Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Reflection ❯ Shadows in the Rain ( Chapter 1 )

Reflection: Shadows in the rain

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, I don't own the song this was inspired by (not sure if the lyrics'll be used though..) which happens to be "I'm with you" By Avril Lavigne, My cocoa's gone, my prides all but dissolved, but...I'm lucky enough to own two precious angels made of porcealin now...so even if I'm alone, I'm not.

Authors Notes:

I present to you, folks, the reason why I don't listen to the radio anymore. I switch it on momentarily, and what comes on? "I'm with you" suddenly I have a vision in my head of poor Yugi. And of course I was going to work on the second chapter of my one shot, but no, alas, this appeared.

Anyways, updated to post on Mediaminer,
This one is also a one shot that turned into a multi-parter, chapter two will keep you a bit amused actually..

This chapter is fully Yugi's POV.

I seem to be making him a little cynical lately, curse my emotions, getting into the story like that. *blinks*

Um. Anyways, tell me what you think ne?
I'm slowly, ever so slowly, working my way up to a little bit more than just "hinting" in my stories, but I'm some-what of a prude when it comes to that stuff, so I'm a little conservative, I have yet to write chapter three (which you'll get chapter two soon as I can edit it a bit) so if you want me to add a little bit, but still keep it within bounds, tell me and I'll be glad to try my hand at it.

^.^
Enjoy!
~*~

Cold rain cascaded down around me, though completely oblivious I continued to stare below me, ignoring the waves of ice cold that traveled up my body, and shot through my heart with the utmost lack of respect that only pain could carry.

Rather unaware of how long I had been standing out here, in the rain, staring down at the lake below me, trying to catch a glimpse of my reflection, but failing as my gaze only found water being disturbed by millions of tiny knives, mixing with a little bit of heartache.

A clap of thunder is the only sound accompanying me tonight, and a flash of lightning is my other companion as the lake below me lights up in bleak despair.

It's amazing what somebody can see and feel when they spend enough time in one place, just...exsisting. Gentle rain fall turning to a torrential downpour, sending late night strollers scrambling for cover, a lake, once reflecting the image of a boy engulfed in happiness, now unable to produce the same picture only moments later, perhaps because said boy is unable to comprehend the same feeling he carried moments earlier.

Is it my fault? Perhaps, most everything is these days...

Turning my gaze back to the distraught lake my vision blurred for a moment before I blinked and shook my head, now lost in my own reverie.

Only a few weeks after the duelist kingdom incident everything in Domino had gone back to normal, for the most part. The Kaiba brothers were safe, my grandfather was back with me, life was good. Or atleast I thought it was, till a week or so ago.

Something just wasn't right, this much I surmised when I walked in to school and saw Anzu talking with a blonde girl, look at me then turn away without a word of acknowledgement.

Jou and Honda were a little better, at least they acknowledged my presence, before making excuses and disappearing into the growing crowd of students. After that it was relatively quiet for me, answer questions when spoken to by the teacher, reply as cheerfully as possible when spoken to by a peer. Shake off the odd glances I would recieve from time to time.

That could be where it ended, but a couple days later, when I took my concerns to them they merely gave fake answers and then disappeared again, like I should have gotten the hint or something, and really I did.

From then on I started to avoid them in the hallways, and, amidst the many times Yami tried to get answers out of me, I fell back in to an old routine, one that, for a year, I had over come, because of my friends.

I had left the Millenium Puzzle at home, because I didn't want Yami to keep trying to get me to tell him what was the matter, though I could still feel his presence in my mind, as reassuring as it was, it did little to calm my nerves as I walked up the school stairs that morning, the old, almost 16 year old vertically challenged teenager who could beat Maxamillion Pegasus in Duel Monsters but couldn't defend himself against bullies, specifically a rather old enemy. Hijinaka Tokodama, the only other person next to Ushio I remember really ever bullying me around.

"Why hello there little Yugi..." a familiar voice said from behind and before I had time to brace myself I saw stars as I slid down a wall, cringing as pain flew up my back.

"Hello Hijinaka." I said in a somewhat subdued tone of voice. I forgot how easy it was to fall back to old habits.

What scared me worse, was how welcoming the feeling was. Alarming as it seems, I found the pain engulfing my body and the distingly preditory glare he was giving me a welcome change from invisibility.

"Where's your necklace, and body guards shrimp?" he asked menacingly and I couldn't help but shudder as he towered over me.

I remained silent and picked myself up, standing to my full height, as humorous as that was, and stared at him defiantly.

"Oh, so now you're going to be the tough guy eh little Yugi?" he asked me sarcastically and roughly shoved me backwards, I stumbled but caught myself before falling and kept my face forward, even if my eyes were staring straight to the ground.

'The one day I decide to leave Yami behind and he decided to show up, Baka..' I chided myself mentally.

My heart skipped a beat when I noticed Ryou walk by glancing my way curiously I did a double take, stumbled backwards then in a daring move sidestepped Hijinaka and bolted for the door, ignoring the ache in my leg and back as I nearly collided with Anzu as I ran fast as possible to class, only stopping when I slammed myself into my desk, ignoring the looks I received.

Honda and Jou walked by, sending me equal looks of curiosity and concern, though I missed it and only took time to assess damage when I tasted the familiar metallic twang of blood in my mouth. I must have bitten my lip when he slammed me against the wall...oh well. A couple of scratches and bruises are nothing compared to what I've had before.

The bruises had faded, and the pain my back was virtually non-exsistant now, now everything was merely numb. My back as well as my emotions, though not surprisingly.

I found out the other day that a certain bully wound himself up with a few bruises of his own, and I can't help but wonder exactly what transpired after that day.

Why couldn't anything have gone right, I mean, for a time I had friends, very close friends. But then we just separated. I think faster than I could have imagined it happening we went our separate ways, or they just disowned me.

What had I done to cause them to hate me? I mean, was it something I said, or did. Maybe they just got tired of hanging around somebody who couldn't protect himself. I can't blame Yami, because nobody but Anzu and Ryou know about him, plus I wouldn't anyways. There's no reason, he's always there for me, if a little too protective.

I know he'd kill them if he found out what was going on, so of course he doesn't know.

But, the invitation to the party, they'd invited me...

Yesterday passed in a flurry, one class to the next, straight passed the perpetual illusion of lunch, and into 8th hour.

Looking around I tried to catch my barrings, it was almost as if I was thrown into this hour without any warning. The room spun for a moment with just that thought and I had to catch myself on my desk before I fell.

"Hey." somebody said dropping their hand heavily on my shoulder and I flinched automatically away, before realizing who it was, and what my reaction had done to them.

"Jou?" I asked softly when I turned around in my seat to look at him, before standing up immediately.

"Yeah..ah..here." he said thrusting something into my hand before turning to leave.

"Wait! Jou, what's this?" I questioned and he stopped and shrugged.

"Invitation. Honda's place. Tomorrow night, feel free to attend..." he said casually but slipped away just as quickly back with Anzu and Honda, the trio exchanging glances.

I looked over at Ryou who had also recieved an invitation, he cast a glance at me and smiled reassuringly and nodded as if telling me to go.

I smiled back and nodded as well and then sat down, feeling a whole lot lighter than I had for weeks.

Now that I think about it, the smile Ryou gave me, and the reason my latest bullying problem disappeared couldn't have been too coincidental. I think, with a little prodding maybe he got Bakura to have a little talk with Hijinaka. Though I can't be too sure.

A smile made it's way to my face and lingered as I looked up to the sky then back out over the lake.

My hands moved automatically to the puzzle resting casually against my stomache, the comforting weight around my neck the only reassurance I had this night.

But my smile faded when I remembered again, the exact reason why I was here, instead of at the big party at Honda's.

Loud music assaulted my senses when I opened the door to Honda's place, cringing I sighed heavily and slipped to a side wall looking over the group of people that had gathered, from freshman to seniors, it was an all out party alright.

I made my way towards the kitchen when I didn't see the others and stopped just short of the corner when I heard Ryou's voice.

"You did invite Yugi to the party right Jou?"

"Yeah, I did..."

"Why's he not here then?" he asked seeming almost defensive at the moment.

"How should I know, what am I his keeper?"

"No, but I thought you were his friend." it was good to know at least one person would still defend my honor.

"Look, I invited him to the party, isn't that good enough?"

"No, I want to know what drove you apart!" The usually soft spoken boy demanded, making me wonder just how of an affect his Yami had actually had on him. "Have you seen him lately?"

There was silence through the room and I realized that Anzu and Honda must be there as well.

"No? I thought not." he said in disappointment. "Then you'd realize exactly what was going on, without you around he's fallen back into his old habits, if you recall what those were."

It was a good thing I closed the link between Yami and myself at the moment.

"Yeah..we do..." there seemed to be a bit of dejection in that voice as Honda spoke up finally. "But-"

"No, no buts about it. I don't think I even want to hear your bloody excuses. After everything he's done for you people, how do you repay him? By turning a cold shoulder to him. Much oblidged." he said in a disdainful voice, and for a moment I was under the impression it wasn't just him talking anymore.

"Look, things happen, people grow a part, it happens Ryou! Just let it be!" Jou exclaimed.

I chose this moment to intervene, without making it look like I had heard anything of what was going on.

"Hey guys we could use a little-"

"Go AWAY we're trying to have a conversation here!" Jou snapped not even looking up to see who he'd just barked at.

I felt a cold weight drop to my stomache as my eyes widened, I noticed Ryou's eyes narrow slightly at this then he caught sight of me and his eyes also widened as well. "Jou!" he cried and took a step forward but I shook my head and turned around, pushing my way through the now larger crowd of people.

I just had to get out of there, couldn't be near them. Any of them. It hurt too much.

It was with that, that I burst through the door, down the stairs and out to the sidewalk, running as fast as my legs would carry me.

And here is where I found myself only hours later, near midnight, shaking profusely as the water seeped into my clothes and pulled any heat I had in my body away from me. Leaving nothing but an empty shell of a teenage boy.

My hands tightened around the puzzle and I found myself trying harder to force the tears away that were threatening to fall.

"Go AWAY! We're trying to have a conversation here!" Jou's voice echoed through my mind causing fresh pain to assault my senses.

Sure, he'd yelled at me before, but never...never with that much hatred in his voice, like I was the bane of his exsistance, just for walking in on a conversation that was about me.

Suddenly it all seemed too much, the cold had gone too far, chilling me far worse than just to the bone, piercing my heart and sending a sharp shot of pain to my head, or maybe that was just a natural reaction to something.

If I didn't no better I'd say I just felt myself snap, something deep down in my heart stirring, like a memory pulled up from an amnesiac, a wave of emotion ran through my body and I choked back a sob.

So this was what I was reduced to, crying again.

Sharp tears and painful sobs, I couldn't have it. But I couldn't stop it either.

It seemed suddenly gravity took control and I sunk to my knees, no longer able to support my weight and knelt there, hands on the ground eyes clinched shut, trying unsuccessfully to quell the tears that were just waiting to fall. And fall they did.

With one heart wrenching sob it all crashed through me, the complete pain and confusion.

I vaguely felt my shoulders shake as some invisble force took over and I just sat there, pulled up against the wall of the bridge, soaking concrete pushing into my back, knees to my chest as I sobbed shamelessly, the chilling rain cascading to the ground, now mixed with bitter tears.

With that onslaught of tears came the opening of the bond I shared with Yami, and with that assault of pure grief and pain came a very sudden reaction.

Either I ignored or didn't register his attempt to get my attention through our bond, but within seconds I felt a suddenly drop in energy as he separated himself physically from me and knelt down in front of me.

"Yugi! What are you doing out here in this terrible weather!" he exclaimed in shock as I looked up startled.

"Yami?" I questioned, voice cracking as my eyes watered and new tears spilled down my cheeks.

"What's happened Hikari? Who's done this to you?" He asked and I shook my head, unable to use my voice anymore as new sobs racked my body.

His eyes widened and I felt his hands on my shoulders, the gentle warmth from him surprising me slightly before I was pulled into a tight embrace, and his head set atop of my own.

"Yugi..." he murmured and fell silent again, I was sure he wasn't sure what to do, and slowly, being near him, drove away the harder sobs to softer, less painful ones as I rested in his embrace, as he adjusted himself and leaned against the bridge this time.

"Yami?" I questioned, head still resting against his chest.

"Yes?"

"What are you doing here?"

~*~*~*~

There's nothing wrong with that ending right?

Am I right? (Help me out people!)

Chapter two, expect it soon.
Hope you enjoyed!