Demon Lineage

By Kkwy-chan

"Speech"

Thoughts

- Song lyrics-

/Telepathy/

I don't own anything you recognize.

Starting the story now –

-Why does it feel like night today?
Something in here's not right today
Why am I so uptight today?-

"Has he been hurting you?" The once- pharaoh's words haunted Ryou's mind, forcing him to remember a time best left forgotten.

The day he met Ba-Khu-Ra; The day he first cut himself; the day his life was ripped apart.

It had been a miserable time for the young hikari.

Cold,

Dark,

Lonely.

-Paranoia's all I got left
I don't know what stressed me first
or how the pressure was fed-

Forced to move from place to place. Anyone who got close to him was ripped away by the crimson-eyed yami's "games".

Even when he moved to Domino, his "friends" knew him as:

Bakura;

The quiet one in the corner;

The nerd;

The albino; or worst of all,

The Tomb Robber's host.

-But I know just what it feels like

To have a voice in the back of my head-

Around that time, the spirit started to beat him. Barely a day went by when Ryou didn't have a new bruise or cut to hide from teachers and "friends".

The sad hikari would sit at the back of the classroom and pray that someone would notice him.

But no one ever did.

-It's like a face that I hold inside
a face that awakes when I close my eyes-

Even so, Ryou would not allow himself to cry.

Sometimes he wished he hadn't.

His hand wandered to his wrist, where raised scars ran across his skin.

-A face watches every time I lie
a face that laughs every time I fall
(And watches everything) -

One day changed it all.

-So I know that when it's time to sink or swim
that the face inside is hearing me /

Right beneath my skin –

Flashback --

The spirit of the Sennen Ring had gone out with Malik. (Not like that, you perv.)

Ryou sat on the floor in the front hall. He sat staring at the knife in his hand.

It was a simple knife, with a wooden handle and straight, silver blade. Simple.

Simple.

It would be simple to end it all right now.

Simple.

-It's like I'm / paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a / whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I / can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin-

Better do it quick before Bakura returned.

He ran the blade across his skin. A red line followed the knife's movement.

Ryou felt control.

He felt free.

-I know I've got a face in me
points out all the mistakes to me
You've got a face on the inside too and
Your paranoia's probably worse -

The bloodied hikari collapsed with a triumphant smile on his lips.

Crimson liquid ran down his arm.

Later, Bakura and Malik found him lying in a puddle of his own blood.

-I don't know what set me off first but I know what I can't stand
Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is
I can't add up to what you can but
Everybody has a face that they hold inside
A face that awakes when they close their eyes
A face watches every time they lie
A face that laughs every time they fall
(And watches everything) -

Ryou almost tasted the sweet oblivion of Death that day.

Bakura never hurt Ryou again.

Ryou never hurt himself again.

It wasn't easy.

Every day was a struggle with self-control.

End Flashback—

-So you know that when it's time to sink or swim
that the face inside is watching you too /

Right inside your skin -

It took months for that urge to die down.

It was still there, mind you.

But it could be ignored.

-It's like I'm / paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a / whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I / can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin -

The Friendship cult was oblivious the entire time.

Perhaps ignorance is bliss after all.

At the Kame Game Shop—

/Ryou…/ asked the concerned Spirit of the Sennen Ring.

Silence

/Ryou/

Silence

/Ryou/

Silence

Bakura quickly took control and left the game shop.

- It's like I'm / paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a / whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I / can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin -

Bakura House—

Once home he separated from his host.

Ryou sat on the floor in a fetal position, staring at the wall.

Bakura recognized the haunted look in his hikari's eyes.

He was trapped in a bad memory.

- The face inside is right beneath my skin
the face inside is right beneath my skin
the face inside is right beneath my skin -

Ryou shivered.

Noticing this, Bakura got a blanket from the hall closet and wrapped it around Ryou.

The hikari settled down and closed his eyes.

"Ryou?"

There was no answer.

- The sun goes down
I feel the light betray me

the sun goes down
I feel the light betray me -

Bakura looked at his hikari.

"Ryou! Please wake op! Ryou! "

The hikari lifted his head.

"Bakura…?"

The yami smiled.

"Great Scott!" Ryou suddenly yelled.

"Nani?" Ryou just stared at his hands in horror.

The sun
It's like I'm / paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a / whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I / can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
I feel the light betray me

The sun
It's like I'm / paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a / whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I / can't stop what I'm hearing within
I feel the light betray me
It's like I / can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like I / can't stop what I'm hearing within –

The song was Papercut by Linkin Park.