Twill: Wow! I'm getting a lot of reviews! I'm glad you readers like this
fic so much! I know the last chapter was a bit short but I wanted to update
and so yeah...Also I'd like to thank crystal crittenden for her suggestion
for a chapter. I'm afraid I didn't use it exactly as was suggested but it
definitely helped with both this chapter and the last. Thanks! Well, you're
probably getting tired of reading my little not so I'll get on with the
story. ^__^
Seth: Twill does not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters, plots etc. She likes to think she does but she really doesn't
/blah/ = hikari thoughts
//blah// = yami thoughts
~blah~ = other thoughts
-blah- = still more thoughts
{blah} = you guessed it, different thoughts
Yaoi between Ryou and Bakura in later chapters...implied for now
---
Shattered Peace: Feathers in the Wind
---
I stared in a daze at the three new feathers. What did these mean? Once again I checked to see if I had wings extending from my back. Thankfully I didn't. A small sigh of relief escaped my lips as I settled back in my seat to listen to the lecture. Or I would have had I not been interrupted.
//Ryou, what exactly just happened?// I sighed mentally, hoping I wouldn't have to explain. But sadly I knew I had to, despite my own misgivings. Making sure there was nothing immediate I'd have to attend to, I plunged into what I had experienced just moments before. The feelings and images took over and my voice seemed far away to my ears. I was reliving the story again, of course not literally. A small tremor of pain arced through my body as I drew to the close. I winced internally and outward. //...// Silence...I was beginning to despise silence. The bell jolted me out of my pause and we students all stood and began to shuffle out of the room. Yugi gave me a strange look, no doubt concerned by my earlier antics. I certainly couldn't blame him. Bakura simply remained silent although I could feel he was tense. Suddenly I wanted nothing more than to remain in school for the rest of my life with my friends. No matter how much my yami may have seemed to change, I couldn't help but feel like he was waiting to take out his frustrations and stress on me. Like always before.
~Love...it shall not be a threat to the cause...not if you renounce your heart child~
There is was again, the voice I now believed to come from my favorite card. I wanted so desperately to understand what was going on and voices in my head weren't exactly helping. I glanced around, half afraid of what I might just see. The Shadow Realm inking its way across the hall, the Change of Heart smiling in its twisted way or some new fantastic horror to face alone in my dreams. The marching forms of other students were all that surrounded me. I think perhaps I was getting a bit paranoid. I cringed as my body finally decided to dump all the stress it felt down on me at once instead of small reminder twinges. It took most of my will power not to yell out in pain as my muscles screamed in agony. How could a dream feel so real?
"Ryou, please take your seat and stopping loitering in the doorway." My English teacher looked crossly at me over the top of her spectacles. I hadn't noticed I'd made it this far or that I was leaning heavily on the doorframe. It was like I couldn't stand without its support. Shifting onto my right leg I almost buckled and collapsed right there. Apparently I couldn't stand without some support. Well almost. Somehow with unknown strength I managed to hobble to my desk, all the way in the back, and collapse silently with relief and anguish. It really hurt to sit down that hard. The professor began to explain the assignment, waving her arms in unnecessary emphasis. It began to get on my nerves after a few minutes and I began to wish she would shut up already! Wait...had I just thought that? She was staring in disbelief along with most of the class. Had I just said that aloud?! "Ryou I think you should work in the hall today. I'll be along in a moment to speak with you." Perfect. I hastily grabbed all my papers and assorted school things. Now all I had to manage was get out of the room without fainting, tripping, stumbling awkwardly or otherwise drawing more attention to myself that I already had. Drawing a determined breath I strode forward, miraculously managing to reach the exit without anything out of the ordinary happening. Once I was beyond the sight of my classmates was another story. My body finally decided I'd had too much strain so I crumpled to the floor along with all my belongings. I swear I even heard my yami laugh. With a heavy hearted sigh I pulled out a crisp sheet of paper and began to write. Minutes ticked by as the words just came pouring out of my mind. We were to describe a passion, hobby, interest or other fascination. Naturally I could guess Yugi, Malik and the rest of my friends were writing about duel monsters. Well I couldn't be absolutely sure about Malik...but that didn't matter. No, my topic was geared more towards ancient Egypt and all its mysteries. Lately the subject hadn't been far from my mind. Go figure.
Soon the shadow of my instructor fell across my work. I had managed to write a fair bit. "Alright Ryou, I suspect you said what you did out of exhaustion. Yugi told me about what happened last period." She looked down at me as if I'd let her down at some crucial moment. It ground my nerves again but this time I didn't say or think anything about it...as far as I know. "Hand in your work and we'll forget all about what happened earlier." Trying hard not roll my eyes I handed up the pages I'd written. She glanced down to make sure it was finished or that I had dotted all my i's and crossed all my t's. Whatever. "Would you please explain this?" She flipped over the page so I could review. Everything was...it wasn't mine. The writing wasn't my style and it changed several times as though several different people had all contributed. What seriously sent shivers down my spine was I couldn't remember writing anything, not even what was staring me in the face. My mind was a total blank. "I expect this assignment to be competed and handed in first thing tomorrow morning. I don't want to call your parents if I don't have to." Fat chance she'd get my father, him being away on digs all the time. I nodded mutely and took the paper from her. Where had all this come from? I began to read what I...what someone...what was written.
~The Realm has been awakened again, what side have you decided upon?~
-Unlike you I have not quickly decided. My loyalties lie with none thus far and may not for the duration. Your deeds have changed nothing in my eyes.-
{I am much the same. Your messiah seems too unpredictable to be of much use to anyone much less your cause. He is much more suitable as a corridor as obvious by this testament.}
~The child will prove himself! He is a holder and as such is tied with the shadows. Yes he may be a light but who is to say that light cannot be consumed by the darkness? At least I have found my own, what of you? Nothing more than cowards seeking asylum within a host.~
{My time draws closer! My own, the Illusionist, has become closer to the gloom. Soon, soon my time will arise and I shall bond as you have done. Perhaps, yes, I shall join the Realm and with two success is far greater!}
-Both of you have lost yourselves, such a pity. I cannot say that I'm surprised, what with your two sides in constant disagreement and you tied with one who is unstable. I wouldn't be surprised if you're drunk on power as well. So very sad to see two such powers reduced to fractions of their former glory.-
{So it seems you have chosen to side with the ancient kingdom. Predictable what with the old king being yours.}
-I may have reached my conclusion but it is you, both of you, who are the unsurprising ones. As the saying goes, history repeats itself and as such you are doomed to failure.-
{Ah, but that's where you are wrong. History has never been written like this before and it shall be remembered!}
-And that is all it will accomplish, becoming a memory of continued failure in a line of catastrophes.-
~You may speak the truth in your wise words but then again you may merely be holding up a front to hide your fears. Already my own has lost one token, his light has begun to fade to half its former potency. Love is clouded, truth will be easily overthrown, innocence can be easily stolen and as for memory, who is to say the bearer shall not suffer amnesia? You would be wise to alter your decision, wait, you have no wisdom to boast!~
-Nothing is certain yet. The Shadow Games may indeed fall again, this time forever if we're lucky. The old king did it once and shall do it again, especially now that light has joined his darkness. Only time shall tell for sure, too bad the pet did not gain the wizard instead of the flame. Then this conflict could have been solved early.-
{What does it matter? The guard, priest, wench and tailor are not gifted now as they once were. Only the Illusionist, Seeker and Old King have any chance to regain themselves. The other holders too are worthless as they do not even meld both light and shadow. With two supporting shadow, you, spell caster, and your king, shall fail once and eternally.}
-We shall see dragon, we shall see...-
The text faded from the page as I read over the last words. Illusionist? Priest? None of it made sense to me as far as I understood it. What did it have to do with me? I figured they, whoever 'they' were, had referred to me as a conduit and other object related things.
~So he recorded our little conversation I see. Well no matter, now I believe you have another class child.~
The voice again. I couldn't take it anymore! I crumpled the pages and threw them behind me. They happened to hit my English teacher squarely in the forehead but I didn't care. I just didn't care.
~And so truth is distorted, one more task completed. I'll have to thank the spell caster for his unwitting assistance.~
/GET OUT OF MY HEAD!/
//...Ryou?//
/GET OUT!/ I could feel uncertainty through my link with Bakura. It didn't matter, I needed peace. With probably my last coherent thought, I forced my yami out of the ring and managed to convey I needed him to cover for me. Once that was done, I bolted down the hall and outside. Everything was hazy, rushing past in a watercolor blur. It took me a few moments before I realized tears were streaming from my eyes, casting a pale watery shade over everything. I didn't care. I didn't care about anything...did I? I stopped. My heart felt heavy, almost like it was made of something heavy...or frozen. What was going on?
~As I thought, you have nothing to hold your heart in place. But why hasn't your love fallen into the Realm?~
Clutching my head I screamed. The voice, the memory blank and just everything was too much. My stress had reached its peak. Pain streaked through my body at this very moment sending me falling to my knees. Just perfect. I clenched and unclenched my fists as every muscle seemed to spasm all at one. Wave after wave of torture crashed down on my senses causing stars to explode in my vision. Then all at once it stopped aside from a vague pressure that seemed ready to expand. I decided not wait before it started again. Standing, I began to run again. The pressure increased and exploded outwards but this time I didn't feel it. My mind was set on other things. All I needed to do was get home, and then everything would be alright. Everything would be normal.
Right.
The houses flew by and the sidewalk seemed to disappear under my feet I was running so blindly. Only a few more feet forward, around the corner and two blocks more then I was home. I opened my eyes just to make sure I wasn't about to careen into traffic. There was no street in front of me, not even a parked car. I was standing in front of my front door. How, in Ra's name, had I gotten here when a wall of houses had blocked my way? I opened the door and stepped inside, trying not to think too much about it. I had probably misjudged the distance and was running more on instinct than I had thought. That made sense, more so than most things in my life were. I headed upstairs and down the hall towards my bedroom. Passing the bathroom on that floor, something caught my eye. It was my image, it didn't seem right. I flipped on the light switch and nearly fainted at the sight my eyes beheld.
I was the Change of Heart.
---
Twill: Heh, I think that turned out really well. I hope everyone out there enjoyed it! So far no one has suggested a POV so I've stuck with Ryou for the most part. However, I'm considering doing someone else, any preference? Yugi, Yami, Malik...well he's not in it much so far but you get the idea. Let me know when you R&R!!
Seth: Twill does not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters, plots etc. She likes to think she does but she really doesn't
/blah/ = hikari thoughts
//blah// = yami thoughts
~blah~ = other thoughts
-blah- = still more thoughts
{blah} = you guessed it, different thoughts
Yaoi between Ryou and Bakura in later chapters...implied for now
---
Shattered Peace: Feathers in the Wind
---
I stared in a daze at the three new feathers. What did these mean? Once again I checked to see if I had wings extending from my back. Thankfully I didn't. A small sigh of relief escaped my lips as I settled back in my seat to listen to the lecture. Or I would have had I not been interrupted.
//Ryou, what exactly just happened?// I sighed mentally, hoping I wouldn't have to explain. But sadly I knew I had to, despite my own misgivings. Making sure there was nothing immediate I'd have to attend to, I plunged into what I had experienced just moments before. The feelings and images took over and my voice seemed far away to my ears. I was reliving the story again, of course not literally. A small tremor of pain arced through my body as I drew to the close. I winced internally and outward. //...// Silence...I was beginning to despise silence. The bell jolted me out of my pause and we students all stood and began to shuffle out of the room. Yugi gave me a strange look, no doubt concerned by my earlier antics. I certainly couldn't blame him. Bakura simply remained silent although I could feel he was tense. Suddenly I wanted nothing more than to remain in school for the rest of my life with my friends. No matter how much my yami may have seemed to change, I couldn't help but feel like he was waiting to take out his frustrations and stress on me. Like always before.
~Love...it shall not be a threat to the cause...not if you renounce your heart child~
There is was again, the voice I now believed to come from my favorite card. I wanted so desperately to understand what was going on and voices in my head weren't exactly helping. I glanced around, half afraid of what I might just see. The Shadow Realm inking its way across the hall, the Change of Heart smiling in its twisted way or some new fantastic horror to face alone in my dreams. The marching forms of other students were all that surrounded me. I think perhaps I was getting a bit paranoid. I cringed as my body finally decided to dump all the stress it felt down on me at once instead of small reminder twinges. It took most of my will power not to yell out in pain as my muscles screamed in agony. How could a dream feel so real?
"Ryou, please take your seat and stopping loitering in the doorway." My English teacher looked crossly at me over the top of her spectacles. I hadn't noticed I'd made it this far or that I was leaning heavily on the doorframe. It was like I couldn't stand without its support. Shifting onto my right leg I almost buckled and collapsed right there. Apparently I couldn't stand without some support. Well almost. Somehow with unknown strength I managed to hobble to my desk, all the way in the back, and collapse silently with relief and anguish. It really hurt to sit down that hard. The professor began to explain the assignment, waving her arms in unnecessary emphasis. It began to get on my nerves after a few minutes and I began to wish she would shut up already! Wait...had I just thought that? She was staring in disbelief along with most of the class. Had I just said that aloud?! "Ryou I think you should work in the hall today. I'll be along in a moment to speak with you." Perfect. I hastily grabbed all my papers and assorted school things. Now all I had to manage was get out of the room without fainting, tripping, stumbling awkwardly or otherwise drawing more attention to myself that I already had. Drawing a determined breath I strode forward, miraculously managing to reach the exit without anything out of the ordinary happening. Once I was beyond the sight of my classmates was another story. My body finally decided I'd had too much strain so I crumpled to the floor along with all my belongings. I swear I even heard my yami laugh. With a heavy hearted sigh I pulled out a crisp sheet of paper and began to write. Minutes ticked by as the words just came pouring out of my mind. We were to describe a passion, hobby, interest or other fascination. Naturally I could guess Yugi, Malik and the rest of my friends were writing about duel monsters. Well I couldn't be absolutely sure about Malik...but that didn't matter. No, my topic was geared more towards ancient Egypt and all its mysteries. Lately the subject hadn't been far from my mind. Go figure.
Soon the shadow of my instructor fell across my work. I had managed to write a fair bit. "Alright Ryou, I suspect you said what you did out of exhaustion. Yugi told me about what happened last period." She looked down at me as if I'd let her down at some crucial moment. It ground my nerves again but this time I didn't say or think anything about it...as far as I know. "Hand in your work and we'll forget all about what happened earlier." Trying hard not roll my eyes I handed up the pages I'd written. She glanced down to make sure it was finished or that I had dotted all my i's and crossed all my t's. Whatever. "Would you please explain this?" She flipped over the page so I could review. Everything was...it wasn't mine. The writing wasn't my style and it changed several times as though several different people had all contributed. What seriously sent shivers down my spine was I couldn't remember writing anything, not even what was staring me in the face. My mind was a total blank. "I expect this assignment to be competed and handed in first thing tomorrow morning. I don't want to call your parents if I don't have to." Fat chance she'd get my father, him being away on digs all the time. I nodded mutely and took the paper from her. Where had all this come from? I began to read what I...what someone...what was written.
~The Realm has been awakened again, what side have you decided upon?~
-Unlike you I have not quickly decided. My loyalties lie with none thus far and may not for the duration. Your deeds have changed nothing in my eyes.-
{I am much the same. Your messiah seems too unpredictable to be of much use to anyone much less your cause. He is much more suitable as a corridor as obvious by this testament.}
~The child will prove himself! He is a holder and as such is tied with the shadows. Yes he may be a light but who is to say that light cannot be consumed by the darkness? At least I have found my own, what of you? Nothing more than cowards seeking asylum within a host.~
{My time draws closer! My own, the Illusionist, has become closer to the gloom. Soon, soon my time will arise and I shall bond as you have done. Perhaps, yes, I shall join the Realm and with two success is far greater!}
-Both of you have lost yourselves, such a pity. I cannot say that I'm surprised, what with your two sides in constant disagreement and you tied with one who is unstable. I wouldn't be surprised if you're drunk on power as well. So very sad to see two such powers reduced to fractions of their former glory.-
{So it seems you have chosen to side with the ancient kingdom. Predictable what with the old king being yours.}
-I may have reached my conclusion but it is you, both of you, who are the unsurprising ones. As the saying goes, history repeats itself and as such you are doomed to failure.-
{Ah, but that's where you are wrong. History has never been written like this before and it shall be remembered!}
-And that is all it will accomplish, becoming a memory of continued failure in a line of catastrophes.-
~You may speak the truth in your wise words but then again you may merely be holding up a front to hide your fears. Already my own has lost one token, his light has begun to fade to half its former potency. Love is clouded, truth will be easily overthrown, innocence can be easily stolen and as for memory, who is to say the bearer shall not suffer amnesia? You would be wise to alter your decision, wait, you have no wisdom to boast!~
-Nothing is certain yet. The Shadow Games may indeed fall again, this time forever if we're lucky. The old king did it once and shall do it again, especially now that light has joined his darkness. Only time shall tell for sure, too bad the pet did not gain the wizard instead of the flame. Then this conflict could have been solved early.-
{What does it matter? The guard, priest, wench and tailor are not gifted now as they once were. Only the Illusionist, Seeker and Old King have any chance to regain themselves. The other holders too are worthless as they do not even meld both light and shadow. With two supporting shadow, you, spell caster, and your king, shall fail once and eternally.}
-We shall see dragon, we shall see...-
The text faded from the page as I read over the last words. Illusionist? Priest? None of it made sense to me as far as I understood it. What did it have to do with me? I figured they, whoever 'they' were, had referred to me as a conduit and other object related things.
~So he recorded our little conversation I see. Well no matter, now I believe you have another class child.~
The voice again. I couldn't take it anymore! I crumpled the pages and threw them behind me. They happened to hit my English teacher squarely in the forehead but I didn't care. I just didn't care.
~And so truth is distorted, one more task completed. I'll have to thank the spell caster for his unwitting assistance.~
/GET OUT OF MY HEAD!/
//...Ryou?//
/GET OUT!/ I could feel uncertainty through my link with Bakura. It didn't matter, I needed peace. With probably my last coherent thought, I forced my yami out of the ring and managed to convey I needed him to cover for me. Once that was done, I bolted down the hall and outside. Everything was hazy, rushing past in a watercolor blur. It took me a few moments before I realized tears were streaming from my eyes, casting a pale watery shade over everything. I didn't care. I didn't care about anything...did I? I stopped. My heart felt heavy, almost like it was made of something heavy...or frozen. What was going on?
~As I thought, you have nothing to hold your heart in place. But why hasn't your love fallen into the Realm?~
Clutching my head I screamed. The voice, the memory blank and just everything was too much. My stress had reached its peak. Pain streaked through my body at this very moment sending me falling to my knees. Just perfect. I clenched and unclenched my fists as every muscle seemed to spasm all at one. Wave after wave of torture crashed down on my senses causing stars to explode in my vision. Then all at once it stopped aside from a vague pressure that seemed ready to expand. I decided not wait before it started again. Standing, I began to run again. The pressure increased and exploded outwards but this time I didn't feel it. My mind was set on other things. All I needed to do was get home, and then everything would be alright. Everything would be normal.
Right.
The houses flew by and the sidewalk seemed to disappear under my feet I was running so blindly. Only a few more feet forward, around the corner and two blocks more then I was home. I opened my eyes just to make sure I wasn't about to careen into traffic. There was no street in front of me, not even a parked car. I was standing in front of my front door. How, in Ra's name, had I gotten here when a wall of houses had blocked my way? I opened the door and stepped inside, trying not to think too much about it. I had probably misjudged the distance and was running more on instinct than I had thought. That made sense, more so than most things in my life were. I headed upstairs and down the hall towards my bedroom. Passing the bathroom on that floor, something caught my eye. It was my image, it didn't seem right. I flipped on the light switch and nearly fainted at the sight my eyes beheld.
I was the Change of Heart.
---
Twill: Heh, I think that turned out really well. I hope everyone out there enjoyed it! So far no one has suggested a POV so I've stuck with Ryou for the most part. However, I'm considering doing someone else, any preference? Yugi, Yami, Malik...well he's not in it much so far but you get the idea. Let me know when you R&R!!