A/N: Hello! This is my English paper, so I had to make Bakura's name Belial in it. So if I miss a Belial, just know that it's Bakura and please tell me so that I can fix it. No warnings for this one, surprisingly. Oh, and "Ry" is Ryou, I just didn't feel like going through and adding two more letters. So.
Also, I don't own YGO, and Daemon Meus is Latin for My Demon.
Daemon Meus
Bakura's crimson eyes narrowed slightly as he twirled a strand of snow white hair around a bony finger. He leaned forward, hands resting against the armrests of his throne. Below him was Ry, kneeled on the onyx floor. Long silvery hair cascaded over his shoulders, stopping just below his shoulder blades.
"Tell you what, Ry," Bakura began. Doe brown eyes snapped open to meet Bakura's smiling face. "Tonight we'll play a game."
Ry's fists clinched, still bloodied and sore from their previous game. Bakura hummed and nodded, standing. He descended the marble stairs that lead to his throne, the only trace of white in Bakura's nightmare kingdom. Ry's eyes traveled over Bakura's form, admiration in his eyes. Black silk clung to Bakura's torso, barely hiding the strength there. Short sleeves revealed shockingly pale skin, not so different from Ry's own.
Black slacks hid Bakura's long legs, somehow making him look taller and regal. Ry fought back tears as his eyes landed on the necklace adorning Bakura's neck, his lifeline of sorts.
For without that necklace, Bakura could not be. His spirit was bound to the object, much like Ry's own was bound to Bakura.
Ry was the only one who could host this demon known as Bakura, both a gift and a curse.
"It's not polite to stare!" Bakura snapped. Ry jumped and averted his eyes. They landed on his jeans, or what was left of them. The muddy fabric was torn in several places, revealing the bruised skin beneath. Fingers dug into Ry's shoulder, hoisting him up by his once white tee. Sneakers scrambled against the floor as he tried to maintain his balance.
"Forgive me, my lord." Ry mumbled, still looking at the floor. Bakura's fingers twisted into the hair at the back of Ry's head, forcing the boy to look at him. Calculating crimson eyes scanned his dirty face, amusement dancing in them when they landed on the boy's soft frown. Bakura released him and strode forward with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked over his decaying kingdom before looking back at Ry.
"How about a simple game of hide-and-seek? If you win, I'll free you from this mental prison and return your body, no catch." Bakura drawled, smirking.
Ry frowned. "And if I lose?"
A low laugh spilled from Bakura's lips as he turned to face Ry once again. Ry tried to force down the bile climbing up his throat.
"If you should lose… You will remain here with me, locked away in your psyche, as my slave." Bakura said it so calmly, so reasonably, that Ry began to consider it.
"How about it, Ry?" Bakura asked at his ear. "Slavery… or freedom?"
Ry licked his lips, turning to face the demon. "All right, I'll play."
Bakura grinned, throwing his arms out. "Excellent!"
He ascended the stairs to his throne, sitting upon the ivory chair. "You have a three minute head start. I suggest you choose to conceal yourself wisely!"
He snapped his fingers and the palace began to crumble, revealing the scarred landscape of Ry's troubled mind. Memories swirled around them, a mixture of both Ry's and Bakura's. The last bit of wall fell.
"Three minutes!" Bakura reminded Ry. The smaller boy stifled an eye roll and jogged to the edge of the once standing throne room where he paused.
Bakura's tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth. "Tick-tock." He chimed, fingers dancing around the golden necklace.
"You said I have three minutes." Ry snapped, looking for a gap in the swirling memories. He didn't want to face the life Bakura had stolen.
"I did. One minute ago." Bakura replied. Ry sighed and sprinted across the grounds, dodging memories. He entered the forest that stood like a giant mouth, waiting to swallow him whole. Fog crept between trees, reaching out to Ry.
There was no sound. No birds called out to each other. Not even Ry's feet moving swiftly over the ground broke the silence.
"One more minute!" Bakura called. His voice traveled to every corner of their shared mind.
Ry pushed himself harder, long hair getting caught on branches. He crashed through the underbrush, falling into a clearing. His breath came out in pants as he stood up, eyes surveying the land.
Most of the land was burned or flooded, the once beautiful landscape ruined by Bakura. To his right, the forest continued. A gaping hole that lead to an underground cave was to his left. Ry paused for a moment.
"Time up." Bakura said. His voice sounded close but Ry couldn't tell. He was never sure of anything. Not anymore, anyways.
He sucked in air and bolted for the cave. The air around him began to crackle with energy like it always did when Bakura was near. Ry dropped into the cave, rocks cutting into his skin and clothing.
"I love when you run, Ry. It makes our little games so much more interesting." Bakura purred. Ry's head snapped up as his feet finally met solid ground. Bakura was already at the mouth of the cave? Impossible.
"Entirely possible. You're predictable. " Bakura murmured. Ry masked his thoughts as he moved through his hiding spot.
"None of your friends have even noticed you're no longer the one in control, Ry. " Bakura said. He was taunting him, a poor attempt to break his will.
Ry shook his head, though Bakura couldn't see it, and fell to his hands and knees. He crawled into a narrow passageway. Walls pressed in on him from every side. He pushed aside all thoughts of the cave collapsing on him and focused only on the small beam of light ahead of him.
"Oh, now you're just being difficult." Bakura snapped from the mouth of the tunnel. Ry felt oddly pleased with himself. He knew Bakura would have a difficult time getting through the tunnel, due to him being larger.
Finally the tunnel opened up. Ry tumbled through the opening, gasping desperately for air. He sat for a moment, calming his erratic breathing.
"I said you're being difficult, not impossible. Are you giving up already?" Bakura asked. Ry shot up from the ground, bolting for the opening in the roof of the cave.
"One, two… I'm coming for you." Bakura sing-songed. Ry's fingers scrambled for purchase against the wall of rock. He found a foot hold just a Bakura crawled through the tunnel's end.
"Three, four… The body's not yours!"
"You haven't caught me yet!" Ry protested, continuing his climb. He was at the halfway point when Bakura stood.
"Everything is technicalities with you." Bakura snapped, beginning his own ascent. Ry looked down and whimpered. Bakura was a foot away at the most. He cried out with joy as his fingers latched on to the edge of the opening.
"I don't think so."
Fingers wrapped around Ry's ankle, tugging harshly.
"No!" Ry screeched. Despair and loss filled his voice. Bakura tugged once and Ry lost his footing. On the second tug, Ry's fingers lost purchase on the rocks and he tumbled twenty feet to the ground.
As he lay there, bloodied and bruised, Bakura climbed back down. He kneeled beside Ry, brushing his dirty hair away from dulled eyes.
"My poor little Ry," he cooed. "My broken hikari."
Bakura gathered Ry in his arms, ignoring his groans of pain. The cave faded away, once again replaced by Bakura's throne room. He gently settled Ry onto the raised stone dais in the center of the room. He sat on the floor and took Ry's hand, looking again over the kingdom he had created.
He watched as Ry's memories shattered, one by one. Ry's body spasmed once before going completely still. Bakura looked at his host, watching his eyes struggle to open. Eventually, Ry won, eyes snapping open. Muddied crimson met Bakura's own blood red eyes.
"My lord."
Yes, Ry was the only one capable of hosting Bakura, both a gift and a curse. He'd lied to himself for too long, trying in vain to convince himself that he had not and never would belong to Bakura.
But he was wrong. His eyes and Bakura's smile proved that. Bakura gently patted Ry's hand.
"For forever and always."
Bakura went back to sitting atop his ivory throne, while Ry once again kneeled. It was as though nothing had changed.
And as far as the two souls who inhabited that one body were concerned, nothing had.
END.
A/N: So that was that. Again, please tell me if I missed a Belial somewhere. I don't think I did, but I'm also completely blind. So, please review and tell me if I deserve and A.
~Nightingale