Mystified

Yu-Gi-Oh! Ryou/Bakura

By: Klyukaizer

Summary: [Chapter version to "Numb", same plot… but different all throughout!] Bakura keeps on beating Ryou… Ryou continues receiving them! But what do they truly feel about each other? And why do they continue doing it?

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Mystified

Chapter 8 – Solitude

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"Ryou!" Bakura gasped as his silver-haired counterpart came running down the stairs. "Bakura! Please don't leave! I don't want you to leave!" Ryou pleaded as Ryou came face-to-face with Bakura. "I'm sorry… my Hikari! But I already made up my mind! The only way to let you know how I truly feel… is to let you be free! I can't stand hurting you anym-"

"I know you won't, Aibou!"

This silenced everyone… everyone except Ryou, who was still sobbing uncontrollably. "I can't live a minute without you! What are you so afraid about? You're not going to hurt me! I know it!"

Bakura just smiled at that, this time, it was his turn to cry. All the tears came rushing down without hesitation. "It's alright, Aibou…" Bakura could see Ryou crying atop from all of the shining yellow light surrounding him. Anzu was crying from the side too, burying her face over Jou's shoulder as both Honda and Yugi looked away. "Promise me…" Bakura requested.

"Anything…" Ryou sniffed.

"Please… don't cry anymore! I'll always be by your side!" Bakura made his final wish and with that, he disappeared into yellow light, "Goodbye…"

"Y- Yami!" Ryou gasped, "YAMI!"

"He's gone, Ryou…" Yugi whispered silently and sadly.

"BAKURA!!!!!"

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"Ryou!" Yugi called as Ryou ran out of the house. It was starting to rain, Ryou made a splatter of water through each step in his feet as he ran without looking back. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs and just stay that way.

He could hear Yugi and the others running closely behind him and didn't mind. As long as they won't get in the way, he doesn't mind. "Ryou! You have to calm down!" Yami called. "Ryou! Please come back!" It was Anzu's turn this time.

Ryou didn't pay attention and just kept running, 'Why don't they just leave me alone?' He thought. "Go away! Just. Go away!" He muttered. He closed his eyes and let the tears pour to his cheeks as he wiped them away angrily.

"Ryou!" Yugi gasped as he saw Ryou slip down to the puddle of mud and everyone started crouching over him. "Leave me alone!!!" Ryou yelled as they approached him. "Why do you even bother? Go away!" Ryou shoved Yami and Yugi away. "You've already done enough! You people are the cause of this!" He yelled as loud as he can, getting all the anger out.

Yugi quickly embraced the broken boy but Ryou tried to get away. Yugi's grip was indeed tight and didn't allow the silver-haired boy to get away this time. "Let. Me. Go." Ryou pleaded in a whisper, "I said. Let me go, Yugi!" Ryou tried his best to struggle away, apart from all the trembling.

"I'm not letting you go, Ryou! We promised Bakura we wouldn't leave you!" Yugi scolded as Ryou's eyes widened, there were tears strolling from Yugi's eyes too! "And I will never break his promise!"

Ryou knew he was exaggerating. But then, the pain inside his heart wouldn't subside… for it's as if it had been etched thoroughly and painfully. He stirred from the pain and cold (of the rain) and closed his eyes heavily. With that, he gave out a loud scream that echoed through the whole town.

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"Yugi! How is he?" Anzu asked as Yugi came inside the classroom the next day. Yugi shook his head sadly. They had agreed yesterday that each one of them takes turns on visiting and taking care of Ryou at his home. And it was Yami and Yugi's turn first.

"Not very good… he's been in bed since Bakura left!" Yugi explained as he made his way to his desk and flopped down heavily. They were in silence. Jou sighed as Honda looked outside one of the classroom's window. "The last time I saw him smile…" Yugi broke off the silence,

~ Flashback~

/Ryou tried his best to stand up but failed. He dragged himself up to his Yami and revealed himself crying.

Bakura knelt down and hugged Ryou tightly. "I- I. I don't. Hate. You." He heard Ryou say, wetting his shoulder from all his Hikari's tears.

"I don't. Hate. You. At all." Ryou repeated with a smile; Bakura nodded. Jounichi, Honda, Yugi and Anzu smiled as Yami grinned at the two spirits./

~ Flashback ends ~

"…Was when he had Bakura in his arms!" Yugi said. "Was it really a bad choice for allowing Bakura to leave like that? I feel like it's our entire fault for allowing Bakura to!" Jounichi said those words that really made a point to his friends.

"Ryou has the right to be mad at us!" Anzu nodded in agreement to Jou's statement. "We are supposed to be his friends… but, we weren't able to help him when he is in need!"

"But in the end…" Honda joined in their conversation at last without taking his sight out of the window, "Time will heal his wounds!"

"Whose turn is it today to visit Ryou?" Yugi changed the topic. "It's my turn, Yugi… why?" Anzu answered.

"Anzu… can- can I visit him again today? I have something… to… ask him!" Yugi requested. Anzu and the others blinked for a moment but then, Anzu nodded without hesitation. "Sure, Yugi!"

"Thanks, Anzu…"

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/"Just kill me, Bakura! I had enough of this pain!" Ryou said as his tears and blood stained the carpets.

"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Bakura grabbed a palm-full of Ryou's hair and raised it enough for him to see the bloodstained face of the boy, "Do you seriously want to die? Huh? If you want to then I will have every moment enjoying it!"

"I will kill you slowly and painfully!" Bakura snapped which made Ryou's tears fill up once again. But then, there was a smile twitching beside Ryou's face.

"What are you smiling at?" Bakura demanded. "What are you smiling at? Dammit!" Bakura said as he pulled Ryou's hair forcibly. "You're already doing it!" Ryou answered with a smile, "You're killing me slowly… and painfully…"

Bakura's eyes widened once again. "I may not be enjoying this, Bakura! But I'm sure you are! And it's good to see someone happy… knowing your plain existence is amusement for them!"/

//I have caused you so much pain…//

/"I knew it from the start that you never trusted me! I should've gone back to the Shadow Realm when I had the courage to!" Bakura said keeping the tears from coming out of his own eyes. Ryou couldn't answer to that… he knew that he couldn't find the right excuse for it. "But, no! I had doubts!"/

//Hikari… Aibou… Ryou…//

/An image of Ryou's tears strolling down his cheeks came flashing to Bakura's head./

//Hontou ni… gomene…//

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"Hey, Ryou…" Yugi silently said as he and Yami made their way to the sleeping boy in the bed. "Ryou, we know you're awake! You can't keep on doing this to yourself!" There was a hint of panic in Yugi's voice.

Silence.

"Ryou?"

"What good is it when the person you love so much is not there when you open your eyes?" Ryou asked, his eyes still closed. Yugi wasn't able to answer that, "It's not like it's the end of the world, is it?" He joked at a time like this.

"No…" Ryou answered simply, "It's far more worst than that!" This time, his voice started to tremble again. "You've changed, Ryou! You've changed ever since Bakura left!" Yugi snapped, raising his voice. "Of course I would change!" Ryou instantly opened his eyes and sat upright. He glared at Yugi as if he was blaming it all on the tri-colored haired boy.

"What do you expect a Hikari would react if he lost his Yami?" Ryou yelled, "Oh yeah! You wouldn't feel that way because you still have your Yami!" Yugi jumped at Ryou's sudden statement and made Yami's eyes widened in surprise too.

"How would you feel, Yugi? How would you feel if Yami would disappear?"

Yugi felt his heart beating so fast as he did the possible thing anyone would do. He slapped Ryou. Tears of hurt and anger filled his eyes as he glared at his silver-haired 'friend'. Ryou's eyes widened when he realized what he had just said. "Yugi… I-"

"Why are you treating me this way? I had always been here to help you but you just shove me away! You are the one I'm helping here and in the end, you are the one complaining? I hate you, Ryou Bakura!"

And with that, Yugi ran out of the room. Followed by his Yami.

To be continued…