Title: Control

By: KuroSakura-chan

Summary: Ryou and the others thought it was bad when the Shadows dropped them into Middle Earth. But when Bakura's kleptomania acts up, and he steals the One Ring, things get decidedly worse.

Category: Lord of the Rings/Yu-Gi-Oh!

Genre: Angst, Drama, Romance

Couples: Seto/Bakura, Seto/Yami, Marik/Ryou, Malik/Otogi, ?/Bakura,

Warning: Swearing, Yaoi,

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor do I own Lord of the Rings, though I own several copies of each book, have read them all, have seen all the movies, have several Legolas posters, and generally am an all-around nerd when it comes to it.

A/N: So you all are aware, Control is a fic that I have to write out completely before it gets posted. Thus, it might take awhile, as I am notorious for not being able to spend more than an hour working on one thing, and thus, I switch. Please understand.

-Otogi-

"This is insane." Seto says, shaking his head.

"Seto is right." Yami adds from beside Seto. "You expect us to believe that the Tomb Robber has a magical ring of invisibility? How absurd."

"Really?" I murmur, only half paying attention to the conversation. 'Strider's' story is a lot to take in. "Bakura has The Ring, you, The Puzzle, Malik, The Rod, and you think a magical ring of invisibility is absurd? Need I remind you that you are a several thousand-year-dead Pharaoh inhabiting the body of a much too-short recent high-school graduate?"

"We also play a children's card game for the fate of the world." Jou ventures quietly, drawing a surprised look from Marik and a glare from Yami. "Well, we do..." He says quietly, shifting under Yami's glare.

"You're right, we do. So, how can we find this that weird?" Marik shrugs, turning back to Strider. "So, does this ring 'Kura has have a limit on time it can be used, or a way to track it?"

Strider looks thoughtful for a moment. "I've never worn it, so I don't know much more than you, really. As far as I know, the only reason to stop wearing it and ways to track it are one and the same. When someone wears the Ring, Sauron can see it and its bearer. Also, Sauron's minions, the Ringwraiths can track it."

I shake my head. "Those won't mean anything to Bakura."

"How about the Ring having a will of its own with which it will take over its bearer's mind?" Strider snaps.

Marik starts laughing at that, and I admit I cannot help but begin chuckling. Even Seto seems amused at the idea. I'm the first to calm, but I wait until Marik finishes, which only happens because he loses his breath, to respond. "Bakura's mind is, and always will be, his own. He's too smart, and stubborn, to give up his mental faculties."

"Even I have to agree there." Yami says, sighing as though very put-upon. "The Tomb Robber is certainly too stubborn to lose his mind to a gold trinket. He is, after all, already insane."

"Says the guy who mind-crushed a janitor..." Jounochi mutters, faking a cough when Yami glares over at him. Honda gives Jou a look and takes one step closer to Yami, which I find interesting. Jou notices my careful watching and shrugs imperceptibly.

I move my attention back to the serious matter as Strider shakes his head. "Well, I don't suppose any of you have a way to track him, do you?"

"Funny you should mention that..." Marik starts. He pulls the Rod from his back pocket. "See, Bakura has one of these. Except his is a Ring."

"That thing he wore around his neck?"

"Yeah. Well, they all have abilities. The irony is that the one person we almost always want to track is the one who has the Item with tracking abilities." Marik explains, and Strider sits in silence.

I know what he's thinking, I'm sure. How do we find Bakura, a master thief, when he can't be tracked magically? And it is a very good question. One I can't even begin to think of an answer to because we can't even guess where he's going. We don't know this world, none of us. Bakura is probably just wandering the wilderness, using his survival skills from when he was the Thief King, trying to put some distance between himself and Seto.

"How typical. He gets us into this mess, then leaves. I say we stay put and wait for him to come back, tail between his legs, when he can't find a way back." Yami finally says, shrugging. "You can retrieve your trinket, and we can force him to tell us how this happened."

Marik's eyes flash, and he opens his mouth, but Seto beats him to it. "That won't work. Bakura has survival skill and a streak of rage in him that can keep him from returning for months, if at all." The tall CEO stands, wincing slightly as he does.

"And the Ringwraiths will be back tonight. They know the Ring was used here twice tonight, and they will be hunting my companions until they learn of its new bearer. Your friend will not have been able to get through the gates tonight. I suggest that, if you all wish to find him, you come with us to Rivendell first." Strider stands as well, coming to about the same height as Seto. He and Seto eye each other for a minute before Strider turns and leaves.

Yami leans back on his hands. "I don't trust him, nor do I plan to leave here. Bakura isn't as smart as you all seem to think."

"Good luck paying for the room. I'm going to find him and Ryou." Marik says, glaring darkly at Yami. "Besides, we all know this is your fault, Pharaoh." He holds a hand out to me, which I take, and we walk out. As we go, I touch Jou lightly on the arm, and he turns and follows us without a word.

"Has something been going on, Jounochi?" I asked the silent, trailing figure behind Marik and I. He just shrugs. "Now, come on. You can tell us."

Jou sighs, but stays silent. I've just about given up on an answer when he speaks. "I have to work, you know? I can't spend all of my time playing a kids' game anymore, you know? I moved out on my own and everything, and..." He trails off, looking embarrassed.

"We understand, Jounochi. Ryou, Marik, Malik, and Bakura all have part-time jobs while I manage my stores. Life isn't a walk in the park." I say, reaching back to pat his arm.

"Wait, Ryou and Malik work too? I mean, I've seen Bakura and Marik working. You're a bouncer, right?" Jou looks up at Marik, who nods.

"'Kura bounces and dances as well as bar tends. He gets bored if they leave him in one position too long, so he rotates. Malik's a dancer. I'm surprised you didn't know. You were there one of the nights he worked." Marik grins as Jou flushes.

"So, er, what does Ryou do?" Jou asks faintly, and his eyes seem to be begging for it to be a "normal" profession.

"Watches the Kaiba brat and works at a flower shop." Marik answers. The relief on Jou's face is nearly laughable.

"What do you do?" I ask, curiosity winning over planning.

"I work part-time as a cashier and mechanic..." Jounochi mumbles.

"Don't be embarrassed. Work is work, you know?" I say, shrugging. "And if you ever find yourself in need of a place to work-"

"I don't need charity." Jounochi snaps.

"It isn't. You're known as a good player, Jounochi. It would be good for my stores to have you. This is a business decision, not a handout." I reply sharply.

"You're both forgetting that we need to get back first." Marik says. Bakura, or rather Ryou probably, has been rubbing off on him. While still far too insane to really be allowed in society, Marik has calmed down and started to think, to plan.

"So..." Jou starts, looking nervous about something. "Bakura really didn't do this?"

Marik shakes his head. "Ryou, Malik, Otogi, and Mokuba were playing poker. Say what you will about Bakura, but he will not put Mokuba in danger. Not for anything. And I won't put Ryou, Malik, or Otogi into it if I can help it. That leaves the Pharaoh."

Jou curses under his breath. "No offense, but if that's the case, why are Kaiba, Honda, and I here for?"

Marik and I glance at each other. He shrugs, and I sigh. "Yami is rather vindictive, as I'm sure you're seen. He's calmed down, but when Bakura is involved with a situation, he loses his calm." I begin, and Jou nods in acknowledgement and impatience. "Now, Bakura has been worryingly behaved when it comes to the Pharaoh...except where Kaiba is involved. In his growing anger over Kaiba's continued affair with Bakura, every little annoyance has likely been thrown into this giant ball of hate. Something probably threw another piece of lint on the ball, and it went up in flames."

"So...I'm here because my need to survive mildly annoys Yami and Kaiba and Bakura's fucking drove him to the breaking point?"

"Basically." Marik confirms.

"Huh. Well. One last question, then. Why a piece of lint?" Jou asks, looking at me oddly.

I shrug. "Lint is very flammable."

Jou opens his mouth, likely to ask more, but Marik motions for us both to be quiet. His head is cocked, and I think he is listening to something. He confirms this by stepping beside a door and waving us over. I press in close next to him, and Jou stays a bit away as a lookout.

"-am the real Strider, fortunately. I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn; and if by life or death I can save you, I will." Strider, no, Aragorn, says through the door.

"We must get the Ring back from that evil man!" Someone else says, sounding panicked.

"Quiet, lest you bring the inn upon us!" Aragorn says in a harsh whisper. "We will retrieve the Ring, after I take you to Rivendell. And the man is not evil, just driven by impulse and anger. He meant no harm."

We move away from the door and a ways down the hall before Marik turns to me, shaking his head. "We never said that."

"I know." I sigh. "Let's find a place to sleep. We're going to need it." As we walked slowly back to our room, a small person ran by me, but we did not investigate. It wasn't our problem.

A/N: So, I've found writing at work helps me get shit done. So, yeah. Work=more chapters. Imagine that, ne? R&R, please.