"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways."
~Buddha
Soft gentle breathing brushing across the darkness; sullen, yet still loudly present like distant waves crashing along a shore. Eyes danced beneath weary lids, listening to the sound of sleep and dreams.
But was she not also in a dream?
Would the colors be vivid or the usual fog of blurred thoughts?
Hesitant eyelids slowly lifted and an unfamiliar room unfolded before Destiny's gaze.
White walls, blue curtains, grey carpet.
Plain and neat.
Where was she?
Destiny rolled her shoulders to find they hurt, her legs and arms she could not feel.
She was suspended, helpless, and within another's soul.
She could feel the presence of said soul beside her, ensnared in the web of gentle, careless, blissful sleep.
Feel his warm dreams press against her own chest like a small sun.
Her hand crept like a stalking spider across white sheets and blue pillows to brush another's wrist. Her eyes shifted and her head nudged, weighed from exhaustion and confusion.
Through these small movements, his face is visible.
A boy of eleven lay beside Destiny, calm with stillness, lost in sleep.
Ghostly pale and frail looking; like a wisp of steam. Long white hair cascaded around the face like falling snow, collecting in drifts just at his shoulders.
The boy smiled from his dream.
Young and handsome, completely unaware of the presence beside him; so close yet so far apart, Destiny's hand passed through the wrist.
She was cold, like ice or the snowy hair.
The boy's brow knitted together. He did not like the cold disturbing his warmth.
Destiny removed her hand but she had already pulled him from the waters of subconscious and the boy's eyes drifted open, clouded with the last shards of night but they soon grew aware.
Deep brown eyes, like melted chocolate.
Eyes that were pleasant and as warm as his dreams and his gentle breathing but Destiny's body had gone rigid with frozen fear.
They are Takashi Bakura's eyes.
The boy rolled onto his side and stared right through Destiny, who cannot stop staring into those eyes.
Shifting into a sitting position, the boy runs his hand directly through Destiny's forehead so as to draw back the sky colored curtains.
While Destiny draws back the urge to scream.
With the curtains back and streams of golden light embracing the empty walls, the boy sat up, stretched, and hopped off the bed. Destiny felt the tickle of his hair brush her cheek like a faint whisper, it soft like silk and smelled of mint.
The boy crossed the room in his socked feet and went to the drawer where he began extracting jeans and a t-shirt.
Laying the clothes out neatly on the bed, the boy yanked off his pajama shirt. Destiny felt heat creep up her face and she quickly ducked down on the bed, burying her face in the boy's pillow. She waited a long time to be safe before finally emerging again to see the boy attempting to run a brush through his thick mane of pure white hair.
Destiny marveled at it. She couldn't help it. It was like cotton, and vanilla ice cream, and snow banks, and sea foam.
He must be half albino, Destiny thought, hair isn't usually like that.
"Stupid hair" the boy muttered, hissing through gritted teeth as he attacked a particularly tight knot.
Destiny raised an eyebrow. He had a rather thick British accent, and it made his words roll from his lips, pleasant and smooth; like butter melting in a pan.
Finally, he gave up on the hair. Setting the brush down on his dresser, the boy surveyed his reflection in the mirror.
To Destiny, he looked ordinary enough and yet…
Oh geez, he's leaving the room!
Destiny leapt up from her reclining position on the bed and sprinted across the room, just barely making it before the boy closed the door.
Destiny knew she could probably float through solid walls but she didn't want to take any chances.
The boy strode down a short hallway with his hands jammed into the pockets of his worn jeans.
Destiny really wanted to touch his hair, run her fingers through it. It looked like so much fun to play with.
Destiny stopped in the middle of the hallway.
That was a weird comment.
The boy entered a small kitchen and fumbled through several cabinets; gathering up a bowl, spoon, a box of cereal, and, with a quick trip to the fridge, added a carton of milk to the mix.
As the boy prepared his breakfast, Destiny stared around her. There was the hall that led to his bedroom as well as a bathroom and one other room. A quick glance in the latter told her that it was an adult's room but it didn't look lived in for weeks. There was a fine film of silvery dust trailing patterns across every object in the room.
The door at the other end of the kitchen seemed to lead to a living room; this was also empty.
Slightly startled, Destiny realized that this boy was all alone in the apartment, and probably had been for a long time.
Destiny crossed the room and hovered over the boy as he munched away at his cereal staring blankly off into space.
Cautiously, Destiny reached out and brushed the top of the boy's head.
Again the boy stiffened, as the cold returned; slipping down his back like melting ice cubes.
"Drafty in here" the boy whispered, shifting slightly in his seat in an attempt to conserve his body heat.
Destiny quickly withdrew her hand.
The space of a sigh passed before the chimes of a doorbell shattered the lonely silence.
Both Destiny and the boy jumped about a foot in the air.
"'Coming" the boy called, half tripping over his chair as he hurried towards the door, with Destiny close behind.
The boy opened the door to reveal a slightly breathless delivery man.
"Hey kid, I'm looking for a Ryou Bakura" the man said, adjusting his package from one hand to the other.
"Well you're looking right at him" Ryou Bakura said with a pleasant smile.
"Oh" the man replied, flushing slightly "my apologies, here you go" he added, thrusting the package into Ryou's hands.
"Thanks" Ryou said politely "I bet it's a present from my father" he added, gazing down at the box.
"You need to sign this" the man said bluntly, handing Ryou a clip board and pen.
"Right" Ryou muttered, setting the box down on the floor and quickly scribbling his name across the page.
"Well, have a nice day kid" the delivery man said with a slight wave before turning on his heel and heading down the hall towards an elevator.
So they were in an apartment.
"Bye" Ryou called as he closed the door.
He then turned back to the box "I wonder what this could be" he exclaimed as he heaved the box onto the coffee table.
Three guesses, Destiny thought sarcastically.
Ryou disappeared into the kitchen for a moment; coming back, soon after, with a box cuter.
As he poised it above the box, Destiny felt her breath catch in her throat, Takashi's voice echoed in her mind
"I'm going to give it to my son as a birthday present."
Destiny didn't understand her anxiety as she watched Ryou open the box and begin riffling through the pink packing peanuts.
What was it about this Item that made her so nervous?
"Wow" Ryou suddenly cried and Destiny leapt out of her shoes.
She stared at the white haired boy as he gently extracted the Millennium Ring from the depths of the box, holding it as gingerly as though it was made of glass.
"This is incredible dad" Ryou whispered as though his father could hear him somehow, although he was miles away in Egypt.
Ryou set the Ring down beside the box and then reached into it again to find a small tattered note.
Creepy Ring, Destiny thought as she watched the Item gleam from its place on the table.
She glanced back at Ryou to see him reading the note most likely from his father.
Closing her eyes, Destiny stretched her mind hands further into Ryou's soul and, when she reopened her eyes, she found that she was looking directly through Ryou's eyes and down at the note.
It said the following:
Dear Ryou,
Sorry I couldn't be home for your birthday, I hope this makes up for it. I know how interested you are in all of my findings and this one is particularly fascinating; it's called the Millennium Ring and it's supposedly five thousand years old.
It's one of a kind, just like you.
Happy Birthday, son
I love you
Dad.
"Millennium Ring, huh?" Ryou asked to no one in particular, glancing down at the Item as he set the note aside.
Destiny extracted herself from Ryou's direct point of view and returned to viewing him from the side.
She bit her lip as she glanced down at the Ring once more.
Ryou slowly reached down and grasped the Ring once more and held it close cradling it in his skinny arms.
"Simply amazing, beautiful" Ryou whispered as he gazed down at the Ring, stroking its surface lovingly.
Destiny did have to admit: like all of the Items, the Millennium Ring was flawlessly gorgeous; a true Egyptian treasure.
"It's warm" Ryou observed as his fingers continued to caress the Ring "like a stone that's been lying in the sun."
Destiny's stomach flip-flopped at this remark.
So it doesn't hurt him either? Destiny thought, instead it feels pleasant to him?
Again, Destiny felt that reasonless fear.
Ryou turned the Millennium Ring over in his fingers, smiling down upon it all the time like a sports player holding a prize trophy.
"It appears you can wear it as a necklace" Ryou observed, trailing his finger over a loop at the top of the Ring.
Destiny raised an eyebrow.
The boy gazed around the room and then, quickly crossed it, over to a set of drawers below a silver trimmed mirror. Riffling through the top drawer for a few seconds, he finally extracted a piece of thick rope.
"This ought to do it" Ryou exclaimed as he looped the rope through the Ring's hole, he then held it up.
"Perfect" he whispered before draping it against his chest and tying the knot at the end to seal its position around his neck.
It hung off the boy's shoulders like an absurdly large pendent.
However, once the Ring came to rest against the boy's chest, Ryou's face went chalk white and his eyes widened in strained surprise.
Destiny yelped in shock as Ryou's knees buckled from apparent exhaustion and he halfway sank to the floor. Only by gripping the corners of the drawer was he able to keep himself upright.
"Heavier than it looks" Ryou whispered breathlessly, slightly shaken as he gave his reflection a strained smile.
Destiny could see sweat trickle down his cheek.
"Maybe it's not meant to be worn as a necklace" Ryou muttered as he unwound the Ring from his neck and placed it on the table once more, instantly straightening up as he did so.
Yes, that's it, Destiny thought, now chuck that creepy Ring!
But there was no way Ryou could hear her.
Destiny gazed at the Ring as Ryou gathered up the box and returned to the kitchen most likely to dispose of it. Once he was out of sight, Destiny slowly strolled over to the drawers, where the Ring was resting, and apprehensively reached towards it.
Being nothing more than a bodiless soul, Destiny's hand passed straight through the Item but she still felt that searing warmth against her 'pretend' skin.
Destiny whipped around as Ryou reentered the room; he made a move to sit down on the couch but stopped when his eye caught the Millennium Ring's gleam.
He paused in a half sitting position and stared transfixed at the Ring and then, as though hypnotized, slowly rose to his feet and strode over to the Ring once more.
"What are you doing?" Destiny screamed as she sidestepped so that Ryou wouldn't reach through her again. But, of course, Ryou Bakura paid her no mind.
He instead reached down and, once again, ran his fingers across the Ring, like he was stroking a beloved pet.
"Beautiful" he whispered in a tone of awe.
Then, he grasped the rope, now coiled around the Ring like a snake, and gently slipped it around his neck once more.
"Don't-"Destiny cried, reaching out to him but her fingers just slipped right through and this time Ryou did not even notice her icy touch.
His posture had dipped with fatigue, once more, but he had a better handle on it this time as he once again gripped the edge of the table.
Ryou gazed up at the mirror admiring the Ring's reflection.
"Strangely captivating" Ryou murmured as he trailed his fingers across the Ring's five sharpened tassels.
But Ryou suddenly drew his hand back with a slight gasp of pain, holding up his finger Destiny could see a thin rivet of blood trickling from a perfect wound the size of a pin head.
Destiny let out a strained whimper.
Ryou gazed at his cut as though he'd never seen blood before and then turned back to his reflection which showed his face with a slightly bemused expression.
Destiny's brow furrowed. Why was he amused by the Ring pricking his finger?
But, when she turned to look at Ryou, as she was now standing beside him, she saw that his face had gone even paler then before and it was not as amused as the reflection, it was afraid.
Destiny gasped and then whipped her head back to the reflection which was now smiling, no smirking back to Ryou.
Ryou's jaw dropped and he suddenly winced once more and grabbed at his chest where the Ring had begun to glow gold like that of Pegasus's Millennium Eye.
Destiny stared, rooted to the spot, too terrified to move and completely helpless even if she wasn't.
The reflection's smirk widened and it cocked its face to the side like a confused dog but still retaining that sickeningly pleased expression.
It was Ryou's face, and yet it wasn't.
Ryou buckled with a mixed cry of pain and alarm as the Ring's glow brightened and he fell to his knees before the mirror with his repulsive twin, who did not follow his movements, but rather towered over the boy, crossing his arms over his chest. A smile broke to show slightly sharpened teeth.
The reflection's eyes flashed to a bright crimson red while Ryou's own milk chocolate irises swam with pure terror.
Then the reflection laughed, a sick, twisted, cackle, which reeked of pure insanity. It was harsh and loud and terrible and it grated across Destiny's skin like needles or a cold breeze, like the freezing aura of the Millennium Ring.
Ryou screamed and the reflection laughed.
Destiny screamed and the reflection laughed harder.
Two pairs of hands flew to their owner's ears.
Two screams shattered the early morning tranquility.
Two screams that blurred into one as the world dissolved.
Pure terror; that blurred like the room; shifting across two locations, stretching through two distant souls.
And then there was only one scream and Destiny Pegasus sat bolt upright in a sweaty nest of tangled sheets with a feeling of fire in her chest and the laugh still echoing plainly through her head.