Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Not Who They Seem To Be ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Not Who They Seem To Be

The dream...I had the same dream I've been having for weeks since that night. The vision of my Yami being cruelly taken from me and the ring in which he inhabited being lost once again in that desert from which it came.

At first, the dream affected me greatly, each time making me weaker than the last until finally, I dug myself so deep into my own self-protective hole, that the emotional pains of the world were no more than dull aches in my heart.

I stood in front of my bedroom window, watching the rain hit the glass and slide down like the tears I no longer shed. The window vaguely reminded me of myself. Now it was mimicking me. Disgusted, I turned away and crawled back into bed. The dream always woke me up in the middle of the night. Before it would be hours before I fell asleep, now it was minutes. Yugi and his friends were responsible for my pain, if they only knew it. Sure, they noticed the dark circles and redness in my eyes, but they never thought that it could be because they stole the one person that I loved in this miserable world. My Yami wasn't the cruel being they thought he was. I loved him more than I could describe, and now, he was gone. Before I couldn't sleep without the feeling of him next to me in bed. The sound of his rhythmic breathing and on some nights, the steady beating of his heart. Now that I am in my shell, sleep comes to me easily. Easier than I would like, I almost preferred the weaker version of myself, at leas then I felt the pain for having lost my Yami. Yugi and his friends didn't even try to get information out of me. It didn't take me long to realize how little I meant to them. It had always been that way it seemed. They haven't even figured out that I have been acting this way since they stole my Yami. Not long ago, I demanded to know where they left him. I remember Joey saying 'Have you flipped, Ryou? Why would you want to know where we stashed that cruel bastard?'. They would never understand. I couldn't even prove to them that my Yami was better than they thought. Now he wasn't with me anymore, thanks to Yugi. It was only moments, before sleep took over once again.

I was in front of the school. I could see Yugi with his Yami and his friends. It made me angry. Yugi got to be with his Yami who was no different from mine...That wasn't exactly true. If only Yugi knew that his Yami hurt both of us worse than even my Yami could. Their little group was laughing, and my expression was in such a way that it could only be described as angry, worse than my Yami's. Fortunately, that bastard that is Yugi's Yami looked my way, and then quickly turned away at the sight of my angry expression. He turned back to his boyfriend, Seto. I relaxed my face, knowing that they'd want to know what he saw.

So, I walked over, leaning on the tree next to Malik and his Yami. I think the two of them actually knew my Yami wouldn't hurt me, but they refused to get involved. That included telling me where they put him, but at least they didn't help in getting rid of him. I wasn't angry with them.

"Good morning, Ryou!" Yugi greeted. The poor kid, if he only knew what his Yami did to him. I smiled half-heartedly at him. I saw his disappointment clearly as he turned back to his lover, Joey. Malik watched me closely while I was there.

The only reason they had taken my Yami was because they thought he raped me, when he was just standing up for Yugi's Yami because they held such high opinions towards him. I can still remember what he told me.

'Blame me for it. They won't believe Yami would do such a thing. Besides, Yami's a Pharaoh, he's not used to having things and people out of his reach. I can take whatever cruel blow they give me.' I had begged him not to make me say that. But he said he would say it if I didn't. Of course, he couldn't take the blow they gave him. They took him away from me the next day, a mistake I will never forgive.

"Hey Ryou, are you okay?" It was Yugi again. By now they had caused me so much pain without realizing it, that I actually began laughing. The surprised looks I got from everyone just made me laugh harder. It was too hilarious.

Then I felt it. The familiarity of my ring and its occupant, secretly returning without anyone's notice.

//I was wondering when you'd do something like that so I could find you.// I heard my Yami's voice clearly inside my head. It was all I could do not to burst into tears at the joy I felt, hearing his voice once again.

//Don't start crying on me now, love.// I could almost see his smirk. I stopped laughing and everyone looked frightened. I decided to let my Yami take over for me. Seeing them scared was enough to ease the pain they cause me...at least a little. Letting them see my Yami would be dangerous, but I didn't care.

//Neither do I.// He said. Then I went into the ring and my Yami took over my body.

"Ryou? What's wrong?" I could hear Yugi ask. My Yami laughed in response.

"Nothing is wrong, I feel perfectly alright. Although I didn't exactly enjoy that burial in the desert." His voice was noticeably different from mine and I could tell that they knew who it was.

"Bakura!" Yugi's Yami said. Everyone went on the defensive except Malik. My Yami smiled, and then switched with me again.

"Ryou! Are you alright?" Joey asked. I had had enough by that point, so I yelled.

"I'm fine!" Then I stormed into the school, just as the bell rang.

I knew they were shocked. I never yelled, it was quite unlike me. In class they sat away from me, except Malik. He had been watching me for weeks.

"It wasn't Bakura, was it?" He said suddenly. It was Malik's Yami.

"What are you talking about?" I was surprised that it was him and not Malik that was talking to me. His Yami could be eccentric at times.

"The one that hurt you. The reason they stole your Millennium Ring. I'm also quite curious as to how you got it back like that." He said.

//Let me talk to him.// My Yami spoke. I didn't want to argue, so I switched with him.

"Bakura. You should be careful." I heard Malik speak. He must have just walked over.

"I know, but Ryou can't explain. I was waiting for him to release some kind of life. I couldn't find him before because he was so lifeless..." I was a little surprised. My Yami's tone sounded...gentle? I'm sure they caught it.

"You didn't hurt him, did you?" Malik asked. He shook his head.

"I couldn't." He said.

"Then who did?" Malik's Yami asked.

"I'm sorry, you have to find that out on your own." Then he switched with me again. It was easier than separating.

"Ryou. You must tell us who it really was." Malik said.

"There was a reason I didn't tell you before. You think too much of him for me to tell you the truth." I said. Then I realized that I may have said too much.

"I see...thank you. I know who it is now and I agree that we shouldn't tell them." His Yami said.

//See? I told you it wouldn't be a good idea.//

/Whatever. I still think that you shouldn't have made me blame you. It just made things worse, you know./

"Wait, who is it then?" Malik asked.

"I'll tell you later." His Yami winked at him, then disappeared back into the Millennium Rod.

"You should probably go back to them now. Speaking to me at this time may not be a good idea." I said. Malik nodded and reluctantly headed back to the group of friends that he had somehow gotten himself into. They seemed accepting of his Yami even after the terrible things he did, so it made me angry that they wouldn't accept my Yami in the same way. I noticed only after a few seconds of looking at the group, that Téa wasn't there. I was almost glad. All her talk of friendship and working together always made me sick to my stomach. Come to think of it...I hadn't seen her at all. I was too wrapped up in my own pain that I never noticed she was missing.

//She wasn't there when they got rid of me, either. I don't know where she is, I think she's in the hospital or something. I saw them heading there one day.// My Yami said.

/Really? Good./

//Ryou, I never knew this side of you existed. I think I like it.// He laughed and I mentally slapped him, playfully of course.

//Hey!//

/Oh be quiet you big baby, I have work to do./ Then I stopped talking to him and began working on the sheets that had been placed on my desk. Our teacher was absent today so that meant reviewing.

After school ended, I headed home. Or tried to. On my way there, Yugi and his friends cut me off, blocking my path.

"What do you want?" I asked. I was bored now and I didn't feel like dealing with them.

"Give us the ring, Ryou. We don't want you to get hurt again." Yugi said. I snorted.

"Really? So that's why you took it away? I bet you didn't even realize that I hadn't been sleeping well since you stole it from me. I think I'll keep it, thank you." I said. I was beginning to believe that my Yami was rubbing off on me. Speaking of my Yami...

//Can I come out now? It's boring in here.// He said. He smirked and he separated from me.

"Bakura! What are you doing back here?" This time it was Tristan who asked. My Yami laughed and wrapped his arm around me.

"I kind of missed being away from darling little Ryou here." He had no idea what that sounded like. It was like he was admitting he hurt me.

"Ryou, stand back, we're going to teach this guy a lesson." Joey said. I stood firm.

"Don't you dare." I hissed. The look of pure shock was funny, especially on Joey and Tristan. I laughed again.

"I'll banish you to the shadow realm!" Yugi's Yami said.

"No you won't. You won't like what I'll do if you try." My Yami pulled out his dueling deck and held up a card.

"The Man-Eater Bug! You wouldn't!" Yugi said.

"Oh, I would. Now stand aside." He said. I was worried that he was taking this a little too far.

"Stop it." I said. I stood between both groups. "Put the card away. Please." I said. My Yami hesitated, but did what I told him to.

"Why are you protecting him, Ryou?" Yugi asked. He was so innocent that I was actually feeling pity towards him.

"Because I don't want to lose him. He's nicer to me than any of you. If you were truly my friends, then I wouldn't be alone so much. You do everything without me and I'm sick of being alone." I was speaking the truth, but I never dwelled on it like that before. It hurt so much that I fell to my knees, sobbing slightly.

"Ryou!" My Yami ran to my side, and Yugi told his Yami to take this chance to seal my Yami away.

"Stop this!" There was a powerful yell coming from their group. I looked to see Malik's Yami separate from him and stand between us.

"Stop this, right now." He said. "Bakura wasn't the one who hurt Ryou, he was taking the blame for someone else. If he really did hurt Ryou, do you think that he would be by his side right now?" He asked. They all looked at each other, silently discussing it amongst themselves. Yugi told his Yami to stand down and I sighed with relief.

"Thank you." I said to Malik's Yami. He smiled and returned to Malik's side.

"Please, Yugi, I just want you and your friends to stop interfering with my life. You're nice and everything, but that's not enough. I need to be with someone I love. Goodbye." I disappeared into the ring, too exhausted to stay out with them. My Yami stood up and glared at them all, moving through them and heading home. I saw what he saw and what he didn't.

He didn't see the glare we received from Yugi's Yami. I didn't know what it meant, but I knew it wasn't good.

~Happy 'Lil Slasher~