Chapter Three: Ryou, Really, It Isn't Such A Good Ideaby Shadou-sama
Shadra returned to the school in barely enough time to set her new books in her room and get to class. But she had kept one to read during her afternoon classes.
It had been very nice of Dragon to give her the books free, she thought as she settled into a desk at the back. Especially since she didn't have any money. She didn't know what convinced him to do so, as she was pretty sure she'd have to break the Furies' spells, but maybe it had been her answer.
Math, she thought grudgingly. But at least her studies in Great Britain had overshadowed the course here. Otherwise, she might have had to pay attention.
She noticed that Ryou was in this class as well. He seemed to be in a lot of her classes.
As the bell rang, and the teacher started her lecture, Shadra delved into the book. She scowled as she discovered it was written in Latin. She had been one hundred percent certain that she had left that blasted dead language back at Everto.
English class ended with Ryou wondering whether it was his English getting rusty, or if it was the teacher's. He guess it was the teacher's, since Shadra had seemed quite adamant that the word 'Final' was not pronounced 'Fee-nal'. That had been pretty much the only time she'd pulled her nose out of her book, he had noticed.
/You notice her a lot, / Bakura said through their mind link.
/Eh? / Ryou asked, wondering what his Yami was talking about.
He felt his darker half shrug. /It seems like every few minutes that you notice her. /
/So? / Ryou still had little idea what Bakura was talking about.
/You never notice anybody. /
Ryou was about to reply, but his Yami had set up a mental block. He sighed. That meant one of two things: Bakura was angry and annoyed about something or he was just plain bored of Ryou.
Ryou walked up to the girl's desk, and looked over her shoulder. She seemed very interested in the book, as the bell had rung five minutes ago and she still had to give any sign of noticing it.
"What language is that?" Ryou asked, not noticing how intimate with her ear he was.
Shadra jumped, slamming the book shut. Seeing that it was only Ryou, she exhaled and smiled. "Latin," she said. "Evil dead language."
"What's it about?" Ryou asked.
"Um… It's just a book. Need to keep my foreign language lessons up, you know?"
Ryou nodded. "Ready for your computer lesson?"
"No," she said.
"No?"
"No."
"So you are ready," Ryou said, taking her answer as a contradiction.
She sighed.
Shadra and Ryou walked into his dorm room. The first thought that she had was 'plain'.
It was obvious that Ryou hadn't done anything to customise his room. His textbooks and a laptop sat neatly on his desk, but those were the only thing on it. She herself had a few framed pictures of her friends, grouped into beyblade teams and non-beybladers, many colourful pens and beyblade parts, and a packet of cat treats. His carpeted floor was clean, while Shadra's already had half a dozen clothing items on the floor. She grimaced at the mess, making a note to clean it up. She was usually very neat and tidy, especially on the day she'd arrived at a new place.
The small bookshelf by his bed was empty except for a few books, which she noted as being either textbooks or those on Ancient Egypt. She noticed that the thin layer of dust on the top shelf. Her bookshelf wasn't so empty. It housed many books on witchcraft, demons, Tokyo slayers and divination (which included her ancient Book of Prophecies, started by the First Time Master and written in by the rest of the line). Not to mention the knickknacks she had collected on her latest travels.
His bed was made up by the school provided grey bed set, while Shadra's was, well, made up by the school provided grey bed set. She hadn't really thought about getting her own. But she also had her attempt of a wool blanket as well, in a fun purple and yellow. She thought she saw something sticking out from under his bed… she couldn't make out quite what it was, and it would be rude to take a closer look.
Ryou's walls were bare and devoid of any dirty finger smudges. Beyblade team posters (her own team's poster being the biggest), Kai Hiwatari posters (she still had a few, even if she wouldn't admit it), and a small poster of her model friend Arwen (which was kind of weird, considering) covered her walls. She didn't know if the sketches that her psychic vampire friend had drawn for her counted, seeing as she preferred to hide them inside her closet as they tended to give her nightmares.
The door to Ryou's closet was firmly shut, so Shadra couldn't see what was in there. Could it be the keys to Ryou's self? Shadra was pretty sure it was different from what she had. Her clothes took up only part of it, seeing as how she never had much money to buy them with. She was sure that Ryou had clothes, but did he have black leather demon fighting clothes? Probably didn't have a long black coat either. Her weapon items included four stakes, two daggers, a sword (once wielded by the First herself), a crossbow and plenty of bolts. She was pretty sure she had plenty of holy water, since she wasn't sure if water could get holy from a Buddhist priest. She'd never heard of that before. She really hoped no one went through her closet, it would be kind of hard to explain.
He must move around a lot, she decided. Less stuff, less to worry about.
"So, do you know how to turn on a laptop?" Ryou asked, opening said object up on his desk.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm sure. Now—"
"Are you really sure this is a good idea?" she asked again. She didn't want to break his laptop.
"Yes," he said, still patient.
"Okay," she said, sliding onto the chair. She gave the laptop a good quick glare, before reaching out for the 'on' button. She tapped it gently. Nothing happened. Annoyed and still glaring at it, she tapped it again harder. Still annoyed and glaring, she was about to hit it as hard as she could when Ryou stopped her. Which was very intuitive of Ryou, since her strength was a little off the charts.
"That's not the power button," Ryou said, stopping her. He felt the mental shield in his head go down. His Yami jumped out of the Ring in spirit form.
/What are you doing? / Ryou asked.
/Watching the show, / Bakura replied as he settled weightlessly on the bed.
He looked back at his 'student'. She gave no sign of noticing Ryou's distraction, and was currently muttering away.
"Del," she said, her finger hovering over the bottom. "Seen that before. Maybe… Wait, seen this before. What was it… how to save? Deliver. Then it was gone. So bad key, very bad key."
/She really is loony, / Bakura commented.
"It's right here," Ryou said, pointing to the 'on' button and pointedly ignoring his Yami's comment.
"Oh! That would make sense," she said.
Bakura smirked and got up. /Ku. Any brains in there? / he asked, then waved his spirit hand into her head. /Guess not. /
/Yami… /
One minute she was turning the laptop on, the next she was running through a dark and spooky forest. Why? Oh, there was a person sprinting up ahead. Trees falling, smack! Nearly falling on her. Who was up ahead? Familiar…
"Shadra?" a voice asked, and she snapped back into Ryou's room. What the heck, she wondered to herself. It was like a vision, but it didn't seem like one. It didn't seem like a past memory either.
"Shadra?" the voice, Ryou's, asked more urgently.
She snapped her head up to look at him. "What? Oh, sorry."
"Are you okay?" he asked, concern etching his features.
"Y—uh, I think I should go lay down," she said. She noticed him give a glare, not quite looking at her. Glare? Nah, she must be mistaken. He seemed like Ryou, not Bakura.
"If you're sure," Ryou said. He looked concerned. "Maybe try again tomorrow?"
"Sure," Shadra said, and exited.
She walked down to her room. Who had she been chasing? Or what? The forest… It looked familiar. It was. Surrounding her last boarding school was a large dark forest, home of many creatures waiting to tear one's throat out.
Suffice to say, she'd spent too many evenings there. But the trees had never fallen before. Not even in the final battle. Those trees were tough and it would take nothing less than the apocalypse to tear them down.
That was what frightened her the most. What manner of creature could do that?
She reached her door and entered. Her spirit guide was currently fascinated with a dust bunny. One day of class and already her room had dust bunnies. Shadra really needed to get cleaning.
"Balla," she said.
Just a moment, the cat said, her head snaking around as she batted the bunny.
"It's important."
It can wait. Balla rose on her hind legs to keep up with the bunny that was spiriting upwards.
"I had a vision," Shadra said, and closed the door after realising anybody could be outside listening.
A vision? Balla asked, giving Shadra her full attention. The dust bunny wafted to the ground, forgotten.
"Maybe, I don't know." She collapsed onto her bed. Balla jumped up beside her. "It seemed like it, but it didn't… feel like one."
Balla waited for her to continue.
"I was trying to turn Ryou's computer on, when I just sort of blacked out. I was running in a forest… chasing something… But I don't know what. The trees were falling… the demon forest was falling. Then Ryou called to me, and I was back, like nothing had happened. Well, not exactly. It was just like I had just zoned out or something."
And you didn't move?
Shadra shook her head.
And it was the demon forest of Everto?
She nodded.
Balla paced back and forth on the bed. Shadra resisted the urge to laugh. Sometimes, Balla acted like a total cat. Other times, she acted like a human, which was pretty amusing if it was someone in cat form. Balla could also act like a panther. No wait, she could turn into a panther.
"So what was it?"
I don't know.
"Great help you are."
Balla gave her an annoyed look.
"What did you do?" Ryou asked out loud to his Yami, who was still in spirit form.
/I only put my hand through her head, / Bakura replied. /It normally never does anything. /
/You must have done something, / Ryou said mentally. /Normal people don't just… black out. /
/That girl is anything but normal, / Bakura said. /She's insane. She believes in vampires and demons and stuff. She fancies herself a hero. /
/How do you know that? / Ryou asked.
/I saw flashes of her mind in my head. And she is one messed up broad. She thinks her cat actually replies. /
/If you saw into her mind, you must've done something. /
/It's probably just another power of the Ring. It's got a million of them and counting. /
/Did she see into your mind? / Ryou asked. /Was it two-way? /
Bakura stopped, contemplating. /You better find out. We don't need some psycho chick coming after our Millennium Items to make her little schizophrenic dreams into reality. /
/She'd fit right in with all the other Item gatherers, / Ryou said. It was true. Pegasus had been bordering on complete insanity. His own Yami… well, enough said there. Marik was completely insane. /Wait, what do you mean Items? /
Bakura dodged the question by retreating to his soul room. Ryou sighed. He did not like the sound of his Yami having multiple Items.
You're going out? Balla asked as Shadra grabbed her long black coat from her closet. The new digital clock on her bookshelf said 7:03 PM.
"Yeah," she said. "Visit my 'mother'."
Want me to come, too?
"Thanks, but no thanks. I don't think they let cats into the hospital."
True. I don't know how many times I've had to sneak into your hospital rooms.
Bakura seized control of Ryou's body. All his Hikari wanted to do was hang out in his dorm room. That wasn't exciting enough for the Yami.
He descended into the city streets. What would be a good challenge? The nearby restaurant-lined street. Lots of people, lots of chances to get caught.
He glided through the market, waiting for a target. Just anybody wouldn't do. Someone wealthy or someone who hasn't spent all their money at the restaurants. It wasn't worth the effort if there wasn't a good haul.
Oh, hello. A redhead in his teens, around Ryou's age, lounging against a brick wall by an alley. His black silk shirt and blood red leather pants screamed money. And his shoes… Gucci? They looked designer. By the bored-with-the-world expression, he was very much in the money.
How would he get close enough? The alley.
Shadra opened the door to her mother's hospital room. She wasn't entirely certain that this was the correct room. She didn't know her mother's surname. But the nurse she had introduced herself had pointed her to this door.
"Hello?" she asked, speaking in her native tongue.
A pale, tired woman looked up from one of the beds. It wasn't a private room. But for now, only one bed was occupied.
"Shadra?" the woman asked, her voice a bit shaky.
She nodded, and sat down by the woman's bed. Shadra noted the flowerless, card-less counter.
"So, you're my mother," Shadra said. She also wanted to add abandoner, baby killer, evil horrible creature…
"He, I guess I have some explaining to do," the woman said.
"You think?"
"Oh, and call me Grace. Grace Stephens."
Shadra just looked at her.
"Heh, well, I know you must think I'm a horrible person."
Understatement.
"But I was a seventeen year old girl when you were born. And your father had died. I was all alone and with two baby girls to take care of."
"So that makes it all right, then? Everything's just peachy, no hard feelings."
Grace shook her head, greasy blue locks of hair falling into her eyes. "It doesn't make it right," she said, pushing the loose hair back behind her ear. "I just wanted to tell you the circumstances."
"I'm so glad that you pulled me out of my life so that I can learn why you abandoned me."
Grace sighed. Shadra wasn't about to let up her verbal attacks. "Also… Under my bed, there's a box for you."
Shadra, after glancing suspiciously to see if it was a trap, got down on her knees and searched under the bed. She pulled out a small ebony chest, weighing little more than a few pounds even with the inlaid silver.
She looked up at Grace, observing the woman once again. No trace of menace or glee could be imagined on the serene face.
She opened up the box. On top was a legal sized envelope. She opened it up, scanning the writing. She looked up at Grace.
"You're now a legal adult," Grace said. "So that after I die you won't have to bother with foster homes anymore."
"Are you afraid?" Shadra asked, out of nowhere.
"Of what?" Grace asked.
"Dying," Shadra said, her face blank.
"A little…"
Shadra shook her head. Idiot woman. Dying wasn't the bad part. It was actually sort of pleasant… like when you finish a long Latin essay and just sit back. No, the scary part was when you came back.
She set the envelope and its contents to the side. "A debit card?"
"Your full high school tuition is paid in full, but that doesn't include expenses for clothes and such," she said, nodding. "Spend the money anyway you want, just try to be responsible."
Shadra nodded, wondering just how much money was on the account.
The next item was a key. "A car?" she asked, almost hopefully.
Grace laughed lightly. "No, sorry," she said. "Never did own a car. I preferred a bike. No, that's the key to my storage unit. Go see it, and take anything you'd like. I don't have much use for it."
"Thanks," she said, actually grateful. This woman had abandoned her, but at least she was making it easier for Shadra.
"Unfortunately, my health insurance will only cover my hospital fees," Grace said, looking sad. "But everything else won't be touched. I've made it very clear and permanent in my will."
Shadra nodded, and looked at the last item. It was another letter, but without an envelope. She picked it up to unfold it, but Grace stopped her.
"Wait until you're home, then read it," Grace said.
Shadra silently wondered why. What could one little letter hold that that would be important? But she agreed, if only to humour an old dying woman.
Bakura walked back down the alley, a new leather wallet in his possession. It had been easy. A sleazily dressed girl had distracted the boy. Bakura wasn't even sure if he wanted the wallet anymore.
"Thief!" A slightly accented voice rang out. Oh, the boy had noticed. A little police dodging, maybe that would make it worthwhile.
But nobody came. No one searched for the robber in the alley. It's like they hadn't…
Five burly men in their late teens advanced on him from the other end of the alley. He turned around and saw that two new men and the boy he'd stolen from blocked that exit. The buildings beside the alley were three stories high with no visible ledges or fire escapes. There was no way he'd escape without a fight.
"This him, Master?" one of the five men behind him asked. Master? What kind of weird guys were these?
"Yes," 'the Master' replied. Of course, the red head. He wondered how this kid, barely as old as his Hikari, got so much respect from these thugs.
But it didn't matter. Escape, graphic violence, and many enemy casualties were what mattered.
"Who are you," 'the Master' demanded.
Bakura smirked. "Ryou Bakura, and you are?"
The redhead grinned, and then answered as if doing Bakura a great favour. "Tala Ivanov."
"So what is this, the Russian Mafia?" Bakura asked, indicated the tough men.
Tala closed his eyes, looking smug. "Ares' Army. Beware."
"Uh huh. Right."
"You should be more impressed with your protectors."
"Protectors, eh? From what? Last time I checked you're the ones who are threatening me."
"Exactly. You want to thieve in my town, you have to pay a protection fee."
"You protecting me from you," Bakura said.
"You're a quick learner. Let's start off with the starter fee. One hundred thousand yen a month, no exceptions."
"And if I don't?" he challenged.
"You'll be too busy with your coma nightmares to worry," Tala said lightly.
"Ku. Fine," Bakura relented.
"It's good that we reached an agreement," Tala said.
Agreement, sure. If Tala wanted to delude himself, let him. There was no way that the King of Thieves would allow himself to pay… protection fees. Hell, he should be giving Tala the service. If it weren't for his Hikari's weak body.
A figure jumped out the window of a local school. Instead of landing splat! like humans do, it landed on its feet. It swayed momentarily, but quickly regained its balance.
It took off running. It smelled fear. It smelled pain. It smelled delicious, oh so delicious, chi. It smelled prey.
The streetlights fell dull as the figure ran by. But that didn't matter to it. They were merely flickering candle flames compared to the bright chi of the beaten woman. It didn't need light. No, it preferred darkness. In the dark… Light hurt its eyes. It gained so much satisfaction snuffing out the little wandering flames.
So long it had been, since last it could emerge from its prison. The taste… Oh how it had forgotten the taste of life. Death held little interest. It never wondered if it would die. It knew that as long as there were little flickering flames all around Earth that it would survive.
The screams pounded into its head. It knew it was drawing closer. Soon, for the first time in too long, it would taste the finest wine in life.
The woman lay up ahead, a muscled man standing over her, holding her skirt. The woman begged for mercy, begged like the little bitch she was.
The figure slowed down as the woman's attention was drawn to it.
"Help me, help me please!" the woman shrieked. It rang through its head. Too loud! "Call the police, please!"
"Shut up, you little—"
It grabbed hold of the man's shoulder and tossed him into a brick wall. He flew against it like he was merely a wad of paper, not the two and a half hundred pounds of flesh that he was.
"Thank you," she said, her breath heavy. "Thank the Lord…"
She looked into its eyes, and started shrieking once more.
It hissed and grabbed her by the throat. It's claws sank into tender flesh, blood spurting out over its hand. The woman choked, whether from her own blood or from its fatal grip would never be known.
"Sto…p…" the woman gasped.
But it was too late, and the flame died out.
Shadra woke up, sitting straight up in her bed. Blankets spilled of her. Balla, somewhere in the tangle, growled a sleepy warning.
She looked around. Everything was as it should. Nothing out of place. Just a dream. She looked at her clock and realised it was almost time to get up.
To be continued...