Disclaimer:

Wow… never thought I'd stray so far away from Inuyasha… lol. So, this is going to be my first ever Yu-Gi-Oh! Fic. Please don't judge too harshly. XD

I do not own YGO!; only Kazuki Takahashi has that honor.

A few notes about this fic: I'm going to be changing around some of the canon facts to fit my needs so please suspend some disbelief. For instance, I'm making Zorc and Yami Bakura have a separate consciousness inside of the Millennium Ring. I'm also making up my own version of how the two meet. Also, I'm going mostly off of the manga canon for events and personalities…

The title of this fic comes from the Nightwish song "Whoever Brings the Night." The song is fitting for some aspects of Bakura's personality that will be brought to light throughout this plot. That and I just love Nightwish so I have this excuse to make a reference to one of their songs.

And yes, this is going to eventually be a Tendershipping fic. If you don't like the pairing or anything relating to yaoi, I'd suggest clicking the back button now. On with the fic!

Prologue: Selling His Soul

Thievery was an art. To become an extension of the night and rob from the unsuspecting was a skill that took years of practice. Not just anyone could approach the calling. It took birthright and natural instinct. If a person made one wrong move, it would cost a limb or even a life.

One man in particular stood above the rest. He terrorized villages and tomb keepers all across the countryside. Some would even call him a King of Thieves. He never made any mistakes and whenever he set his sights on a goal, he ended up attaining it one way or another.

Today was of no exception.

The dark-skinned Egyptian wore an arrogant grin as he walked into an inn and approached the innkeeper behind the stone counter. He ignored the strange looks he received. It wasn't like he hid the fact that he had many spoils from his previous jobs. His red and white cloak was draped over with gold chains and other fine metals. His hands were lined with gold rings and his wrists were adorned with gold bands and bracelets. To say he stuck out amongst the crowd of commoners was an understatement. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was a dangerous man.

The innkeeper frowned, seeming weary of any strange characters that came into his establishment. "Sir, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you to leave this place immediately," he began in a careful tone. It was obvious that he was scared.

Cold violet-gray eyes flickered with amusement. The thief in question gave a snort before unclasping a bracelet from around his wrist and sitting it down on the counter. "Will this be enough?" The double criss-cross scar that was left under his right eye scrunched up as his cheeks rose in another confident grin. He could already sense the man's change of mood.

The innkeeper's eyes widened. The solid gold from the jewelry would be enough to feed his family for at least a few years to come. Criminal or not, the gold was well worth the risk. He cleared his throat. "…What I meant to say was that you're very welcome here! How many nights will you be staying?"

"Two nights at the most," the Thief King replied, pushing down the white hood that concealed his sandy, silver-colored hair. He shook his head slightly, the wild shoulder-length mane loosening as he relaxed in the presence of the other nervous patrons. It honestly didn't matter if no one in here liked his company. As a thief, he knew never to stay in one same place for more than a few days at a time. Such was the life of a criminal on the run. He glanced around him, unimpressed with the other men who were staying for the night. Most of them knew better than to try and rob him. His aura alone gave off that of a ruthless killer. Even if one was stupid enough to try, he wasn't intimidated by anyone in the area. He could tell just by looking that no one had enough of a drive to sacrifice their lives for a few pieces of gold.

After being led off to his room, the young man sat down on his cot and leaned back against the stone wall. From the hole carved into the wall across from him, he was able to see some of the stars that were beginning to come out from sunset. He chuckled to himself, thinking of his earlier escapades during the day. The person he stole that token of payment from was none other than the village's tax collector. The fat man didn't even notice as he brushed past him in the wandering crowd and slipped the bracelet off of his arm. Ignorant noble.

He folded his arms behind his head, almost sighing. Lately, he had become bored of his latest victims. They were weaklings. He had targeted the local noblemen whether they were priests or rich merchants. Very rarely was he awarded the treat of stealing from a tomb and even that was proving to be less challenging to him. Once you stole from one, you could easily figure out how to rob from the rest. Tomb keepers and other such guards were just annoyances rather than challenges. He didn't really know why he continued living like a criminal. Rather than it being an exciting lifestyle, it had become a habit or an addiction that he couldn't shake. He stole as often as he breathed. It was all he knew since he was born.

He closed his eyes for a few moments before a frown marred his features. He honestly hated sleeping or long moments of silence. Whenever he had time alone to himself, his thoughts would go back to that time when his first life ended. Kul Elna. The slaughter of his people. It happened nearly a decade ago and still the massacre was fresh in his mind as if it had happened the night before.

Just before his eyes opened back up, he saw something in the blackness. It was brief flash of light followed by an odd pull on his chest. His eyes opened again, getting up from his cot as if an invisible force pulled him to his feet. He paused, feeling the pull again. What was this? It was like someone or something wanted him to go outside. It was a strange sensation and yet he was still tempted to find the source. It was similar to the drive he felt when he approached a tomb steeped in riches. Deciding to go with his gut, the Thief King left his lodgings and walked down the empty village streets until he reached the outskirts of the area. He paused in his steps when he saw that he was at the boundary of a desert. What the hell was he doing? He was prepared to turn around and head back to his room when he felt an unnatural wind whip through his cloak and nearly forced him to his knees. He shut his eyes to prevent sand from seeping into them, but when they opened, he found that he was surrounded in utter darkness.

The young man reached out in front of him as if to see if he could grab hold of something. Anything. There was nothing. The wind stopped. The cold chill from the night air was gone. It was like he had stepped into an endless void.

'…Thief King…' a voice beckoned from the darkness. It sounded far away with no discernible distinction between male or female.

The startled man strained himself to hear the voice and headed in its direction. He walked forward with no sense of where he was going. It was like he was walking on air. There were no walls, floors, or ceilings. A normal human would have probably been scared out of his mind by this discovery, but being forced to live on the edge for so long… It would take much more than being trapped in nothingness to force him to lose his mind.

'…Bakura...' The voice was louder now.

The Thief King frowned. "Who are you?" he demanded out loud, still heading in the direction of the voice. How did the person know his actual name? It had been so long since he heard it spoken by someone else.

'…Bakura…! I will give you what you most desire…!'

As soon as Bakura heard these words, he was blinded by a bright light and squinted as his cloak was rattled once again by a strong gust of unnatural wind. He grunted, trying to stand his ground on what he presumed to be solid. He hardly had the time to argue back against those words because as soon as he could see again, he looked up into the eyes of what he thought was Osiris himself. Was this the underworld? He felt his Kaa pull out of his soul in an impulsive effort to protect his life.

It was the figure of a man who was not quite human in appearance. He wore black and dark red cloth that was symbolic of a wealthy individual or someone in royalty. His skin was nearly dark enough to match the black clothing that was on his back. However, what made him stand apart were his piercing red eyes and exposed skin that resembled more of a reptile than of a man. As soon as he spotted Bakura's pale expression, he grinned widely, revealing sharp canines. "…If you must know, this is not my true form…" he murmured. "I take on a different form depending on who I decide to call upon." His voice sounded more like layers of many voices that blended into one sound which further confused the Thief King.

Bakura's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the figure, already feeling great power from the being. Was he an Egyptian God? Somehow he felt that if it was indeed Osiris, he would not be standing at the moment. He felt the serphant's tail from his Diabound curve around his body like a transparent barrier. "What do you want from me?" he demanded, forcing anything that resembled fear out of his tone.

"I have no qualms with you," the figure hummed, amusement heard in the voice. "I actually would like to make a deal with you. One that would be very worth your time…"

"I don't make deals with people I don't know," Bakura growled, still weary of the being in front of him.

"Oh, how rude of me…" the entity mocked with a chuckle. "I go by many names, but you may call me Zorc Necrophades."

The Thief King halted at the name. Zorc? As in… the creator of the Shadows? "…What business would you have with me?" Why would a being only heard in legends want to speak with him? The circumstances of this visit made it too improbable for the man to be an imposter.

"You are aware that a new Pharoah has been placed on the throne as of a week ago?" Zorc began instead of directly answering him.

Bakura nodded but frowned instinctively. Who had not heard about it by this point in time? The entire countryside was up in arms about the succession of Pharoah Aknamkanon. "Answer my question." His voice grew stronger.

"Don't you want to know the truth about why your family had to die?"

The Thief King froze, Diabound disappearing in a flourish as his eyes widened. How the hell…?

"Seems that I've caught your interest…" Zorc said with a chuckle. His red eyes sparked with newfound amusement. He continued on when Bakura had no reply to those words. "Pharoah Aknamkanon ordered the slaughter of Kul Elna in order to summon my dark powers and create the Millennium Items."

"…Millennium Items…?" Bakura echoed. Honestly, he had figured out that Kul Elna's people were sacrificed for some reason. He just never figured out why it happened. Just as he asked the question, images of seven gold jewels appeared in his vision. He saw an eye, an ankh, an amulet, a ring, a tauk, a rod, and weight scales.

As he looked over the sacred items, Bakura wondered just what the previous Pharoah was thinking when he decided to slaughter his village. He knew that most of the people in the village were common murderers and thieves. They were all sent there as outcasts of society. However, that should have been the end of their punishment. Exile from the kingdom was bad enough since it only encouraged an even harsher living environment and a permanent entry into the bottom tier of the Egyptian caste system. Did the Pharoah suddenly grow bored of having a stained village on the outskirts of his city? Was it sacrificing for an invading army? Since Kul Elna was seen as a spec of dirt in the eyes of most Egyptians, it wasn't too much of a surprise to think that it would be the first city to go in the event of needing sacrifices. Blinking out of his thoughts, Bakura refocused his attention on Zorc.

"The spell required ninety nine sacrifices in order for these items to be made…" Zorc began. "The new Pharoah and his priests all possess these items for themselves… They made these items in order to 'protect' their subjects." The way "protect" was said clearly implied sarcasm.

Bakura's eyes narrowed at the man's words. Protect their kingdom by slaughtering the innocent? Yes, his village was home to thieves and criminals, but a good lot of them were women and children. The hypocrisy was as visible as the sun in the daytime sky.

"The spirits of your loved ones continue to haunt you, do they not?" Zorc continued, pausing in his explanation.

The Thief King narrowed his eyes impulsively. Did this person honestly expect him to open up and reveal his weaknesses? Before he could answer, he began to see wisps of transparent white light begin to form around his body. A swarm of them began to gather, each "face" complete with sunken black eyes. They began to wrap around his arms and legs, murmuring his name over and over. Bakura paled, not sure if he was hallucinating or seeing the real things. He wavered, falling to his knees as he tried to prevent himself from becoming physically ill. "S-stop this!" he commanded, his emotional control shattering as he looked up at Zorc with a pained expression on his face.

The God snickered at Bakura's misery. "I can give you the revenge you want… the power you desire to defeat the Pharoah and his family…" He then waved his hand, dismissing the spirits that continued to taunt the young thief. "As you are now, you cannot defeat the Pharoah and his Priests on your own…"

Bakura panted, moving slowly back onto his feet. Damn this bastard! He glared at Zorc, wondering if it was possible to kill a God. Still, part of him was curious. He did want to destroy the Pharoah for what happened to his family. He just never went for it because he knew that those damned Priests would kill him without much effort. "…How…?" he spoke quietly, hesitantly. "How…do I obtain this power?"

"You must obtain all seven Millennium Items," Zorc murmured, his tone growing serious. "Each item on its own gives the users unimaginable powers and if all seven of them are assembled, the user shall be bestowed the power to rule the entire world…"

The Thief King's eyes widened. They held that much power? He honestly didn't care much for world domination. He just wanted the Pharoah dead. Though… if he could usurp the throne… Who was to say that he couldn't become the new Pharoah and ruin an entire line of kings? He smirked at that thought.

After several moments of thought, he frowned. "How am I supposed to defeat all of the Priests if my Diabound cannot overpower any of them?"

Zorc gave a dark grin, exposing his canines. "I will be with you the entire step of the way… I will give you the powers you need to overcome their light…" he said with a chuckle.

Bakura blinked. He would gain incredible power just by agreeing to help this God? It was suspicious to him. "…What do you get out of it? What must I do for you in return?" There had to be a stipulation on this. There was no way that he would be able to gain this much ability from a God for free.

Zorc seemed obviously intrigued by the Thief King's suspicions and humored him. "Gather the seven items and place them in the Stone Tablet below Kul Elna…" he instructed. "Then I shall be revived in my true form and help you destroy everything that stands in your way."

Bakura couldn't help but smirk at the thought. All Zorc wanted was to be revived? It seemed simple enough if he was given the strength he desired. He was a Thief King after all. Stealing was what he was best at. "Interesting…" he trailed off before making up his mind. "I shall take you up on your offer."

The dark God grinned, pleased with this answer and gave another mocking bow. "I am pleased to make this contract with you, Thief King…" he chuckled.

Soon enough, another strong gust of wind blew through Bakura's cloak. The Thief King squint his eyes and shielded his face with his arms, watching as Zorc became transparent before him. His body then gave a large, involuntary shudder as the transparent figure moved through his body, passing directly through his chest. He suddenly felt a large tug against his soul before his eyes widened. His mouth opened in a silent scream, feeling an overflow of liquid fire coarse through his veins before falling forward. Unable to catch himself, he slipped into unconsciousness in the darkness.

xxxxx

Bakura didn't know if it was hours or days later, but when he finally woke up, he was face-down in the cot at the village inn. It was mid-day and the sun shone brightly into the room. He let out a muffled groan, sitting up slowly so as not to get dizzy. He felt like he had just been run over by a herd of horses. He swung his legs over the side of the cot, lifting his arms to make sure his gold was still in place. Satisfied with their places on his body, he grit his teeth as he tried to make sense of what happened.

Was he dreaming all of that? He held out his hands and looked down at the tanned calloused palms. And then he felt it. The tug on his soul. He flexed his fingers, feeling liquid warmth he had never experienced coarse over him. No, that wasn't a dream. This power he felt was not his own.

As if to emphasize this point, a familiar voice sounded in his mind. 'I see that you're enjoying the strength I have given you…? Now you will be able to face down any Priest that stands in your way…' Bakura could practically hear the grin in the voice.

The Thief King was oddly calm upon figuring out that Zorc had somehow fused part of himself inside of his body. He was too distracted by this newfound confidence and power he had throughout his body. He just knew that somehow he had enough power to defeat anyone who opposed him. The corners of his lips twitched upwards into a smirk as a small chuckle rumbled through his throat. Eventually, the smirk turned into a grin moments later as the chuckle became a full out laugh. His facial features darkened, a twisted idea coming to mind. "Zorc, I believe I have the perfect way to pay our dear Pharoah a visit…" he spoke out loud. He rose up from his cot, making sure his items were in place. Not waiting for an answer, he continued, "We're going to take a little visit to his father's tomb in order to bring him a nice present…" The way he spoke out "present" indicated that it was a sinister joke that only he and his partner understood. "It would be rather rude to make a grand entrance empty handed, wouldn't you agree?"

Bakura's grin returned, his spirits rose as he laughed again. Now having clear direction on what he was going to do next, he began his plotting. He walked out of the inn, ignoring the odd looks he garnered. The Pharoah was going to die and he would take over as ruler of all of Egypt. It was the perfect plan of revenge for his fallen people. He was prepared to drown the entire country in blood if that was what it took to get what he wanted.

As he headed towards his next destination, he had no regrets on selling his soul for power. He was going to force his name into history and his first step towards it started today.

A/N: Just to avoid confusion, no this isn't going to be a fic about Thief King Bakura and Ryou. This fic will revolve around Zorc, Bakura, and Ryou so I thought it would be important to establish how Zorc and Bakura first met.

Since this is my first Yu-Gi-Oh! Fic, I'd love some feedback! Please review!

Ja ne!