A/N Like I promised I'm going to keep this note short. I would like to thank all of you for reviewing and helping me to reach my goal…now let's try for 150!!! I know you all can do it. I also would like to say that I didn't appreciate all the threats I got about Ryou…chill. Who said he was dead anyway?
Bakura: You DID!!!
Crystalia: well…yeah I did but still…I was scared to leave my house for a while there…
Ryou: May we please start the fic so I can find out what happens?
Crystalia: . Ok then…Yami do the disclaimer!
Yami: Crystalia does not own Yugi-Gi-Oh nor does she claim to own "Simple and Clean" from Kingdom Hearts, by Utada Hikaru.
Chapter 10
Haunting Secrets
Sakuya silently appeared in her hikari's room and gently laid the fatigued girl down on her bed. As she began to walk away a small hand reached out and clutched her wrist.
"Please…don't leave me…please?" Crystalia whispered her gray eyes full of tears.
For some reason Sakuya took pity. She delicately sat on the bed and held her light close to her. At once the small girl began to cry, which worried Sakuya because she didn't know what was wrong. After Crystalia's sobs had subsided, Sakuya decided that now was the time to talk about what was troubling her.
"Tell me hikari, what is troubling you?" she asked. Crystalia's silence only made her more persistent. "Whatever it is it has effected your powers. Now tell me what plagues your mind."
"N-no..." Crystalia whispered.
"We shall not leave until you tell me."
"N-no..."
"If you don't tell me then you'll never tap into your gifts."
"My curse...I don't want to..." Crystalia muttered.
'At least now we're getting somewhere.' Sakuya said to herself.
"Why don't you tell me what's wrong?" Sakuya asked gently.
"Why won't you tell me why you hate Yugi's yami so much?" Crystalia countered.
"You're too young to hear that tale..." she replied softly.
"I've seen worse...far worse..." Crystalia whispered.
"Crystalia," Sakuya said firmly, tilting the girl's head so she could see her eyes. "There is something wrong, which is causing you to fight against your powers. When I first came to you...when you first put on the bell, I saw all of your life so far..."
Crystalia shivered but Sakuya continued. "There is a deep fear in your heart and memories hidden even from yourself..."
Sakuya's eyes seemed to glow. "You...you don't understand..." Crystalia whispered, aware that her yami was going to enter her mind. Sakuya said nothing as the glow intensified and the eye of Ra appeared on her forehead.
"I...I...killed someone..." Crystalia whispered just before Sakuya opened the forbidden memory.
~*~*~FLASHBACK~*~*~
A five year old Crystalia sat it the passenger side of a car. She was smiling and looking up a man with black hair that had white streaks, like her own. In the background a song played and a gentle breeze flowed through the open windows. (A/N I changed the words to this song are a bit so it would fit the story better.)
You're giving me, to many things…lately
You're all I need… oh oh
You smiled at me…inside
"Where are we going daddy?" she asked.
"Oh…no where special…" he said, nonchalantly.
When you walk away,
You don't hear me say,
Please…oh baby
Don't go
"Daddy…I love you." Crystalia said, feeling that he should know.
"I know that darling…I've always known…and I always will…no matter what" he said, taking a moment to look down at his young daughter.
Simple and clean
That's the way that you're making me feel tonight
It's hard to let you go…
A sudden screech made Crystalia's father turn his attention back to the road. There was a moment when the car seemed to be swerving in all directions. Crystalia was sure the world was turning, but in reality it was the car. After what seemed like eternity the car came to a rest in a ditch and all went black.
Hold me…
Whatever lies beyond this morning…
Doesn't matter at all…
Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all.
Nothing's like before.
Crystalia stood at the foot of a bed, her head wrapped tightly in bandages along with her arm. She gray eyes were full of tears and she seemed unsteady on her feet. A soft beeping could be heard and that sound filled her with dread.
"Daddy…please come back…" she whispered softly.
The beeping became slower.
"I love you…doesn't that count?" she asked.
'beep' 'beep' 'beep'
"Don't you care?"
The short beeps were replaced by a long drawn out beep, which echoed throughout the room like a death toll.
I wish you knew…oh baby
The things that I… would say
You made me love…you only
Unexpectedly the door to the room entered and a slender nurse entered hurriedly followed by a doctor. They each paid Crystalia no attention as they bustled around her father in an attempt to revive him. After what seemed like forever the doctor turned off the machine and the beeping stopped. Then he solemnly covered her father's scared and bandaged face, before leaving the room. The nurse however turned and looked down at Crystalia with a mixture of pity and anger.
"You shouldn't be in here…" she scolded, taking Crystalia's arm.
When you walk away,
You don't hear me say,
Please…oh baby
Don't go
"Daddy…wait…hold on…what happened? Why did you cover his face and unplug that thingie? Why?" Crystalia asked.
"Honey…listen. Your father is dead…your mother will be here in an about an hour…so go back in your room and lay down…you shouldn't be out of bed anyway…" the nurse explained, hurriedly.
"Dead…" Crystalia repeated, unsure. "No…he can't be…he said he loved me, so that means he'd never leave…right?"
The nurse sighed. She didn't want to explain the facts of life and death to a five-year-old. That was her mother's job.
"Let's go." She said simply and sharply, but Crystalia wouldn't budge.
"No! I won't leave! Daddy…please wake up! Please don't be dead…I need you…please…"
Simple and clean
That's the way that you're making me feel tonight
It's hard to let you go…
Suddenly something inside of Crystalia stirred as if reacting on her sorrow. She could feel it bubbling inside of her, yearning to be released. The room went darker and the shadows seemed to expand around them. Startled to nurse let out a scream but it was too late. The air around them went cold, as they were taken to a barren plain which had no sky or ground. No horizon or any clouds, just black plains shrouded in a murky, black mist. The nurse looked around confused, while Crystalia stopped crying.
"Where are we?" the nurse asked.
"The Shadow Realm…" Crystalia whispered, though she had no idea were the name had come from or how she knew it.
A sudden sleepiness overcame Crystalia and she could feel whatever had surged inside her before also quickly going back to where ever it had come from. By now the nurse had stepped away from her surveying the Shadow Realm.
"Wait! Something's happening…" Crystalia shouted.
The woman turned around just as Crystalia returned to the normal realm. She collapsed to the floor and something heavy landed on top of her. It took a moment for her to realize that it was the nurse only now she was still as stone and had a look of pure horror etched on her face. Crystalia screamed until someone came and lifted the body off of her.
Hold me…
Whatever lies beyond this morning…
Doesn't matter at all…
Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all.
Nothing's like before.
Crystalia curled up on the floor, not listening to the concerned voices of the doctors surrounding her. All she felt was deep fear and anguish. She didn't understand what had happened, but something told her that a part of that nurse was still in the Shadow Realm and would remain there for all eternity. Just before a stifling darkness over came her mind, Crystalia swore never to allow that place to be opened. Never to let whatever resided inside of her awaken…never to kill again.
~*~*~END FLASHBACK~*~*~
Sakuya sighed, as the link was broken. She wasn't too surprised to find her hikari alseep next to her. Absentmindedly she brushed a stray strand of hair from the sleeping girl's eyes. If it had been anyone else she wouldn't have cared whether he or she were in pain or not. If it had been another time she probably would have just threatened the girl into submission. However, this was her light and she would always remain by her side because for some reason, Sakuya cared about this girl.
"You and I young one..." she whispered, her face clouded. "We share a common pain...though there is still a chance to heal yours, where as mine has doomed my soul forever."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Bakura cried out once again, though this time not as loud. His throat hurt, but it paled in comparison to the pain in his heart. His light wasn't suppose to die, he wasn't supposed to be brave.
'Why would he do that? After all I did to him...why would he save me? Why?' Bakura said to himself as he gazed down at the calm look on Ryou's face.
"You idiot! Why would you throw your life away for me! Why?" Bakura yelled, but knew he would get no answer, none at all. "What were you thinking? Baka! Don't you know that you're too weak...too weak to show such strength...didn't you know?"
By now Bakura was openly crying, (Yes people! He's getting emotional!) and holding Ryou close to him. A faint sound behind him caused Bakura to turn around. Since they were in the center of the maze there were four openings that lead into the middle. (Like in those mazes on Neopets...get it?) There, in the one behind him, stood the pharaoh's hikari and the girl who was with them. They were both panting, which told him that they had run to get there...but it was to late. When Bakura realized that Yugi was staring at him, Bakura turned away and hung his head.
"Ryou..." Yugi whispered, tears streaming down his face as he walked closer.
Anzu just remained silent, carefully keeping an eye on Ryou's yami, since it was him who brought them hear and she was almost positive that he was the one who had screamed a while ago.
"What did you do to him?" Anzu yelled, causing Bakura to flinch.
"Nothing...he was saving me from Isia..."he muttered, expecting that to be enough, but it wasn't.
"This is all your fault! You're the one who brought us to this hellhole and now Ryou is...he's...gone..."Anzu yelled over her tears. Even though she didn't know Ryou that well, it was still an innocent life stolen. Innocent blood spilled.
A sudden rage built in Yugi's heart and spread like wild fire. 'This was all Bakura's fault he reasoned.
Both Bakura and Anzu looked up, each sensing a change in the air around them. It took them a moment to realize that Yugi was glowing faintly along with the Puzzle. Anzu was surprised to see a look of bitter resentment and hate on her friend's face. Even his eyes seemed to be a darker shade of purple.
"Yugi?" she asked, unsure.
He didn't respond. Instead he stared at Bakura, who in return looked at the boy questioningly. 'That power...it feels so familiar yet so foreign...I wonder...'
"Bakura! You will pay for what you did to him!" Yugi yelled, snapping Bakura out of his thoughts. "I shall see to it!
The spirit had only a split second to jump out of the way as Yugi shot a black orb in his direction. Anzu dropped to the ground, unsure of how to stop Yugi from getting his revenge.
"You don't understand..."Bakura panted. "I cared for my hikari more then you know..."
"Liar! You didn't care about him at all!" Yugi yelled, forming another orb in his hand.
"Stop Yugi!" Anzu yelled. "This isn't like you! You have to stop before you do something that you'll regret."
Yugi paid her no heed. He no longer cared about how he would feel later. All he knew was that a friend of his was dead and someone would have to pay.
A sudden harsh cough however, made him stop and turn to Anzu with a mixture of confusion and hope. Bakura too looked to see a startling sight. Ryou, sitting up, coughing his lungs out, but mainly alive.
Bakura rushed over to his hikari's side and shamelessly embraced the still coughing boy. After a long moment however Bakura broke the embrace, he did have an image to maintain. Ryou looked up at his yami in confusion. He wasn't use to getting any kind reaction from the sprit of the Ring, but something told him that that was all about to change.
Anzu watched the pair with a mixture of happiness and of concern. She was glad that Bakura seemed to have mellowed out a bit, but she also knew that a person like Bakura could turn on you as soon as you gave him all your trust.
Abruptly Ryou slouched in Anzu's arms taking them by surprise. Bakura shook the boy's shoulders but got no response.
//Hikari? What's wrong? //
/Huh…nothing…I'm just glad you're not mean to me anymore…/
Bakura cringed. //Yes…but what else is wrong? //
/Well…besides feeling like I've been fried like a piece of chicken…I feel tired…almost drained…/
At that information Bakura almost jumped. He grabbed Ryou's chin and gazed into his gentle brown eyes. There appeared to be a hint of transparency to the young boy, not to mention he seemed paler than normal.
"Damn…how could I have forgotten!" Bakura yelled, frustrated.
"Forgotten what?" Anzu asked concerned.
"The Shadow Realm…Ryou can't survive here since his life energy is that of the Light. You and the other mortal can last longer here because you live off of both Light and Shadow…but hikari's don't…not without putting their souls at risk!" Bakura explained, franticly.
"But that means Yugi too!" Anzu said, looking over Bakura's shoulder. She made a startling discovery when she did. "He's gone! Where did Yugi go?"
It was true. The boy was gone and all that lay behind them was the Shadow Realm. Always watching but never seen.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N Well…I wonder where Yugi went…
Yami: Bring me back my aibou!
Crystalia: Chill…I'll consider your request.
Yami: @*!@(#
Crystalia: Watch your mouth or I'll have him disappear until chapter 24!!! If there is a chapter 24 that is…
Jiichan: She'll do it too! Look at me…I've been missing for 9 chapters now!
Yami: . this is wrong…so wrong…
Crystalia: Well that was a long chapter…and you got to see some of my troubled past…
Sakuya: *crying in a corner* I never knew…
Crystalia: Don't worry, everything will work out just fine…stop crying…
Jou: It was all so heartbreaking…
Mokuba: I think I need a tissue…
Seto: ;;U_U;;
Crystalia: . people…er…hello?
Anzu: *sniffle* *sniffle*
Crystalia: OK! I'm moving on…next chapter should be up either by next Saturday or Sunday…I promise…and more questions will be answered!
Yami: And a hundred new questions will be asked…
Crystalia: _ anyway…Ja until next time!