Special thanks to MidknightXXX for requesting this ^^ All credit goes to her for this awesome plot idea~!
I think this first chapter turned out to be aLOTlike season zero :/ sorrei ⌐⌐ I claim absolutely no rights to such an awesome season. Or any of the other seasons, for that matter :D They were all pretty awesome ^^
Ryou didn't know why he was clutching the bizarre gold ring around his neck tighter than usual. After all, whatever was to happen today had already happened; he was just about to find out about it.
The Millennium Ring was his lucky charm; his father had given it to him after coming back from a trip toEgypt. And Ryou treasured it; he never took it off. Even when he was at school, he kept it hung around his neck, concealed beneath his school uniform. He felt exposed and almost naked without it.
And today, he certainly needed luck. He had taken the Ring out from its hiding place and was holding onto it with both hands, his slender, pale fingers wrapped around it tightly. He was about to get his marked Ancient History assignment back.
This was worrying him much more than it did the other students. It was their last piece of assessment for the entire semester. Ryou had, of course, aced its two predecessors, and handed in this third over a week ago now. All that remained now was to find out his mark and his Ancient History overall grade would be determined.
He was grateful that this class was his first up; he didn't know how he would have coped being left in the dark until the afternoon.
Ryou let the Ring's weight fall back onto its rope, and it landed against his chest with a soft chink. Sighing, he pulled the necessary stationary for Ancient History from his bag and filed into the classroom with the rest of the students.
His teacher didn't waste time; she just handed out the assignments as soon as everyone was seated.
When Ryou received his, it was face-down. He gulped. This was it. Brushing the Millennium Ring lightly with one hand, he flipped it over.
A giant 'B+' stared out at him from the confines of the page.
It took a moment for this to register. He had received a B+? He stared at it, dumbfounded. He checked the name again. This was definitely his paper.
Trying to hold back a tear, Ryou opened the task sheet and looked at the teacher's comments. All it said was that he had done well. What did that mean? It was a B! A B! He never got Bs.
As soon as the teacher sat down again and invited students to come up and discuss their marks, Ryou was up at the front of the room. Hesitantly, he placed the paper on her desk.
"I...don't understand what I did wrong here."
Puzzled, she looked at the mark. "You got a B+; that's good."
Ryou shifted uncomfortably. "It's not an A; what should I have done differently?"
She picked up the paper. "Let's see...here." She handed it to him. "You didn't reference your source in this paragraph; I have to count it as plagiarism and not mark that section."
Ryou gawked at her. "What?" Without thinking, he snatched the paper and looked at where she had indicated. A very large paragraph had been highlighted and crossed out. "But I didn't plagiarise that, and I didn't have a source! It was background knowledge...I already knew it."
She looked at it again. "Then you need to reference where you originally found it out, or find an alternative source giving the same information."
Ryou was practically crying. "My Dad is an archaeologist; he works in Egypt all the time. I know all about Ancient Egypt from him."
The teacher just shrugged. "I'm sorry, Ryou, but I have to mark according to a criteria and this paragraph-" She pointed at the paragraph in question "-Cannot be marked unless properly sited. Don't worry about it; you're still going to get an A for your final mark."
Nodding dejectedly, Ryou gave a sad sigh and, picking up his assignment, trudged back to his desk. He had worked so hard on that paper – and he had thought he would do well, since he had so much background knowledge on the subject.
He knew in his heart of hearts that his teacher was right; after all, it didn't matter if he got a single B+ after his previous As, and it wasn't her fault that she had to mark to the criteria.
She thinks I'm lying, though, he thought sadly. I could see it in her eyes; she really does think I plagiarised. He rested his head on his desk sadly. How could she? I'd never do anything like that.
He gave another sigh and picked up the Millennium Ring from where it hung limply around his neck. "Better luck next time, I guess," he murmured. He placed it on his desk. "I suppose this is for the best; if I get too used to getting straight As, I'll start to be overconfident.
He looked at the Ring as though he somehow expected it to answer. Ryou could have sworn that it was laughing at him.
It wasn't until the afternoon that anything out of the ordinary occurred.
Ryou was on his way towards the school's exit when it happened, school having finished. He let out another sad sigh. He still couldn't believe he had actually gotten a B. A B+, but still, a B.
I still wish she had believed me. Ryou's head was hung low sadly. Not because of the A...I just hate it when people think I'm lying.
It's not your fault.
The voice that Ryou heard sounded like his, and could well have been his own thought. For a second, he paid it no mind and kept walking.
I know it's not my fault in that I didn't do anything bad, Ryou thought, as if in answer. But I still should have known to reference. It's just a stupid reference; why am I still thinking about it?
Because you were right.
For a second, Ryou's step faltered. Then he brushed it aside. He had thoughts like that all the time. No changing it now; it's like that saying, 'He knew he was right as he rode along, but he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong'. It's not about whether I was right or not; it's just about how things are.
They're only that way because you let them be, Ryou.
Well, what can I do about it now? Ryou asked himself, feeling foolish. Talking to oneself was the first sign of madness, after all. What's done is done. I got a B. That's it.
You just said it wasn't about the A. It's about the teacher thinking you're lying.
Ryou wasn't even aware that he had stopped walking. Well, it doesn't matter. He shook his head. This is crazy; stop talking to yourself, Ryou.
She doesn't have to think that. She shouldn't think that.
She can think what she likes, Ryou thought, not liking where his train of thought was going.
She doesn't have to think at all.
This was too intense. "It's a great day today," he said aloud, causing a few confused heads to turn. He was grateful to hear the words in his ears and not his head.
Sweat had started to bead on his brow. He gulped. He just had to cool it; stare at a blade of grass for five seconds or something, stop himself from thinking any conscious thoughts. Get this other voice out of his head.
I can stop her thinking.
No I can't, Ryou thought instantly. I can't.
There was no explanation for the rising panic inside of him. He was terrified. Stop it! Just stop it! You're scaring me! Please, go away... No, not 'please go away'...what was he saying? He was scaring himself?
I'm going to stop her.
You're not me! Who are you? Please, stop it, just stop it! Ryou pleaded.
Sleep now, my little one. Nobody will think you're a liar when you wake up...
Ryou fell to his knees, suddenly struggling to stay awake. Please, don't do this!
Ryou had fallen into a whirlpool. A whirlpool of colour and sound. It was the only explanation for the way the street around him was spinning in an out of control cartwheel using him as its pivot point. He felt a sudden, sharp, burning sensation against his chest.
Just relax.
I'm not going to relax, Ryou thought, fighting to keep his eyes open. Relax? Relax...relax...
Involuntarily, Ryou closed his eyes. Relax...
It was such a nice word...
Ryou was back in the school grounds when he suddenly realised where he was.
The feeling of doing so was not like that of waking up. At least, not in the same way that his last memory had felt like going to sleep. This was more of...a nothing. Like he had gone from being awake to being...awake.
He spun around, his heard hammering against the confines of his chest almost painfully. "Where are you?" he shouted, his voice thick with fear. "What did you do?"
What I promised to, little one.
His whole body trembling like a falling leaf, Ryou sank to the ground. Fearfully, he clutched his head, his nails biting into his skin. "Get out of my head!" he wailed.
I can't do that.
Suddenly frantic, Ryou sprang to his feet. Not knowing what else to do, he ran.
He ran for his life. Whatever these thoughts were...they wanted to hurt people. The mere presence of them was simply evil. They were evil.
You can't run from me, little one.
"Leave me alone!" he cried. "Go away!"
Ryou had slammed into the gate before he even saw it coming. All coherent thoughts gone, he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.
He squished his eyes shut. He was going to hear it again. That...voice. That thing. That evil thing.
It didn't come. Ryou lay there by the school gate, curled into a tiny ball, rocking himself back and forth for what felt like hours. Nobody arrived to help him.
But at least the voice was gone. For now.
