-Dreaming-

Notes

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For Fran's challenge: a functional Yami no Bakura x Ryou Bakura where Yami no Bakura isn't abusive.  This contains YAOI-- Don't like, don't read, don't flame.

If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh, it wouldn't be fanfiction, would it? I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Translations:

Yadonushi-- Parasitic host or landlord; what the spirit of the Millennium Ring calls Bakura.

Kemet-- Ancient Egypt, as named by its residents.

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I cannot help but to love him.

Despite everything that happened and who he is, I can't help but to feel the way I do. It's all I can do to thank him; he saved me, after all. I don't mean when he took the blow from Osiris, in fact, I don't think I was in any danger at all at the time. If the other Yugi wouldn't attack Kaiba it if meant Kaiba's death, he certainly wouldn't attack me.

No, I mean the other times he saved me. Like the time that gym teacher wanted to... to hurt me, back at my old school. That night, I had a blackout. The next morning, the gym teacher was gone. I'm sure he took care of it.

It took a long time for me to realize he was actually existed, and wasn't just a voice in my imagination. It took me even longer to realize that my blackouts were when he borrowed my physical self to do something. I've never actually spoken to him, face-to-face. I don't think it's possible.

I'm having another of those dreams where I'm in a small room, maybe ten feet on a side. The walls are painted in soft pastels, lavenders and sea greens, and a fluffy white shag carpet covers the floor. I'm laying on a large canopy bed, veiled by white gauzy fabric, in one corner of the room, and beside it is a table with photographs on it, mostly photographs from before the accident... when we were a family and Father wasn't gone all the time. There are also a few photos from when I traveled with Yugi and his friends, during the Duelist Kingdom tournament. That was fun. The rest of the room is taken up by a replica of my Castle board for Monster World-- I've got to show it to Yugi someday; he would probably be good at it, but I didn't meet him until after I got into Duel Monsters-- and a cabinet full of playing figurines. The figurines are to Monster World what cards are to Duel Monsters; they are the means of fighting against the other player or players.

Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupts my thoughts. "Where am... oh, crap. I'm in the wrong room."

I jump. Nobody's ever showed up in my dream before, and I didn't expect anyone else to be here. "Namu? What are you doing in my dream?" I ask, standing and trying to finger-comb my hair into some form of order. Namu helped me once, not too long ago. My arm was hurt, and he helped me find Yugi's grandfather, who took me to the hospital. But why would I be dreaming about him? And what was he hiding behind his back? It would be impolite to ask, as he probably has it hidden for a reason, but I can't help wondering.

"I was looking for... someone. Don't worry about it." He shrugs. "How's your arm feel?"

"It doesn't hurt as badly as it did. Thank you for helping me."

"It's no problem. I'll be going now. See you later, Bakura." He walks to the black door and tries to open it.

"Namu... that door's locked, and I don't have a key," I explain. "I can never leave this room."

He seems surprised. "You can't even leave your own soul room?"

"My what?"

"Never mind. There's got to be somebody out there..." And with that statement, he pounds on the door. Why didn't I think of doing that? "Come on, let me out!" Namu shouts, continuing to bang on the door.

It opens, and I am on the other side. At least, that was my first impression. However, the "me" who opened the door has sharp, intense eyes and his hair sticks up a bit more than mine does. However, his clothing is identical to my own, right down to the bandage on his left arm. Is this the spirit, the voice, whom I've only heard and never seen? Did I only need to knock on the door the entire time?

"What are you doing in his Soul Room?" the spirit growls. The voice is the same as the one I've always heard in my mind.

Namu looks at him. He doesn't seem all too concerned with the spirit seeing whatever it is he has. "I just got the wrong room, that's all. I just wanted to tell you how the duel was going."

"I wondered who would be dueling this round," I say.

Namu turns to face me, still not letting me see what he has. "Jounouchi is dueling Malik," he explains. The spirit looks confused for a moment, then nods in understanding. "Jounouchi is losing by a wide margin," Namu adds. "I doubt he'll stay in the game much longer.... oh..." He pales slightly.

"What is it now... Namu?" the spirit asks.

"Jinzo."

The spirit nods. "That might be a problem..." I don't see why it would be, though. Jounouchi doesn't have many traps in his deck; he's more of a brute-force duelist. Jinzo, a monster that negates all trap cards, would only be a minor inconvenience. However, if he was already behind, Jinzo could very well be the last nail in the coffin.

"I'm sure he'll find a way around it," Namu replies confidently. "In fact, he's already working on it. Now... I think I'll leave the two of you to your own devices. I'll discuss our next move with you later, Spirit." And with that, he walks out the door and turns right, leaving my sight. I am left alone with the spirit.

"Um... nice to meet you." I hold out a hand. He looks at it and finally shakes it.

"Yadonushi...." he says, his voice almost a growl. He grabs my injured arm and, rather roughly, unwraps the bandage. The wound is still ugly, red and swollen, but it feels much better than it did during the duel. It doesn't hurt much unless I move it wrong. I tell him that, and he nods.

"Yes, that's how it works." He pulls another bandage out of his pocket and re-bandages the wound. So close, I notice that he seems a bit stronger than I, more muscular and less lanky. His breath smells faintly of garlic. I like garlic; it is said to repel vampires and tastes good, too. "There," he says, finishing with the bandage, "it's done. Anything else?"

A sudden wave of nervousness hits me. "I... I just want to thank you for helping me...."

He regards me with a condescending glare. "You're my host. If anything happens to you, my mission will fail."

He needs me...? I don't think he'd admit it, but that's good news. I can't help but to be attracted to him, and if he needs me, he won't-- can't-- leave me. The thought is comforting. Everyone else leaves.... But he never will. At least, I don't think he will. I hope he won't.

"Please," I whisper, "don't leave me...."

He seems startled for a moment. "I won't leave, Yadonushi," he says.

"Promise?"

"I promise." With those words, he pins me against the wall. I'm not afraid. He needs me, and he won't hurt me. No matter what else he does, he wouldn't....

Kiss me? His lips are cold and firm, and he's a bit pushy. I don't mind, though, as long as he stays.... He shoves me toward the bed, and I stumble forward and land on it. What follows makes the dream a very good dream, indeed....

*****

Some time later, the dark Bakura got up, dressed, and covered his mortal half with the thick, soft comforter, so unlike anything that had existed in Kemet. He then focused the power of the Millennium Ring upon the boy.

"Forget, my innocent yadonushi, as you have forgotten before...."

Bakura stirred in his soul-sleep. All that had transpired was merely a dream, to be forgotten just like every previous encounter had been.

And that was just how the Spirit wanted it.

(fin)