Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Harbinger of Trouble ❯ Reassurances ( Chapter 16 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi does, but I hear he's shelling out a prize for anyone who can be as cold as Kaiba.

 

Domino City had been spared the agony of the Mystic's threat. At least, for now, it had been. But that hadn't meant everything was peaceful. Nearly a week had gone by since anyone had seen Ryou, and almost as long since they'd heard from Yugi. And, when Tea had come to Yugi's grandfather's shop, she supplied news that Malik had been missing for over a month as well. And now, Tea, along with Joey, Tristan, Miho, and Kaiba, were sitting in Yugi's living room. This was getting serious. Not only were people beginning to disappear, by which Joey was convinced that their friends disappearances were connected, but strange things were beginning to unfold as well. Storms had been brewing, something that was rare for Domino. As they sat in the room, trying to make something of what they'd heard and saw, Joey managed to speak first.

 

“So, what do we do?” he asked quietly, though his voice seemed unnaturally loud in the gloom, “Do we go out and search?” Miho and Tea both exchanged nervous glances, unable to decide what to do. Kaiba appeared to have been ignoring them. Joey wasn't surprised that Tristan was the only one who answered. He looked up from a newspaper.

 

“I don't think we should risk it,” Tristan stated seriously, and plopped down an article for them all to see, “They're saying monsters have been appearing around other cities. And with how the weather's been, I really don't want to die out there.” Joey grumbled. Leave it to Tristan to wimp out. He looked to Tea. Normally, if Yugi were in danger, she'd be the first to try and help him. But, she must've agreed with Tristan. She shook her head.

 

“No, Joey. We can't,” she said sadly, and bit her lip, “I called Rex up to see if he could help us. He recently joined the police force. He says that there've been reports of some kind of fortress to the east, a few miles. They're actually putting up gates to keep people from going out there.” That was a bad sign. Domino was pretty lenient with laws; this had to be more than monster sightings. Tristan shivered.

 

“I really hope neither Ryou nor Yugi ended up there, guys,” he said, his voice shaking just slightly. Kaiba finally snorted, crossing his legs as he sat on the couch. He didn't like talk of anything that made no sense. And this made no sense to him.

 

“Oh please. Will you idiots listen to yourselves!?” he demanded, and laughing sarcastically, “You're talking about monsters! The only monsters I care about are the ones my machines produce for Duel Monsters. I don't believe any of this garbage, and if you geeks are smart, you won't, either.” They all expected that kind of response, but the coldness, the definite opposition in his voice, made them wince. He had no intention of hearing anything else out. Joey finally turned a cold glare on him. If anyone was going to challenge Kaiba, it'd be Joey.

 

“Then what happened to our friends, huh?” Joey demanded heatedly, crossing his arms, “Look, Kaiba, if you're gonna be difficult and bitch about how magic doesn't exist, give us a reason to back it up! So, moneybags, what do you think caused all this trouble?” Kaiba just raised a brow. He was used to Joey being defiant, but Joey actually brought up a point; he wasn't really giving them a reason to disbelieve what they'd seen. Nor did he even have one. He just couldn't believe it. Finally, he waved the question away.

 

“How the hell do I know?” he replied coolly, “Look, I'm not saying this isn't real. But honestly? What you're suggesting is a possibility of magic being involved here. And I don't believe in it. I'm sorry, but I don't.” That wasn't an actual reason, but no one could necessarily argue with it. It was Kaiba's choice not to believe it, and only rarely did one change his opinion on anything. Tristan decided to try and be that one.

 

“But there is a possibility,” Tristan stressed, “I went over to Ryou's the day after he disappeared. Place looked like a bomb had been set off. Windows were shattered, and everything had been upturned. Ryou's not strong enough to do that, and I don't know many who are.”

 

“Couldn't Bakura have done that?” Tea asked him. Tristan stopped for a moment. That had crossed his mind, but somehow, he didn't think it was the old thief. Bakura had a specific pattern when dealing with trouble; hurting Ryou or breaking his stuff wasn't one of them. Besides, he had found a piece of green crystal on Ryou's floor. And he knew Ryou didn't own anything like that, even if his father happened to be an archeologist. He sighed heavily.

 

“It doesn't matter what happened. They're both still missing,” he replied finally, and looked up at the ceiling, “We'd better go look for them. We're the only ones who might have any idea what happened to them, if what the reports on the news said are true.” Tea blinked, and looked at Miho for a very long moment. Silence fell around the group as they pondered what they could actually do. No one suggested anything. Finally, Miho turned to Tristan very shyly, almost frightened by what he said.

 

“So… magic's real?” she asked. Tristan looked grave as he listened to her question. He nodded.

 

“It is. Or, it was,” he told them, and he sounded too serious to be taken lightly, “My grandmother used to tell us about how Espers used to live here, some millennia ago until something happened that nearly destroyed the world. They left after that, but if this is happening… they might be coming back. Or it might be something else. But it's not human. It can't be.” Miho nodded, though she seemed even more stricken than before. Her skin had gone white. For once, Kaiba frowned softly. Normally, he didn't care what happened to anyone around him, but Miho looked sick. As did Tea. And, damn it, he was a gentleman. He stood up and glared down at Tristan.

 

“That's enough!” he exclaimed hotly, brows crossed in a tight V, “Can't you see how this is affecting them?” He pointed to Tea and Miho, who stared up at Kaiba in shock, “If you want to go out there and kill yourself, be my guest. I don't care. But leave them out of this! They're terrified!” No one had ever expected Kaiba to say anything like that. And yet, he was. And he was furious. Tristan and Joey were speechless, unable to argue that Tea would've gone with them. It was clear she was too afraid to do so. Finally, Joey found his voice.

 

“Kaiba, why do you care about how they feel?” he asked quietly. Kaiba went to yell, but stopped himself. There was no reason; he just did. He looked at Tea. Then he swallowed hard, and stormed out of the room. Again, that left them speechless. Tea stood up, adjusting her vest slightly.

 

“Kaiba?” she called, but got no response. That wasn't a good sign. She heard a door slam, and knew that meant Kaiba left. She ran after him. It really wasn't safe to be outside, especially alone. Miho got up to follow her, leaving Joey and Tristan in the room. Neither felt good for what happened. Finally, Tristan looked at Joey, and without even speaking, they nodded in agreement.

 

“Let's go help him,” they both said, walking to the front door, which stood wide open. Miho and Tea were already running down the sidewalk.

 

---

 

The sun was beginning to set by the time the boat was sailing down a narrow channel that branched off of the large ocean. Cliffs rose high above either side of them, so that the few rays of sun that were cast, were cut short. They threw the water into intricate hues of pink and orange. Yugi had taken to watching these hues, as there wasn't much else they could do. Ryou had passed out by the time they found him; there really was nothing else to do, for no one wanted to wake him. He needed his rest. And they all needed to think, anyway. Sami still hadn't called any of them, and now it'd been hours since. They were beginning to worry again.

 

“We'll find her soon, right?” Yugi asked, looking from the water to his friends. Bakura had taken to placing a cold cloth on Ryou's head to try and lower the boy's rising temperature, and Ishtar was watching the water alongside Yugi. It was Ishtar who answered, narrowing his eyes as he thought about it.

 

“…I don't know,” he finally said, and changed the subject as he looked over at Bakura, “How's he doing?” Bakura just frowned. Ryou hadn't been badly hurt, but he'd been poisoned by something. His fever was going down only slightly, and Bakura knew it'd come back if they didn't do something soon. But they had no medicine. It didn't look too good.

 

“…he'll be okay,” Bakura replied at length, “Some rest should do him good. And once we find Sami, we can leave. And she could probably help him. God knows her magic can probably do that.” Ishtar just nodded. He looked back out over the slowly shrinking sea. At one time, he'd been confident they'd find her. But now, with the sea stretching out behind them, and the cliffs rising above them, and with no sign of life save for them, he wasn't so sure he believed himself anymore. He sighed. And then screamed. Without warning, the boat hit something hard, throwing them all forward and onto the sand below. Yugi and Bakura, carrying Ryou, stumbled into the sand as Yami was knocked back into the water. Malik actually managed to slam headfirst into a tree, and slid down it onto the ground.

 

“FUCK!” he screamed, rubbing his head as Yugi slowly stood up, looking around. Wherever they landed, he wasn't sure of. But it looked like a beach. The sand was warm, and off-white. The sky was darkening now to a deep orange, with the hint of dark blue off in the distance. It wasn't long until nightfall.

 

“Where are we?” Yugi asked breathlessly. Bakura let Ryou's head rest on the sand, and frowned. It looked like a beach, but he knew it wasn't. He could feel every trace of magic, though he noted that it was fading fast. He wondered what was happening; it all felt so potent beforehand.

 

“A beach. Somewhere in this insane world,” Bakura replied grimly, and beckoned Ishtar over, “Where the hell are we?” Ishtar knew the signal. He took out his Millennium Rod and shined the light from it all over. A path wound up a cliff that stretched onward, up a hill from which Bakura couldn't see the top. It was the only place they could go; cliffs and sea surrounded everything else. He sighed. This looked grim for them. And he doubted Ryou was travel-ready.

 

“Should we go hiking?” Ishtar asked him, and the old thief hummed. What choice did they have? If they stayed there, the world would fade right in front of them. He couldn't see it, but Bakura knew it'd happen soon. Something had caused the world's source of power to die. And without it, this world was no longer stable. They had to get out. He looked at Yami, and the pharaoh nodded.

 

“We may as well,” Yami finally said. Bakura sighed again, and bent down to pick Ryou up… except that Ryou was awake now. He was sitting up, blinking profusely as he looked around the beach. His head swam; he couldn't remember why they were on a beach, but he knew where they were and what they still had to do: Find Sami and run. Or just run, if they didn't find her soon enough. He hated the idea, but she'd have done it herself if the roles were reversed. And unfortunately, to keep up with her, he had to think like her.

 

“Let's go,” he said, his voice hoarse from before, “We have to do something. It might as well be moving.” With such a definite tone, no one wanted to argue with Ryou. He stood up, albeit clumsily, and they began to walk slowly up the path. His legs were still dizzy; he relied on Yugi to keep him steady. Soon, the bare cliffs gave way to a crystalline forest. Up close, the trees were real. They were simply encased in what appeared to be ice. Each branch reflected the light from the Millennium Rod, illuminating their pathway. The path stretched onward.

 

“Has she called yet?” he whispered in Yugi's ear as they rounded a bend. Leaves had fallen here, leaves of the finest red Ryou had ever seen. He was almost sure that red was made from blood. It made him cringe on the inside. Yugi tore his eyes away from the trees and shook his head. That worried Ryou again. If she had even found his phone, she'd have tried looking at the log to find a number, at the very least. What the hell happened to her, then?

 

“Relax. We'll find her,” Malik assured, but he himself wasn't so sure of that. As much as they kept telling each other they'd find her safely, there had been no clues as to where she'd been. Not even unseen ones, like certain influxes of magic. Bakura would've found those. But there had been nothing. It was as though she had died, and they didn't know it. Quickly, Ryou forced the thought away. She wasn't dead. She couldn't be dead. Sami Winchester had to be stronger than that.

 

“Think this path will lead to her?” Yugi joked. Ryou almost wanted to smack him for that. The path thinned a little, the trees giving way to a dark blue sky now. Stars twinkled faintly overhead, and they now saw a light in the distance. Running toward it, Ryou suddenly noticed he smelled something entirely different from trees. He smelled roses and juniper. And leather. And gunpowder. And… magic. He smelled magic, most of all. Finally, they came to the end of the path, and there stood what was causing the light. A giant cathedral stood before them, its oak doors closed, but light spilling out of the stained glass above them. Ryou's eyes widened. This was where all of the smells were coming from.

 

“A… a cathedral,” Bakura breathed, shaking, “But why here?”

 

“Maybe Radical Retro was religious,” Malik joked. But no one laughed. Ryou walked up the steps and pressed an ear to the door. Silence came from the other side. His insides shook. Something was in there. That much he knew, but what it was, he couldn't place. He'd have to go inside for that one. He put a hand on the door. It was cold. The knob turned just a bit too easily, and silently, the door swung open. In the pale moonlight, the first row of pews were revealed, a red carpet starting from the door, going inward. But how far back, he couldn't see yet. He opened the door fully, throwing light into the otherwise dark room. Nothing stirred.

 

“Sami?” he called. He turned on an ancient light switch, and candles flared on. He gasped. Not only was Sami there, but there was a figure with her, too. A blonde figure, face covered in shadow this time. Sami had been looking at him, but now her gaze was on Ryou. She seemed strangely distant. Ryou was worried again.

 

“…Ryou,” she said quietly. The man turned, his good eye looking at Ryou with a coldness that wasn't human. Ryou's blood froze with such a look. Malik, however, wasn't nearly as intimidated.

 

“Why the hell haven't you been looking for us!?” he demanded, marching up the aisle, “Do you have any idea how damn worried we all were!? What were you doing here!?” Sami didn't wince from his tone. She watched him silently as he stormed up to them both. Then she looked down. Ryou noticed she seemed saddened by something. What happened here, he wondered.

 

“…Radical is dead,” she stated quietly, “And a poor man he was. He wasn't evil.” Ryou's shoulders dropped. Did that mean she killed Radical Retro? No… if she had, they'd have felt it. She'd have used magic. Ryou was sure of it. But Radical hadn't even screamed at his death. It must've happened so quickly, that Radical had no time to react. With magic, he would've had a few seconds to counter her. What killed him? Ryou's eyes fell on the blonde man. He stared back, both eyes cold. Ryou feared that stare.

 

“I killed him,” he said darkly, his lips tight, “And I'll kill him again if I have to.” Ryou found he was shaking with each of this man's words. He looked at Sami. She wasn't telling the man to stop and leave them alone. She was watching him. Then she turned back to Ryou. What on earth did this mean to her?

 

“With Radical Retro Specter dead, this world will collapse in very little time,” she told him gravely, “We have to run before we're destroyed with it. This man… knows a way out. We have to take it.” Ryou looked from Sami, to the man next to her. His skin was nearly white now. And his shoulders were tense. And those eyes… they bored into Ryou. He was glad he couldn't hear the man's thoughts. He was sure many threats were being said. He noted the man's hand tapping the butt of a pistol.

 

“Then should we go?” Ryou asked, eager as a beaver to get away from this man, whoever he was. He didn't trust him. Ryou remembered his nightmare well; the man had said clearly that he hated Ryou. Sami's lips pursed nervously. Then, she shook her head.

 

“We should, but I want answers,” she replied, and turned to the man, “Please, come with us. You can help us. You can help stop them.” Ryou frowned suddenly. He felt his stomach turn as he heard Sami ask this man for help. Why was she? He was a horrible person to come here and kill Radical for no reason. He had haunted her, and threatened Ryou. He didn't deserve to go with them anywhere. Ryou felt his fists clench angrily. If he were just a bit bolder, he'd have knocked the man's head off. The man just smirked, looking at Sami. That horrible scar was visible in the wane light.

 

“I can't,” he stated simply, “It can't be done. Sorry.” That was it? That was his reason for ignoring her? Ryou felt his anger grow. It was such a hatred, such a fury, that he wasn't sure where it was even coming from. But he hated this man as much as the man hated him. He wasn't stupid. Sami was sad; she was terrified. And this man, this horrible nightmare, was confusing her, taunting her, hell, he was practically insulting her for it. Ryou wanted him dead.

 

“Then leave us alone,” Ryou found himself saying, “And get out of our way.” He felt everyone's eyes lock on his. He finally realized what he'd said. He shook, turning slowly to Sami again. She looked mortified. Obviously, she hadn't wanted him to speak. And damn it, he spoke. Next, he risked a glance at the man, and knew he'd be dead in a matter of seconds. The man looked as shocked as Sami. His thin brows were carved in a hard V, his eyes narrowed angrily. But his hand wasn't on the pistol he carried. He took a deep breath. It turned into several deep breaths. He had to get himself under control.

 

“…Ureth,” he mumbled, and a small portal appeared behind him. Sami watched him with horror in her eyes; Ryou must've done something atrocious for that to happen. The man just looked away, shaking his head. He stepped toward the portal, and then stopped himself. He forced himself to say, “This portal will take you home. Go there, and damned be it, Sith, live your new life. I don't care.” Then, he stepped through. Ryou watched Sami. Her eyes watered. She looked ready to collapse. Ryou turned to the portal, to where the man had left. He wasn't coming back. And Ryou was just fine with that.

 

“Let's go,” he growled, and stepped forward. Then he heard Yugi gasp. He turned around and saw Sami had actually collapsed. Her eyes were wide open, as well. Ryou's scowl dropped, and he knelt beside her, putting on hand on her head. She felt cold, and Ryou became concerned with that. Realistically, that wasn't something to pass out on. But then what was her problem? The man's last words echoed in Ryou's mind again as he wondered this. `I don't care,' he had said, `Live your new life.' What did that mean, though? Did Sami know? She looked absolutely shaken with it, whatever it meant. Bakura knelt down as well, his face gaunt in the passing events.

 

“She's unconscious,” he stated unhelpfully. Ryou already knew that. He sighed, and then picked her up. There wasn't another way for her to leave if she was out. He noted how heavy she felt; her wings and tail alone almost made him drop her. But he kept her up.

 

“Let's go,” he said again, and not a second too soon. A tremor began to sound, rocking the cathedral and shattering the stained glass. It fell to the floor in a mystical chime. Another tremor, this one much stronger, erupted and began to rip the floor apart. Ryou understood what was happening; the world was collapsing just as Sami had. He didn't hesitate. He rushed through the portal, and back to his own world.

 

After making sure everyone had been safe, and getting Sami safely in her room to rest, Ryou had seen to it that someone took control of the ship to get back on track. Bakura had volunteered that duty, if only because he felt he was most qualified. That was fine with Ryou. Yugi had decided he'd watch over Sami, and Yami was on the deck with Ishtar and Malik, both of whom were piecing together what Sami had said about Radical Retro. That left him alone in the large room with Bakura. And when the thief had the moment, he let go of the wheel and came to Ryou abruptly. His stride was so certain, he must've been planning this meeting in his head for some time. Ryou looked up from his book to face the gaunt spirit.

 

“What the hell was that about?” Bakura demanded sternly. Ryou frowned. Bakura wasn't happy with something, and he knew it was about their encounter with the blonde man in the cathedral. Ryou wasn't about to apologize. He was glad the man had left.

 

“What was what about?” Ryou asked, deciding to play innocent for the moment. He didn't feel much like playing himself. Bakura's frown deepened.

 

“You know what,” he stated grimly, “About that man. Why the hell did you say that? Do you have any idea what you've just done?” Ryou's eyes softened a little. Now that Bakura was speaking, and now that he was being so serious, it dawned on Ryou that he might've actually made a terrible mistake. One that must've cost Sami a lot. That explained her absolute horror with him. Instantly, shame crept into him.

 

“I… I just…” Ryou began, unable to find the right words, “He… he was… I… I wanted him gone!” That wasn't enough for Bakura, and deep down, Ryou knew it wouldn't be. Bakura's eyes hardened. It was clear that he intended to have this talk since Sami first fell. He sat next to Ryou, and Ryou wanted to inch away in fear. Bakura wasn't fun when he was angry. And right now, he was beyond angry, no matter how controlled he was.

 

“You are a child,” he snapped, “And you've behaved so childishly, I'm ashamed of you, quite frankly.” Ryou looked down, his eyes watering. He didn't realize he'd done anything wrong, but Bakura was already speaking again, “Have you no manners in that head of yours? That man was a part of Sami's past! And you, this little boy that she barely knows, are going to repay her for her help by spitting at him!? Ryou, what in hell were you thinking about!?” Ryou didn't want to answer. His shoulders trembled. He really had disgraced Sami with that move. It hadn't just been him. Bakura waited patiently, but Ryou felt the anger boiling in the old spirit.

 

“I… I didn't want him near her,” he said quietly, “He was making her angry.”

 

“That is for her to act on, not you!” Bakura scolded furiously, “Whatever fantasies you've concocted, whatever feeling you have, ignore them! For all your youth and all your foolishness, you've disgraced that poor woman! And for what? To protect her? Ryou, you've gone too far. I should've nipped this in the bud when you asked me for advice!” Ryou felt his own anger rise. Anger for the fact that Bakura was treating him like a child. Anger for the fact that that man wasn't the one to blame. And anger at himself, for what he had obviously done. He stood up, his fists clenched.

 

“WHO I CARE ABOUT IS MY BUSINESS, AND MINE ALONE!” he finally screamed, and his breathing became ragged. Bakura blinked slowly, and just as slowly, he stood. Ryou was scared now. Bakura was being deliberate. His face didn't look gaunt. He looked enraged. His eyes burned. But he wasn't going to harm Ryou.

 

“You are a child,” Bakura repeated, this time his voice a whisper, “If you've decided, and you still think you love… oh no, I don't believe you do… her, then be careful. She is not a child. She is a proud woman, Ryou, and she will tear you to shreds for this. Do not think she doesn't know what you've done. She knows too well, and you are a damned fool to think you were helping her.” Ryou wanted to kill him now. But, that would just prove the spirit's point further. Ryou was being a child. Sami had been perfectly fine until he butted in. Albeit she was scared, but she had been fine. Now, she was unconscious. She was so terrified, so shocked, that she couldn't take what the man had said to her before leaving like he did. And it was all Ryou's fault.

 

“What can I do?” he whispered. Bakura's voice didn't soften in the least. No, this was serious to him. He pointed up the stairs.

 

“You go up those stairs and apologize before I take a whip to your sorry ass,” he stated, and then turned away. Ryou knew a dismissal when he heard one. Quietly, shame-faced and terrified, he made his way to the stairs. If Bakura were this mad, he didn't want to know how Sami felt. She would be far worse. Far, far, far worse.

 

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

 

After leaving the world Radical Retro had created, Ryou finds himself plagued with more than just having to kill a Mystic. For all the anger he felt for the mysterious man, now he's shamed Sami in front of him. With Bakura furious at him, he now must seek Sami out and hope she's doing well. But will she forgive him? Does she even know, as Bakura stated? And, will that man return yet again? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!