The Shadows of Understanding
***
A collab fic of Double Trouble Togepi and JessieHeart
Chappie by: JessieHeart
*
Ryou walked down the dusty sidewalk, kicking stones as he went. School had ended, teenagers were rushing around, thinking about food or dates. Ryou didn't hear any of them. His thoughts, as usual, rested on him Yami. The spirit of the Millenium Ring was usually aloof. He only came out to posses Ryou or play a Shadow Game. However, lately, Bakura had been projecting himself out of Ryou's body, sitting simply as an astral image, quiet and non-disturbing. Ryou was troubled by this. If his Yami was content to be silent for so long, that could only mean he was plotting something.
Ryou didn't hear it when someone called out his name. He pulled out his book 'The Shadows of Understanding' and continued to delve into its pages. He did this all the home.
Once in the safety of his room, Ryou threw his backpack into a corner and continued to read. It wasn't long until the Millenium Ring grew warm at his chest, and Bakura appeared beside him.
"Still reading?" he asked, his tone admitting that he didn't really want an answer. He had simply asked for the sake of asking a question. He didn't even bother to look at Ryou.
The hikari sighed. "Yes. I'm still reading. It's a good book, you should read it."
Bakura didn't answer. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked out the window. A tense silence passed between them. The hikari was not done trying to be nice. After all, if they were going to share a body, they might as well be on good terms…
Ryou held up the thick pages, even though he knew his yami could not take them. "I wouldn't mind resting my eyes for a bit. If you start now, you can catch up to were I am."
"I have no desire to read your fantasy novel," Bakura said plainly. His voice was forceful. Ryou was hurt.
"Why not?"
At last, Bakura look at Ryou. His eyes were cold. "Because I cannot read your pathetic Japanese text."
Ryou blinked and lowered his arm. "Oh."
"I can only read the hieroglyphics of my era. I picked up spoken Japanese while I resided in the back of your mind."
Bakura looked away, back towards the window. Ryou saw his ghost-like hands clench and unclench. He got the courage to speak.
"If you COULD understand Japanese… would you read this book?" he asked meekly.
Bakura took a breath. Ryou could tell he was getting annoyed. Bad things happened when Bakura got annoyed…
"I suppose so," he said. Ryou smiled.
"I could teach you. It's not that difficult-" he started.
"TEACH me?!" Bakura laughed. "Liked those simple-minded adults at the school you attend each day? I have better things to do. Like plan how to get the Millenium Puzzle from that insufferable pharoah."
"It wouldn't take that long," Ryou pleaded. He couldn't believe he was actually begging to spend time with his dark side! But he couldn't help thinking that maybe some bonding was all his yami needed to be a little nicer. "You could teach me some hieroglyphics in return, maybe…"
Bakura raised his head, looking at Ryou as if he was superior. "We shall see. I'll teach you some Egyptian, and if you make any progress at all- which is doubtful- I'll allow you to teach me some Japanese."
Ryou ignored the urge to sarcastically say, "Goodie." Instead, he pulled out a notebook.
Bakura came closer, then vanished. Ryou felt the familiar sensation of blacking out, a sure sign that Bakura was taking control of his body. When he came to, the astral projection of Bakura again stood next to him. Several marking and symbols were written on the notebook page.
Bakura noticed Ryou's slightly disturbed look.
"Perhaps this lesson would be better served in our soul rooms, where we can both be solid," he suggested.
"Good idea," Ryou agreed. He closed his eyes and concentrated on diving deeper into his mind. In a flash of light, he was inside his soul room, Bakura beside him.
Ryou's soul room was bright and cheerful. It was littered with things of his childhood and momentous of good times. The atmosphere was playful, almost whimsical. A bed lay in on corner, a stack of comic books in another. However, one corner was an anomaly, it clearly did not belong. The corner held a door, shadowed and chained. The door would only open for Bakura. It led to his soul room, his private place that no one else could reach.
Bakura sat down on the floor, Ryou's notebook in hand. Without warning he began to explain the symbols, describing how each of then would fit together to make a phrase. Ryou was confused at first, but as the hours went on he began to make definite progress. Ryou could write a little, even though in comparison to Bakura's, his penmanship was atrocious.
After a while, Ryou had a thought. "Yami, can you speak Egyptian as well?"
Bakura laughed spitefully. "What kind of a question is that? Of course I can. It's my native language."
"Say something for me."
"What?"
"I want to hear your voice in your own words," said Ryou, his voice barely above a whisper. Bakura sighed and released a string of words both foreign and beautiful to Ryou's ears.
"Say something else," the lighter half asked.
As Bakura spoke, the boy closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the sound. He had no idea what his yami was saying to him, he wouldn't be the wiser if the words were a mix of swears and insults. It all sounded lovely, and like this Ryou could imagine Bakura being nice, a civil person he could have intelligent conversation with.
The voice stopped. "What are you doing?"
Ryou opened his eyes. He answered the question with one. "How come you never call me by my name?"
Bakura thought. "It never really seems fitting to call you Ryou. You Japanese have a weird way of thinking that by calling someone by their first name means that you're on familiar terms. It don't want to call you Bakura, either."
"The pharaoh calls Yuugi 'aibou' or 'hikari.' Both are names for a light, or the lighter side of yourself."
Bakura sneered. "I have no lighter side. I am the darkness."
Ryou looked away. "I know, Yami-Chan."
"Don't call me that," Bakura demanded swiftly.
"I've done it before."
They were both silent for a very long time. Bakura absolutely refused to look at Ryou. The boy almost thought he should leave, until the tomb robber spoke.
"So. Explain to me this Japanese of yours," he said slowly.
Ryou turned to a fresh page in the notebook and wrote a few symbols in kanji.
"First of all," he said professionally, "That's how to my name. It says 'Bakura Ryou.'" His yami blinked, the symbols meant nothing to him. Ryou tried again to interest him He asked cautiously, "What's your name, Yami?"
The darker boy became quiet once more. He glanced at Ryou, then said irritably, "I don't remember. Like the pharaoh, many of my memories are lost to me."
Ryou wrote a new phrase on the paper. "There. That's your name."
Bakura looked at it. He inwardly thought the symbols were beautiful. "What does it say?"
"Yami Bakura Ryou," the hikari admitted sheepishly. "Here. I'll explain the alphabet."
Bakura interupted sharply. "No. I think we're done here." Ryou's face grew warm. He didn't mean to make Bakura mad at him. The yami arose and walked silently towards his soul room. "I'll see you tomorrow... Aibou."
He slammed the darkened door, and their first lesson was over.
*
End of Chapter Two
*
JH: My Chapters are longer than yours...
DTT: Again, I try my best.
JH: I know. I think I'll write the next one, too.
DTT & JH: Please review, pocky and fanfiction reviews are the only things that keep us alive!
*
***
A collab fic of Double Trouble Togepi and JessieHeart
Chappie by: JessieHeart
*
Ryou walked down the dusty sidewalk, kicking stones as he went. School had ended, teenagers were rushing around, thinking about food or dates. Ryou didn't hear any of them. His thoughts, as usual, rested on him Yami. The spirit of the Millenium Ring was usually aloof. He only came out to posses Ryou or play a Shadow Game. However, lately, Bakura had been projecting himself out of Ryou's body, sitting simply as an astral image, quiet and non-disturbing. Ryou was troubled by this. If his Yami was content to be silent for so long, that could only mean he was plotting something.
Ryou didn't hear it when someone called out his name. He pulled out his book 'The Shadows of Understanding' and continued to delve into its pages. He did this all the home.
Once in the safety of his room, Ryou threw his backpack into a corner and continued to read. It wasn't long until the Millenium Ring grew warm at his chest, and Bakura appeared beside him.
"Still reading?" he asked, his tone admitting that he didn't really want an answer. He had simply asked for the sake of asking a question. He didn't even bother to look at Ryou.
The hikari sighed. "Yes. I'm still reading. It's a good book, you should read it."
Bakura didn't answer. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked out the window. A tense silence passed between them. The hikari was not done trying to be nice. After all, if they were going to share a body, they might as well be on good terms…
Ryou held up the thick pages, even though he knew his yami could not take them. "I wouldn't mind resting my eyes for a bit. If you start now, you can catch up to were I am."
"I have no desire to read your fantasy novel," Bakura said plainly. His voice was forceful. Ryou was hurt.
"Why not?"
At last, Bakura look at Ryou. His eyes were cold. "Because I cannot read your pathetic Japanese text."
Ryou blinked and lowered his arm. "Oh."
"I can only read the hieroglyphics of my era. I picked up spoken Japanese while I resided in the back of your mind."
Bakura looked away, back towards the window. Ryou saw his ghost-like hands clench and unclench. He got the courage to speak.
"If you COULD understand Japanese… would you read this book?" he asked meekly.
Bakura took a breath. Ryou could tell he was getting annoyed. Bad things happened when Bakura got annoyed…
"I suppose so," he said. Ryou smiled.
"I could teach you. It's not that difficult-" he started.
"TEACH me?!" Bakura laughed. "Liked those simple-minded adults at the school you attend each day? I have better things to do. Like plan how to get the Millenium Puzzle from that insufferable pharoah."
"It wouldn't take that long," Ryou pleaded. He couldn't believe he was actually begging to spend time with his dark side! But he couldn't help thinking that maybe some bonding was all his yami needed to be a little nicer. "You could teach me some hieroglyphics in return, maybe…"
Bakura raised his head, looking at Ryou as if he was superior. "We shall see. I'll teach you some Egyptian, and if you make any progress at all- which is doubtful- I'll allow you to teach me some Japanese."
Ryou ignored the urge to sarcastically say, "Goodie." Instead, he pulled out a notebook.
Bakura came closer, then vanished. Ryou felt the familiar sensation of blacking out, a sure sign that Bakura was taking control of his body. When he came to, the astral projection of Bakura again stood next to him. Several marking and symbols were written on the notebook page.
Bakura noticed Ryou's slightly disturbed look.
"Perhaps this lesson would be better served in our soul rooms, where we can both be solid," he suggested.
"Good idea," Ryou agreed. He closed his eyes and concentrated on diving deeper into his mind. In a flash of light, he was inside his soul room, Bakura beside him.
Ryou's soul room was bright and cheerful. It was littered with things of his childhood and momentous of good times. The atmosphere was playful, almost whimsical. A bed lay in on corner, a stack of comic books in another. However, one corner was an anomaly, it clearly did not belong. The corner held a door, shadowed and chained. The door would only open for Bakura. It led to his soul room, his private place that no one else could reach.
Bakura sat down on the floor, Ryou's notebook in hand. Without warning he began to explain the symbols, describing how each of then would fit together to make a phrase. Ryou was confused at first, but as the hours went on he began to make definite progress. Ryou could write a little, even though in comparison to Bakura's, his penmanship was atrocious.
After a while, Ryou had a thought. "Yami, can you speak Egyptian as well?"
Bakura laughed spitefully. "What kind of a question is that? Of course I can. It's my native language."
"Say something for me."
"What?"
"I want to hear your voice in your own words," said Ryou, his voice barely above a whisper. Bakura sighed and released a string of words both foreign and beautiful to Ryou's ears.
"Say something else," the lighter half asked.
As Bakura spoke, the boy closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the sound. He had no idea what his yami was saying to him, he wouldn't be the wiser if the words were a mix of swears and insults. It all sounded lovely, and like this Ryou could imagine Bakura being nice, a civil person he could have intelligent conversation with.
The voice stopped. "What are you doing?"
Ryou opened his eyes. He answered the question with one. "How come you never call me by my name?"
Bakura thought. "It never really seems fitting to call you Ryou. You Japanese have a weird way of thinking that by calling someone by their first name means that you're on familiar terms. It don't want to call you Bakura, either."
"The pharaoh calls Yuugi 'aibou' or 'hikari.' Both are names for a light, or the lighter side of yourself."
Bakura sneered. "I have no lighter side. I am the darkness."
Ryou looked away. "I know, Yami-Chan."
"Don't call me that," Bakura demanded swiftly.
"I've done it before."
They were both silent for a very long time. Bakura absolutely refused to look at Ryou. The boy almost thought he should leave, until the tomb robber spoke.
"So. Explain to me this Japanese of yours," he said slowly.
Ryou turned to a fresh page in the notebook and wrote a few symbols in kanji.
"First of all," he said professionally, "That's how to my name. It says 'Bakura Ryou.'" His yami blinked, the symbols meant nothing to him. Ryou tried again to interest him He asked cautiously, "What's your name, Yami?"
The darker boy became quiet once more. He glanced at Ryou, then said irritably, "I don't remember. Like the pharaoh, many of my memories are lost to me."
Ryou wrote a new phrase on the paper. "There. That's your name."
Bakura looked at it. He inwardly thought the symbols were beautiful. "What does it say?"
"Yami Bakura Ryou," the hikari admitted sheepishly. "Here. I'll explain the alphabet."
Bakura interupted sharply. "No. I think we're done here." Ryou's face grew warm. He didn't mean to make Bakura mad at him. The yami arose and walked silently towards his soul room. "I'll see you tomorrow... Aibou."
He slammed the darkened door, and their first lesson was over.
*
End of Chapter Two
*
JH: My Chapters are longer than yours...
DTT: Again, I try my best.
JH: I know. I think I'll write the next one, too.
DTT & JH: Please review, pocky and fanfiction reviews are the only things that keep us alive!
*