Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Shades Of Gray ❯ An Opportunity Arises ( Chapter 3 )

"What are you staring at?" Yugi asked, and Ryou blinked.

"Huh? Oh, Yugi-kun, it's you. I was…you see…" he shook his head and pointed to a poster advertising that there would be try-outs for the new school singing group that would be performing in theater.

"Bakura-sama likes singing," he explained, seeing Yugi's quizzical look. "In every school we went to, every time there was a singing group I could tell that he wanted to be part of it, but we both knew Necrophadisu wouldn't allow it."

"Why?" Yugi asked, blinking.

"Because it would have made him happy," Ryou replied, suddenly seeming more than a little angry. "And it isn't as if Necrophadisu will allow him to be even a little bit happy, no matter how much he deserves it. It just isn't fair that he has to suffer so much and still can't do something as harmless as singing."

"No, it isn't," Yugi agreed, and he could feel Yu-Gi-Oh's pure fury burning from within the Puzzle. He lifted his eyebrows internally at how outraged Yu-Gi-Oh seemed. "You-he-should try out."

Ryou's eyes widened, and once again Yugi noticed the astounding lime-tinged emerald hue. "Necrophadisu will never allow that!" he cried, just as Yugi shifted into Yu-Gi-Oh.

"So what?" he snapped. Though he hadn't even met Bakura yet, his compassion and admiration towards him was undeniable and this new evidence of Bakura's suffering filled the naturally protective Spirit with the burning urge to destroy something-or someone, more specifically Necrophadisu.

But you must have figured that out already.

"Just as you said, it isn't fair that he suffers so much and risks his life so often and he can't even try out for a lousy singing group. Besides, obviously Necrophadisu"-he more spat the name than said it, his fury and disgust almost tangible-"Isn't keeping that close a watch on you if you haven't been punished yet for telling us about him in the first place."

|What do you think, Baku-sama?| Ryou asked tentatively. |It's your decision.|

Bakura hesitated. It was true, he desperately wanted to do this. And Yu-Gi-Oh's support made him want to even more. He knew the risks, but…

Softly, not used to speaking in public, he conceded, "All right. I'll do it."

***

"It was really him?" Katsuya asked, sounding excited. The entire group had quite easily gotten interested in this mysterious new 'good' Spirit within the Ring, though Yu-Gi-Oh was certain their interests couldn't be nearly as passionate as his was.

"Yes, it was," Yu-Gi-Oh replied. "His voice changed, his eyes changed, even his face changed a little bit. And he said he would try out."

"Thank God," Anzu said. "It isn't fair that, with all he goes through, he can't even sing."

"I said that, Yugi-kun said that, Mou Hitori no Yugi said that, and he's still worried," came Ryou's familiar voice from behind them. They turned to see their white-haired friend, looking nervous but still happy. Lime fire seemed to dance in the jade depths of his eyes. He was obviously very devoted to the more caring Spirit.

(Author Note: I just want to make this clear: as I believe you may have realized, this is not Ryou/Bakura. They have a bond deeper than brothers, but you may have realized that Bakura is in love with Yu-Gi-Oh and Ryou…make a wild guess.
Really, I dare you to guess. Or say who you want it to be-and if you guess right, your reward is…it being who you want it to be!)

"Is he good?" Honda asked.

"Yes, he is. He's also good at painting, writing, psychoanalyzing, philosophy, figuring out puzzles, just about every kind of physical anything, and a million other things. About the only thing he isn't good at is fractions. He says they had math in Ancient Egypt and he hated it then as much as I do now."

"Are you sure we can't meet him?" Katsuya whined.

"Later, I promise," said Ryou. "I just don't want to risk Necrophadisu coming out instead of him. He's very good at disguising himself, you know." Before anybody could protest, he glanced at the clock. "I have to go. Wish me luck."

"Good luck!" they chorused.

"Try your best," added Yu-Gi-Oh, appearing out of nowhere (well, not nowhere, the Puzzle actually, but you get what I mean.)

Ryou looked at him, and his face seemed to change for a moment. His eyes flashed blue, he seemed to stand taller. "Thank you," said Bakura in the soft voice he had used yesterday, the voice almost impossible to distinguish from Ryou's, before turning and walking to the stage.

***

"I can't," said Bakura after listening to the CD of the song from America that the Chorus teacher Chitose Liena wanted him to sing. "The ahs are too high and the guy parts are too rappy."

"You don't have to sing at that pitch, and you can make the guy parts less rappy," replied the student that had offered to help him, a girl who had been singing (in theater!) since she was eleven.

She was beautiful, tall and tan with full lips and thick auburn hair. She, too, had lived in a lot of different places-you know, England, America, Iran, India, Pakistan, you get the picture-and not very popular among girls, because she was brilliant and talented and more than 97% of the guys were in love with her.

Neither of the Bakuras happened to be among them, especially since neither of them liked girls (that was a hint to who he's paired with)

With a sheepish little smile, she added, "I can't really do the rappy part either."

Bakura/Ryou smiled nervously and walked onto the stage.

Besides the other people who wanted to try out, Ryou's friends and fangirls (those annoying girls who followed him around everywhere until it was impossible to breathe) were there, and they all cheered as he walked on stage.

Bakura blinked and inhaled deeply, looking at the sea of eyes. The music started, and he took a deep breath before beginning to sing.

The woman's part was an octave lower than the way the woman sang it, but it sounded just as good. And he did the guy part a hundred times better, his voice low and filled with emotion that could strike a cord inside someone who knew not a speck of English.

"Bound at every limb by my shackles of fear
Sealed with lies through so many tears
Lost from within, pursuing the end
I fight for the chance to be lied to again

You'll never be strong enough
You'll never be good enough
You were never conceived in love
You will not rise above

They'll never see
I'll never be
I struggle on and on to feed this hunger
Burning deep inside of me"

Because he possessed the intelligence of every being who had come within contact of the Millennium Ring (not to mention that Ryou knew a lot of languages due to moving around so much) he could actually tell what the words meant-and it was scary, how well he identified with the lyrics.

You'll never be strong enough…you'll never be good enough…you will not rise above…how often had he heard those words in his mind, both whispered and screamed? He knew now that it was Necrophadisu's voice, even before Necrophadisu began to control him, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

"But through my tears breaks a blinding light
Birthing a dawn to this endless night
Arms outstretched, awaiting me
An open embrace upon a bleeding tree

Rest in me and I'll comfort you
I have lived and I've died for you
Abide in me and I vow to you
I will never forsake you"

Yu-Gi-Oh marveled not only over the skill in which he sang, but the pure emotion in his face and voice as he sang them-and those eyes, those marvelous blue eyes so different from Ryou's. It seemed as if the words were a broken whisper and an angry shout at once.

He, too, possessed the intelligence of every being which had come in contact with the Puzzle-but since it had been buried with him, that wasn't much. He wished he knew what it was Bakura was singing.

"They'll never see
I'll never be
I struggle on and on to feed this hunger
Burning deep inside of me

They'll never see
I'll never be
I struggle on and on to feed this hunger
Burning deep inside of me"

By the time Bakura reached the second ah part, Liena-san was in tears. Never had she heard any person-man or woman, girl or boy-sing with such skill and beauty.

Especially not a song he had just heard a few minutes ago for the first time.

"Rest in me, I'll comfort you
I have lived, and died for you
Abide in me and I vow to you
I will never forsake you

They'll never see
I'll never be
I struggle on and on to feed this hunger
Burning deep inside of me"

He did the final ahs, and the audience burst into applause.

***

The moment Ryou walked offstage, he found himself half-smothered by hugs, compliments, and in Katsuya's case a noogie. -.-

"That was amazing!" "Good job, Bakura!" "I've never heard anybody sing like that!" "What were you singing about?"

"Technically, it wasn't me, it was Bakura…the other Bakura…could you call me Ryou from now on? This name thing is just confusing."

"Well, Ryou," said Yu-Gi-Oh, appearing once again and wondering if (a.k.a hoping with all his heart that) he might catch another glimpse of Bakura. "Tell Bakura that he was absolutely amazing and he should be very happy with himself."

Ryou looked at him, and there was that change again. From sweet and innocent with a cherub face and big green eyes to serious and a little sad with a beautiful face and deep soulful blue eyes that Yu-Gi-Oh could stare into for hours.

"He is now," said Bakura softly, and Yu-Gi-Oh wondered if he had a naturally quiet voice or if he was just trying to hide that his voice was different from Ryou's.

Then the change was gone, and he was Ryou again.

***

That's three times now that he's spoken to me, and I've heard him singing. Now if we could just have an honest discussion so I could get to know him…

Yu-Gi-Oh sighed. I'm obsessed. I wonder if I knew him in Egypt…

He tensed up when he felt slender fingers grip his arm-he hadn't heard anyone!

"Do you know the Yuko forest?" asked a voice, so close warm air tickled his ears, and his eyes widened. He knew that voice, though he had only heard it for the first time today.

"If you go to that Thai restaurant and walk directly into it from there, you'll come upon a small clearing. If you want to meet me for real, be there at eight tomorrow. Don't be late. I'm taking a risk as it is, I can't guarantee your safety."

The fingers released him, and he spun around.

There was no one there, but he knew that he hadn't imagine the voice or the feel of a body so near he could feel the heat radiating from it. Touching his shoulder, he found a strand of white hair.

And Yu-Gi-Oh smiled.

Looking up at the moon, he promised in a whisper, "I'll be there."