Trial By Nightmare

Trial by Nightmare

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything you recognize, but I DO own Trial by Nightmare;-)

Warning: This section has drug references and Bakura makes a rude reference about gay people.

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//Where in the hell are you letting this freak take us?// The spirit snarled to Ryou.
//Who cares? It's not like he's going to kill me.// Ryou retorted.
//I highly doubt he'll kill you either, but look at him! The guy looks like a fucking fag! If he tries
anything, I don't care what you say; I'm taking over and I'll dice him into dog food// Bakura
growled.
//Stop it Bakura, you’re just paranoid. You should just be thankful he’s getting us out of that
horrible place//
//Dog food, that’s all I’m saying// Bakura shot back.
After a short drive, Ryou realized Duke have driven out to a secluded section of woods and
parked the car. He turned the key so the car wasn’t running but the radio was playing.
“Sure is nice to be away from school. Some days I just want to rip out all my hair and kill
somebody after being there a few hours.” Duke sighed as he reached into the center consul.
//I told you he’s going to kill you dumbass! He’s reaching for a straight blade right now to slash
your fucking throat!// Bakura scolded Ryou mentally.
Ryou scooted over closer to the door and clutched the handle just incase. He relaxed when he
saw Duke pull out a small gold pipe and a baggy full of leafy green stuff. He packed some of the
green stuff in the pipe and handed it to Ryou. Ryou took it from Duke and just stared. What the
hell was it?
//It’ll kill your dumbass, whatever it is!// Bakura hissed.
Ryou just started at the pipe, not quite sure what to do with it.
“You gonna smoke that or make love to it?” Duke chuckled.
Ryou bit his lip nervously.
“I-I.....need a light?” he studdered.
“Oh shit, sorry dude, here ya go” Duke said cheerful as he handed Ryou a lighter.
Ryou remembered seeing Marik and Odeon with a pipe like this, so he mimicked what they had
done. He put the pipe to his lips and inhaled as he lit the green stuff with the lighter.
He started coughing as soon as he tried holding the smoke. He handed the pipe back to Duke
who did the same thing. They passed it back and forth until there was nothing but ash.
Ryou felt his body completely x. Hx. His brain felt like it was floating.
//That shit you smoked is making me feel...argh!...good! I don’t want to feel good! It screws up
my evilness!// Bakura barked.
//Bakura, don’t get so overworked about everything. It’ll wear off soon and you can get back to
plotting your evilness”
// If I didn’t need your body as a vessel, you’d be the first person I’d bludgeon to death. Cocky
bastard! You were much easier to take control of you before you started hanging around Ishtar.//
Bakura grumbled. Ryou didn’t answer back, he decided ignoring Bakura was the best way to get
him out of his head.
“Wanna go get a soda?” Duke ask as he sprayed air freshner.
“Yes, good idea. My mouth feels like cotton” Ryou laughed. Whatever that shit was, it made
Ryou feel 100% better. His headache didn’t hurt much anymore, and his upset stomach felt just
fine now. Infact, he actually felt hungary. Duke started up the car and drove back into town.
Before going back to campus, they stopped at a gas station. While Duke was fueling up his car,
Ryou went inside and right to the snack isle. He began grabbing everything that looked good. By
the time Duke was finished fueling up his car, Ryou was at the checkout with a case of Coke, a
cappuccino, 2 bags of chips, 15 chocolate bars, a bag of gummi worms, a bag of Pixie Stix, and a
pack of cigarettes. He didn’t usually smoke, but whatever Duke had in that pipe gave him a
craving for one. He grabbed a lighter too.
“Looking to feed a 3rd world country man?” Duke laughed.
Ryou grinned and paid for his stuff.
“Yes, I am, I feel so bad for those poor souls in The United Braincells of Ryou, so I have to do
whatever I can for them.”
Duke shook his head as they walked back to the car
“You’re a crazy fuck Ryou, one crazy mother fucker”
Ryou just grinned as he opened up his Doritos.
Duke started the car and headed to the campus. Ryou lit up as cigarette for the ride back.
*~*~*
“Well, here we are” Duke said as he pulled into his parking space. “You ready to go back in?”
Ryou rolled his eyes and looked out the window at Yugi and Tea, who were still sitting at the
picnic table.
“No, but I guess I have to.” he groaned as he pulled out his schedule.
“Shit, I have over a bloody hour before my next stupid class.” he frowned.
“Why don’t you come with me to mine than?” Duke suggested.
“Say what?” Ryou frowned. He didn’t want a professor bitching at him if he didn’t have to.
“You’ll dig it, trust me.” Duke smiled as they got out of the car.
Duke lead Ryou to a class, and to Ryou’s surprise, it didn’t look like a typical classroom. There
were musical instruments scattered around, chairs, and music stands and sheets of music strewn
randomly around.
“What kind of class is this?” Ryou ask Duke curiously.
“I don’t really consider it a class, but I get 2 credits for it. You see me and a few other people get
together after lunch and jam. It’s called independent learning.” Duke grinned as he picked up his
bass guitar. Ryou eyed up a drumset sitting idle nearby. He had taken drum lessons back in grade
school, and was very good at playing them, but never took it any further than that. He picked up a
pair of drum sticks and started tapping out a rhythm he remembered on the snare drum. Than he
added the bass drum. Before long he was tapping out a decent sounding beat. Next thing Ryou
knew, Duke joined in on the bass.
//Damn, we sound good// he thought.
Before long, the other students walked in and picked up their instruments and started to play
anlong. Ryou was quite surprised when he looked up from behind the drumkit and saw that Yugi
Motou himself was playing a wicked guitar. Playing drums felt natural to Ryou. Once the class
period was over, he felt invigorated and his next class didn’t seem like such a horrible thing.
“Hey, you’re good Ryou, why don’t you join us again tomorrow?” Yugi smiled brightly as he put
his guitar in its case.
“Yeah man, you really kick ass” Duke added.
Ryou pondered the idea for a moment. It couldn’t hurt adding another class, especially since he’d
actually enjoy this one.
“Sure, I’d like that” he smiled as he headed to his next class.
*~*~*

As the final bell rang, Ryou caught up to Yugi outside in the parking lot. He had to ask him
something that was eating away at him.
“Yugi? When did you start playing guitar? I never knew you even played.”
Yugi looked up at Ryou with his innocent violet eyes and answered him eagerly.
“Grandfather had an old guitar in the back of the gameshop that I used to play before I got into
Duel Monsters. Before I got into playing cards though, I had wanted to be a rockstar. I gave it up
to help Yami out, but now I have the opportunity to play again, and it doesn’t conflict with
dueling”
//Hmph, that explain that fucked up hairstyle// Bakura snorted.
//It’s a free country Bakura, anything goes in this day and age. Please pipe down now, I’ll let you
out later, okay?// Ryou replied
Ryou listened intently to Yugi’s story. He never envisioned Yugi as the ‘rock star’ type.
“Duke and I get together on Friday nights about 6 at his shop to jam, wanna stop in tonight and
join in?” Yugi continued.
Ryou didn’t hesitate to answer.
“Yes, I’d like that, sounds like fun.”
Yugi smiled brightly.
“Cool, see you tonight.”
Just than Tea and Duke walked out of school and joined Ryou and Yugi in the parking lot.
“Ready to go?” Duke asked Yugi.
“Yeah, by the way, Ryou going to join us tonight. That’s okay with you, right?” Yugi said as he
got into the car.
“Sounds great, see you tonight Ryou” Duke smiled.
Ryou quickly remembered his arsenal of munchie food in the back of Duke's car.
"Hey, hold on a minute" Ryou grinned as he opened the back door and started grabbing
his goodies and setting them on th pavement.
"I was hoping you'd forgetten" Duke grinned.
"Not a chance" Ryou smirked as he closed the door. Duke flashed the peace sighed out his window as
he pulled out of the parking lot and sped off.
Tea got in her car and started it up
“Need a ride home?” she asked Ryou.
“Yes, please.” he responded as he thought about how he would get all of this junk food home otherwise.
//Enough politeness Ryou, it’s making me homicidal// Bakura growled inside Ryou’s mind.
//What doesn’t make you feel homicidal?// Ryou thought back sarcastically.
//That Shadow Realm really turned you into a smart ass.// Bakura snarled back.
//No Bakura, it was you who made me who I am. Now please go plot world domination so I can
have a pleasant ride home//
//Blah blah blah// Bakura hissed back.

Bakura managed to stay out of Ryou’s head for the rest of the ride home. Tea left him off infront
of his house and drove away. Ryou went inside, set down his munchie food, and checked the answering machine for
messages. The machine was flashing the number 3, so Ryou pressed play.
“Hey assface, where in the fuck are you? I’m bored, call me back”
Marik. Go figure. Did he have a life? When he wasn’t hanging out with Ryou, he was out
creating mindslaves. He was in dire need of a life of his own. Next message;
“Ryou, you suck. I can’t believe you’re ditching me. I’m going to Hollywoods for a couple
drinks.”
Marik again. And as usual he’s going to get drunk. He’d turned into a big lush ever since he
realized he’d banished his father to the Shadow Realm. Even though it was the evil spirit inside
him that actually did the deed, Marik still felt responsible and eased his grief with booze. Ryou
decided he’d better get down to Hollywoods to rescue Marik from that ratty old tavern. He
changed into some new clothes and started walking to the tavern. It was only a block away.
He found Marik sitting up at the bar with numerous shot glasses infront of him.
“Hello Marik, I’m sorry I wasn’t home today. I was in class when you called.”
Marik tossed down another shot and laughed
“Well next time give me some warning so I don’t waste my morning calling you.”
Ryou nodded and ordered a beer.
“So where are we going tonight? Got any brilliant ideas?” Marik questioned Ryou.
“Well....” Ryou hesitated. Telling Marik he wanted to go jam with Yugi and Duke was harder
than expected.
“Well it’s like this” he continued. “ Yugi invited me to go jam with him and Duke tonight. I’m
sure they wouldn’t have a problem if you came with me. They’re a pretty forgiving bunch”
Marik made a sour face.
“Yugi? As in ‘I-have-a holier than thou pharaoh-in my head’ Yugi? For Ra sake, are you bent
Ryou? You know there’s alot of bad blood between me and that pharaoh” Marik said the word pharaoh like
it burned his lips.
Ryou nervously fidgeted with his hands.
“Yes, I know, but Marik........Yugi was a good friend of mine up until not so long ago. I know the
two of you got off on the wrong foot, but come on. You still owe me a favor you know”
Marik crossed his arms and looked at Ryou inquisitively.
“Oh? I owe you a favor? When did this occur?”
“When Bakura fought that duel with your darker half up on Kaiba’s blimp.” Ryou retorted.
“He lost. I ended up stuck between the real world and the shadow realm for what seemed like an
eternity. You think I owe you for THAT? Besides, wouldn't it be Bakura I owe the favor to than?”
“Whatever the case Marik, the spirit of my ring did you a favor. He didn’t have to try to help you,
and he's part of me. Come on Marik, please?” Ryou pleaded.
Marik rolled his eyes and took a big gulp of his beer. He didn’t want to go, but if he did go, it
might provide him the opportunity to pull some nasty pranks on Yugi.
“Fine. I’ll go. But don’t think I won’t let this come back to haunt you Ryou”
Ryou smiled and thanked Marik. They finished their beers and took Marik’s motorcycle over to
Duke’s gameshop, both not quite sure what to expect inside.