There is just one life for each of us: our own. ~ Euripides
Ryou woke up.
The clock read 8:07. He reached out his hand to turn of the alarm clock, thinking how odd it was that his nightstand had gotten bigger over night.
Aibou, you must get going or you'll be late for school.
Ryou froze; eyes widening he recognized that voice. He recognized how the voice said things. But that would mean that, that -
The Other Yuugi, the Pharaoh was inside his head.
Ryou threw off his blankets (which weren't his blankets, his blankets were light blue not green) and ran down the stairs. Which was strange because his apartment didn't have stairs. He turned the corner and came face to face with his reflection. Really his reflection. White hair, brown eyes, everything was in place. If anything he looked better than he could remember. His skin did not seem so unnaturally pale and his eyes were free of bags. He looked...healthy.
This must be the most bizarre dream he's had in years.
"Morning, Bakura!" Yuugi's grandpa said with a hearty laugh, "Better hurry or you'll be late for school,"
Ryou smiled sheepishly and blushed. It had been so long since someone had greeted him so warmly.
This had to be the happiest dream he's had in years.
He ran back upstairs, so he could get change into his school uniform and start the day. No harm when it was just a dream right? Just a dream for a day. Finally, Ryou found his way back into Yuugi's room, and began to tear threw his wardrobe. In the back of his mind he heard a chuckle. But it was different then the kind of chuckle he was use to. It was kind and filling and didn't make his skin crawl.
(And it didn't seem to hate him either.)
"Oi, Bakura!" a rough voice called out, and Ryou recognized instantly as belonging to Jou. "Are you ready yet?"
"Coming!" he called back and hastily pulled up his pants. All while a strange kind of girlish glee seized him. He had friends to walk with him to school. As soon as he was fully clothes, Ryou dashed down the stairs, slipping his shoes on while he jumped two stairs at a time. When he reach the bottom he saw both Jou and Honda were there, waiting for him. Ryou smiled. What a great day this was going to be.
He waved goodbye to his, Yuugi's grandpa and followed the two boys out the door.
---
It was lunchtime, and he, Honda, Jou and Anzu were all just leaving art. They were making idle conversation that Bakura occasionally joined in, but most of the time just sat back and enjoyed the sound of their laughter. So far nothing had turn this dream into a nightmare. In fact, the dream seemed realer than ever. Maybe the life Ryou remembered (and was beginning to forget) had been the dream and all along this had been his life. Maybe now he was finally waking up.
And if not...it had only been a couple hours. What had Yuugi missed?
(Yuugi...)
"Oh hey guys, where's Yuugi?" Ryou was trying to hide his desperation, his need to know where Yuugi was. Because if Ryou was beginning to realize (with a strong sense of nausea) if he was here...
"Who's Yuugi?" Jou blurted. Anzu rolled her eyes.
"He's in our English class, he transferred here a couple months ago remember?" she said.
"Oh yeah," Jou trailed off, "It's a good thing you don't need a great memory to be a great duelist!"
"Ha, yeah Jou," Ryou agreed, feeling nausea wash over him yet again. This wasn't real. This wasn't right. He shouldn't be enjoying this so much. This was just a cruel trick by the spirit of the ring, just a dream.
(Oh God, please don't let me wake up.)
The rounded the corner and walked into the cafeteria, laughing and maybe even a few of Ryou's smiles had been genuine. The nausea had long since passed.
It was then that he saw Yuugi.
He was sat alone at the farthest end of the lunchroom, shoulders hunched over and his face twisted in concentration. With sick fascination Ryou realized what Yuugi was fighting. Ryou strayed away from his - Yuugi friends (because they belonged to Yuugi and not him, it was selfish to keep this going, but it was only for a day. Just a day) and as if being pulled by a puppet master moved towards Yuugi.
"Oh hey, Bakura-kun," Yuugi smiled a sad, pathetic smile.(Ryou's smile.) And then taking a second look at Ryou's disgusted and horrified face added, "You don't look so good,"
He's right, maybe you should see the nurse.
"No! I'm fine, I'm fine," Ryou assured them both and sat down across from Yuugi.
The white-haired boy had never been a fan of mirrors, but looking at Yuugi was far worse than anything he could have possibly imagined. Every flaw on Yuugi's normally glowing face was so startlingly, because they were his flaws, they were his scars. The huge bags under his eyes, trophies of midnight strolls courtesy of the spirit of the ring. Yuugi's posture, clear signs of weariness and submissiveness. Even the smallest things like the reddish "dirt" caked under his fingernails. What's under your nails, Yuugi? Ryou thought bizarrely. You can trust me, I won't tell anyone…
He reached out to touch Yuugi's hand, and Yuugi pulled back abrupt and confused.
"Is there something you want, Bakura-kun?" he asked, nervously. Meek. Weak.
"There's something under your shirt," he said, almost spat out. No, Ryou couldn't see it. But it he know it would be there.
(It's always there.)
"What!" Yuugi's eyes widened with shock and terror. "I – I," he was stuttering now, scared. I know what you're scared of Yuugi, Ryou thought; I'm scared of him too.
"This is my millennium ring," Yuugi said, with sudden eloquence, pulling out said ring "My father gave it to my while at an expedition in Egypt," For your birthday because he didn't even want to see your face and hoped something exotic looking would make-up for it, Ryou finished for him.
I have a strange feeling about him, aibou. I don't think we can trust him.
Ryou knew that the Pharaoh was right, that he couldn't be trusted because the spirit of the ring was stronger than he was, and the spirit of the ring was stronger than Yuugi since apparently Yuugi and he were one in the same, but the spirit had now taken control of Yuugi just like all the times Ryou himself had been forced out his body and forced to bare looks of suspicious from the Pharaoh because the Pharaoh knew like Ryou knows and, and, and.
Ryou vomited all over the lunchroom table.
(And all over Yuugi's blood-caked fingernails.)
"Bakura!" Yuugi's friends cried out in unison and rushed over to the barely conscious Ryou. He was mildly aware of Honda picking him up and swinging him over his shoulder. He was mildly aware of the spirit in Yuugi's body cursing him and the Pharaoh whispering words of concern and love.
I just want to go home, he thought. (Or maybe he said that aloud. It didn't make a difference either way.) I just want to go home to mom and Amane or the Game shop but not my apartment. Please don't send me back there my day's not even over yet. All I want is a day, Yuugi won't mind me borrowing his life, he's a good friend. Such a good friend. Please, please just let me have another life. I swear I won't mess this one up!
Ryou was beginning to see things. He could see now,(Anzu's anxious face) which became then, (Amane's smiling face) which became what never was, (Amane a grown women with gentle eyes) which became what never should be (Yuugi with the millennium ring.) And they all blurred together into nothing, and then everything and nothing again. All the while being intuned with this most horrendous ringing -
Ryou woke up.
(Again.)
The clock read 7:08 and Ryou reached out to turn the alarm off. There was blood under his fingernails.
And somewhere in the back of his mind he heard the spirit of the ring chuckling.
A/N In case you're wondering, the reason why Yami doesn't notice Ryou's increasingly crazy thoughts is because he doesn't read Yuugi's (and therefore Bakura's) mind. Only talks through a mindlink. That and it's a dream. Please, I live off reviews, so review!
