Within a soulroom whose whiteness is now ash and can no longer be used as a hiding place, a boy thrashes to awakening. He is still screaming.
Alister knows that sound, remembers that sound, hates that sound. He knows that sound because he has heard it so many times as he awakens from dreams of Mikey and his mother and fire and war. Alister remembers that sound from the elderly shop owner who watched his sons be killed by Gozaburo's men and who screamed every night until he hung himself from his store's rafters. Alister hates that sound because it is the sound of someone's sanity dying.
The couch in the living room and the fitful sleep that accompanies it are left behind. Within moments, Alister is standing in the bedroom doorway. Ryo's larger friends, Joey and Tristan, are trying to hold the boy down. Those screams are still piercing Alister's ears as he forces himself to move towards Ryo. The young man freezes when he meets the boy's eyes. Pure terror resides within them as well as that realization that that nightmare was no illusion or dream. Your family is dead. You are truly alone.
When the boy breaks free, Alister is still stuck back home, watching everyone burn again. However, when Ryo begins to push past him, Alister awakens, remembers the bridge, and makes the connection.
I cannot escape. I cannot return home. Something traps and constricts me. What is-
Alister holds onto the boy, even when Ryo tries to pull away, to twist and turn out of the young man's grip.
I want to go home and see Mother and Sister and Brother again. Why am I being stopped? Why-
"Ryo, it is okay. Calm down, please." Yugi's voice wavers.
An anchor, but it is not Amane. It is not my anchor.
Maya cries from the spot she was sleeping in. Miho and Tea stare on in horror. Joey and Tristan are still sitting on Ryo's bed. Alister is silent until-
"You're being selfish." Like the elderly storeowner who left his baby granddaughter behind.
"I know it hurts, but you live with it. You don't delude yourself with thoughts that you're going home and not leaving anyone behind."
What am I doing?
It takes a moment for the words to sink in, but eventually they do. The screaming turns into sobbing and the struggling into the same latched on grip as under the bridge.
The world has reoriented itself. Yugi, Maya, Alister, Tristan, Joey, Tea, and Miho are my anchors now. My sanity. My balance.
The boy looses the will to stand. Alister helps him sink to the floor slowly. Yugi comes and places a hand on Ryo's shoulder.
They are my home now.
Ryo has not talked to Miho for two days, but that is fine because at least he is eating. Miho sits next to Ryo and watches as he spoons the soup into his mouth. He eats one slow bite at a time, and sometimes he will pause for a minute and stare dully at his food. However, that is okay because at least he is not just staring at his food with empty eyes as Miho attempts to feed him forkful by forkful. Miho never ever wants to do that again. She has often daydreamed of feeding Ryo, but those dreams are fun and romantic. They are not like yesterday's little nightmare.
Halfway through the bowl, Ryo pushes it away.
"Are you done, Ryo?" Miho does not expect an answer. Ryo was eating on his own and that is good enough for now.
Ryo does not look at her and his eyes are still a dull green, but he nods. He nods a small nod and moves to stand on his own.
Miho feels like crying, but it would be happy crying, so that is fine. She glances at Alister, who stands with sharp eyes a few feet away. As he comes to guide Ryo to whatever room, his sharp grey eyes meet her purple eyes for just a second. Before he looks towards Ryo, Miho can see his sharp gaze has softened slightly and that is good because that means that Alister believes that Ryo has improved. Once the two have left the room, Miho smiles at Tea who lingers in the kitchen. Tea gives a small smile back, but it is off. It does not reach Tea's eyes and it falls off far too quick. Miho assumes the other girl is simply tired and keeps smiling to herself. The brunette has been cooking meals for seven people after all.
Tristan glances out of the storefront's large windows. Pitch-black darkness that only exists in the later hours of the night pushes against the glass. He steps back. A cold shiver travels up his spine while he wonders where the streetlights that were in the parking lot went. He takes another step back and blinks and then the streetlights are there again and so are the lights of one of the few cars left in the parking lot. The tall adolescent shakes his head.
I need more sleep.
It has been five nights since Tristan has slept through the night. Five nights since he has not woken up to the sound of a boy's screams or to the sobbing that often accompanies them. Five nights he has stayed up wide-awake after those nightmares. It is no wonder that he has started hallucinating.
It is not like I can nap during the day.
The apartment is too quiet. Even though it is full of people, hardly anyone talks besides to give quiet encouragement to Ryo. The white-haired boy himself is always silent. Although Tristan would not admit it, the boy's silence is nerve-wracking in of itself. It reminds him of the silence that accompanies a funeral, and Tristan finds himself afraid that, if he does not stay awake, the boy's own silence will consume him and Ryo will disappear while Tristan sleeps.
Before, Tristan would never admit these concerns to himself (Ryo is his rival for Miho's attention), but after seeing Ryo and what happens when someone sweeps their thoughts under the rug, Tristan finds himself examining and acknowledging each and every thought that enters his head.
When a clerk glares at the tall adolescent who has been standing in place for too long. Tristan shakes himself out of his own head and turns to grab the energy drink that he originally came to the front of the store to get.
After paying for it, he takes a swig of it while clutching the receipt in one hand and walks back to the other end of the store. Tea still stands by the produce aisle. She stares blankly at a cabbage in her hand while the fluorescent lights accent the dark circles under her eyes. An old lady glances at her with obvious concern and lightly taps Tea's arm.
"Excuse me, young lady."
Tea jerks back. Her eyes come back into focus and her gaze rests on the lady.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I in your way?"
Tristan watches the two interact and listens to Tea weave a tale about the stress of schoolwork and future college plans. Not quite satisfied, the old lady quietly accepts her excuses and kindly gives some suggestions for getting extra sleep. When the lady leaves, Tristan steps up to Tea's right.
"Start hallucinating yet?"
Tea glares at him as she stuffs some leafy produce into a plastic bag and places it in the cart.
"Very funny, Tristan." Her clipped voice does not faze him.
"I'm not joking. If you are, then this might help." He hands her a black tea he bought with his drink. As Tea automatically takes the tea, her blue eyes widen.
"Sorry, Tristan. I am just-"
"Tired?" Tristan asks. "Yeah, I know." The pointed-haired male huffs the last sentence. Tea looks down, and they both stand in silence until-
"Yugi's grandpa doubts that we can save him." Tea's gaze looks in the direction of the produce shelves, but her eyes are focused on something far away.
Tristan flinches at those words. He turns towards her with shock in his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"He knew about the Ring before we even mentioned it, and he said that there is not a single known case of someone surviving ownership of it. They all suffer under it until they die." Tea's voice is reminiscent of the same emptiness Tristan kept hearing in Ryo's voice until five nights ago.
"That is complete crap."
Tea looks up and stares at Tristan.
"Of course you're only going to hear about all the ones who suffered. No one wants to hear about the guy who dropped the Ring off a cliff and never saw it again or that ancient guy who kept the Ring on a shelf all day." Tristan glares at the piles of cucumbers in front of him.
"Especially if the Ring Spirit is a torn off piece of Ryo's soul and not some demon who has been possessing and preying on people for millennia, just because the Ring's uses shadow magic does not mean that it hurts everybody. I mean, look at Yugi. He has an item that probably was created by the same group of people and he's fine." Tristan turns to walk away. No, he turns to hide his face.
Personally, I would not be surprised if the Ring was a millennia old demon, but Tea needs peace of mind. I can handle that knowledge a lot more than she can.
Tristan hears Tea's sigh of relief. However, he then hears her gasp. When he turns to look at her, Tea's hand that is not resting on the cart is pressed against her mouth.
"Is…Yugi has the same type of object. Does that mean Yugi's Other Self is like…" Tea never finishes that sentence.
It takes an hour to grab three more items from the store shelves, and by the time the two return to Ryo's apartment, everyone is asleep except Alister who talks in hushed tones to someone on his cell phone. While Tristan listens and helps Tea put away the ingredients, he does not understand a word Alister says except the name Bakura and Domino Museum. Tristan really does not care about Alister right now. Comparisons between Yugi and his darker self are too busy running through his mind.
For the first time in almost a week, Ryo does not wake up screaming; although, he does whimper softly. Tristan does not sleep anyways. He was too busy glancing at his snoozing, smallest friend, and awful thoughts weigh too heavily on his mind.
During the second day, it took Maya four tries before she was able to keep the tears out of her voice enough to call Risa and the headmaster of Black Rose. They had to think she had the flu, and a tearful voice would have had Risa pounding on Maya's door demanding to know what was really going on.
It is now the sixth day, and Maya watches Ryo as he sits on his bed looking through the cards that he was showing Yugi so long ago. The young girl fidgets from her place on the floor and looks back to her textbook that she has not even glanced at in days. Like they have been for the past hour, the words blur on the page, and Maya finds that she has been on the same page since she began. The girl presses her left hand to her forehead and closes the book with her right. Large brown eyes glance at Ryo again.
He hasn't talked in days. Is that good or bad? Did his "condition" of before come back? Am I Maya or Amane to him, or does he even know who any of us are? Is that why he isn't talking?
Maya's thoughts race in circles in her head. Her unfocused gaze still rests upon Ryo when the boy looks up. He stares at her for a while. The dullness shifts to a different look that is reminiscent of calculative.
"Maya."
Everything in Maya's head stops. Her eyes widen and focus back on Ryo. As her breath catches, her name lingers in the air.
"I'm sorry for worrying you. I know that you are wondering if I…descended back into the delusions of before. I didn't. I'm still here. It's just…I need time." His voice trembles, but Maya looks up at him with a smile. There are tears in her eyes, but even she can't tell whether they are of happiness or sadness.
"Of course, Big Brother."
Later on, after Ryo has talked a little with everyone, Maya notices that the apartment is not as quiet. Miho chatters to whoever will listen now, and the others actually start real conversations with Ryo and with each other. A little later than that, Maya sees Tristan snoozing away on the couch.
The child, Ryo Bakura, he's missed more than a week of school hasn't he?
A red-haired woman smiles to herself as she flicks through the student records. It has been weeks since she has had fun, so this boy's constant absence is a godsend.
Ooh, look at that. He has such a lovely record from his previous schools. Her smile grows wider as she studies Ryo Bakura's older records.
If I expel him, it's not like I am being mean. He has broken the rules. Besides, it's obvious that he is a danger to other students. I am actually being quite heroic in this case.
The woman pauses and frowns. She lightly dabs at her face. When she does not feel any cracks, her grin returns. A glint of paper catches her eyes, and the grin vanishes.
It's not like I can expel any of them. The woman glares at the files of Yugi's little friends. She absolutely despises them, but memories of a crimson-eyed gaze and a devilish smirk force her to exercise caution when it comes to them. Even when they break the rules, the woman knows that they are untouchable.
Just as the red-haired woman has collected all of the evidence that she needs, the phone on her desk gives out a shrill little ring. She huffs, disappointed that she will have to wait a little longer for her fun, but dutifully answers the phone like any good teacher would.
"Greetings, Ms. Chono, I see that you are at your office after hours. Find something interesting?"
That voice. The phone almost drops out of her hand, but her grip tightens at the last minute. Ms. Chono, the Wicked Witch of Expel, trembles as she glances at the doors and windows in the room. He has to be here somewhere. There is no way that this phone call was an accident.
"Hello, Mr. Muto, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" She keeps the quaver out of her voice, but she can still hear her heart pounding in her ears.
There is silence on the other end, but then the voice picks up a lighter tone.
"I merely wanted to ask a favor, Ms. Chono, if that is not too out of bounds for a student."
She grinds her teeth at his words.
You know that I don't have much of a choice, you brat.
"What is it?" Her voice is not rude, she already spent a few hours on her makeup today, but the lack of "oh no bother at all Mr. Muto" or other frivolous phrases should get the point across that she does not want to play his word games.
"I see. Well, you do deserve straightforwardness. A friend of mine, Ryo Bakura, has recently suffered a tragedy that may prevent him from attending school for a while longer. Can you see to it that there is no misunderstanding for this absence?"
It takes every ounce of her willpower not to crunch the files in her hand into little wrinkled balls and to chuck them at the wall.
"Yugi," There is no point in pretending that he is an ordinary student. "If a while longer is a few days, then that is within my ability to do so. If it is more than that length of time, I will not be able to help you by myself."
The voice does not even pause. "Will Tsuruoka's or Mr. Karita's assistance be enough?"
Ms. Chono does not even want to know what Yugi Muto did to those two.
"Yes."
"Then let them know that this is a favor for myself. Their cooperation should be ensured. Thank you Ms. Chono for your help in this task."
She senses that he is about to hang up the phone and quickly speaks. He will not have the last word.
"There is one thing, Yugi." She purposely pauses. "Next time you want something, don't pretend to ask."
Her phone hangs up with a click. She is shaking more now, but…
That was worth it.
Her pride needed that. For the rest of the night, Ms. Chono refuses to look out any of the windows that she passes. Even if that Muto were out there, she would not see him in the darkness. Besides, it would only give him the satisfaction of seeing her scared.
It has been almost two weeks, but Alister never asks Ryo about the nightmares. He only let Ryo know after the second night that "if you want to talk, I'll listen," but Ryo has not taken Alister up on that offer.
The pale light of the stove casts long shadows in the kitchen. Alister sits across the table from Ryo and watches as the boy stares at the new cards that the Game Shop owner, Solomon Muto, brought earlier today. Pale fingers trace the surface of one card, a scrawny insect, and pick it and its two brothers up to place on top of the deck Ryo has been building for the past few days. The rest Ryo stacks into a pile for his friends to look through in the morning.
Alister studies the boy carefully. Ryo's pale fingers stay steady. Until only a few days ago, for the past weeks, they had been constantly trembling. Ryo's ghost white hair sways when he reaches for his deck, and Alister notes that it is far better kept than it has been. When Alister gaze focuses on Ryo's face, the boy does not glance up like he had been doing for a while tonight. Instead, intent green eyes focus on the cards in the deck that he has constructed.
It's refreshing compared to the emptiness in his eyes before. At least, he has a better hold of himself now.
The shadows under the boy's eyes are still darker than they should be, but they have lightened since the beginning of Ryo's nightmares. As the boy continues to study his cards, Alister notices an unwelcome angular look to Ryo's features.
You need to eat more.
As though he senses Alister's thoughts, Ryo stiffens. When Ryo glances up at Alister, the pale orange light of the stove reflects off his green eyes. It looks almost like fire.
Unwanted thoughts enter Alister's head and he looks away from Ryo to look at the clock. When his gaze stays in that direction for too long, Ryo glances turn into a stable look. The boy stares as Alister looks into some far off distance. His grey eyes simmer with some emotion that has his right hand, which hangs over the side of his chair, clenched into a fist.
"Mikey burned alive." Alister's words drop like pebbles into the silence of the room. Ryo remains silent and completely still. His hand stays poised over one card.
"I don't know if it was quick or not for him. Our country was in the middle of a war and they had finally started evacuating some of the younger children. I was too old, so when they came, they had to pull him away from me. I didn't fight as hard as I could have because, deep down, I thought that he would be safe." Alister does not pause but as he still gazes into the distance, Ryo can see the sorrow and hate brewing in his eyes.
"Mother had already disappeared by that point, swallowed up by the violence of the war one night. My friends had died one by one." Cut through with shrapnel and bullets. "He was all I had left." For the first time, Alister pauses. "The tank blew up right in front of me. I can still taste the ash in the air. I can still hear the stillness that followed the explosion."
"You can still see your world falling apart as the last anchor you have is destroyed." Ryo's voice, although quiet, carries. Alister looks at him. For that moment in time, there is complete understanding between them. Then, Ryo's words once again carry through the air.
"Father found us."
The Museum terrifies most people this late at night. From the darkness, it looms out towards anyone who walks up its steps. Its large windows and doors threaten to swallow up any who dare come too near. No one has broken past its barriers. No one has dared to steal its treasures and secrets.
The swish of a grey green coat and the footstep of leather shoes threaten this occurrence. Two figures walk up its stone steps. One stands tall above the other. As he walks, his short red hair seems to frame his stone hard eyes. Besides him, walks a shorter companion; although, his spiked hair attempts to reach the other's height. While crimson eyes focus only on the door in front of them, the shadows around the pair flicker like candlelight.
Alister steps first through the door and heads to the alarm control pad that is a few paces from the entrance. The Dark Yugi continues to walk to their intended destination. A few clicks of a keypad later, Alister joins him in their walk to the heart of the Domino Museum.
It takes minutes for them to reach the office of the infamous Dr. Bakura, and seconds for Alister to slide behind the computer in the archeologist's office. Dark Yugi settles himself in a chair on the opposite side of the room. He sits with his arms crossed and leans back. Crimson eyes remain focused solely on Alister. For several minutes, all that is heard is the click of keys. For several minutes, all Dark Yugi does is observe the way the blue light of the computer makes Alister's face appear inhuman.
"You're good at this."
Alister does not look at Dark Yugi, does not react in any way outwardly to Dark Yugi. The click of computer keys stays the same rhythm.
"I suppose a simple computer system like this is no obstacle for a military man such as yourself." Dark Yugi continues on undeterred. "Although, I wonder why we are even here."
There is a pause in the taps. It is quick, so quick that one has to be listening hard to hear it, but it is there.
"You would think that your organization would have most of the information on Ryo Bakura's father's whereabouts already." Dark Yugi tilts his head to the side.
"It would be very sloppy to send someone to watch Ryo Bakura without having that information on hand." Dark Yugi has to resist the urge to smirk then, but his eyes glint with excitement. Alister's hands hover over the keyboard. There is no other change in his expression, but that gesture is enough.
"I explained before that-" Alister's flat tone cuts off when Dark Yugi speaks.
"I said no lies, Alister. Even if the punishment for them is less severe than before, the rules still apply." The dark one's playful tone causes the shadows in the room to curl. A spark of fear briefly appears in Alister's eyes before it is stomped out.
Ah, there it is.
Luckily, Yugi is asleep; otherwise, he would not have reacted well to Dark Yugi's anticipation.
"Well, you might not be lying. I suppose you could have just guessed where Ryo's apartment was when you first carried him mostly unconscious back to his home. And I suppose that there is a perfectly good reason for you to be out in a storm like that." Dark Yugi smirks as Alister looks towards him. When the military man looks away, the smirk remains.
"Wow. Your still angry about that call aren't you? What did that teacher pet of yours say to upset you so greatly that you have to point out the obvious in an attempt to regain your confidence?" The click of the keyboard continues.
The smirk vanishes so fast, that it is like it never existed at all. All that is left is an expressionless mask. Alister refuses to look up. He knows that a psychotic touch grows in those crimson eyes, and he has no desire to encourage it.
Actually…
"If you're curious, it was a bad idea to make that call where I could hear you." Alister simply cannot resist that last jab said in a stage whisper. He ignores the shadows that curl around the edges of the room.
A few more strokes of the keyboard and Alister breaks through the firewall.
"You're right. That was a mistake on my part." The apologetic tone sounds real, but Alister knows it is a mockery. With a certain spell card weighing heavily in his pocket, the young man waits. The crimsoned-eyed figure says and does nothing until Alister finds what they were looking for.
"He isn't here. He never was."
The curled shadows loosen. Alister looks up to the Pharaoh, but he does not see him in the chair. The young man does not hear anything behind him, but he knows. The dark one leans over Alister's shoulder and his crimson eyes stare intently at the screen. The Pharaoh chuckles.
"He certainly has made a place for himself."
Staring out at them from the screen are video shots and still pictures of the Ring Spirit. In one, Bakura leads a group of movers as they put a new exhibit on display. In another, he talks with several of the main staff of the museum. It is obvious who owns the museum.
"His father must be angry at Bakura for using his name. I wonder why he has not come here yet." The voice has too much interest in it. Alister finds his lip curling at the tone.
"You would enjoy that." The man senses the Pharaoh's gaze on him. "You're enjoying this all, aren't you?"
"Not all of it. Ryo has long since earned my sympathies. However,the puzzles of this situation are too interesting not to enjoy." The Pharaoh smiles and steps back. Alister simply gets up and, as he walks out of the room, glares at the dark one. Even after they have left the Museum, Alister refuses to reply to the Pharaoh's last words.
"Take yours for instance." The way that tone slides through the dark air of the empty street makes Alister want to strangle him. "Although satisfying in its completion, it was frustrating to solve your puzzle."
Alister does not stop walking, but the muscles in his shoulders tense.
"There are some parts of it that are still a bit unclear to me. You were talking about Gozaburo Kaiba's war, weren't you? I mean, you could hate Seto Kaiba for a different reason, but that seems unlikely."
You bastard.
When Alister turns to punch him, the Pharaoh is no longer there. Instead, he stands a few yards behind Alister.
"I know eavesdropping is often looked down upon, but I couldn't let some stranger talk to my friend without keeping an eye on the situation." Even though the Pharaoh is farther away, his voice still sounds like he stands close to Alister.
Concentrate. Calm.
Alister senses the dark spirit's amusement at the young man's measured breaths.
Destroy him.
"Your mood is obnoxious, you know that?" Alister straightens and forces his body to relax. With arms crossed, he looks to the Pharaoh with an unaffected gaze.
Your words are nothing to me. But I know what will hurt you. You don't remember being the Pharaoh yet, so you must think that…
"Of course, I can't blame you for your mood right now, can I?" Alister says with a smirk.
The Pharaoh tilts his head again.
"It must be hard realizing you're like the Ring Spirit, that you're just the dark scraps of a child's soul." Alister continues.
The Pharaoh's face is expressionless, but Alister knows that he must be seething inside.
"I am Yugi's darkness. Yugi's Yami, not just some dark scraps." A thoughtful expression crosses the Pharaoh's features. "I am Yami no Yugi. I am Yami." The Pharaoh turns and walks away. Alister is left in the streets just staring at the Pharaoh's retreating back, just waiting for an attack. Before he can decide to follow him or not, the Pharaoh glances behind him.
"I apologize. I was in a bad mood." The tone the crimson-eyed one takes makes Alister feel like that he is being given some kind of pardon. "I would have greatly enjoyed if we had found Ryo Bakura's father, but only because he needs to die." The shadows darken around the crimson-eyed figure. His eyes glow in the darkness.
"But I needed a name, so…that mood has disappeared." The shadows lighten and the figure's eyes dim into a non-murderous state. The Pharaoh turns back around and continues to walk away. Once he decides to follow, Alister swears he hears whispers of the word "Yami" coming from ahead of him. It is almost like a child saying their name for the first time over and over again. But perhaps that might just be the shadows' whispers.
The next two weeks pass by in a blur. Near the end of them, Ryo suggests that he should return to school. At first, no one knows whether or not to agree with the white-haired boy. However, the realizations that school might help distract Ryo from his nightmares causes the gang and Alister to agree. There are no incidences at school, whether this is from a sudden kindness from the bullies and more ruthless teachers or because for every minute of the day either Joey and Tristan or Yugi, with the Puzzle gleaming in the light, walk by Ryo's side is unknown.
Unbeknownst to the gang, Alister waits every day a few blocks from the school. By the end of the day, he is there in Ryo's apartment when the gang walks through the door. His expression composed and his glare nearly nonexistent.
For a week more, this schedule continues until the cellphone in Alister's bag vibrates late one night, and the red-haired man must leave soon after.
It is too early in the morning, but Ryo could care less. There are far more important things drawing his attention. Like the fact that Alister has packed his two bags or that those grey eyes refuse to meet Ryo's green while Alister checks his motorcycle.
They are alone out here. The rest of the apartment complex, including Yugi and Joey, are asleep. Tea would ordinarily be awake by now but her, Miho, and Tristan no longer spend the night at the apartment. However, Ryo does not care about that right now. Ryo only cares about the fact that Alister is leaving.
Ryo swallows, but his throat still feels dry. He hugs himself tighter but the hollow feeling in his chest will not subside. The feeling intensifies when Alister stands and fiddles with his coat. He is leaving soon. The only one of his friends who understands what Ryo is going through is leaving.
The white-haired boy does not realize how fast his breaths are until Alister steps closer to him.
"Ryo, calm down." A few feet away, the young man stands there in the pale sunrise light. His intimidating trench coat ripples slightly in the cold breeze. The few rays of sunlight that illuminate the street make Alister's hair shine a brilliant red. Grey eyes, which always simmer with some unreadable emotion, study Ryo. Unable to look Alister in the eyes, Ryo's gaze travels lower.
"You'll be cold in that." Ryo, eager to hide how shaky he still is, reaches out for the first words that come to mind. Alister glances down at the half-shirt he wears under the open trench coat. When Alister looks back up, Ryo swears that he can see the corners of the young man's lips twitch upwards.
"Not really. Thanks for your concern, but I'm used to colder."
In response, Ryo ends up simply staring until he realizes how awkward he must look. The boy's cheeks warm and he looks away. Alister studies Ryo for a moment before speaking again.
"I'll stop by the next time I have leave, even if is only a day or two."
Ryo nods, but his gaze refuses to leave that fascinating sidewalk. His face is still warm. However, some of the hollowness has left his chest.
"Hey."
Ryo senses Alister step closer. The fifteen-year-old tenses when the man is only a foot away.
"They might not understand fully, but you can still rely on your friends to make it bearable to handle." As Alister's voice travels through the air, Ryo feels a hand on his shoulder and forces himself to look up into eyes that remind him of storms. Ryo's breath catches and his feelings do not make sense to him. The realization that dawns in Alister's eyes signal that he can make sense of the boy's feelings. When Alister's eyes widen, it is nearly unnoticeable. The older one steps back. Alister looks away and his expression becomes guarded. Even through this, Ryo's shoulder still tingles.
After a moment or two, Alister looks at Ryo again. The redhead reaches out and ruffles Ryo's hair.
"Don't worry, kid. I usually have leave every few weeks." Alister's tone still is lighter than it has been since he met Ryo, but something lingers within it.
Ryo merely ducks his head and smiles after Alister ruffles his hair. The boy's cheeks are still pink. When Ryo looks up, Alister notes the spark that was not in those green eyes before. With just a "see you later," Alister turns, gets on and starts his motorcycle, and drives away. Ryo watches as he goes. The chilliness of the morning is no match for the warmth that the boy feels within him.
Bakura cannot stay silent anymore, especially after that. He congratulates himself in that he did not bite off the man's fingers or break his hands, but Bakura's patience snaps when Ryo lets the warmth seep into the soul corridor. This is Bakura's body as well and that small interaction was revolting.
A transparent copy-cat, invisible to all others, appears behind Ryo. Bakura's pure white hair, pale complexion, and glare make him look like a demented ghost out for some bloody vengeance. Or perhaps a vengeance doused in gasoline. His shoulder and scalp still burn from that interaction.
"Ryo."
Landlord's shoulders tense. Rapid breathing drowns out the otherwise silent morning. When Landlord turns around, it is quick enough to cause his hair to fly out and then settle in odd positions around his shoulders. Bakura's cold amber gaze meets Ryo's wide-eyed, small pupil ones.
"Well, well, Landlord, it looks like-"
"Don't hurt him." Ryo's voice is desperate in the face of Bakura's fanged grin. It takes all of the darker spirit's willpower not to flinch as the boy's thoughts run through their link.
I've lost so much. He wouldn't-
Images of friends confined in figurines race by.
He would. No, I can't lose anyone else.
Bakura can sense and see his fragile Landlord's sanity crack in the boy's rising hysteria. The process of the last few weeks is evaporating.
"Settle down. I won't touch him. Just some chit-chat before we discuss important matters." And with that, Landlord calms down. The hysteria dissipates and the cracks seal.
Bakura frowns. This next topic could cause the same unwanted reaction that he has just averted.
"Father," says Ryo. His voice is steady. No fear or any emotion, really, taints Landlord's voice. Bakura's frown deepens.
"When will he come back?"
Amber eyes narrow, and yet another canine grin emerges. However, there is a difference from before, a sharper edge to fangs.
"Never. He knows that to come to this part of the world would mean his death."
Confusion flares up in Ryo's visage before the monotony from before returns.
"But what about the museum?"
Bakura chuckles. The sound is deep and dark and really should make Ryo's skin crawl.
"Oh, don't worry about that. We do need a source of income after all." As the truth sinks in, that statement snaps the monotony off of Ryo's face and out of his tone.
"Wait, you own the Museum?" Ryo's barrage of questions after this and Bakura's raspy laughs serves as distraction enough from the real issues at hand, such as Maya's history, the memories that still float out of Landlord's reach, the two years that Ryo hid away in his soulroom, and Father's and Ryo Bakura's last meeting.
Bakura does not feel like going into his secrets, his life, but Ryo does deserve some tidbits of information about their current life. So, a few pieces of Bakura's life as the Domino Museum curator are necessary sacrifices for this month's rent.
The nagging suspicion that Ryo knows this is a distraction is hard to get rid of. Landlord is more intelligent than most (they were once the same after all) and those rose-colored glasses were turned into dust along with the whiteness. So, the boy's curiosity has returned in full force.
When their eyes meet, that suspicion becomes a belief, yet Ryo does not ask any questions and instead studies Bakura's expression as he cuts off his laughter. Neither speaks until Yugi arrives a minute later with questions about Alister and Ryo's disappearance. The transparent one vanishes. However, the Ring settles itself underneath Ryo's blue shirt. Its tips brush against the scars on Ryo's chest. To the boy's credit, he does not flinch.
We will continue this conversation later.
You fool.
Alister revs the engine at the damn red light. There is a break in traffic and he shoots forward at double the speed limit.
You were a fool for getting him attached to you like that. You have a job to do. People's souls to tear from their underserving husks. There is not any time for this. You should not have allowed Ryo to get that close. If you fail, he will suffer. If you succeed, he will suffer.
Alister drives far too fast for the hours it takes him to reach one of the Paradius headquarters.
Maybe Dartz knew this would happen. Maybe he wanted Ryo and I to bond.
Alister misses cars by inches, but that does not matter.
Maybe he wanted Ryo to grow close so that a Millennium Item owner could be drawn into the cause.
When Alister shoves open the doors to Dartz's specified meeting room, those grey eyes of his match the more violent storms of the sea. Unforgivable and unsurvivable. Dartz's calm bi-colored gaze does not help. Dartz, who stands with a wine glass on top a table besides him and a large window in front of him, merely watches as Alister barges into the room.
"Why?"
Dartz's half smile signals amusement. Alister's frustration increases.
"Would it calm you if I admitted that, yes, I was being quite selfish in hoping that you could rope a Millennium Item owner to our side by using your similarities."
"Your honesty is appreciated, but no."
"I am not finished. That assignment was not just for my own desires. I also desired to help you with your personal quest."
Alister does not speak as images of a destroyed home and of Gozaburo course through his mind.
"I am not going to use Ryo for that."
Dartz no longer half-smiles, but he does not frown either.
"I know the Ring can find whatever is asked of it. But I'm not going to ask Ryo, who just escaped from one evil, to go searching for another." Alister turns to walk away. "Thanks for your considerations, but I'll find Gozaburo after I murder his sons to draw him out."
Dartz watches Alister's retreating back for exactly five seconds.
"Oh, that's not what I meant."
Alister stops in mid-step.
"Usually, it is so hard to find someone who is so similar to oneself. I thought you would like a companion who shares similar goals."
Alister looks over his shoulder.
"After all, the cause of your suffering has a common root."
"What do you mean?"
Dartz does not answer. Instead, he picks up the wine glass that he was drinking beforehand and finishes it off.
"Aknadin, the one who is currently wearing the poor boy's father's body, has tried in the past to get the Ring bonded to a child. However, it is only recently that he has found a supplier with enough resources to collect the large pool that Ryo is derived from." Dartz sets the wine glass down.
"With promises of dark powers and immortality on the table, Gozaburo Kaiba was quite eager to recommend such a high-up family."
Alister's exterior is frozen. His insides are tumultuous and his heart pounds in his ears.
"Of course, when the dark priest backed out, Mr. Kaiba was quite eager to salvage what he could from the boy. A year of mercenary services. A year of horrific experimentation. Who knows what else the boy has endured. However, judging from the directed trail of blood and misery the Spirit of the Ring has left behind since he and Gozaburo parted ways, I am certain that one of them shares your sentiments concerning the man." Dartz runs his finger along the rim of the glass.
"Who knows. Perhaps, he knows something of Gozaburo's whereabouts. It is odd that the owner of the Ring moved to Domino the same day that Gozaburo disappeared."
Those words, this conversation, echo again and again in Alister's head as the sun sets.