Chapter One: The White-Haired Dreamer

Not far from the Dark Forest surrounding the cursed palace of Bakura of Kaitou was a small, provincial town known as White Willows, and walking into the town square early one morning was a young man with long, layered white hair, gentle brown eyes and a delicate pale figure named Ryou reporting for work at the small bookstore on the corner.

Ryou pushed the door of the bookstore open as slowly as he could as not to ring the bell at the top and disturb the bookkeeper's granddaughter still likely sleeping upstairs. He hung his long coat and scarf on the coat tree by the door, and then snuck over to the bookshelf along the right wall and skimmed the titles on the sides. At last he found what he was looking for and pulled a thick crimson-covered novel with the title "Tales of Kings" off the shelf, before opening it and starting to read.

The story Ryou had been reading from this book was the first story he had ever read by himself and his very favorite; in fact, it is the very same story you just finished reading in our prologue. Ryou did not know why the story called to him so…but he couldn't help but be hopeful that there was more to people than what first met the eye.

Ryou's brown eyes went over the pictures next to the story, engrossed in the beautiful and dedicated detail.

'I sure hope there's more to the people in this provincial town than what I see of them everyday…if there were, I'd finally be able to be myself and find someone who'd understand me. After all, it's not like Amane and I are getting out of here very quickly.'

Amane was Ryou's twin sister and one of his only real friends in the world. She loved to paint, and she likely could've been known across the world as the next Picasso were she not a girl and accused time and again of paying a man to paint her something for the competitions she attended. Yet Amane remained hopeful that one day, she would finally be recognized and she could win her brother and her enough money to leave their provincial town and move to a city where they could pursue their dreams.

Ryou closed his eyes. 'If I had a library, it'd be three times bigger than this one…and there would be books in every language known to man…and anyone who wanted to write could come and enter their works into the library and get critiqued by readers and professional writers alike…it would be a reader's and writer's paradise!'

"Mind if I pluck you out of your daydream, Ryou?"

Ryou's brown eyes shot open and he looked over at Professor Hawkins walking down the staircase from his home into the library, smiling fondly at him.

The professor had been a very skilled archeologist, but he had since retired and opened up a bookstore in the provincial White Willows. However, if there was one thing he, his granddaughter Rebecca and Ryou could agree on, it was how boring the town could be. Ryou knew that Professor Hawkins would want nothing more than to return to the city, but because his bookstore wasn't very successful and he had to pay most of his earnings on rent and such, Professor Hawkins did not have enough money to move again.

"It's alright, Professor Hawkins," Ryou answered politely. "I wasn't thinking about anything out of the ordinary."

Professor Hawkins smiled. "Once again dreaming of the unknown adventures beyond that horizon? I know the feeling…"

The retired archeologist sighed and regained a more serious composure. "But now, we must focus on what is at hand…did you finish organizing the books last night? You stayed up quite late."

"Yes," Ryou replied, gesturing to the bookshelf he had been looking at. "First they're organized by genre, either Fiction, Non-Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction or Historical Fiction…then those are sub-divided into level of reading, Children's, Young Adults' and Mature…and last is alphabetically by author."

Professor Hawkins looked at the organized shelves with an unreadable look on his face, and Ryou immediately rushed to explain himself. "I know you said just to do it by genre, but I was worried people wouldn't be able to find what they were looking for if it was a specific book and-"

He stopped as his employer shook his head slowly. "I'm not angry…I'm just wondering why in God's name you are still stuck here. You're so intelligent…it's a shame you can't exercise your mind at a credentialed college."

Ryou blinked, and then nodded in grateful assent.

The professor gave a small smile in return, before walking to the coat tree and taking his hat and coat off it.

"I'm going out to get some more books from a new shipment on the edge of town, Ryou," he stated. "I'll probably be back in a couple of hours…you can manage the store that long, can't you?"

"Of course, sir," Ryou responded, privately thinking he wouldn't have to worry about much since so few ever entered the bookstore as it was.

"I knew I could count on you," said Professor Hawkins as he pulled on the other sleeve of his coat, before he opened the door, stepped calmly outside and quietly closed the door behind him.

The rest of that morning Ryou reread some of his favorite books. Rebecca, Professor Hawkins's granddaughter, came downstairs around 7 to get ready for school at 8, and the two only exchanged a wave of farewell as she hurried out the door. When the large grandfather clock behind the purchasing desk chimed 9:00, Ryou turned the "Closed" sign on the bookstore door over so that it read "Open," but no one paid any mind to the now-open bookstore, so the albino just continued reading.

As Ryou was finishing the tale of Bakura of Kaitou in "Tales of Kings" for the third time, however, he did not realize it when the bell on the door rang and the day's first and only customer entered the shop.

"Hello, Ryou-pretty."

Ryou jumped like a startled rabbit; he had been so engrossed he hadn't realized the customer had walked right next to him and was looking over his shoulder at his reading.

"Marik! What are you doing here?"

The platinum-blond-haired, violet-eyed and tanned young man known as Marik Ishtar had been Ryou's best friend when they were little. When they were eleven, Marik had gone away to a boarding school and returned a year ago completely different than what he had been. Obviously the strict school had changed him drastically; it was even rumored that he had killed one of his professors, even though there was no actual proof saying he did. Although Marik had grown slightly more handsome, as children becoming teenagers often do, his hair had become very spiky, his eyes now held a cruel glint and, most of all, it seemed as though his heart had grown cold…yet he still found it necessary to call his childhood friend "Ryou-pretty."

Marik chuckled darkly. "I'm not allowed to come and say hello to Ryou-pretty?"

Ryou sweatdropped. Marik's words by themselves sounded innocent enough, but the tone in which he said them made him feel nervous.

"You're plenty welcome…but I didn't think you liked reading."

"I don't," Marik assented, smirking slightly. "But I like Ryou-pretty."

He patted Ryou on the head as if he were a pet; Ryou tried not to shiver.

"So…what's going on?" Ryou inquired to change the subject. "H-how's Odeon?"

Odeon was Marik's older adopted brother, but because of Marik's father, Odeon ended being treated more like a servant after Marik's mother died as he wasn't a pure-blood Ishtar. When Marik and Ryou were young, Odeon would always help Marik sneak out of his work-focused home and help him get together with Ryou; unfortunately, ever since Marik returned from his boarding school, it seemed like the young Ishtar treated Odeon similarly to how his father did.

"He's outside waiting for me," Marik answered pitilessly. "Always acting like a silly dog, following me everywhere…I don't know if he realizes how much of a burden he is to me."

Ryou looked out the window to see an uncloaked, scarf-less Odeon with a very steadfast expression as he tried his best not to shiver from the cold. The albino felt a river of pity flood him.

"He looks cold, Marik," Ryou attempted to reproach. "Maybe he'd like to come inside…I could light a fire to get him warm-"

"Who cares about Odeon?" Marik retorted heartlessly, before he smiled coldly and he stroked Ryou's hair as his voice became a little cooler, "I'm cold too, Ryou-pretty…maybe you could warm me up."

Ryou flushed and pulled away from Marik, putting some of the books he'd been reading back on the shelves.

"Sorry, Marik, I've got work to do."

Marik's eyes darkened slightly, but he nonetheless forced his cold smile back onto his face.

"Ryou-pretty doesn't have to work so hard…if he was married to, ah…a more privileged person…he wouldn't have to work so hard…"

"Marriage?" recurred Ryou, shaking his head as he picked up "Tales of Kings." "I don't think so…I like my work…and I wouldn't want to marry just anyone."

"It wouldn't have to be just anyone," Marik pointed out seductively, taking the book out of Ryou's pale hands so that the albino was looking at him again. "It could be someone handsome, and protective, and wealthy…"

Ryou tried to take the book back from Marik, but the tanned young man kept it out of his reach.

"Marik, give me the book," he stated patiently.

Marik ignored him. "It could be someone who knows you very well…"

"Marik…give me the book," Ryou repeated.

"It could be someone who has courted you for months and been patient enough to accept your naivety," Marik plowed on, his voice sounding a bit irritated.

"Marik…give me the book," Ryou said for the third time, sounding a little less patient but not sounding angry.

"Ryou? I'm back!"

The bell on the door rang as Professor Hawkins pushed the door open, carrying a large pile of books.

Marik looked very annoyed at having been interrupted by the bookkeeper, but still turned to Ryou with that cold smile as he handed the red book to him at last.

"You want it? Very well then…"

He strode over to Professor Hawkins and slapped a silver piece on top of the pile of books he was holding.

"That should cover its price," the platinum-blond-haired man said coolly, shooting a quick smirk back at Ryou. "Consider it a gift, Ryou-pretty."

And with that, he swept from the store.

Ryou sighed, looking down at the book in his hands. 'Well, I guess if I did have extra money, I would've bought this anyway after all the times I've read it…but Marik…aiyah, he has changed so much…he thought I was being naïve…maybe he should've considered that I'm doing it on purpose?'

He scowled. 'And that silly name…"Ryou-pretty!" Really…'

"I don't blame you for that scowl," Professor Hawkins stated crisply as he put the pile of books down on the desk and eyed the door Marik had left through with civilized distaste. "Mr. Ishtar is quite an unsavory person, isn't he?"

Ryou shook his head. "We were such good friends when we were little, so there is goodness in him…but yes, he has changed…"

Professor Hawkins sighed. "I don't see how there could be any goodness in him, but you knew him better than I, so perhaps I'm not the best judge."

'Maybe you are,' Ryou thought to himself. 'It's so hard for me to see a friend as a bad person that I can't get Marik to back off.'

Professor Hawkins eyed the clock and his eyes widened slightly. "Oh my…this day has gotten away from us, hasn't it? Rebecca should be coming home from school any…"

As if bidden by her grandfather's words, the small blond-haired, green-haired girl known as Rebecca entered, her brown school bag slung over her shoulder.

"Hey, Grandpa," she greeted. "Hello, Ryou."

"Hi, Rebecca," Ryou answered kindly. "How was everything?"

"Boring," Rebecca snorted. "I still can't believe I'm stuck in this class of morons…the multiplication tables are not that hard!"

Rebecca, who was old enough to be in elementary school, nonetheless was extremely intelligent and likely could've already started high school were it not for the fact that White Willows had age restrictions for each class, making it impossible for Rebecca to skip grades.

Professor Hawkins wrapped a sympathetic arm around Rebecca. "Now, Rebecca…it's just not as easy for some people as it is for you. But don't worry…as soon as we have enough money, we'll move back into the city and get you a proper education."

"If I don't get stupefied by these incompetent teachers and too-easy lessons first," Rebecca scorned.

She sighed before looking over at Ryou and smiling. "So…any customers?"

"Marik," Ryou replied neutrally.

Rebecca crossed her arms. "That jerk…he doesn't even like books! All he likes is hurting people…and don't even try to deny it, Ryou, that guy is nuts," she added when the albino had opened his mouth to argue.

"At any rate," said Professor Hawkins as he looked up at the clock, "Rebecca, start your shift…Ryou, you may go home…say hello to your sister for me."

Ryou nodded as he pulled on his coat and wrapped his scarf around his neck. "Thanks…I will."

And so he left the shop and headed back out into town.

The winter cold bit the albino like a billion tiny bee-stings as he journeyed through the town square, past hat shops, flower shops and bars with larger groups of customers than any that had ever entered the bookstore. Ryou could understand why Odeon had been shivering; even with his coat and scarf, he still felt freezing. He took a side street away from the bustle of town and at last his eyes could make out his sister's and his home on the top of the large hill separating the town from the field that became the Dark Forest.

Ryou raised the almost-frozen hand not holding "Tales of Kings" to turn the doorknob on the forest green door to the right and push it open, before rushing inside and slamming the door behind him to get out of the biting cold.

The house was very small, but it still was quite cozy; everything was all on one level, and there was a large fire in the living room fireplace Ryou had just walked next to when he entered the house. The walls were painted muted greens and blues, except for the kitchen, which Amane had painted a bright, cheerful yellow.

Ryou shivered tremendously, taking off his coat and scarf and laying them by the fire to get warm for his next trip out.

"Amane?" he called. "I'm home!"

There was a scrambling from Amane's bedroom in the back of one putting down an art easel, and Amane hurried into the living room to greet her brother with a large hug.

Amane, like Ryou, had white hair and a pale figure, but her eyes were green, her hair was thinner than his, and she didn't look half as weak and helpless as her brother did. Smudges of paint could be found on her hands, clothes and face, but she didn't seem to mind one bit.

"How was work today?" Amane inquired.

Ryou shrugged. "Same old, same old…but Marik came to visit."

Amane raised an eyebrow. "I thought he didn't like reading."

"No," Ryou assented in annoyance, "but he likes 'Ryou-pretty' apparently…"

"I see," answered Amane, looking thoughtful. "Brother…tell me again what is so wrong with Marik that you won't give him a chance?"

Ryou sighed. "He was my friend, Amane…but…I just don't want to get married right now…I want to fall in love, not just...give myself up for money. I want to make my own happiness before I start searching for someone to share my happiness with. Besides…Marik just isn't my type…I want to be shown love, and not just through material possessions."

Amane smiled. "It's a very romantic thought, Ryou…but Marik could be romantic, deep down…you've said so yourself there is goodness in everyone."

"Now who's being romantic?" asked Ryou. "I do think there's goodness in everyone…but that goodness might not appeal to everyone, right? Marik is generous…but I don't really want a lot of generosity. I want…understanding."

Thinking he was putting too much thought into this, the albino brushed his words aside. "But…enough about what I want. How is your painting coming?"

Amane smiled, and without a word, she grabbed Ryou's hand and pulled him into her room where her easel was still set up.

Her painting was nothing short of gorgeous.

Blues and purples swirled and melded into each other to create an angel with scarred, bloody wings and holding two babies close to her chest protectively as she fell from pure white clouds down into red-orange and black flames that seemed to smirk at her as they consumed her tranquil colors.

Ryou's face broke out into a sad smile for the first time that day.

"It's really very beautiful, Amane," he murmured. "Mom would be honored the be the center of your piece."

Amane smiled slightly, small traces of tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Brother."

Ryou put an arm around her to give her a half-hug of comfort as the two siblings stared at the angel falling into the villainous trap of Hell on Earth, trying to protect her children from its fiery embrace.