Ryou's Story

By: ACE329

Summary: This story is mine to tell. No, not the one whom most refer to as Bakura, the spirit of the millennium ring, just me. He already stole my name but I cannot—will not—let him take away the one thing that I have left…my words.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh!

A/N: The day has finally come—I am updating! So, it's no surprise I've been dead on fanfiction because of school. Seriously, there was absolutely no time. But guess what? It's not like I allowed my writing skills to get rusty within the past couple months. I had to write 100 pages worth of fiction material if I wanted to pass one of my classes. Yes, that's right—100 pages! Honestly, the day before my assignment was due, I was going to shoot myself. But I got it done, and now school's over, and I've got a bunch of semi-free time on my hands...until summer classes start. Ugh. Nonetheless, here I am. So enough about me, on with Ryou ;)

Chapter Fourteen- Conspiracy

He wouldn't talk to me.

He could have been mad at me for invading his soul room, but then again, I'm sure he would just be yelling at me or trying to conceive of a way to make my life more miserable. But it wasn't in his nature to not say anything. He was being suspiciously quiet while I floundered about the premises of the ship, refusing to answer any of my questions or accusations. It made me nervous, as if there was something serious going on that I didn't know about…the image of the Thief King kept popping up in my mind, which further egged on my anxiety. But I knew I had an explosive imagination, and was probably making something out of nothing. So I followed my other theory and assumed that Nameless was not speaking to me simply because he was angry.

"You're such a child," I huffed, even though I knew it was a futile effort to rouse a response from him, "I know you can't stay like this for long." And yet…if Nameless could keep his mouth shut for an entire day, then I'm the king of thieves. But as expected, the spirit of the ring said nothing, which left me to explore my surroundings in relative solitude. No criticisms or commands jabbed at me while I made my own decisions. I suppose I was grateful for that.

I still couldn't get over how extravagant everything was. I was on the sort of cruise ship that I thought I could only dream of. Servers floated leisurely throughout the ship with platters resting invitingly against the palms of their hands, carrying arrays of exotic fruits, cheeses, and other vibrant hors d'oeuvres. Of course there were flutes of champagne, which I politely declined on several occasions when offered. I couldn't help but wonder what Pegasus was thinking: he obviously knew there would be plenty of people under the legal drinking age. I'd wager that he simply didn't care, or was above fretting the technicalities. I vaguely wondered what Yuugi would have done if offered anything. I bit back a smile.

"Oh, well excuse me darling, I can't help it you're nothing but a washed-up nobody. If you can't win a simple game of blackjack, how do you expect to win me?"

I whirled around at the wildly confident, alluring voice that tore through the lazy melody of a nearby string quartet. It was getting louder as I heard the determined clicks of high heels coming into contact with the immaculate wooden floor. I managed to step aside just in time, because quite unexpectedly, the owner to this voice barreled right past me, as if I weren't even there. I blinked back my surprise at this woman's assertiveness, but my interest came more from what she said to the man who was desperately following her.

"Mai, Mai, wait, it was just a game! There are other—"

The way this woman named Mai impulsively whipped around demanded immediate silence from the poor man who had to contend with her. Her oddly wild orchid-stained orbs bore into the man with such intensity even I could feel it.

"'Just a game'…?" she parroted, her voice tinged with challenge. An eyebrow slowly lifted, indicating that she couldn't possibly disagree more. "Tell me, Ryuzaki, why are we going to Pegasus's island?"

The man sighed, stopping a short distance away from Mai. "To compete in a tournament." He ran a hand through his hair, almost as a gesture of defeat. I could tell he knew exactly what this woman was going to say. She seemed like the sort of person who had unspoken rules, and any sort of deviation from them would be unacceptable. Zero tolerance on losing was probably one of them.

This woman, with her golden Amazonian hair whipping chaotically around her, tossed her head back. "That's exactly right, Ryuzaki, to compete in a tournament. But it's also more than that—I'm not just competing, I'm competing to win." Mai's orbs slowly trailed up to meet Ryuzaki's face. "Aren't you?"

"Well, I—yeah. Obviously." Ryuzaki suddenly looked uncomfortable, squirming under Mai's stare.

Mai finally turned away, done with him. "Men like you make me sick. They really do. You, Ryuzaki, have enough arrogance to think you stand a chance against the best gamers out there, but the instant when hard work or serious endurance is involved, you shy away. I saw that the moment you folded your hand, afraid of the consequences of losing the gamble. You fear the unknown—you're afraid of putting yourself on the line. That is no way to live." She impulsively folded her arms over her chest, now facing the swirling ocean water. "Get out of my sight."

"Now hold on a second, Mai—"

"Leave." Even I couldn't help but cringe at the severity of this woman's voice. How she was able to sculpt her tone to sound so harsh and frigid…it couldn't be matched. Nameless, of course, would have been the only exception.

Ryuzaki gathered up enough nerve to gaze at Mai for a second in silence. Finally, he too turned away, starting to walk down the side of the ship, his hands shoved in his pockets, and his head ducked. I almost felt sorry for him.

But Ryuzaki wasn't done yet. He stopped, then pivoted back to face his rejecter. "Mai."

The woman didn't say anything, her gaze transfixed on the ocean engulfing the ship. Ryuzaki took it as his chance to continue. "I'll prove you wrong. I'll show you that I am capable of being in this tournament."

Mai scoffed at this, tilting her head slightly in speculation. Clearly Ryuzaki captured her attention, at least for the moment. "But I'm never wrong," she said.

"I'll prove otherwise," Ryuzaki asserted. "Meet me in room 306 tonight. I challenge you to a duel, Mai, and I'll win."

Silence, except for the ocean waves collapsing against the ship, permeated the distance between these two interesting strangers. I didn't mean to be eavesdropping so intently, but my curiosity refused to let me be tactful.

Mai broke out into a laugh. It was soaked with such mockery that it made Ryuzaki wince. I was being convinced increasingly by the second that this was a very cruel woman. I didn't have much experience with the opposite gender, but she was so different from the other females I'd encountered. I wondered why she had such a tough exterior…was she like that on the inside, too?

"Ryuzaki…strong words coming from you," she said. Her voice was softer than her laugh, but filled with scorn nonetheless. "I accept your challenge. But let's raise the stakes a bit. What do I get if I win this duel?"

Ryuzaki reached into his pockets and pulled out his wallet. He fished out a healthy wad of cash. "Fifty-thousand yen. Is that enough for you?" I examined his face. I could see the trepidation contorting it, afraid to be surrendering so much money for one game. But he tried to appear collected anyway.

Mai's garnet-stained lips twisted into a half-smile. "What, change of heart, Big Spender? I'm sorry, but that's not what I want."

Ryuzaki's shoulders slumped. "Then what do you want?"

Mai's gaze suddenly became even more intense. "Your room."

Ryuzaki gaped. "Why do you want my room? Don't you have…" He trailed off, slowly making the connection. "Wait, you don't have a—?"

"That's right."

"Then how did you—?"

Mai flicked a long strand of hair over her shoulder impatiently. "Come on. You're a big boy. Figure it out."

Ryuzaki flushed at Mai's patronizing tone before he shook his head. He shoved the cash back into his pocket. "I should have known that you of all people would—fine. If you win, you get my room. So if I win…" he hesitated, right before smoothing over his face, "I get you."

Mai blinked back her surprise before waving him off. "Let's be serious, hm? You'll quickly realize that you wouldn't be winning anything at all—"

"No," Ryuzaki interjected. "That's what I want."

Mai stared at him stoically for a moment, gauging his seriousness. Finally, she smirked. "Deal." She then turned away from him as she had done before, officially indicating the end of the conversation. "You're a fool, though," she said, calling over her shoulder. "You're screwed no matter how the game turns out."

"I'll take my chances," Ryuzaki returned, still seeming pleased with himself. He had a wolfish smile, which accentuated the fact how hungry he looked. But not for food.

"So tonight at nine, then. Room 306. Don't forget." Ryuzaki waited for a response to this, but received none. His eyes bore into the back of Mai's frame for a few extended seconds before he finally turned away and stalked off.

Mai suddenly broke into a bitter laugh, the corners of her eyes crinkled in contempt. I wondered in contempt for what. Or who. She leaned heavily over the railing of the ship, looking straight down into the water as if trying to read her fortune. She looked distant, distracted.

I finally managed to unglue myself from my spot, shifting my weight to my other leg. I was a considerable distance away from this woman, but was certainly close enough to have heard everything.

It was right when I began to head off that I was forced to stop yet again.

"Wait," a harsh voice commanded. I slowly glanced back at the woman whom I was scrutinizing for the past five minutes. Was she talking to me? I managed to rotate my body enough to face her, waiting expectantly.

"You were listening."

I winced, suddenly aghast at how noticeable I must have been. A felt a familiar burning heat spread over my face. Well, there was no point in denying the obvious. "I was," I admitted. "I'm sorry."

"I hate apologies," Mai commented, her eyes still not meeting mine. "We all do things for a reason. What's yours?"

I floundered. "My reason?"

"Yes."

"I was just curious, I guess," I offered. "I didn't mean to be so—"

"It doesn't matter," Mai sighed. "You found out that I don't belong here. That's too much information for one stranger to have. Who are you going to tell?"

"Well, nobody, obviously—"

"Liar." Mai's eyes were suddenly blazing, like a pile of dry wood doused in kerosene and lit with a match. "That's what they all say." She pointed a perfectly manicured finger up at a sign, plastered against the wall of a door: "See anyone suspicious? Let the authorities know. 75,000 yen reward."

Mai finally pushed away from the railing, folding her arms over her chest. "Money is the number one influence in a person's life. You would tell someone just to get a reward."

"You don't even know me," I asserted with a rush of annoyance, shaking my head. "I'm not like everyone else." I hesitated, considering what I had just said. Why was I talking to this strange woman? Why was I telling her anything at all? I wanted to leave, but her gaze held me hostage.

"I can see that," Mai said. In a moment's time, she was standing in front of me, far too close for my comfort. She grasped a strand of my hair and tugged on it. "It was your hair that made it so obvious that you were watching me. I haven't seen anything like it."

I felt Nameless stir inside of me, alert now from an intruding hand. I could tell he was watching suspiciously, ensuring that nothing harmful was going to happen. It's like he always said, a dead host is a useless host.

But Mai let go of my hair, her eyes level with mine now. Way too close. I stepped back. "How do I know you're not going to tell anyone? You could ruin everything for me, with just one little confession. Do you realize that?"

I bit my lip. "I do now." Her intensity was unnerving. I wished I never let my curiosity get the best of me.

"This tournament is my one chance to win a million yen. A million! That could buy me a whole new life—I would never have to contend with scum like that fool you saw a few minutes ago. I wouldn't need to get myself involved with such deals." Mai leaned in closer, as if to be extra convincing. Or intimidating. "I need your word that you will not tell a soul about what you found out just now. Because if you tell anyone about me not belonging here—"

"I don't either!" I interrupted quickly. "Please believe me, I'm not out to inconvenience you in any way. I'm sorry it wasn't my place to be doing so, I have a horrible habit of just watching people."

"Wait, what did you just say?" Mai arched an eyebrow, placing a hand on her hip.

"I said I'm sorry I—"

Mai held up a hand. "No. You said you don't belong here either."

I paled. "Ah, yes, I-I did say that, didn't I?" Oh no. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone that. Would Nameless be upset? But as far as I could tell, he didn't seem too concerned. He was done being alert, apparently thinking I wasn't in any danger now. I sighed.

Mai seemed pleasantly surprised. "Now there's a shock. You look far too innocent to be bending the rules. What could your motivation be, to sneak into this tournament? Do you aspire to gain the monetary reward too? I can't imagine why—you look like you've got at least some money." She chuckled as a finger brushed against my cashmere sweater. "I see your past, and it's filled with private lessons, caviar, and numerous social gatherings. Am I right?"

I strained to keep my voice seamless. "Only somewhat." I guess she would have been right, if I had lived the life my grandparents would have wanted. Because of my mother's insistence for blending into the crowd—a futile attempt, in every way imaginable—and because of some very odd circumstances, that never became a reality for me. I never wanted to live the rich man's life, but maybe…maybe it would have been preferable, if it could have spared me from the one I am living now. Instinctively, my hand glided over the ring, feeling the sharp cool metal against my palm and fingertips.

"I used to have that sort of life, once," Mai said, her voice slightly nostalgic, quiet. "There was a sort of comfort in knowing that I had financial stability no matter what I did. I could gamble away millions of yen and it wouldn't matter. If I wanted to travel to Italy, then it would be done. Everything was so easy. But you already know that, don't you, rich boy?"

"I'm not wealthy," I replied calmly, returning her eye contact.

"But you used to be, I can tell. Your speech gives you away. And your dress, but that can be misleading. I suppose a thief could appear wealthy." I eyed her heels, with the tell-tale Gucci insignia on them. Mai interrupted my trail of thoughts. "So again, why are you here?"

I technically knew the answer, but it would have made sense to no one except for those cursed enough to be involved with the millennium items. I gave a slight roll of my shoulders. "I don't know."

Mai threw back her head for a fleeting laugh. "That's all right, you don't have to tell me the truth. I wouldn't trust me either. But, for the limited amount I already know about you, I'd say we've got a pretty great deal in common. For instance, we both do not belong on this ship, and we certainly do not belong in the tournament. Am I right?"

I nodded my head guardedly.

"Well, stranger, let's make our own deal. If you don't tell anyone about my unwelcome here, then I won't say anything about yours. Deal?" She held out a slender hand.

I carefully took it in mine and we shook. Her hand felt surprisingly fragile, warm. "I wasn't planning on telling anyone to begin with," I said. "But, deal."

Mai smiled. It was different from the ones that I had seen on her before. "What's your name?"

"Bakura."

"Okay, Bakura, I guess I'll be seeing you around the ship. Stay outta trouble now, you hear? Us rule-breakers need to stay on the down low. But, I'm sure you already understand this." She released my hand before turning away, heading off to her most recent destination. "Later, darling." And just like that, she vanished, meshing into the strings of people mingling about the ship. The distinct clicking of her heels mixed with the footsteps of others and the conversations filtering throughout the breezy air.

I stared at the countless unrecognizable faces surrounding me, and the constantly moving servers drifting across the floor, almost as a sort of waltz. I wondered how someone like Mai could blend so easily into this crowd. If she felt any spec of guilt, she was brilliant at masking it. This sort of life, the sneaking around to avoid getting caught, seemed natural to her, yet I felt very much like the wounded antelope in the wild. It made me dizzy to think that at any given moment, a predator might creep up and claim hold of my life.

"Would you care for some champagne, sir?" a server asked me, nudging a tray in my direction.

"I'm sixteen," I said slowly. I'm pretty sure this was the same person who asked me a little while ago.

He frowned, his eyes insistent. "Would you like some champagne, sir?" he asked again.

I blinked. "I already said no." Seriously, what on earth was this man's problem?

The server shrugged. "Suit yourself." He proceeded to ask various other people, who happily accepted.

I sighed, beginning to head in the other direction. I nearly ran into another server. She smiled at me. Her teeth were big, white. "Sir, would you like—"

"No, no thank you," I said, straining to keep my voice level. "I'm underage."

"Oh, but this isn't alcohol, honey, it's just sparkling grape juice."

What was I now, twelve? On the other hand, if I had something in my hand, maybe I wouldn't be asked again. "Thank you," I said, taking a glass flute from her. It was filled with a light golden liquid, glittering from the miniscule bubbles that swirled about. The server sauntered away, proceeding to ask other guests the same question.

I vaguely wondered why the servers were being so pushy. Pegasus could have instructed them to ensure that everyone had something to drink and eat, but still, it was going a little overboard. I absentmindedly brought the glass to my lips.

"Don't drink that," Nameless suddenly asserted, his voice coming as a jolt of electricity. He had materialized beside me, his burgundy eyes intense and demanding. I cocked my head at him.

"Oh, hello," I said casually, "It's nice to see that you're talking to me again."

"Cut the sarcasm, Vessel, there's a bigger issue at hand here," Nameless hotly replied. "There's a reason you've been asked to drink something numerous times."

My mood quickly became heavier than it was before as I stared at him. "What?" I gasped. "You mean…are you sure?" Was Pegasus trying to poison the people on the ship? Would he really do that? I thought he was trying to run a tournament…but that wouldn't be possible if there was no one to compete…

Nameless read my thoughts. "No, I don't think he would poison anyone. That doesn't run in conjunction with his intentions…"

My brow furrowed. "So, you really don't know for sure, then." Of course Nameless would blow a situation out of proportion to this extent. It was in his nature, to find any scrap of chaos he could get his hands on.

"Do not doubt my ability to sniff out a conspiracy," Nameless growled. "It's just a matter of finding out what Pegasus's intentions are."

I decided to not question Nameless any further on the matter, as I tilted my glass to let its contents spill over the railing of the ship. "So what do we do now?" I watched as the sun-soaked liquid cascaded farther and farther down into oblivion, wishing for once that a situation could be perceived as normal.

"Look around you," Nameless answered. "Notice anything odd?" Glancing about me, all I really saw was the huge mass of people who crowded the deck of the ship. More and more of them were filing out of the lower floors, wanted to enjoy the sun as it rose higher in the sky. It was getting noticeably louder. I could still hear the casual but insistent, "Excuse me, sir, would you care for a glass of…?" But there was something else, something maybe too small to mention.

"Aside from the servers? No, not particularly," I answered truthfully, "But…" Nameless stared at me hard, probing me to continue. "Some people seem to be acting…well, a little drunk." I bit my lip. "But that's probably because of the champagne."

I waited for Nameless to laugh at my observation, but nothing came. He was still unusually engaged in our conversation. Shock washed over me as I saw he even nodded his head. "Look at them all, barely able to stand straight. Moronic animals. No, it isn't the alcohol. There wouldn't be as many people acting in this way." I watched as a small group of duelists tried to show their cards to each other but kept dropping them all over the place. Laughter was becoming just as frequent as conversation. It continued to grow louder.

I was still confused. "But, why?"

Nameless glanced around the ship slowly, his eyes calculating. Finally he turned to me. "I'm taking over." Before I could say anything, our dominance over my body switched, and in seconds I found myself in my soul room. I groaned. "Seriously? You could have given me more of a warning!" I shouted to the endless sky.

I quickly rose to my feet, my head whipping about me. A thought then came to me. If Nameless could materialize next to me when I was in control, then why couldn't I? It was worth a try, especially considering that I intended to find out what exactly Pegasus was scheming. I strode over to the door in the center of my soul room and reached for the handle. It was locked.

I glared at the door, wishing there would be some other way to get past it. I knew I didn't have to the strength to break it open…

I suddenly heard footsteps, but they weren't coming from anywhere inside my soul room. I pressed my ear against the door, closing my eyes to listen better. I heard a faint echo reverberating from the depths of the hallway. My eyes widened.

"Spirit…?" I called. There wasn't an answer. And, based on what I was seeing through the looking glass in front of the door, Nameless wasn't paying me any attention whatsoever.

Then who…?

The doorknob began twisting. I let out a startled cry, jumping back as if electrocuted. I watched in awe as the doorknob rotated back and forth slowly, and then, with a resolute thud, the door swung open. I gaped at the empty door frame, seeing no one.

I carefully approached the door, peering out from my soul room. "Hello?" I called out, my voice resounding down the impossibly vacant hallway. Darkness blanketed the entire area, except for the light in my soul room spilling out and creating a small ring of vision from the foot of my door. As expected, Nameless' soul room was completely sealed shut, and frankly, I wouldn't dare to try to get in again anytime soon.

My head whipped back and forth down both ends of the hallway, which seemed to stretch out into nothingness. "Hello?" I said again, a little bit louder. I knew I hadn't done anything to open the door, so who or what did it for me? I supposed it could have been the Thief King, but I thought he only existed in the confines of Nameless' soul room…?

Against my better judgment, I began walking down one end of the hallway. If I strained my eyes, I thought I saw a faint glimmer of light. As I went farther along this foreign path, the light from my room eventually faded out, leaving me to wander completely in the dark. A few steps further down this hall, I paused, glancing back at my soul room. I forgot to shut the door. But then I shook my head, suddenly feeling ridiculous. As if it mattered—who would get in?

The farther I walked, I began to hear a noise that grew louder, and the faint glimmer of light I had seen moments ago was becoming more visible. I broke out into a run, wanting to find out what lurked at the end of this hallway—if there was an end to this hallway. The sounds were becoming more audible now…it sounded like a collage of voices, maybe the sound of splashing water? And the light continued to grow, bigger and bigger, until I was engulfed in it…

I blinked, sunlight smacking me in the face. I whirred around, seeing so many unrecognizable faces, and the ocean water, extending past my field of vision. It was odd though, I seemed so high up…

Nameless' vibrant crimson eyes bore into mine, not more than an inch away. I flinched, jumping back with a yelp. "My God, you could warn me if you're going to be that close—!"

"What are you doing out here?" Nameless replied instead. He stared at me, his face shaped according to the sense of exasperation usually dominating his feelings. His eyebrows were lifted slightly though, almost as if he were amused by something.

I shook my head. "I don't know," I answered truthfully. "But why am I so high up? I don't really feel stable…"

Nameless snorted. "You idiot, have you not figured it out yet? You're a spirit now." His face suddenly grew darker. "As to how you managed that, I have no idea."

I glanced down at my hands, wondering how I hadn't noticed before that they were translucent. And I was floating, which was even stranger than being transparent. I decided to not dwell on my recent discovery though, knowing that Nameless was getting impatient. "So why did you need to take over?" I inquired.

"First, I don't need a reason to take control of our body," Nameless felt the need to point out. "But this glass,"—he held up the champagne flute—"is the key to answering some questions. The very smell that lingers at the bottom will indicate what exactly Pegasus had put in here."

"You can identify these sorts of things?" I said incredulously.

"For the most part," Nameless said dismissively. "Many of the drugs used today are rooted to the ones that were used back during ancient times. I may be able to pick up on some traces of a plant I am familiar with."

"But just through smell?" I still couldn't believe it.

Nameless didn't bother to answer me, probably growing tired of my endless questions, as he held the glass up to his face. I refrained from speaking as the seconds passed.

"Henbane plant," he murmured absentmindedly. He swirled the glass around, letting the dregs of the juice coat the bottom. He closed his eyes, letting the smell fill his nostrils once more. "It can be used as a truth serum. Pegasus is trying to get some answers from the guests on his ship."

"Answers?" I repeated in disbelief. "How do you know for sure—"

"When I was among the living, we would use this frequently to arouse the truth from those who hid it."

I gaped at him. Why would Nameless ever need to extract confidential information from anyone—for what purpose? "Who exactly are you?" I questioned. Even as I said it, I knew Nameless had no intention of telling me. And of course, there was something more immediate that had to be dealt with. But I still couldn't help but wonder, how could a person be able to identify a plant based off the remains at the bottom of a glass?

"The Henbane plant has a very distinct smell," Nameless chose to answer instead. A devious smile spread across his lips. "A bitter, sickly sour odor that remains unmatched to this day. Pegasus—that bastard—thought he could mask its stench with overly sweet beverages such as this juice. It's not so easy to slip into food, though. How clever of him." He began walking, forcing me to drift after him. Something had caught his gaze.

"Wait—where are we going?" My eyes darted about wildly, looking to see what was the object of Nameless' transfixion. His walk sped up to a more determined stride, his eyes never leaving what he found so interesting.

He kept on with following his target, and soon I discovered we were trailing after what appeared to be a security guard and a short person with an absurd shade of aqua hair. I couldn't say I was a fan of his outfit, either. From what I could see, he also seemed to be sporting an oversized pair of gold-rimmed frames. The security guard had this person by the wrist, dragging him out of the crowd and out of sight. Within seconds they turned a corner, perhaps disappearing to a lower floor.

Nameless expertly weaved throughout the crowd, going at an agile pace without drawing attention. His face was smoothed over to appear nonchalant to the casual observer, but I saw that familiar flame of determination ignite in his eyes, thrilled with the chase.

It didn't take long for Nameless to round the corner as well, and it took him an even shorter time to spot a nearby door, which read, "Employees Only." This part of the ship was relatively vacant, indicating that the guard and the person he was leading had in fact gone through there. Nameless grabbed a hold of the doorknob, twisting it open to reveal a flight of descending stairs. Off in the distance, we could hear a pair of voices, bouncing off the walls. It sounded like one of them had cried out, "Where are we going? What are you doing?" while the other— undoubtedly the security guard—tried to calm him down.

Nameless spared a quick glance over his shoulder to meet my eyes.

"Now," he said, an eager smirk twisting his features, "We will get some answers."