Through The Looking Glass

Authoress: Aisling Kaiba *a.k.a. Ryou's Tenshi*

Aisling: I'm back! *WOOT!*

Rishid: Mistress Aisling, that's my expression.

Aisling: *Pouts* You're mean, Rishi.

Yami: *Coming in* Oh no, don't tell me you're at it again.

Aisling: Yup!!!

Yami: We're all doomed.

Ryou: Be nice to her, Yami. *Glomps Aisling*

Aisling: I feel so loved. Can someone do the disclaimer for me, please?

Malik: I'll do it. Aisling-kitty doesn't own YGO.

Ryou: Don't call her that!

Aisling: *Chibi smile* I'm so loved. *Glomps Ryou* Anywho, on with the fic! Merry Christmas, happy new year, and all that jazz! Also, happy b-day to my best friend *hopefully she sees that* and this fic is dedicated to her. *huggles her* Love ya, sis!!!

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*Chapter 1*

Ryou Bakura sighed dejectedly to himself as he made his way home, ignoring the icy rain that fell softly down upon him. He was in no hurry, it wasn't as though he had anything or anyone waiting there for him anyway.

His mother and younger sister, Amane, had been killed in a car wreck by a drunk driver when Ryou was only eight years old. (A/N: If I'm wrong about this, let me know, I'm just making this up as I go along.) He had been the only survivor. His father had buried himself in his work after that, trying to stop the pain of losing his wife and only daughter, and as a result, was very rarely even home anymore. Ryou had somehow been forgotten for the most part in the process, and so he lived alone in his and his father's apartment, with nothing for company except his own loneliness. Being shy as he was, he didn't really even have any friends. Well, there was Yugi, Jonouchi, Honda and Anzu, but even they had a tendency--whether it was intentional or not, he didn't know--to exclude him from their get-togethers.

Ryou sighed again and had to wipe away the icy tears that fell from his chocolate brown eyes like crystalline gemstones. It didn't do him much good, though. More only came to replace them, mingling with the rain drops that shimmered on his pale skin.

Suddenly Ryou was startled out of his reverie by the sound of someone whispering his name from somewhere in the shadows. Scared, he tensed and slowly turned around, and found himself walking into a darkened alleyway against his will. He wanted desperately to turn and leave, but something seemed to have drawn him here, and whatever it was, it didn't want to let him go just yet, no matter how hard he fought against it.

"Ryou..." the mysterious voice called again.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Ryou shouted nervously, the tremble in his soft British voice betraying his fear.

A moment later, the one who had been calling Ryou's name stepped out of the shadows. The stranger was clad in a long brown robe that gave no indication as to whether they were male or female, and their face was completely covered by a dark hood.

Ryou instinctively began to back away in fear, but somehow a wall had materialized behind him. His brown eyes went very wide as his back hit the wall, and he glanced around wildly for an escape, but it was no use. Ryou was trapped.

"Be at ease, young one. I do not mean you any harm," the stranger said, the quiet voice deep and clearly masculine.

"What do you want from me?" Ryou asked softly, trembling under that piercing stare. (A/N: Not like *that*, you hentais! LOL!)

The man didn't answer. Instead he reached into the folds of his robe and Ryou tensed, thinking that the other had lied about not wanting to hurt him. He braced himself for the killing blow he was certain would come, squeezing his brown eyes shut tightly. A few moments passed and nothing happened, so Ryou risked a glance upwards, only to see the stranger holding out a package wrapped in a shimmering, silvery-blue fabric to him.

"Take this, for within lies your destiny," the stranger said.

Ryou hesitated for just a moment before reluctantly taking the package from him. Ryou glanced down at it warily for a minute, idly running his hand along the soft, velvety fabric. Then he glanced up at the stranger again, only to realize that he had vanished, seemingly into thin air as if he had never even been there, as had the barrier that had blocked his escape earlier. Ryou started backing away as if afraid that the mysterious stranger would reappear from the shadows, then turned and ran, never once looking back. He didn't stop running until he reached his apartment, ignoring the occasional odd looks that he received from people on the streets.

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To Be Continued. Yeah, I know this was kind of short, but I'll try to make the next chapter longer. (If my muses decide to cooperate with me, which I doubt is gonna happen.) Anyway, yes, this is a shounen ai, possibly yaoi fic, and Ryou/Bakura is the only pairing. I don't know if I'm just going to do a sequel to this, it depends. Don't ask me what inspired this little plot bunny, I don't know. I think I got it when I was looking at pics of Ryou and Bakura. Anywho, please R&R!!! *Constructive* criticism, suggestions, and compliments welcome. Any mindless flames like Oh this sucks! or anything of the like will be very cheerfully and pointedly ignored. Anywho, I don't know when I'll have the next chapter up, but I'll try to make it soon, but I make no promises, b/c of my stupid class and the fact that my b-day is next week. *WOOT!* Okay, I'm gonna shut up now. *Chibi smile* Ja ne, minna-san!!!

*Aisling Kaiba, a.k.a. Ryou's Tenshi*