Finally they could be free of the building that held them captive every day. Wide grins were etched on their faces as they all swaggered down the halls. He was one of the very few who did not show any signs of joy. He walked with his face turned to the ground, and his steps were quick and urgent. He had to get out. Now."Hey, Bakura!"

He stopped in surprise as someone called out to him. Turning, he saw the last four people he wanted to.

"Hey, guys…"

It wasn't that they ever mocked him or were cruel to him; in fact, they were the complete opposite. They were the only ones who knew the half of it, and the only ones who gave him a chance in spite of their knowledge. That was why he had to get away from them. It wouldn't be because of him that they got hurt. Not again.

"You alright?"

The one who had spoken before was looking at him in concern, his big violet eyes filled with sympathy.

"Yeah, I'm good thanks, Yug," Bakura replied, hoping they didn't pick up that his smile was fake.

They didn't.

"Cool! Then you can help me shove this carrot up Joey's nose!"

"Put that fruit anywhere near my nose and I'll…"

"Duh, Joey. A carrot isn't a fruit. It's a vegetable."

"It is not! It grows from a plant, so it's a fruit."

"Vegetables also grow from plants."

"No, they grow from trees."

"We're going to hang out by the park. Would you like to come?"

The two bickering boys were interrupted this time by the one on Yugi's left; the only sophisticated-looking one and also the only girl.

"No thanks, Tea, I have to… get home."

Things were starting to blur more and more by now, and panic had risen in him. It couldn't happen while he was still at school. He would never, ever forgive himself if it did.

"Oh… uhm alright…"

It looked as though some realization was beginning to dawn on Yugi, but the fact that the realization was making Yugi worried wasn't helping him much.

"Are you sure you're alright? I… we can help."

Only Bakura truly knew what Yugi meant by that and although he was grateful, he knew Yugi had just made things worse. His suspicion was confirmed by the surge of anger that appeared in the back of his mind after Yugi's words. Now things were bordering on catastrophic; he had to get out.

"I know… Th… thanks. I just… really need to go…"

Without waiting for a reply he turned around and practically ran out of the school. He'd apologise for being rude later, after all of it was over again. He was now fighting extremely hard, but his attempts were beginning to seem futile. Everything was hazy and distant, as though he wasn't really in that world. He was loosing his train of thought as vagueness took over. He had to try and hold out until he got home!

As he exited through the school gates, he could distantly hear someone calling his name, but weather it was Yugi or someone else he would never know. The people that stood outside had no faces or distinct marks; they were all alike to him then, all just people standing. He couldn't even tell which were female and which were male. He would have made it to his front door if fate had been on his side.

They too were just people to him then, albeit they were obviously older than schoolboys. He made the mistake of looking up from the ground as they passed in front of him, not wanting to knock into anyone and cause any more delays. As soon as he saw them though, he knew his gaze had been a mistake.

The force that been fighting against him stopped suddenly, and his vision became clear once more. He had a chance to see that they looked like a typical gang type of group before anger surged through him. Anger, with a mix of the untamed thought of causing them as much pain as possible. It took him less than three seconds to realize that those people had angered him at some stage and unless he got away quickly…

It was far too late, even if he did start fighting back the force before it tried to take over him again. He was just too powerless over it. He felt himself move forward; his movements seemed to belong to someone else, not him. He dimly felt himself bend over and extract something out of his shoe.

It was a knife, although it took him a minute to figure it out. When he did, alarm surged through him and he tried to stop moving forward. All it took was one warning throb from the Ring beneath his shirt to make him understand that it was useless to even try and fight.

The gang in front of him saw him, recognised him and advanced on him. Still he continued to fight slightly, trying to turn around and run. Again he heard someone calling to him, and this time it was more urgent. But as he tried to place the call his guard lowered, and at last he lost all control he had.

It couldn't have been more than five minutes after when he felt himself regain consciousness, though slowly. Something was happening, and even as he tried to fight the fog to find out what it was, he very suddenly found himself aware of everything again. Blinking he saw the sky above him, meaning he was lying on his back. The substance beneath him appeared to be tar. He sat up.

The first thing he discovered was that his shoulder was badly wounded, seemingly by a knife. He then noticed the gang scattered next to him, mostly all cursing and standing up. He saw his own knife being pulled out of one of their legs, and fear surged through him as it was tossed on the tar. Then he noticed Tea standing at the gates to the school, her face white and her hands over her mouth. She was there, but where were…?

Three figures were telling the gang to back off, in a few more obscene words. The two in the immediate front were Joey and Tristan, and the one behind them was Yugi. But Yugi's face was no longer innocent, and unless he was mistaken, he had grown taller since a few minutes ago…

He started piecing the clues together. Yugi, Joey and Tristan had obviously joined the fight just after it had started, helping it to end so quickly. He could guess what had flung the entire gang off of him, seeing as the cause hung around his neck. But why was he in control? Surely... Then it became clear that he was missing something literally, as well as figuratively. Yugi's gaze directed next to him was a dead give away.

Swallowing, he looked at the same place Yugi was looking and saw it too. The Millennium Ring. It had been pulled off by someone, and now lay on the tar a few inches away from him.

He was free.

Bakura sighed. He had picked up the Ring by the string that usually hung around his neck using a stick and had brought it home, flinging it on the nearest chair. It hung there now.

The smiles on his friends' faces told him what they expected him to do: toss the ring as far as he could. That was what he thought he should do, too. He would finally be free then.

Until it finds its way back to me…

That thought startled him. Would it really be able to find him again? He knew the answer to that before he even completed the sentence. But Yugi had said he would help…

If he got rid of that ring, he would finally not be lonely anymore. He could make friends, and Yugi's gang would have no need to be scared of him anymore. That had been one thing he had wished for the past few years. He hated being shunned and alone in everything he did. Even though people were around him everyday, it wouldn't have made any difference if he was the only person on earth. It was as though the people of the world were mere illusions caused by his mind. So often it felt like he was locked inside a room and that he could see everybody who was walking outside, but they couldn't see him. Locked inside a room for days on end.

Then how would it feel if I was locked inside a gold item for five thousand years?

His head snapped up. He had never thought about that…

How would he feel if he was totally alone for five thousand years, with no one to talk to, no one to smile with and no way he could die to ease the suffering? If a few years semi-alone were this bad, what would more than ten lifetimes be in a bare place with just yourself and no memories?

What gave him the right to do that to someone? Was his freedom worth that price? Was being in control of his entire life worth doing that?

The last words Yugi spoke to him that day came again, clearer than anything he had heard that day.

"I know you'll do the right thing, Bakura."

The right thing…

He stood, ignoring the pain in his shoulder and walked over to the object of his nightmares. Staring at it for a moment, he reached towards it. His hand, however, went past the string and right to the gold, enclosing it in his fist and feeling it again in the back of his mind.

Nightmare it might be, but that was the only way he knew how to dream.