Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Children of Shadow ❯ A New Aquaintiance ( Chapter 7 )

Me: Hi! Sorry I haven't updated sooner! I've let you all down! *bursts into sobs* I'm soooryyyyy-

Marik: *sweatdrop* Uh- no one cares…

Isis: Drama queen.

Me: *hits marik and isis with heavy metal frying pan of ultimate doom (copyrighted!)* SHUT UP BAKAS! I'M TRYING TO ACT SENSITIVE HERE!

Kaiba: *still trying to get gum out of his hair* And we all know how often that happens…

Me: Yeah.. every four years or so….. DISCLAIMER!

Kaiba: *sweatdrop* She doesn't own squat- except cassie-

Me: Yah! So ask me if you wanna use her!

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Cassie was silent the whole way walking home from the study group. She had a lot on her mind- namely that necklace. It was starting to really creep her out. How could it tell her that someone was coming? Of course, there was always the nagging fear that it wasn't the necklace at all. Maybe it was her…

Stop thinking that! Cassie told herself for the millionth time. She forced her thoughts onto an equally puzzling topic- another necklace. Ryou's necklace. Yugi had told her a little bit, but Cassie was certain that he was avoiding something on purpose. Her mind was made up that she would ask Ryou about it as soon as they reached home.

But apparently Ryou had been thinking about a few things too, and he had the same idea as Cassie. As soon as they had gotten in and removed their jackets, he turned to her and said, "Okay, what is it?"

"What's what?" Cassie asked, a chill creeping into her bones.

"There's something different about you," Ryou insisted. "You're more distant, like something's worrying you."

"I'm fine," Cassie said. She brushed by her cousin and into the living room, where she flopped down on a beige colored couch. Ryou followed her and stood in the doorway.

"Cassie, no you're not," he said gently. Cassie looked up at him, standing there with his bangs hanging in his deep brown eyes. (Authoress pauses to sigh dreamily.) A sudden urge came over her to snap at him, to tell him in no uncertain terms to back off and leave her alone. She hated it that he was always so calm, so quiet. Why did he never get mad?

"Well if we're talking about secrets, what about yours?" Cassie said a little sharply. Ryou blinked and looked a little nervous.

"What are you talking about?" he asked edgily. Cassie gave a short, dry laugh.

"Like you don't know. Like you have no idea what's hanging around you neck right now." Ryou's hand seemed to unconciously drift up and clutch the cord that held his Millenium Ring in place.

"It's just a piece of jewelry," he said a little too quickly. Cassie laughed again.

"That's not what Yugi said." Ryou froze. "Relax. He didn't tell me everything- that's why I'm asking you. What is it about that thing you don't want me to know?"

An odd thing happened. Cassie felt the same sensation she had felt in the cab the day Ryou had picked her up at the airport. Ryou's face suddenly zoned out, like he was looking at something far in the distance. Cassie could have sworn she heard him whispering, even though his lips weren't moving.

Although Cassie didn't know it, this the conversation Ryou was having.

/Bakura, no!/

//Why not?// Bakura protested. //She's going to find out sooner or later, might as well be now.//

/But…./ Ryou's "voice" trailed off.

//But what? She'll think you're weird?// Bakura's voice seemed to soften. //If she does, then she's obviously shallow and can't see past anything she sees on the surface.//

Ryou said nothing. Bakura sighed exasperatedly. //All right, I'm through being sensitive. Look at it this way, I'm coming out whether you want me too or not.//

/Bakura! Don't-/

//Too late.//

Cassie almost fell off the couch. At first she couldn't believe her eyes. A figure suddenly materialized, without warning, right next to Ryou. It looked like him- but with harsher eyes and slightly wilder hair. Cassie realized he didn't have a body- he was like a ghost. Transparent. She could see him, but also everything behind him as well.

"Ryou?" she said warily. "Who the hell is this?"

Ryou was looking at the floor, a forlorn expression on his face. The ghost-figure rolled it's eyes and spoke.

"The name's Bakura." His voice was slightly deeper than Ryou's, and colder. Cassie raised an eyebrow.

"Ryou, what's going on? Where'd he come from?"

Ryou sighed and sat on the couch. "I hoped we could avoid this.."

Bakura rolled his eyes again. "For the love of Ra, Ryou-"

Cassie interrupted. "You're Egyptian?"

"What's it to you?" Bakura looked at her with his eyes narrowed. "Oh yeah- you're from Cairo, aren't you?"

Cassie nodded and turned to her cousin. "Ryou, I need to know what's going on here. Now."

Ryou bit his lip and spoke slowly. "All right. My father brought back the Millenium Ring on a trip to Egypt- he found it at a marketplace stand. He gave it to me, and that's when I met Bakura."

"And what exactly is Bakura?" Bakura looked like he was about to make a smart remark, but Ryou glanced back at him, and he grudgingly shut his mouth.

"Bakura is- or was- a tomb robber five thousand years ago in ancient Egypt. I don't know why he was trapped in the Ring, but now he's a disembodied spirit who can posses my body when he needs to. Supposedly we're one soul split in two- a yami and a hikari. Complete opposites."

"So I've noticed," Cassie said wryly.

"Watch who you're getting fresh with," Bakura snapped.

"Or what?" Cassie turned and faced him. "You're going to put a curse on me? I'm real scared, ghost boy."

"Ghost boy? Is that the best you can come up with?" Bakura sneered.

"Actually, no, but seeing as there are virgin ears present I'm not going to show you what I can really come up with."

"Who, Ryou?" Bakura laughed. "Virgin ears? He lives with me, remember? Or are you just all talk and no action?"

"Oh, I'll show you action, bastard," Cassie said, standing. "And you've got pretty tough talk coming from someone who doesn't even have a body to throw a punch with. Lucky for you, otherwise I'd mop the floor with you."

"Try me, bitch," Bakura snapped, making his hands into fists.

"Both of you!" Ryou yelled. Cassie looked amazed at her cousin. She had never heard him yell before. "Can you stop fighting! Bakura, act civilized for once!"

"Casper here started it," Cassie muttered. Bakura threw her a death glare before he vanished. The Millenium Ring glowed slightly before looking completely normal again. "He lives in there?"

Ryou nodded, fingering the design of the Eye of Horus at the center of the Ring. "He has a soul room that he stays in. I've never been inside it, though."

"So," Cassie asked, "does Yugi have a yami too?"

"Yes. He's a little tamer than Bakura, though. He used to be a pharoah, and he was the one who actually made the Millenium Items- there are seven in all."

"So, what's his name?"

Ryou hesitated. "We don't really know. In making the Millenium Items, he lost his memory. Some of its come back but he still can't remember his name. We just call him Yami."

Cassie shrugged. "Works, I guess."

"You don't think I'm-"

"What?" Cassie asked.

"A freak?" Ryou said quietly, almost sadly.

Cassie gave as close to a smile as she could. "Ryou, you're one of the nicest people I've ever known. I would never think you were a freak." Now she was getting sappy. Terrific.

Ryou smiled, then it faded. "Cassie-"

"What?"

"You still never told me what's bothering you."

Cassie's stomach lurched. What could she say? She couldn't tell Ryou- not even if she swore him to secrecy. He could never understand how dangerous it was. "I- I guess I haven't been feeling good lately. Moving and getting used to new surroundings and all," she lied. Ryou looked at her shrewdly. Cassie could tell he didn't believe her. Suddenly she had a brainblast. She tried to make her face look depressed. "All right, I'll tell you."

Ryou leaned in. Cassie tried to make her voice tremble. "I miss my parents," she said softly. "I miss Cairo. I miss my friends…." That was an outright lie. She never had any friends in Cairo. But Ryou didn't know that. "I'm just homesick is all. I'll be fine after a while. I just need to get used to Japan."

Ryou smiled encoragingly. Cassie felt a tug of guilt. After all, he had trusted her- but this was completely different. He'd desert her if he knew the truth. Better he never found out.

But underneath it all, Cassie was still afraid. How long could her secret stay secret?

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Isis: You know, you still haven't said what Cassie's big secret is.

Me: I know- I'm so evil! Bwa ha ha!

Marik: *sweatdrop* Not really…

Me: You want more gum in your hair? Then ZIP IT!

Kaiba: How did you get that gum out in the first place?

Marik: You don't wanna know.

Kaiba: Yes I do.

Marik: Come here. *whispers in Kaiba's ear*

Kaiba: o_O0

Marik: Told you.

Me: Please review! What do you think Cassie's secret is? ^^