Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-gi-oh
Warnings: Death of characters, characters way ooc
AN: This is a story I wrote a long time ago, it's weird and probably won't make a whole lot of sense to you.
Final Chapter:
Malik ran into the room. "Where is he?"
Duke stood up. "He's fine, they knocked him out for a while but he's perfectly okay."
Malik stopped dead in his tracks. "Where did you get that?" He noted the gold ring that hung around Dukes neck. Duke looked down at it. "I thought Ryou would like it back."
"You!"
Duke smiled. "Yes Malik?"
"What have you done with the real Duke?" Maliks eyes narrowed. Dukes' eyes turned crimson.
"The human is still here, did you really think I'd kill a host? I needed to get to Ryou."
Malik snarled at Duke. "You stay away from Ryou, you've done enough to him."
Duke and Malik started to circle one another. "I have to be near him, I'm analyzing the boy to see if he's sane enough for trail. Why else would I, Duke, be here?" He joked. Malik clenched his fists, but stopped.
"I know you're weak. You won't be able to keep hold of Dukes body for long."
Duke frowned. "You know nothing."
Ryou stirred in the bed. "Shadow-sama…"
Both turned their heads to see the teen. Duke rushed to the bed side. "Koi."
Ryous eyes opened halfway. "Shadow-sama… I have returned to you..."
Malik stood back, maybe curious as to how the shadow would react or maybe it was just waiting for the right time to jump in...
"Koi, it is I whom has returned to you." Duke pulled off the ring and placed it onto Ryous chest. Ryous pale hand grabbed Dukes. "But for now I need to leave you."
Ryou used his other hand to hold onto the ring. "No, please don't go."
"You'll know in time, just as I have always told you."
Dukes eyes rolled into his head and he fell back. Malik grabbed him and watched Ryou also black out...
"Sirs, he's waking."
Ryou's eyes slowly opened "... huh?" he put his hand to his forehead as he sat up. "Oh no ... I must be terribly late."
He started to get out of the bed, loosing his balance in a second. Malik caught him. "Ryou, you can't go anywhere..."
Ryous eyes fluttered. "Who are you? Did my father send you to watch over me?"
Malik looked at Duke for a moment. "No Ryou, it's me, Malik."
Ryou rolled his eyes. "Of course you are, now let me go. I have to get to school."
Malik kept a firm grip on him though. "Ryou, don't you remember anything? It's been years since you even stepped outside. Your 'shadow' was just here... don't you remember any of it?"
Ryou shook his head. "...Are you...are you related Malik?"
Malik bit his lip. Duke stood up. "You're being completely honest Ryou? You don't remember anything of your 'shadow' or the murders?"
"Murder?" Ryous eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding. I don't remember watching anything on the news about murders!"
"No Ryou, you were the one... never mind..." Duke rubbed his head. After he had blacked out it seemed like he had also forgotten things. Not as much as Ryou, but things such as being controlled by the shadow.
"Do you think ... that him suddenly becoming active again..." Malik looked at the nurse.
"I guess it possible... As if coming out of a comma, he could just be not remembering the past day and the certain things that caused him to fall 'ill' as the doctors say." she said. Ryou stood confused more than ever.
"Comma? Active?" He looked at all three of them.
"Ryou, what day is it?"
"Simple, its October third."
"And the year?"
Ryou looked at all of them again. "2005."
Malik picked up a remote that lay on the table next to him. The TV clicked on to the news, at the bottom it said in small white letters 'November 10, 2012'
a few hours later...
Ryou stared out the window. He closed his eyes and held back tears. Why him? Why his life? ... He placed his hand onto the window. It froze his hand at first, almost making him want to pull his hand away... but ... the sharp cold felt good. He looked around the empty room. The only thing in his new room was the bed and a chair...
He walked over to the door... but with no luck. The door was locked, along with the window.
Duke sighed. "He seems like a normal teenager now... I don't think I could file the report saying he's perfectly sane... He wouldn't even know why he'd be going to trial."
He tossed a dice back and forth between his hands. Malik looked at the door. "There's nothing left to do but..."
Duke stopped playing with the dice and looked at him.
"... but to play out the shadows game."
Malik stood up and ran his hand through his hair. "This... won't end well."
Ryou kicked the ground. Something drew him to want out. As if his life depended on it. The cool breeze coming in through the vent made him wild. He slammed his fist against the wall. "I want out!" He yelled.
Malik, Duke and the nurse all turned their heads. "We should let him out." Malik said.
"But he's still legally insane..."
Ryou pounded his fists against the wall a few more times. "Let me out! You can't keep me in here!"
"LET ME OUT!" The boy cried out. The window cracked, shattering. Malik covered his face with his arm to keep any shards from hitting him.
"Ryou!" He grabbed the key from the nurse and unlocked the door. The room was empty. "What?"
The frail boy walked the streets. His body was weak and he became out of breath rather quickly. He leaned against a wall and tried to catch it. His eyes drifted upon a family walking across the street. The man carried a child on his back as the woman held hands with an older child. Ryous eyes narrowed. The white hair on the man... his face... There was no doubt about it... "Bakura!" Ryou yelled. The family turned, startled to hear his name.
Bakura's eyes widened. He quickly took the child from his back. He gave the woman a kiss and she nodded before taking the two children quickly away. Bakura turned back to Ryou. "...You don't look like you've even grown Ryou." He smiled lightly. "I didn't know you were even alive..." He started to cross the street. "... I'm sorry Ryou, I was young and stupid ... I shouldn't have hurt you like I did."
Even though he was trying to be brave, Ryou could tell he was scared to death. "That night," He smirked a bit, "When I killed Marik, I said if you tell anyone..."
Bakura backed up a bit. "R-Ryou, I didn't.. I mean.. I-"
"You told them, I know you testified as a witness."
Bakura put his arms out. "Look, if you had been in my situation-"
A car flew past, side swiping the man. He fell to the ground, an arm and leg clearly broken. Ryou kneeled down next to him. "If I had been in your situation, I wouldn't have said anything."
He put his hand around Bakuras throat. "Now I have to kill you." His grip tightened, Bakura gasped for air but had little luck. With only one hand, Bakura didn't stand a chance. His struggles became smaller and small with the lack of oxygen until he stopped moving all together. Ryou let go, watching for a moment, the red marks left from his hands. Bakuras wife came running out.
"What did you do to him!" She screamed as she dropped to his side. "The police are on their way, they'll find you and lock you away from this!"
Ryou stood up. The woman gave a small cry of horror. His eyes were dull and changing crimson. "Shadow-sama..." He smiled. His arms swayed back and forth, lifeless as he went back to walking like nothing had just happened.
The door creaked slowly and loudly. The setting suns gaze spread over the old floor. "Shadow-sama..." Ryou whispered. The shadow appeared before him, taking him into his arms. "Koi..."
"Atemu!"
The shadow looked up. "Angel, leave us be!"
Ryou stared blankly at the mirror. The shadow let go of Ryou and stepped in front of him. Malik stood in the doorway. "I won't let you use Ryou."
Atemus eyes narrowed. "How many times must I say it? Ryou is not being used."
The pale boy was drawn to the mirror. He walked slowly up the stairs to it. Atemu glanced over his shoulder. Seeing his love at the top of the stairs took him by surprize. He couldn't let him get hurt from the mirrors powers...
"Ryou!"
Malik grabbed Atemu. "You've done enough to him! You've done enough to everyone!" He yelled. "I was sent here to stop you whatever be the risk."
Atemu glared at him. "I don't care about what they sent you here for. I must help Ryou."
Ryou put his hand to the mirror. Ripples appeared in the mirror.
Atemu pulled away from Malik. "Stay out of this angel."
He ran to the stairs. If only he could reach Ryou...His eyes widened. His whole body was pulled to the ground. The pain burned every part of him.
"Whatever be the risk!" Malik screamed out. Atemu moved his head slightly back to see the bright wings of the angel. A knife in his leg kept Atemu pinned to the floor.
Atemus attention went back to Ryou. "Koi! Stop, you mustn't let the darkness draw you in!"
As much as he tried... his voice could not reach the boy. Ryous hand pulled off the ring, letting it drop to the ground. The gold clattered on the carpet. His hand slid into the mirror. The glass came alive and started pulling him in.
Malik stared in disbelief.
Atemu grabbed the knife within his leg and pulled it out. He rushed to his love. "RYOU!"
Malik stumbled back. "It all makes since now..."
Atemu grabbed Ryous arm. "Please, let him go! Take me!"
"... they didn't want me to stop the darkness... they wanted me to ..."
Atemu was thrown back.
"Release it..."
The mirror engulfed what was left of Ryou. The blackness swirled around everywhere. As it touched the wood of the home it burst into flames. Atemu was on his feet pounding on the mirror. "GIVE HIM BACK!"
Malik buried his face within his hands. How could he have been so stupid! He picked up the bloody knife and put it to his heart. "I was blinded..."
Atemu stopped. He looked at Malik. "What the fuck are you doing now? You can't do that."
Malik closed his eyes. "Let me be Atemu... I must pay for the sin I have done."
"Angel, taking your life would mean..."
"I know very well what it means." Malik muttered. Atemu stepped down the stairs.
"Stop being all noble, you're just being selfish." He grabbed the knife from Malik and threw it into the flames. Atemu grabbed him by the shoulders. "Come on, they had to have told you something. Something on how to defeat the darkness."
"What difference does it make?"
"What?" Atemu looked Malik in the eye. He could see the hope and faith Malik once had was gone. He hadn't given up though ... he was stolen of his dreams. "The darkness awakes..."
Atemu ran to the window. He could see the evil arising. The darkness fed off it... forever bound... That was how it worked... it only needed one more pure hearted soul... then it could cover it in darkness and use the souls it had gathered to grow and turn everything upside down... release the inner demons of people...
But Atemus heart... it was already dark... his past life was so gray he had no reason to have hope...
"Atemu."
Atemu shot around. In the short amount of time he had lost attention to the stairs, they were already overrun with flames... and at the top of them stood Ryou. His eyes were black...
"Your time here on earth is almost over... I'll set you free, just as promised."
Atemu took a step back. This couldn't be happening... the darkness...it had grown to know his weakness...
"Atemu..." Ryou started walking down the steps as if there was no fire. "Isn't that what you wanted? To be free so that you could love me?"
He had to fight... but what could he do? If he attacked, he would end up just hurting Ryou. He then noticed... Black tears rolled down his loves cheeks. He didn't want to be part of the darkness.
"Ryou, you're stronger than that... thing." Atemu smiled. "I wish it didn't have to be this way... Your home burns.. your town burns... and your soul burns..."
He pressed against the door, using his shirt to keep the smoke from choking him. "I know that you'll be able too... maybe my death will... no... I don't exactly have any regret..." He reached out and touched Ryous face. "... so cold... isn't that what you said to me? ... funny how things work..."
Ryou stopped. In the blurry haze over his eyes ... he saw his shadow... hug him... "Shadow-sama..."
"I won't give up hope." the shadow whispered.
Ryou started to draw back. The shadow let him slip away from his arms. A tear shined in the light of the flames. He walked up the stairs, ignoring the burning as the flames grabbed at him. The shadow closed his eyes as his hands clutched the frame of the mirror. He was the cause of this .. and the mirror was still part of him... which meant the darkness was part of the mirror still also. He threw the mirror as hard as he could. It shattered with a scream. The glass shot out everywhere.
The shadow felt the dark fog being lifted. He closed his eyes. A smile printed on his face. He knew it was gone. Ryou was free... and that was all that mattered. His body fell, tumbling down the stairs.
Ryou coughed hard, blood dripped from his mouth. His heart pounded through out his whole body. His shaking hands pulled his weak body to his shadow. He kissed him, leaving a red mark of blood on the shadows face. In his hands he found the ring... it had kept him from the darkness ... even though it was part of it its self.. It kept his heart shielded from the darkness even when the darkness took over... He pulled the string over both their necks. Ryou turned his head to look at Malik...
The angel lay still, slowly burning away in the flames.
Ryou turned his head away and place it on the shadows chest. He pulled the shadows arms around him and only flinched a little bit as the flames started to nip at his bare feet. "As long as I'm with you...I will protect you...right?"
Fin