Walking The Twilight Path Ryou Bakura

by TrueMarik

The untold story of one Ryou Bakura. While a major character he was constantly over shadowed by his darker side. This is his story, taking place during the DOMA/Oricalcos arc of the Yugioh anime. While the stories focus is on Ryou Bakura there are main OC

1. An Evil Emerges

Walking The Twilight Path

Episode I: An Evil Emerges

An alarm clock began ringing for the third time that morning as the fairly common sound echoed through the house. The clock read 12 o'clock and it seemed to have been set to snooze several times already. While the house itself was fairly normal and similar to the other houses on the city limits of Domino, this room was not. Supernatural and occult posters and clutter littered the room. The shelves were lined with strange board games and other role playing adventures while a single Ouija board lie in the center of the floor. The board seems to never have entered its box since it was opened, however its worn corners indicated that it has been in constant use. In the bed lay a young man sixteen years of age grasping on desperately to the last seconds of sleep.

With long white hair and deep brown eyes he seemed like any other student of Domino High. However, this one was different. Ever since the fateful day he received the Millennium Ring, he has been unintentionally burdened with a dark alter ego, an ancient evil spirit born of the dark rituals of an Egyptian power struggle. This darkness would come to be known as Zork Necrophidius and would again threaten the world and all its inhabitants. That however, is a different story. This is the untold story of the young man himself, with the name Ryou Bakura, and his part in silencing the evil forces that sought to destroy a corrupted world.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh….," yawned Ryou stretching his arms and lazily climbing out of bed. "Hmmmm now lets see," he said looking over the alarm clock trying to turn it off until simply taking out the plug, "ah there you go".

He grabbed a blue school uniform jacket and put it over his white striped shirt not bothering to change it. He searched his dresser for jeans and some socks as he heard his mother calling out, "RYOU…..RYOU, ARE YOU UP YET?"

"YES MOM, I'LL BE DOWN IN A SECOND," Ryou screamed back.

After his sister, Amane, had died his mother had been in denial about her untimely demise; however in the recent months she had seemed to cope by babying Ryou. Amane's death had deeply impacted Ryou as well. Being twins he had felt like part of him died the day of the car accident. Even to this day he has tried to contact her through his Ouija board just to talk to her again.

Bakura finally finished his breakfast and kissed his mother goodbye while running out the door. His father hasn't been home in four months, enthralled in another one of his expeditions in Egypt. His thoughts drifted to the Millennium Ring and the spirit that was contained within it. Ever since the ring was put in Yugi's possession he could sleep soundly and enjoy life again with his friends. He no longer fears to use his deck and just duel for fun with the gang. Suddenly he remembered he had to do something with them later that day.
Since Battle City he had missed school due to the injury he had received at the hands of the dark spirit. Ever since the day he had recovered in Kaiba's blimp he had a strange drained feeling deep within his heart. In truth it had only been two weeks since Battle City, yet the feeling had not even wavered. Ryou shook it off as he tried to remember what he had to do.

"Dang… what was that, hmmmm…I had to go somewhere with them didn't I?" he asked himself walking down the street. "It is Monday….. and they said they had something to do. Ahh I know I will stop by the Game Shop and ask Grandpa Muto, he is sure to know where they plan to go."

Ryou walked down the street and around the corner realizing that the bus was about to pull away. He quickly ran down the street slamming on the bus screaming until it came to a stop. He paid the fair and smiled kindly at the glares he got from some older ladies for stopping their bus. He found and empty seat and slid in, casually placing his hand in his pocket.

"Hmmm what is this?" He asked himself as he pulled his deck out of his jacket pocket.

He didn't remember putting it in there, but since the ring was far away from him along with that dark voice he really didn't think much of it. Looking through his cards, images of his friendly duel this past week with Yugi flooded into his head.

Earlier That Week

"Alright Bakura it is your move, I really didn't see that coming," Yugi said with an embarrassed look. His field was the Dark Magician, the Dark Magician Girl, and a facedown spell/trap.

"Don't forget Yugi, because you destroyed my Dark Necrophia I can use its effect to take control of one of your monsters, and I choose the Dark Magician. Dark Necrophia Soul Possession," Ryou said cheerfully as a dark ghostly face emerged from the graveyard holder in his Duel Disk and flew into the Dark Magician. The magician fell limp before being raised like a puppet on strings onto Bakura's side of the field. Its eyes became white and a dark aura surrounded it.

"Well I didn't have much of a choice thanks to your Earthbound Spirit's Invitation trap card. I should have seen it coming leaving your Headless Knight in attack mode like that," Yugi said with a sigh.

The life points flashed behind each player, Yugi with 1000 lps and Bakura with 500 points.

"Haha, no worry Yugi, Draw," Ryou announced as he drew his card. "Alright then, I will sacrifice my Headless Knight to summon a new monster of mine, The Dark Duke: Earl of Demise," Ryou says as a zombie like man appears on the field clad in a official looking cloak bearing a large saber. "Now its effect activates, when it is summoned I can special summon one Demon with 4 or less stars from my graveyard. Now return to me my Headless Knight," Ryou said with a smile as the headless suit of armor clawed its way out of the ground and onto the field.

"Wow what an awesome move Bakura, you summoned a high level monster and then was able to re-summon the sacrifice. So you lost no cards and gained a new monster," Yugi congratulated.

"Well now you can see them in action, Go Dark Magician, destroy the Dark Magician Girl with your Dark Magic Attack," yelled Ryou as the Dark Magician's hand seemed to rise with out its control and released a dark energy ball destroying the magician girl.

"Arrgh," Yugi yelled as his life point counter fell to 500 and the dust kicked up by the attack flew past him. "You triggered my trap card, Bakura, Magical Rebirth. This card lets me resurrect my fallen magician and then I can destroy one level four or lower monster as long as you have more than one monster on your field," Yugi confidently announced as a trap revealing the Silent Magician rising from a casket activated. His Dark Magcian Girl reappeared on the field in a flash of sparkling light. This light then flew across the field into the Headless Knight dissolving it.

"Drat, well I should have expected as much from you Yugi. But my Duke can still take down your magician…even at the cost of his life," Bakura chuckled before turning somewhat grim. "Go my Duke, Slash of Demise," he screamed as his Duke implanted his dark glowing saber into the Dark Magician Girl while she raised her staff. The resulting explosion of dark magic and energy left both monsters destroyed. "Alright Yugi, this is where it will end, if you can't destroy the Dark Magician, your own monster will defeat you during my next turn," Ryou declared confidently, yet it seemed he was taunting Yugi as if he knew Yugi would pull of some amazing move.

"It was fun Bakura but if that is all you do I win," Yugi announced drawing a card and smiling. "I won't need to destroy my magician because I shall reclaim him. I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior to the field. I will use his effect to remove a counter from him to destroy your Dark Necrophia's spirit. Although it is a monster card, it acts as a equip card when possessing a monster and thus is vulnerable to my Breaker," Yugi said.

The newly summoned warrior raised his sword freeing the Dark Magician of Dark Necrophia's hold. The dark aura separated itself from the Dark Magician and flew back into Ryou's graveyard. The Dark Magician, suddenly in control of his body again, jumped onto Yugi's side of the field. "I am really lucky cause I just added this card to my deck and would have probably lost with out him. Well here we go, Dark Magician DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" Yugi yelled as the master magician raised and twirled his staff pointing it directly at Bakura and fired a blast of dark energy.

The blast sent Ryou flailing backwards landing on his back as his life points hit zero. He sat up and carefully removed a card from the spell/trap slot, Dark Necrophia. 'My Dark Necrophia….hmmm it would have won me the game in just one more turn…. Well that is how life goes.' He thought with a disappointed smile as Jounouchi helped him up.

Current Time

'The Dark Necrophia,' Bakura thought to himself as he looked down to see it as the top card of his deck, sliding it back into his pocket. 'That card has been with me ever since it was given to me by my father along with that accursed ring; with the ring gone it is all I have left of him while he is on his travels. It has won me duels in the past and I bet it will be there again to help me in the future'.

The bus slowed to a stop across the street from the gaming house. Ryou ran out and walked into the familiar shop and was greeted with an equally familiar voice.

"Bakura, how nice to see you. Are you doing well? Is that arm of yours feeling better?" Grandpa Muto inquired. Wearing a red bandanna and overalls he wouldn't strike many as a game obsessed archeologist/game shop owner, however he had traveled the world in search of new and interesting games ultimately leading to the finding of the Millennium Puzzle and the awakening of the seven items.

"I am doing fine Mr. Muto, and I am sure I can return to school later this week with everyone. However, I was a bit forgetful and now can't remember where I was supposed to meet everyone after their classes. Would you by chance know where they planed to go?" inquired Ryou with an embarrassed smile and his hand behind his head.

"Hmm…well no I am not sure, they hadn't said anything like that. But, Yugi did take the Egyptian Gods with him this morning so maybe it has something to do with them….You know what perhaps it is linked to the museum, the place where all this Egyptian God business started. That tablet of the Pharaoh, that is where I bet they are going," Grandpa Muto said warmly.

"Ah… I just came from that direction, arrgh, well I guess that does make sense… oh man WAIT FOR ME…. Ehh Thanks Mr. Muto," Ryou called back as he ran out of the shop trying to catch a bus that just past.

Ryou, slightly shaking and out of breath boarded the bus and jumped into his seat. He looked out the window. A bright sunny day, days like these he really enjoys just relaxing. 'I will wait for them at the museum; I can look at some of the new European exhibits while they are finishing their classes' he thought to himself as his eyelids closed.

Suddenly the bus screeched to a stop jolting Bakura out of his nap. He jumped to his feet and looked out the window in amazement. A cold bead of sweat dripped down his face as he stared out into the face of a huge dinosaur. Screams were heard from all over as people ran in a panicked mob like state. Ryou ran out of the bus to see this amazing creature for himself. However the greatest amazement was yet to come.

"Oh my….," Ryou gasped as he looked upward at a city now filled with all manner of monsters. A huge Whiptail Crow flew overhead as a large group of Skull Servants ran into an alley. "What in the world is going on..? Did someone's Duel Disk malfunction or is this some sort of dream…?" he asked himself with a dumbfounded look. "Yugi" he said with a snap of his fingers, "it must have something to do with him…." 'Or … perhaps it could the darkness of the ring, could he have been released, could this be the chaos he wished to create?' he added silently his eyes glancing down at his chest.

Ryou ran down the street through the screaming mobs. 'Either way, Yugi must know what is happening'. As he ran through the city he noticed that people were growing more and more terrified. 'This could get very dangerous if these people don't restrain themselves'.

As he neared the museum he turned his head, only for a moment, to look at a large bearded man in a robe walking in the opposite direction. For a split second as their eyes met a small smile crept across the robed man's face. His eyes were dark, like abysmal pits of malcontent, as if he was staring into Bakura's very soul. Ryou forced his eyes forward to release himself from the terrible gaze. 'Who in the world?' he asked himself as he ran forward.

Ryou searched the museum for his friends hoping that the commotion would allow them to have already left school; however he eventually gave up and began to walk down to the Egyptian exhibit to wait it out. 'Man with all this commotion they probably won't even come even if they were going to..' he thought with a sigh, when his eyes fell on the Pharaoh's tablet.

"My god.." Bakura managed to spurt out. The entire tablet was covered in ice, solid crystalline ice. Ryou put his hands to the ice and was again surprised. "It's not cold at all….but it's not warm either. It seems to have no real feeling at all…. And yet it doesn't melt. I guess I was right about this having something to do with Egypt, maybe Yugi already came here then"

Ryou ran out of the museum towards the Game Shop hoping to find Yugi there and have some questions answered. But an unexpected sight stopped him in his tracks.

"Age of Destruction is here; your souls will be offered to the Great Beast. This is the first sign, soon this world will end," said both Ryusaki and Haga in unison with a monotone zombie like voice. Yet there was something strangely happy with the way they spoke as if they had been waiting for this to occur.

"Are you two alright…. And what do you mean the end of the world and this great beast?" Ryou ask startled running up to them. However they simply repeated their previous statement in the same fashion. "Listen tell me what you mean, this is the end of the world?" Ryou ask shaking Haga. However he got no response. Suddenly a large dragon rose over the museum causing a new wave of people to come running down the street.

"WAIT STOP….PLEASE…WATCH..." Ryou started screaming as the sea of fear poured over him, however a large man on a bike interrupted him by driving through him ending his sentence prematurely. Bakura's head rammed into the wall to his left and darkness took him as he fell unconscious at the feet of Haga and Ryusaki.

"Age of Destruction is here; your souls will be offered to the Great Beast. This is the first sign, soon this world will end," they repeated unaware of the crowd around them and the bleeding Bakura at their feet.

Far away from Bakura on an island in the middle of the ocean, a man who sought to destroy a corrupted world and usher in a new age meets with his subordinates. Deep within this island is a temple where this man connects and communicates with his master. This man came to be known as Dartz, his master the Orichalcos.

"Now my four swordsmen go out and give unto me what the Great Beast hungers for, the powerful souls of the Pharaoh and his companions. I have already sent Gurimo into the city to ready things for you. He shall test the limits of the Gods and the Pharaoh tonight. So go my swordsmen and begin the purging of this world," Dartz orders ending his speech. Three of the four get on their motorcycles and leave, the fourth stays behind.

"Master Dartz, why are those three even necessary. Those useless tools can do no more good for our cause than the Pharoah can. They are impure. They have too much darkness within them; they will not be suitable for our new world," the fourth declares with a psychotic stressing of certain words. He slowly walked out of shadows and into the light of the candles. His face is hidden but his white trench coat differentiates him from the other three who left.

"Do not worry my servant. You are my right hand man and you shall sit by my side in the new age. Those instruments will be discarded when their usefulness comes to an end. Now fulfill our plan my swordsman of light. Go and seal the soul of the true darkness. ….That is your destiny…. Your purpose is to stop the greatest evil this world has ever seen,… the embodiment of the darkness of man. Bring down the one known as….Zork." Dartz said putting his hand on the man's shoulder. 'Now go".

NEW CARDS USED IN THIS EPISODE:

Ryou's Cards:
The Dark Duke: Earl of Demise
Demon/Dark/5 stars
Effect: When this card is successfully summoned in any way, you can special summon one demon monster from your graveyard in face up attack mode. Attack: 2000 Defense: 700

Yugi's Cards:
Magical Revival
Trap
Effect: You can only activate this when a spellcaster on your side of the field is destroyed and sent to the graveyard. You can special summon that monster in the same position it was in when it was destroyed. Also if your spellcaster was destroyed in battle you can destroy one monster with 4 or less stars on your opponent's side of the field as long as your opponent has two or more monsters.