Disclaimer: I do not own YGO… Why do I have to deal with this? Everybody knows this!
Acknowledgements: GW would like to thank Sage Kaley for a very prompt response to a strange request from a stranger. Most of Ryou's past is based on Kaley's explanations… Got hard time Googling Ryou
Ryou is being haunted by the untimely death of his sister and a long been hidden family secret that is about to be awaken…
- BLOOD BOUND -
by GW
Prologue:
A Letter from Heaven
Tunsuya, Japan
For a kid, it is tough to move from the place they regard as home. The white-haired kid just got aware of that fact. It's his first week in the neighborhood but he hasn't got used to the surroundings yet. The temperature is a lot warmer, people surrounding him look really different, and he can't make friends because people speaks in an odd-sounding language.
"Oi!" a kid with wide black eyes emerged on the shrubs, jolting him out of his reverie. "Namae nan desu ka?"
"A-a" Ryou said confusedly not knowing what the kid told him. But namae sure sounds like name so he replied hurriedly with a bemused smile. "Ryou…"
The Japanese kid smiled back, "Namae wa Ren desu!" Moving from the shrubs to the porch where Ryou was seating.
Ren continued to talk to him, he didn't understand but Ren's facial expression says he needn't be afraid or indifferent. The next thing he knew he was in the playground two blocks away from their house, playing with other Japanese kids. He didn't know what they said, but he knew he's having fun and so they are.
He didn't know how his friends suddenly turned into enemies, maybe his instincts told him. He stared fiercely at the kid who called him teme as another shouted 'ahou!' while throwing a stone at him. And the others joined in their fun game. Ryou tried to protect himself the best he can, but he was so frail.
--------------------
Taka Bakura stared at his son. Ryou had been in trauma after the incident. He had incarcerated himself on the four pillars of their house and he spent his time alone, playing RPGs. "He'd been like that ever since."
Laurene patted her son's head, "I think it's better if we take him back to England."
"We can't…" Taka showered his wife with intense gaze. She was on the way and she's due this month. Taka touched his wife's swollen belly, "Ryou will be a proud Nissan to her."
-------------------
Ryou waited for a month or two on the once hellish place. And just when he began to appreciate the beauty of the Sakura trees and learned to speak Japanese, not perfectly but at least he can understand and execute simple sentences, he had to move back to his Grandpa in England.
"But Mom," Ryou protested, "I'm beginning to like it here. And I'm starting to make friends; in fact I already have a few of them…"
"And half of them are in the hospital," Laurene crossed her son, "Ryou, I don't know what is happening but their parents are already taking this seriously"
Ryou bowed his head. His mother is right after all, the neighbor began to call him devil child since it all started. All he wanted was to protect himself, he didn't want to cause any harm.
------------------
England
"Hey, Ryou! Hurry!" Amane shouted, hurrying her elder brother on their way home.
Ryou gazed at her. She had grown rapidly. After nine years, she had developed into a cuddly little brat. She's a bit tomboyish right now but sooner or later she'll evolve into a beautiful lady. Her hair was long, silvery, and wavy like her mother's; her lips as pink as the cherry flowers in full bloom; her body so small yet still stronger than him. "Yeah, comin'" He was very happy he got her as his sister. With her he didn't feel lonely; with her he hadn't experienced being pushed around, she's his savior, which he thinks inaccurate. "Hey, how about a duel?"
"Monster World, Huh?!" Amane beamed, "Just promise me I'll get an ice-cream when I beat you!"
"Sure!"
"And one more thing!"
Ryou raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"I'll go remodel the monster world game pieces!"
-------------
"Wah! I won! I won!" Amane shouted, joyously bouncing on the sofa, "Now you should buy me an ice-cream!"
"Alright, alright…", Ryou raised his hand, "You won but that game was handicapped…"
"Don't object! Just go get my ice-cream!"
-------------
Ryou stared vividly at the bright pink hairstyling set at the display on one of the stores near the ice-cream house. It's a shop centered for girls fashion and most customers were girls, of course. He knew he'll be teased if anybody would see him got in or out of the place, especially if he got caught in the act of buying something. But he thinks the pink ribbon would look good on Amane and decided to buy it for her birthday.
"Uhm, Miss…" Ryou called the sales lady, "Can I see that one over there please…"
"This one?" The clerk asked with an odd smile.
"Yes, please…" Ryou answered, blushing.
"That display was the last one left on the pink ones; we've got stocks of the same design but…"
"Uh, can I get this?"
"We'll it's a bit dusty but if you really like it…"
"Can you gift wrap it for me?" Ryou asked, leaning over the counter.
"Sure…"
Ryou ran down to their house to surprise Amane with his advance birthday present only to find a note on the fridge saying: "Mom dropped by. We're gonna catch Dad at the airport. Put my ice-cream on the freezer. Make sure it won't melt or I'll kill you! – ne' "
Ryou smiled on the note. Got on their room and put the box atop Amane's bed. Rested on his own bed and dreamed of how the pink ribbon will match Amane's hair and her lips. He wondered how beautiful Amane would look while wearing the ribbon he bought.
Ryou was awoken by the continuous ringing of the phone. He brushed the sleep off his eyes and reached for the receiver at the study table.
"Hello?" he said, tilting his head over Amane's bed. He felt upset when he still saw the box wrapped in pink gift wrapper and white ribbons. His eyes widened as he listened to the person on the line, and his world seem to shatter into pieces.
--------------------
The lad ran through the hospital lobby, head straight the stairs but ran back the reception desk when he realized he didn't know where his mother and sister's room is. "My mom, Amane, where are they?" He cried out lout at the nurse next to the desk, his body trembling terribly and his tears welling – he can't even see the nurse clearly. It didn't matter to him if he catches so much attention, what matters is Amane and his Mom. "Laurene and Amane Bakura…" he added to the bewildered nurse.
"Emergency Room" the nurse looked at him pitifully. "Josh, kindly accompany Mr. Bakura to the Emergency Room at the right wing…" the nurse addressed a tall dark guy.
The room was isolated; no one was allowed to enter except the doctors and the nurses. Ryou was only allowed to peek at the huge oblate glasses at the door to see Amane and his Mom, struggling against the inevitable death. He wanted to move closer to them, to be by their side, and to protect them when Death sways his scythe. But those big doors and thick glasses ward him off them. He can do nothing but to stick his face on that glass, stare at them while those people in white do odd things he didn't know, and cry.
He had grown annoyed and had almost lost hope when he saw one of the doctors coming out of the room. Ryou waited for the doctor. When he opened the door Ryou burst out, "Doc, what happened?"
The doctor continued to phase outside the room disregarding him at first. Ryou's heart leaped when he saw the doctor turn towards him. "You must be Ryou…" the doctor sighed, "Your Mom and sister was brought here because of a car accident."
Ryou stood silent, trying to digest the facts that the doctor was telling him.
"I know this will be hard for you, but we did everything we can…" he said expertly, as if it was part of his job to fool those who loose their loved ones. "Your mom's dead, she got struck on the head by a large shard of glass. She had loss so much blood… she insisted us to call you before she passed away."
Ryou stared quietly at him. Not wanting to believe what the doctor was saying. "No! This can't be!" Ryou shouted desperately, letting his tired body slump on the cold tiled corridor. She wasn't dead! He just saw her early this morning, preparing breakfast for him and… Ryou saw a glimpse of hope as he forced himself to stand up and say: "Amane, where's Amane?"
"She's in here," the doctor shoved Ryou inside the emergency room. "She's got severe internal bleedings…"
Ryou stared blankly at the white room. It was silent. The constant beeping of a sophisticated life-supporting machine beside Amane's bed and the rapid beats of his heart fills the room. The acrid smell of blood still lingers in the air. Ryou felt claws of dread sunk onto his neck after seeing Amane lying on a bed with numerous wires winding around her ghostly white skin, connecting her to the machine. "She's gonna make it" he said more of a question than a statement.
"What is your blood-type?" the doctor held his shoulders. "Amane's gonna make it if you're of the same blood…"
Ryou grew hopeful. "AB! I'm an AB! Amane's gonna make it, right?"
"Let's check it first…" the doctor said, leading him to another room. And after the painful blood extraction and a couple of tests, Ryou didn't want to believe what the doctor just said. "We can't transfuse your blood to your sister… You're an AB, Rh-positive" the doctor said sadly.
"Yes, I'm an AB! And so is Amane! What's wrong with that?" Ryou stammered confusedly.
"The point is you have Rh antigens in your blood and she doesn't." The doctor tried so much to explain though he knew that the kid's young mind couldn't clearly understand. "In short, if we do transfuse your blood to her, there is a big possibility that her blood cells would agglutinate – and it can cause death."
"Is there anything you can do?" Ryou asked desperately.
"We had already called the blood bank but there's no available Rh-negative right now."
Ryou's eyes narrowed, his head twisted to the side to see Amane, still struggling for her life. He somewhat blamed himself for having those shitty antigens the doctor was talking about, whatever that was. Ryou stared back at the doctor and studied him with a fierce look in his eyes. He is one of those they call lifesavers. But what was he doing right now? Waiting for Amane to die helplessly on that bed?! Ryou's light-colored hair crowded his face, his lips tightening into a frown. He stared directly at the doctor's eyes, accusing him of murder… but there's more. He straightened his right hand in front of him, reaching for the doctor's collar. Showing why he was once called an evil child.
"R-Ryou…" he heard a muffled voice from behind him.
Ryou had been stirred by the voice, it's Amane's. She still lies at the bed. Ryou ran next to her, clasping her hand firmly. "Amane?"
"Daddy's waiting at… at the airport…" her words were hurdled by arduous breathings and her voice constrained due to the breathing instrument attached to her face. "I was supposed to surprise him…"
Ryou nodded gently with tears brimming in his eyes.
"Ryou…"
"Yes?"
"M-my ice… cream, you brought it, ne?" She said seriously.
Ryou let out a rare smile and whispered, "Yes… and you should get well soon or it will rot in the fridge…"
Amane smiled "Ice creams… don't rot!" she pause for a while. She looks pained but she wanted to hide it from Ryou. "Ryou… D-do you think I... don't know what you're… doing a while ago?" She looked him straight, "Promise me brother, that… that you'll never do that again… ever!"
"Y-yes Amane…" he quivered as he felt hot tears cascading down his cheeks.
"Ryou… Don't… Don't cry… be strong… for me, please…" Amane said slowly, almost a whisper. Her breathes came in shallow rapid beats, "Ryou… G-greet me happy birthday… now!" she demanded.
Ryou went confused, "B-but, that's a week from now…"
"I think… I won't make it 'til… next week so… greet me now…"
Ryou's eyes widened, more tears gushed down his cheeks. He didn't want to believe Amane but he wanted to please her, "Omedeto… Tanjobi, Ne'-chan…" he said between his sobs.
Amane smiled, "I'll always… be with you, brother…" she blinked her eyes. The only visible thing to her was the blurry whiteness of the room. "no… not even death… can take… me from you…"
Ryou nodded, "Y-yes Amane… please hold on…" he wanted to talk more but a lump on his throat stopped him.
Amane closed her eyes, "I'm tired… you can have… my ice cream now,… I can't eat it any more…"
"No!, no, Amane… Please!" Ryou shouted, gripping her hand firmly.
The world stood still. The sound of beeping was changed into a simultaneous monotone that came with the flat green line on the monitor beside Amane. This couldn't be. The line should be alive. It should be fluctuating, forming heights and gorges that convey life, not flat! The sound shouldn't be a monotone but a pulsating tune playing the beats of the heart.
Ryou was pulled by a nurse as the doctors tried their best to give life to that green horizon on the blackness of the monitor. The straight line jolted as the doctors used electricity to bring her pulse back but once the shock is finished, the line returned flat. Amane's body jerked with every current of electricity flowing through her, but she didn't even bother. It's a pain to Ryou to see her like this so he tried as much to move to her and stop the doctors. Two nurses yanked him to the door so that he won't witness anymore pain. It is unbearable for a kid to see things like this. Ryou shouted his sister's name as they tugged him; he resisted them as he still can. They were almost at the door when the doctors gave up. The piercing bellows of the machine filled his head as he saw the doctors cover Amane with the white blanket and the doors closed. He wanted to cry, but he wanted to keep his promise. So he sat on the cold corridor. He didn't bother those who utter their words of condolences. He just stared on the floor, thinking it's all just a dream and soon he'd wake up with Amane by his side. He rationalized until he was lost in his own thoughts and got carried by his weariness.
Ryou Bakura sat silently in front of the computer for hours, staring blankly at the monitor that is now showing random pictures from his picture folder. He didn't pay attention though. His head keeps on repeating his dream over and over. The voices were so clear as if it was for real, the scenes so vivid like it just happened yesterday. Four years had passed yet the wounds were still fresh, bleeding, throbbing… His thoughts were disturbed when the telephone rang. It rang but he didn't bother. On its third ring the answering machine started to state: "Hello, this is Ryou; I'm out please leave your message…"
"Ryou," a familiar husky voice stated. "I'll be leaving for the Transylvanian Alps for a dig early today. Be sending your allowance later. Check your e-mail and try to call your uncle Laurence." After the phone hang on the other line, it was followed by an incessant beep then silence ruled again.
Uncle Laurence? The only thing he can remember about that name was he's his mom's younger brother and he was the one to accompany him on Amane's burial:
Two huge Celtic crosses stood in front of him. It was a week after the incident and he can't still believe that it's for real. He stared blankly at the crosses with his brown doe eyes, silently pleading to be awaken from his worst nightmare. White flakes began to fall, showering his shoulder-length white hair. He began to tremble. He was pained but didn't cry. He had to keep his promise.
"Ryou… Let's go. We can visit them again tomorrow." A man of late twenties with long straight silvery hair & deep green eyes, which he recognized as his Uncle Laurence, alleged the boy.
The boy shook his head. "I want to be with them." He whispered with his soft British accent.
"It's getting cold. Amane would be sad if you get sick. And we must still fetch your Dad by the airport. He'll be happy to see you…" the guy forced a smile.
Ryou finally moved his mouse and all the images in the dimness of the screen were gone. He closed the RPG he was playing and ran Outlook Express then checked his mail. He had no interest in checking his mail since Amane died. His sister's mails are all that's attractive in mailing, nothing more. When he got online, a small envelop prompted on the lower right corner of his desktop accompanied by a small blast, saying that he got mail. He did have, lot's of them… he didn't check anything else than a mail from his father saying that he call his Uncle Laurence, his number listed at the lower part of the mail. He pulled the phone receiver just beside him, the one that the modem is not using, and started to dial the numbers on the screen. He dialed, the receiver between his cheek and shoulder, right hand pressing the numbers and his left pulling the millennium ring on the desk. The ring clanked once, twice, as he dialed the numbers. He had turned irritated before he had a chance to contact the line.
"Hello…" came a British voice. "Who's on the line?"
He thought it was his Uncle Laurence but he did want to be sure so he asked, "Ryou Bakura, can I talk to Laurence McLeigh? I'm his…"
"Ryou, is that you? You sound so grown up now. Did your father told you about"
"About what?" Ryou's eyes focused on the computer when he heard the blast again, another mail. Not just ordinary mail but a mail from heaven, it's from Amane.
A/N:
I know it's not that attractive and decently written but try as much to review. Those Japanese just came out of nowhere, I just know a few, I dunno if it's all correct. Please check me if there's something wrong… I'll be glad to revise it for you… Dunno if I could keep up with the 3000 words per chapter, it's harder to check errors this way, I bet I'll regain my old routine 1000 words per chapter. What do you think?
GW: Accepts all kinds of criticisms, flames, everything.