(A/N:) Hi there! *waves* So this is my first fic posted up here. Yippee. *rolls eyes* I originally posted this on dA, so no, it is not plagiarized.
I wrote this who knows how long ago, so it's kinda crappy. :P Hope you enjoy it anyway.
It was pitch-black.
It was so dark, you wondered if you even existed. A suffocating sort of darkness; one that made you feel like you could get sucked into it at any moment.
Brown eyes fluttered open, its first sight being this darkness. Seeing that nothing was coming into focus, the startled figure abruptly sat up. Ryo's eyes darted around for some sort of dim light, but there was nothing. All he could see was the endless black. Looking down, Ryo saw there was no visible flooring beneath him, either. Was he floating? It didn't seem like it.
The white-haired teenager stood up slowly, shakily. Where was he? Why was he in this place?
Suddenly, a cackling laughter rang in his ears.
Ryo's brown eyes widened in fear and surprise. He recognized that laugh—he had heard it before. But wasn't it just all in his head...?
"Don't seem so shocked to hear from me," the voice said. Ryo looked all around him, almost frantically, trying to find where the voice was coming from. So many times he had heard that voice, but never had seen the owner.
"A voice...," Ryo barely whispered.
"That's right...," the voice said in a realizing sort of tone. "You still don't quite know who I am, do you...?"
The teenager gulped and shook his head hesitantly. He didn't like the sound of this voice at all—it made his spine shiver and played games with his head.
"Hm, I suppose I'll show myself. Besides, that would be just be oh-so rude to my respected landlord if I didn't, wouldn't it?"
Ryo could sense a smirk in the owner's tone. But..."Landlord?" Ryo questioned out loud.
"Exactly," the voice said. Suddenly, the darkness surrounding Ryo materialized into something else. Ryo found himself in a room only seconds later.
The sight of the room was unfamiliar, but the feeling was familiar—too familiar for Ryo's liking. Why did he feel at home in this room...?
Glancing around, he observed the room silently to himself. It was nearly empty—nothing being on the walls. On the floor were scattered Duel Monsters cards, where only one card was face-up: The Change of Heart. Sitting on the opposite side of the room was a small desk and lamp. A pen and paper sat idly on the desk, as if awaiting for the writer to return to their current work. Next to the pen and paper was a picture frame of a young girl, with looks seemingly similar to Ryo's.
The door of the room creaked open, making Ryo jump. Ryo's eyes darted to the intruder, and he made small gasp when he saw him.
The one standing across from Ryo looked very similar to Ryo, but his hair was much wilder, unlike Ryo's more neatly arranged curls. The almost-look-alike had smaller eyes, and had a bloodthirsty yearn in them; unlike Ryo's, whose were shining with innocence.
Ryo took a moment to stare at the man, mouth slightly hanging open. "Are...," he managed to stumble out. "...Are you...the owner of that voice?"
The man gave a low chuckle and leered. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Of course, my landlord," he responded.
"Who…who are you?"
"Well, my real name is of question, but if you want to make it simple, you may call me what your…friends seem to refer to me as…'Bakura.'"
"My family name…?" Ryo tilted his head to the side slightly.
"Appears so, my landlord."
"Landlord...," Ryo mumbled. "Why do you call me that?"
"It's simple," Bakura replied, arms dropping to his sides. "I am the spirit residing in both you and that Millennium Ring you own—therefore you are my landlord, or host if you wish if you wish to call it that." The spirit took a step closer to the teenager.
Ryo tried to ignore the spirit trying to get closer to him. He knew he was just trying to intimidate him. "So, you're...a spirit."
"That is correct." Another step forward.
One small step back. "And I'm your...'host.'"
"Exactly." Two steps forward.
One step back. Ryo was afraid he'd be cornered to the wall at this point. "But...why me? Why do I have to be the one to...?"
The spirit mused at this question. "I don't know…," the spirit responded. "From the looks of it all, it seems to all rely on destiny. It is destiny that my spirit resides in your body, and that you own the Millennium Ring…Just as it is destiny that your so-called friend, Yugi, was to finish putting together the Millennium Puzzle and have the nameless pharaoh residing in his body…" Bakura looked up and down at the boy. "It's such a pity though…someone like me being put into a weak body like yours…" Bakura's eyes narrowed.
Ryo fidgeted a little under the spirit's glare.
"I don't care too much, since you're simply a tool—the vessel that allows me to exist in this world. Still, it bothers me that I'm stuck in such a weak body…" Bakura put one hand on his hip, hardening his glare.
"I'm…I'm not so weak…" Ryo gulped.
The spirit chuckled. "Oh, is that true, my host…?" A twisted smirk spread on his face as he stepped closer and closer to the younger boy. Ryo was too frightened by the look on the spirit's face to move at this point. Besides, he knew he was probably only a foot or two away from the wall behind him, anyway.
"I wouldn't be so sure," Bakura continued. He was only inches away now. "Do I not recall your childhood?"
Ryo bit his lower lip. "What…What about my childhood?"
"You were quite lonely…" Bakura still had his smirk plastered on his face. The spirit stepped to Ryo's side and continued walking, now circling him as if Ryo was his prey. Bakura was just as tall as the teenager. "They all teased you and excluded you…Quite cruel of them, no? Aren't you glad I helped you get rid of them?"
"That was you?!" Ryo whipped around, facing the spirit. He flinched back a little when he saw the spirit's face. Bakura was frowning, eyes narrowed at his host's reaction.
"I thought you'd be grateful, respected landlord," he replied calmly. He walked past his vessel, standing behind him. "No one teased you afterwards, no one hurt you afterwards. Am I not right?" The corner of the spirit's mouth twitched.
Ryo followed the spirit, so that he was facing him and his back was facing the wall again. "But everyone…everyone stayed away from me even more! They were scared of me! I was…" Ryo's head bowed. "I was…even more…"
"Alone?" Bakura finished the boy's sentence.
Ryo bit his lower lip again, and clenched his hands into fists. He held back the tears, trying not to let the loneliness he experienced in the past overcome him. "I had to transfer…so many times…until eventually…I was living alone, away from my family…" The tears flooded even more. Don't cry, Ryo thought to himself. Prove that you're not as weak as he thinks…
Bakura could clearly see what his host was trying to do. His canines bared as his mouth pulled into a cruel grimace. Oh, such a sadist the spirit was…
Ryo pulled himself together, successfully holding back his tears. He looked up again, and the spirit raised his eyebrow at the teenager's now confident aura.
"That's enough about me," Ryo stated. "What matters is why you're here."
"Hmph," Bakura crossed his arms. "I have a goal," he simply stated. "And to achieve that goal, I must exist here. I must get rid of anyone in my way in order to achieve this desired goal."
"And…what goal would that be, exactly?" Ryo questioned.
"Heh," Bakura scoffed. "You'd like to know, wouldn't you…?" Bakura leaned into the boy's face, menacingly. "I plan to obtain a power. A power so great, it seems unimaginable to you pathetic humans."
"A…p-power…?" A drip of sweat ran down the side of Ryo's face.
"That's right," Bakura smirked.
"Wh…what kind of power…exactly…?" Ryo was afraid the spirit was going to do something to him, now that he was within distance.
"Why, the power of darkness of course," Bakura plainly stated. "Being the darkness myself…it only makes sense that I gain this power, isn't it?" Another cruel grimace spread on his face. "As I said, I'll destroy anyone in my way to gain this power…even your little friends." The spirit paused. "I expect you to help me in my quest."
Ryo swallowed hard. "I-I...I don't want to help…," he responded quietly.
A chuckle. "As if you have a choice, my host."
Without warning, the spirit's hand met the boy's neck, slamming the teenager's back to the wall. Ryo gave a small cry of pain on the impact, but it was interrupted by the spirit's grip tightening around the teenager's neck.
Ryo struggled within Bakura's grasp, even though he knew it was futile. The spirit smirked at his suffering host, and threateningly leaned into his ear. "You have no idea what you're in for, now."
Ryo felt a nail dig into his neck, and warm liquid run down. The grip on his neck tightened, and he could feel the air escaping his lips.
Ryo sat up abruptly in his bed, panting and sweat running down his face. He held up his shaky hands, staring at them wide-eyed.
It was just a dream…
The white-haired boy gave a small sigh of relief, and buried his face in his hands. After a few moments, he glanced over at the Millennium Ring, sitting on his nightstand. His brown eyes remained locked on it, half-expecting for it to do something. About five minutes passed, and Ryo decided to just let it go. His eyes drifted over to the alarm clock, and he groaned a little. He only had about ten minutes until he had to leave for school…
Bakura overlooked his host, who was running down the street, on his way to school.
Of course, I'd never hurt him purposely. His arms were crossed over his chest. He is my vessel, and I need him if I want to collect all seven of the items…
His host turned a corner, nearly tripping over a small crack. Bakura scoffed at his clumsiness. No harm in messing with him within his dreams, however…It's not his physical being.
Hmm? Bakura raised his eyes when he saw his host greet his friends at the school gate. The spirit's eyes narrowed a bit at the tri-colored-haired boy smiling at his host.
Just you wait, Yugi. I'll destroy you and that pharaoh someday…
His host laughed happily as he talked among his friends, and at this, Bakura smirked.
Enjoy this all while you can…the world will soon be engulfed in my darkness…