Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Horcrux ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2

 

Ryou Bakura blinked and looked around. He was standing in his apartment living room, though he had no idea how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was walking down the hall at school, talking to Yugi. And then his Sennen Ring had reacted to something…

 

He groaned quietly. Mou hitori no boku, he chastised. I'm going to be punished for skipping school.

 

To his surprise, he got an answer. I don't care, the tomb robber replied. Where did you put the locket?

 

Ryou automatically walked over to a desk and pulled open a drawer, revealing the pendant. As he picked it up, he heard a cackle in the back of his mind. Mou hitori no boku? What's going on? He held the pendant up, watching it revolve slowly, the meager light from outside glistening off the silver. Do you know what this is? Is it cursed?

 

Cursed? No. It is a Horcrux.

 

Horcrux? What's that?

 

He got no answer, for apparently the tomb robber had decided that he had done enough talking. Ryou frowned and sent a mental prod to his darker self. The tomb robber expressed his displeasure at being bothered by shoving back so hard that Ryou physically stumbled into the wall. “Fine,” the boy murmured aloud, placing the pendant back in the desk drawer and sliding it shut.

 

If his darker half wanted to ignore him, Ryou didn't care. It would be status quo, and Ryou could find out what a Horcrux was from other sources. Turning on a light, he crossed the room to a bookshelf and pulled down one of his books, an old, thick book about various magic items his mother had given him a long time ago. As the rain continued steadily and thunder grumbled at the city, he curled up in an armchair and began to read.

 

* * *

 

He stayed up all night reading, though he had no success, and slept in way past his alarm the next morning. “Oh, no!” he moaned when at last he woke up, only to find his clock reading nine thirty-five. “I'm so late! And I'm already in trouble for skipping yesterday!”

 

He rushed around, gulping down a stale biscuit and a glass of milk, sparing five seconds to brush his teeth, throwing on his clothes and grabbing his briefcase on the way to the door.

 

Yadonushi!

 

He skidded to a stop, almost afraid to breathe.

 

Take the locket with you.

 

Ryou's face screwed up in confusion. “Why?” he asked aloud as he moved over to the desk and pulled the drawer open. No answer came, and he hesitated. The thought of being forced to skip another day when his darker half took over his body was not a good one, though, and he picked up the locket, stuffing it in his pocket as he continued out the door.

 

The rain clouds had disappeared, and the sun shone brilliantly on the still wet city and Ryou trotted down the street, pushing his way through the partially crowded streets. Maybe he could make it for second period, if he hurried.

 

A boy darted in front of him, and before he could react they collided, both falling to the ground. “Ite,” Ryou groaned, rubbing the new sore spot on his forehead. Beside him, the boy stood up and turned to offer a hand.

 

“Sorry about that…” he started, but he trailed off, his eyes widened as he took in Ryou's face. “You!” he cried, face hardening into anger.

 

Ryou blinked at him in confusion as he picked himself up. “Do I know you?” he questioned.

 

The boy's angry expression faltered, and he scrutinized the older boy's face for a few seconds. “No,” he said at last. “I'm sorry; I mistook you for someone else. He must have been your twin, though.”

 

Ryou blinked again and sent a probing question inward. Mou hitori no boku, did you meet this boy yesterday? What were you up to?

 

But as usual all he got in return was silence, and he returned his attention to the boy. “He didn't steal anything from you, did he?”

 

The boy's eyes widened again, and he hastily checked through the pockets of his jeans. “No,” he said when he was finished. “At least, I seem to have everything.”

 

“That's a relief,” Ryou said. He looked over the teenager, taking in his oversized jeans and jacket, his green eyes behind glasses, his scruffy black hair…the lightning shaped scar on his forehead. “I know you,” he said quietly. “You're Harry Potter. What brings you to Japan?”

 

Harry flushed and tried to flatten his bangs to hide the scar. It didn't work well, but Ryou got the hint and stopped staring at it. “I'm looking for something—“ he began, but a shout from down the street interrupted him.

 

“There he is! Rodolphus, he's this way! And that white-haired brat is with him!”

 

“Come on,” Harry hissed, grabbing his arm and pulling him down a side street.

 

Ryou allowed himself to be dragged for a full five seconds before his brain kicked into gear. Wait a second. These are people that are looking for Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived. And since he's running, I doubt they're good people. I know this town better than any of them. Great, there goes another day of school. “This way,” he said, skidding to a stop and changing direction.

 

“Hey!” Harry complained as he was suddenly jerked down an alley. Ryou ignored him and continued, bursting out the other end and crossing the busy street. Taking a breath to utter a quick thanks to God for keeping those cars stopped at a red light, he barged into a small restaurant where he had once applied for a part-time job. The owner had liked him, but the school wouldn't allow him to be employed at the time. Still, they had remained friends.

 

“Bakura-san!” the man cried as Ryou wove through the empty tables, still dragging Harry. “Shouldn't you be in school?”

 

“Sorry, Tanaka-san,” he called over his shoulder as he tugged Harry through the doors to the kitchen. “I'm in a bit of a rush, but I'll explain later.” And he kept going, ignoring the startled cries of the chefs and pushing out the rear exit. Jogging to the end of the alley, he peered around the corner to make sure the coast was clear. He saw no one but townspeople going about their business, so he motioned for Harry to follow and started down the street at a more leisurely pace.

 

He wound a constantly shifting path on the way back to his apartment, but the people who had chased them earlier didn't show up again; apparently they had shaken them off their trail. As he unlocked his door and stepped in, he heaved a sigh, wondering exactly what his darker half had stuck his nose in this time.

 

“Thank you for helping me,” Harry said, taking Ryou's lead and slipping out of his shoes. “I might not have gotten away from them that time.”

 

“Don't mention it. Who are those people?” Ryou hurried to the kitchen as he asked and began puttering around, fixing tea and pulling a tray of cream puffs out of the refrigerator.

 

“Death Eaters,” Harry replied, sitting on the edge of the couch and looking towards the hall nervously. “Voldemort must have sent them to trail me.”

 

Ryou nearly dropped the tray of cream puffs at the mention of the Dark Wizard's name. “H-he's still alive?” he asked, setting the tray on the table and walking over to stand in the doorway between the kitchen and living room.

 

Harry nodded solemnly. “You haven't heard?”

 

“I don't get much news from the wizarding community these days,” the white-haired boy replied. “Ever since my mother died, my father has tried to cut me off from it. Says he wants me to know his world.” Ryou smiled sadly.

 

“I'm sorry,” Harry replied automatically in a voice that suggested Ryou was going through something awful.

 

“He only wants what he thinks is best for me.” Ryou blinked, suddenly realizing that he hadn't introduced himself. “Gomen!” he said with a bow. “My name is Bakura Ryou. Ah, that's Ryou Bakura in Western culture. A pleasure to meet you.” The teapot began to whistle, and he hurried back into the kitchen before Harry could respond. “But please, tell me how…how Voldemort still lives.”

 

“He made Horcruxes,” the teenager answered in a disgusted tone. “Six of them.”

 

Ryou's heart quickened, and he cast a glance back towards the living room as he worked. “I'm afraid I don't know what a Horcrux is, Potter-san.”

 

“Uh, just call me Harry,” Harry said with an embarrassed laugh as Ryou reappeared in the doorway. “And a Horcrux…it's the vilest thing known to wizardry. It's an item, any item, that a wizard has sealed his soul into, making him immortal.”

 

“I didn't know immortality was something within human reach,” Ryou commented as he continued his work in the kitchen. “And I suppose there's a heavy price to pay for it?”

 

“You have to split your soul to do it,” Harry answered. “And you have to murder someone to do that.”

 

Ryou winced as he came back in, carrying a tray with a teapot, two cups, some sugar and milk, and a plate with cream puffs arranged on it. “That is nasty.”

 

“Yes, but it's not beyond Voldemort,” the scarred boy said grimly. “In fact, he was so eager for immortality that he split his soul into seven parts. He had six Horcruxes.”

 

“Seven…the wizard's lucky number,” Ryou said thoughtfully. “So now you're looking for them?”

 

Harry nodded. “If I want to defeat him…really kill him…I have to destroy the Horcruxes first. Two are already gone, and the locket is next on the list.”

 

“Locket?” Ryou's eyes widened in sudden understanding. “Oh, you mean this?” He pulled it out of his pocket and held it in front of him.

 

Silence stretched between them as they both stared at the silver pendant, and only after a full minute did Harry reply, “Yes. That's it.”

 

He reached for it, but Ryou's hand pulled back of its own accord. Mou hitori no boku! he hissed, but the spirit took no heed of his anger. Instead, the tomb robber took full control, pushing Ryou's consciousness back into the darkness of sleep.

 

“You didn't think you could sweet-talk me out of this so easily, did you?” he sneered at Harry as he stood up. The boy gave him a confused look, but the tomb robber ignored it as he looked over the scene before him. “How nice,” he continued. “My landlord can be so sweet to total strangers. He even took the time to make tea for you.”

 

“But…but you did that,” Harry said, also standing.

 

The tomb robber snorted. “Wrong half,” he said. “You see, I don't mean landlord as in the man who owns the apartment. I mean it as in the boy who owns this body.” He gave Harry a crooked, less-than-sane grin. “Ryou has no twin, bakamono. He only has me. And I suggest you get out before I decide to hurt you. I'm already displeased at you for telling him all about Horcruxes.”

 

Harry took a few steps back. “Hey, wait!” he said, trying not to be intimidated. He had run across far stranger things than a boy with multiple personalities, and what he needed was within sight, within grasp. “I need that locket!”

 

“Of course you do,” the tomb robber replied airily. “But so do the Death Eaters chasing you. The question is, what's in it for me? Unless you can offer something I'd consider taking, I'm keeping this little locket.” He began swinging the chain, sending the pendant whirling in circles through the air. “I rather enjoy holding his life in my hands.”

 

“It doesn't matter that much,” Harry said coldly, going to the door and sitting down long enough to pull his shoes on. “There are three other Horcruxes out there, and I'm not looking for them until I destroy the one you're holding. So that life you're holding? You're not really holding it at all.”

 

“Out!” the tomb robber snapped, and Harry scooted out the door, more than happy to leave.

 

He needed time to think about this new development.