Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Identity ❯ Servant's Encounter ( Chapter 5 )

Identity

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO

Summary: Secrets are dangerous things, especially if you're dealing with a false identity. All has gone well for Bakura Ryou, until Kaiba Seto comes into his life. A sort of medieval/Chinese setting. Slash warning Seto/Ryou, a little Yami/Ryou.

Pairings: Seto/Ryou, Anzu/Honda, Jou/Mai, Shizuka/Yugi

Chapter Title: Servant's Encounter

Author's Notes: no reviews . . . people really don't like this story, do they? Am I doing something wrong? Please tell me . . . why aren't my Yu-Gi-Oh fics as popular as my Beyblade ones? I dunno what I'm doing wrong, but I hope someone can tell me.

Oh yeah, I will be using Japanese honorifics from now on, partly because I want to and they sound better than `lord' and `lady' blah, blah.

ENJOY!

---- Servant's Encounter ----

Anzu strolled through the marketplace with Honda trailing after her. They were currently in the process of purchasing the suitable ingredients for that evening's meal. The ladies of the house were very picky and selective about their meals and Anzu and Honda, who had been in the house a very long time already, knew exactly what they wanted.

"Good day Anzu-san," the greengrocer, a kind old lady, greeted.

"Morning Madoka-san," Anzu chirped, walking over.

She began chatting away to the old lady politely while Honda held everything they'd purchased earlier. He was always responsible for carrying the items bought because, unfair as it was, he was a man. When they were younger, he would joke about how frail and delicate a woman was and that it was a man's duty to protect her. Anzu would usually disagree to this fact and they would start an argument. The young heir, Bakura, would come in between them and somehow resolve the conflict.

That was, until he had actually succeeded the household affairs. When that day passed, Lord Bakura was too busy to participate in leisurely activities like they used to. Honda and Anzu were expected to serve him like proper servants and not childhood companions any more. They began distancing from him and Honda and Anzu grew closer. It was an abrupt change, and they all were affected by it. Lord Bakura isolated himself from the rest of the world - and from Anzu, whom he was closest to. In turn, Anzu ceased to tease and convince him to go out with her and showered this sisterly affection on Honda.

"Honda-kun! Wake up Honda-kun!"

Fingers snapped in front of his face, making him jump. Anzu was holding out a basket full of greens, something he had personally detested. Wordlessly, he took the basket and followed her over to another stall. This continued on like it usually did when they were buying the groceries for the house. Anzu would do all the talking, chatting and buying, while he stood off to the side and carried the things she bought. Until they reached one particular stall.

"Hello, Honda-kun," a sweet voice called.

He turned with a smile to see a girl with long, straight hair tied up in a high ponytail down her back, dressed in orange and yellow skirts and lacy top. She was smiling back at him from under the parasol she held to keep the sun off her pale skin. Shifting all the packages to a more manageable position, Honda went over to her.

"Hello, Miho-san," he greeted.

"Are you out shopping again today?" she asked, looking around. "Where's Anzu-chan?"

"She's running another errand for the kitchen staff," he replied. "How's your father and your family's store? Is business all right for you?"

Miho's family was in the tailoring business and so she always had access to the finest materials and clothing. They continued some basic, polite conversation until Anzu came back with a large chunk of meat secured with a wire of sorts. She looked disgruntled.

"Hello, Anzu-chan," Miho greeted politely.

"Hello, Miho-san."

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," Anzu replied. "The butcher was trying to perve me. AGAIN."

"I'll mob him for you," Honda offered, copying some street slang he had overheard with a grin. Anzu couldn't help but grin back. "Not that I have a mob, mind you."

"I'll remember your offer."

They looked at the sun, which was high above them. Miho sighed.

"I have to go now," she said finally. "My father is hosting a dinner with Otogi-sama tonight and I have to be prepared for it. Merchant's business with nobility."

Honda hid a scowl. He never really did like that stuck-up Otogi Ryuuji, who was the second most powerful lord in all of Domino. The only reason why he put up with the guy was because he was Lord Bakura's ally and partner. Otogi was nice enough to Bakura, but he did tend to have an inflated ego that annoyed Honda to no end. That wasn't including the fact that he was interested in HIS love interest, Miho.

"Well, I'd best be going now," Miho said. "See you both around."

Honda watched her go with a bit of disappointment. They always had fairly Platonic conversations and their relationship was supposedly only that, but he had always hoped for more. The young woman was very sweet and well liked by all, only that her father was abusive and could get into a tight spot frequently because of his gambling problems. The store their family owned was held together by her uncle.

Anzu smiled fondly at Honda. She knew of her friend's interest in Miho, but they both knew that it wasn't to be. They were servants and Lord Bakura owned their lives, while Miho was a merchant's daughter. She was a free person and above them in society.

"Come on, Honda-kun, let's go."

--------

A well liked past time the nobility had was fencing. They had fencing tournaments, fencing practise and sometimes just met all for the sake of fencing. The best fencer was easily Ryou and he had yet to find someone his match. That was why he brought Kaiba along with him to the next meeting, if only to make some sort of impression.

"The White Dragon style has never been seen before," Ryou explained. "It would put all these nobles into their place when they see that you cannot be bested. They don't like it when someone they classify `below' themselves are better than them."

Ryou glanced over at the stoic knight, who was silently polishing his sword, thinking. Kaiba had been scorned at court when he was seen with him, talking and discussing in low voices. No one had ever gained Ryou's favour immediately upon the first meeting like Kaiba had, except perhaps the Prince Regent. There were rumours of Kaiba's supposed pretence of skill to impress him and Ryou wanted to prove them wrong.

"I won't give you any advice of my own, Kaiba-kun, because I trust you will be able to find them out on your own. But I will tell you this: don't let anything they say faze you."

"Yes, Bakura-sama."

"You are above all that. Know this and you will win."

They reached the practise grounds of the Ishtar manor and swung from their horses. Ryou's was a pure white mare, Tsukiyo, while Kaiba preferred a dark stallion called Senkou. Two stable hands led them away and the two of them made their way over to where the other nobles were gathered, talking and comparing different things.

"Ah, Bakura-sama," Malik Ishtar, the foreign noble who headed the house. "You made it."

"Yes, Malik-san," Ryou said a little stiffly. He was too far above Malik to use the honorific `sama'. "I do hope you haven't started without me."

"Iie, of course not."

Malik, as mentioned before, was a foreign noble who happened to gain favour within another noble's eye and so was allowed to bring his house into their land. He and the Bakura household didn't get along well ever since that river incident fourteen years ago. Ryou had only been six at the time and Malik was two years older.

"I see you've brought a companion," Malik said, gesturing to Kaiba. "I assume this is Kaiba-san, the knight you newly employed?"

"Yes, this is him. Kaiba-kun, this is Malik Ishtar."

"Good afternoon, Ishtar-sama."

Meanwhile, Malik had his eyebrow raised at the sound of Ryou calling Kaiba with the honorific `kun'. A noble gave only men who were considered equal that honorific. Kaiba had barely been in the land a month and already he was so close to Bakura. He had been around for over fifteen years and still Bakura was so distant and cold to him. It was probably because of that incident involving his brother, Ryou and some other kid that looked very much like Ryou himself . . . but, nevertheless, there would be talk.

"Now we have the fencing tournament!" Malik announced brightly, turning around.

"The opponents will be chosen freely," a servant, acting as judge, announced. "Therefore, my lords are free to challenge anyone they wish and the duels will be held in the ring, one by one, according to who challenges who first."

"Let the tournament begin!"

Ryou sighed and stood to one side, Kaiba beside him. They weren't about to challenge anyone on their own, even if Ryou had given the latter permission to do so beforehand. Kaiba only accepted challenges and Ryou just wasn't interested. It was the same people every year and he only came to these things because he was expected to. Beyond that, he hardly ever left his castle and no one but the nobles knew him. He didn't even attend court unless he had to.

"Kaiba-san," Malik said, coming over. "I've heard about your talent at this sport. I would like to challenge you to a duel.'

It was an order, not a request, and Kaiba knew as much. Ryou nodded.

"Yes, of course, Ishtar-sama."

--------

Kaiba won. It wasn't unexpected, to say the least, because Malik really had it coming to him in the first place. The knight was tempted to hold back because Malik was superior in status to him, but his pride and Ryou forbade him to do so. There was an enmity between them that changed the normally placid-tempered Ryou.

"You held back in the first few exchanges," the young lord pointed out. "Why is that?"

"He is above me, Bakura-sama."

"A swordsman does not let something as meagre as this get in the way of an honourable duel," Ryou said, voice acidic. "Aren't you an honourable swordsman, someone who is worthy of wielding a sword like yours and the person who, just this morning, told me that there are no superiors or subordinates in a duel?"

He was referring to the practise they had been doing that morning in the courtyard, as the sun rose. They were fencing and Kaiba had disarmed Ryou by kicking his feet out from under him. Ryou had jokingly asked whether he held any respect for him and Kaiba had replied that, in a duel, there were no superiors or subordinates. Ryou had been impressed.

"I won, Bakura-sama."

"That's not the point, Kaiba! It's the moral of the whole thing! You would have let him win, easily, if I hadn't interfered, or if your pride hadn't kicked in. I'm not stupid, Kaiba. I know when someone is or isn't trying their best."

They were walking back from the tournament after the duel. Actually, it was more like Ryou had just turned around, collected Tsukiyo from the stables and left while Kaiba was left to follow him on Senkou. Because the young lord was on foot and leading his mare, Kaiba caught up to him fairly quickly and they were now in the woods just outside the Bakura house.

Ryou stopped and turned to him. Kaiba was surprised to find his dark eyes were damp.

"What made you hold back?" Ryou asked, his voice barely over a weak croak.

"I don't know, Bakura-sama."

"Fencing with the Ishtars is very important to me," he said shakily, but his voice was ice cold with unusual hatred. "It was because of them I became the best. Understand that, if there is a next time, you must. Not. Hold. Back."

There was a passion in his voice, a conviction, which startled Kaiba. The young lord led his mare over to the stream and stood there like a statue. Kaiba followed wordlessly, confused as to why Ryou would suddenly be so angry about something as trivial as a duel. Not long after they had arrived at the stream, Ryou spoke.

"This stream flows down to become a large river." His voice was now distant. "The river's current is strong and fast. I had, believe it or not, an older brother no one knew about. Everyone just thought he was a child who looked remarkably like me. They never knew we shared the same parents, only he was born years before our parents were married. Mother kept it a secret from everyone but us. His name was Anubis.

"Fourteen years ago, when I was six years old, my brother and Malik's brother, Marik Ishtar, were duelling by the very same river. My brother had the upper hand . . .

~ Fourteen years ago, by the river ~

"Come on, Anubis!" Marik taunted, waving his practise sword about. "Can't you take me?"

"You're on!" Anubis yelled, coming forwards with his own sword.

Ryou stood by, a little six-year-old heir, holding onto Marik's younger sister's hand. Ishizu stood by him worriedly, looking between the two teens, wondering if she should stop them before they were seriously hurt. The practise swords weren't blunted back then and both Anubis and Marik's heads were too inflated to know where to stop.

They exchanged blows, all of which came dangerously close to harming the other. Ishizu bit her lip with worry. If this was how they were going to duel, she didn't want to see how they would duel when things really got heated up. She was of the mind to lead Ryou away, when the little boy cheered out his brother's name.

Anubis had gotten Marik into a stranglehold and was at the point of disarming him. It would have worked too, if Marik hadn't suddenly jabbed the handle of his sword into Anubis' stomach, causing the other teen to double over, gasping for breath. Using this chance, Marik kicked out with a leg and sent Anubis flying backwards . . .

. . . and into the river.

"ANUBIS!" Ryou screeched, running towards the river.

"NO BAKURA-SAMA!" Ishizu yelled, pulling him back. "Don't go there, you'll drown!"

"But Anubis!" Ryou cried, clawing at the girl's arm, trying to break free. "I need to . . . help . . . Anubis . . . please, Ishizu, save him!"

Marik was on the bank, too shocked to move. Eight-year-old Malik was standing nearby, not quite understanding what was going on. As for Anubis, he was half-submerged in the rapids, gasping for breath and struggling to stay above the water's surface. His clothes dragged him down and he didn't come back up for a long time.

"Anubis?" Ryou cried helplessly. "Anubis? ANUBIS WHERE ARE YOU?"

Ishizu turned away when Ryou pleaded with her. Tears stung her eyes as the water closed over the teen's head and he wasn't seen any more. Marik scrambled away from the water's edge, lavender eyes huge, shaking violently. Ryou rounded on him.

"YOU KILLED HIM!" he screamed. "YOU KILLED ANUBIS!"

"I-I didn't mean to . . ."

"YOU KILLED HIM! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

The boy picked up the sword his brother had dropped and lunged at Marik. Malik blocked him with a sword of his own, sending the white haired boy sprawling on his back. He glared at them in hatred.

"Don't hurt my brother," Malik said. "I'll duel you instead. But you're not good enough to fight me. Come back when you are the best and I'll fight you then."

~ Present time, by the same river ~

Ryou clenched his fists and gripped his sword hilt tightly. Tears stung his eyes and spilt, surprising Kaiba. He had always thought the young lord was strong and stony because he chose to. Now that he had heard this story, he finally understood there was such a tragedy behind the stony appearance and attitude.

But there was another thing. Ryou had a brother born out of wedlock, years before their parents were legally married. If Anubis had been a teenager fourteen years ago, he would be around twenty-seven now.

"Ishizu disappeared a few months after Anubis drowned. Nobody's heard of where she went, but she disappeared." Ryou unclenched his fists. "Since then, I've been training. I wanted to revenge Anubis' death."

"I'm sorry, Bakura-sama, I didn't know."

"I suppose it's not your fault," Ryou said, smiling sadly. "No one knew much anyway."

He turned to the knight suddenly with a lost expression.

"Could you - could you lend me a shoulder, please?"

Kaiba motioned for him to feel free and Ryou lay his head on the taller man's shoulder, crying freely. He didn't bother holding back at all and just let all his frustration, anger and feelings out with his tears. Unintentionally, he also grabbed onto Kaiba's tunic with both hands, dropping his sword on the grass beside him. Kaiba reached up and smoothed his hair down awkwardly, unused to comforting people.

"He was all I had left," Ryou whimpered. "I was given to the first lady to raise after birth and I wasn't allowed to see my mother unless I had to. Anubis was my only family member I really knew. I lost him because of the Ishtars."

The other man felt something stir within him as he held the young lord. He had lost his own family in a flood. After that, he had been taken in by his master at age four and trained to the swordsman he was now. He could empathise with Ryou.

"I was always left alone after Anubis died. No one understands what it's like living as if you want to be isolated when you really don't want to. I get all the money and the power, but I also get all the responsibilities and the blame when something goes wrong. I don't want to live a life like this any more, but I have no choice. If Anubis was here, he'd know what to do."

A while later, Ryou pulled away and his eyes were perfectly dry. He released Kaiba's tunic and apologised profusely for causing him so much trouble. They walked back through the gates together, though Kaiba could not stop thinking about what he had been told, the rapidly fading, damp stains on his tunic serving as a reminder. Ryou wasn't as strong as he held out to be and he wasn't the cold and untouchable ice statue as everyone said. But he continued to act such around others, making him seem like a puzzle.

But, he wasn't in any position to criticise him. All he wanted to do now was be at his side and perhaps make up for the anger he had caused Ryou.

---- End of Chapter Five ----

A/N: another chapter finished

I was running out of ideas, but I just wrote this any way. This is the first day of school from the summer holidays and I'm in year 10 this year. I've got the School Certificate at the end of this year and I might not be able to update as frequently any more because I have to study.

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