Hi readers! This is my second story, and my first was also a one-shot if you want to check that out, and this is mainly to check my writing skills and get feedback. If you have the time to review and tell me what you think, please do! :)
Also, I do not own any of the characters in my story, or yu-gi-oh, just my musings from Ryou's point of view
Winters in Japan are often harsh and cruel, and this year was no exception. The trees were crudely stripped of the life they had worked so hard to attain and had instead been coated in a glittering blanket of frost in the bleak patch of wild in the heart of Domino. Icicles hung from statues, and fountains had frozen over in the subzero temperatures. Arctic winds blew in, magnified by the lack of life in the surrounding area. The ground was soft and weak, with every step sinking into the blanket of snow lacing the ground under the man who dared disturb the silence and peace of nature. It was late, with the colours of the sunset bathing Domino Park in red and orange hues; frost glistening like stars in a midnight sky. The boy in question was one Ryou Bakura, son of the Egyptologist James Bakura. His long, white hair and pale clothes helped him to camouflage with the crisp, clean scene around him, and yet his facial features were curved into a frown, his brow bent and the corners of his mouth turned down.
In fact, Ryou Bakura was uncharacteristically unaware of the surrounding wildlife, instead choosing to brood, of sorts, contemplating the time that had recently passed. It had barely been a month since the Pharaoh, now named Atem, had left for the afterlife, and yet it seemed like an age. The Millennium Items had been sealed away for what was assumed to be eternity, and already it seemed that Ryou's life was as dreary as the weather around him. As ironic as it was, he found himself missing something. Not the deaths (or "disappearances") of his friends, nor the shadow games he often found himself an unwilling participant in. He definitely did not miss having a knife through his arm. That was certain. No, what he found himself yearning for was nothing less than the company of his other half, his Yami.
Of course, he was not talking about Zorc, definitely not. He was referring to the young man who came before, the Thief King. Contrary to popular belief, his Yami had not always been cruel and spiteful, nor a replica of himself. In the beginning, when he first received the ring, the spirit attached had been tanned and muscular, not to mention as confused as he was about the predicament they were in. Neither of them had any inclination as to what had happened. It truly was a mystery. Akeifa at the time also spoke nothing but ancient Egyptian, which meant there was a rather large language barrier.
Luckily, Ryou was a fast learner, and had learnt modern Arabic from his father. There were some key differences in the two languages, but after a few months it had been easy to teach the ancient spirit to speak and read English, allowing the two to communicate. As the two became closer, Ryou found that he had gained what he always wanted; a best friend, and a confidante.
It did not take long for Ryou to fall for the Thief King's charms. He was good looking, there was no denying that, and incredibly charming. Ryou had never had any sort of attraction towards the female species, and it took very little time to confirm he was gay, or at least bisexual. Not only that, but it seemed whenever Ryou needed someone to comfort him, Akeifa was always there. When his sister, Amane, was killed by a drunk driver, Akeifa was there for him. When his mother committed suicide in her grief, Akeifa was there. When his father abandoned him for work and forced him to move to a new country, with a new language and culture with nobody he knew but the spirit, Akeifa was there to comfort him and tell him it would all work out fine in the end. As time passed it seemed like an ordinary (dare he say it, natural?) response to grow to love his other half. Then everything changed.
As Ryou looked back, it seemed more accurate to say the Spirit changed. He had been walking to school, chatting animatedly inside his head, when he had found out that Pegasus was visiting his school. Wow, really! I might get to meet someone famous! Only when they did meet, a reaction took place. The Millennium ring started to glow under his shirt, and the Millennium Eye belonging to Pegasus began to do the same. Almost instantly the glowing stopped, and yet something felt different, colder, about the ring. When he went home after the day had finished, he entered his soul room only to be horrified.
The corridor that once connected his soul room with that of his Yami as shattered, pieces floating scattered in the never-ending darkness. The door to the soul room opposite him was no longer made of stone like it once was, but was covered in some sort of purple slime, the Sennen Eye firmly imprinted onto it. Tendrils of darkness slowly spread to his soul room door, but he slammed it as quickly as he could, scared and shaking.
The first time he saw what had become of his Yami was during Duelist Kingdom, when he was the card Change of Heart. To say he was shocked would have been an understatement, yet he could not say so, and he hid it well. If he did not, Yugi and his friends did not seem to notice. If they did, they did not show it. There had always been a small slither of hope in his heart, that maybe, maybe, his other half would return to being the one he loved; maybe everything truly would be alright in the end. Alas, that never happened.
A small breeze flitted through the park, making Ryou shiver in his coat. Branches of trees whispered to eachother in hushed tones. he sun had finished setting and the night was upon Domino, the stars twinkling in the rich, black night sky. Ryou could not resist the temptation to tilt his head up and watch them, and gasped as a shooting star glimmered in his sight. His mother's words echoed in his memories "Make a wish, Ryou. Close your eyes and make a wish." He did just that.
I wish that I will get to see my other half again someday.
He took a deep breath, and watched as it appeared as a fog in front of him. His lips twitched into a smile, if only for a moment, and he opened his chocolate eyes in wonder at the world around him. He could not think about the past anymore, Akeifa was not coming back, he never was. His friends were changing, with Seto Kaiba and Joey Wheeler finally admitting they were attracted to each other. Yugi had gained fame during his travels with the Pharaoh, and continued to duel in his honour while running the shop in his spare time. Tea had gotten a dance scholarship in America, and was moving soon, while Tristan had got a job fixing motorcycles, which was of course what he liked doing best. I was surprised to find out that they were worried for me, that they cared even after all the things my Yami had done. I can't dream forever. I needed to live in the present, not the past anymore.
The stars continued to shine above him, and Ryou couldn't help but think "They look so far apart. I wonder if they're lonely." My thoughts trailed back to my previous wonderings, and that hope that I thought I had lost was once again sparked. Maybe everything would be alright. Even if it turned out that his new found friendships did not last, or that his father one day left him completely. Even if he never found love again, and died alone, maybe his mother and sister would be waiting for him with open arms. Maybe his other half would too.
Maybe they're all up there, in the sky, waiting...
Maybe he's up there... Among the stars