Chapter 8: Funeral
It was dark and thunder rolled overhead, and it was raining lightly, the day of Mr. Bakura's funeral. Bakura had his arms wrapped around Ryou, with his head on Ryou's shoulder. They were wearing black hooded sweatshirts, each a different collage on them. Though the funeral was supposed to be formal, no one bothered with suits or ties on that cold morning.
There were relatives of Ryou's there that offered him a home, but he told them that he was fine. Ryou, after the house was burnt, collected all of his inheritance. His father's will was saved with a lawyer-friend of his father's, whom he contacted. He got an apartment where he had first gotten one when he came to Japan. Ryou and Bakura were gradually trying to go back to a normal life.
So far, they had not seen any ghosts. The night after, when they slept at Yugi's because the apartment was not ready, Bakura thought he heard something growl. Ryou thought he felt something touch his back once.
But all-in-all, they had seen nothing.
Their friends who had died were forgotten on this day. Ryou even forgot his own father. He stood at his father's funeral, wondering what he was going to do. How he was going to live. Bakura just held onto Ryou, not talking, watching the coffin.
Ryou involuntarily felt were the evil markings were. They were gone now. Bakura's were too.
Ryou looked at the coffin. He smiled in remembrance of his father, for a short time. He remembered that his father had lived there for awhile with his sister, before she died. And then, a while after she did die, he rented Ryou an apartment and sent him to a new school. Even when he moved back, he went to the same school even though he was out of the district. That was Bakura's fault.
Then his thoughts traveled to something else, like where they were going to live. The insurance on the house would reimburse him some, and they could use his father's money to rent the apartment he once lived in.
They lowered the coffin into the ground. Ryou grabbed Bakura's hand and tightened his grip. Ryou held back tears as it sunk and everyone began to clear out. Finally, he buried his head into Bakura's shoulder and cried.
Bakura must be feeling sympathetic. He thought as he let the tears spill. Bakura gently rubbed Ryou's back.
"Are we ready?" he asked softly.
Ryou lifted his head and stole one last look at the small gravestone made of marble and the hole and then nodded. Bakura led him away with his arm protectively around Ryou's shoulder.
"Can we go to the river?" Ryou asked.
"Okay," Bakura replied softly.
For Ryou, the river was full of memories. Him and his dying little sister had played in it many times. It was far away from the graveyard, but well worth the walk to Ryou.
Ryou observed the failing leaves. They were turning colors of fall.
They reached the clear river. Ryou almost expected Amane to be standing there, waiting for him.
And then she was there. She wasn't transparent, she wasn't rotting. She was just Amane, smiling at Ryou. Ryou stepped away from Bakura and towards her. Then he started to run.
"Amane!" he cried and embraced her.
"Oh brother, I've been waiting such a long time for you to find me." She said in a strange voice.
"Well, now I have." Ryou smiled at her.
Bakura stood there, in deep shock. His eye twitched. He reached out to Ryou, to tell him it was a trick or something, but his voice was frozen.
"Will you play with me now?" She smiled sweetly.
"Of course Amane, I'll play with you for as long as you want!"
THE END