Innocence?
Mystical Knight Dragon: Gah! How have I not updated in so long?!?! I feel TERRIBLE now! u_u Anyways, I want to thank my reviewers: Sk8tErGuRl2 (I know it's probably a bit late to tell you this, but oh well: The Faceless CD is awesome! Godsmack is definitely one of the best bands out there! \m/), Carmen5-Nemrac (...But...you...had...updated...earlier... o_O ...I'm thoroughly confused, but that's only because FF.Net hates me... ^_^'), Lightning Sage (...I suppose cliffhangers aren't as fun as I make them... *smacks own hand* Bad llama! ...I love that movie....and now I want to go see it again... o_O), Demon-Heart1 (I suppose you don't see them being nice very often... Muahahaha!!!! In your face, muses!! (Muses: ...)), Fuzzle- sama (I'll try my best to stick R.O.M. in this chappie......wait! Idea! Idea! Yea! R.O.M.: I found a way for you to be in the ficcie! Yea! ^_^), and Dark-Autumn (You might be weird, but I think I surpass all in weirdness... ^__^')!!!!!!!!!!!! Arigatou!!!
Marikay: *cough*slacker!*cough*
Mystical Knight Dragon: Hey! No comments from you! You abandoned me!
Marikay: Hey! I had to go to the bathroom!
Mystical Knight Dragon: That's no excuse!!!
Marikay: *_*
* * *
Chapter 14: A Twist of Fate
~*~Ryou's POV~*~
The ocean was even colder than I thought.
Okay, think freezing.
Then divide that temperature by...a lot.
That's how cold it felt. It probably has something to do with the rains that have been here for the past few weeks...
My mind began to numb from the cold. Once I was watching this show and this kid fell into a river and got hypothermia. He had gotten lost, but then a dog came and saved him. I might get the hypothermia, but I sure as hell don't think I'm going to get saved.
I sure as hell hope that I don't, either...
I should die.
I deserve to die.
But fate must hate me.
It's being rather cruel today.
After I had floated there in the water for a minute or two, I felt myself being pulled out of the water. Damn you, Fate! I've already killed one person! I'll kill you, too! And there I go thinking about poor Yugi-kun again... Gods, how I miss him... I wish there was some way to bring him back...
-*-
~*~Yami's POV~*~
I sat on Yugi's bed. He had been gone for only about half an hour, but it felt like eternity. I always thought that when you were sad, you would cry. That's how it was when my actual birth mother passed away when I was five. However, this is somehow...different... Yugi's a part of me...was. I'll never get used to saying that. I don't *want* to get used to saying that.
I leaned back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Something didn't seem right...
*Yugi's a part of me...*
I sat straight up in the bed. "Oh. My. Ra."
I heard Sugoroku coming up the stairs. I had to get out, and I didn't want to pass him. I looked over at the window. It was a straight drop two stories down into a grungy alleyway, but it was the only choice that I had. I jumped up, ran to the window, threw it open, and jumped out. I hit the ground and began to run. Then I remembered something: the Puzzle. I went into my Soul Room and then came back out to find myself in a closet of some sort...
-*-
~*~Ryou's POV~*~
Anyways, back to me being pulled out of the water.
You'd think that once you were out of the cold water that the only way to go is warmer. That theory has now been proved wrong. The minute my skin had touched one particle of air, I immediately wished that I could just stay under the water.
I was pulled into a tiny wooden fishing boat. The boat that I had previously been on was still looming over me, but it was slowly fading away and out of sight. I could see Kaiba being pulled away from the railings by two men, for he was struggling, it seemed, to get to me.
Exhaustion swept over me, and the minute that I had touched the floor of the boat, I fell asleep.
-*-
~*~Kaiba's POV~*~
I watched as Ryou dove off the boat, dumbstruck by his words as well as his actions. It was surely suicide, but he couldn't be *that* desperate. I mean, you don't see *me* trying to kill myself.
*Tell Bakura I said goodbye. And tell Yami that...that I'm sorry.*
It made no sense. What could Ryou have done to make him so frustrated that he would jump off of a boat but still have a few words to say to Yami...? I ran to the edge of the boat and looked out on to the water. The sea was still foaming where Ryou had jumped as if daring me to dive in as well.
I felt someone grab my shoulder. I whipped around and saw a sailor holding me back.
"You do the same thing, kid, and I swear on my dead mother's grave that I'll make sure you don't come back up!" he sneered.
"Get off of me!" I snarled back.
Someone else grabbed my other shoulder, and, with the help of the other sailor, dragged me back away from the railing.
"Get off of me!" I repeated.
"Nii-sama!" I heard Mokuba shriek. I whipped around and saw Mokuba being held by two other thugs as well.
"Mokuba!"
"Nii-sama! Help me!"
I broke away from the two holding me and ran over to Mokuba. "Get your hands off of my little brother!" I pull my fist back and am about to punch the two holding my brother when they comply.
"Next time you pull shit like this," the larger one growled, "your brother won't be so lucky. One toe out of line and you get to watch him die a slow and painful death."
"Don't use that type of language around my brother!" I snap, putting a protective arm around Mokuba's shoulders. "Come on, Mokuba." I then lead him back underneath the deck. Who knows what card Fate will play next, but I want to make sure I'm ready when the time comes.
*You can't compare Life to a card game, Seto.*
I stop halfway down the steps. I knew that voice; I knew those words.
An image of the Pharaoh flashed before my eyes.
*Fate is even trickier than any monster, stronger than any stone. You can't defeat it; You can't get away from it. Fate controls your life. Live with that.*
*I won't, Pharaoh! I won't let anything control my life, especially not you!*
I shook my head, trying to get my own words to stop echoing around my head. "It's all from the past," I mutter and continue down the stairs, pointedly avoiding Mokuba's curious glances.
-*-
~*~Normal POV~*~
"What the hell is wrong with you people?!"
Officer Fushidara (A/N: Do you remember him from chapter 6? ...I didn't either... o_O') looked down at the floor. "I just thought---"
"No! That's the problem! You *weren't* thinking!"
"Well what do you want me to do, Hikaru?!" Fushidara yelled, his temper waning. "He gave us the money that we needed to capture Kaiba, and we succeeded! We caught the kid, too! Now there's no one to stop us! Not even Bakura, or whoever that was. No one would believe what a murderer says!"
"You fool!" Hikaru snapped. "Bakura could take us out in the blink of an eye now that he's free! And he'll do it, too! He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants! Trust me; I know..."
"Well...?"
"'Well' what?
"What do you want me to do about him?"
Hikaru grinned maliciously from underneath his cloak. "Finish what you had started and kill him."
-*-
"I did it," said Malik happily, plopping down on the couch next to Bakura who was drinking a strong cup of tea.
"Did what?" Bakura snapped.
"I called them."
"Called *who*?" Marik urged.
"The police. And then I threatened them enough until they decided to cooperate and help us!"
Bakura raised an eyebrow. "If they decide to hurt me again, this is going on your name---and I'll inflict twice as much pain on you as they had on me."
Malik winced but quickly hid his fear. "It's all right, Bakura! These are different policemen!"
"They're all the same to me." Bakura took another gulp of tea. "Ra, how much sugar is in this stuff?!"
Marik grinned. "Let's just say that we'll need to go and buy some more pretty soon, before Isis decides that she wants to bake a cake or something."
Malik's eyes widened. "That was a five pound bag of sugar!" (A/N: Yes, I know that they don't use pounds in Japan, but I'm too lazy to convert stuff right now... O)
"I was wondering what those markings on the bag said..."
Bakura slowly pushed his tea cup away from him.
"Anyways," Malik continued, "they're going to help us find Ryou. They have about twenty men out looking for him.
Bakura raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"
"Well, they still need some people to protect Japan, don't they?"
"Tell me," said Bakura lightly, "which do you think comes first right now: my hikari or everyone else?"
Malik raised an eyebrow. "Too bad you don't control the world. Everyone else thinks that they're the most important people to ever be on this damned planet..."
"So you're saying that my hikari isn't important enough to be saved?!"
"Hey, I didn't say anything like that!"
"BUT YOU WERE THINKING IT, WEREN'T YOU?!?!?!"
Malik rolled his eyes. "Bakura, just shut up for a little while. Can't you see that I'm trying to help you?"
Bakura sighed. "Yeah, it's just...something doesn't seem right about...about everything that's been happening lately. First Yugi is murdered and I'm accused and now Ryou's run off to who-knows-where and won't talk to me... It's just...so confusing!"
"Try talking to him again."
"I can't. He'll yell at me."
"Bakura," Marik grinned. "You've lost your touch! There's no way you'll be able to handle all seven Millennium Items if you can't even control your own hikari! You might as well just give me the Eye right now."
Bakura's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, and maybe I can think of a new place for the Eye to go, like up you're a---"
"Are we going to find Ryou or not?" Malik interrupted.
Bakura sighed. "I'll try to contact him again..."
* * *
Mystical Knight Dragon: Yeah, I know, terrible place to cut off. And it's not long enough to even *begin* to justify my lack of updates! Oh well... I have to save *something* for the next chappie... ^_^' How many of you realized what happened with the whole "Yami Yugi" thing? Oh, and Hikaru's not an original charrie. It's just an alias. Cookies to whoever can guess who he is.
Chibi Bakura: Pwease review! ^_^
Mystical Knight Dragon: Gah! How have I not updated in so long?!?! I feel TERRIBLE now! u_u Anyways, I want to thank my reviewers: Sk8tErGuRl2 (I know it's probably a bit late to tell you this, but oh well: The Faceless CD is awesome! Godsmack is definitely one of the best bands out there! \m/), Carmen5-Nemrac (...But...you...had...updated...earlier... o_O ...I'm thoroughly confused, but that's only because FF.Net hates me... ^_^'), Lightning Sage (...I suppose cliffhangers aren't as fun as I make them... *smacks own hand* Bad llama! ...I love that movie....and now I want to go see it again... o_O), Demon-Heart1 (I suppose you don't see them being nice very often... Muahahaha!!!! In your face, muses!! (Muses: ...)), Fuzzle- sama (I'll try my best to stick R.O.M. in this chappie......wait! Idea! Idea! Yea! R.O.M.: I found a way for you to be in the ficcie! Yea! ^_^), and Dark-Autumn (You might be weird, but I think I surpass all in weirdness... ^__^')!!!!!!!!!!!! Arigatou!!!
Marikay: *cough*slacker!*cough*
Mystical Knight Dragon: Hey! No comments from you! You abandoned me!
Marikay: Hey! I had to go to the bathroom!
Mystical Knight Dragon: That's no excuse!!!
Marikay: *_*
* * *
Chapter 14: A Twist of Fate
~*~Ryou's POV~*~
The ocean was even colder than I thought.
Okay, think freezing.
Then divide that temperature by...a lot.
That's how cold it felt. It probably has something to do with the rains that have been here for the past few weeks...
My mind began to numb from the cold. Once I was watching this show and this kid fell into a river and got hypothermia. He had gotten lost, but then a dog came and saved him. I might get the hypothermia, but I sure as hell don't think I'm going to get saved.
I sure as hell hope that I don't, either...
I should die.
I deserve to die.
But fate must hate me.
It's being rather cruel today.
After I had floated there in the water for a minute or two, I felt myself being pulled out of the water. Damn you, Fate! I've already killed one person! I'll kill you, too! And there I go thinking about poor Yugi-kun again... Gods, how I miss him... I wish there was some way to bring him back...
-*-
~*~Yami's POV~*~
I sat on Yugi's bed. He had been gone for only about half an hour, but it felt like eternity. I always thought that when you were sad, you would cry. That's how it was when my actual birth mother passed away when I was five. However, this is somehow...different... Yugi's a part of me...was. I'll never get used to saying that. I don't *want* to get used to saying that.
I leaned back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Something didn't seem right...
*Yugi's a part of me...*
I sat straight up in the bed. "Oh. My. Ra."
I heard Sugoroku coming up the stairs. I had to get out, and I didn't want to pass him. I looked over at the window. It was a straight drop two stories down into a grungy alleyway, but it was the only choice that I had. I jumped up, ran to the window, threw it open, and jumped out. I hit the ground and began to run. Then I remembered something: the Puzzle. I went into my Soul Room and then came back out to find myself in a closet of some sort...
-*-
~*~Ryou's POV~*~
Anyways, back to me being pulled out of the water.
You'd think that once you were out of the cold water that the only way to go is warmer. That theory has now been proved wrong. The minute my skin had touched one particle of air, I immediately wished that I could just stay under the water.
I was pulled into a tiny wooden fishing boat. The boat that I had previously been on was still looming over me, but it was slowly fading away and out of sight. I could see Kaiba being pulled away from the railings by two men, for he was struggling, it seemed, to get to me.
Exhaustion swept over me, and the minute that I had touched the floor of the boat, I fell asleep.
-*-
~*~Kaiba's POV~*~
I watched as Ryou dove off the boat, dumbstruck by his words as well as his actions. It was surely suicide, but he couldn't be *that* desperate. I mean, you don't see *me* trying to kill myself.
*Tell Bakura I said goodbye. And tell Yami that...that I'm sorry.*
It made no sense. What could Ryou have done to make him so frustrated that he would jump off of a boat but still have a few words to say to Yami...? I ran to the edge of the boat and looked out on to the water. The sea was still foaming where Ryou had jumped as if daring me to dive in as well.
I felt someone grab my shoulder. I whipped around and saw a sailor holding me back.
"You do the same thing, kid, and I swear on my dead mother's grave that I'll make sure you don't come back up!" he sneered.
"Get off of me!" I snarled back.
Someone else grabbed my other shoulder, and, with the help of the other sailor, dragged me back away from the railing.
"Get off of me!" I repeated.
"Nii-sama!" I heard Mokuba shriek. I whipped around and saw Mokuba being held by two other thugs as well.
"Mokuba!"
"Nii-sama! Help me!"
I broke away from the two holding me and ran over to Mokuba. "Get your hands off of my little brother!" I pull my fist back and am about to punch the two holding my brother when they comply.
"Next time you pull shit like this," the larger one growled, "your brother won't be so lucky. One toe out of line and you get to watch him die a slow and painful death."
"Don't use that type of language around my brother!" I snap, putting a protective arm around Mokuba's shoulders. "Come on, Mokuba." I then lead him back underneath the deck. Who knows what card Fate will play next, but I want to make sure I'm ready when the time comes.
*You can't compare Life to a card game, Seto.*
I stop halfway down the steps. I knew that voice; I knew those words.
An image of the Pharaoh flashed before my eyes.
*Fate is even trickier than any monster, stronger than any stone. You can't defeat it; You can't get away from it. Fate controls your life. Live with that.*
*I won't, Pharaoh! I won't let anything control my life, especially not you!*
I shook my head, trying to get my own words to stop echoing around my head. "It's all from the past," I mutter and continue down the stairs, pointedly avoiding Mokuba's curious glances.
-*-
~*~Normal POV~*~
"What the hell is wrong with you people?!"
Officer Fushidara (A/N: Do you remember him from chapter 6? ...I didn't either... o_O') looked down at the floor. "I just thought---"
"No! That's the problem! You *weren't* thinking!"
"Well what do you want me to do, Hikaru?!" Fushidara yelled, his temper waning. "He gave us the money that we needed to capture Kaiba, and we succeeded! We caught the kid, too! Now there's no one to stop us! Not even Bakura, or whoever that was. No one would believe what a murderer says!"
"You fool!" Hikaru snapped. "Bakura could take us out in the blink of an eye now that he's free! And he'll do it, too! He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants! Trust me; I know..."
"Well...?"
"'Well' what?
"What do you want me to do about him?"
Hikaru grinned maliciously from underneath his cloak. "Finish what you had started and kill him."
-*-
"I did it," said Malik happily, plopping down on the couch next to Bakura who was drinking a strong cup of tea.
"Did what?" Bakura snapped.
"I called them."
"Called *who*?" Marik urged.
"The police. And then I threatened them enough until they decided to cooperate and help us!"
Bakura raised an eyebrow. "If they decide to hurt me again, this is going on your name---and I'll inflict twice as much pain on you as they had on me."
Malik winced but quickly hid his fear. "It's all right, Bakura! These are different policemen!"
"They're all the same to me." Bakura took another gulp of tea. "Ra, how much sugar is in this stuff?!"
Marik grinned. "Let's just say that we'll need to go and buy some more pretty soon, before Isis decides that she wants to bake a cake or something."
Malik's eyes widened. "That was a five pound bag of sugar!" (A/N: Yes, I know that they don't use pounds in Japan, but I'm too lazy to convert stuff right now... O)
"I was wondering what those markings on the bag said..."
Bakura slowly pushed his tea cup away from him.
"Anyways," Malik continued, "they're going to help us find Ryou. They have about twenty men out looking for him.
Bakura raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"
"Well, they still need some people to protect Japan, don't they?"
"Tell me," said Bakura lightly, "which do you think comes first right now: my hikari or everyone else?"
Malik raised an eyebrow. "Too bad you don't control the world. Everyone else thinks that they're the most important people to ever be on this damned planet..."
"So you're saying that my hikari isn't important enough to be saved?!"
"Hey, I didn't say anything like that!"
"BUT YOU WERE THINKING IT, WEREN'T YOU?!?!?!"
Malik rolled his eyes. "Bakura, just shut up for a little while. Can't you see that I'm trying to help you?"
Bakura sighed. "Yeah, it's just...something doesn't seem right about...about everything that's been happening lately. First Yugi is murdered and I'm accused and now Ryou's run off to who-knows-where and won't talk to me... It's just...so confusing!"
"Try talking to him again."
"I can't. He'll yell at me."
"Bakura," Marik grinned. "You've lost your touch! There's no way you'll be able to handle all seven Millennium Items if you can't even control your own hikari! You might as well just give me the Eye right now."
Bakura's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, and maybe I can think of a new place for the Eye to go, like up you're a---"
"Are we going to find Ryou or not?" Malik interrupted.
Bakura sighed. "I'll try to contact him again..."
* * *
Mystical Knight Dragon: Yeah, I know, terrible place to cut off. And it's not long enough to even *begin* to justify my lack of updates! Oh well... I have to save *something* for the next chappie... ^_^' How many of you realized what happened with the whole "Yami Yugi" thing? Oh, and Hikaru's not an original charrie. It's just an alias. Cookies to whoever can guess who he is.
Chibi Bakura: Pwease review! ^_^
