Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Darkness of Heart ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

Key:

 

(“Bakura to Ryou, mind speech”)

 

(“Ryou to Bakura, mind speech”)

 

“Bakura speaking through Ryou”

 

“Normal Speech”

 

`Normal Thoughts'

 

-------

 

- Part I -

February 13; 4:40PM

 

 

The sound of a door slamming shut caused Ryou to awaken immediately from the painful slumber his mind had been thrust into. He sat up and drowsily opened his eyes, discovering after his vision cleared that he was in a room which he had never before seen. It was cold and damp, and made entirely out of worn, ancient stone. There was no light aside from the several flickering candles which were stationed a yard or so from where his spirit had been cast aside, and the walls seemed to stretch on endlessly in every direction.

 

Surprisingly, even though the room seemed to have no beginning and no end, Ryou felt very claustrophobic. He didn't know why; he just did. He felt compressed and it was difficult for him to properly breathe. Perhaps there was only something in the air. It was rather frigid in this place, and his physical education teachers had always taught that it was harder to breathe in areas of colder temperature. He moved closer to the row of candles, hoping to absorb some of the heat that they gave off.

 

He rubbed his hands together, desperately trying to keep warm. As he did this he continued to look around the room, hoping to find some sort of hint that might tell him where exactly he was.

 

As if in answer to the many questions that plagued his mind an icy-cool wind blew into Ryou, causing his frail body to shiver. His eyes widened and he turned around sharply, half-expecting to see the smirking ghostly form of the Voice. That was what had caused the breeze, after all. Ryou had no doubt in his mind; it was Him, that monster, who had trapped him in this unfeeling room, and now He was teasing him.

 

(“So you have awakened,”) the dark Voice spoke suddenly, proving Ryou's theory true. (“Excellent timing, I must say.Our little treasure has just arrived.”)

 

Ryou raised an eyebrow. `Little treasure,' he wondered, moving slowly towards the closest wall he caught sight of. He searched the wall with his hands, trying to find a door or any other possible means of escape. No such luck befell the white-haired boy. `Little treasure,' he thought again, blinking. `Does He mean Anzu?'

 

(“There is nowhere you can go,”) the Voice assured.

 

Ryou faintly heard the sound of another door opening, and also footsteps coming closer.

 

(“Trust me. After being trapped in this exact room for the most of yourlife, I would know if there was any way to break free.”)

 

(“If... If that's the case, then why aren't you trapped in here with me?”)

 

The dark Voice's mocking laugh seemed to come from everywhere - from the left and from the right; from above and from below. There was no way to pinpoint Its location. It was as if He was constantly moving... or maybe that He wasn't really there at all, and that this whole place was just all in Ryou's mind.

 

The footsteps continued, becoming louder.

 

(“Because,”) He answered at last, (“I am in control now.The only way for you to return fully to your body is for me to let you... and I can promise right now that that will not be happening any time soon.”)

 

Ryou felt a heavy sensation in the pit of his stomach, made up of the two emotions of fear and dread. Those feelings increased tremendously when he noticed the light footfalls in the background had ceased altogether. For several moments there was only thick silence.

 

“Brother?”

 

The white-haired boy gasped, feeling his heart leap in his throat. “A-Anzu?” he called, reaching out blindly.

 

“Brother, are you home?”

 

Her voice was hesitant and seemed to come from a long distance away. Ryou extended his arms, trying to feel her - trying to show himself that she was really there and that he wasn't just imagining all that was going on around him. But he could see nothing. He could feel nothing. He could do nothing.

 

(“She's coming inside.”) The Voice sounded particularly pleased as He passed this information on to His host. (“I am anxious to lay my new eyes on her. I have heard that everything in the world is much more beautiful when seen through the eyes of a physical body. Who was it that told me that? Oh yes; I believe it was you. I am eager to discover if that is, in fact, correct.”)

 

(“What are you going to do?”) Ryou wanted to know, yet at the same time he was frightened to find out what He might have planned.

 

He merely laughed. (“I do not wish to disclose that at this moment. If you truly wish to know, then I shall allow you to see.”)

 

Before the nineteen-year-old could even blink, one of the room's walls melted away to reveal a portion of an all-too-recognizable room. From where he was standing watch, Ryou could make out himself - or what appeared to be himself, but was actually the Voice in control of his body - leaning comfortably against the windowsill. Another presence soon entered the room. It was Anzu.

 

Ryou saw Him lick His lips.

 

“Big brother, I kept calling you from downstairs. Why didn't you answer me?” Anzu asked as she made her way over to Him. He said nothing; only stared down at her with hard, crimson-brown eyes. “... Did you hear me?”

 

The now-embodied Voice turned His face away, uttering not a word. This caused the brunette to frown and place her hands on His arms so that He would look at her.

 

Ryou could feel Him smirking. Although he couldn't necessarily see His face clearly, he could just imagine the smug look; His thin lips twisted and stretching upwards sinisterly, and His deadly russet eyes burning with all the sins of the world - Ryou's own sins.

 

“Brother... Brother, what's wrong with you? Why aren't you saying anything?”

 

The Darkness seemed to find her question amusing, for he let out a dry laugh. It was a cruelly merciless sound, His laugh. His mouth opened wide as He sniggered; His long, bony fingers clasped tightly around her upper arms to trap her in place, and before she could try and move, His lips descended over her own.

 

/---

 

Anzu Bakura had never been embarrassed to admit that the first boy she ever kissed had been her older brother. After all, it wasn't done to fulfill any deep desires that either of them fostered for one another. No, it had been merely an act of curiosity. She had come to him one night, when it was snowing outside, and he was sitting on the porch counting the many stars in the sky. He had looked content, and she had seen the smile on his face that appeared when she came to sit beside him. It had made her feel so warm inside.

 

---/

 

Anzu's eyes widened considerably, and her entire body froze.

 

/---

 

There had been a blue blanket, a dry one, which he had draped around his shoulders to keep him from catching cold. He had removed one half of it from his body and placed it around her, also closing his arms around her to keep it in place. She had looked at him, her ocean-blue eyes shining with inquisitiveness as she mulled over the proposition she had come outside to ask him.

 

---/

 

She didn't understand what was going on. What had gotten into her brother? What was He doing to her? Why was He holding her like this? Why was He touching her? She shivered violently, wanting to cry or shy away from him. Thanks to the strong grip He had on her, she could not run.

 

/---

 

“Big brother;” The words finally broke the comfortable silence which had settled around them.

 

He made a noise of recognition, his russet eyes turning away from the stars in order to give her his undivided attention.

 

She pursed her lips and played with a strand of her chocolate-brown hair as she thought of how to best way to word her next inquiry. “Have you ever... kissed anyone before?” she finally asked. She studiously observed his features, taking in his reaction; his body seemed to stiffen slightly, and his eyes widened in surprise.

 

“Kissed anyone?” he repeated. His cheeks were turning a lovely, embarrassed shade of red. “W-why would you want to know that?”

 

“I don't know. I mean, you're in junior high now, so I just figured that you might have...” her voice trailed off and she turned her head away. “Never mind; I'm just making you uncomfortable. Forget that I brought it up, okay?”

 

He continued gazing at her despite the fact that she was no longer paying attention to him and was, instead, focused intently on the floorboards which they sat on. He tightened his hold around her, bringing her body closer to his, and rested his cheek on top of her head.

 

“I kissed one girl,” he admitted, still blushing. “It was last year, back in sixth grade. At the dance at school. Remember I went with Mayumi? Well, after the dance she sort of pulled me aside and, um, kissed me. I never told anyone about it.” His face was now as bright as a tomato, if not brighter.

 

She laughed. “Did you kiss her back?”

 

“I...” his eyes turned to the ground for a moment. “No, I didn't.”

 

“Why not?”

 

He fidgeted. “I-I don't know. I didn't really like her that way, I guess. I mean, when I kiss someone, I want to do it because I really like that person, you know?”

 

“I guess so,” she agreed, nodding her head slightly to show that she understood. She looked up at him, her large azure eyes unblinking.

 

---/

 

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Anzu fought her hardest to keep them back. She could feel His hold on her tighten as He slowly pulled away for air and she kept her eyes downcast, not bearing to look at Him.

 

/---

 

“Big brother, would you kiss me?

 

---/

 

He laughed, a cold sound that was strange to hear coming out of Him. He was usually so calm and gentle; to hear His voice turn malicious was frightening.

 

/---

 

He reeled back, startled by the question. “W-what?” he sputtered, his heart racing in his chest.

 

“Would you kiss me?” she asked again. Her expression was serious, so in no way was she attempting to play any sort of prank on him.

 

“W-why would you want me to kiss you?”

 

Anzu sighed loudly. “Today at school some of the girls said that I would never get a boy to kiss me, because I wasn't pretty enough to get them to like me.” She looked at her feet. “So... You said that you would kiss someone if you liked them, big brother. Don't you like me?”

 

“I-I didn't... I...” He stopped talking and opted for playing with the frays on the blanket which surrounded them. “You should really kiss a boy that -”

 

“-- Look! A shooting star!”

 

Anzu leaned forward, her large azure eyes shining with delight.

 

Ryou watched her pensively, memorizing every detail of her face. She looked so happy right then, and seemed to have forgotten the question she had proposed only seconds ago. The question was still fresh in Ryou's mind, and the words kept replaying over and over in his head.

 

“`Would you kiss me?'”

 

“`Big brother, would you kiss me?'”

 

Ryou shuddered, closing his eyes and rested closer to her.

 

“`Would you...'”

 

He tilted his head down just as she looked up at him, her lips tugging upwards in a warm smile.

 

“`...kiss me?'”

 

---/

 

In his mind, Ryou's body jerked violently as he felt a cold stab of pain pierce through his heart, and his vision started to blur. He could faintly see Anzu behind the tears forming in his eyes and he reached out his hand in a futile attempt to touch her, to comfort her. But she was too far out of his reach, just as she always had been.

 

/---

 

There was nothing planned about what happened next. The only way Ryou could explain it to himself was to think that he could no longer ignore the tug in his heart that pulled him to Anzu. Even if she believed him to be her older brother, right now he didn't care.

 

Right now he had her with him, and they were together outside on the porch, kissing innocently in the moonlight just like two children in love.

 

`If only it were real,' Ryou thought as he closed his eyes, allowing a tear to drop from underneath his closed eyelids.

 

---/

 

Ryou wanted to scream; he wanted to cry out her name and tell her that he was sorry, and explain that the monster before her really was not her beloved older brother. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, so many things he wished he could confess.

 

But he couldn't. His throat was dry and he was weak. The room evaporated from view the instant be blinked, and Ryou found himself once again in the dark, cold recesses of his mind.

 

There was laughter, laughter all around him, echoing off the non-existent walls. And the Voice... oh the Voice was ecstatic; taunting and teasing and threatening him all at the same time.

 

Trembling, Ryou attempted to hide himself; to escape from the Voice which was slowly consuming him and driving him mad. The memory from so long ago replayed over and over in his head and the image of Him kissing Anzu was burned into his brain.

 

(“You could never subdue me. You are weak, boy.”)

 

Ryou's breath hitched in his throat and his fingers curled tightly into the palm of his hand.

 

(“You're pathetic.”)

 

No. No! He couldn't let the voice get to him. He refused to give him. He was still Ryou Bakura, and he would never give into the manifestation of his desires - not now, and not ever. He would take control over his body and his life once again, and he would do it right now.

 

(“I'd like to see you try.”)

 

Standing up straight, Ryou's russet orbs hardened. He set his jaw and glared at the endless void before him, daring the Voice to appear and face him. Nothing erupted from the endless shadows, which only served to further infuriate the teenaged boy.

 

(“Coward. I will silence you now!”)

 

He closed his eyes, relaxing his body slightly and focusing all of his energy onto the one thing he desired: his life back. He wished to be free of this evil manifestation, and for things to return to normal between himself and Anzu. He wished to be free of his desire for her, and longed to live the ordinary life of a nineteen-year-old.

 

`Please... give me my life back. Let things return to normal. Rid me of the curse that is my sins,' he begged, clasping his hands together.

 

Ryou knew that he could be strong sometimes, when he thought of Anzu. She was all he needed to keep him going. Her gentle smile and polite laugh, her stunning eyes and kind words was all he needed in order to persevere. And he could see her. He could see that, right now, she was hurting. She was in pain and it was his entire fault.

 

He would not stand it. Ryou would not be the one to bring his beloved pain.

 

A bright flash of light illuminated Ryou's mind, sweeping away the Darkness. His knees felt weak beneath the weight of his body, and his soul felt as if it was lifting off from his body as he sighed, falling to the floor soundlessly.