The Hidden Cage, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

The Hidden Cage

Basically just all Ryou's point of view(he's writing in an old journal of some sort.)

So his writing is all italic. Like that.

The lyrics are bold and italic. And I twisted the lyrics in their meanings. I put them literally the way they're written.

The lyrics are by Die Form. They make very awesome but really quite eerie music.

Ryou Bakura sat at the back of a small cage which was leaning against a cold and damp brick wall of a very large and dimly lit alleyway. Ryou was so close to the wall that he could have reached out and touched it lightly with his fingertips if he had felt inclined to do so. His back was hunched over slightly, his knees had been drawn up close to his chest, and his head rested lightly against one of the very thin poles that made up the cage. The cage cut him off from the rest of the world. He had woken up there, with no recollection at all of the past sixteen years or so of his life, just a very bad headache and some very basic knowledge: he knew his name, his age, how to move around steadily on his own, how to speak, how to read, and how to write as well as some other basic things most people took for granted. The only things that kept him company in his confines were two inanimate objects: an old journal with ripped, bent, and burnt pages with an old blood-red leather cover, and a feather pen.

He scribbled furiously into the journal with all of the determination that he possessed. He only paused every once in a while when his hand would spasm with pain, or the familiar cloaked man walked by and glanced his way. He was curious to know more about the man, and, in return, wanted the mysterious man to know just as much about him. And so the idea was born in his mind to write a journal of some sort to the man. He hoped the time would come when he could stop his written work and participate in a shared verbal conversation. Written words and simple movements were not enough. He also hoped the day would not come when more pages would cease to be and his journal would be forced to come to an end.

The nameless stranger peaked his interest and let his imagination soar high above the clouds with every movement that the man made. He wore a long crimson cloak with a large hood that covered his head and his face down to his luscious, snarl-curled lips. Wild, tangled silver hair caressed the man's visibly pale face, and two dark eyes were barely visible at times. He could hardly see two forest-green silky pant legs at the very bottom of the cloak, and two used and dirty brown shoes underneath both the cloak and pants. He did remind Ryou, in a way, of an angel. A dark angel. But one that would be his saviour. One that he would, in the end, worship. Or Love.

Dear Dark Angel,

My name's Ryou. Ryou Bakura. I don't know who named me, or if I had any family at all. I can't remember anything at all about my past up until this moment. I think I'm sixteen or seventeen years old, but I can't be too sure about that. I can't even see myself. There are no mirrors around. It's too dark to really tell, but I think this is an alley way. You keep walking by my cage and staring at me, with a kind smirk. Not like the others at all. Not like them at all. They all walk by without even seeing me. It's like I'm not even here. But I do exist.

Am I supposed to be here? Like all of the others in their cages? They seem to be just like me. All confused, crying, yelling, and groaning in their sleep. But people take notice of them. Is it because they make more noise than me? I don't like to bother people. I'm too scared to do anything at all. It won't get me anywhere, anyway. Not if people don't notice me. None of the other ones in cages notice me, either.

Where am I? What is this place? It's cold here, did you know that? Or can you feel the cold at all? I haven't seen you shiver once. Not once. It's so cold. I can't stop shivering, I can't help myself.

I wonder when you'll walk by next. I like seeing people walk by and actually look in my direction. It keeps me sane, actually. Knowing that at least I still exist in a way. I'd want to die if no one noticed me. It'd be so lonely. I'm lonely right now. But knowing that you can see me, that keeps me from fading away right out of existence. Can you really see me? I hope you can. I wish I could talk to you. And I wish you would talk to me. You're really quite intriguing to me. Please walk by again... I'd give anything to see you just once more...

-Lost and Broken

Ryou signed the journal entry and closed it suddenly, the pen still inside book - marking the last page that he had written on. He put it down beside himself, then lay down and curled up in a shivering ball. No matter how hard he tried, warmth never came to him for more than a split second. His eyes closed and sleep claimed him once again. Unbeknownst to himself, his shivering form was under the watchful eye of a strange cloaked passer-by. A cool gust of wind passed down the alley, and an eerie silence suddenly blanketed the alley as the last of the light faded away into the shadows. Darkness had come.

Shivering in a cage

Waiting for you

Dear Dark Angel,

I just woke up. I have nothing else to do except write to you again, sir. I haven't seen you walk by yet. Not since last night. But it's still so dark, so I don't know if it's morning yet. It's always dark here. Always. Please walk by again soon? I miss you. It's almost as if I've known you my entire life. I wish that were true, that we knew each other before and that we were very close. Then that would explain why you always walk by me and watch me when you think I'm not looking. I'm always looking. I've got nothing else to do. I drew a picture the other day. It's at the very back of my journal. It's a very detailed sketch of you watching me. It's not any good, and like I said I don't know what I look like, but I'm not very skilled at drawing and isn't the point of art not to get everything right but to do it the way your heart tells you to? I don't think I have ever been a skilled artist. Maybe I was a poet or a photographer. Maybe a scientist? I like to think I was good at something. But maybe I was a good for nothing waste of space. Would that explain why I'm here? Why I can't remember anything? Maybe there wasn't anything to remember.

I still don't know what I really look like. But I suppose that we look similar, you and I. I noticed recently that my hair has grown quite long, and is almost the same colour as yours. It's a lot dirtier, I expect, since I live and sleep in this dirty place. When was the last time I bathed? I can't remember. Before I ended up here, I expect. I don't even recall the last time I ate. I think it's been a while, my stomach sometimes aches for something, for anything to eat. But there's nothing here. No bugs, not any small animals, no scraps of food. Nothing. I'm beginning to wonder if this is another world. It's all too quiet here.

You just passed by again. I wish I knew your name, then I could call out to you. To get you to notice me. I think you glanced at me when I stopped writing, but I can't be too sure of anything anymore.

I'm not feeling very well. Not after last night. I had the worst dream in the world. I was terrified. I was all alone in the middle of nowhere in complete darkness. And no matter where I went or where I moved to, there was something blocking my path. I was stuck and no one could hear my cries for help. No one at all. Not even I could hear myself. There was a deafening silence. Then all of a sudden there was a sound in the darkness. It scared me, but I convinced myself that it was just in my head. And I waited for you. I prayed for your arrival. You never came. I woke up to this dark alley again. You weren't here, either. I'm starting to think that maybe you don't pass by to see me. I think you only go by because there's no other way to wherever you're going. It's the only route. I hope that's not really true. I'm drawn to you, now. I feel the need to see you walk by, to be closer to you than before. And it hurts me when I can't be near to you. I think you're keeping me alive. I don't understand these feelings or emotions anymore. I just wish I wasn't here anymore. I want to go back to wherever I was before. No matter where that is. As long as I don't have to think about you anymore. It's causing me physical pain to see you walk by and not being able to walk with you. Is this hell?

I wish I understood what's happening to me. Then maybe I could sleep in peace, without all these petrifying dreams. Maybe it would be better if you didn't walk by anymore. Then I could forget about all of this. I'm just so confused. I think I'll take a nap. I'm really worn out, and I haven't even done anything for the past few days or so. Has it been days? I just don't know. I'll check back with more later...

-Confused and Tired

Ryou closed the journal once more, set it down on the ground, then stretched his aching arms and legs with all his might. He yawned then lay back down, closed his eyes, and fell asleep with far too much on his mind. The man didn't pass by again. Instead, the stranger stood in the middle of the alley and simply stared at the boy in the cage far away from him. He smirked, turned around, then walked away.

Petrified in my dreams

Waiting for you

The boy in the cage crawled around restlessly until he gave up hope and sat back down in the corner furthest from the wall, where he opened up the journal, set it down on his lap, and started to write again.

Dear Dark Angel,

I woke up and you weren't there again. I guess I should probably give up all hope of ever seeing you again. I should move on. But move on from what? I don't really know. I think that I like doing this. Writing to you and drawing pictures for you, I mean. It passes the time. I don't know what I'm waiting for anymore, but I hope whatever it is will be worth all this wasted time.

I don't think anyone can see this cage. I don't even think they can see me, for that matter. Because I seem to have found my voice. I woke up screaming earlier. I must have had that awful dream again. I can't remember, and I'm glad I can't. Anyway, after I screamed, nobody took notice. The other cages aren't there any more, the ones with the other people like me in them. They were as trapped as I am, and now they must be free. Yes, that must be it. They must have either been set free or escaped somehow. There are less people going by, now. They seem to be losing interest in this alley. I wonder if there are more places like this? I can't see any from where I am. It's all dark and scary at the ends of this alley from what I can see.

This cage scares me. I wonder if it's really here? Or maybe it's just an illusion? Maybe this is all something being fabricated by my mind? I guess not. My hands come into contact with them, and I feel pretty real to myself. My hair hurts and so does my arm, now. This must all be pretty real.

I'm starting to remember things from my past. Only bits and pieces, though. Like faces and far away places. I can remember a young girl's face, she looks just like you, only much younger. Maybe she's your sister? Or mine? I'm not sure, but I think she was really kind and gentle. I can remember her rolling a ball around in the grass in what looks like the middle of a forest. And I can remember other people eating and drinking around a campfire. Then it all starts to get blurry, and I can hardly make out their forms. I don't know why. All I can see after that is the fire getting bigger and more out of control, but then I can't see anything anymore. I wish I could remember more than that. But I guess I'm not a very lucky person. I think I can remember a bit more, but... It's really hard to force myself to remember. It's tiring, too... I'll give it a try.

There's a tall man standing in the middle of a small home... I think he's wearing a hood because I can't make out his face. Somebody somewhat shorter than him is standing right beside him. He reminds me of myself, but I can't be too sure. Oh well, I give up.

It's so empty here now. And I'm starting to feel a little funny. I can't explain it, but it feels as though I'm being pulled away from his reality or something. Weird, huh? But that's what it feels like. I think it's because I'm so hungry. I need something to eat. Something to fill my stomach. Anything at all.

Maybe I could try to call out to you, maybe you could get me some food. If you hear me... I really want to hear your voice. I really do. I'm so curious about you. So very curious. I think you would have a deep voice. It would suit you.

I can't believe I'm doing this, actually. Pouring my heart and soul out to you, whom I haven't ever known, not even for a second. Although it does feel like I've known you forever, I know that can't be true. Bit I feel as though my soul is being squeezed out of my body and into this journal. Every word is another drop of my life. I think it's true. Every time I write another sentence, I feel as though I exist a little less, even though it's somewhat liberating. It scares me.

I can hear something in the back of my mind now. I don't know what it is. It's so odd, it's there, but it's not. It's as though it's only my imagination, but I can for sure hear it. It sounds oddly like people talking. Speaking to me or each other. I think I'm going insane now. I'm starting to hear voices. That can't be a good thing. Especially not now. I'm not supposed to hear voices. Not in my head, anyway. I'm going to stretch my legs a bit now, they're all cramped and stiff from sitting here for so long. I hope you walk by soon. Please save me from this insanity!

-Ryou

Drop by drop

Pouring out

Waiting for you

Ryou glanced around, as though he were suddenly aware of his surroundings. He had been day dreaming again. It did pass the time. He had nothing else to do. He would write and draw in his journal, then stare off into space, hoping for the handsome stranger to walk by just once more. Once more and he would be happy for all of eternity. He knew that he was slowly starving to death. And his throat was sore and dry, as was his mouth. He would lick his lips, and they would be dry within a few seconds after. He had given up after a while.

His stomach growled with anger and hunger. But he couldn't feed it. There was nothing. nothing at all would keep his stomach satisfied for the rest of his stay there. He was starting to think that he would never escape the dull and lifeless alley. It was alway so dark. Never much light anywhere. Only every once in a while would a cage with another child appear some ways away from himself, and then a while after that another cloaked person would walk by quickly, as though the alleyway were haunted or something.

He wanted that stranger to go by again. To walk over to him. To free him from the hell that he was in. He wanted it very much. He squeezed his eyes shut, and lay his head down on the ground once more. He was so drained and exhausted. There was nothing that he could do about his predicament but wait. And then wait again some more. Sleep was his only escape from the alley. And even in his sleep he was plagued by images of his past and feelings of confinement.

Dying life

Break the spell

Waiting for you

Waiting for you ...

Dear Dark Angel,

You passed by again. I was so happy, I was beyond words. But I felt so helpless, and I couldn't even find my voice to call out to you. I was so sad that I cried. I think you heard me, because you stopped, turned back, and stared in my direction. I can't be too sure, but I think you actually saw me for the first time, because you seemed somewhat surprised. Yes, I've been here this whole time. And I've been waiting forever for you to actually see me and look my in the eye. I was granted that one wish. I guess that's my dying wish, then. I can't hardly write or see straight anymore. I know why, exactly, although I can still guess more than once. You're still there, just standing and staring. I wonder if you're waiting for me to say something. I can't say anything at all. My throat is so sore right now. I wish I could just die and get it over with. But with you standing right there... It gives me hope, for some reason. I'm happy and yet so sad. I can't really explain the way I feel right now.

You seem to be interesting in this alley. You keep coming back. And now that you've truly seen me, I hope, you'll come back more often. To just stand there, to keep me company. Even if you're on the other side of the alley, it makes me feel closer to reality. Closer to life.

My whole body hurts now. Not just my stomach anymore. It's so painful, that I can't even sit up very well. Writing is getting more difficult with every word. Can't you see that I'm in pain? Can you see me at all anymore? Or are you just staring at a plain brick wall for fun? I guess you're lost in complicated thoughts beyond what I can do or even handle now.

I'm afraid that if I close my eyes... I won't even see the light of day again. Or the darkness. I suppose it's better than all this pain that I'm going through, but... Death... I don't know if I could even handle dying. Not with you still standing there, giving me hope. I'm just so tired. I can hardly think at all. I need sleep.

-Ryou

Cage for us...

Ryou woke up again, with a throbbing pain in his head, and he groaned. He was surprised that he could still hear himself at all. He was surprised that he was still alive, too. He had half expected to fall asleep and never to wake up again. He rolled over on his side, and stared out of the bars that made up his cage, and squinted into the darkness. It was so dark he couldn't tell if anybody was there or not, so he closed his eyes again. He tried very hard to hear anything at all that was different in the alley. But nothing made itself apparent. He reached out in the darkness, and pulled the journal closer to himself.

Dear Dark Angel,

I don't think I'll be writing again after this. The pain is nearly unbearable. I can't stand it any longer. I just want it all to go away. Everything, But not you. I would love to have you keep me company. I felt so safe earlier when you were staring at me. I really wish I could see more of you. Only parts of your face and the cloak... It's disappointing. I just wish... I guess I don't wish. None of my wishes ever come true anymore. I remembered more of what my life used to be like. I'm pretty sure you were there. So we must have known each other at some point. I can also remember what I look like, now. I look a lot like you. I would guess that we were related, but that's not true. Not at all. I think we had a different kind of relationship. I can't quite recall it yet, but I'll figure it out soon.

I think I've just realized something. I think I know what these feelings and emotions mean. I'm afraid to write them down, in case you do ever read this. I think I'd just die of embarrassment if you did read this. I think... I think that... Well... I think that I love you. And I think that we loved each other in the past. But I can't be too sure about it yet.

Please, I hope you never read this. Or read my mind. Never, ever, ever, ever. I'm still so tired. More so than before. Actually... wait... Oh my goodness, I just remembered a whole lot more... It was all so confusing, but now that the memories have stopped flowing through my mind and passed my eyes... I remember it all so clearly. You... you and I sure knew each other. I hope that the man in my memories is indeed you. You both look so much a like. We had just confessed our love for one another, when... When something happened, I don't know what. But then I ended up here, against my will. I just remember falling unconscious.

I can hear those voices again. The ones in the back of my mind. One of them is more clear than the others. It's a deep voice. A soothing, deep voice. He keeps saying something, I think it's directed at me, but I don't know. It makes me feel as though I'm stuck in my own mind. But if that's the case, then why does it all feel so real? It all hurts so much...

I wish you were here again. I wish you were here so much. I miss you, my mysterious love. I really do. I hope that you're missing me, too.

-Ryou Bakura

Immobile prisoner

Survivor of passions

Impossible progression

Ryou couldn't move when he woke up next. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move a muscle. All he could do was stare up at the top of the cage and think. Even though thinking gave him a headache. He did it anyway. His eyes widened when he suddenly realized that there was no top to the cage, and there were no longer any bars surrounding him, tears threatened to spill out of his eyes.

He could hear footsteps drawing closer and closer, until they came to a stop just beside himself. There was some movement somewhere beside him, and suddenly a face hovered over his own. It was the stranger. The man smiled sadly, and he felt two strong arms circle his waist, and he was suddenly in the man's lap. He could no longer see the face, but it was one he knew so very well, and one he would never forget. He felt something warm and damp drop onto his face. It was warm and wet. The man was crying.

He closed his eyes, and forced himself to snuggle into the warmth. No matter how much it hurt, he was going to stay there for as long as he could. He never wanted to be let go. He never wanted that moment to end.

After a while, the silver-haired man stood up and carried him away from the brick wall and to the shadows at the end of the alley. He glanced over and noticed that there was no escape from the alley, even if there were no cages, he would never be able to get away from the darkness. He'd always be trapped within it.

But it wasn't so bad. He liked it very much. In the strong and muscular arms of his saviour. He as safe and would never be alone ever again. He didn't want more than that. Even if it meant dying there in the darkness. He loved the feelings that the darkness brought him.

"We... We're stuck... here...?" He managed to choke out in a raspy voice, and the sudden noise startled his saviour. The man nodded. "...Yami...? ...B-Bakura...?" He remembered the names suddenly, managed to point to the man, and unsure of what they meant, or if they had any meaning at all, he looked up, questioningly, at the familiar stranger, who smirked and nodded.

"You remembered my name." The voice of his Yami, Bakura, was music to his ears. He smiled, closed his eyes, and snuggled up closer to him. "I thought you had forgotten, my hikari." At the name, Ryou's eyes snapped open. He remembered that name, too. "Now we won't be stuck in here forever. You have remembered. Sleep, hikari, sleep little one. You need to wake up."

Ryou's eyes slowly drooped shut, and he was pulled into the darkness. This time, though, it was a soothing kind of darkness. He let go of all of his thoughts and feelings and emotions, and gave into the darkness.

Enclosed forever and closed...

When he woke up again, he was no longer in such a dark place, like the alley. It was so bright that he had to shield his eyes from the lights around himself until his eyes adjusted completely. A short while later, he felt something pull his arm down, and looked around finally. He was lying in a bed, tucked under the thick white blankets of a large room. He realized that something was in his left hand, and he looked down at it. A dark red leather journal was held tightly in his grip, and he smiled. He had escaped. And now he was home, home where he should be. No words could express his gratefulness for actually being back home.

His throat hurt somewhat, and his lips were parched from the lack of water, but he couldn't be more happy. The pain in his stomach wasn't as bad as it had been while he was in the cage, but it still hurt. Ryou finally realized that something was touching his arm. He looked down, and noticed a semi-transparent hand over his arm. He followed it until it reached the rest of the spirit's body in front of himself. Yami Bakura stared back at him with an eerie look on his somewhat see-though face.

He then realized what everything had been about. He remembered going camping with his friends one weekend, then becoming ill near the end of their trip. He had passed out beside the fire, and that's how things had started. He guessed that his friends must have carried him home, and his Yami must have been keeping him company. In his mind as well as his room.

He was indeed trapped, in a cage of some sort. And so was Bakura. His body. They were both stuck in his body for however long their bond lasted. And the Millennium Ring that he wore around his neck would forever keep them together. Mind, body, and soul. They would be together forever. No matter what happened. He had given into the darkness, and he knew that it was the right thing to do. The darkness had brought him back to the light. Back to who he really was. He had been saved. Bakura was his saviour. Bakura, once King of Thieves, was his saviour. His Dark Angel.

I'm adding this, because I think you could all use a semi-confusing story around now. It being Halloween and all. I hope this story makes sense to you, and I hope that you enjoy reading it! I really had fun writing it. And now I must sleep. I still have to wake up later to buy the rest of my costume for Halloween. I'm going to have so much fun! I'm dressing up as Hikaru from Angelic Layer. Only I've made the costume somewhat gothic because I felt like it. Yay! Fun! I'm insane. It's going to be freezing out, and I'm going as Hikaru from AL. Hee hee.

Excuse any spelling mistakes.

I hope you all get lots of candies! hands out halloween candies/treats of all kinds

Mmm... Ramune candies.. I'm going to give those to my friends on Halloween. Yummy!

gasps By this time next year, I'm going to be trilingual (or rather in about 7-8 months)! English, French, and Japanese! I can't wait!

If you'd like to see the drawing Ryou (or rather I) drew in the story, then go here (take away the spaces from the link):

Please R&R!