Chapter one: Endings
I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.
I do not own anything referred to in this story (unless it is a pencil.
I apologize for lack of knowledge of Japanese customs, but my story is set in Japan because that's where the manga puts the characters. I also try to keep the characters more like the ones in the manga instead of in the show. As in, the show has more emphasis on dueling, but in the manga, it shows how Yu-Gi-Oh (that's Yami's title) is the 'king of games' (which is Yu-Gi-Oh translated, for those fans who are new to the whole thing and don't know the meaning of 'manga)
I also apologize for lack of knowledge of Military Time and how it reads. It will be corrected ASAP.
I should note in advance that some of the companies and products that I speak of may not be the same in Japan, but I am sure that there is something similar, so I won't let lack of facts slow me down. (if you have a suggestion about that, I would like to hear it)
Please critique the story as harshly as you can. Good writers always listen to what the audience has to say.
Please give ideas of where this story might lead.
I will respond personally to reviews with an e-mail address attached.
Thank you for being understanding.
Please Note:
. time passage .o view change (similar to a camera changing angle so that it sees what a different person sees)
o. view change (similar to a camera changing angle so that it sees what a different person sees)
words between these are written in the story or are character's dreams or memories Author's note or something like such .' end of chapter (its a Neko-Girl)
(some explanations are in parenthesis and are by me, Ryou)
There is no differentiation for when the character is thinking. I apologize for the effects of Text files.
0655, Thursday, Binion residence, Ryou's room:
Ryou woke up late again, and he wondered why he kept missing his alarm. He had tried going to bed at the same time, 9:00, every night, but it wasn't working so far, and he was on his third month. "Ryou!!" Yelled his foster mother, Mrs. Binion. She was a short fat old lady who agreed to foster care when her husband had said that he needed help doing things around the house, and they were both too old to help each other.
Ryou rolled out of bed, and stretched. Suddenly he doubled over in pain. His stomach and rib cage felt like they had been pummeled and his legs were stiff as if from running hard and long the night before. However, Ryou forced himself up and caught a glimpse of his battered face in his nearby mirror. There was a bruise over his right eye and his left one was black. To top it all off, his normally white hair was blood red.
"Oh my gosh!"
Ryou's eyes surveyed the rest of his body, and realized that he was dressed in a black T-shirt and black jeans that he didn't even know he owned.
"Wow… With purple eyes I'd look like that Thief-King person."
"Ryou!" Mrs. Binion was coming up the stairs now.
I can't let her see me like this!! He thought frantically. He yanked off the black T-shirt and the black jeans and shoved them in a black backpack that happened to be in the empty space behind his computer tower. Wearing nothing but his boxers and Millennium Ring, he scrambled to his dresser and yanked open the drawer. Three seconds and counting… He yanked on blue jeans. Two seconds and counting… He yanked on a T-shirt from San Francisco. One… Ryou shoved his head into a sweater just as Mrs. Binion yanked open the door.
"Ryou, what's taking you so long?" Ryou froze, his face and hair hidden in his sweater.
"I overslept?"
"Again? Why? You go to bed at a reasonable time, you never complain about insomnia, and you live a healthy lifestyle otherwise. Ryou, unless you want to be grounded, make sure you get up on time. Now you're gonna be late for school, so you're going to have to miss breakfast. Get your stuff and go get in the car, I'll go clean up breakfast." As soon as Mrs. Binion left, Ryou pulled his head out of his sweater. He took another glance at the mirror, and gasped. The bruises and black eye were already fading.
Ryou ran into the bathroom and splashed water through his hair, rinsing out the blood. Then he grabbed his school backpack and ran down the stairs. I guess I'm lucky that Sue (that's Mr. Binion) isn't home, he'd throw a hissy fit and I hope Febie doesn't tell him.
Ryou scrambled to the car and wondered what the new tale about Thief-King Bakura would be- the gangs at school always had a story that had 'just happened last night' about a kid dressed in black with white hair and purple eyes who called himself 'Thief-King Bakura' and went around Domino robbing the richest places with the highest security and dumped the valuables in garbage at Domino City dump. Most of the kids thought he was the coolest thing, since he disappeared come morning and left no trace.
Ryou thought for a second, sitting in the car alone. How come I can't seem to get rest? How come I woke up this morning in all black? My eyes even seemed purple for a second… Wait, this isn't going to help matters if I think that I am Thief-King by sleepwalking… 'Course, Yugi and his friends said I was acting weird at that castle place- I don't even remember it! I remember waking up in a room, in the middle of the night, and walking around a castle and not seeing anyone so I thought it was a dream and went back to bed. A thought occurred to him, questioning himself. Was it a dream?
Nightmare images carefully tucked away and organized resurfaced- each one before he had heard about Thief-King doing anything he had seen in the dream.
Some lady's pearls are in his hand and he's racing the guards to the exit, leaping over the police car that tried to block his path - the bank's sirens screaming behind him as he cowers in a garbage bin and gets the idea to ditch the loot in the trash - A woman screaming and a man racing after him as he leads a wild-goose chase through their house, trashing it and finally letting the man come up so he could stab him with his knife and let go, the man dying and Thief-King writing his name and all his former glories: the lady's pearls and the bank are two of them, in the blood on the wall…
The list went on and on. But at school, Ryou shook himself out of his reverie and went to the class he had just switched into.
I have to talk to someone… But who?
An idea occurred to him to join a gang.
I can't fight!
Learn… Whispered a voice in his head. Ryou so much liked the idea that he forgot completely that the voice in his head was different.
Then, another thought broke his euphoria. If I'm tired now, what about when I learn to fight?
He sighed just as the bell rang and the children filed into class. Blade (that's seriously his last name) came in carrying a conversation about how Thief-King had been caught by the Fangs, a gang that was highly territorial, but he got away with a few bruises and amazingly, no broken bones. Yet again, he was gone by sunrise and left no trace.
"But I know for a fact that he had to have been hurt, because I usually catch a flash of him, an hour before sunrise, running down the street as if he has to be somewhere. But today, he was walking with a limp, and just about the time the sun rose."
At that point, Ryou had to yawn, closing his eyes for a second. When he opened them, he found Blade staring at him casually. He wrote a note and held it up. It read:
my eyes are brown, see?
Shadow looked away. But when class had been called to order, Ryou found that Shadow had sat next to him.
Sometime during class, Ryou wasn't sure when, but he knew that it was before the fire bell rang and after the test, he found a note on his desk. It read as follows:
TO RYOU (on the outside)
Follow me today when the fire bell rings.
shadow blade
The fire bell rang, and Ryou got up and followed the class out the door, watching Blade until he slipped away, like a translucent green marble in grass. Then, he followed. .o Blade wasn't visibly watching, but he was sure that Ryou was keeping up when he led the way around a wall and saw Ryou step around, wary and probably afraid.
I should probably set him at his ease, but if he's the Thief-King, he won't be completely that way.
Blade called quietly to Ryou, and the two slipped behind some tall bushes where a ladder leaned against the wall. Blade led the way up it, and Ryou followed.
o
When Ryou reached the top, he realized where he was. Across the field, his class stood, bored.
He looked around at Blade, and realized that Blade had crawled off the ladder and onto the roof, where he lay, watching the crowd.
"Any minute now…"
Suddenly, a fight broke out in the back of the classes. It seemed to involve quite a few of the high schoolers and some adults standing nearby. Nearly all the teachers ran to break it up, but it was firmly in hand and there were too many fighters per teacher.
"Okay, now no one will notice that we are missing, much less care to find us. My name is Blade, but you can call me Shadow."
"I'm Ryou Binion by the roster and Ryou Bakura to myself and friends."
"Bakura?" Shadow said, showing some surprise.
"Yeah, why? And since I'm asking questions, why did you bring me here?"
"Because you resemble a friend of mine - a lot. And his family name happens to be Bakura."
"Really?" I think I know who you're talking about, but I'm not sure enough to say anything.
"Yeah." Shadow paused, as if struggling to find the right words. "Do you know the kid called- well, first, let me ask you this, do you have an older brother?"
"No. I used to have a younger sister, but…" He trailed off, feeling the pang of sadness that came with remembering Amane.
"I'm sorry, I heard about that. I have a little sister myself, and if anything happened to her, I'd have to kill someone - even if it was only myself…"
"Who'd you hear it from?" Ryou wondered.
"Look, Ryou, I think that Thief-King would want you to know this… You know how you and Yugi are related? Both of you have a Yami. Thief-King told me that. He also said that he's tired of being a step behind Yugi and Yami. He wants to meet you, to get to know you, so that you two can duel in shifts or merged like he saw Yugi and Yami do."
Ryou was staring at Shadow, and was surprised. But he wasn't as surprised as he had thought he should've been.
"That's not too surprising. I haven't been getting enough rest even though I go to bed early, I sleep the whole night through, and I still wake up after my alarm. Long after my alarm, as was the case today. You said that this morning, you saw Thief-King limp by?"
"Yeah, he was totally beaten up." Shadow frowned. "But one thing beats me. How do you hide the bruises and broken bones?"
"Well, this morning as I was dressing, I saw the bruises on my face fade faster than a cat can drink milk, so that's why I've never woken up with bruises, but I'm curious to know how the breaks mend so fast."
"Hmm… Maybe, don't think me crazy, but maybe what happens is that since you didn't get the bruises and broken bones, they revert back to your normal state when you take possession of your body… You are the hikari, right?"
"What? What is a hikari?"
"A hikari is the host soul to a yami. Yugi is "the-nameless-pharaoh" 's hikari. You are Thief-King's hikari."
"That's confusing."
"Thief-King would say the same thing."
"Are we - Thief-king and I - are we alike at all?"
"A little bit, in little ways. But you two have far different personalities, so I hope they don't clash."
"Hey, Shadow, look. The rest of the school are going home, and your fighters have dispersed."
"C'mon, follow me. I know a way to get over there without being seen."
1200, Thursday, in front of Domino High:
Mrs. Binion finally pulled up, a half hour after one of the last cars pulled out of the parking lot. Shadow and his father had stayed behind, and just before pulling away, Shadow shook Ryou's hand.
"Nice talking with you." He called, as his father drove away. Ryou looked down at the paper Shadow had left in his hand. It was addressed in Shadow's bold print to: RYOU AND BAKURA Ryou AND Bakura? What did he mean by that?
But Ryou shoved it in his pocket and vowed to remember it later, when he was alone.
1205, Thursday, Binion residence, living room:
Ryou reached home, and decided to watch TV. He sat down on the couch, flicked on the television, and fell asleep without warning. The next thing he knew was Mrs. Binion shaking him at 7:00, Thursday evening.
"Ryou! Wake up! It's dinner time, my husband will be home soon, and you need to dress in what he considers appropriate for dinner."
Ryou stood up and stumbled upstairs. The over six hours of sleep had done him some good, but he was starving from no breakfast or lunch. He stumbled to his closet to get the clothing, which was slacks and a dress shirt, but when he opened the door to the closet, he found that all of the fancy clothing was ripped and torn.
Ryou blinked at it, and then dismissed the feeling of dismay. Thief-King was angry at Mr. Binion, and he didn't understand that Ryou needed the clothing to not make Binion mad. He grabbed an outfit and went to sit on the bed, producing a needle and thread kit.
Ryou had just repaired the dress shirt when Mrs. Binion walked in.
"Oh!"
Ryou looked up, dismayed. "I didn't ruin the outfit, I swear!"
"That's very nice stitching, Ryou." She said, before continuing. "Ryou, we need to talk. I know that you've been sneaking out every night, and my husband suspects it- he's plotting to stay up tonight, wait until you're gone, then sit in here and wait to confront you when you come back. I told him that I didn't think that that was wise, but he never listens to me.
"I hope it doesn't come to hurtful words, and so I came in to warn you, Ryou… Don't leave tonight."
Mrs. Binion walked out.
Ryou stared at the door.
"Sorry about the outfit, I didn't know it meant something to you." Said the deeper voice belonging, Ryou now knew, to Thief-King.
"No problem, it's nearly fixed already… Did you hear any of that?"
"Any of what?"
"RYOU! Hurry up and get dressed! My husband's in the driveway!"
"Tell you later, lucky this is already fixed while she was talking and now I am changed and out the door of my room!" The spirit of the Millennium Ring followed him to the top of the stairwell, then faded out as he ran to the bathroom sink.
I'm glad I learned how to change fast and definitely glad I learned how to mend fancy clothes. The embroidery helps too, and in winter I am glad for the knitting that Amane taught me before she died. Hmm, so finally, I met Thief-King. I wonder how that came about… I wonder if it was something I did, or he did, and how we can control that?
Mr. Binion came in the door. "Where's dinner?" Ryou came down the stairs with his hair slicked down and not looking as poofy as it usually was.
"Ah, my dear, on time as usual." Mrs. Binion responded from the kitchen where she was carrying a roasted turkey.
"Hello, Mr. Binion." Ryou said, quietly as he sat down at the dinner table.
Mr. Binion grunted. He sat at the head of the table as Mrs. Binion set the turkey down.
"So how was your day, honey?" She asked.
Ryou knew that Mrs. Binion did not like Mr. Binion very much, but she acted the part very well.
"My day was horrible. The boss demanded that we do twice as much work as we've been doing and my head hurts from staring at those papers all day." Mr. Binion was a secondary editor at the newspaper.
"So what is the newest release?" Mrs. Binion asked faithfully. She was grateful for the money. "Has anything interesting come up?" Ryou waited patiently for his turkey and was rewarded with a heaping slice. He tried to eat slowly but he was so famished that he had no choice but to swallow half of it in one gulp. Luckily, Mr. Binion didn't notice, and Ryou was able to slow down just a bit. "No, other than the fact that someone vowed to kill the Thief-King or die trying."
"Really? Who?" Neither of the Binions noticed that Ryou had lost his appetite and was listening intensely, chewing a bite of raw carrot.
"Ryou!" Ryou looked up at Mr. Binion, hiding his fright. "You're done! Go to bed!"
Ryou got up and left the table. As soon as he was away, though, his stomach grumbled again in hunger.
"Great." He muttered as he went upstairs and dressed for bed. He pulled up the window sash and slipped under his blankets. However, unlike other nights, he couldn't fall asleep. Then he remembered that he had forgotten to tell Thief-King not to leave tonight, so he crawled out of bed and grabbed a notepad and pencil.
dear thief-king,
I heard that someone will be waiting for you to return tonight
Mr. Binion was pounding up the stairs. Ryou tucked the notepad under his pillow and the pencil with it as Mr. Binion satisfied his curiosity that Ryou was asleep.
"See? What did I tell you? That boy was exhausted! And how! He went to bed and went to sleep and ate three meals a day. And he overslept and went to sleep early as well! This means that he has to be the Thief-King!"
"Honey, boys his age need a lot of sleep. You did when you were his age."
"I was in football, baseball and soccer all at the same time."
The two parent like figures walked down the stairs, still talking. Ryou finished his note by the light of the hall, then taped it to his window lock, after he closed the window, as if on impulse. That done, he went to bed and lay down. Then, he remembered the note from Shadow. He climbed out of bed and searched his jeans pocket until he found the note.
DEAR RYOU AND BAKURA If you ever have need to get away from your house for a few nights, don't be afraid to come to my place any hour of the night. My father hates Mr. Binion, and after he heard that you weren't related, his sympathies belonged to you. Oh, Yeah, and when I say Bakura, I mean T-K.
T-k? Ryou asked himself. Oh, that must mean Thief-King. Well, I'll put it with my note so he can read it.
Suddenly, there was a tapping at the window, and Ryou saw Shadow on the other side.
Ryou flung the window open.
"Hey Ryou!" Shadow whispered. "Did you see the latest newscast?"
"No, should I have?"
"Well, there was an article about how Mr. Binion swore that he would kill Thief-King or die trying."
"Oh!"
"And another about how the police are starting to pull suspects of who is the Thief-King. They might pull you in!" Shadow looked mildly scared. "And with Binion against you, you don't have a secure enough alibi. You'd get three proven counts of first-degree murder and over twenty counts of police evasion. You need to get out fast! We might have to send you to England or America or something-" Ryou's bedroom door swung open a crack, soundlessly. "We can start tonight, do you have dark clothing?"
"Uh, yeah, actually, I do." Ryou got the black T-shirt and jeans out from behind his computer tower and dressed quickly. Shadow handed him a black cloak.
At Ryou's questioning glance, he responded, "That got left at my house last night." Ryou nodded and put it on. "Better lock your door, the more time you can buy, the better."
As Ryou was about to close the door, a Siamese kitten walked in. The collar said, 'I'm friendly to thieves and murderous ones' on the top and the tag underneath read 'Sanura, queen of the cats and priestess cat of Bastet'
Ryou closed and locked the door, watching the kitten, who leapt onto the windowsill and led the way down to the ground. Ryou followed her to the windowsill, and suddenly, there was pounding on the door. Mr. Binion's voice echoed through the house. "RYOU! OPEN THE DOOR!!" The Siamese kitten meowed her answer from outside.
"No- o- o- o!" She meowed. Shadow and Ryou looked at each other, amazed.
"Ryou! Open it this second or I will break this door down!!"
Ryou didn't know what to say or do.
.o Binion hesitated. His wife was standing downstairs talking to the police. Should I wait, for backup? No. I told the camera that I would kill Thief-King and I will. Armed with an army knife, Binion tackled the door as if it was an opposing football player, and the door gave. One more go, and the door was knocked off of its hinges. By the window stood a familiar shadow, staring at the floor. It looked up at him and smiled, making his blood freeze.
"So, Binion, it comes to this. You accused my Hikari, and he had no alibi. But this time is different. We are no longer separate, and he will not be as innocent as before."
"I vowed to kill you, Thief-King."
"I believe that you vowed to kill me or die trying." Bakura smirked. "But, if you wish to try, Binion, have at me."
"Gladly!" Binion charged, swinging the poker. But Bakura easily dodged and o
"Gladly!" Binion charged, swinging the poker. But Bakura easily dodged and struck upward with his knife from low, catching Binion's gut. When he doubled over, Bakura yanked up on his head.
"Too bad, Binion. You shouldn't have bothered." He whispered.
Febie Binion was standing at the bedroom door, with no sadness apparent.
"To keep Ryou's record clean, tell the police I kidnapped him. I will say the same thing in my note."
Using the blood, Bakura scrawled these words on the wall.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN!
Ryou Binion is no longer living here. His father wrongfully accused him of being me because he was always tired. But that shall no longer happen, and it is in Ryou's best interest that no one tries to hunt him down. For if they do, I will have to hunt them down… And I don't leave my prey alive.
Thief-King Bakura
Mrs. Binion walked over to read it, and sighed. "Good-bye, then. I'd better go get worked up over my husbands death." She walked out, not noticing that Bakura was already gone.
.'
I do not own anything referred to in this story (unless it is a pencil.
I apologize for lack of knowledge of Japanese customs, but my story is set in Japan because that's where the manga puts the characters. I also try to keep the characters more like the ones in the manga instead of in the show. As in, the show has more emphasis on dueling, but in the manga, it shows how Yu-Gi-Oh (that's Yami's title) is the 'king of games' (which is Yu-Gi-Oh translated, for those fans who are new to the whole thing and don't know the meaning of 'manga)
I also apologize for lack of knowledge of Military Time and how it reads. It will be corrected ASAP.
I should note in advance that some of the companies and products that I speak of may not be the same in Japan, but I am sure that there is something similar, so I won't let lack of facts slow me down. (if you have a suggestion about that, I would like to hear it)
Please critique the story as harshly as you can. Good writers always listen to what the audience has to say.
Please give ideas of where this story might lead.
I will respond personally to reviews with an e-mail address attached.
Thank you for being understanding.
Please Note:
. time passage .o view change (similar to a camera changing angle so that it sees what a different person sees)
o. view change (similar to a camera changing angle so that it sees what a different person sees)
words between these are written in the story or are character's dreams or memories Author's note or something like such .' end of chapter (its a Neko-Girl)
(some explanations are in parenthesis and are by me, Ryou)
There is no differentiation for when the character is thinking. I apologize for the effects of Text files.
0655, Thursday, Binion residence, Ryou's room:
Ryou woke up late again, and he wondered why he kept missing his alarm. He had tried going to bed at the same time, 9:00, every night, but it wasn't working so far, and he was on his third month. "Ryou!!" Yelled his foster mother, Mrs. Binion. She was a short fat old lady who agreed to foster care when her husband had said that he needed help doing things around the house, and they were both too old to help each other.
Ryou rolled out of bed, and stretched. Suddenly he doubled over in pain. His stomach and rib cage felt like they had been pummeled and his legs were stiff as if from running hard and long the night before. However, Ryou forced himself up and caught a glimpse of his battered face in his nearby mirror. There was a bruise over his right eye and his left one was black. To top it all off, his normally white hair was blood red.
"Oh my gosh!"
Ryou's eyes surveyed the rest of his body, and realized that he was dressed in a black T-shirt and black jeans that he didn't even know he owned.
"Wow… With purple eyes I'd look like that Thief-King person."
"Ryou!" Mrs. Binion was coming up the stairs now.
I can't let her see me like this!! He thought frantically. He yanked off the black T-shirt and the black jeans and shoved them in a black backpack that happened to be in the empty space behind his computer tower. Wearing nothing but his boxers and Millennium Ring, he scrambled to his dresser and yanked open the drawer. Three seconds and counting… He yanked on blue jeans. Two seconds and counting… He yanked on a T-shirt from San Francisco. One… Ryou shoved his head into a sweater just as Mrs. Binion yanked open the door.
"Ryou, what's taking you so long?" Ryou froze, his face and hair hidden in his sweater.
"I overslept?"
"Again? Why? You go to bed at a reasonable time, you never complain about insomnia, and you live a healthy lifestyle otherwise. Ryou, unless you want to be grounded, make sure you get up on time. Now you're gonna be late for school, so you're going to have to miss breakfast. Get your stuff and go get in the car, I'll go clean up breakfast." As soon as Mrs. Binion left, Ryou pulled his head out of his sweater. He took another glance at the mirror, and gasped. The bruises and black eye were already fading.
Ryou ran into the bathroom and splashed water through his hair, rinsing out the blood. Then he grabbed his school backpack and ran down the stairs. I guess I'm lucky that Sue (that's Mr. Binion) isn't home, he'd throw a hissy fit and I hope Febie doesn't tell him.
Ryou scrambled to the car and wondered what the new tale about Thief-King Bakura would be- the gangs at school always had a story that had 'just happened last night' about a kid dressed in black with white hair and purple eyes who called himself 'Thief-King Bakura' and went around Domino robbing the richest places with the highest security and dumped the valuables in garbage at Domino City dump. Most of the kids thought he was the coolest thing, since he disappeared come morning and left no trace.
Ryou thought for a second, sitting in the car alone. How come I can't seem to get rest? How come I woke up this morning in all black? My eyes even seemed purple for a second… Wait, this isn't going to help matters if I think that I am Thief-King by sleepwalking… 'Course, Yugi and his friends said I was acting weird at that castle place- I don't even remember it! I remember waking up in a room, in the middle of the night, and walking around a castle and not seeing anyone so I thought it was a dream and went back to bed. A thought occurred to him, questioning himself. Was it a dream?
Nightmare images carefully tucked away and organized resurfaced- each one before he had heard about Thief-King doing anything he had seen in the dream.
Some lady's pearls are in his hand and he's racing the guards to the exit, leaping over the police car that tried to block his path - the bank's sirens screaming behind him as he cowers in a garbage bin and gets the idea to ditch the loot in the trash - A woman screaming and a man racing after him as he leads a wild-goose chase through their house, trashing it and finally letting the man come up so he could stab him with his knife and let go, the man dying and Thief-King writing his name and all his former glories: the lady's pearls and the bank are two of them, in the blood on the wall…
The list went on and on. But at school, Ryou shook himself out of his reverie and went to the class he had just switched into.
I have to talk to someone… But who?
An idea occurred to him to join a gang.
I can't fight!
Learn… Whispered a voice in his head. Ryou so much liked the idea that he forgot completely that the voice in his head was different.
Then, another thought broke his euphoria. If I'm tired now, what about when I learn to fight?
He sighed just as the bell rang and the children filed into class. Blade (that's seriously his last name) came in carrying a conversation about how Thief-King had been caught by the Fangs, a gang that was highly territorial, but he got away with a few bruises and amazingly, no broken bones. Yet again, he was gone by sunrise and left no trace.
"But I know for a fact that he had to have been hurt, because I usually catch a flash of him, an hour before sunrise, running down the street as if he has to be somewhere. But today, he was walking with a limp, and just about the time the sun rose."
At that point, Ryou had to yawn, closing his eyes for a second. When he opened them, he found Blade staring at him casually. He wrote a note and held it up. It read:
my eyes are brown, see?
Shadow looked away. But when class had been called to order, Ryou found that Shadow had sat next to him.
Sometime during class, Ryou wasn't sure when, but he knew that it was before the fire bell rang and after the test, he found a note on his desk. It read as follows:
TO RYOU (on the outside)
Follow me today when the fire bell rings.
shadow blade
The fire bell rang, and Ryou got up and followed the class out the door, watching Blade until he slipped away, like a translucent green marble in grass. Then, he followed. .o Blade wasn't visibly watching, but he was sure that Ryou was keeping up when he led the way around a wall and saw Ryou step around, wary and probably afraid.
I should probably set him at his ease, but if he's the Thief-King, he won't be completely that way.
Blade called quietly to Ryou, and the two slipped behind some tall bushes where a ladder leaned against the wall. Blade led the way up it, and Ryou followed.
o
When Ryou reached the top, he realized where he was. Across the field, his class stood, bored.
He looked around at Blade, and realized that Blade had crawled off the ladder and onto the roof, where he lay, watching the crowd.
"Any minute now…"
Suddenly, a fight broke out in the back of the classes. It seemed to involve quite a few of the high schoolers and some adults standing nearby. Nearly all the teachers ran to break it up, but it was firmly in hand and there were too many fighters per teacher.
"Okay, now no one will notice that we are missing, much less care to find us. My name is Blade, but you can call me Shadow."
"I'm Ryou Binion by the roster and Ryou Bakura to myself and friends."
"Bakura?" Shadow said, showing some surprise.
"Yeah, why? And since I'm asking questions, why did you bring me here?"
"Because you resemble a friend of mine - a lot. And his family name happens to be Bakura."
"Really?" I think I know who you're talking about, but I'm not sure enough to say anything.
"Yeah." Shadow paused, as if struggling to find the right words. "Do you know the kid called- well, first, let me ask you this, do you have an older brother?"
"No. I used to have a younger sister, but…" He trailed off, feeling the pang of sadness that came with remembering Amane.
"I'm sorry, I heard about that. I have a little sister myself, and if anything happened to her, I'd have to kill someone - even if it was only myself…"
"Who'd you hear it from?" Ryou wondered.
"Look, Ryou, I think that Thief-King would want you to know this… You know how you and Yugi are related? Both of you have a Yami. Thief-King told me that. He also said that he's tired of being a step behind Yugi and Yami. He wants to meet you, to get to know you, so that you two can duel in shifts or merged like he saw Yugi and Yami do."
Ryou was staring at Shadow, and was surprised. But he wasn't as surprised as he had thought he should've been.
"That's not too surprising. I haven't been getting enough rest even though I go to bed early, I sleep the whole night through, and I still wake up after my alarm. Long after my alarm, as was the case today. You said that this morning, you saw Thief-King limp by?"
"Yeah, he was totally beaten up." Shadow frowned. "But one thing beats me. How do you hide the bruises and broken bones?"
"Well, this morning as I was dressing, I saw the bruises on my face fade faster than a cat can drink milk, so that's why I've never woken up with bruises, but I'm curious to know how the breaks mend so fast."
"Hmm… Maybe, don't think me crazy, but maybe what happens is that since you didn't get the bruises and broken bones, they revert back to your normal state when you take possession of your body… You are the hikari, right?"
"What? What is a hikari?"
"A hikari is the host soul to a yami. Yugi is "the-nameless-pharaoh" 's hikari. You are Thief-King's hikari."
"That's confusing."
"Thief-King would say the same thing."
"Are we - Thief-king and I - are we alike at all?"
"A little bit, in little ways. But you two have far different personalities, so I hope they don't clash."
"Hey, Shadow, look. The rest of the school are going home, and your fighters have dispersed."
"C'mon, follow me. I know a way to get over there without being seen."
1200, Thursday, in front of Domino High:
Mrs. Binion finally pulled up, a half hour after one of the last cars pulled out of the parking lot. Shadow and his father had stayed behind, and just before pulling away, Shadow shook Ryou's hand.
"Nice talking with you." He called, as his father drove away. Ryou looked down at the paper Shadow had left in his hand. It was addressed in Shadow's bold print to: RYOU AND BAKURA Ryou AND Bakura? What did he mean by that?
But Ryou shoved it in his pocket and vowed to remember it later, when he was alone.
1205, Thursday, Binion residence, living room:
Ryou reached home, and decided to watch TV. He sat down on the couch, flicked on the television, and fell asleep without warning. The next thing he knew was Mrs. Binion shaking him at 7:00, Thursday evening.
"Ryou! Wake up! It's dinner time, my husband will be home soon, and you need to dress in what he considers appropriate for dinner."
Ryou stood up and stumbled upstairs. The over six hours of sleep had done him some good, but he was starving from no breakfast or lunch. He stumbled to his closet to get the clothing, which was slacks and a dress shirt, but when he opened the door to the closet, he found that all of the fancy clothing was ripped and torn.
Ryou blinked at it, and then dismissed the feeling of dismay. Thief-King was angry at Mr. Binion, and he didn't understand that Ryou needed the clothing to not make Binion mad. He grabbed an outfit and went to sit on the bed, producing a needle and thread kit.
Ryou had just repaired the dress shirt when Mrs. Binion walked in.
"Oh!"
Ryou looked up, dismayed. "I didn't ruin the outfit, I swear!"
"That's very nice stitching, Ryou." She said, before continuing. "Ryou, we need to talk. I know that you've been sneaking out every night, and my husband suspects it- he's plotting to stay up tonight, wait until you're gone, then sit in here and wait to confront you when you come back. I told him that I didn't think that that was wise, but he never listens to me.
"I hope it doesn't come to hurtful words, and so I came in to warn you, Ryou… Don't leave tonight."
Mrs. Binion walked out.
Ryou stared at the door.
"Sorry about the outfit, I didn't know it meant something to you." Said the deeper voice belonging, Ryou now knew, to Thief-King.
"No problem, it's nearly fixed already… Did you hear any of that?"
"Any of what?"
"RYOU! Hurry up and get dressed! My husband's in the driveway!"
"Tell you later, lucky this is already fixed while she was talking and now I am changed and out the door of my room!" The spirit of the Millennium Ring followed him to the top of the stairwell, then faded out as he ran to the bathroom sink.
I'm glad I learned how to change fast and definitely glad I learned how to mend fancy clothes. The embroidery helps too, and in winter I am glad for the knitting that Amane taught me before she died. Hmm, so finally, I met Thief-King. I wonder how that came about… I wonder if it was something I did, or he did, and how we can control that?
Mr. Binion came in the door. "Where's dinner?" Ryou came down the stairs with his hair slicked down and not looking as poofy as it usually was.
"Ah, my dear, on time as usual." Mrs. Binion responded from the kitchen where she was carrying a roasted turkey.
"Hello, Mr. Binion." Ryou said, quietly as he sat down at the dinner table.
Mr. Binion grunted. He sat at the head of the table as Mrs. Binion set the turkey down.
"So how was your day, honey?" She asked.
Ryou knew that Mrs. Binion did not like Mr. Binion very much, but she acted the part very well.
"My day was horrible. The boss demanded that we do twice as much work as we've been doing and my head hurts from staring at those papers all day." Mr. Binion was a secondary editor at the newspaper.
"So what is the newest release?" Mrs. Binion asked faithfully. She was grateful for the money. "Has anything interesting come up?" Ryou waited patiently for his turkey and was rewarded with a heaping slice. He tried to eat slowly but he was so famished that he had no choice but to swallow half of it in one gulp. Luckily, Mr. Binion didn't notice, and Ryou was able to slow down just a bit. "No, other than the fact that someone vowed to kill the Thief-King or die trying."
"Really? Who?" Neither of the Binions noticed that Ryou had lost his appetite and was listening intensely, chewing a bite of raw carrot.
"Ryou!" Ryou looked up at Mr. Binion, hiding his fright. "You're done! Go to bed!"
Ryou got up and left the table. As soon as he was away, though, his stomach grumbled again in hunger.
"Great." He muttered as he went upstairs and dressed for bed. He pulled up the window sash and slipped under his blankets. However, unlike other nights, he couldn't fall asleep. Then he remembered that he had forgotten to tell Thief-King not to leave tonight, so he crawled out of bed and grabbed a notepad and pencil.
dear thief-king,
I heard that someone will be waiting for you to return tonight
Mr. Binion was pounding up the stairs. Ryou tucked the notepad under his pillow and the pencil with it as Mr. Binion satisfied his curiosity that Ryou was asleep.
"See? What did I tell you? That boy was exhausted! And how! He went to bed and went to sleep and ate three meals a day. And he overslept and went to sleep early as well! This means that he has to be the Thief-King!"
"Honey, boys his age need a lot of sleep. You did when you were his age."
"I was in football, baseball and soccer all at the same time."
The two parent like figures walked down the stairs, still talking. Ryou finished his note by the light of the hall, then taped it to his window lock, after he closed the window, as if on impulse. That done, he went to bed and lay down. Then, he remembered the note from Shadow. He climbed out of bed and searched his jeans pocket until he found the note.
DEAR RYOU AND BAKURA If you ever have need to get away from your house for a few nights, don't be afraid to come to my place any hour of the night. My father hates Mr. Binion, and after he heard that you weren't related, his sympathies belonged to you. Oh, Yeah, and when I say Bakura, I mean T-K.
T-k? Ryou asked himself. Oh, that must mean Thief-King. Well, I'll put it with my note so he can read it.
Suddenly, there was a tapping at the window, and Ryou saw Shadow on the other side.
Ryou flung the window open.
"Hey Ryou!" Shadow whispered. "Did you see the latest newscast?"
"No, should I have?"
"Well, there was an article about how Mr. Binion swore that he would kill Thief-King or die trying."
"Oh!"
"And another about how the police are starting to pull suspects of who is the Thief-King. They might pull you in!" Shadow looked mildly scared. "And with Binion against you, you don't have a secure enough alibi. You'd get three proven counts of first-degree murder and over twenty counts of police evasion. You need to get out fast! We might have to send you to England or America or something-" Ryou's bedroom door swung open a crack, soundlessly. "We can start tonight, do you have dark clothing?"
"Uh, yeah, actually, I do." Ryou got the black T-shirt and jeans out from behind his computer tower and dressed quickly. Shadow handed him a black cloak.
At Ryou's questioning glance, he responded, "That got left at my house last night." Ryou nodded and put it on. "Better lock your door, the more time you can buy, the better."
As Ryou was about to close the door, a Siamese kitten walked in. The collar said, 'I'm friendly to thieves and murderous ones' on the top and the tag underneath read 'Sanura, queen of the cats and priestess cat of Bastet'
Ryou closed and locked the door, watching the kitten, who leapt onto the windowsill and led the way down to the ground. Ryou followed her to the windowsill, and suddenly, there was pounding on the door. Mr. Binion's voice echoed through the house. "RYOU! OPEN THE DOOR!!" The Siamese kitten meowed her answer from outside.
"No- o- o- o!" She meowed. Shadow and Ryou looked at each other, amazed.
"Ryou! Open it this second or I will break this door down!!"
Ryou didn't know what to say or do.
.o Binion hesitated. His wife was standing downstairs talking to the police. Should I wait, for backup? No. I told the camera that I would kill Thief-King and I will. Armed with an army knife, Binion tackled the door as if it was an opposing football player, and the door gave. One more go, and the door was knocked off of its hinges. By the window stood a familiar shadow, staring at the floor. It looked up at him and smiled, making his blood freeze.
"So, Binion, it comes to this. You accused my Hikari, and he had no alibi. But this time is different. We are no longer separate, and he will not be as innocent as before."
"I vowed to kill you, Thief-King."
"I believe that you vowed to kill me or die trying." Bakura smirked. "But, if you wish to try, Binion, have at me."
"Gladly!" Binion charged, swinging the poker. But Bakura easily dodged and o
"Gladly!" Binion charged, swinging the poker. But Bakura easily dodged and struck upward with his knife from low, catching Binion's gut. When he doubled over, Bakura yanked up on his head.
"Too bad, Binion. You shouldn't have bothered." He whispered.
Febie Binion was standing at the bedroom door, with no sadness apparent.
"To keep Ryou's record clean, tell the police I kidnapped him. I will say the same thing in my note."
Using the blood, Bakura scrawled these words on the wall.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN!
Ryou Binion is no longer living here. His father wrongfully accused him of being me because he was always tired. But that shall no longer happen, and it is in Ryou's best interest that no one tries to hunt him down. For if they do, I will have to hunt them down… And I don't leave my prey alive.
Thief-King Bakura
Mrs. Binion walked over to read it, and sighed. "Good-bye, then. I'd better go get worked up over my husbands death." She walked out, not noticing that Bakura was already gone.
.'