Resurrection: Chapter 1

Title:  Resurrection

Chapter 1

Thursday, April 12th
How long has t been? When was the last time I heard his voice? It seemed like time moved so slowly since he left. What do I do? What can I do? He was gone; there was nothing I could do about that. All I can do is continue on. Moving on may be impossible, but continuing, I have to. I don't have much choice. Life is life… there's no way around it.

My friends have approached me, mentioning the change in my personality and attitude. Was it really that obvious? How often have I put on a fake smile in the past, played off as if nothing was wrong when with other people? Was that fake smile not strong enough to hide my true feelings? I feel bad when I have to lie and drop the subject. I know they care, that they're worried, but I'd rather keep those feelings to myself.

Can I move on? The very idea sounds impossible, foreign, even somewhat frightening. I don't want to move on. To move on would mean he was just a memory, that my feelings for him didn't matter. Those memories and feelings, I refuse to let go of them. They are what I have left of what he once was. Yes, he caused me pain, torture, agony, but he was always there when no one else was. He was my companion, my shadow, my Yami.

This all comes down to the million pound question… Will I ever see him again?

* * *

"Ryou-kun," At the sound of his name, a pale skinned boy looked up from his journal that was laid open on the picnic table before him. Dark chocolate met violet, the eyes of his best friend. Once again, he had that worried expression everyone seemed to have around him. He just wished that they would stop, for once. "Did you hear anything I just told you?" The concern seeped off every word.

With a sigh, Ryou put on one of his trademark innocent, fake smiles. "Gomen nasaii, Malik-kun. You were saying?"

His friend looked at him with pity. When would they just leave him be? "Seriously, Ryou, you need to talk. Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" He popped a chip into his mouth. "And you can't fool me with that smile of yours. You should know me better than that." The Egyptian cocked a knowing eyebrow at him.

The silverette dropped the smile, suddenly looking like a kicked puppy who just watched his mother die. "Sorry Malik, I just… you know what's wrong…" His eyes lowered to the wooden table top, feeling guilty for trying to hide from his closest friend. "I just… feel incomplete without-"

"Without the Ring…" Malik sighed with a shake of his head. "You need to move on from that, Ry." He looked at him with seriousness. That was a change. It was better than the usual worry, pity, sympathy, or – what people wanted to believe – empathy. No one, besides maybe Mutou Yuugi, would ever understand. Malik, he just wanted him to grow pass the Ring, even if he knew why his didn't.

"I know, but I can't…" The boy's soft British accent hummed through his voice, making him sound very pathetic.

Violet eyes rolled at his words. "More like you won't." Ryou head hit the top of the table, confirming Malik's words. Honestly, his best friend knew him too well. "Why you fell for that Thief, I'll never know…"

Ryou's head snapped up, face blood red. "I d-didn't fall for him!"

"Oh c-mon, Ryou! I told you, I'm not an idiot. It's written all over your face!" The Hikari sank down in his seat. "What I don't get is why you are so attached to a 3000-year-old Spirit that tortured and abused you."

"Believe me, Malik, I've been asking myself the same question for eight years… since I first received the Ring from father." Why would his father give him something like that?

The blond just watched as his friend dropped back down into deep depression. Why he let himself be this way, was a mystery. He had watched on the sidelines as Ryou's loneliness started to consume him. The fact that he wouldn't accept anyone's help was worse. "One of these days, you're going to regret being like this." Malik glanced at his watch. "Anyways, let's get to class. I'm just eager to hear another lecture on how a square is a rectangle but not vice versa!" Sarcasm dripped off every word.

That comment, at least, received a small laugh from the other boy. "Alright, let's go then…" The two stood, heading toward the most boring class in the College.

* * *

"Ugh! Seriously, if I have to hear the Square Root of a Triangle again, I'm going to murder the Professor…" Malik grumbled as he sat on Ryou's couch. The two returned to his apartment a little more than just bored. The professor had a reputation for over explaining the obvious Math problems and even gave full tests on just that alone. Ryou didn't mind, but Malik found it beyond dull.

Ryou just glanced at his best friend in amusement. "It's not that bad. At least we're passing the class, right?" He pulled off his jacket, hanging it on the coat rack. "Besides, we have to take it."

Malik just rolled his eyes. "Easy for you to say. You're the pet to every teacher you have, and then some. How you manage to keep an A average, I have no idea…" His tone sounded with a mix of annoyance and envy, but he was just teasing his best friend.

The silverette just shrugged, going to sit next o the other on the couch. "I study, I work… I like doing anything that distracts my mind from reality. School does that…"

At those words, the Egyptian's eyes softened in understanding. It kept him sane, grounded, and mostly… kept him from thinking on… him. "Hey… uh, Ryou… think I could borrow your phone?" His voice was soft, to show he wasn't in trouble or anything.

Ryou smiled. "Of course. Calling your sister?" His head tilted to at him in his obliviously cute way.

Damnit Ryou, why do you have to do that? Malik grumbled as he gave his friend a nod. His friend was way too adorable for his own good. He stood, walking into the kitchen.

Grabbing the phone off the wall, he dialed the number he had known since he could walk. Holding it to his ear, he cautiously looked over the bar to Ryou, who was putting in a pair of ear buds in his ears. Good, he was busy. The other end picked up. "Hello…? Sister?"

"Malik? You never call, is something wrong?" The voice of his sister replied with concern.

"Why is it that you always assume something's wrong when I call?" Malik murmured, huffing in annoyance.

Ishizu chuckled softly. "Because, little brother, it's you…"

A mumble from his side was her reply on that. "Thanks a lot, sis… Really…" Geez, so trusting… He sighed, glancing back at Ryou, who was currently studying his Biology notes, before whispering into the phone. "Is there a way to bring back the dead? A spell maybe?"

"…What?"

"I said," He spoke louder. "Is there a way-"

Ishizu rolled her eyes. Of course, he couldn't see it, but he knew his sister well enough. "I heard what you said. I meant, why do you wish to know?"

"….Its Ryou…" He voice was soft with concern, glancing into the other room for the third time.

There was a long pause on the other end. "The Thief…" He had to hand it to his sister, she wasn't as ignorant as he thought. She was just as concerned over Ryou's well being as he was, maybe more. When the Ring was destroyed, she had taken the pale boy under her wing. Ryou was the only person that could keep him out of trouble, after all.

"Yeah… I don't know what else to do! He's depressed every minute of every day and to distract himself, all he does is study! Hell! He's studying right now, damn it!" Malik flailed his free arm about, before combing his fingers through his blond tress. "He's terrifying me sis… help me out…" He rested his forehead again the wall, his fear shining in his voice.

To put it simply, Ishizu was shocked. Rarely was Malik so desperate to ask his family for help, to ask anyone for help. There was only a few other time in the past that he seeked help. One, had been to the Thief himself against his own Yami. After some pondering, she sighed softly. "There is one way, but… he will return in his original form. This means he'll need some teachings." She paused briefly. "Here's how you do it…."

* * *

If one thing was completely certain, the spell itself wasn't an easy one. Hell, setting it up was going to be a bitch. How in seven hells would he be able to pull it off? Malik hunched over the notebook he wrote the spell in, looking over the ingredients and directions. To Ryou, it looked like he was studying, which wasn't far from the truth. With a frustrated groan, he slammed the notebook closed, then buried his face in a pillow. This was going to be tougher than he thought.

Ryou looked up, removing his ear buds. "Alright, Malik?" His soft accent ringing in his tone.

"Yes… just frustrated. Some subjects are more challenging than others." Well, it wasn't a complete lie, it was a difficult spell after all. He gave his friend a soft smile. Ignorance was bliss, at least till he can get the spell set up.

The pale boy smiled and nodded. He understood, though he believed it to be a class than a spell. "Well, we could take a break? Need to go shopping for some things."

Malik jumped up at the idea. Thank Ra! He was trying to figure out how he'd get the supplies in the first place. "Let's go. I need some things myself."

* * *

Here it was… the moment of truth… There was no turning back. There wasn't any other way to save him. This was it. These thoughts were repeating themselves as they returned to the car after the long shopping trip. Why was Malik repeating this too himself? As a Keeper, it wasn't in their nature to summon the dead, especially a Thief. To make matters worse, he was the Thief King. H e was about to break all the laws of a Keeper. Oh, he was SO dead…

The Keeper mentally went over all the ingredients, checking off everything in his notebook. He prayed Ryou wouldn't start asking questions on all he bought, but he didn't seem too curious. Then again, Ryou was the master of the Poker Face.

"Oh, Malik," Ryou's soft accented voice rang in the car, catching his attention. Oh great, here it comes. "Why did you buy four types of candles and several pounds of salt and sand?" There it was. "I thought you moved here to get away from sand and salt?" The ignorant, yet innocent look Ryou gave him in a glance from the driver's seat, nearly made the Egyptian groan and melt into a puddle. Again, Ryou was too cute for his own good.

Malik gave the boy a nervous smile, thinking quickly for an excuse. "I… uhh… have an Art Project! That's it! Due Monday, last minute thing, you know the drill. Heh…" He could've thrown himself out of the car for coming up with that horrible lie. Like Ryou would ever believe him.

"An art project? I didn't know you were taking art." Ryou eyed him for a second before looking back to the road. "When did you take up Art? Also…. I've never heard of a project that calls for those ingredients or… lion and eagle's blood…" He made a face at the blood, not being a big fan of it due to past experiences.

Lovely, he forgot about the blood. "Uhh… The teacher said we could choose our own projects, so I chose to depict an Egyptian Ritual!" Oh yes, Malik, just give away your secret. Smart.

Ryou nodded his head in thought. "I see… interesting."

Malik was dumbstruck. He BELIEVED that? He sighed as relief washed over him. Thank Ra!

"You do realize I don't believe a word of that, right?" …Shit.