Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Lost Lights ❯ The Stranger ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: As much as I like and respect Takahashi-sensei, I have to say one thing: If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh, there would be no dubbed version at all! *cringes* Which means, of course, that I don't own it and writing this fanfic will never make me any richer. However, the plot of this story is mine, as I have never seen a similar one before.

Warnings: Extreme angst, suicidal intentions

Welcome to the first chapter of this fic! Thanks very much for the review - it means a lot! ^_^ Hope you all enjoy this update...

Thoughts are in italics

 

Chapter 1 - The Stranger

 

 

Just as Ryou had predicted - once he was awake he couldn't get to sleep again even if his life depended on it, which wasn't quite the case...so he had no other choice than to lie in his bed and wait for the morning to come. The minutes seemed to last ages, only the increasing light in the room indicated that time was still passing. In a manner that seemed to be slow just to mock Ryou, the bright numbers on the alarm clock changed to show exactly 6:00 with a little `AM' next to the last null.

 

At that moment, an annoying beeping sound assaulted Ryou's eardrums. Well, it's not like I was sleeping, he commented to himself, hitting the button to shut the thing up. This happened regularly - as much as he loathed the sound of the alarm clock, he always forgot to turn it off when he woke up earlier than expected. At least he could be sure he wouldn't miss school...

 

Slowly, almost as if still asleep, Ryou sat up in his comfortable bed, throwing the blanket aside, and got up. His legs carried him across the room, where he picked up a few books from the table, quickly noting these were the ones he needed for today's lessons, and then he threw them into his backpack. Ryou never bothered with doing homework at home, the breaks at school were long enough to get that useless shit done in his opinion. How on Earth it was possible that almost every teacher actually liked Ryou remained a mystery to the teen.

 

Maybe they think I'm abused by my classmates, Ryou mused as he walked to the bathroom, which was opposite of his room, across a short corridor. When he got there, he did his usual routine - washed his face, brushed his teeth and combed his snowy hair, not really seeing his reflection in the mirror. He wasn't used to examining himself, even though his appearance suggested the contrary. After this, Ryou pulled his loose pajama pants partially off his hips so he could use the toilet - again doing the movements mechanically, not paying attention to his own body at all.

 

Maybe they think my relatives are mistreating me, Ryou continued to ponder without really being interested in the topic `Why do the teachers like me when I sleep at school almost everyday and do all of my homework practically under their noses?'. He had finished his business in the bathroom and went to the kitchen for breakfast, which consisted of tea and some cereals.

 

But the only one who is left of my family wouldn't even bother to hit me...

 

Ryou often thought of his father - the man who had actually bought him an apartment when Ryou had moved back to Japan from England, the man who sent him more than sufficient amount of money to pay all the bills every month, and also the man who hadn't shown up for years. I wonder how he's doing...does he at least remember it's my birthday today? I suppose he does, but I don't really want to know...it's no big deal, after all... Ryou didn't hope for any sort of acknowledgement from his father. Again, it was a protection he had built up around his vulnerable heart - a pessimist couldn't be unpleasantly surprised, for he always expected the worst.

 

Suddenly, the phone rang. Ryou was washing the few dishes he had dirtied during breakfast at the moment, and he continued in this activity even after he had heard the sound. When this work of his was done, Ryou went to the living room, saving himself from any form of rush, and finally answered the phone.

 

“Hello?” he inquired meekly.

 

“Hi, Ryou, it's Dad. I'd like to wish you happy birthday.” That was all the message said. But wasn't Ryou talking to his father directly...?

 

“Isn't this a bit weird?” Ryou asked more himself than the one he was supposed to be speaking with, but loud enough to be heard. When no answer came, his suspicion was confirmed.

 

A soft, bitter laugh escaped the youth's lips and resounded in the silence.

 

“That was a good one, Dad...” Ryou said quietly. “Next time, try to make these amateurish records of yours more authentic.” With that, he hung up.

 

I should have realized it's still night in Egypt where my father is...

 

This short episode darkened Ryou's permanently gloomy mood even more, if that was possible. He didn't expect his dad to call to wish him happy birthday, but this... Trying to cheat his own son with an old record put to the phone presumably by some colleague who was working overnight and was kind enough to get rid of the annoying `kid' when the time was right... Or maybe Ryou's father owned some good cell phone that could send multimedia messages at a programmed time, so he didn't have to bother himself or anybody else with getting up in the middle of the night... Ryou didn't need to know how exactly this poor trick was done.

 

What did I expect? My father to care? Ryou asked himself. Deciding it wasn't an important matter in the first place, he returned to his room to put his navy blue school uniform on.

 

School surely won't wait for me, either...

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

The sun had risen above the large Japanese city, its rays occasionally shining through the grey clouds covering the sky. The streets were always busy during this time of the day - crowds of people were in a rush to get to work or school in time, the traffic was heavy... If one looked out the window of some high skyscraper, he would see the top of everybody's head moving quickly to reach some unknown destination as soon as possible - only one unmistakable mane of white hair was sticking out.

 

Ryou was walking at a slow, almost relaxed pace, as if he had hours of time left. Truth to be told, he had only some fifteen minutes, but it was enough for him to get where he was obliged to be. The apartment building where he lived was only a few blocks far from his school, and Ryou always preferred going on foot to being trapped in a traffic jam in a crowded bus.

 

All alone in such a big city...

 

Aside from the things Ryou needed for his lessons, he had a small digital camera hanging around his neck. He liked taking photographs of anything that caught his eye; such an activity was an outlet for his depression. However, he was hardly pleased with any of his photos, the reality always seemed to look more alive than its picture.

 

Finally, Ryou arrived at the place that would be his residence till the afternoon and then some time. He passed through the gate to the disliked establishment without even realizing it. To almost any student, school was a heavy burden, a subject of many hateful remarks. To Ryou, it was just another mundane thing...nothing new, nothing to be annoyed or excited about. He would leave this place within months anyway, and then go to some university or to work...whatever. He would just continue in his pointless life, until one day...

 

Since I would just be bored at home, being bored at school won't make much of a difference.

 

And after Ryou seated himself at his desk in the back of the classroom, it didn't take him long to yawn, to rest his head on the cool wooden surface...and to let the chatter of his classmates lull him into a much needed sleep.

 

Although Ryou was more than beautiful enough to be an idol of masses, he had never been popular at school. Maybe it was his shy nature or the air of sadness around him that had caused this...but Ryou definitely didn't want the attention of people he had nothing to talk about with. He wasn't naive to think any of his classmates would see him as a real friend, they had proven this to him long ago. Ryou used to be a target of rumors and even stupid pranks, but now not anymore. All of his `abusers' or `exploiters' understood there was no point trying to anger someone who was literally immune to each of their methods of tormenting the ones they considered weak. And all of the girls who used to drool over his looks stopped following him around once they accepted the fact there was no chance for them to win Ryou's interest. Everybody in his class had come to ignore him, and Ryou couldn't care less.

 

After all, this was just another day of his lonely existence...

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

The hours spent in the school building passed quickly if one wasn't looking forward to anything to do after the end of the last lecture. As soon as the bell rang, Ryou packed all his belongings and left the classroom before anyone else did. After a bit of dreamless slumber during the first two lessons he felt refreshed - physically, at least.

 

Wouldn't do me any good to have a headache, Ryou admitted to himself. Sometimes he was sure he would go mad if he stopped talking to himself like this... When he stepped out of the school and into the streets, the weather was way colder than before - puffy clouds threatened to spill rain any moment and a cold breeze ruffled Ryou's hair and clothes. Any other person would have headed home without a second thought, but this one had no such intention. In fact, Ryou was afraid of his deserted apartment where his loneliness seemed to grow a hundred times more unbearable than here in the moving city.

 

Hugging his shoulders to warm himself up, Ryou started walking down the street. He had nowhere to go, he just had to get away from himself and his regret, his sorrow he didn't know the reason for, his solitude...his whole life.

 

Gradually, Ryou quickened his pace, until he was running down the sidewalk in a desperate rush. His lungs were on fire, his heart pounding in his chest, his ears full of the sound of his blood pulsating in his veins under pressure that was steadily mounting...

 

Don't stop!! Ryou's mind shouted frantically. If you stop, you'll only admit how hopeless you are!

 

How long had he been racing through the city...? Ryou fought his own need to slow down and breathe, but he knew he wouldn't last forever. He had to give in to his body's pleas for a rest, and he stopped on the spot as he did so, struggling to catch his breath. Ryou had to bend over, he would surely fall to the ground otherwise. The world around him blended in a flood of random colors splashed over his normally sharp vision. For a while, Ryou had no idea where he was, he could only wait for his senses to regain their proper function.

 

And then, his eyesight cleared, showing him exactly what a place this was.

 

The bridge...

 

Ryou stood up, gripping the railing to support his own subtle weight. Had he gotten that far in such a short time? Must have been a world record, Ryou remarked bitterly in his dazed mind.

 

The cars were passing by on the road behind him, one after another. Looking around himself, Ryou found out the sidewalk was completely empty, except for his own presence. Then he realized something...it was beginning to rain.

 

Ryou leaned his forehead against the cold metal that separated him from the gaping chasm that was filled only with air. The rain wasn't too heavy yet; if one wasn't looking closely enough, he wouldn't stand a chance to see the lone drops of water falling from the skies. The wind played with these raindrops like a cruel fate, until they hit the hard ground on which they exploded, leaving nothing but a wet spot behind...and it was only a matter of time for this stain to dry, unnoticed by a single person...all the traces of the poor droplet's existence gone. Ryou watched this theatre of misery as he began to wonder...

 

Would it be the same if it was me falling down...? Am I really that insignificant?!

 

The bridge on which Ryou was standing was good fifteen meters high. Deep under it, another snake of cars could be seen, hissing and blinking venomously. If the impact didn't kill him, the unforgiving wheels of the vehicles surely would. The possibility of spending the rest of his already destroyed life as a disabled person didn't seem to be all that possible.

 

It's not like anyone will miss me. I can as well get this over with...

 

Despite the deep sadness that never left him in peace, Ryou wasn't sure if he really wanted to die. In his subconscious, he was still praying for somebody to stop him, to give him a reason to stay in this twisted world. He was just so tired...

 

The surroundings seemed to disappear as Ryou drifted further into the dark, ice-cold sea of his emotional anguish. He stared into the abyss right in front of him...it was fascinating yet terrifying...it was magnetic...

 

Not questioning his motives anymore, Ryou dropped his backpack to the ground and started climbing the railing and the fence connected to it.

 

Almost there...

 

He was standing on the outer side in no time. His feet were resting firmly on the narrow ledge - just one step and everything would be over. This seemed to be the only thing Ryou could give himself as a present today...the end of his pain.

 

Any last wish? Ryou asked himself sarcastically.

 

He was gripping the metallic railing with only one hand now...he leaned over the empty space...just let go, lose balance... Would this really be the end? What if his suffering continued? What if...

 

Well, there's only one way to find out.

 

Ryou closed his gentle eyes so full of sadness and forced the fist of his right hand to slowly open...

 

And braced himself for the fall that was sure to hurt.

 

What the-

 

“Are you insane or what?!”

 

In a complete and utter shock, Ryou opened his eyes once again - and realized he was still standing at the exactly same spot as mere seconds ago. The only difference was that his hand, which was holding onto the last string of life, was now firmly grasped by two just a little bit larger ones.

 

Ryou couldn't believe his only attempt to escape had just been ruined by someone who didn't even know him at all. He turned his head to see his unwelcome savior - the stranger wouldn't get away with this!

 

However, when Ryou's uncharacteristically hardened gaze fell upon the other's face, he was at a loss for words.

 

The first thing he saw was a pair of the most unreal eyes one could imagine - the orbs were light violet, sparkling like diamonds and full of mystery. An inch or so below them two identical black lines could be noticed - accentuating the stranger's cheekbones, but still having a special, original shape. His skin was tanned and smooth even when just looked at, wonderfully contrasting with his hair that fell to his shoulders and his back, glittering with the color of pure gold. Ryou had never seen such breathtaking features, much less all on one person. For a while, he only wanted to drink in this young man's unique beauty.

 

But then Ryou quickly remembered - this was the one who meddled in his life! He tried to wrench his hand from the almost painful grasp, but to no avail.

 

“L-let go of me!” Ryou demanded angrily.

 

The stranger replied quickly, “Don't you think it would be a shame if you ended up like this?” His voice was pleasant and melodic, but worried all the same.

 

“What do you know? I could have just finished this!” Ryou countered, feeling helpless against the other's confidence. All of his determination was gone, leaving him on the verge of tears, but he refused to let them spill.

 

“Maybe you would feel better if you talked to me a bit,” the unknown youth offered, regarding Ryou with an unreadable expression on his face. “You know, if anything's troubling you...”

 

“It's none of your business!” Ryou stated lamely, really not liking where this conversation was headed. He didn't want to admit this was exactly what he needed and didn't even hope for anymore - to talk to someone, but not just anyone. This couldn't be happening, no, this just couldn't be true-

 

“I don't believe you really want to die like this.”

 

Ryou averted his gaze to the chasm he had tried to fall into just moments ago, and he was...scared. His darkest fears seemed to lurk in the abyss, waiting for him to surrender. Did he want to...?

 

One word, spoken barely audibly, snapped him out of his contemplation. “Please...”

 

Ryou looked back at the stranger, unsure of what to do. For a moment they only stared at each other in silence, as if they were trying to estimate each other - and both failed. Ryou didn't know what to think about the situation he found himself in. Who was this man, the good Samaritan or what? He was speaking as if he knew what Ryou wanted to hear, he was giving Ryou a new opportunity to start over... Why?

 

On the other hand, what would taking his own life bring? Salvation? Not necessarily. Satisfaction? Maybe. Peace? Who knew...?

 

Ryou didn't realize how lethally cute he was being right now, standing on the edge defining life and death, with his silvery hair whipping around his head in the wind, confusion written all over his beautiful face.

 

“Why...do you care if I'm alive or not?” Ryou asked in a defeated whisper.

 

“Because it matters, in case you've forgotten.”

 

Ryou knew he wouldn't be able to beat this argument. Suddenly, the stranger released his hand, smiling so slightly Ryou almost overlooked it.

 

“Come back here...you can do it, I'm sure,” he said as an explanation for this unexpected act. For a reason that remained hidden for the time being, Ryou couldn't bring himself to break the other's trust, so he began to climb back to the safe side of the high fence...he couldn't stay here above the gate to death anymore.

 

The stranger gave off a relieved sigh as he waited for the one he had saved to overcome the obstacle between them. It didn't take Ryou long to reach the top of the fence and swing his legs over it to get to the inner side of the metallic wall...but before he could jump to the ground, an unknown voice startled both of them.

 

“Get off the railing, now! And hands up!”

 

It was only now that Ryou noticed the police car, which had just stopped a few meters far from them...and the two cops right next to it, one of them holding a loud-hailer and handcuffs. Now he was in some serious shit...

 

Ryou was too worn out to argue with two policemen after the exertion he had caused to himself just a short while ago, so he did as he was told without a single word. Looking at the stranger, he realized the other youth was a little taller than him...and a lot calmer.

 

“A suicidal attempt. You're coming to the station with us,” one of the cops announced as if quoting the phrases from some instruction booklet entitled probably `The Great Sheriff's Guide.'

 

Ryou was ready to give up every hope of spending the rest of this screwed up day crying in a corner, undisturbed by anybody. I really shouldn't have listened to him, he sulked to himself, glaring at the stranger...who had a wholly different opinion on this.

 

“I think it won't be necessary to arrest him,” he said, shocking not only the policemen, but Ryou as well. Was he out of his mind?

 

“And why not? We got a call from an old lady informing us there was somebody going to jump off this bridge, and when we got here, he was just climbing back! That's enough proof for us to escort him to the station!” the cop objected. At least it was clear how they had found out about what Ryou had tried to do.

 

Ryou honestly had no clue how he could escape the cell in prison or a psychiatric ward now. There was no way to talk himself out of this...but he was surprised yet again.

 

“You see,” the stranger began calmly, “he's a photographer who only wanted to take a picture of the city panorama...without these bars.” He knocked on the railing for emphasis and continued, “That's why he needed to get to the other side!”

 

All three people listening to him incredulously looked at the digital camera that Ryou was wearing around his neck. The stranger smirked. Then he added, “I told him to stay here, but he just wouldn't listen - I know you should punish him, but I can guarantee he won't do this anymore.” The last part of this statement was accompanied by a sideways glance at Ryou, who just shrugged and dropped his hands to their natural position.

 

Then Ryou felt a sudden urge to help the matter, at least to show the one who was so selflessly fighting for his welfare some gratitude, so he said, “But I'm not a professional...”

 

He knew the cops would request some evidence of the excuse he had for climbing the fence sooner or later, and that they would ask for the reason of Ryou wearing a school uniform when he was actually a photographer, a working person. He just acted on it even before they could form a suspicion.

 

The policemen talked between themselves in quiet voices for a while, occasionally looking at the two `delinquents.' Ryou and the other youth waited patiently for their decision - there was nothing they could do now anyway.

 

Finally, after a few long minutes, the cop spoke up, “Alright, you both can go - but try to do this one more time and there will be no excuses!” As ridiculous as it sounded, there wasn't much else the policemen could say...and soon they got back into their car and departed, leaving Ryou and the stranger behind.

 

“Well...” Ryou said, uneasiness evident in his voice, “I guess you saved both my life and my criminal record...”

 

“No `thanks' to me?” It was rather a figure of speech than a question that would expect an answer to come. Ryou took it as such, and looked at his own hands, suddenly feeling very ashamed. What was he supposed to do or say now? Then he got an idea...

 

“Since you've rescued me twice already, will you tell me your name?” With that, Ryou lifted his gaze back to the stranger's face...he would be quite rude otherwise...

 

“Malik Ishtar,” the one in question introduced himself with another small smile gracing his lips. “I'm from Egypt,” he added to explain his exotic name and appearance.

 

I could have guessed, Ryou thought. The stranger - no, his name was Malik - looked exactly how Ryou could imagine an Egyptian. His eyes and hair were still unusual, but there was no doubt about the ancient, mythical area of Egypt being his homeland. Even now, when he was dressed in a leather jacket and black jeans, he was resembling a pharaoh - magnificent and shining like the sun into the cloudy afternoon.

 

Ryou's mind was so preoccupied with such musings that he almost didn't register the question directed his way.

 

“And you are?”

 

“Oh-sorry, I wasn't listening-Ryou Bakura,” Ryou answered in a rush as he realized it wasn't too polite of him to stare at the other with such an absent expression. The fact that he wasn't exactly used to people talking to him only added to his nervous state.

 

However, Malik didn't seem to mind. “So, why were you going to kill yourself? You don't look like a human wreck,” he commented. It sounded almost like a compliment, but the concern and curiosity in his voice were unmistakable.

 

Now that Ryou regained his composure (if he'd had any to begin with) he returned back to his quiet, reticent state in which the invisible walls surrounding him were thick and extremely hard to break.

 

“And why did you have to save me?” he retorted.

 

“Because I couldn't just watch someone as old as myself commit suicide right in front of me without at least trying to stop him,” Malik answered, carefully avoiding any details...but Ryou accepted this explanation as sufficient, they were still complete strangers, after all.

 

Suddenly, a lightning pierced the darkened sky, followed by a roaring thunder. Ryou almost jumped with surprise - he didn't like these storms too much.

 

“We should go hide somewhere,” Malik said, tossing Ryou's backpack to its rightful owner. “Or we'll get totally drenched.”

 

Ryou pondered it for a second. Could he even bother the Egyptian like this...? However, as the rain quickly turned into a downpour, he decided to stop his hesitation and follow Malik to the nearest café or shop they could come across. Ryou couldn't deny one thing - this person was the only one who had ever managed to wake him up from his lethargy.

 

I think I do want to stay with Malik, if only for a while...

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

 

 

A note about Ryou's living place (SLIGHT spoilers): I saw it fitting for Ryou to live in Japan like in the series itself, because he is either of Japanese origin or a Japanese who had stayed in Britain in the past just because of his dad's job. Sometimes Ryou is assumed to be British, but I think that's a mistake according to the original anime. I left the city in which Ryou lives in this fic unspecified, because in the series he moved to Domino thanks to Bakura, who is absent here... And I have no idea if there is any actual Japanese town with the same landscape as the one in this story. I just think Ryou may be living somewhere on the eastern coast of Japan (where many large cities are situated). The uniform he wears to school in this fic is the same as in the anime since it also is a commonly used uniform in Japan. Just thought I'd let you know how my insane mind worked here! ; )

maatkare: Thank you, of course! Here's the update for you - hope you like! ^_^

Alright, everyone, if you have anything to say, I'm listening, and if you have any questions, bring them on! Well, and that's all for now!