LF: Sorry it took so long to get this up. School just started and...

Bakura: She's a lazy bum.

LF: Yeah that's pretty much it. Sorry guys. But it's up now and that's what important right?


Chapter Nine

For the third time today I woke and for the second time it was scared, and blind. That most be it because I can't see anything. I have even entered my soul room and it too only contained darkness. I don't know much about the Millennium Items so I guess this is normal.

I tried to sit up but the first time I was unsuccessful because of a terribly pain cause by the movement. When I fell down it was as if I was falling into an abyss. Much like the one I was in before only deeper. This time numbness accompanied the emptiness. I could no longer feel the pain. I could no longer feel anything. Nothing. The pain was still there, if I focused hard enough I could feel it a little, it was just I didn't care. About anything, nothing mattered, nothing had any importance.

I tried to get up again and succeeded for I no longer had the pain to hold me back. I stood not even noticing the fire that ran through my veins. But maybe that is way I feel numb, the pain was so hot that it felt like ice ran through my veins. I doubt that is the reason but I can't think of anything else.

I got up and, without much thought, got dressed. Instead of wearing my usual blue jeans, green shirt, and cream sweater I wore all black. They were my yami's clothes, to be correct, and I don't know why I chose them, but I did. The shirt was long sleeved and semi lose fitting and the pants were tight leather. The shoes were in the same style that Yami's and were also black. I don't know how I knew these things and to think about it is confusing. I think it has something to do with a sixth sense I have. No, it has nothing to do with the movie and I cannot see dead people nor do I think I would want to. Instead I can sense things. I am not sure how or a lot of times what. Emotions mostly, because they are so strong, but sometime I could sense other things. Somehow when I became blind all my senses sharpened and this sixth sense was no exception. In fact it is that sense that sharpened the most, yet this does little to cheer me up. I still feel numb and maybe lost. The feeling is light now but used to be incredibly strong, when this new emotion, or lack of, started it still shown through.

After dressing I decided to try to walk around. Since I awoke in a bed and my last memory I figured I was in my room. As I stumbled around I knew I must be right. Everything was as I had left it before...before...I learned...the truth. A single tear made it down my cheek as there was a temporary breach in the numbness. But nothing lasts forever and the lack of emotions returned.

When I made it outside I started walking with no destination in mind. I started walking, able to make sure I stayed on the sidewalk absentmindedly by feeling the cement under my feet. I didn't walk tentatively, just walked. People that must have passed by would have thought I was depressed for my feet dragged and my eyes were downcast. In a way I guess I am depressed. Or would be if I could feel. I continued walking, head bowed, until I bumped into something, or more correctly someone, and stumbled backwards. I could tell by the way I had fallen that I had defiantly twisted my ankle but just sat there. Mostly because I didn't see a reason to get up.

"Why don't you watch-" the other stopped yelling and gasped. "Ryou, oh I'm sorry, didn't see you. Are you okay?" When I didn't say anything or make any move to stand the owner of the voice, who I recognized to be Malik, grabbed my arm and tried to help me get up. Silence followed my standing and Malik again spoke, "Hey," his voice was friendly and sympathetic, "why don't you come to my house? I can make us a drink and we can talk." I answered with a short nod. Following him was easy for almost the whole trip. When I couldn't track him using my ears I used my sixth sense and followed his emotions. This was easy because he was my friend and also because his emotions were so strong anyone else would probably have flinched. Anyone that didn't already know him that is. He wasn't interested in many things but when he was he became very passionate about it. One of those things was his friends. Unlike Yugi and myself he was not as open nor did he make friends as easily but he was still an hikari, and that meant he cared more about his friends than anything, except maybe Marik.

Once we arrived at Malik's home we went inside and sat down. I used to come here whenever Bakura needed to speak to Marik and luckily Isis hadn't moved the furnisher around. I sat by the window while Malik did as he pleased. By the sound of his footsteps I could confidently guess he was pacing, his stammering told me he needed to tell me something. Word didn't begin to be formed until he stood beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

The feel of his hand on my shoulder was so faint I almost didn't register it, probably wouldn't have if his touch didn't admit this strange warmth. For some reason this scared me. I don't know why, Malik is the closest person to me next Bakura, there is no reason for me to fear his touch. I heard all that my friend said but never truly listened, only heard the sound of Malik's voice as he spoke but never made out any individual words.

It went on like that for awhile; I just sat there, not lost in thought because I wasn't thinking at all, just sitting there doing nothing until someone started shaking me. "Hey Ryou," I heard someone yell, "Ryou are you okay? Can you hear me? Hey Ryou!" I looked in the direction of Malik's voice. Not expecting to see anything, just by habit, I guess.

"Yes," my reply was void of emotion. This must have shocked Malik because I saw, no felt, him take a step back.

"Um...are...are you alright?" 'What kind of question was that? Of course I'm not alright. I'm broken.' I thought frustrated, but all the same I nodded. "Yeah, you are probably just tired. Would you like me to walk you home?"

I shook my head and stood up. Using my knowledge of the house I walked to the front door and reached out for the handle only to find that Malik was holding the door open for me. "Are you sure you are alright?" he said concerned.

My initial answer was nothing but I nodded and said a quiet 'sorry' almost as an afterthought. With that I left and resumed my journey. A journey with no destination. A journey that was now taking place in the first rays of dawn. A journey to find something I don't know or understand. I had just turned a corner when I was grabbed by two hands. One hand going over my mouth and the other grabbing my wrist and twisting it behind my back. Someone else came forth, this one a women judging by the sound of high heels hitting the ground. This girl's presence felt familiar, but the other's presence didn't. It was then that I felt a hand on my cheek. This touch told so many things. Through my sixth sense I could feel the hatred even though the touch was gentle; the coldness without a hint of pity, but the most important was I could see her in a way. The familiar presence shifted and formed into the shape of someone. Someone I feared, someone I loathed, someone named Mai.

"My, my, it's dangerous for a little boy like you to be wandering aimlessly." Her voice was somewhat of pity. Then with the hand that was on my cheek she loosely gripped my chin and turned my head both ways as if checking my over. "I don't see what Bakura saw in you. He deserves so much more. How could you ever make him happy?" I didn't answer, how could I, what would one say to that? And what was she talking about, I wasn't Bakura's anymore, she was. "Let's go, Hojo will be waiting." She emphasized the name as we started walking.

The lack of emotion I felt changed immediately. Fear took the place of numbness. However I would never give Mai the satisfaction of knowing such, instead I kept up my emotionless mask. It is almost funny really, for my entire life I have always had to pretend and lie because I couldn't keep such a mask firm, yet here I am in less then eighteen hours wearing one like I have been doing so my whole life.

We continued walking; I was guided by what felt like a gun in the back of my head. Eventually we stopped and Mai broke the silence that had accompanied the whole trip. "Wait here, I will be right back." A door opening and closing was heard, then I heard the voices behind the door started talking and was surprised that with my heightened hearing I was able to make out the words of the people inside clearly.

"Mai, I see your back. Did you bring him back with you?" That was Ian's voice; I had no doubt about that.

"Yes."

"Good, very good. I would seriously hate to involve Lucrezia in this. Plus I need him for bait, revenge, and maybe pleasure. Bring him in."

"Yes. Oh and you were right, he's blind. I saw it in his eyes."

"Thought so. With what you told me about hikaris it is no surprise."

The sound of a door opening was heard again before there was a hand on my arm, pulling me in and the door being shut. The presence that had kept the gun to my head faded into the distance. Before I had regained the balance lost when I was pulled I was thrown to the floor and a body was on top of me. I wanted so much to cry at the moment but couldn't. Mai was still present. I could sense her amusement. I could sense she was inwardly laughing at my pain, my fear, my misery. She enjoyed my suffering and even more that she helped cause it. I hated her. Not just for bringing me here. For everything.

"Well, I will be going to deliver the message to my brother now. See ya." Then in a sarcastic voice added, "Have fun you two."

Ian smirked and answered, "Oh we will." Then to scare me more I heard him lick/smack his lip tauntingly. Mai laughed and walked out, which if anything made him smirk more. The good side of Mai's departure was now I could cry. With Mai gone there was no need to hide my tears so I let them fall. Let them stain my cheeks. At first they fell slowly but more quickly as I felt Ian enter my body and start pushing in and pulling out. The faster he pumped, the more tears fell, the more innocence I lost. But the more he did the easier our skins passed. This meant that I was bleeding but even though our skin passed smooth that did not decrease the pain or my tears. Before he reached his release I passed out. Part from pain, part from exhaustion, and part from sorrow.


I was awoken awhile later by a pain shooting through my back. The numbness hadn't returned like it had before, only added emotions, and magnified them. The pain hit me again. And again. It didn't take me long to recognize the pain and sound. I was being whipped. Each time the whip made contact with my skin I let out a scream. At first I had tried to curl into a ball but found I couldn't. My arms and legs were tied down to a medal medical bed. When I looked around I gained few answers. The room was decorated with many giant machines I had never seen before. Ian seemed to notice my confusion because between the lashings he started to explain. Unfortunately for me the pain distracted me so it was hard to understand. He seemed to be amused by this.

"To put it simply you were used as a guinea-pig for two experiments of mine. The first was unfortunately a failure. It seems that instead of what I meant to happen which was only some of your light energy being drained, it turns out my experiment will drain all of your light energy. In other words you are probably going to die. But the good news is that the second experiment seemed to be successful should you somehow live." He said this so casually it was frightening. He predicted my death in the same manner one would use to announce it was raining outside. But no response was given from me as the familiar feeling of blood trickling down my back and I passed out, still hearing Ian talking and laughing to himself.