I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

by Rhapsody Moonschild and Tat Claire Kokoro

|~*Rhapsody: And so it ends… A good chapter though.

Tat: You do write decent endings.

Rhapsody: Oh, thank you, Tat. **bows**

Tat: Of course. But anyways… Okay, Yu-Gi-Oh! does not belong to us, it belongs to That Bum Kazuki Takahashi.

Rhapsody: And below is the poem of the title, listed in whole this time. Enjoy!

 Tat: Until next time… we're Rhap-chan and Tat-chan…

Rhapsody: Love you all and good night! **both wave, curtain falls** *~|

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and its tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
–Maya Angelou

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR (by Rhapsody)

Yami's POV

Have I done right?

I know as soon as Ryou awakens that I have made the right choice.  He gives me a gorgeous smile and sits up.  Immediately Bakura appears, steadying his back and giving him a concerned look.  I look closer—is this a trick to get us to trust him?  But there is sincerity in his eyes and the energy from his Millennium Ring is steady and pure—for the first time in living memory he is content and has no evil in his thoughts.

"Are you okay?  You okay, Itouto*?" Bakura asks Ryou.  He replies with a genuine smile.

((*Itouto is the Japanese for 'little brother.'))

"I'm okay, Onii-chan*.  Yami was gentle.  This is Yami, Bakura-chan."

((*And Onii-chan is Japanese for 'big brother.'))

Bakura looks up and gives me an interested look.  He shakes my hand and bows.

"Greetings, pharaoh.  I am told that you mean much to my Light.  This means that we are like brothers."

I nod, wondering if this is a dream.  The spell I had cast was chosen in desperation and I had doubted it would work.  But apparently it has, and I must admit I like this new Bakura.

"I'd like to talk to Yami, Onii-chan.  Okay?" Ryou asks gently.  Bakura nods and doesn't seem to mind leaving the room.  He gives us a tender look, clearly thinking, Ah, young love…

This new Bakura will take some getting used to, but I think I can stand it.

"Thank you, Yami," Ryou says with profound gratitude as soon as Bakura leaves.  He hugs me and I hold him to me, enjoying the new fact that we can do this whenever we like.  Bakura won't mind.

"It was all I could think of doing," I whispered into his silvery hair.  "I hope it won't wear off."

He pulls back a little to look into my face, and traces my features as he speaks.  "You put a part of yourself in that spell, koibito.  It won't wear off.  There are traces of you in his aura—you truly are like his brother."

His slender fingers brush my lips and then he kisses me, sweet and long.  By Ra, life looks bright.  I want it to last forever, almost, but I realize something hilarious and stop the kiss to laugh.

"What's so funny?" he asks curiously, tilting his head to one side in that habit of his I just adore.

"Marik," I giggle.  "He helped us out 'cause he thought he'd be getting his Bakura back.  But 'his Bakura' would probably freak out if Marik approached him now."

Ryou starts to laugh too.  He has a child's laugh, high and pure-ringing.  Bakura pokes his head into the room with a questioning look, but he smiles to see his light laugh.

"Hey, come here!" Ryou says as he calms.  "Sit down!" he continues and motions to the bed.  Bakura comes and sits with us, his face still questioning.  I know that if he were the old Bakura the look would have been tinged with fear and wariness.  But right now he seems contently clueless.  It looks like one of Ryou's looks.

"I want to tell you a story," Ryou says and shifts a little in my arms until he is comfortable.  "I want to tell you this, Bakura."

"Okay," Bakura says agreeably.  "What's this story about?"

"It's about a pair of young lovers and the brother that opposed their union."

"I would never do that," Bakura says with certainty, giving us a fond smile.

"I'm sure you wouldn't.  But I want to tell it anyway.  Once there was a boy named… Yuki.  This boy had an abusive brother, Kuro…"

And to my amazement Ryou goes on to tell his story, without a break in his voice or anything suggesting that this actually happened.  Bakura listens raptly, and is I'm sure determined in his mind that he will never do this to his 'brother.'  I'm glad.

I tune out Ryou's words and gaze fondly on this scene.  A little silver-haired hikari with an expressive voice, leaning on a tri-color-haired yami, their fingers interlaced, pale with tanned.  And laying on his stomach, arms propping up his head, a yami almost twinned to his hikari, his formerly-cruel brown eyes now warm with interest, his messy shock of pale hair almost tamed.  He means no harm now.

I realize the best way to end Ryou's story…  And they all lived happily ever after.