Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Harbinger of Trouble ❯ Regroups and Strange Dreams ( Chapter 10 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, they'd all be wearing swords and armor. Takahashi obviously saw the errors of this, because he didn't give anyone any armor.

 

Ryou had tried to sleep. That was one thing he reminded himself as he lay in his bed, awake. He tried to get to sleep, but he couldn't. The events of the past day were wearing on him, and his mental stamina no longer seemed able to hold up. Sleep just wasn't possible, no matter how tired he was. Finally sitting up, Ryou looked out of the lone window that stood in his room, which was surprisingly empty. He had figured he'd be sharing, but fate saw otherwise. Which might've been just as well. It gave him some time to think. And he needed that.

 

Finally giving up the idea of sleep, he got out of bed. Everyone was most probably in bed by now, so Ryou simply tiptoed to his door, opening it as quietly as he could. He stepped into the dark hallway, and crept past one door. Sami was in there. Ryou stopped immediately; normally, he wouldn't have, but he felt something was wrong. Not because anything was, but it was an instinct. Curiously, he crept toward the door, and pressed an ear against it. It was silent, save for a faint rustle from a blanket, and the wind from outside. But the feeling didn't leave him. He frowned, considering just walking inside. Then he remembered, Sami was still pissed with him. He wondered, though, at why he was particularly worried about that…

 

That dream happened again, but this time, they weren't in a laboratory. This time, they were in an old, decrepit building that threatened to crumble beneath them. More people that Sami could recognize were there, but there were still many she couldn't place. Ryou and Yugi waved to her as they passed, but she didn't pay attention. There was only one person she wanted to find. The man from before, who had been gored by that monster. But he wasn't there. Sami found herself frowning. Where was he? He'd been in her dreams many times. Why wasn't he here now? As she looked toward the left, she saw him. He was standing on the edge of the broken roof, holding his gun in his hands. That's when it appeared. A giant, one-eyed bat, with fangs dripping blood. It was going to kill him. Something always did. Sami ran, screaming, trying to help him, but he simply turned to her, smiling, before the roof collapsed. And he fell with it. Sami woke up to find herself screaming, “NO!!” Immediately, she heard a door click open, and Ryou burst in, eyes widened at the sound of her scream.

 

“What on earth… Bakura!?” Ryou exclaimed, looking to something on Sami's left. She immediately shoved her glasses onto her face, and saw the spirit in question. Hair ruffled, eyebrows raised, a bewildered look on his face; Bakura obviously had no idea just how he'd gotten there. He grinned nervously.

 

“Hello, guys,” he said, chuckling, “Bad time?”

 

“What, in the many levels of hell, are you doing in my room?” Sami asked him, a mixture of controlled anger spilling into her voice, “Get out. Now.” Bakura stood up, brushing the dust off of his shirt. Then he held up his hands.

 

“Relax, dear. I'm not here to scare you shitless,” he replied, though that might've been a little too late, “I don't know how I got in here, so rest assured I'm as confused as you are. No need to draw that sword of yours.” Ryou looked and saw that, unsurprisingly, Sami's hand flew to her sword, which was standing against the bedpost. He would've laughed, except that the threat was too real. Slowly, Sami relaxed her hand. He was right. There was no need to kill him right then. She leaned back, sending a cloud of dust spewing from the old mattress. Ryou couldn't see how she had slept with it like that.

 

“Then I insist you leave,” she stated, and then added, “Or at least tell me what you need. I'm tired.” Bakura just smiled at her, something that was so rare, it seemed to take all of the usual smugness out of the thief's face.

 

“Well, I would like to know why I'm actually here,” he told her, amusement sparking his voice, “But I doubt you can answer that.” Ryou didn't particularly like that Bakura was assuming that Sami was unknowing, but she didn't seem to take offense. Her sly smile came back, her brows furrowing slightly, giving her a rather smug look herself. She crossed her arms, the movement sending more dust spilling from the old mattress.

 

“Actually, I can,” she replied casually, “Not in exact details, but I'm under the guess that magic plays an amazing role. When we were in the castle, you could only come when Ryou was unconscious, true?” Bakura nodded.

 

“Yes. Nice observation,” the thief commented, almost flirtingly. But Sami seemed to have ignored him. Ryou found he was glad of that. The last thing he needed was Bakura making her angry.

 

“And, when we first came, you didn't comment, which I was surprised with,” Sami continued, as though Bakura hadn't spoken, “Only when we've destroyed the machine have you appeared. It fits. We know for a fact that the machine was blocking our power.” Bakura hummed, nodding slowly. Ryou guessed he wasn't making much sense of this. The only power he seemed remotely concerned for was his own shadow power. But when he spoke, clearly Ryou saw that he was evidently interested in other types of magic. Either that would help them, or he'd double-cross them with it later. Ryou didn't really know which was more likely.

 

“So then you weren't full of complete bullshit when you talked to me earlier!” he finally exclaimed, and Ryou wanted to bash his head into a wall. If anything could offend Sami and end both of their lives, that was probably it. She had definitely taken offense, but she didn't go to her sword. Instead, she got out of bed, her wings stiffening. She was a good three inches smaller than Bakura; it was almost comical to see her so worked up.

 

“You think I'm lying,” by her tone, Ryou guessed she didn't feel she needed to ask that. She knew it. Which was just as well. Ryou remembered that Bakura said she was insane.

 

“Look, dear, I'm not saying I don't believe you,” Bakura said calmly, “But honestly? I have never heard of Oblivion, or of Mystics. This is news to me.” Sami's wings relaxed, but only just slightly. She turned around sharply. It was never a good sign when she didn't look at you as she spoke. Ryou wanted to pat her back, but he knew the movement might actually make her even more sour. He refrained.

 

“Rest assured, spirit, that this is as real as I am,” she stated firmly, bitterly, “Now go back to bed, or wherever you consider to be your room.” Bakura frowned, but he obeyed her. He left the room, silently closing the door. Ryou didn't follow him. He looked from the closed door, to Sami. She had relaxed further now that the old spirit was gone. Ryou just snorted. In his mind, anyone would've calmed down at the thought of Bakura actually leaving them alone.

 

“Are you all right?” he finally asked, when the silence stretched past a minute, “I… I heard you scream. What happened? Can you sleep?” Sami turned slightly, and Ryou noticed that her skin looked nearly white in the moonlight. Something had clearly terrified her. She gave a weak smile, and sat down on the bed. Ryou's nose twitched as he smelled the dust wafting out of the mattress again. He almost wished she'd just sleep on the floor.

 

“I can, but I doubt I will,” she replied calmly, “Just a nightmare. I'm sure I'll be fine once we leave. Tell me, we will be ready tomorrow, right?” Ryou blinked, his eyes going wide again. A smile froze on his face. Which meant he didn't want to answer her. That was fine. Honestly, with a look like that, she didn't really want to know the answer. But, Ryou respected her. He answered her anyway.

 

“We should be, but Malik might be a problem,” he told her, “He's stubborn sometimes. He won't wake up unless it's fine for him.” Sami just grinned awkwardly. Ryou could only guess what she felt about that. Then, she looked out the window, into the black sky.

 

“He won't be a problem. If he is, he won't be for long,” she replied, and then laughed, “Anyway, Ryou, go back to bed. It's late. I'll see you in the morning.” Ryou nodded, and left her alone. He didn't really want to, but he doubted either of them would've gotten any sleep if he stayed. He'd be too worried about her having a nightmare to sleep. He walked back into his quiet room, and saw Bakura sitting on the chair beside the window. He had opened it, and a soft breeze blew through. Ryou smiled as it rustled his hair, and climbed into bed. But he sighed heavily as he laid down. Bakura looked over at him.

 

“What's wrong, kiddo?” he asked, raising an amused brow. If he really wanted to know, he could find out his own way. But he had a feeling Ryou wanted to talk.

 

“I'm worried about Sami,” Ryou replied slowly, quietly, “I don't think she's doing well, and I know she's mad at me.”

 

“Kid, she's mad at all of us,” Bakura stated, grinning as he looked out the window again, “Damn woman's pissed at everything right now. At you, at me, at Malik, hell, probably at the trees outside, too. Want me to look and see if she'll be okay?” Ryou thought about it. That might make him rest easier. But it might make Sami even worse. And at that rate, she'd die of a heart attack if her anger didn't subside soon. He shook his head.

 

“I think it's best to let her work it out,” he mumbled, “I want to live through this, not die from it.” Bakura just laughed, leaning over and ruffling the boy's hair. That earned him a discontented growl.

 

“I don't think she'd actually kill you. Just harm you. A lot,” Bakura joked, and then said, “I still think a little flirt here or there would keep her from going ballistic on you.” Ryou growled, turning toward the wall as he wrapped the blankets around him. He didn't know her too well, but he knew exactly how that'd play out. He'd die. There would be no time to explain that it was Bakura's idea. She probably wouldn't have cared, either.

 

“Bakura,” he mumbled, letting out a sigh, “Shut up.” And, with that, he let himself fall into a deep sleep.

 

The nightmare was new to him, something he had never experienced in his life before. They were battling in a vast field, in the middle of a terrible storm. Ryou looked around. He recognized none of the faces he saw, save for one. Sami was there, sword drawn, a blue overcoat billowing in the damaging wind. Dirt and rocks were being swept up, creating a dangerous wall of debris around the swirling storm. Beside them both were many people, many Ryou had never seen before. One was a blue, lion-like creature with hair that rippled like water. Another was of a man who looked vaguely like Mr. T, but clearly was not. One was an elf in green, bow drawn as he knocked an arrow. Many faces, many creatures that Ryou didn't recognize. But what caught his attention was the blonde man next to Sami. His gun was drawn.

 

“They're coming,” he told her, “Sith, we have to do something.” At least, Ryou thought he was talking to Sami. Who was Sith? To his surprise, Sami was the one to respond. She looked at him, her skin paling in the faint moonlight that shone on her.

 

“…who… who are you?” she asked him, voice quiet in what Ryou couldn't believe was fear. She was afraid! But why was she afraid of him? Who was that man?

 

“Sami, it's okay,” he said, and she turned to face him, equally as surprised to see him too, “We'll destroy them, whoever they are.” Sami blinked, and then nodded, turning to look ahead of them. Ryou grinned, and then noticed the man was glaring at him. Hatefully, too. Ryou gulped, wondering what he'd done wrong. The man snorted, turned away.

 

“We have to move,” Sami stated grimly, “I can sense them. Many of them.” The blonde man reached to touch her shoulder, but Ryou beat him to it. He patted her back comfortingly as the storm roared behind them. It had nearly drowned out her words.

 

“Sami, don't worry,” he assured her, “I'm going to help you. I promise.” That seemed to calm her down, but the blonde man beside her looked ready to lose it. She crouched for a second, and then leapt away in a flash. A monster came roaring to life, and Sami quickly cut it down. Ryou wanted to cheer, but the man's glare kept his gaze. Why was this man so angry with him?

 

“I hate you,” the man said, eyes narrowing, “I hate you for what you're doing, Ryou.” Ryou's eyes widened in terror. He didn't know this man, didn't know where in hell he'd come from, but his voice alone caused terror to run up and down Ryou's spine. And he hated him! What on earth had Ryou done? Ryou's brows furrowed. Dream or not, he'd take this man down if he had to in order to help Sami. But, before he could, a huge tusk skewered the man, splattering blood everyone, all over Ryou. But the man didn't scream. His dying gaze, his one good eye, the other one scarred and burned shut, fell onto Sami, and then it closed. And Sami screamed. The same scream she had screamed when Ryou burst into her room earlier.

 

Ryou had woken up in a fright. Sweat, cold sweat rolled down his face as a cold breeze blew in from the window. He looked out of it. It was still dark; it couldn't have been later than five or six in the morning. But the time didn't matter. Ryou doubted he'd get back to sleep. That dream was too horrifying, too frightening. And it all felt too real. But it wasn't his dream. That much he knew of. He had never dreamt of those people, and he had never dreamt of a battle so devastating. But then… whose dream was it? Quietly, Ryou looked to the mirror in the wall. His skin was pure white, nearly as white as the hair on his head. He looked sick. And, in the reflection, he noticed Bakura was watching him, terror sketched all over the thief's face.

 

“Are you all right, Ryou!?” he asked, voice higher in pitch from alarm, “You were going to scream. What happened?” Ryou took several deep breaths, trying to control his pounding heart. Whatever that dream was, it had to have meant something. The blonde man especially scared him. When he regained control of himself, he told Bakura everything, with every little detail. The people he saw, and what the man had said to him, and of the monster, sending the man to his death in only a split second. Bakura listened to every detail, every fact, with utmost attentiveness.

 

“Bakura, it wasn't my dream,” Ryou whispered when he finished, “I think it was Sami's. Should I tell her what I saw?” Bakura hummed gently as he turned the nightmare over in his mind. He had never encountered such a dream before. Truth to tell, it actually worried him that Ryou would see something like that.

 

“I don't know,” he replied carefully, tapping his chin, “I wouldn't. If it was her dream, it might make her worry about you. She might want to know what it meant, and right now, we don't have that answer.” Ryou nodded. Telling Sami wouldn't be best. The best thing was to get away from here, and get Sami back to what she originally wanted to do. Maybe if his life got in order, he'd figure it out later. Slowly, he climbed out of bed and shrugged into a new shirt.

 

“Is anyone else up?” he asked the old thief, lacing up his shoes next. Bakura actually snorted, rolling his eyes.

 

“That little bitch of yours probably is,” he joked, referring to Sami, “At least, she probably is now.” Ryou grumbled, opening the door and walking down the hall. He didn't blame Bakura for being mad. Sami did kick him out rather harshly. But he didn't need to call her names. He walked down the dark steps onto the first floor, and was surprised to find that, not only was Sami up, but Yugi, Malik, and the other two spirits were with her. She must've gotten everyone up already. All of them were dressed, some disgruntled, others eager to be on the move. She smiled slyly as Ryou descended the steps.

 

“Ah, I was just about to wake you up,” she said casually, almost amused with the timing, “Did you sleep well?” There was something about the question that made Ryou wonder if Sami knew he hadn't. The tone felt a little off. He shook his head, deciding there was no reason to lie to her.

 

“No. But it was just a nightmare. No biggie,” he replied, hoping to fool her with a smile. She nodded, but there was a look in her eyes as well that told him she didn't believe him. Before, he was too scared of the Mystic to pay attention, but now that he'd gotten decent sleep, he noticed she was, through no actual fault of her own, terrifying him as well. But if she didn't believe him, she didn't say it. She merely turned.

 

“If it continues, do tell me,” she said cryptically, and then added, “I've spoken with Yami about what he was searching for before he went missing. There seems to be a way to get out of here, away from the blockage that Yugi had come through. If we can find that way, we can get out of here and get you all home.” Malik stuffed what looked like a marshmallow in his mouth, watching her with a skeptical look that said he clearly wasn't sure he could trust her.

 

“And what's this way our pharaoh speaks of?” he asked, half to Yami, half to Sami. Yami just snorted with the sarcasm Malik was insisting on, but Sami actually seemed to take him seriously. That actually surprised him a little.

 

“It's more of a folklore than a way, but if Yami is right, and he found a trace of magic down there, then it's most likely coming from Mohraag Point,” she explained, “That's a mountain directly behind this city, and legend has it there is a ship there that magic doesn't affect. If we find this ship, we can use it and fly you home. Unfortunately, Musuta, which is where my sister is currently, is closer. We're going to stop there and pick her up.” Ryou didn't really like the idea of chasing a fairy tale, but Sami seemed to know what she was doing. So he didn't question her on it.

 

“Have you heard from her?” he asked her curiously. She nodded, and sat down on a step.

 

“Yes. She's been keeping information for me since I've been captured,” she replied carefully, almost worriedly, “But not much has been happening. We're lucky. We should have more time than I'd thought if Katsaiga hasn't destroyed Musuta or Duran yet. I just hope she doesn't find out where we are. That'd put me in a pretty painful situation.” Ryou didn't need her to say just what might happen if the Mystic found them. He had a feeling he knew: at least someone would end up dead, and Sami couldn't promise it wouldn't be her. Or one of them.

 

“So then, why are you after her if she's not doing anything?” Malik asked, as Ryou said, “We've nothing to do with it, do we?”

 

“Malik, I'd like to explain, but now's not the time,” she replied calmly, a softness to her voice that made Ryou wince painfully, “The short version is that, if Mystics remain here, however slow their action is, there's a good chance you will be enslaved by them. I'm trying to make sure that doesn't happen. As to if you all have anything to do with it, I'm still not sure. I doubt it's personal, but they seem to have targeted you and Ryou specifically. If not, then they'd have had many more humans imprisoned.”

 

“You really think you could stop them alone?” Ishtar asked next, his arms crossed as he raised a disbelieving brow. Like Malik, he obviously didn't trust Sami's logic or reasoning in this. At least that was one thing they shared.

 

“I'm not alone,” she replied, smiling, “I have many allies, including my sister and many of the Chesiers living in your world. Alone, I will break into her castle and lure her out. But fight her? No, that I can't accomplish without some aid.” Ryou guessed that was why she'd brought him along. But she didn't say anything about their help whatsoever. Maybe she wasn't going to need them, after all. Bakura looked out a window for a minute, and then tapped Sami's arm. She looked up at him, and he grinned.

 

“As much as you amuse me, I want to know about the obstacle bothering us now,” he told her, “Mainly, how're we getting into Mohraag Point?” Sami snorted, clearly amused with the tone of impatience he was developing. She stood up and stepped off of the stairs, joining him at the window.

 

“Passage isn't easy because of the cold weather,” she replied calmly, pointing to a mountain in the far distance, “Wind may be a problem, and there may be water going upwards, but other than the standard obstacles weather could present, we should be relatively safe. But, I don't advise all of us go.” Everyone stopped and stared at that point. Splitting up didn't seem like a particularly good idea to any one of them, save for Sami herself. Malik in particular didn't approve.

 

“Are you seriously saying some of us aren't even going!?” he demanded, eye twitching in annoyance. Ryou glanced sideways at Sami. He half expected a sarcastic reply, but instead, she just shrugged, stuffing her hands in her pocket.

 

“Yes,” she said simply, “And, in case you all were wondering, yes, I'm going.” It was too bad no one was wondering about that. Ryou decided he was going as well. After all, by the way Sami had spoken earlier, he was possibly being targeted specifically. He wanted to stay as close to her as possible to be safe. However, both Yugi and Malik refused to go, because neither were particularly skilled at hiking. Which meant neither Ishtar nor Yami were going, either. That left only one person. And he was just as unhappy as Ryou was.

 

“…you all are assholes,” he mumbled angrily, and stormed over to open the front door, “All right, Sam. Where's this stupid mountain?” Sami just gave him a flat stare as she moved toward him, the breeze coming through the door. She didn't answer, and Ryou wasn't sure she ever would. Silently, the three of them walked out of the inn, leaving their friends to watch them shrink into the horizon. It was an uncomfortable silence. Mainly because no one had ever heard of the legend Sami had told. They didn't know what to expect of it. Finally, when Yugi closed the front door, Ishtar glanced at Yami.

 

“They're doing the right thing, right?” he asked, and Yami was surprised at the concern in the spirit's voice. Normally, Ishtar didn't care about the danger anyone else was facing. Slowly, he nodded.

 

“I believe so,” Yami replied, his voice growing dark, almost condescending, “If what Sami said about the Mystics is true, we're going to be screwed if they do find us. It's best to keep Ryou moving. And Sami might be the only one who could protect him if they show up.” Ishtar hummed, looking out the window. He wasn't entire sure they could rely on Sami too much. He couldn't believe she was really that powerful. After all, she had been next to useless in the sewers. But, there was nothing he could do now. He could only wait for them to return. And hopefully, they'd return with a ship.

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

After getting some sleep, and learning a new legend, Ryou and Sami depart to see if they can find a way out of Algon before they're tailed. But is the legend real? Or was it really just a folklore? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!