Warning: Shounen-ai! RyouxMalikxBakura.
Disclaimer: Hunter Kai do NOT own YGO. No, no!

Title: Cherry Road: Four Seasons
Genre: Romance/Tragedy(No character death though)
Category: Anime: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
Rating: K+
Language: English
Summary of Cherry Road I: Where Souls Meet and Part: It is not pure coincidence that put two souls in a place at once, it is destined. And in that destined moment, they met. A start of a resolute friendship. But it wasn't long that they part… But destiny found a way to make them meet again, in the very same place… At the Cherry Road… (To know more, read "The Cherry Road: Where Souls Meet and Part", 10 chapters)

SummaryMalik returned to Japan as he promised… but he is not even aware that someone is waiting for him… Moreover, he claims that there is only one Bakura he knows… and that is none other than the King of Thieves. – This story is a sequel to Cherry Road: where souls meet and part.

AN: this is a four-part story, intended to bridge "Cherry Road: Where Souls Meet and Part" to the final installment of the fic – Cherry Road: The Path to Oblivion. This chapter is made extra long for the enjoyment of my readers especially, Flamie! (Lines). This is for you girl! And things in italics are flashbacks.

Cherry Road: Four Seasons
By Hunter K

Chapter 1: Spring Bunnies

Winter ended, giving way to a beautiful awakening of the long been sleeping nature – Spring has come. The morning sun shines brightly, melting the caps of snow atop the houses and the bare tree branches. Patches of green starts to grow in-between the puddles of melted snow on the riverside. Most of the trees starts to sprout green shoots along their long been frozen trunks and twigs, some have already grown complete crowns of yellow-green, but the prettiest amongst are the tiny pinkish-white buds that starts to appear from the enormous reddish-brown branches of the cherry trees.

"They blossomed too early this year…" the teen whispers as he licks his lips wet. It is a bit chapped due to the cold February air. Indeed the cherries blossomed too soon; they are supposed to be blooming late March to April. That only indicates… "They won't last for long…"

The albino teen scans the familiar surrounding as he passes. It's only when he reaches the bridge that he was reminded of the heavy thing that tugs at his heart, the same thing he is trying to ignore. Who knows, he might somewhat forget. Or it could just vanish, like the mist does when chased by the warm rays of the morning sun. But it's not that easy! It is still there - clinging stubbornly on his heart – grasping painfully to remind him of the events past a month ago.

"Bakura?"

His heart faltered. That voice. "M-Malik?", Ryou stuttered, not from the cold but because of the confusion and astonishment he felt.

"Yes?", the addressed asked. His face equally confused as the other but was left unnoticed.

Unshed tears filled Ryou's eyes. He had proven himself wrong about thinking that his friend won't be liable to his promise. He felt so guilty. He is not worth his trust. He cuddles on the Malik's warm chest, whimpering words of guilt, while the other patted his head. Malik didn't know what drove him to comfort the stranger, the action was almost involuntary.

"Hush…", he whispered as he continued to calm the teen. It wasn't Bakura as what he had perceived in the first place. But they looked pretty similar. Except this one's a bit smaller, frailer and has softer features. Further, the Bakura he knows is strong. He won't cry like this!

The group, which hauled the teen with them, merely dumped the teen in front of him and ran with weird (almost scary) smile across their faces. It just added to his uncertainty.

"Listen," he pushed the weeping boy at arms length so he could see his face. The smaller continued to sob. Yet the tears appear to be of joy rather than of grief. The teen was smiling, his brown orbs sparkling with mirth. Then he can't bring himself to say the rest of his sentence.

"I missed you!", Ryou hugged him again. "I thought you won't come back."

Malik stared bemusedly. 'I? Missed?', he thought, 'But I don't even know him!' He held the white-haired boy on both shoulders. And the sentence he left hanging was altered to:

"Please, let go. I don't even know you."

The statement came pleadingly soft and gentle. But to Ryou, it sounded like a loud shrill thunderclap, piercing right through his heart. He tried to swallow the lump on his throat. Fresh tears began cascading his face again (it had stopped a while ago). He tried to smile and rationalize. 'Malik must be kidding…', he assured himself, 'He's trying to make fun of me again.' Sob. 'Then he's gonna laugh about how much of a cry baby I am.'

"S-stop kidding, Malik!", he managed between his sobs. His eyebrows furrowed in uncertainty. He agonizingly pulled a dry laugh before continuing. "I have had enough of these." He had expected Malik to laugh at him and mock him. But it didn't came. But Malik just sat there. Bewildered. Ryou suddenly felt nostalgic. His stomach churned as if it wanted to throw everything out – his internal organs included. He felt dizzy. His lids were half-closing, hindering him to see Malik's concerned gaze.

"I'm sorry…", was all Malik could utter. He was confused. Very confused that he didn't even know what to do.

'It must be a dream – no! A nightmare… A very bad nightmare… And I'm waking up soon, with Malik beside me…' Ryou thought.

But all hopes of the scene being a dream dissipated when he heard a powerful, commanding voice, "MALIK!"

Ryou followed the source of the voice. There stood a tall man. His ivory hair flowing wildly in huge tufts, almost mirroring his, yet the man's hair was more unruly. They share the same brown eyes, yet his was of redder shade and had a malicious glint. His lips thin, curved in a predatory smirk. With the way he posed, the air around him almost yelled 'I owned the Ra-damned world!'.

If Ryou didn't know better he'll think he had a clone. 'But that one looks older, so I must be the clone.' he confusedly thought. 'Hey! No! We are not related!'

"Bakura!", Malik stood. "Look! He's almost like you! You must be brothers!", the sand-blond said excitedly.

Bakura stared at the teen coldly. Then he simpered. "None of our family could be that feeble." He mocked. "Look at him!" He glared. "Pathetic weakling!"

Ryou gasped when he felt cold fingers touch his chin. "Interesting, though…", Bakura trailed as he left, leaving a stunned Ryou.

Malik turned and smiled weakly for apology before going after Bakura.

Ryou sits himself under the budding Sakura trees. They don't provide much shade, but the afternoon sun is not yet intense either so he can rest there – the very spot where he always waits for his friend to return.

He lies on the thin grass, not minding if his shirt is soiled. He stared at the hovering clouds. It felt peaceful; it makes him forget about the 'nightmare' a month ago. He can't bring himself to accept it, even if he sees Malik and that clone of his (Bakura, is that it? Hell, we even share the same name!) at the school. To him, the Malik he sees is a ghost because the Malik he knew was back in Egypt, doing…what was that? Damn him for being forgetful!

Joey's gang hangs about lazily on the school gates. The word 'bored' painted across their faces. It has been almost three months since they stopped picking on the poor albino. And the very reason was that the teen's 'knight in shining armor' left. Was that sarcastic? No. Since Malik left, Ryou's not fun anymore! He just gives cold stares and helpless groans. He doesn't even cry or plea or even show emotions. He had turned into a massive iceberg! "Damned Malik corrupted him!", Jou thought.

But maybe he have to stop thinking about Ryou now. Something new wiped the boredom from Jou's face. He smirked as his gang approached what they are waiting for.

A short young man with weird gravity defying hair (shaped like a marijuana leaf though it's in black, yellow and red, not green) approaches the Domino High School gate. He is a transfer student. Yugi Muto is frail, small for his age, which makes him vulnerable to bullies like Joey's gang.

The teen halted upon seeing the shadow just infront of his feet. He is somewhat an introvert, always looking down – as if he's always shy to look at everyone. He turned left, trying to avoid bumping person. Another shadow appeared. He just diverted again, and again. Until -

"Hey shorty!"

Yugi aimed his stare at the direction of the voice. His violet tenshi(1) eyes filled with fear. As if he already knows what will happen next…

Jou posted a devious smirk while his gang put different kinds of insulting leers and snickers. But they only have one thing in mind: 'This would be fun!'

Chocolate eyes fluttered awake – he had slept on that spot again. It's a sort of hobby now.

Something moved over his chest – it tickles. He flapped his eyelids a few more times to clear his vision. And what he saw left his mouth agape. A pair of violet eyes is staring down at him. His eyes almost bulged in shock when he felt something soft caressing his cheeks. He tried to concentrate. "sand-blond mane and purple eyes", he thought. And it hit him.

"Malik!", he half shouted.

'Malik' jumped, running to hide on the bush beyond the cherry tree, out of astonishment. Ryou blinked and laughed to himself. It was a rabbit.

But what caught his attention is that when the sand-colored rabbit appeared and met a white one, just beneath the next cherry tree. Ryou propped himself to his side to get a satisfactory view of the rabbits as he watched.

The rabbits perked their ears, listening. They'd look at him then move as if murmuring at each other, then stare at him again. He finds it cute. "Little gossipers…" he whispered to himself.

When things turn out to be boring, it's just the exact opposite. Just when Ryou was about to stand up and go home, he noticed another bunny. It was white with a huge spot of black on its back (just like a cape), bigger than the other one who's with the 'Malik' rabbit. The big white rabbit joined them then in a while, then 'Malik' rabbit was going along with the bigger one, leaving the poor small white rabbit behind.

Ryou somewhat felt sympathetic. He knew what the white rabbit felt. Maybe he could name that rabbit Ryou, and the one with a black spot would be Bakura. How silly of him, playing childish games. But he just can't stop himself from relating himself to the bunnies.

"You…", he urged himself not to cry, "You left that bunny alone…" the rabbits tilted their heads, as if trying to understand what he is saying to them. "…go back to him…"

"The white rabbit let him go…"

Ryou, stunned at the sudden presence, sat up and turned around. He met serious onyx eyes.

Isis sat next to Ryou and turned at the rabbits who are sprinting away, hiding, because of the presence of a stranger. "Maybe the white rabbit should take the sand-brown one back to him…", she beamed. Ryou stared at her then look back down. Surely, he hadn't tried that yet…

Ryou thought that she was just talking about the bunnies when she spoke again, in her mysterious tone. "Ryou, please take Malik back from that thief…"

"You mean Bakura?"

"Yes."

"B-but why?" It was incomprehensible to Ryou. Why would he take Malik if he likes to be with Bakura?

Isis faltered. "Notice that Malik don't recognize you. Me. Anyone he knows before…", she pause, taking a look at Ryou who is trying to digest the facts. "He is under Bakura's powers… Because he got beaten in a shadow game…"

Ryou was greatly puzzled. He didn't know what a 'shadow game' is and what Isis meant by Malik being under Bakura's powers. He wanted to know more… but what animated him most was that… Malik didn't forget him, he's just under a certain influence and the thought of him freeing his friend from that influence made his heart flutter in sanguinity.

…-tsuzuku-…

(1) In drawing anime, there are two kinds of eyes: tenshi and arashi. Tenshi are those eyes that are rounded and w/o corners (eg. Yugi's, Gon's(Hxh) eyes) while arashi are those w/ corners that are often pointed (eg. Yami Yugi's, Aya(Weiss Kreuz) eyes)

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