Tendershippy tendershipping of the day~! :D

It's a weirdish one-shotish. Sorry to say this, but you just have to read it to understand.

There's a long author's for explaining things after at the end, so if you find it extremely weird, don't worry.

This is just a heads-up, but I'll be completely gone from June 6th to June 14th. Church camp thing. :/ I can check my e-mail during that time, but my phone doesn't let me on so no updates, no replies, no fanfics until I get back. Yeah, I know, I will so totally die. And I'm serious.

Oh! The story! Riiiiight~!

Warnings: Swearing, a little. Some violence and blood. Only a little bit though.

Disclaimer: I don't own. Still. But it's okay.

"Talking"

/Bakura talking via teh mind-link/

Emphasis on a wo- wait, there aren't any of these! O.o''

And with these pretty lines, there's a change of time, place, etc.


/You lied, yadonushi./
I flinch at the words, for now I know what they mean. Now I understand them.
"Bakura, I-" I start.
But this only causes him to whirl around on his heels and hit me on the cheeks. Once, twice, three times total. This before Namu pulls him away, saying that I'm not as important as the duel in hand.
/ ...lied, lied, lied... yadonushi.../ the words keep echoing in my head.
Yadonushi. Landlord, that's all I am to him. But I can't blame him, even though I almost wish I could.
I lied to him, once, twice, three times in total.

-Flashback-


"What's that, father?" I ask, staring at the shiny golden object in his hands.

"It's called the Sennen Ring, Ryou. I got it for you, since it's your birthday." he says, smiling like a father should.

"For me? Really?" I bet my eyes are shining with happiness at this point. I really thought he had forgotten my birthday! And that wouldn't even be the first time!
The Sennen Ring is so pretty, and it's Egyptian. Egyptian equals cool via default. I grab it from him and dash to my room."Arigato!"
"Wait, it's-!"
Whatever he was going to say, it can surely wait. I just want to wear the ring around my neck.

I love the Sennen Ring now. It's a bit cold, sure, but it has this weird feel to it. It's like I'm not alone anymore...

/Are you worthy of the Ring?/ I'm startled by the voice and look around carefully.
"Huh?" I wonder what that was I just heard. Lack of sleep must be getting to me, but I was so excited since father would be home for my birthday...
/You can hear me?/
"Yeah!" I chime.
/Then you must be worthy. What's your name?/
I wonder if I should lie, say some really cool name instead of the plain old, boring Ryou.
/Okay then, Ryou. I'm Bakura./
Wait, I never said anything! I protest in my mind.
/I know you didn't, but I can hear your thoughts, just like you can hear mine./

Oh, that explains things. It really does, for I'm not really a sarcastic person like some.
I've been listening to his thoughts all along, then. I'm not sure about this, isn't it a bit rude to read someone's thoughts? Well, he is doing the same to mine, so I guess he doesn't mind...
/Now I'm your yami. I won't let anything hurt you./
Coolio. Who are you?
/Yami, Bakura?/
Yeah, you said that already, but like... How can I hear your thoughts and vice versa?
/Because of the Sennen Ring./
That explains more things, not too much, but some. I wonder if dad knew the Ring was haunted. I take it off and feel Bakura's consciousness fade away.

The Sennen Ring... I dunno, it's golden and shiny and all that... But I can't seem to shake the feeling that I should go return it to father right now, before the point that there's no turning back. It feels a bit eerie... I should rid of it, shouldn't I?

…as if. It's shiny and it's mine now. Mine mine mine. Bakura's mine too. Mine mine and even more mine.

Wow, I managed to stare at the Ring for around twelve seconds before putting it back on. Yay for willpower.

Okay, so that was awful, and somehow I missed Bakura for those twelve seconds.

It was so empty. Dull. I was alone again. I guess this means that I want to wear the Ring from now on, since that way I'm not alone anymore. Plus Bakura doesn't seem half bad.

Mental chuckle. I didn't know that was possible.
/Missed you too, Ryou./
So he's in the Sennen Ring...

When I go back to my father, he exclaims how the Sennen Ring might be cursed. I smile my sweetest fake smile and say there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.

No way I'm willing to part with it (and Bakura) ever again.


Bakura spends the next few days asking me questions. From favorite color to favorite word.
But it's pretty nice, someone wants to know about me (I bet my father couldn't even say what my favorite color is). Besides, I get to ask the same number of questions in return, so I know a lot more about him now.

He's from ancient Egypt - from 3000 years ago.
He's a tomb robber, a thief.
He hates the Pharaoh.
His whole village was slaughtered.

"That's awful!" I cry.
Bakura is quiet for a while. /I know.../ he finally mutters.
I'm quiet now too. I wonder how I can make him feel better.

"Well, I'm not leaving you. You're the only one I need to be happy." I finally say.

And that was my first lie.
First strike. Two more, and you're out.

/Thank you, yadonushi./ he says, for once his thoughts filled with affection.
So, I wonder why he's in this time... Why he isn't in ancient Egypt?
/Because the Sennen items are here./
Simple answers to simple questions, eh? But that doesn't explain anything.
/They... They were created... From the people of my village.../
Ouch. I wish I would have never asked that! Baka Ryou, baka, baka, baka!
I bang my head against the wall.
/You aren't stupid, tenshi. Just.../ He hesitates, apparently searching for the right word. Weak, idiotic, awful… /…Innocent./
I feel a bit better now. He's forgiven me. So easily, too. Why can he forgive me, but not the Pharaoh, I wonder?

/Because you didn't kill everyone I once knew./
Forget the part about feeling better. Why, oh why do I always say - think, actually - the wrong things? Baka, baka...
/Don't blame yourself. You didn't do anything wrong./
Maybe so, but still... Bakura is so perfect, I think I love him. He can support and balance me, and I'm not alone anymore.

I'll never stop loving the Spirit of the Sennen Ring. Even though he's full of hate and I keep saying the wrong things, he's here with me.

My second lie.
Second strike, only one more and you're out.

/I'll always love you too./
I smile happily. I'm in the middle of probably the world's most boring history class ever, so people are giving me strange looks. I don't care, I'm just so happy.
/But I still need my revenge./

Thanks for ruining it for me, Bakura... Well, I won't stand in your way, if revenge is what you you want.

My third and final lie.
Three strikes - you're out. End game.

Time for a punishment game.


Harsh laugh echoes in my mind.
"Wh-who are you?"
/Oh, so now you can hear me... Again./
I snap away from writing a letter to my sister. This happened because I was startled by a voice inside my head. I must be going insane now.

Writing to a dead person, startled by a voice in my head - a new definition for the word "insane". I guess that's one way for being insane, though...

What does it mean by "again"? I have never heard a voice in my head before! Never-ever! What is this all about?

/You really don't remember... Yadonushi.../ the voice is sad now, so very sad. I wish I could see what exactly is wrong and help, but I can't. Sadly.
Oh, and remember... what exactly? Is there something I should remember? Does it have something to do with the car accident I was in some years ago? I think I lost quite a few bits of my memory back then, since there are many blank holes, starting from and including my eighth birthday.

/Yes. You lied./
The voice is nearly shivering with sorrow and hatred now. What did I do wrong? I lied to the voice in my head?
Where? Was it here or somewhere else?
When? Just now or in some lost fragment of my memory?
Why? Why would I lie to him? What did I have to gain from that?
He doesn't answer any of my questions. Maybe he thinks I don't deserve answers, and maybe he's right. I might never find out, but I can always try.

/Punishment game./ he whispers, not sounding too keen on the thought. Why, I wonder. Do I mean something to him after all? Is that why he's that mad about me lying?
The spirit laughs without any humor.
Maybe I said something right for once.
Funny, I faintly remember something so very different from this happening before.

-Why, oh why do I always say - think, actually - the wrong things? Baka, baka...
/Don't blame yourself. You didn't do anything wrong./-

...What was that?
The voice seems to know something about this, for he mutters, /Out of everything you could remember, the gods chose that? Fuck./
And here I thought he wouldn't be one to believe in gods... I guess I was wrong.
/I don't./
Umm, yeah, very convincing...


Why did you do this to me, Bakura? I kept having to change schools because of all these strange rumours around me, while it was all your fault! It's not fair!

/Yes it is. It's a Punishment Game./

More nonsense about punishments... Damn it.


My new friends are in danger, trapped inside the miniature pieces of this game. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let Bakura have his way...

Well, I guess I have one more thing to do... I'll have to try and stop him, it's the only way to save my friends!
/You lied!/ he suddenly screeches, /You lied!/
Again? Why do I always lie to him? What about? I still can't remember... I wish I could, I'm getting fed up with all these lies.
/Punishment game/
Wasn't hurting my friends punishment enough?
/You lied twice./
Oh. I guess that makes sense, then.

He stabs my (seeing that it's in my control, the only part of my body I control right now) left hand with a miniature building piece from the Monster World RPG. It hurts, it hurts so much as the tower of the building pierces my hand, going straight through with blood flying all over the place.

I bet it'll hurt for long. I wonder if it affects me as long as my lies affect him.
And it will also leave a scar. Will my lies leave scars like this in his soul?

He laughs at my pain. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything more or less from Bakura.


Three lies. Three punishment games.
Sounds fair, does it not?

Well, just so you know, it's far from fair, because I'm still in the game and he doesn't know it.
I'm still lying. I remember everything now, from the moment when we met. But I'm not letting him know that, so I'm still lying.
I wish I could tell him, though... Apologize and say that I love him again...
But Bakura is too far for me to reach, he's fighting with Namu, who's controlling my mind. Yeah, Namu, the same Egyptian who took me to the hospital when I was hurt. I used to think he was nice, but my opinion changed with the whole "controlling you with my Sennen Rod"-thing.
Bakura calls him by a different name, though. Bakura calls him "Marik".
Never mind his name, the only thing that matters is that with Namu here, Bakura isn't paying attention to me or the mind li-

Woah, I'm suddenly in control of my body again! Yippee!
Ugh, it's no yippee after all, 'cause apparently I'm really hurt. I'll turn my head a little bit to see just what's going on.

Oh. A duel against the Pharaoh. Ra, I hate him now, I wish I would've let Bakura kill him back then when he first tried it...

...And apparently the Pharaoh is about to attack me with an Egyptian God Card, Slifer the Sky Dragon. Pretty much the exact opposite of yippee...
To make matters worse, Marik is making me say things like "where am I?" "help me" et ceteraa. I get it, I need to sound pathetic so the Pharaoh wouldn't attack me, and if he does, he'll know I can't take it. That's actually true, seeing how simply the presence of an Egyptian God Card is crushing.
It's a well-written script, I give Marik that, but I only want to say the words "punishment game", because I know that's what this is. Bakura is punishing me for something I did wrong, like usually.

And I have a feeling this will be the last, seeing that my body is really weak already. Well, it's a goodbye then...
I hear Bakura yell at Marik in my mind. Something about not willing to win like this. Then he takes control over me again. Bye bye pain.
...wait, Bakura took over? Why? Then he'll be hurt instead of me! It's supposed to be my punishment game! Mine! Mine like the Sennen Ring is mine and mine like Bakura is mine!
/If you can't take the pain, I will./

Wow. Bakura wants to help?
But why would he do this now?
Oh, right! He started this game, so he had to know how it would end up all along!
Even I knew, that's why I know he knows too.
Maybe, just maybe, he wanted to protect me all along.

But still... I lied.
And he doesn't know I remember now. He doesn't know I still love him.
I wonder why.
I guess I'll ask him.
First thing when - if ever - I wake up.
Now it's time to sleep.
Good night, Bakura... And Marik, whoever you are...


Japanese lesson of the day!

Baka = idiot

Yami = darknessss

Sennen items = Millennium items *cough*I bet you knew*cough*

Tenshi = Angel

I guess that's all.


Confused? Not? Yes? Umm, I'll try to explain some things in case they aren't clear. It was Ryou's POV all the time so especially Bakura's motives where a bit unclear.

* In the beginning, the duel between Yami Bakura and Yami Yugi is taking place. Marik there happily bickering with Bakura.

* Then we have a flashback to the time Ryou got the Millennium/Sennen Ring.

* Then there's a all those pretty little lies Ryou told to his yami, which are:
- You're the only one I need to be happy (he wanted to protect his friends from his yami)
- I will never stop loving you (since he forgot about Bakura altogether 'cause of the car accident where his sister and mum died)
- I won't stand in your way (he went against Bakura during the RPG-thing)

* And the punishments:
- Bakura made Ryou's friends fall into coma ((which wasn't ever even properly mentioned, dang.) because Ryou forgot about him, so he thought it was fair that other people would forget about Ryou)
- Bakura hurt Yugi and co. (since Ryou held them more important than his yami)
- Bakura stabbed Ryou's hand with the miniature thing (this one I almost explained! It was because he... wait, that's canon. Hehehehe.)

* Back to the duel with Yami 'Kura and Yami Yugi. ^^

And at first, Ryou referred to Marik as Namu, because that's what he said. But Ryou ended up believing his yami knew better and switched to calling the other Marik. ^^ Inorite, it makes sense.


Proper author's note here:

*yawn* I had this written some time ago, I'm sick today so I figured "hey, I have a story like that, why don't I go ahead and upload it?" (okay, I edited it quite a bit, but)

Is that deep? I dunno, maybe. I tried. owo

It's a one-shotish thing. I know I left the ending open. Kinda like Be My Eyes, I want to ask you if I shouldn't finish-finish it. Like, two-three-shot it or something.

If I left anything oddly unexplained, say the word so I can try to inform you guys about what's going on in my (pretty little) head~

Yeah (umm, what "yeah" exactly? o.o''), so review? *puppy-eyes*