Well, here's Chapter 2. Sorry it took so long to get it out. You know, life calls, and whatnot.

Disclaimer: I do not Yu-Gi-Oh!, or any of the characters from that show. This should be obvious to any self-respecting retard.

Warnings: This fic is rated R. Not NC-17, not PG13, R. This chapter in particular contains naughty language and some dialogue that might not exactly be appropriate for mixed company. Squares and small children, you've been warned.

Chapter 2: Can't Get Rid of You

I hate this world of the future. It's boring. There's absolutely nothing to do. In the old days there were any number of tombs to rob. Now, there is nothing I can steal with my natural-born sneakiness that is worth stealing; all the good stuff is protected by a magic I don't understand. I tried to do a job on one of those, whatchamacallits... museums. I figured, they'd gone and done all the hard stuff, robbed the tombs and set up all the treasure right in front of me; these people were just begging to be robbed. But when I tried to get into the building, I found it was guarded by demons that shrieked at me and flashed brightly like lightning.

I pick pockets sometimes, but it's really not worth it. Nobody carries gold anymore. The twit insists those sheets of paper and those flimsy coins with holes in them are money, but I don't see how they can be worth anything.

So anyway, there I was, bored off my mind, with nothing to steal. I was sprawled across the couch watching television with the sound off. It was some program that involved people running headlong into brick walls. I don't pretend to understand the people of this time, honestly I don't.

For some reason, it irritates the twit when I watch with the sound off. It used to be that I was disturbed by the notion of voices coming from a box. Now mostly I do it because it irritates the twit.

Irritating the twit isn't exactly fun, or even interesting, but it was something to do to pass the time. I searched for him with my mind; he was awake. Goody. I bared my fangs, then retreated inside of the ring.

I headed for the door on the left; the door to his soul room. Upon entering, I had to take a moment to suppress my upchuck reflex.

I hate his room. Like mine, it has brick walls and a bed in the corner, which he was currently occupying. Unlike mine, there were vases of white flowers everywhere.

"Honestly, vessel," I sneered, "you're such a girl. All these flowers– this place smells like some whore's cheap perfume."

He lay curled up on his side, his back to me. He said, "I didn't put them here. They're just here."

"Do you think if you grew some balls, the flowers would disappear?"

He sighed. "Go away, Bakura."

"Yeah, why don't you work on that, growing some balls. And while you're at it, why don't you get a tan?" I moved so I was standing next to his bed, staring down at him. "I guess that's why they say you're a hikari– you're so white you're practically glowing."

"I want to be alone," he said, sounding irritated.

"Look, you're transparent. I can see the veins beneath your skin," I continued, tracing a blue line down his arm.

He flinched away from my touch. "Don't touch me!"

I bared my fangs. "Why not?" I challenged, pointedly poking at him with my finger.

"Everything you touch dies."

"Well then I guess I'd better be careful next time I whack off," I shot back.

He shuddered.

Aha, it seems I have struck a nerve. "What, does it bother you? When I masturbate." I eyed him for a response. He lay still. "I'm afraid that after 5000 years alone in that Ra-damned ring I began to feel the need for certain... pleasurable stimuli." I think he just twitched.... "Of course, if you prefer, I could relieve my... urges with some whore, but I think the prostitutes of your time have a few more diseases than the ones I was familiar with."

I gazed at him thoughtfully. He continued to lie immobile and silent.

"You've never done it, have you?" I realized. "Fucked or whacked off or anything. Well, I mean, obviously not since I moved in; I would have noticed." I smirked. "But I mean, before me.... You've never done any of that stuff, right?"

Silent. Motionless. I sneered in disgust.

"I take it back. You're not a girl. Even women need to satisfy themselves once in a while. You're a child. A weak, pathetic, underdeveloped child."

I can see I'm bothering him, but he's not responding at all. This could get boring.

I leaned down to whisper in his ear. "You like it don't you? You like how it feels. Admit it, vessel. You love it when I pleasure our body. It feels good. What are you so afraid of?" I bared my fangs slowly. "I could help you, if you want," I hissed, trailing a finger up his thigh.

His arm whipped back, and before I could dodge I caught an elbow in my face. I backed away swiftly. He was sitting up in bed, his chest heaving and anger smoldering in his chocolate eyes. "Bakura. Get. The fuck. Out of my room," he snarled.

Oooh, now this is fun.

I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him up so we were standing nose to nose. "You sound like you want to fight me," I growled, glaring into his eyes. "What, are you going to hit me? Is that it?"

His eyes dropped away from mine. I released him, backing away with my arms wide. "Here, I'll let you, if you want. I'll give you a free shot. Hit me if you want to, hard as you can. Right here," I said, tapping my left jawbone with a finger.

He glared at me, his jaw clenched, breathing deeply in and out. His fingers twitched, clenching and relaxing. I've never seen such a murderous look in his eyes. Interesting. He curled his hand into a fist; his whole body was tense. Then he relaxed his hand and looked away.

"Coward!" I snarled, shoving him forcefully. He reeled backwards, crying out as the back of his head impacted the brick wall. He crumpled to the floor, drawing in his knees and whimpering as he cradled his head.

Ecch. Not again. I hate it when he cries. Honestly, what a pathetic creature. I stood above him with my arms folded, sneering disgustedly down at him. "Tell me you're not going to start crying again. You little snot," I spat. "You're disgusting. What's more, you're boring." I strode to the doorway, then looked back on his piteous form. "I'm going to go take a nap. Whine all you want, but do it quietly. You'd better make sure your pitiful mewling doesn't wake me," I threatened, narrowing my eyes. Then I left, slamming the door shut behind me.

o o o

I have to get rid of him. He has to go. I can't do this anymore.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?!" I screamed. Or tried to. It came out as a whisper, choked back for fear of him, for fear of what he might do to me. If I woke him, if I woke him from his fucking nap

"Bastard," I hissed, anger flooding into me, replacing the fear. I have to get rid of him.

"But how?!" I whispered again, despairing. How many bloody times has the pharaoh tried to banish him to the Shadow Realm? He just keeps coming back! There must be another way....

I thought quickly. Okay. He's a spirit. How do you get rid of someone who has no body?

He has a body. My body. He's a spirit who lives in my body and I need to get him out.

I need an exorcist.

I shook my head. That's not a real solution. Those kinds of things only happen in stories and movies....

But the movies are based on real life.

I stood up, trying not to think what I had just thought, trying not to hope....

I walked over to my door and opened it. I stared at the forbidding image of his door. Directly across the hallway from mine, it looked exactly the same, and yet... darker. I felt I could see shadows clinging to it.

Swallowing hard, I stepped forward, laying my hand on the doorknob. I closed my eyes, breathed in, breathed out. I listened. I heard no noises from within. Drawing my breath in slowly, I turned the knob and went in.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. There are torches high up on the walls, yet somehow they always make his room seem darker. I peered into the shadows of the darkest back corner, where his bed is, but couldn't see anything. For all I knew he was awake in the shadows, watching, waiting, silent, staring.... I shuddered.

Get a hold of yourself, Ryou. He's just a human, like you. A freaky, violent, 5000 year old son of a bitch, but only a human. He is not the boogie monster.

I had to stifle a laugh. The boogie monster? What am I, eight?

I walked slowly, stealthily, toward the black void of the far corner. My breath sounded unnaturally loud in my ears. The blackness filled my vision, the shadows playing tricks on my eyes. I blinked hard a few times, stopping in my tracks.

Was it here? I scanned the bricks at my feet, trying to make sense of the shifting shadows. The darkness closed around me, fogging my vision, disorienting me. I hate his room. It gives me a headache.

I took another step and saw what I was looking for. Right at the edge of light and shadow is a short step down. It really is quite small, only six inches to the sunken floor. By some trick of the light it's damn near impossible to see, unless you know to look for it. It's a petty, malicious little thing, not enough to hurt you seriously- unless you're really unlucky-, but enough to give you a few bruises when you stumble over it. At the very least, he'd know you were coming.

Very carefully, I stepped down into the blackness and approached his bed. There he was, stretched out on his bed, fast asleep. I took a step closer, looking down on him.

How strange... he looks so different when he sleeps. I gazed at him, wondering. The lines of his face were softer, gentler. His entire body was relaxed and defenseless. He looked so peaceful. So... vulnerable. One could almost forget....

Yes. One could almost forget that he was a neurotic, homicidal freak who was ruining my life. I glared at his peacefully sleeping form. He sighed, mumbling in his sleep.

I will be rid of you soon. And I will not miss you at all.

I woke up inside of my body, finding it sprawled on the couch in front of the television. It flashed silent images of someone running up a steep hill, dodging fake boulders. Not this show again. He watches such crap! I switched it off as the "someone" got clobbered.

Okay. What first? I have to do this quick, while he's sleeping....

I yanked open a drawer beneath the phone, pulling out the telephone directory. I flipped through the pages looking for "exorcists." No exorcists. Well, duh, they wouldn't have it listed in the phone book like that, would they?

I thought for a second, then flipped to "churches." I scanned the pages hastily. Curses. Well, what was I expecting? "The Church of St. Augustine... services Saturday and Sunday from 8-9 a.m.... weddings, funerals, blessings... specializes in exorcisms." Right.

I yanked at my hair, anxious and frustrated. What am I supposed to do, try one at random? I've never even been inside a church!

Dejected, I sank down on the couch. I sprang up again immediately. There's a Buddhist temple not too far from here! Of course, they do exorcisms too! And it's not like he's Satan or something, just some random stupid obake. I rushed to the door, grabbing a coat as I went out.

The air was bitterly cold, but I hardly felt it as I rushed through the night-darkened streets. It's only a mile or so away; if I can just get there...!

o o o

I woke up abruptly, feeling wide awake but very disoriented. I scanned my room quickly. Something's wrong here.... Why is there so much adrenaline in my system?

I'm moving. My body's moving. Hmmm, I wonder what he's up to....

I emerged from the ring onto a dark city street. The twit was walking extremely fast.

"Vessel," I hissed, "just where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Bakura!" he squeaked, whirling around to face me.

"Well?" I prodded, after pause. He was just staring at me, wide-eyed, like some pathetic frightened bunny.

"N-nothing, I'm just going for a walk," he stammered.

Oh, yeah, you're not acting suspiciously at all. "It's the middle of the night," I reminded him, catching his gaze and holding it.

He swallowed. "I needed some fresh air," he declared.

"Mm-hmm."

His eyes hardened. "I guess I'm still a bit angry. Go figure," he snapped.

I drifted closer to him, peering into his eyes. He stared back, unable to look away. "There's more to it than that, isn't there, vessel? What could you be doing that's so secret you have to wait until I'm sleeping, hmmm?" I narrowed my eyes.

The tiniest wrinkle on his forehead betrayed him. I sneered. "You left the door open, slick. Came to tuck me in, did you?"

His eyes widened, just a bit. I showed my fangs. "Aha. Not so clever, are you? But where could you be going?" I released his eyes, turning to inspect my surroundings. "There's really not much here... except... is that a temple up on that hill ahead of us?" I narrowed my eyes. "Why are you sneaking off to a temple, vessel?"

He avoided my eyes, his jaw clamped tightly shut.

"Vessel, my vessel," I hissed, drifting closer still, "you wouldn't... you couldn't be trying to get rid of me... could you?"

I could see the pulse in his neck, beating rapidly. Then he turned, looking directly into my eyes. I could see the fury smoldering in their depths. "Try and stop me," he snarled. Then he whirled and headed towards the temple, almost running, dragging me along with him.

I laughed. "Are you serious? You think they can get rid of me?"

He said nothing, only continued to march rapidly uphill.

I laughed again, longer and louder. "Those pathetic children wouldn't know what to do with me! I'm stronger than anything they've ever seen! Exorcise me... ha! They can kill themselves trying!"

He hesitated, but kept walking.

"Ask yourself, vessel, do you honestly think those half-witted, incompetent monklings could ever possibly succeed where the mighty and all-powerful pharaoh has tried again and again and always failed?!"

He stopped abruptly. I watched him closely. He turned to me, his eyes in shadow. "I have no choice but to try." He raised his eyes to mine. "I will get rid of you, Bakura, and the monks will help me!"

He didn't sound very convinced. I laughed, low in my throat. "It's futile, vessel. You might as well try to destroy the ring."

Involuntarily he looked down to where it hung about his neck. He reached up and clasped it tightly, as if he would tear it from his neck and fling it away from him.

It was all I needed. Gathering myself together tightly, I rushed towards him, pushing against him, my spirit against his. I shoved him out of our body and onto the asphalt. From within our body I glared down at him, to where I had pushed him, to where he lay, shocked and transparent, staring up at me.

I held the ring, baring my fangs in triumph. "Fool," I hissed, "you've tried that before, or don't you remember? That dolt Honda tried to throw it away. It didn't work." I leaned down close to his face. "Face it, vessel. There's nothing you can do, nothing that can help you. You can't get rid of the ring. And you can't get rid of me."

o o o

Notes:

Well, it took me long enough, but I've posted the second chapter. As promised, it's a bit longer, and it's got a bit more meat in it. Next chapter will feature some original characters! No, this will not be a Mary Sue fic. These characters do not in any way resemble me or my friends. Zolac forbid (shudder).

Anyway, did anybody recognize the program Bakura was watching? It's an actual Japanese television program. Anybody who guesses it gets ten points and your very own Millenium item! That's right, you get the Millenium Spork, hot bishounen ancient spirit included.