Ryou's Story

By: ACE329

Summary: This story is mine to tell. No, not the one whom most refer to as Bakura, the spirit of the millennium ring, just me. He already stole my name but I cannot- will not- let him take away the one thing that I have left…my words.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh!

A/N: I think it's necessary that I dedicate this chapter to Bakura's Guardian Angel, consumedbylove, and emmigummi who have all stuck through this story since day one. Really, it means the world to me.
As a side note, you should all know that I'm going off to college in a few days so this will be the only update for a long time. If it means anything, I really am sorry. But instead of egging people on and saying that I'll be around weekly for updates, I'll be honest and say that you should expect the next update maybe around Christmas time. Of course, I'll try to make it sooner than that, but I'll never make a promise that I can't keep.
Thank you all again for favoriting/reviewing/reading my story!
Love, ACE

Chapter Six- Even the Sweetest Chords Are Put to Rest

Happily ever afters are so unrealistic.

I mean, they're just not practical. So many things can go wrong in life…what are the chances that everything works out for every person in the story?

I loved fairytales when I was little. I was a starry-eyed and naive little boy, and couldn't help but believe that each story had to conclude with a princess riding away into the romantic sunset with her prince charming.

But back then, I never considered the 'third variable.'

Take the fairytale "Cinderella" for example. Of course a maid marries a prince, raising herself from the ashes and onto a throne. Supposedly everyone rejoices.

But have you ever really thought about her two stepsisters?

In most if not all versions, these stepsisters, who also competed for the prince's love, were portrayed as nasty and jealous individuals- their most vicious side to human nature on constant display.

I'd like to believe that there's more to the story than a duo of 'evil' stepsisters who attempted to crush Cinderella's dreams.

What if they had dreams of their own? What if they too, were hoping to turn their back on poverty and start over in a new life?

What if their mother forced them to act cruel to Cinderella?

You see, like a coin, there are two sides to a story. We are often shown the more pleasant side, the one that's easier to digest, to comprehend.

My story, a side-story to Yuugi's if you will, is like the other, uglier side of the coin.

I am like those two stepsisters. I too am misunderstood, and feel the pain in knowing that no one really cares about what I have to say. All people truly want to know is that there is a happy ending, while those who continue to struggle for closure are left in the dust.

From the day my friends were introduced to Nameless up until now, I have noticed a pattern.

There will be a conflict. Yuugi's other half will solve the problem, and all will be right again. In the meantime, he will struggle to find his lost identity and will manage to gather little bits and pieces along the way. Ultimately, he will always come through victorious and 'peace' will be restored until the next villain decides to take a crack at him.

I have an overwhelming hunch that this cycle will continue until the spirit of the puzzle's mission is complete- that is, when he gathers all seven millennium items, smothers all qualms that his opposers have against him and remembers his past.

I say this because I know that Yuugi's other half, who was once a pharaoh, will inevitably achieve his goal and everyone will get to enjoy their happily ever after.

I often wonder if I am included in this.

This question has been floating around my mind for quite some time now. It had first sprung up the very same day that Nameless lost playing Monster World against Yuugi's other half. As I had mentioned before, I thought he was gone, at least for the time being. After all, I couldn't feel the usual zap, the usual bolt of energy, that I receive whenever I touch the ring.

Upon my friends' departure, I was left alone in my apartment to consider what it meant that Nameless was allegedly sentenced to the Shadow Realm. Did I finally have my body all to myself? Was I really all alone? Did this mean I could carry on my life as a normal teenager, kicking all interaction with the supernatural under the rug?

No, no, and definitely not.

I just wasn't expecting him to return so soon.

I was in the sitting room, where my RPG was set up, picking up the pieces that were scattered on the floor. All the miniatures, including the ones that Nameless had acquired before, were returned back to normalcy… there was no longer an eerie vibe I was detecting from them, nor a barely audible shouting fest with trapped souls begging for freedom.

Nameless and the spirit of the puzzle had definitely done a number on the playing field, that much was for sure. I mean, aside from one of the spires being coated in a murky shade of burgundy from my pierced hand, various scenery pieces and buildings were either chipping or half-deteriorated.

I was right in the middle of separating the pieces that needed repair work and those that had managed to survive undamaged when I heard it.

That unmistakable, frigid laugh.

It was more of a ghostly whisper at first, fleeting like a cloud momentarily passing over the sun, but it was loud enough to shoot tremors down my spine.

'What are the chances that I am imagining this?' I had vaguely wondered to myself as I slowly, very slowly, set the miniature in my hand down on the table. Paranoid, my eyes dashed around the room, expecting to see the physical embodiment of Nameless.

It didn't happen, obviously, but again I was greeted with another maniacal chuckle which appeared to be resonating from everywhere. It sounded much clearer to me, as if to prove that no, I wasn't simply hearing things.

My eyes fearfully trailed down to where the ring laid on the floor. It was neither glowing nor reverberating from the spirit's presence, so where could he have been…?

And better yet, how did he return?

"Are you going to come out, or what?" I finally shouted to the ceiling, making my voice appear more assertive than how I was feeling. Inside, I must have been shaking like drug addict without his fix.

I really was hoping for no response. But things never turn out as one would hope, right?

"Happy to hear from me, eh, little Ryou?" came the gleeful reply.

"D-don't…don't call me that!" I shot back, willing myself to remain strong. How dare he refer to me on a first-name basis.

"Oh, I see…would you rather I call you 'Vessel'?" the spirit taunted. Where was his voice coming from? It was like having my mind tuned to a horrendous radio station without any means of turning it off.

"But no worries…I won't do that. I like Ryou much better. Clearly it bothers you far more…" Nameless continued, occasionally giving in to a snicker. "And besides, I certainly can't call you Bakura…no, I'm reserving that name for myself. You won't mind, right?"

His sarcasm was so apparent I could probably physically locate it and hurl a dart right through the center. Of course it wouldn't matter what I thought- I knew he was going to take away my name anyway.

Regardless, I still protested. "You can't just steal away my name, you thief!"

Amidst the chuckles, I thought I heard him murmur, "If only you knew," but I couldn't be sure. He then raised his voice so I could hear more clearly. "I think it's only right that you know that today, your name won't be the only thing that you will lose, little Ryou."

I warily looked around me again, trying to find the source of Nameless's voice in vain. I vaguely wondered if running away would get rid of the sinister spirit.

Nameless seemed to be somehow reading my thoughts, as he then said, "No point in trying to escape, I can promise you that. You see, my soul isn't just lodged in the ring…it is permanently inside of you."

My blood seemed to freeze over at that moment. My back stiffened, as a knot began to form in the back of my throat.

"What…what did you just say?" My voice was barely above a hoarse whisper. Louder than my words were my thoughts, praying that I had heard wrong. Permanently inside of me? What could that even mean? How is that even possible?

"I assume you are aware of your soul room, isn't that right? I mean, otherwise, there would be no other way you could…momentarily postpone my plans." The spirit's voice took on a slightly darker tone, bristling with resentment that was poorly concealed.

"Yes," I quietly confirmed, ignoring how my fear was surmounting by the second. No longer was I trying to put up a more assertive façade.

"Well here's a little tidbit for you: your soul room not only hosts your hopes and dreams…it harbors your fears as well."

Nameless didn't need to finish what he was saying, for I had already caught on. And yet, he continued anyway, relishing in my dismay. "You may refuse to acknowledge it, but I am your greatest fear. The physical representation of every nightmare you have ever had. And such a strong emotion, albeit negative, deserves a spot in your soul room, don't you think?

"I am a part of you, Ryou," Nameless continued, his voice descending lower, "Which means I am here to stay. So be a good vessel, and accept your fate, for it'll make it easier for the both of us…"

"No!" I uncontrollably shouted, my fists balling, "You can't do this! You can't just enter my life and expect me to step aside! I won't allow it!"

"Oh, really now. Tell me, Ryou. Do you honestly believe that you have any say in this?" I could practically hear the malice dripping in the spirit's voice.

Suddenly, I felt my body awkwardly bending over, reaching the floor. My arms, no longer in my control, clumsily stretched out towards the ring and picked it up. It was as if my body had strings attached to it, and Nameless was simply pulling them.

I was being controlled. But I was perfectly conscious of his actions. It was just like the very first day that I was 'introduced' to the ring.

"W-what are you doing?" I nearly shrieked as my upper torso stiffly snapped back up.

I heard a caustic laugh explode in my ears. "What? You don't like it when I do this? Don't worry- I won't hurt you. At least not your body. Because you see, it's my body too. Now as for your mind…that is a completely different matter."

The spirit, through my actions, slipped the ring back around my neck and fondly stroked it. "There, now. That's where it belongs, and that's where it will stay. You wouldn't want me to do what I did to you the last time, right…?"

A nightmarish vision of my chest being stabbed with the ring's pinnacles entered my mind. I could practically smell the foul stench of blood.

Perhaps it was this image burned in my mind that made me snap. Against all reason, I managed to steal back some control as I ripped the ring back off.

"You're sick!" I screamed at Nameless as I flung the ring at a nearby wall with as much force as I could muster. It smashed against the wall with a violent crash, clattering to the floor in less than a second.

And then there was silence.

It was short-lived.

"You…insolent little brat," Nameless hissed, every word being injected with venom. No longer was he hiding behind his arrogant mask of sinister pleasure- his rage was like a flame being doused with kerosene.

I began to shake violently as I then realized what a foolish mistake I had just made. The spirit was a monster even when he wasn't angry- what horrors would await me now that his wrath became aroused?

I felt my legs begin to move. One leg would rigidly cut in front of the other; it was such an awkward walk I feared I would fall over. I was heading toward the kitchen.

"Where are you taking me? Stop it!" I yelled, panicked, as I helplessly moved closer to our destination.

"I was going to let your disobedience pass from earlier," Nameless started, "But no more. I can see that you are going to be difficult until I break you, which won't be hard."

I then stumbled into the kitchen, heading for the medicine cabinet.

"What are you going to do to me?" I hoarsely choked out, feeling fear's cold hands nearly suffocating me.

"I'm teaching you a lesson, little puppet. You are never to disobey me again, do you hear?"

I couldn't bring myself to answer as my hands lifelessly floated up and opened the cabinet. It was all so dreamlike, I was desperately hoping that it wasn't real.

A cold sweat broke out on my forehead as I numbly observed myself reaching for a bottle of aspirin. My fingers involuntarily pried open the lid, allowing its contents to spill over the counter. I watched as little red pills rolled around in circles, scattering like ants about to be smashed.

'Is he going to kill me?' I wondered in my terror-ridden haze.

Nameless read my thoughts. "Of course not, my rebellious host. This is much too easy. If I could kill you, believe me, I would ensure that it would be far more painful than this."

I heard him chuckle in his perverse way as my hand grabbed at the pills as mechanically as a machine claw from a vending machine.

"Now open wide," I heard Nameless sneer as my mouth unwillingly popped open. One by one, the spirit made me dispense pills into my mouth.

I tried so hard to regain control. I struggled incessantly, fighting for at least some power back. But as I helplessly swallowed the pills, I knew in the back of my mind I was wasting my time.

"You know, I really thought we could be good friends," Nameless jeered as he continued force-feeding me the aspirin, "But you made it too difficult. Why did you have to betray me, my little host? You know that those brats from school aren't really your friends. But I will always be here…" Another laugh wavered in my ears as I recoiled in disgust.

"Please just stop it!" I pleaded between gasps for air. I nearly choked on a pill as the deadly medicine kept coming.

"No, it's not that simple. If I were to simply let go what you did to my ring, then you would continue acting defiant…and I just can't have that. When I start collecting the Millennium items, I don't need you attempting to overthrow me."

Nameless paused, speculating his words. "Understand this, 'puppet': You will never be able to seize power over me. Never. So give it up now. No more conspiring with Yuugi and his groupies. From this day forward, you will respect my every wish…"

But I wasn't listening to the last part of the spirit's assertion, for I was beginning to feel exceedingly drowsy. Soon images began to blur and mesh together before my eyes, as I swayed to remain standing.

I heard the spirit bubble with callous laughter. "Already affecting you, is it? I forgot how frail your body is."

"What are you going to do?" I demanded through gritted teeth. My hand stopped moving, no longer being forced to deposit pills down my throat. I clutched onto the counter to hold myself up.

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough…" Nameless assured me, "Now sleep, Ryou Bakura…"

I felt a drop of sweat sluggishly trickle down my face. My breaths were shallow as I struggled to keep my eyes open. It felt like I hadn't slept in days. So badly I wanted to remain awake, as I fought off the darkness of sleep with desperate conviction.

As seconds ticked by I felt more delusional. Over and over again, a verse from a song that I only heard once years ago was put on repeat in my head. It was a maddening taunt, being delivered in a singsong voice:

What is this feeling that's pushing me?
I am your puppet on a string.
Pull the cord- control me.
You are my bitter reality…

Was I swaying to the music? The floor would appear to get closer, then drift away…

I was a pendulum, swinging back and forth to an imagined tune.

And then the floor became so alluringly close that I just had to come into contact with it to make sure it was real.

I woke up when the moon hung blaringly clear in the sky. When my eyes opened, they were greeted with the harsh glare of moonlight that had peaked through the blinds of my living room window.

….

Only I didn't lose consciousness in the living room. Why was I there?

And then my thoughts reluctantly drifted over to the spirit of the ring.

What did he do…?

For the most part, I felt okay. I mean, my head sort of hurt from the fall, but I didn't feel any sort of throbbing or flashes of pain shooting through me. Worry slowly swam its way throughout my body, refusing to believe that the spirit had done nothing.

Shakily, I rose to my feet, relieved to know that I at least woke up with my control back. Carefully snaking my way around the room, I squinted against the darkness to find the light switch. My hand blindly shuffled across the wall until it found the switch, flicking it on.

Upon having the light wash over the room, uncovering the secrets that were veiled in darkness, my hand clamped over my mouth to stifle a scream.

It was a shattered mess. Before me laid a massive pile of once-perfect wood, now splintering and smashed into countless of pieces. It could have been firewood.

It was my piano.

The insides of it were strewn all across the floor, with various parts completely destroyed for additional emphasis. The piano strings were severed, the metal frame was broken in two, the pin block was completely demolished…

And the keys. The delicate balance between ebony and ivory was defiled as random fragments lay abandoned on the ground.

But there was something even more disconcerting, frightening, about my desecrated piano.

Those pure ivory keys were tainted.

With blood.

The sickly red tint contrasted sharply with the white. It languidly blanketed the keys, dripping down to stain the carpet ever so slowly. Like a deliberate smile when a person suddenly realizes he has won a game.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

I blankly observed the scene before me.

This couldn't really be happening. Of course not. I mean, who could conjure up something as unfathomable as destroying the only material item I ever had an attachment to? One that held sentimental value.

And surely there wasn't really blood on the keys…

A thought slapped me in the face, hard. Whose blood did it belong to? It wasn't mine, right?

I help my hands up to my face, rotating them with my wrists to examine them. My eyes scanned over my body, expecting to notice familiar burgundy liquid seeping through my clothing. There was none.

Where did it come from?

And then I thought of something horrific- what if Nameless had actually killed someone?

Fear was a tsunami, crashing down over my head relentlessly. It engulfed me completely, leaving me to sputter and choke in shock.

I noticed that I was wearing the ring again.

I drew in a trembling breath.

"Namel- I mean, Bakura?" I hated myself entirely as I said it, "Are you there?"

"I always am, foolish Ryou. Is something the matter…?"

I loathed every word that rang in my head. His tone was mockingly innocent, daring me to lash out at him.

"You didn't really…did you?" My voice came out as a pathetic whimper. All the more reason to hate myself.

"What nonsense are you babbling about now?" Nameless taunted. His voice was cold, devoid of any hint of guilt like a normal person.

I glared down at the ring, straining to keep my voice from cracking. "Please. Just tell me now. Did you or did you not murder someone?" The words sounded strange as they left my mouth. Never in my entire life would I have guessed that I would be asking anyone this.

"If no one catches you, is it really considered murder?" Nameless wryly proposed.

It was the last thing I wanted to hear. I didn't bother responding to the rhetorical question, rather, I opted to simply stare at my wrecked piano.

Never again would I hear that beautiful instrument's melodies through my own hands. Never again would a pitch be emitted from the ages-old family keepsake.

It would forever be silenced.

To add to this emotional burden, I likely had blood on my hands. Someone was probably killed, and my own body would have been the vessel to have committed such a heinous act.

I was too distraught to cry. I was so overwhelmed that not even screaming to the heavens would have done any good. Besides, even if I did scream, who would hear it…?

Perhaps the better question is, who would care?

As I limply slid to the floor, I finally resolved that there were no tears left to be shed. If I were to cry, that would mean that I acknowledged the satanic events that had played out before me, which I wasn't quite ready to do yet.

And so I sat there, impassively staring at the mess before me for the rest of the night.

"Hey Bakura, you look so completely dead right now!" Jounouchi exclaimed as he leaned forward to catch a better glimpse of my face. I warily stared back, contemplating if I should even bother with my usual upbeat façade.

"Ha! You're so right! Look at the dark circles under his eyes! He's like a zombie!" Honda chortled as he did a once-over to my body.

Jounouchi tensed, completely terrified of any mention of the supernatural, as a shudder caused him to squirm. "Hey, uh, Bakura, you're not a zombie, right?"

"Will you guys knock it off? Leave the poor guy alone," Anzu chastised as she shoved the two boisterous teens a good few feet away from me. Yuugi just grinned at this, watching Jounouchi's thoroughly spooked expression at the mention of 'zombie.'

I offered the group a nice, warm smile. "You are all so silly. Let's just say I didn't get much sleep recently and call it a day, all right?"

"Sounds possible, I guess…" Jounouchi alleged reluctantly, his dark brown eyes swarming with suspicion. What a strange person.

The group continued on with their usual banter. Yuugi occasionally glanced over at me, as his face would fleetingly scrunch in thought. He knew something was up.

I didn't bother joining the conversation as I fell into my familiar habit- I watched. Not that I was even listening.

I felt the familiar stinging in my chest whenever the ring was reacting. Clearly Nameless wanted to remind me, to warn me to not get too close.

I closed my weary eyes as I sat back in my chair.

No, Jounouchi, I am certainly not a zombie, but I do have a murderer living inside of me.

Does that count?