Pairing: None. (I probably lost half my readers.)
Summary: There was more than one place for a thief to hide.
Warnings: Mentions death, blood, killing, etc. etc., the usual.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, the characters, etc.
Comments:Originally written for the week 3 prompt, "Disguise" at yugioh_contest on LJ. This was actually an idea that spiralled out of control, so there's only a fraction of the original intent left in here. I much prefer this to the first silly thing, though. And, oh my god, it's a gen fic, with no pairing. I sincerely hope this doesn't deter you from reading.
He looked down at the sleeping body. Eyes closed, mouth open slightly, head tilted to one side and arms resting across his chest. Every breath was amplified to the spirit. Every small sound was just another painful reminder of what he had become: a mere parasite, unable to do anything on its own.
He had been the King of Thieves in his lifetime. Anything and everything he wanted was at his fingertips, ready for the taking. The entire world was available to him whenever he wanted it. He could thieve, kill, do anything he wanted and not get caught. All he needed was the cover of darkness and the aid of the shadows and he was free.
But then he had died.
Death had its advantages, at times: he no longer had to think about the trivial details of anything. He could rest without worrying that someone could come up behind him in the night and take what they wanted of him -- his life, his power, anything -- before he even realized what was there. The shadows were not exclusively his to control; they were unpredictable, full of danger; anyone could be taken in and protected by them, but not everyone could master them like he did.
Bakura scoffed. "And now?" He hissed, to nobody in particular (though he liked to think the boy's body could hear him). "I am the Darkness."
It was only too late that the spirit had realized what being one of the Shadows truly meant: He was not invincible. He could no longer hide in the darkness, but only hide others in it. At first, he'd known it only to be a frustration. Now, however...
"Things change, don't they, Landlord?"
He laughed. When one couldn't hide in the darkness, they simple had to find another hiding place. The light gave little cover for thieves. But what he hadn't had, again, Bakura managed to grasp and pull to his side. It had taken a long time to adjust to the light, but when he did, he found it infinitely more pleasurable and useful than he had the Darkness.
He'd waited, and fate had at last presented itself.
When Yuugi and his friends were near, the spirit knew he couldn't make an appearance. But his host... the light that he had taken refuge in... he had their trust. He was the one close enough to tear the Millennium Puzzle from Yuugi's neck. He had manipulated them without even realizing it.
"Bakura-kun," Yuugi would say, "Would you like to come out with us this afternoon?"
And the Spirit would smile, eyes wide and voice sincere. "Yes, Yuugi-kun," he would say. "I would be happy to."
And then he would wait.
Bakura stepped forward and touched the Ring lightly grasped in his Host's hands.
"I suppose I can use you a little longer."
Review if you liked, review if you didn't, please. I love constructive criticism and feedback.