fried lately from school and the abomination known as classmates. Plus I was
spray-painting the other day and I think I inhaled some of the fumes... which is why you
never should do that inside the house while watching TV at two in the morning.
Anyhow...
Enjoy.
GUIDE
: Ryou to Bakura :
: : Bakura to Ryou : :
Blah is thoughts
-----
THAT NIGHT
NO POV
Once Ryou had left, a very uneasy silence blanketed the group. Neither knew what to say
to the other, and the revelations that had just been made only helped to thicken the
tension. Otogi had been the first to do anything, and when he asked Bakura if he could
speak with him alone, no one quite knew what to expect.
They went downstairs to the kitchen.
"This is about Ryou, right?" Bakura guessed. Otogi nodded.
"I have no qualms about him being a thief; that is his own personal choice. And if he's as
good as he says he is, all the more power to him. 'Do what you love and love what you
do' and all that," he told the spirit.
"So what is it that you want?"
"Well, Ryou called you his yami, so I'm assuming it's basically the same deal as with
Yuugi and Yami?"
"Yeah, why?"
"If so, then you probably know him better than anyone, even himself. Why is he doing
this? I won't lie-- I barely knew Ryou. The impression he gave me, though, wasn't of a
masochist. He knew how they would react. It was plain as day from the way he was
acting. That's why he waited until you and the other two showed up before he revealed
anything. He needed backup. He knew that they would react like that. So why did he do
this?"
Bakura sighed, which wasn't unusual for him, but it was a bit on the resigned side. He had
spoken with Ryou about it at length, but the boy had merely said he needed to tie up the
loose ends. Bakura couldn't be sure, but it seemed that he had come back here to say
goodbye... for good.
"Pretty damn perceptive," Bakura told Otogi, "for a mortal."
"I try," the DDM inventor replied, taking no offense.
"I think he's here to say goodbye," Bakura replied after a moment. He leaned against the
wall and shoved his hands into his pockets. If Ryou had been around, he would've
recognized this as Bakura's "honest" stance. "I didn't think he'd last. I thought after a
month he'd be begging me to him home. It was the exact opposite. He begged me to him
further away."
"He's not staying, is he?" Bakura shook his head. "How long?"
"I don't know. Whenever he's ready to leave."
"Who's idea was it in the first place? His becoming a thief, I mean," Otogi asked.
"It started out as a joke. Malik made some crack about Ryou being a thief, and at first I
thought he hadn't paid any attention, but it seemed to stick. About a week before he left,
he asked me if he could go along on our next conquest. I didn't think he was serious, but
he sure as hell proved me wrong," Bakura explained. "It's strange..."
"What is?"
"I have had many apprentice thieves in my life and afterlife, but Ryou seemed to want it
more than any of them, and he had the least possible motivation for it. The others had
wanted revenge, or the good life, or to rebel, etc. He didn't. For the most part, he took it
in stride."
"It makes me wonder..." Otogi started. "Well, first, what made you want to become a
thief?"
"Me?" Bakura asked confused.
"There's a reason why I'm asking, I assure you," Otogi said.
"Long story short? My entire village was slaughtered-- only I survived-- by the Pharaoh's
command. I wanted revenge," Bakura said.
"Pharaoh? You mean Yami?" Otogi asked, surprised.
"His dad, actually."
"So, you were like some of your apprentices? Well, that kills that theory," Otogi said,
thinking aloud.
"What theory?"
"The way you talked, it's as if Ryou was born to be a thief. I just thought that maybe he
was supposed to be the reincarnation of you, like Yuugi is supposed to be Yami's," he
explained.
"He is."
"Excuse me?"
"I said, he is. My reincarnation that is, or rather, cosmically he is. I'm still me, and he's
himself, but...." Bakura stopped, noticing the blank look on Otogi's face. Maybe he's not
as perceptive as I thought. "Ryou's actually my descendant, a couple of thousand times
removed. I'm guessing the same goes for the Pharaoh and his hikari. So, the fact that he
was born to be a thief is not as out-there as you may think."
"Okay. Let's review. Ryou is a born thief, only he didn't realize it until a few years ago.
He left because, as he told us, he felt smothered by this life. How does this all fit
together?"
"You tell me," Bakura said.
"I don't think their problem is with his being a thief as so much as his changing so
radically. I didn't know him as well, so that's why I'm more accepting. They still have
quiet, unassuming Ryou in their minds, and to have him appear out of seemingly nowhere,
completely different, it's throwing them for a loop," Otogi said.
"You a shrink?"
"No, but my family is bunch of nutcases."
"Ah. Explains that." Bakura thought about what Otogi had said. It made sense, and yet,
seemed to be entirely off-kilter. "Ryou hasn't changed as much as they think he has."
"He needs to show them that. It probably would make things a whole lot easier for both
parties," Otogi replied, agreeing with the spirit. "C'mon, I think it's a bit too quiet up
there. Those two friends of yours aren't really that psycho, are they?"
"If you have to ask..." Bakura trailed off, the full meaning need not to be spoken. They
went back upstairs. I hope you figure this out soon, Ryou. I don't know how much longer
it'll be before war breaks out.
A/N: Is any of that true? Well, if it is, it's by pure accident. If I remember correctly (it has
been a year since I actually wrote this), I just took a few supposed facts and threw them
together. This is the result.
Go Otogi! Poor guy doesn't get much attention does he? And before someone becomes
confused, Otogi is "Duke". A lot of fans hate that name, but I don't. ::grin:: One of the
few dub names I actually like, oddly enough. ("Zeke"? What the hell? His name is Hao, dammit!)
Anyhow, I'm babbling. Reviews? (Yes, this is a filler chapter. I'll admit it. Sue me.)