The Angel of the Bright Darkness
By, Senayalayasha-Sama
Written to Dir en Grey, "Lust for Blood" by Gackt, and The 69 Eyes
Chapter Two: Homecoming
Ryou walked around the area where he had landed at, surveying everything closely. He had landed in the cemetery. He came upon a steep hill and looked down at Domino sprawled out below him. "I wonder if I should say hi to everyone…" he said quietly to himself, looking at Yugi's house, then at the headstone next to him. It was new and had been placed there very recently. The dirt was freshly packed on the grave, and he leaned in to read the writing on the headstone.
Bakura Ryou
XXXX-2006
Died of unknown causes
May he rest in peace for all eternity
Ryou stared at it in disbelief, his enormous chocolate eyes growing even larger. "Wh-what? No way, that's wrong! I'm alive, I'm standing right here! How can I be dead if I'm standing right here!" he cried softly, putting a hand to his face. Behind him, the figure in black from earlier that day approached and stopped twenty feet away from him, a slight breeze playing with his long black hair.
"So, you survived after all. Though, I never expected such a dramatic change in your appearance…" they said in their smooth, deep, intoxicating voice. Ryou gasped and turned, standing. "My, yes. You have changed, haven't you? Even your visage is different…"
"Who are you?" Ryou asked.
"I am Shinya. I play drums for the band Dir en Grey, but we're in the lull period between tours, so…that means that I can be myself and rule the evening," they said, brushing his hair back from his face and tucking it over his shoulder. He was absolutely gorgeous, and one of Ryou's favorite bands just happened to be Dir en Grey! How'd he get so lucky to be this close to Shinya?
Shinya smiled coolly. "You know, you're even more beautiful now than you were when I fed off of you when you were human. Maybe it's the air of power surrounding you…" he said. "Or those gorgeous wings. Tell me beautiful, what is your name?" Shinya asked.
"Ryou…" Ryou said, breathless.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful angel. Now that I think about it, you're not a creature of the night, are you?"
"Asliean called me the 'Angel of the Bright Darkness'. What is that exactly?"
"It appears that I was right then. You aren't a creature of the night. You did die, and you were sent to Heaven. Why are you back?" Shinya asked, pacing around Ryou a little.
"Because I'm the Angel of the Bright Darkness, I guess. Neither Heaven nor Hell wants me because they're afraid of me. I don't understand. Why are they afraid of me?"
"Your power, Ryou. Because of your vampiric nature, you switch dramatically between good and evil when you're bloodthirsty. You then have no control over your actions and become the very thing that everyone fears: a demon with an insane thirst for blood that won't stop killing. That, my dear Ryou, is what makes you more gorgeous than you were before," Shinya whispered, smiling delicately, moving closer and taking Ryou's face into his long-fingered hands. They felt like dry ice, cold like it was.
"I am…?" Ryou breathed, looking at Shinya's lips, then into his beautiful dark eyes. They were like mirrors, able to see yourself in their depths, and they captivated him.
"Yes, you are…" Shinya breathed, lightly and ever so gently kissed Ryou's rose lips. "Now, taste me, Ryou…" whispered the dark-haired male, pulling down the neck of his shirt and cutting his throat. Blood trickled out from the wound, the red fluid catching Ryou's eyes.
"What are you…?" Ryou asked as Shinya brought his lips to his neck and pressed his lips to the wound. Ryou struggled a little, but upon tasting the sweet copper closed his eyes and drank. It was a wonderful taste and it gave him heightened senses, like sight and touch, and emotion. He couldn't explain how it made him feel.
"Isn't it delicious, dear Ryou? Don't you want more?" Shinya asked. Ryou slowly pulled back and looked at the taller male with blank chocolate eyes, his lips and chin coated in blood.
"Yes…yes, Shinya…I want more…" he answered with a deep monotone that didn't suit him.
"Then, you must hunt…" Shinya said, pushing Ryou back. He lost his balance and fell back, dazed as his body shook, then letting out a longing sound like a moan, was suddenly engulfed in strange markings and crimson light. He got up on his hands and knees and started to growl lowly, his eyes glowing and long sharp fangs sprouting from his canines. His clothes were shredded by crimson flame and replaced with a skin-tight black turtleneck with loose sleeves, a studded collar around his neck, black bondage pants covered in loops and chains and buckles, heeled black boots to match, and two gold hair pieces with ruby bats on them on the sections of hair that rested by his ears that had grown to rest now on his chest, the rest of his hair growing to be better than thigh-length. His wings suddenly shot out from behind him and the light dissipated as he stood slowly.
"Fine then, I will…" Ryou said, looking up at Shinya. His lips were painted black, and he had black lines cascading down his cheeks from his eyes. He looked very threatening now compared to a second before. He walked down the hill without another word, leaving Shinya stunned.
(Yugi's House)
"I still can't believe that Ryou – Chan's dead, Atemu. Why did it have to be him?"
"I don't know, Yugi. I don't know what God's plans are, or why he chose Ryou, but he did. There's nothing that we can do…" Atemu broke off, lifting his head and looking at the window, captivated by something.
"Atemu, what is it?"
"There's something out there, Yugi. Wait here; I'll see what it is…" Atemu said, getting up and opening the window. A second later, Ryou's head appeared in it, leaving Atemu and Yugi thoroughly stunned and scared simultaneously. He looked normal now except for his clothes and make up, not bloodthirsty.
"Hey, guys. What's up?"
"Leave now, evil spirit of Ryou! Go to the afterlife!" Atemu said, rushing forward. Ryou blinked and climbed into the room, cat-style.
"I'm not dead, Atemu…the dead can't speak and they aren't solid, right?" Ryou said standing and dusting himself off.
Yugi stepped forward cautiously and Ryou held out his hand for Yugi to touch him, which he did. He shivered and took his hand back, holding it and trying to warm it up. "Why are you so cold!" he asked.
Ryou took his hand back and shoved it into his pocket, his efforts to try and warm it futile. "It's cold outside…" he said innocently.
Atemu walked over to the window and stuck his hand out of it. "It's not cold out there," he said, starting to get suspicious.
"It is out in the cemetery by the river. I went out there earlier to figure out why you all were down there. My grave freaked me out…"
"So…you're…not dead?" Yugi asked cautiously. Ryou shook his head and Yugi hugged him tightly around the neck. "I'm so glad you're not dead, Ryou – Chan! I missed you!"
Ryou slowly hugged him back and closed his eyes as he sniffed Yugi's hair. It smelled nice, like a rainforest, and his skin smelled clean and soapy. He had had a bath earlier…
Atemu looked at them, his head tilted a bit to the side in curiosity. Ryou was acting strange…
"Ryou, you never used to dress like this. What spurred this change?" Atemu asked. Ryou waited a moment to answer, thinking carefully.
"Stress. I couldn't relieve my stress like some people can, so I changed the way I dress and my music preferences. I feel freer now," Ryou said. He could tell that Atemu was dissatisfied with the answer, but he stayed silent.
"So, where'd you go? I mean…we all saw you dead on the bed! You were cold as ice and as stiff as a brick!" Yugi asked. Atemu looked up and locked his eyes on Ryou, wanting to know the same thing.
"When they took me to the hospital, they brought me back. I guess I hadn't been gone for all that long…"
"But rigor mortis had already set in. You were dead," said Atemu.
"I guess I'm not if I'm standing right here, Atemu…you watch CSI too much," Ryou said. Atemu's eyes flared as the door flew open and Jounichi and Honda walked in, both of which were silent.
"Hey, Yugi, Atemu, Ryou…" Jounichi said softly as he plopped down on the floor next to Yugi.
"Hey, Jounichi!" Ryou said, smiling at him. "Hi, Honda!"
Jounichi slowly turned his head and looked at Ryou, then did a double-take. "Ryou! My God! It's his ghost! He's come back to haunt us! Waaaagh!" Jounichi said, hugging Honda, who then screamed and hugged Jounichi back. Ryou giggled.
"No, I'm not dead! I'm as alive as you and everyone else here!" he said.
"No way! We buried you today!" Jounichi said, his eyes wide and scared.