Well, well, well... what have we here? ^^

Again I'm translating one of my German fanfic into English, this was my first story, that wasn't a Oneshot. I think it will be around 20 chapters long...

I hope you'll enjoy it!

Lets see... it's about the time Ryou and Bakura met. It contains parts of the 'Zero'-series and ends with the last episode of that season. If I get the impression, that you like it, perhaps I'll do a continuation.

This story is adapted to both the manga and anime and surely containes much of my ideas ^^

Yu-Gi-Oh! doesn't belong to me, as well as the charakters... what a pity :(

"speaking aloud"

'thinking'

~voices inside of the Sennen Items~

Flashbacks, dreams, other nonsense

Long time ago...

Chapter One: The Voice

This day could be described in one word: boring...

Ryou sat at the kitchen table humming a melodie only he could hear. The appartment has been tidyed up and he had lunch some time ago.

It was raining outside, so going for a walk wasn't an option either and the TV was shut down because of the 'simple' talk shows. Still humming and smiling all the time Ryou slid his fingers over one of the pendulums that hung downwards of the Sennen Item around his neck: the Millenium Ring.

The quiet tinkle fascinated him, that was when he realized he really needed to do something.

He got up and strolled in the direction of the living room, everytime resting his eyes on the mysterious artifact around his delicate neck.

It had been a present his father gave him, as an apology for getting back to late from his excavation site in Egypt. Ryou let his finger trail over the cold surface. The Ring never seemed to warm... he seemed to stay icecold all the time.

The white haired boy shivered a little bit, before he turned on the TV and let himself fall into the comforting depths of his armchair.

While he was zapping through the slightly annoying channels he everytime thought about the heavy metal on his chest... Ryou noticed surprised, that it really was considerable heavy...

It seemed impossible to hold up his head any longer...

His sight darkened as he slided into dozy slumber. Wasn't there a quiet snicker in the back of his head?

Suddenly he opened his eyes and jumped out of the armchair, only to let one of his bare feet meet one of the really mean table legs of his coffee table.

'Damn...youu...', he held back a nasty curse, while he noticed, that it was dark in the room.

His eyes fell onto the display of his recorder: half past eleven... p.m...

He wrinkled his forehead and sighed... another sleepless night...

Ryou made his way to the kitchen and because he didn't feel to turn the lights on he moved very careful through the corridor.

The door to the kitchen was... closed? Well... he didn't close it... he never does.

In an instant he buried this more than only frightning idea in the back of his head, probably he didn't only rembember, because he had been asleep a few minutes ago...

He took a bottle of orange juice out of the fridge and poured it into an extra large glass.

Taking a sip of his juice now and then he suddenly noticed, that his hand played with the golden pendulums again. Was he wrong, or did every of the golden pendulums sound different?

He layed down his chin into the other hand and let his fingers play over the surface of the golden artifact... so... cold...

His father didn't show up a long time... as he gave him the Ring he said he had to stay in Egypt for pretty much time... how long it really would be he didn't know. Ryou sighed unhappyly. That happend a half year ago. He felt some kind of... lonely...

Since his mother and Amane (to only think of his sisters name caused a searing pain in his chest) passed away, his father was the only family Ryou had.

But since that accident where both of them died two years ago, he traveled the whole time, the mostly staying in Egypt, using his work to take his mind off of this.

Ryou closed his eyes to let this bitter feeling flood trough him a moment. He wasn't mad at his father, there was a part of him who understood him very well.

The appartment was really dead without the happy laugh of his sister and the comforting charisma of his mother... He shielded himself behind repression, as some terrible pictures tried to steel into his head. No... he was dissapointed by his father.

'Sometimes I really think I don't mean anything to him...', he murmured sadly.

Suddenly a terrible thought shot into his head. The TV hadn't been on as he had woken up... How was this possible... only if...

Ryou stood up and flicked the light on. No... he could turn it on... so it wasn't caused by power failure... Now Ryou was really afraid, so he did have to turn on the light in the corridor, too, as he walked in the direction of the living room.

'Maybe the TV is broken... yes, it has to be!' Ryou now was directly in front of the deep black screen, as he turned the TV on. A woman ran down a wet street while something obviously was chasing her. Ryou shut the TV down again, really not wanting to feel haunted any more, than he did that moment. But what if someone was here, observing him. A shiver of fear was sliding down hin spine as he began to move trough his appartment, to overcome it with proving the contrary of his foolish paranoia.

The first room that he was crossing was the bathroom. He layed his hand on the door handle and took one calming breath. Than he slammed it open with one fast move, only to see... his own reflection in the mirror.

He noticed, that he was holding his breath and took one shuddering, deep gulp of air.

Ryous eyes were traveling over the shower to the bathtub and back to his reflection.

The Ring was lying around his neck, twinkling mockingly with the light of the corridor reflecting on its surface. The atmosphere was haunting.

The boy realized, that he shivered and sweated the same time.

He closed the bathroom door and could have swore, that he heard a low chuckle.

Ryou blamed the Ring (only a clang, Ryou... nothing to worry about...) and got to his own room now.

The very first time he was glad, that the switch was by the door as he flicked it. Everything was allright... His window was tilted, the surface of his bed was spotless and his homwork lay on his desk, done with his bag beside it. He went into the room and got to his cupboard, opening the doors with one fast movement... nothing...

He began to tremble... there had to be a reason!

'Probalby it shut down by itself... even if I can't imagine how...'

He had to swallow hard and tried to control himself.

'Calm down, Ryou... I'm sure there is a logical explanation...' A noise that sounded like nervous laughter left his mouth, as he closed the cupboard doors again.

Did he just hear footsteps in the corridor behind him?

He shook his head. No, here was nothing and nobody, except himself and... the Ring.

Why did it appear in Ryous head now?

He seemed to hear his father voice again, as he gave him the Ring a half year ago...

'It's not a normal necklace, Ryou... I had the feeling, that you were meant to have it! It's really something special...'

His fingers moved over the cold surface again. He suppressed the crazy tought, that the thing under his fingers had something to do with this mess and got slowly back into the kitchen.

He would talk himself into believing that he had turned on the time function for shutting the TV down... that seemed to be a good idea...

'My... how could I only forget that... tz...' he had to smile as he noticed that he made fun of himself and took another sip of the orange juice, this time out of the bottle.

Because of that his mother everytime got mad at him...

He put the juice back into the fridge... that tought has spoiled his appetite...

~Such an unfortunate boy...~

Ryou stopped immediately and winked surprised. Had he really heard... something? Maybe the wind... He ran to the livingroom. The TV wasn't on.

'You strangely shut off, maybe you can also turn on...' He began to tremble and the cold fear started to claim his body again.

~And so... alone...~

There, again! Now he really had heard it! A voice, deep and dark, sneering... smirking...

„Who are you?", Ryou asked firmly, surprised by his self-confidence.

No answer.

His eyes traveled over the furniture again, searching for a trigger. Maybe he was starting to hallucinate now? He felt a sharp headdache raging in his head and sank down into his armchair. Why was he so helpless? He didn't want to think now...

~Very good, 'cause I think you do it the whole time...~

'Yes, and then I become depressive...' It was funny to talk to a voice, that wasn't even there, but he had decided to not think about what he was doing now... it was really overtaxing...

~Now, now... I really thought of another outcoming... a shiver of fear and a shriek of a girlish boy... instead I get nothing?~

Chuckling...

~Maybe you start to cry if I wait any longer? Helpless little human...~

Ryou couldn't suppress an amused snort. Whoever was talking to him seemed really to be in his head...

~Wrong, Hikari... try again!~

Ryou suppressed an inner laughter as he thought about playing guessing game with a bodyless voice.

'Why do you call me „Hikari"?', he asked curiously. The voice seemed to be able to hear his thoughts, he was curious if it would really answer.

An amused snort and then...

~I call you „Hikari", because you are just that... my hikari...~

Ryou felt an unpleasant shiver travelling down his spine, as he heard the husky voice call him that... he wasn't a property! Another amused chuckle and Ryou noticed, that he had heard that sound earlier today.

'So you are...', he wrinkled his forehead,'...my... „Yami"?'

Chuckling again.

~Good, hikari, very good...~

He felt satisfied and knew the same moment, that this wasn't a feeling he had.

~Come on... I can feel it... ask the most important question!~

„Who... are you?" Ryou shivered as he seemed to hear his words echo through the empty room. They sounded so desperately forlorn...

Dark laughter roared in his ears and the answer came that instant.

~Look down, hikari.~

Ryou obeyed and the golden pendant caught his eye.

~I'm living in there, hikari... Your father got it for you in Egypt... You asked yourself that often, what he meant with that words he said as he gave it to you: 'You're meant to have it... It's something special.' Indeed... special it is...~

„Since when are you observing me?" Suddenly, Ryou had a feeling, he hadn't felt a long time ago. It was rage. Again a chuckling, that only furied him more: „Answer me!"

~And if I don't? What will you do? Do you want to put your hands over your ears? You won't get rid of me, hikari! You can't!~

„Lies! You're lying!", Ryou stormed and was surprised by his behaviour. He never had been that angry... why now? Actually he should shake with fear... funnily enough he felt nothing like fear. Everything was too confusing and twisted.

~You are confused?~

The voice sounded gentle, almost understanding...

~I see... everyone would be as disturbed as you are... won't they?~ (1)

Ryou didn't comment that statement.

„Tell me who you are!"

~I'm the spirit within the Sennen Ring. You can call me 'master'.~

„I certainly won't do anything like that..."

~Ah... we are rebellious? Fine... call me 'Bakura' if you like that more...~

Bakura? „But this is my lastname!", the white haired boy called incensed. He got harsh laughter.

~Now... you will see how alike we are... and besides you have two names... don't be so selfish!~

Ryou groaned unnerved and moved to the balcony. He urged himself not to talk aloud here... maybe the neighbours would think he was getting crazy...

'Maybe I am... I'm talking to a incorporeal voice, which tells me, that it's a spirit living in the Sennen Ring, driving me insane...' He heard chuckling again. 'I don't think, that this is funny!'

~I don't care.~ (2)

And it sounded exactly like that. Ryou sighed softly and closed his eyes. One moment he listend to the sound of the raindrops, dripping quietly like everytime onto the wet street... everything was normal... the world hasn't changed... That really soothed the boy.

'What do you want from me... Bakura?'

There wasn't an answer for a couple of seconds, Ryou really thought, that he only had imagined all this (he was ashamed as he felt almost sad...) until there were this words again.

~This is a good question, hikari. You won't get the answer to it... now. Apart from this you don't want to know...~

A quiet chuckle again, that caused an anxious shiver running down Ryous spine. He sighed noisily and layed his head down onto his arms. His eyes travelled over the streetlamps in front of his apartment. A car was passing.

~What do you want to do now, hikari?~

This question could have been applyed to everything. Funnily enough Ryou knew that instant what Bakura wanted to hear and so he answered: „Sometimes it's a good thing to have somebody near to talk. It gets..."

Ryou swallowed and hoped, that his voice wouldn't shake before he continued.

„It gets rather lonely sometimes..." Soft laughing responded.

~Poor, little hikari... You were alone here so long. That made me believe it could change your life... positively if I interfere.~

„Thank you." And he meant it. He was really thankful. He just now understood how lonely he had been in the past. Well... there were few people who could have been called acquaintances... but friends? There was never more but 'Hey, Bakura! Can I copy out your homework?', or 'My, there he is... he looks soooo handsome!'. He sighed painful.

~It wasn't very easy the last months.~

This wasn't a question.

Ryou gave a shrug and noticed, that this felt so good. There was somebody he could talk to. A strange, euphoric feeling raised in his chest.

'But this is over now! After all I have a spirit that is easily portable. Exceedingly handy, aren't they?'

A joke! It seemed eternity since he did a joke! This was fantastic!

~Kukuku... don't overdo it, hikari!~

Bakura seemed to be in a good mood too. Ryou tilted his head from left to right and a cold breeze creeped beneeth his shirt, to caress his back.

He started to shake.

Abruptly he tightened up and escaped into his living room.

'You closed the kitchen door and shut the TV down, didn't you?'

~Who else could have done, hikari?~

„But how did you do it?"

Once more a quiet chuckle.

~I could show you, hikari.~

The words were an amused whisper, that caused the hairs on the back of his neck to erect.

'I'm not sure if I want that...', Ryou said a little frightened.

~Oh... you don't have to be afraid... I won't harm you... But it will be a frightening experience... indeed...~

'Then I don't want to find out!'

Suddenly he felt very light. His body sat down into the armchair without his permission and crossed it's legs. One of his hands supported his head, while the other hand caressed the Sennen Ring around his neck.

„Awful real, isn't it?" His mouth moved and his voice sounded strange, not like it belonged to him. It was more self-assured, deeper, more masculine... Fear dwelled in his chest and he whimpered.

~Stop it!~

„Kukuku... do you think you are the one to make demands, hikari?"

~Please!~

It sounded desperate and Ryou really thought he had to cry. He felt his own mouth grinning mockingly before he was ripped out of that feeling like waking up out of a nightmare.

He clenched his fist and opened it again. Ryou repeated the movement three times and sighed relieved. 'Don't do that again!'

~If you behave that impudent, I'll do it in an instant!~

Ryou swallowed and stayed silent. He didn't want to challenge Bakura.

He should have known that it woudln't be this easy...

The white haired teen sighed again and noticed slightly amused, that Bakuras position was really comfortable.

He leaned back into his armchair and closed his eyes.

~Tired again, hikari?~

A low, agreeing hum left Ryous troath, before he dozed off again...

(1) I love it how you can interpret the word 'disturbed' in this sentence... it can sound almost kind and out of another viewpoint wickedly insulting! Hehe...

(2) xD YGOTAS FTW!

I hope, that you've enjoyed it! I'm not very content of the first chapter, I really don't know why exactly... xD

Maybe you could leave a little comment to support me, praise, criticism, questions and ideas are very welcome!

*leaves cookies*