Sleep Well III

Ryou Bakura often wondered why the Spirit of the Millennium Ring had chosen him as his host. After all, he was weak and pretty – pretty like a girl – and had no attributes the King of Thieves could possibly want or find useful.

You are wrong.

Bakura screwed his eyes closed and shook his head, making it ache. He hissed, "Not here!"

The Spirit chuckled.

No one but you can see me, little one. So even if that damn fool healer does come back –

"She's the school nurse and she's trying to help me!"

You are still in pain, aren't you? Well, then she is useless.

Bakura sighed deeply. "I'm still in pain because I hit my head on the wall falling the wrong way."

That boy should not have tackled you.

"It's part of the game! Please go away, she'll hear and think I'm going crazy!"

The Thief-King chuckled again.

You already are crazy, my little host. You were before I came to you …

Bakura ignored him. The nurse had told him that the painkillers she had given him would make him drowsy, so he didn't resist sleep when it dragged him into a fitful slumber.

Bakura dreamed of a world washed in gold, where the King of Thieves didn't have to steal. He watched the Tomb-Robber bathe in rivers of cool yet molten gold and laugh as the liquid metal washed the sand out of his hair.

Bakura wondered if this was another of the Spirit's waking dreams, one of his warped memories of Egypt, but then the Tomb-Robber looked right at him and beckoned to him and Bakura knew it was only a dream. He shook his head and closed his eyes, willing this too-bright world away.

Someone was shaking him. He snapped his eyes open and found the school nurse staring down at him. "Mr Bakura, you gave me quite a scare! I thought you had slipped into a coma, because of the bang on your head – your breathing was so deep and your pulse so faint, I –"

"I'm fine. Really. Please, can I go home?"

"Will anyone be there?"

Bakura paused. No one would be there. The only presence would be the one inside his head. But he wanted to go home so much.

Tell her I will look after you.

Bakura swallowed hard. "My … cousin is visiting. He will be there by the time I get home."

The nurse nodded, although she looked suspicious, but allowed him to leave school with a note. Bakura walked home slowly. Really, he felt fine, his head just hurt a little.

You are not fine, and you know it.

Bakura growled. "The last thing I need right now is you!"

He could feel the Spirit's annoyance and – hurt? Impossible. The Spirit felt nothing for him – he was simply a parasite … yet he felt that pang of possibly-hurt again as the thought crossed his mind. Bakura soon arrived home and got into bed straight away. He whispered, "I'm sorry."

You had ever right to snap at me. You were right – you do not need me sticking my nose in when you need rest. So rest. Sleep. I will take care of you.

"What if I get really ill?"

I will take over your body and call the … hospital.

Bakura smiled, knowing that the Spirit distrusted the doctors at the hospital, and nodded. "All right."

Do you know why I chose you, host?

"Because I'm friends with Yugi and the Pharaoh's spirit is in his Puzzle."

The Spirit laughed.

Yes. And no. You said before you are weak. You are not – you are strong. Strong enough to take back at least a little control from me when I thought you could not – and I could not get that control back without harming you. You also said that you are pretty. That is a far cry from the truth.

Bakura blushed and swallowed hard. He could take physical pain to a certain level, and he could take as much verbal abuse as anyone could throw at him, but to have the Spirit – the one he was told was the other half of his very soul – criticise his looks cut him deep. Once again the Thief-King's deep chuckle reverberated through his mind.

No, little on. I am not criticizing you. You see, I do not think you are merely pretty – you are beautiful. You don't look like a girl, unless you think that is how I look. I'm certain you don't …

"No …" Bakura admitted quietly. He felt the Spirit smile.

Well then. You are beautiful. Not only that, but you have a strength of will that I will never have. That makes you more than useful to me, Ryou Bakura. You say you have no characteristics that I could want. You are wrong. I need your self-consciousness to dampen my boldness. I need your quietness to stifle my noise. I need your strength to hide my own weaknesses – yes, host, I do have weaknesses, although few, I have to say! I need your kindness to balance my cruelty. I need your heart to guide my head.

Bakura smiled. He felt the Spirit's transparent form crouching beside the bed and reached out for him. His fingers brushed the Thief-King's hair and the Thief grabbed his hand. He kissed the palm and whispered, "Go to sleep, my little host. You will need your strength, and so will I …"