A TRAIN OF THOUGHTS

Elenion: Ok. I don't own anything Yu-Gi-Oh related. I think that's kinda obvious but whatever... I hope you all like my first shot at Ryou/Serenity. Personally, I think that they could be a truly adorable couple if they were given the chance.

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CHAPTER 1: It Began On The Train

Ryou Bakura sighed looking out of the train's window. He had to squint to make out the blurred shapes of trees through the sleet bashing against the train. The white-haired British boy winced as a lightning bolt split the sky with the ominous thunder coming only seconds after it.

This whole ride had been a nightmare so far. It was a wonder that the train was still taking the risk of traveling in a storm as unforgiving as this one. In fact, had the storm been predicted in advance, Bakura was sure that anyone with half a brain would have waited a day to let the storm clear before traveling. Of course, nobody had known, so here he was...

The boy sighed again and leaned his head back against the seat tiredly. This was such a horrible experience. All he wanted was to see a familiar face... Bakura attempted to will himself to sleep, which is much more easily said than done. But he was determined and had just begun to doze off when lightning cracked nearly right overhead, causing everyone to scream from the deafening noise.

Bakura groaned. He stared determinedly at the seat in front of him, wishing that he was back in Domino right at that moment.

A voice came on over the intercom. It was crackling because of the great age of the train, but the words were still audible:

"Attention passengers, we are having minor difficulties with the electricity of the last three cars. Anyone seated in the last three cars, please move up to a different car. This is just a precaution. The staff may remain where they are to help guide the repair workers. Thank you."

Bakura settled back into his seat. He was in the second car from the front, so he had nothing to worry about. But he couldn't help it. Had that last bolt actually hit the train? And how serious were these "difficulties" with the electricity?

Looking around, Bakura saw that the other few people in his car thought much along the same lines. He closed his eyes. Why couldn't there be someone he knew?

"Excuse me, sir, is this seat... oh! Bakura!"

Bakura's eyes snapped open in surprise to see a petite auburn-haired girl standing next to his aisle carrying a duffel bag. Speak of the devil- hadn't he just wished that someone he knew would appear?

"Serenity," replied Bakura in his British accent, "I had no idea that you were on this train." He smiled warmly at her as moved over one seat so she could sit next to him.

"Same here." She pulled her blue jacket closer around her. "I see we're stuck on the train-from-hell together then."

Bakura laughed. "Guess you're right there, old girl." This was indeed a very hellish trip. "Do you have any idea what's wrong with the last three cars?"

Serenity brushed a few strands of hair out of her sparkling brown eyes absently. "Well, I can't really say. I think that last lightning actually hit though, because suddenly the lights began to flicker really violently, and the heater began to spark..."

It was just as he'd thought. Why did it have to happen that he was riding the ancient train when a storm hit?

As Bakura was lost in his thoughts, Serenity rummaged through her duffel bag. It took her a few moments, but eventually she brought out what she was looking for- a deck of cards. "Hey, you wanna play?"

Bakura glanced over and immediately shook his head. "No thanks. I don't feel up to a game of Duel Monsters right now..."

Serenity giggled, causing Bakura to raise an eyebrow. What had he said?

"No, silly," She turned the deck over to reveal a four of clubs. "This is a regular card deck."

Bakura chuckled to himself. "I see. I guess I've been hanging around Yugi and Joey too long..."

Serenity's eyes sparkled as brown met brown. "So, you know how to play Speed?"

At that moment, their attention was redirected to the intercom once again:

"Attention passengers, if you have not already evacuated the last three cars, do so now. Also, any staff or repairmen must leave the last three cars immediately."

There wasn't even the usual "thank you" tacked onto the end.

Bakura and Serenity exchanged worried glances. Neither could help but think that perhaps this was more serious than they had first thought. They also couldn't help wondering what on earth that bolt of lightning could have done to the train.

Looking out the window, Bakura realized that the rain was beating down on the windows even harder then before without any sign of it letting up. A shiver ran up his spine. This couldn't be a good circumstance to be in...

Serenity was observing the people in the car. Some of the people she recognized from her own car. They were all obviously worried and uptight. One woman was clutching a rosary close to her and muttering a prayer under her breath. Then Serenity felt a hand take the forgotten deck of cards from her's. She looked over to see Bakura shuffling the cards.

He smiled reassuringly. "So... Speed it is."

They both played for a little while, although they were both distracted by their own thoughts as well as the bang of the thunder outside. They both tensed as the intercom came on again, but this time the voice sounded panicky:

"The fourth car from the end must evacuate immediately! I repeat, the fourth car from the end must evacuate to a car closer to the front!!!"

Everyone in the car stared in horror at the intercom as if it had just uttered a multitude of profane comments. No matter what, they simply couldn't take their eyes off the intercom that had at one time been cool, calm, and collected. How had the problem from the last three cars spread? Was that even possible?

"Wh-what do you think is the matter?" Serenity whispered.

Bakura looked at the petite beauty. Her hands were clasping the armrests of the chair so hard that her knuckles were turning white. He couldn't help thinking that he felt the way she looked. He breathed deeply, wishing he could think of some comment that could comfort her. But no, he decided to just be truthful:

"I don't know, Serenity. I really don't know."

Unbeknownst to them, the old rusty rods connecting the wheels of the train were beginning to crack apart. If anyone had been witness to it, they would have marveled at the speed at which the rods cracked. And the electricity in the last four cars was becoming more of a problem than anyone would have imagined...

Bakura looked at his hands, then he studied the plaid sleeves of his jacket as if they interested him. This whole thing was really beginning to escalate into what seemed like disaster. He had no idea how true that thought was...

Crack!

Serenity's hand grasped Bakura's at the sharp sound from slightly beneath them. She took a deep breath, and she tried to convince herself that it was nothing. But she couldn't.

Creeakk! Crack! Pop! Crack!

There was a serenade of horrifying sounds from all over the car. Everyone's breath was held- not knowing what to expect. Bakura's grip tightened slightly on Serenity's small hand. Then, all at once, it happened:

The rods beneath the train snapped completely, and with a grinding sound, the fast-moving train was pulled off the track. At the same time, whatever the lightning had done caused ripples of electricity to pulse through the entire train. Everything began to malfunction and sparks were sent flying. The last three cars went up entirely in sickening dancing flames.

The whole world was spinning- screaming people clutched anything they had to them, the woman with the rosary softly began to cry, sparks, rumbles... It was all so insane... Bakura felt the train sliding, grinding, then it turned completely on its side. Everyone was thrown against the wall. Serenity' hand was wrenched from his grip. Then a horrible realization sunk into everyone's minds: The train was actually sliding down a hill at an amazing speed.

"SERENITY!" Bakura ignored a throbbing pain in his forehead. He just prayed that she was all right. "SERENITY!"

"Ba-bakura?"

The white-haired teen followed her stuttering answer and found the small girl, covered in small scratches. Her brown eyes were wide and looked slightly dazed as if she didn't understand what was happening. Bakura grasped her arms tightly, not wanting to be separated from her again.

That horrible grinding noise began to escalate into a roar... The train was sliding faster and faster down the hill.

Faster, faster, faster, faster... BANG!

Without knowing what was happening, Bakura and Serenity were thrown across the train car. A shower of broken glass... then they were both soaring through the air. Once again, they were separated. Bakura saw the ground rise to meet him. He braced for impact. Then it came. He gasped for breath as the wind was knocked out of him. He rolled a little bit and then stopped.

His breath didn't seem to want to come back. Black was enclosing at the edges of his vision. Red was running into his left eye from his forehead. And then there was that constant rain...

Was he forgetting something? Then it hit him: Serenity! Painfully, he raised himself on one elbow trying to catch a glimpse of her cinnamon hair. There! Not too far on his left. She was on her side not facing him.

A groan escaped his lips as he forced his aching body to crawl over to her. Everywhere seemed to be on fire. He touched her arm lightly.

Serenity groaned as she lifted her head to look at him. "Should we go back to the train?" she whispered, shifting herself into more of an upright position.

Bakura fought the overwhelming blackness that was trying to blur his senses. He glanced at the flaming wreckage. Shaking his head, he replied, "No, love. That's not the best idea."

Serenity smiled slightly. "Has anyone ever told you how nice your accent is?"

The British boy nodded with a return smile gracing his face, before he winced from a throb from his forehead. He looked up at the train again, watching the flames dance over the overturned cars. There was a horrible feeling stirring in his gut, and he couldn't really figure out why.

Wait a minute- why were the flames moving? What was there on the train that could fuel the fire enough to make it spread? It was such an old train... what could there be? 'Think, Bakura, think.' He thought to himself. Again, he cursed the blackness that was still struggling to take hold of his mind.

Bakura's eyes widened and he gasped. It was such an old train that it actually had gas lighting.

"Serenity! Oi... Serenity! We have to move, now!"

The girl looked in his eyes and must have seen something. Wordlessly, she nodded and grasped his hand firmly. Although it was clear from the way she got to her feet that she too was aching all over, she moved nimbly as would a cat.

They were both on their feet, scrambling through the forest as fast as their pained bodies could take them. Bakura looked over his shoulder and saw the last bit of wall between the flames and the gas pipes literally melt off. This was it.

Without even thinking, Bakura grabbed Serenity's slender torso and held her back to his chest. If anything, at least his body could try to shield the fragile girl from the blast. Serenity felt his heart beating fiercely against her back. He felt her hands grasp his arms, as there was a sickening BOOM!

They both sank to their knees as shock waves from the blast sent tremors through the ground. Bakura pulled the young girl even closer to him as a tremendous wave of heat swept over his back. Little bits of glass and shrapnel caused him to hiss and bury his face in Serenity's long, beautiful hair. Ironically, he couldn't help noticing just how wonderful she smelled- like a fresh spring morning after a light sun shower.

Rumbles seemed to last forever, and time seemed to almost stand still as the two figures clutched each other desperately. For many minutes after the last blast subsided the two still knelt together in the rain.

Neither really wanted to breathe, let alone speak. Bakura kept his eyes closed still inhaling Serenity's scent. It was having a calming effect on him, and he felt the blackness begin to recede from his mind.

Slowly, both teens loosened their grips on the other. A bitter wind picked up, and Bakura was reminded of just how sopping wet his plaid jacket and tee shirt had become. He could feel Serenity shivering as she maneuvered her body around so that she could face him. Her deep brown eyes shimmered with worry as he looked at them.

"What should we do?" she whispered barely audibly.

The rain was matting her ginger bangs to her face, and it made her look even more fragile than she did already. Both her arms were crossed over her chest in an attempt to warm herself. Her blue jacket and lilac shirt were soaked through, and Bakura knew that neither of them would last very long in the bitter wind and rain.

He took her hand firmly. "We need to find somewhere to spend the night... far away from..." he glanced at the smoldering wreckage which was barely visible due to the mix of rain, smoke, and waning light.

Serenity nodded, her eyes misty. Somehow, she felt reassured, and she allowed him to help her to her feet. The use of her muscles hurt her, but she showed little sign other than a small wince.

Bakura admired her courage. He knew that most people would have panicked themselves into a nervous breakdown by now. He tried to smile as he read her eyes. She was in pain, he could tell, but mentally she was still very strong and determined. Determination was about the only trait that she and her brother had in common... Despite himself, Bakura chuckled at that thought.

Gently, he led her through the trees. He was doing his best to keep her close and out of the rain. They were in a valley... 'There must be a cave of some type somewhere... There's just got to be... Aha!'

There was a large overhanging piece of rock that formed a roof-like protrusion from the nearest mountain. Several other rocks were huddled around the edges giving it an almost house-like appearance.

Within a few minutes, Bakura had gathered the few pieces of dry wood he could find and had managed to get a small fire going: "You learn quite a few useful things when you travel around with your father."

Both their jackets were propped on sticks over the fire to dry. They had spent a little while trying to clean out their cuts.

"This is gonna sting a bit..."

Bakura hissed, "Bloody hell... 'A bit'?!"

She was cleaning the nasty gash on his forehead with a wet piece of her shirtsleeve. "Well, now the worst is over..." Serenity gently blotted away the blood and applied pressure for a few moments to keep it from bleeding again. "There. You're all set."

Bakura touched the raw skin on his forehead. He heard his stomach grumble and chuckled slightly. "Gracious... My stomach is going to be the death of me."

The auburn-haired girl laughed. "Trust me, I know how you feel." Neither of them had any of their possessions other than the ones that were in their pockets. In other words, they had no food.

Bakura looked at the fire, absorbed in his thoughts.

Serenity watched him closely as the light of the fire flickered in his large, chocolate eyes. His eyes were so sincere... The fire gave a slight orange tinge to his long, white hair.

Suddenly, she looked away and mentally slapped herself. It was rude to stare.

"Do you think tomorrow will be be-e-etter?" As she said the last word, a large yawn escaped her mouth.

Bakura looked at her. "I sure hope so."

Both of them were exhausted and still cold. The events of the day were just catching up with them...

Serenity's eyes began to tear up as she watched the flames. Softly, she choked back a sob. Little did she know that Bakura noticed her sudden despair. Serenity hugged herself to try to keep the emotions from overwhelming her body.

Two strong arms circled around her. She buried her head in the crook of Bakura's neck and inhaled his scent as he rocked her slightly. Then she surrendered to her tears.

"Shhhh. It's ok." Bakura whispered comfortingly as he held her tightly to his chest. Her sobs were racking her small frame horribly, and he could feel her heart beating frantically against his.

Gradually, her sobs turned into small whimpers and hiccups. Somehow, she felt very comforted by Bakura's arms around her. She lifted her head to look at him. Their eyes met.

"Ba-bakura? Wh-what are w-we going t-t-to do? W-we're stranded h-here."

"It's all right, love. I won't let anything happen to you. Ever. That I promise you." He lightly touched her cheek with one of his hands and wiped the tears out of her eyes.

Feeling reassured, she nodded slightly and brushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes.

Bakura searched her eyes. "Let's try to sleep some, then." He made to move away from her, but she caught his arm.

"C-could you stay c-close?" Serenity's eyes pleaded with him.

Bakura's breath caught in his throat. He'd only looked at her a few times in detail before, and each time his heart leapt to his throat. Her auburn hair was like a waist-length waterfall of silk, and her eyes shown with a starry quality. She was so slender and graceful as she moved, and her skin was like that of a porcelain doll. To him, she was perfect: an angel, but like an angel, she had always been off-limits.

"P-please? I'm s-scared."

Bakura nodded. "Of course." Once again, he wrapped his arms around her shivering frame. She snuggled close to his body and buried her head in his chest, and he felt heat rise into his face as he blushed deeply. Moments later, her breath rose steadily- the telltale sign that she was peacefully asleep.

Lightly, Bakura kissed the top of her head, before letting his mind float on air.

For the first time that whole day, he felt unworried and liberated. With Serenity's heart beating against his, he slowly fell asleep thinking that perhaps this disaster had turned into something deeper than he'd imagined.

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Elenion: Well, first chapter's done! I hope you guys liked it! Please review!