Disclaimer: I do not own YGO… Duh! Everybody knows…

Special Tenks! nope, this isn't a typo, it's a styleGW would like to thank Sage Kaley for the info about Ryou's past and to those consecutive typhoons that spread mayhem on my country uu;, thank you for giving me time to write this fic…

A/N: … - means conversation through mind link…

Ryou is being haunted by the untimely death of his sister and a long been hidden family secret that is about to be awaken…

- BLOOD BOUND -

by GW

Chapter 1:

Family Secrets

December 10, Ryou's apartment – Tunsuya, Japan

Ryou gasped at the sudden realization that he received an e-mail from Amane – who has long been dead. Ryou shivered. Claws of dread began to crawl up his throat and nape, almost making his hair rise.

"Ryou?" Laurence asked, obviously curious about Ryou's abrupt silence and deep rapid breaths.

Ryou tried to regain his horrified composure back to normal while rationalizing at what he just saw. "I-I'm OK. What were you saying earlier?"

"We are going to have a reunion, your father is on a dig so he can't come, and he said he's sending you off as representative." He paused to breathe. "Is that OK?"

A reunion?! Sounds fun! a hoarse voice coming front his mental chambers disturbed Ryou. He almost answered his uncle with the same line but refused to. "When will that be?" he asked, ignoring the thief's comment. The spirit began to make noises just to catch his attention, Can you hurry up on the dumb phone?! I wanna play Ragnarok! Ryou got annoyed so he threw the Millennium Ring at the computer desk. Argh! Yami Bakura turned pretty infuriated at the hikari's response so he manipulated himself in front of the other and shouted, What the fuck are you looking for?! A fight?! in a very barbaric manner.

Ryou sighed as he ignored him. He knew that the robber was getting bored to death. He stared through the window, half listening to his uncle on the phone. It was still storming outside, the skies as dark as night at eight in the morning. The wind blew wildly, making noises against the window sill and the roofs and the bushes outside. The rain came in big heavy drops; he almost thought ice cubes were being thrown at the roof. Classes had been suspended. Three consecutive days like this, who won't get bored?

So to save himself front eh evil claws of his Yami, he introduced the thief to the world of online RPG. From then, the thief didn't stop reeking havoc on the virtual gamer's world. The latest thing he did was entitled "Chaos in Ragnarok". It was simple but effective. All he did was gather over 1000 dead branches, summoned monsters at the warp points of Prontera – especially the inn's entrance – and warped the hell out of the city. He did won a couple of titles from it though. He's been called "Bringer of Nemesis", "Evil Bitch of Darkness" and most of all, "Pathetic Psychopathic King of Thieves". Not just that! He had been granted the price of not being allowed to play at any official RO server. In short, he has been banned.

"Bye…" Ryou placed the receiver back to the phone and sat on his cozy chair. Bakura still threw death glares on him. "Bakura, not now! I've got things to do." The thief just stared, piercing Ryou with cold daggers with his eyes – that when manipulated could literally tear him to pieces. Ryou sighed, "Listen spirit, after what you've done you can't play on Chaos or Loki anymore… I'll go find you a non-official server…"

The spirit of the Ring smiled victoriously, Go find one then, mortal!

Ryou pulled the remote from the sofa and flipped through the TV channels. "Go watch to keep you occupied." The spirit followed his vessel. He sat on the sofa like a cute quiet cat.

Ryou faced the computer. He has something more important than looking for a server; Amane's letter is still there. He figured out that it was just an error caused by communication interference due to the storm. But when he read the mail, he began to doubt his calculation.

Amane's mail:

Dear Ryou,

Look after Dad. He's all you have right now so take good care of him. And you should take care too!

Love,

Amane

P.S. Don't ever let them get you…

December 17, Dover, South-East England

Laurence McLeigh stood at the airport lobby. He's a tall man of late twenties with bitter dark-green orbs that portray gloom. His hair goes down to his hips and is silvery-white with beautiful fine strands, a semblance of anyone belonging to the McLeigh clan. He was waiting for his nephew who just called earlier that he'd be coming a week before the reunion. He was not worried that he'll not recognize the teen or the teen wouldn't recognize him, for they are family – bound by the McLeigh blood.

A while later he saw a youngster, standing-out in the crowd. He was wearing a powder-blue fur coat with a darker blue scarf around his neck that perfectly matched his snow-white hair. Laurence approached the kid with a wide smile and helped him haul his things out of the airport.

Ryou stood dead silent on the car. He's being lured by the scent of Pine trees and the slow cascading movements of the snow. He didn't know but the graceful dance of the snow reminded him of Amane, and the air smells like the whiff of her hair. So he asked his uncle if they can pass by a flower shop and proceed to their family mausoleum to visit his Mom and Amane.

"No, not that one…" Laurence held his nephew's hand as Ryou reached for the newly bud red roses, "Have you forgotten that our family forbids bringing red roses to the dead?"

Ryou nodded, he did want the red roses for his Mom, but it's a rule. He just picked the white ones, paid for them and scoot off to the car.

The McLeigh family mausoleum stood proudly amidst the huge fenced area filled with snow. It was a manse-like structure with a touch of old gothic designs and stood about twelve feet high and about 3,750 square meters wide. The building was rectangular with every wall and even the roof made from limestone. The floor is shiningly red and is made up of marble. On the walls were carvings and paintings, extending back around 600 years ago. The weird thing about the architecture is that there is an enormous fissure on middle of the roof, it's shape like a huge cross – the crosspiece extends from side to side of the ceiling and so did the upright one.

Every McLeigh must be buried in the ancient burial chamber. Once you are born under the McLeigh family tree, you gain a place on this crypt. Even Ryou who's still alive and kicking already had his grave set. The thing is Taka, Ryou's father doesn't have his tomb. "Maybe because he's not a McLeigh…" Ryou thought.

Ryou spread his gaze throughout the place, it was filled with Celtic crosses; each bearing a name, birth, death and…

When Ryou placed the roses in front of the crosses, he noticed something different, something that he hadn't noticed on his previous visits. On Laurene's and Amane's crosses were engraved: "revivification: November, 2004"

Ryou's eyes widened at the sight, and turned to his Uncle to ask questions that his mind cannot perceive. But there was no one there with him; he was alone in a chamber of the dead. Before long he heard the wails of the lost souls, begging, urging him to accompany them on the depths of their graves…

"Ryou… Wake up… Time for dinner…" Laurence tried to shake his nephew from his sleep.

The albino partially opened his eyes and saw the whiteness of the room and his Uncle's concerned face. The kid tried to move but his body ached, "Wha-what happened?"

"You suddenly lost consciousness when we're at the mausoleum…", Laurence smiled, "I got worried so I brought you home and called a doctor to check you. He said you just got worn-out so we let you rest."

Ryou moved his head to his left; Bakura was there, sitting beside him. The thief didn't show he cared but Ryou can feel that he's worried.

"Father wanted to see you. We'll be waiting downstairs…" Laurence said as he closed the mahogany door.

Ryou just nodded and after his uncle left, he faced Bakura and asked through the mental link, Why didn't you took place of my body when that happened?

The thief looked at a different direction, preventing collision between their eyes. After a while the thief answered, I can't… I don't know… I wanted to but there's something wrong with your body…

Ryou sat, staring at the white blanket covering the rest of his body. "What's happening?... I can't understand…"

While Laurence was moving down the stairs he heard a small voice from below say "Uncle how was he?" Laurence smiled at the little lady cast in shadows, "He's fine, and he's going down for dinner soon."

All was set in the wide dining table of the McLeigh's. It was a long rectangular table with candles and chandeliers as light. Many had suggested revision but the family refused, it was a part of their custom.

The man seating at the edge of the table was Theodore McLeigh, head of the family. He is a towering man of about 6'3" with white hair as bushy as his beard, yet he looked so young for his age. "Where is he?" the man asked with his gruff voice.

"He's accompanying us soon…" Laurence said with a peculiar smile across his face.

Theodore raised a goblet half-filled with red liquor, "A toast to the chosen one!" and the other's joined.

Ryou accidentally witnessed the toast when he was just about to head for the dining room but he decided to stand by the door, afraid that they'd condemn him for sneaking and listening at their conversations. Ryou tried not to make any noise but his heart throbbed so hard he thinks everyone could hear it. His heart leaped to his head when he heard his grandfather's voice call to him.

"Ryou, you can come hear."

Ryou peaked from behind the wall. He can't see clearly due to the dimness of the room. What caught his attention was the sparkling red liquid on his grandpa's goblet, which looks like blood to him.

"We're waiting for you…"

Ryou smiled shyly while he inched to the seat beside his uncle Laurence. When he was a kid, he felt accustomed to this family because they were the only one to understand him. They comforted him when his family is absent and stood beside him whenever he needed them. It's far different now. He can feel the indifference; not in their norms, not on the people around him, but in the atmosphere.

He was in the midst of reflecting when he heard his Yami's voice from behind him, These jerks give me the creeps… Ryou smirked mentally at the thief's remark.

"Ryou, what's wrong?", his grandpa alleged. "Have you forgotten to speak English?", he said firmly while staring not at his grandson but straight at the eye of the thief behind him. Bakura didn't manipulate himself physically but he felt that the old man can see him so he hid inside his portable tomb as fast as his reflexes can carry out.

Ryou shook his head, "No, I-I just don't know what to say…" he said honestly.

"That Necklace, where'd you got that?"

"Oh, this?", he held the Millennium Ring in front of his chest for the others to see, "Daddy gave this to me as a present when he got back to Japan from a dig at Egypt."

"It looks interesting…", the old man stroked his beard.

Ryou nodded, "It does…", as he stared at the Ring, moving it gradually so it would sparkle in the glow of the candles. Ryou stared at the Ring. He thinks of it as a companion than a mere pendant. It was a buddy that his dad gave him, a substitute for Amane. Though the spirit can't and can never replace his sister, he felt very thankful for having it with him.

"I have something to give you…" Grampa Theodore smiled, "I bet it's equally interesting as that…" he pointed out to the Ring using his fork.

Ryou gave him a grateful smile.

"It is told to be passed from our ancestors down our family through generations…" the elder said in a serious tone, "It will be handed down to you in our gathering."

Ryou got suddenly engrossed in the mysterious fact that his grampa was revealing to him, at the same time he quivered with mixed excitement and apprehension.

"But," his elder paused, "You can't accept the article before you get purified…"

"Purified?", Ryou asked, his mouth ajar in bewilderment.

Laurence wiped his lips with a table napkin before interfering, "The process of purification is only done once a year, when the sun reaches its lowest point or what we call the equinox. and that only happens during the Winter Solstice."

Ryou stared at him, "I'm still confused,", and he blinked, "What is purification? Why do I need to undergo that process?"

Laurence was about to answer when Theodore stood, "It's getting late, we can talk this over some other time." Laurence rose from his chair to help his father. "And," the elder turned back to Ryou when he was at the doorway, "Good night…"

"Good night", Ryou smiled with confusion still written on his face.

Bakura sat over Ryou's bed, his back leaning on the headboard, his right leg traversed the other, his hands crossed behind his head, while he stared at the pallid ceiling. You know,

What?, Ryou laid at his back, pulling the blanket that protect him from the wintry atmosphere, to see his yami.

I'd stop wondering why I had a stupid vessel… he continued staring at the ceiling.

Ryou raised an eyebrow, and why?

You have a bunch of jerks as your family. the thief said seriously. It must have been hard growing up with a lot of jerks around you.

Huh! Ryou crossed the spirit. And I won't wonder if your family is a bunch of psychos! he mocked.

Ryou drifted off to sleep with Bakura's infuriated face still fresh in his memory. He didn't dream of him though. What he saw was darkness, pure darkness with no light at all. He kept on reaching for the way out. He shouted yet he heard nothing, he perceived but felt nothing – it's like a vast hole of oblivion. He had hard time breathing, so he passed out. The next thing he saw were icy mountain rages on a top view, as if he was floating in thin air. He was hovering, unknowing where he was going when he saw something moving in one of those frozen summits. He moved closer only to find a brown-haired man. He cannot prove but he believed it was his father. The man was clinging on a precipice. He wanted to help but cannot get nearer. Until someone in a black hooded frock appeared. He shouted at the person to help his father, but his voice didn't reached. The wind blew furiously, bringing the person's hood off. Her long silvery locks came flirting with the wind, her deep green orbs stared at him – it was Amane. Ryou shouted at her until his lungs burst in pain. She seem to hear but didn't respond. She just smiled at him. And when their father managed to climb up beneath Amane's feet, she stared at him. He managed to reached for his daughter's hand but instead of stretching for her father's hand, Amane stared at her elder brother then back to their father. Ryou felt glad, he knew that Amane would help their father, but to his surprise… she kicked him. The man shouted agonizingly as he tumbled down the depths of the cliff. Amane's sinister laughter and Taka Bakura's pained scream was then got carried by the wind's eerie howl.

"No!!!…" Ryou shouted in his sleep. The room was cold. To his perception the temperature must be below zero, yet he sweated heavily. His body still trembling because of his dream. No, it wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare…

"I have to follow Dad", he whispered to himself, "at the Transylvanian Alps…"

A/N:

Thanks for reviewing... This will be the last chapter I'll be writing for this year, consider it a Christmas present to all readers... Merry Christmas to all nn;

GW: Accepts all kinds of criticisms, flames, Christmas greetings especially gifts, I accept cash!, everything.