Title - Tender Control
Rating - K+
Warnings - Nothing drastic, just some good old forceful mind control
Disclaimer - YuGiOh! and all the characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. I just build on.

A/N - This has been a fan fiction which has been long in the standing, and for that I apologise. I have no excuse except for a half-hearted 'school work, other writing pursuits and chronic procrastination'. All of which are true, but hardly satisfying enough. However, I woke up one morning determined to finish this, and so there it is. This is Bakura's point of view of what happened in the first chapter. I hope you enjoy.

Tender Control

The dusty walls of his enclosure made him feel like an animal; he was caged inside with nothing but himself and his feelings. And his feelings were generally hatred. Hatred for the millennium ring that was his prison, and hatred for the holder of the ring. There had to be a way to get out of the pathetic place, to take control of his parasite host and do with his body what he himself wanted.

However, Bakura could also feel his host's emotions, if they were strong enough. Usually there was a thick, smothering veil of pretence; his existence was hurriedly ignored by the very being that was him, just reincarnated. Just why was his host so pitiable?

A surge of determination shot through Bakura, jolting him alert. He quickly identified the source of the feeling not his own, but that of Ryou. Bakura's first thought was to let it lie; he didn't much care for dealing with anyone other than himself. His second thought was to check what his host was doing, just to make sure it didn't involve anything that might directly affect him. Ryou had been acting rather more strangely the past few days, and Bakura felt the need to know all that was going on. After all, it was his body being used.

Bakura focussed all of his thoughts into Ryou's mind, and in return heard all of Ryou's own thoughts. Ryou was running down a rain wet road, where it was quite dark save for the orange glow of the street lamps. Ryou had also made the assumption that they were already far away from his apartment, and close to his destination. This destination was not revealed to Bakura, and it made him feel slightly hesitant, and maybe slightly curious. He wasn't going to show any sign of weakness to his host, though, so he decided to speak directly to Ryou.

Where are you going so late at night, host? As much as I'm enjoying this midnight run, it's not like you at all. We can't have you scurrying away from yourself, now, can we?

Bakura scowled as he heard slight hesitation in his own voice. However, the sentence scared Ryou enough that he gave away his destination and purpose in his worried and hectic thoughts. Bakura laughed, a deep throaty laugh that again still had a little uncertainty lying in its depths. He knew not of the outcome of his host's trip, and he despised not knowing. It made him ever so slightly uneasy; he needed to seem all knowing in front of his host, he couldn't let fear get the better of him.

I see. Maybe you ought to think twice about this plan, host. I am you, I will always be you. You can never get away.

A church. Bakura snorted, yet decided to watch over his host intently. There was no way that he would let his own reincarnation get the better of him.

Ryou had reached the church, and Bakura had to admit he was almost impressed. Not once had his host even considered turning back and reconsidering his plan. Maybe he could be useful to Bakura after all.

It was strange, but he felt nostalgic as he remembered the church like he'd gone there just days before. Then he remembered seeing this building in Ryou's mind occasionally, a flickering glance of a hazy memory. Bakura hadn't cared to identify the blurry image before, but now it stood in his mind's eye, clear as day. Satisfaction settled over Bakura. Religion and beliefs were weak and easily broken. What made his host think that being in a dark, silent church was going to do anything? Did Ryou honestly think that he was going to be rid of Bakura after this little escapade?

Be rid of him. He wasn't going to be treating his parasite host lightly anymore.

Another surge of determination shot through both Bakura's, and the Bakura of the ring smirked as he veiled his thoughts away from Ryou. He was going to have some fun in here. Crushing his host's hopes had always been a favourite past-time.

Uncertainty mingled with hope and desperation as Bakura knew his host was readying himself to open the door and step into the church. He made sure to focus on Ryou's surroundings and feelings, looking for weakness and doubt. He found plenty hidden within his host, and he set about probing these lightly with ideas and thoughts. He needed his host to learn a lesson, and this could only be done by making Ryou realise all of his fears when he tried to defy Bakura and steal this body away from the rightful owner.

Suddenly, Bakura felt a jolt, and confusion washed over him as he was ripped away from his host's feelings. It didn't take him long to realise that Ryou had chucked away the ring in a sudden outburst. So, his host was too scared to have him near. Here was his chance.

Bakura mustered all his energy and focused all of his thoughts on appearing in the mortal world, rising, deathly pale and transparent, from the eye of the millennium ring. He opened his long closed eyes and instantly found himself staring straight into the eyes of a terrified teenage boy. Triumph coursed through Bakura as he glanced left and right, taking in the interior of this holy place for himself. As he had thought, religion and beliefs were weak. They did nothing. And now, Bakura could teach his host that no one ever dared to try and take anything that was his, even if it happened to include a human body.

A quiet laugh escaped Bakura's lips. "Pathetic. Nothing can stop me, and you should be the only person to truly know that. You'll never be rid of me. How can you be? I am you."

"You're not me at all! You're nothing like me!" his host shouted, tears starting to run down his cheeks. Bakura started to drift closer to the pathetic boy, and wanted to draw out this frustration and disbelief for as long as possible, before his impatience got the better of him and he forced his way straight into the boy's body. Although Ryou's feelings and thoughts were muffled now from the distance between them, Bakura still recognised a glimpse of hope. Pathetic, disbelieving host. He needed to emphasis the truth to Ryou one last time.

"Oh yes I am. I am you, Ryou Bakura. I am."

An ear-splitting scream echoed in the church as Bakura flew into his host. As he became aware of the physical body, Bakura could feel Ryou's knees hitting the floor and hands clawing his head in pain. His host was putting up a fight, but it was nothing compared to what he could do.

No! I can't let him control me again, I can't! I'll lose myself forever… Ryou's thoughts were desperate, and echoed through Bakura's own mind as he could feel the body's legs, arm, hands, fingers, all of it return to his own control. An evil smirk broke through the grimace of pain Ryou had worn. The transformation was complete.

Bakura walked over to the Millennium ring and carefully placed the string over his neck. Looking at the inside of the church once more, he threw back his head and roared with laughter. Laughter that bounced off the walls and arrived back at him; and this made him laugh even more.

Now nothing could get in his way.