Title: A Persistent Shadow (Chapter 2)
Pairing: Ryou Bakura x Yami Bakura, possible others
Rating: M (Overall)
Summary: The Pharaoh uses a spell to force Yami Bakura out of Ryou's body, but unfortunately for Ryou it doesn't work quite as well as intended.
Ryou turned his back on the spirit and stood with his eyes closed for well over minute, trying to draw out the last of his freedom for as long as possible. His newfound energy was quickly fading. He knew things would soon be back to the way they'd been before, but he desperately clung to the thought of life without the spirit.
Come now. I can't be all that bad. Ryou felt the presence of the spirit right behind him. His eyes flew open and he spun around, backing away until he hit his desk.
"How?"
"Oh, please. You didn't really think it would be that easy to get rid of me?"
Ryou shook his head, laughing bitterly. "Of course not. Nothing is ever that easy."
"More like the Pharaoh is never as clever as he thinks." The spirit looked particularly smug.
Ryou took a moment to look the spirit over. He looked transparent, like a ghost in the movies. He was dressed the same way Ryou was, even down to the Millennium Ring around his neck. But while the clothes were technically the same, the spirit somehow managed to wear them completely differently.
"With style, you mean."
Hearing the spirit talk prompted Ryou to take a closer look at his face. He'd seen it in the glass during the ritual, but that hadn't been the best situation for noticing small details. He frowned at what he saw. Apart from a few basic similarities like hair and eye color, Ryou didn't think they looked very much alike at all. Did his body look like this when when the spirit took over? How could anyone ever mistake the spirit for him?
"I can make my appearance closer to yours when I feel like it. Though it doesn't hurt that your friends are complete idiots."
The spirit walked back over to the bed and plopped himself down. Ryou noticed that the bed didn't move at all; even the covers in the spot he was lying in were completely unruffled. Ryou found being able to see the spirit distinctly unnerving, even if he hadn't done anything yet. Come to think of it... "Why can I see you all of sudden?"
The spirit shrugged, inspecting one of his hands. "A little side effect of the ritual the Pharaoh performed. I could always have done it if I wanted to, but it's somewhat... easier now."
Great. So not only had it not worked, it had actually made things worse. Ryou wanted to throw himself on the bed and bury his head under a pillow, but he wasn't about to go closer to the spirit than he needed to be. He decided in favor of collapsing on his desk chair.
He took another long look at the spirit, who was still just lying there on the bed as though he didn't have a care in the world. "What do you want?" The spirit had to know he would need his bed back. Blocking him off from it could only be a purposeful act.
"How do you know that? Perhaps I only want a good night's sleep."
Ryou was not about to be drawn off course. "What do you want?"
The spirit sat back up. "I have some things I'd like you to do for me."
"Me? Why do you need me do anything?" He didn't even want to consider what the spirit might want him to do.
"Yes, well... there's no need to arouse the Pharaoh's suspicions. I'm willing to leave you in control as long as you agree to do what I tell you."
Ryou said nothing for a moment. Something didn't seem right about this. "And if I don't agree?"
The spirit was in front of him in the blink of an eye. "Then things will go back to the way they were. I'll make sure you never see your precious friends again."
Ryou was overcome with the urge to warn someone, Yugi, anyone. He grabbed for his cell phone in a panic – he'd already had the thought, any second now the spirit would seize control of the body to stop him–
Instead of taking over his body like Ryou had expected, the spirit made a weak grab at Ryou's arm. Ryou broke free easily, searching for Yugi's number in his contacts at the same time. He found it in a few seconds.
The spirit was very angry. "Don't do anything you'll regret later, Landlord."
Ryou hit the call button, still surprised to have made it this far.
Yugi picked up almost immediately. "Hello? Bakura? Is something wrong?" Yugi's voice was full of concern.
The spirit stopped trying to get the phone and took a few steps back. "If you tell him, none of them will trust you. You'll lose all your friends."
A sudden realization prevented Ryou from saying what he'd intended.
Yugi's voice came through the phone's speaker. "Bakura? Are you okay?"
Ryou turned his attention back to the call. "Yeah. I'm fine. I... I just wanted to thank you again for what you did today. You don't know how much it means to me."
"Oh. You don't have to keep thanking me. That's what friends are for, right?"
"Right. I'll see you at school tomorrow."
"See you at school."
Ryou ended the call and put his phone on his desk. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the spirit, who had returned to looking smug.
"I'm glad you've come to your senses, Landlord. This will be much easier for you if you cooperate. Now the first thing you're going to do is--"
"You can't do it anymore, can you?"
The spirit froze. "I don't know what you mean."
"Take over my body. You can't do it anymore." Ryou crossed his arms.
"Of course I can. Don't be an idiot."
"Do it, then." Ryou realized that if he was wrong this was the stupidest thing he could possibly have said, but he was fairly confident that he'd figured out what was going on. He only grew more so as the seconds passed without the spirit stealing control of his body.
The two stared at each other for nearly a minute before the spirit replied. "I just don't feel like it right now."
Ryou laughed. "Whenever you're ready, then." He watched the spirit fume for a few more moments before returning to what he'd been doing before the spirit had shown himself. He slid the last of his school books into his bag. Luckily, he'd already done what little homework he had earlier that weekend.
His mood started to improve. Things were looking up -- it seemed the ritual had worked after all.
"If the ritual had worked, I wouldn't be stuck here with you. The Pharaoh screwed it up."
Ryou snapped his bag shut. "How would you know? All Marik said was that it was meant to expel your spirit from my body. Maybe it was never meant to do more than that."
"Oh, but it was. And had I been in control at the time, it would have. Fortunately for me, the Pharaoh didn't bother to check."
Ryou felt a twinge of annoyance at the Pharaoh, but quickly stifled it. If the Pharaoh hadn't started the ritual right when he did, the spirit would likely have caught on, and he wouldn't even have the freedom he currently did. He could live with this. It wasn't so bad now that the spirit couldn't actually control his body anymore. He could always just ignore the spirit and get on with his life.
The spirit appeared right behind him and hissed in his ear. "You will not ignore me."
But Ryou did just that, deciding to get ready for bed. He brushed past the spirit without looking at him.
He had a moment of pause when he pulled out his pajamas. The spirit had been around when he changed before, but they'd been in the same body. Now the spirit was outside his body watching him. It felt weird.
"Not so easy to ignore me, is it?"
Ryou's determination returned. As far as he was concerned, the spirit wasn't even here. He pushed down the strange thoughts that had started floating around in his head, like curiosity about whether the spirit's clothes would change when his did. It didn't matter. He put on his pajamas and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth.
The spirit followed him there. Ryou wasn't surprised to discover that he couldn't see the spirit's reflection in the bathroom mirror.
He turned to leave when he was finished and found the now pajama-clad spirit blocking the door. Ryou bit back the 'excuse me' that his natural politeness told him was necessary. The spirit didn't deserve it.
"That's unfair of you, Landlord. I have feelings, too," the spirit mocked.
"I need to get through."
"Do you now?"
Ryou didn't want to play that game. He looked the spirit over. The spirit was transparent, so maybe... No. Ryou had felt him grab his arm earlier. He'd been perfectly solid then. Weak, but solid.
The spirit raised his chin, as if in a challenge.
Ryou reached one arm out toward the spirit, pressing one hand against his chest before quickly withdrawing it. Still solid, then.
"Yes, still solid. And you might think twice about touching me without my permission." The spirit advanced on him, looking distinctly peeved.
Ryou fought the fear threatening to overcome him. He might not be able to take over Ryou's body anymore, but the spirit could touch him now, possibly even hurt him. Ryou lashed out reflexively, shoving the spirit away from him.
The spirit soared backward, out the door and clean through the hallway wall.
Ryou blinked at the undamaged wall in surprise. Perhaps the spirit was not so solid then. He supposed it was too much to hope that the spirit had fallen right out of the building and wouldn't be coming back.
"It's not even worth a moment's thought," the spirit said as he appeared in the hallway just outside the door. He leaned against the wall as though trying to pretend that he hadn't been sent flying right through it a few seconds earlier.
Ryou shrugged. At least he wasn't blocking the way anymore. He walked back to his bedroom and hopped into bed.
"What are you doing?"
Ryou pulled the covers over himself. "I'm going to sleep."
"What am I supposed to do while you're asleep?"
Ryou was getting annoyed. "What do you usually do when I'm asleep?" The spirit looked like he was about to say something, but Ryou quickly continued: "When you aren't roaming around in my body."
"I used to stay in my soul room."
Ryou turned onto his side. "So do that, then."
"If I still had access to my soul room, taking over your body wouldn't be a problem." The spirit sounded frustrated.
"Huh." That was a surprise, but Ryou supposed he didn't know all that much about how the possession had actually worked. "I guess you'll just have to stand around then."
"I'm not about to--"
"Good night." Ryou pulled the covers over his head. He could hear the spirit grumbling, but he was determined not to let it stop him from getting a good night's sleep. He was looking forward to school the next day.
