Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Darkness of Heart ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )

Key:

(“Bakura to Ryou, mind speech”)

(“Ryou to Bakura, mind speech”)

“Bakura speaking through Ryou”

“Normal Speech”

`Normal Thoughts'

-----------

 

- Part 1 -

- February 14; 7:32AM -

 

 

When Ryou opened his eyes next, he found himself lying in the center of his bed. He was alone on the mattress and, much to his own surprise, back in control of his body. The room was noiseless, and so were Ryou's thoughts; his mind was buzzing with blissful silence and he cherished the sound of absolutely nothing.

 

The sun outside was rising and birds began to chirp their traditional morning song. It seemed to be a lovely dawn in Domino City. It was beautiful, tranquil, and... normal; so normal, in fact, that Ryou fell extremely suspicious as he shifted to place his feet on the floor and pushed himself up out of the bed.

 

This appeared to be a typical start of a new day, even prettier than most, which the white-haired teen considered strange due to the events of the previous night.

 

The previous night....

 

Ryou clenched the fabric of his pajama shirt (how had he gotten into his pajamas, anyways? He didn't remember changing.) as memories of the night before flooded his brain. He collapsed back onto the bed, allowing a choked sob to escape past his lips. He trembled, recalling how he had allowed the dark Voice, his other personality, to take control of his body; how that Voice, impersonating Ryou, had touched Anzu - kissed her, even.

 

Ryou's chocolate-brown eyes widened slightly.

 

“Anzu...”

 

As if called upon, the brunette entered the room, her face kept hidden from view as she walked through the doorway. Once noticing Ryou's upright position on the bed, she jumped, her azure orbs becoming round and fearful for a brief moment.

 

“Oh, you're... awake,” she said softly, turning to the side.

 

Ryou watched, taking in her features. She looked exhausted, as if not granted sleep for many days; there were large, black circles under her eyes and a noticeable lethargic quality in her demeanor. She looked awful, much unlike her usual spry self.

 

“Anzu...”

 

The name slipped from his tongue without thought, and he bit the inside of his cheek, wondering what she would do next. Would she run? Why hadn't she run already? Did she forgive him? Did she not care about what had happened? Did she even remember what had occurred the other night?

 

“I...” she began hesitantly, as if afraid he might lash out at her at any moment for speaking. “I brought you some food.”

 

One look at her proved her words truthful, for in her hands was a tray containing a bowl of steaming hot soup and various other breakfast favorites of Ryou's. She set the tray beside him on the bed and took several steps backwards, not wanting to be too close to him.

 

Ryou frowned and turned his gaze to the soup, feeling disheartened. So she did remember; her uneasiness told just as much.

 

Anzu stood silently, waiting for something to happen. Ryou's eyes flickered from his breakfast to the brunette. He had a dying urge to speak with her, to try and explain himself; but what could he say? After what he had done to her, what could he possibly say that would justify his actions?

 

It would probably be best for him to start from the very beginning - to tell her who she really was; to tell her that she was a Mazaki and that he was not her biological brother. Perhaps then she would understand his feelings and not stare at him as if he were some sort of monster, such as she was doing now. Ryou hated to be looked at in such a manner, especially by Anzu; it made him feel small, dirty. He pursed his lips.

 

“Thank you,” he whispered, referring to the food she had prepared for him.

 

He thought he noticed a smile reach her lips, but as he looked up to see if it was actually there it had already vanished and been replaced by an uncharacteristic grimace.

 

“You should eat while it's hot.”

 

With that said, she turned to leave. Darting out a pale hand, Ryou grasped her wrist to prevent her from going anywhere so soon.

 

“Anzu, wait,” he began, his voice pleading. “I... I need to explain...”

 

Anzu's eyes showed her fear as she hurriedly freed her arm from his grip. She shook her head and her long brown tresses fell messily over cerulean orbs. “No,” she stopped him quickly before he could endeavor to clarify his actions. “Ryou, please... stop.”

 

Ryou felt as if he had just been stabbed by a thousand sharp knives. Hearing his own name drop from her lips made him feel strangely void, which he found odd considering he had always longed to hear her speak his name. As much as he hated her calling him `brother' constantly, he discovered now that he hated her saying his actual name even more, because she did not say it with tenderness as he had been hoping; she uttered his name as if it were a foul word, and as if saying his name left a horrible taste in her mouth.

 

“... I don't want to know.”

 

Russet hues averted to the ground; Ryou felt disgusting. He understood, of course; if he were in Anzu's shoes he wouldn't want to hear an explanation either, he would just wish to forget about the whole situation.

 

She turned to leave again and Ryou couldn't help the small, pathetic hum of objection that sounded through the back of his throat. She kept walking as if she hadn't heard a thing, though he knew she had.

 

“Stay home today and rest. I need to go; I'm already late for school.”

 

Ryou nodded his head, following her movements with his eyes. As she was about to leave the room he whispered an apology.

 

Anzu paused, a hand on the doorknob.

 

“I'm sorry...” he turned his head so that he faced the opposite wall. “I'm sorry for what happened. I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry.”

 

Anzu inhaled sharply, biting her lip. “Ryou...”

 

Shaking her head, she exited promptly without saying something more.

 

Remaining silent long after she left the room, Ryou flinched when he heard the front door of his house slam closed. It was right then that he finally realized the severe consequences of his actions: in giving into his desires and permitting the dark presence in his soul to gain control over their joint body, he had given up the one and only thing in the world that he cherished.

 

He had driven Anzu away.

 

 

- Part II -

- February 14; 2:15PM -

 

 

“Anzu-chan, are you feeling okay?”

 

The cerulean orbs of Anzu Bakura were slow to blink open as the teenaged girl was questioned. Her gaze, once back in full focus, landed on the richly tanned face of Malik Ishtar. Forcing a smile, she nodded to the inquiry and wondered aloud why he was asking in the first place.

 

Malik shrugged his shoulders and fell back against the grass of the spacious school courtyard, landing directly to the right of the brunette. Rolling onto his side, he propped his elbow up and rested his chin on his hand, looking down at her face.

 

“You just don't seem like yourself, is all,” he said. “Did something happen, or are you always like this on Wednesdays?”

 

Anzu let out a soft, barely audible sigh and momentarily glanced away from the Egyptian. She didn't wish to disclose the true reason of her unhappiness, but she had to somehow respond to Malik's query. Thankfully, this particular Wednesday did offer a good excuse for a teenaged girl such as herself to feel discontented.

 

“I don't know. I suppose I'm just feeling a little down because it's Valentine's Day,” she lied.

 

“Oh, God, you too?” Malik groaned, tugging exasperatedly at several strands of his blonde hair. “It seems that every girl I've talked to today is miserable because of Valentine's Day. Honestly, I don't see what there is to be upset about.”

 

“You just can't understand the way a girl feels when she has no one to share the day with,” Anzu explained, frowning. “For a girl who has a special someone to spend the day with, Valentine's Day is probably a very exciting and joyful day. But for a girl who doesn't...” her voice trailed off and she locked her azure eyes with his lilac hues.

 

“So... you're depressed because you don't have a boyfriend?”

 

The brunette exhaled quietly once more. “Something like that,” she told him in response.

 

Malik snorted and brought his hands up to cushion his head. “That's stupid,” he decided after a moment. “You shouldn't feel so bummed out just because you're single on Valentine's Day. And if it really bothers you that much, then do something about it instead of just sulking. Ask a guy out that you like, or something.”

 

“I wish it were that simple,” Anzu whispered, hanging her head sadly. “Asking this guy to go out with me won't solve my problem - in fact, it will probably just make the situation worse.”

 

Humming in the back of his throat, an expression of understanding crossed the Egyptian's face. He pointed at her in an almost accusing fashion, bringing his finger to rest her nose. “I know what's wrong,” he declared very matter-of-factly. “Someone's in love with you, but you don't love him in return.”

 

Anzu blushed and turned her head away from her companion so that he wouldn't be able to see her flushed expression. Malik had pretty much nailed the general idea of her problem with his guess; however, she knew that the circumstances were also far different from what Malik seemed to believe. It was true that a boy was in love with her, but it wasn't just any boy - it was her older brother!

 

How could she ever return such feelings? She simply couldn't; it would be unethical. And, furthermore, how was she supposed to react to her sibling fostering such emotions towards her? She could never hate Ryou, but she couldn't very well go on living her life with him the way she had been up until that point. She had every right to feel afraid, to be scared that he might force himself upon her, but she didn't want to be frightened of her brother. She did love him, but only as a sister should her sibling; she could never return the love that he desired from her.

 

The sandy-haired boy grinned. “I'm right, aren't I?”

 

Anzu plucked at the blades of grass beneath her. “Maybe,” she said, not satisfying him with a full response. She put on a smile and stood up suddenly; brushing any potential grass stains from her uniform skirt. “But never mind. I don't want to think about it, okay?”

 

Malik shrugged his shoulders and then followed her example by standing up from the grass and dusting off his shirt and pants - he had now discarded his city clothes and had taken to wearing the traditional male uniform, just as his peers.

 

The school bell suddenly rang, signaling the end of the ten minute break that students had been allowed between their seventh and eighth hour classes. Anzu tucked a strand of chestnut-colored hair behind her ear and swept her eyes over to the ominously large clock tower which hovered proudly over the main building.

 

“I should be going. My history class is on the other side of the campus,” she told her friend while waving her had goodbye to him.

 

Malik nodded and returned the farewell. He ran forward unexpectedly after several moments and grabbed the brunette's arm, causing her to jump.

 

“Ishtar-kun;” Anzu turned to face him before finishing her sentence. “I'm going to be late.”

 

“I told you already to just call me Malik,” he said, lips twitching upwards in a grin. “How many times do I have to tell you before you get it?”

 

Involuntarily, it seemed, Anzu's cheeks reddened and just as she had done during her prior blushing episode, she bashfully turned her head to the side so that he would not be able to clearly see her face.

 

“I'm sorry, Malik-kun. I keep forgetting. But what did you want to tell me?”

 

His smile widened and he released her arm. “I was just wondering... Um, what are your plans for tonight?”

 

Anzu blinked several times, trying to figure out the reason as to why he would care what she was doing that particular evening. Her teenaged girl mind had several ideas, all of them being typically, girlishly romantic and almost childish, and she hoped secretly that one of the possibilities might be the actual truth.

 

Did Malik plan on asking her out? They had only known each other for two days, but it was fathomable that the Egyptian wanted to take her on a date for Valentine's Day; Anzu's heart thumped excitedly at the mere idea.

 

`What about Ryou, though?' she couldn't help but think. `I always spend Valentine's Day with him. I can't break that tradition just because of what happened yesterday, can I? That wouldn't be very fair to him. I know he's sorry for what he did.' She bit down on her lower lip, feeling queasy all of the sudden at the memory of the previous day. `But what if he tries something again? What if he does more than he did last night? I can't believe that I'm actually scared of my own brother... but I am; I'm so afraid that he might try to touch my like that if I get too close to him... that he might get that awful, crazed look in his eyes once more. I don't want that to happen.'

 

“...I don't have any plans,” she answered finally.

 

Malik seemed pleased to learn this, judging by the way his lilac eyes lit up. “Would you, um, like to go out with me tonight? I mean, it might help to cheer you up since you've been feeling down today.”

 

The warning bell tolled - two minutes left until class started.

 

“A-a date, you mean?” she asked shyly.

 

Malik's tanned cheeks flushed. “Well... if you want to call it that, then yeah.”

 

Blush darkening to an even more intense shade of crimson, Anzu nodded her head timidly. Her heart swelled and she felt as if she were a part of one of her dreams. Imagine, a handsome senior asking her, a plain-looking sophomore girl, out on Valentine's Day! She wondered if she would wake up soon to realize that this was just a fantasy; but deep down she knew that wouldn't happen. Malik was really offering to take her out.

 

“I'd love to go out with you, Malik-kun.”

 

“Great! I'll, um, I'll pick you up tonight at seven. Is that okay?” the Egyptian offered.

 

Not even thinking about Ryou or the fact that Malik coming to her home might pose as a problem, she agreed readily to the idea.

 

“All right then. Here,” she grabbed Malik's hand and, taking a pen from her purse, scribbled something onto the palm of his hand. “My address,” she told him with a giggle after noticing his questioning stare.

 

He nodded in comprehension. “Thanks. I'll see you tonight.” He waved goodbye to her and then turned, beginning to walk in the direction of his last class.

 

Anzu left for her history class, picking up her pace in an attempt to reach the classroom in time. It seemed, however, that luck was no longer on her side, for just as she was sprinting down the hallway the bell clanged at full volume. She groaned when, several minutes later, she reached the correct door and slid it open to be greeted angrily by her teacher.

 

“Miss Bakura, you are late,” the professor pointed out, pinning the brunette with a disappointed glare.

 

Bowing in apology, Anzu mumbled a few words about her locker being unable to open and that such an occurrence would never happen again throughout the remainder of her high school career before scuttling over to her assigned desk. The teacher continued on with her lesson on the Ancient Egyptians.

 

Anzu retrieved her book from her backpack and flipped to the correct page, trying to figure out where exactly the professor was in the chapter. She was halted in her efforts by someone tapping persistently on her shoulder. One glance to the left showed that Miho Nosaka was endeavoring to catch her attention. A thin, brown eyebrow arched as Anzu mouth the phrase: `what is it?' to her friend.

 

Miho scooted her chair closer to Anzu's - she sat right next to her - so that she would be able to properly begin a conversation with the other girl.

 

“Why were you late?” she wanted to know; her voice was hushed so that the instructor would not be able to hear it.

 

“I already told Professor Saito the reason. Surely you must have heard me, Miho-chan.”

 

Miho rolled her eyes. “Yes, I heard that... and I could tell very clearly by your expression that you were lying. What really kept you behind? You're usually so responsible when it comes to arriving on-time to class.”

 

Anzu blushed, recalling how just sever minutes ago Malik Ishtar had asked her to go on a date with him. She contained the squeal of delight that threatened to escape her lips before facing Miho. “All right, I'll tell you,” she whispered. “But promise not to say a word to anyone else?” When the purple-haired girl nodded vigorously in response, Anzu took a deep breath and continued. “Well... Malik-kun asked me to go out with him tonight.”

 

Miho gasped, holding up a hand to politely conceal her gaping mouth. “Malik Ishtar? You're kidding?” she gasped, though the statement was hardly heard thanks to her hand being in the way.

 

The brunette shook her head. “No, he asked me just as the first bell rang; that's why I was late.”

 

“Oh my God, Anzu-chan, I am so excited for you! This will be your first date, won't it?”

 

Embarrassed by the fact that she was fifteen and still had not ever been on a date with a boy before, Anzu affirmed the query meekly. Miho grinned and, not caring now if the professor spotted her or not, she leaned forward and enveloped her friend in a congratulatory hug.

 

“This is so awesome! I can't believe he asked you out so soon - you must have really made an impression on him yesterday,” Miho said quietly after pulling away from the hug. Her violet eyes glimmered, shining with the happiness she felt for her companion. “You'll have to call me the second you get home from your date - do you know where he's taking you yet? - and tell me all of the juicy details!”

 

The azure-eyed girl gulped. “J-juicy details?” she repeated, sounding almost uncertain.

 

“Is there something you would wish to share with the class, Miss Bakura?” Professor Saito asked the brunette. “What about you, Miss Nosaka? You seem to be in a very talkative mood today.”

 

The two girls fell silent and cast their eyes to the ground, both looking equally ashamed and humiliated.

 

The teacher frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “No?” she said, her beady, hawk-like brown eyes burning holes through the disobedient students. “Then I suggest that, unless you have anything to add to the class discussion of the epic Ancient Egyptian battle between the Nameless Pharaoh and King of Thieves, I suggest you keep your mouths shut for the remainder of the period. Am I clear?”

 

“Yes, ma'am,” the girls agreed simultaneously.

 

“Good. Since this is your first classroom offense, I am merely assigning cleaning duty for both of you after school today in place of a detention. But don't let this happen again.” Professor Saito smiled in a manner that clearly showed her agitation before returning to what she had previously been telling the class before the rude interruption. “Now, as I was saying, the King of Thieves was rumored to have been seeking the sacred relics which the Nameless Pharaoh and his six chosen priests were entrusted to protect...”

 

 

-Part III -

February 14; 3:54PM

 

 

“I'm home,” Anzu declared as she tiredly removed her outdoor shoes and placed them on the rack beside the front door.

 

She was exhausted from the after-school cleaning duties that Professor Saito had forced her to perform as punishment - and was frustrated at the fact that the teacher had kept her behind longer because she was dissatisfied with the way the brunette had swept the floors; still, Anzu supposed it was better than an hour-long detention where she would be required to sit in a room and do absolutely nothing to pass the time.

 

Placing her book bag on the kitchen table, Anzu made her way to the stairs and up to the second floor of the Bakura home. Once arriving on the next level, she strolled down the long, dark hallway, flicking on a light as she passed the correct switch, and walking until she reached the door which led to Ryou's bedroom.

 

She stopped in front of the door and stared at it intently, internally debating whether or not she wanted to go inside the room or not. She didn't know if she was ready to face her brother yet. Yes, she had gone into the room that morning, but it had only been early in the morning when he was probably still too tired to try and do anything to her. Now it was early evening... Only God knew what type of mood Ryou would be in.

 

Anzu turned away from the door, her inner fear winning the battle over the concern she felt for her brother.

 

“Anzu... is that you?”

 

The brunette stopped dead in her tracks, paralyzed by the sound of Ryou's voice. He sounded so... she couldn't even find a correct word that could characterize the emotion that filled his voice. Broken, perhaps; he sounded broken, and lost, and his voice was hoarse, almost as if he had been screaming or crying.

 

She leaned against the wall next to the door to Ryou's room and closed her eyes, nodding her head even though she knew that he couldn't see her. “Yes, it's me. Sorry I'm home late; I had cleaning duty.”

 

“Why did you even come home?” Ryou asked after a moment. He sounded closer, as if he was standing right on the other side of the door.

 

Anzu sucked in her breath, repeating the question again in her mind. Why had she come home? If she was so scared of Ryou now, why had she even bothered to return to the place where he could easily take advantage of her?

 

`He's my brother,' her mind reasoned. `I can't hate him. I can't run away from him. I love him... as my brother. I could never leave him alone, especially now that he's like this. I know he's hurting because of what happened last night.'

 

“You- you thought I wouldn't?” she asked him.

 

He was silent for several moments before he responded negatively. “No... I didn't think you would ever want to see me again.”

 

It was either the words that he spoke or the way he had spoken them that made the tears begin to form in the brunette's eyes. “Ryou,” she whispered, “don't say that. I could never hate you... never leave you. You're my big brother.”

 

The sound of Ryou's fist hitting the door caused Anzu to jump away from the wall. She stood back and watched the door cautiously; frightened he might jump out and glare up at her with that eerily demented, lustful look in his eyes that had been there the previous night. Nothing of that sort happened and she tried to calm herself down, blinking her tears away furiously in the process.

 

“But I'm not...!” his voice trailed off with a strangled cry.

 

Anzu found the declaration to be odd, and she didn't quite know how to decipher what Ryou meant when he said it. She tried to figure it out silently, still keeping an eye on the bedroom door. After almost ten minutes of silence, the brunette figured that her brother was not going to say anything further. She could not find anything else to say, either, and so she turned around and entered her room as quietly as possible.

 

She needed to begin getting ready for her date with Malik.