I needed a mirror. I needed to see what he had done to me. My clouded mind tried to remember where one was. The bathroom! I tried to get up, but fell to my knees. My head was spinning from shock and loss of blood. After two more unsuccessful tries, I managed to stay on my feet long enough to reach the bathroom. I was afraid to look in the mirror once I got there. I knew that an unpleasant image awaited me. Summoning up my courage, I looked into the mirror.

I almost collapsed from the sight. A familiar golden eye gazed back at me. The millennium eye! But how? This had been Pegasus’s. Then I realized. Pegasus had died shortly after the Duelist Kingdom finals. The final match between Yugi and Pegasus (which I couldn’t remember seeing or even where I was at the time, for that matter) had left the man weak, so Yugi said. This would have been the perfect opportunity for my yami. This was about the time that he had revealed himself to me again. But that would mean…oh, God. I had killed Pegasus. Even though it hadn’t really been me, my hands had done the task. My hands, my body, had been used to take another life, even if it was a despicable man like Pegasus. Oh, God, I was a murderer…

My brain was having trouble processing all this. It was as if a thick fog had wrapped itself around my mind. I stared blankly at my reflection. The haunting eye stared right back. It would forever remind me of the sin I had been used to commit. Even if you paid no attention to the eye, I looked a fright. Dried blood stained my face and my hair. The area around my new eye was swollen, though not as much as I would have expected it to be. The millennium eye must have had some power that lessened the damage caused by putting it in. That would explain the dulled pain. But it did not seem to clear my mind any. How much blood had I lost? The thought crossed my mind that I should call a doctor.

<You will do no such thing> came my yami’s harsh voice from within my mind. In my current state it took a minute to recognize what it was. <I worked too hard for that item to risk losing it now.>

“But Yami, it will do you no good if I die now,” I said out loud. The fact that I could have just thought the reply did not register.

<You’ll live…> he said, almost regretfully.

“But Yami, I…”

He cut me off angrily. <Think, boy! What will happen when they see the well-known false eye of the recently murdered Pegasus, especially when you were seen at Duelist Kingdom? Do you think they will not make a connection? So what if it wasn’t really you that did it? Do you think they will care? Tell them that your dark side made you do it and they will laugh at you as they lock you up. You would lose everything, not to mention what I would do to you. I will hear no more of it!> he said before closing his thoughts to me again and leaving me alone.

I didn’t want to be alone like this. Even the company of my abusive dark half was better than being scared and alone. But Yami Bakura was right. If anyone saw me like this, I would be blamed for Pegasus’s death. I couldn’t face my friends or my father. Yugi was the only one who would understand my situation, and I was forbidden my yami to associate with him. Yami Bakura was still weak from his last encounter with Yugi’s dark side, and he didn’t want his existence to be known yet. He was vulnerable. But he promised me, incase I should decide to turn against him, that before Yami Yugi ever got a chance to take advantage of his weakened state, he would kill me for my treachery. I did not take his threats lightly.

I lowered my head to wash my face in the sink. Mistake. The sudden movement caused my head to spin. In reaction, I quickly lifted my head back up. Mistake #2. The room swirled around me and I fell against the wall and sank to the floor. I’m not sure if I passed out for a moment or two or if I simply spaced out. Either way it took a few minutes for me remember where I was and what had happened when I came back to reality.

I crawled over to the bathtub. I had to get clean. I didn’t really care about the mess I had left in the den where I woke up or anywhere else it may have gotten. I just had to wash myself off. I didn’t feel like I had the strength to stand up for a shower, so I ran the bath water.

Lying in the warm water helped me relax. I scrubbed the blood off my face (the area around the millennium eye was extremely sensitive), hands, and areas where it had soaked through my clothes, which were now ruined. My favorite sweater, too. But I had other concerns. I had to run fresh water before I could even attempt to clean my hair. There was so much blood…

I dressed and staggered to my room. I would worry about the mess later. I needed sleep. I would just rest a few hours. I think I was out before my head even reached the pillow.
 
 

Authors Note: It’s mostly just Ryou POV right now, but I will move on to others in future chapters. R&R please. Constructive criticism accepted but no flames.