AN 7/26/2010: I am starting to go through and edit this story. Just fixing some thing and cleaning it up.
A few changes you'll notice:
Marik (the hikari) will now be called Malik as he is in my more current stories.
Yami Marik will now just be Marik as he is in my current stories.
:...: = hikari talking to yami (ie: Ryou talking to Bakura)
::...:: = yami talking to hikari (ie: Bakura talking to Ryou)
Otherwise I'm just fixing errors and spelling. Enjoy!
AN: Stupid Writer's Block. I wasn't going to start posting this just yet, but until I get another idea or finish one of the other half-finished stories, I'll just have to start getting this posted.
Tendershipping with a small twist Genshipping and some Puzzle/Blind shipping. I got the idea from seeing a music video called [Eyes On Me - Gemshipping] and listening to Shadow Games from (I think) Music to Duel By.
Only had the first chapter done, but I think I can get more out soon since the idea's stronger right now and I feel all my other ideas are a bit weak. So for just now Puzzle Pieces 2 is on a tiny hiatus and I'll work on this, A Week At Sea and Hooray For One Shots. Hope you enjoy it!
And no, I don't own [Eyes On Me - Gemshipping] or anything related to Yugioh.
Ryou awoke slowly, lazily recalling the lingering images from his dreams and letting out a yawn before glancing at the clock. Rolling out of bed, he felt a familiar weight pulling at the cord around his neck and gasped.
'That's right...' he thought, looking down at the Millennium Ring. 'He came back last night...'
After the Battle City finals, Ryou had been free. Yami Marik had taken the Millennium Ring after defeating Bakura and Malik in a shadow game. In turn, once Malik overcame his yami and forfeited to Yugi, the ring along with the Millennium Rod had been put in Yugi's hands.
No ring. No evil spirit controlling him.
The experience that been so surreal that it had taken Ryou a month to really relax. Two months for him to settle into the routines of a normal life.
But last night that had ended. Somehow, against all odds, the Millennium Ring had returned to him as well as the spirit; The evil entity that was known as Bakura. The memories of how Bakura used his body and tortured his mind and soul were so forever etched in memory that Ryou insisted to just being called "Ryou".
Bakura had laughed as he tossed his host's soul aside and resumed control of his body, going on about revenge and evil plans to plunge the world into darkness. Ryou had panicked at first, but slowly an idea came to him.
"Wait!"
"What did you say?" Bakura leered at him.
"Ah...just...you want to destroy the world, right?" Ryou asked meekly.
Bakura sighed in annoyance. "Get to the point, yadonushi(1)."
"W-well..." Ryou cleared his throat. "Well I was just...just thinking that perhaps...perhaps before you destroy the world and such...you should see some of it."
Bakura folded his arms over his chest, cocking his head to one side and regarding Ryou for a moment. "Why?"
"Well...you lived in ancient Egypt, right? The world was...a lot different then...Maybe if you looked around you'd...re...consider?" Ryou shrank at the dark look in his yami's eyes. "Just a thought...If I could just have a week in control, you could perhaps...see things through my eyes and..." he trailed off, closing his eyes and expecting to be sent to the shadow realm, as Bakura had threatened to do in the past.
"Alright, yadonushi. I will give you a chance to prove me wrong," the spirit said, almost mocking.
"You...will?" Ryou asked, startled. He smiled. 'A week to-'
"You have one day to change my mind. Fail to do so and you will be keeping Yami Marik company in the shadow realm." the sadistic grin the crossed his features told the teen he meant it.
'One day is all I have," Ryou thought bleakly. He moved his hands to the ring and noticed the prongs tremble in warning.
"Please trust me, Bakura," the teen said quietly. "I'm just going to take it off to get ready. It isn't as though you can't force it back to me at any time." The prongs stilled and Ryou removed the ring and laid it on his pillow. "I'll be back in thirty minutes. I swear."
Finished with his shower, Ryou went down to the kitchen, a towel wrapped around his hair as he started making some tea. He glanced at the clock while he grabbed an apple. Weighing his options, he moved to the phone hanging on the wall and called Yugi, munching on the apple while he waited for an answer.
"Good morning, Yugi! How are you and Yami this morning?" Ryou licked some apple juice off his hand. "Good, good. What are you doing today? Really? Would it be alright if I came along? I can cover it." Chocolate eyes glanced at the stairs as if expecting Bakura to suddenly appear. "Listen, don't tell Yami, but he came back. Last night. No no, I...I want to try something first." He sighed softly. "I just...I think maybe if he sees that there is something...exactly! Thank you, Yugi. I'll meet you there." Ryou smiled. "Thank you, I'll need it. See you later."
Hanging up the phone, Ryou moved the tea kettle off the burner and turned off the stove before going upstairs to retrieve the Millennium Ring.
Yugi had been adding the finishing touches to his outfit when the phone rang.
"Hello! Mutou residence!" His eyes lit up hearing the voice on the other end. "Hey Ryou! Yami and I are doing good. How are you?" Yugi smiled up at Yami as the spirit appeared beside him. "I'm meeting up with Jounouchi and Anzu at the amusement park in an hour. Sure you can come!" the teen laughed. "Can you afford the admission?" As Yami watched, Yugi's smiled vanished, replaced with shock. "No! Do you need us to-...good in the world?" Yugi's smiled returned and he nodded. "It's no trouble Ryou. Good luck. See you."
Yami raised a brow. "Something wrong?"
Yugi laughed and waved a hand dismissively. "Hopefully not. Seems like Ryou has it under control. Come on, we don't want to be late!"
Yami nodded, following behind the excited teen. They were going to to the amusement park because soon they would be on their wait to Egypt to learn Yami's past. And after that...neither Yugi nor Yami wanted to think about it just yet. Today they were going to have fun, though the spirit didn't know how just yet.
Ryou waved to Yugi, Jounouchi, and Anzu as they arrived, the Millennium Ring hidden under his shirt. He felt Bakura stir and bit his lip.
:Please, you promised me one day.:
::You didn't mention the Pharaoh would be involved,:: Bakura growled, but remained quiet. Yugi grabbed Ryou's hand, laughing as they entered the park, the four friends trying to decide what to ride first.
Yugi grinned mischievously and whispered something to Ryou, who nervously agreed.
"Let's go to that roller coaster first!" Yugi said, pointing to the largest roller coaster in the park.
"Eh? Yugi, are you sure?" Jounouchi asked. "I thought you hated roller coasters?"
"It'll be fine!" the shorter teen laughed, leading the way.
::Aibou?(2):: What were you saying to Ryou just now?' Yami asked, hovering near Yugi's shoulder.
:Nothing,: Yugi grinned, blocking his thoughts from the spirit.
While they waited in line, Ryou and Yugi whispered to each other, leaving both Yami and Bakura suspicious of what their hikari's were up to. When it came their turn, they both insisted on sitting in the front, further confusing their friends.
"We're just...facing our fears," Ryou assured them with a laugh as he and Yugi were strapped in. As the ride lurched forward, the white haired teen looked at his friend nervously. "Are you sure about this, Yugi?"
"It's a little late to be asking that, Ryou," Yugi laughed nervously. "Are you ready?" Ryou nodded, swallowing hard and looking forward. "On my mark..." The ascent seemed to drag on for hours, but finally they were cresting the large hill. "Now!" Yugi shouted, louder than he had intended. Both the Millennium Ring and the Puzzle glowed brightly.
"What the-" Bakura asked, gripping the padded restraints that trapped him in his seat.
"Aibou!" Yami grabbed on as well, eyes wide as the two spirits found themselves staring down a mind-boggling drop. Before they had the sense to switch back with their hikaris they found themselves screaming along with the other passengers, clinging on for dear life as the ride looped, spun, rose, dove, and spiraled.
Once on firm ground again, they hurriedly got off the ride, Yami hovering over a trash can near the exit while Bakura tried to steady himself.
"Oh Ra I'm going to die..."
"When I get my hands on him, I'm going to-"
Bakura glared at Yami, the former Pharaoh raising his gaze to the thief. Jounouchi came up and pounded Yami on the back.
"That was great! Hey, want to go again?"
"No," Anzu whined, latching onto Jounouchi's arm and trying not to fall over.
Suddenly Yugi and Ryou took back over, laughing uncontrollably despite feeling nauseous.
"Let's go on something else, Jounouchi! The wait for this ride is too long." Yugi grabbed the blond's hand and started dragging him off, Ryou following behind cheerfully.
As the day wore on, the yamis and their hikari's traded places repeatedly, the former eventually getting the latter back for the stunt on the roller coaster, Bakura telling them "payback's a bitch" when they tried to complain though only Ryou heard it. Gradually, Yami noticed that Bakura was taking to hovering behind Ryou much as he did with Yugi.
Over all, everyone was enjoying themselves and Anzu and Jounouchi seemed oblivious to the soul swapping. After the park, they all went to Burger World for dinner and some regular, non-holographic Duel Monsters.
While Ryou was dueling against Jounouchi, Yugi noticed the white-haired teen's right shoulder shrugging and a soft scrowl forming on his face as if he were trying to concentrate.
"Stop it," he whispered, eyes flicking to his right for a second. The shorter teen looked up at Yami when a bright flash caught his attention.
Jounouchi stared at the Millennium Ring in shock before looking up at Ryou's face to see his opponent had changed in appearance just slightly.
"Stupid yadonushi," Bakura growled, grabbing two cards and laying them face down before switching the monster Ryou had placed in defense mode the previous turn back into attack mode. "There, now try not to screw this up." With that, the ring flashed again and Ryou blinked at the cards in his hand before smiling up at the blond.
"It's your move, Jounouchi."
"W-wait a minute..."
Yugi grabbed the blond's arm and smiled up at him. "It's fine, just...keep going, Jounouchi. You can win."
Anzu inched away from Ryou as if she feared being bitten. As the game continued, Bakura didn't swap with Ryou again, the teen merely accepting his advice.
"It would seem that you are out of cards now, Jounouchi. I believe that means that...I win?" Ryou giggled as the blond grumbled.
"I want a rematch," the blond huffed. "But if you can get advise from Bakura, then Yugi can help me. Deal?"
"That sounds fair," Ryou smiled, shuffling his cards.
"So Ryou and Bakura have been switching with each other all day?" Anzu asked as they started home, parting with Ryou at the restaurant.
"Yeah. Bakura came back last night. Ryou decided that he had to try something. He wanted to try and get the spirit to see that there was more to life, I think."
"Do ya think it worked?" Jounouchi asked, clasping his hands behind his head while he walked.
"I don't know," Yugi admitted, looking up at Yami who floated beside him silently. "I guess we'll just have to find out. If nothing else...I hope Ryou had fun."
Ryou was all but skipping on his way home. "That was great! I had a lot of fun today, 'Kura!"
::It was...fun,:: Bakura admitted, floating beside his hikari.
"Too bad we can't have another day like today," Ryou sighed, clasping his hands behind his back.
::Hmm?:: the spirit flicked his eyes to Ryou thoughtfully.
"Well, what with you going to destroy the world and all. Thank you for today, 'Kura."
Bakura frowned, disappearing into the Millennium Ring. 'What is wrong with me?' me growled at himself. 'I'm letting my host call me "'Kura" and just casually floating beside him. I should be taking over his body and going after the Pharaoh.'
He sat down heavily, pulling at his hair some. 'But the Pharaoh and I actually spent a whole day together and...really I did I have fun. I enjoyed myself most of the day...well after the roller coaster incident...No wait, I enjoyed that too! Zorc damn it, what in the seven hells is wrong with me?' He shook his head furiously, noticing that Ryou had arrived at home and seemed nervous. Closing his eyes, he could still see Ryou's smiling face and he felt a smile trying to work its way onto his face as well.
"No! I have been planning my revenge for three thousand years! I will have my revenge..." Bakura trailed off in his rant and flopped onto his back, fingers still tangled in his hair. He sighed, feeling somewhat deflated. "Thousands of years of planning...can't be undone in a single day...can they?"
Ryou, oblivious to the spirit's questions, got ready for bed and slipped under the sheets. Before laying down he brought the Millennium Ring to his lips and gave it a small kiss. "Good night, 'Kura. Thank you again for today."
Bakura felt the last of his anger bleed out of his, leaving him feeling empty and lost in his thoughts.
"Bakura"
Bakura looked up suddenly. His vision shifted in that second and he was suddenly in control of Ryou's body. Sitting up, he looked around, scanning the shadows of the room.
"You disappoint me, servant."
"Servant?" Bakura sneer, quickly getting to his feet. "Who's there?" Sharp pain was his response, a hand flying to his chest as he doubled over, knees meeting the floor painfully.
"It would seem you have forgotten your place, Tozokuo."
"Y-you..."
"I have come to remind you of our deal. And help rid you of this...distraction."
Bakura lifted his gaze, reaching a hand to the night table to get back to his feet. A black shadow filled the room, large hands holding Ryou's soul by the arms. Ryou, who's soul seemed to glow in defiance of the darkness holding him, looked at Bakura, fear and confusion in his innocent brown eyes.
"It isn't as though you will care, after all. You do not need your host's soul, just his body, which I am practically gift wrapping for you."
Ryou cried out in pain as shadows suddenly wrapped around him, the light disappearing with him.
"Bastard!" Bakura snarled, lunging at the darkness, but another wave of pain brought him to his knees again, shadows swirling lazily around him.
"Remember our deal, thief. If you need further incentive to keep your end, your host's soul is where you should be. Obey me."
Bakura cried out in pain, vision dimming before he was left alone in the room. His hands found the Millennium Ring and he threw it across the room, letting it clatter noisily to the floor as he got to his feet. Gathering his thoughts, he knew he only had two options: Continue with his plans, or seek aid.
Either way, he grudgingly knew that meant dealing to the Pharaoh.
AN: Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuun
I'll try and have a second chapter up tonight. Not like I'll be able to sleep since I have to work at 5am (EST). Tomorrow I plan on passing out and not writing much.
That might be a lie. :3
(1)Yadounushi means "host". It's what Bakura calls Ryou.
(2)Aibou means "partner". It's what Yami called Yugi.