by WSJ

This was inspired by Life's Song, a Trowa-centered Gundam Wing fanfic by an amazing author who didn't put her name on her work. If you know who wrote it, please tell me.

I don't own YGO, nor any of the songs I take snippets from.

As with all my stories lately, this was induced by too much gingerbread, with an added bonus of a snow day on top of it! (Hurrah for missing gym-days! My least favorite class!)

Oh yes, one last thing. This has nothing to do with the Unseeing Heart Trilogy. It's just a small one-shot my muses ordered me to bang out. -.-;; Yes, they're back from L4... Poor me...

//....// yami to hikari

/..../ hikari to yami

'....' private thoughts

()()()()()

"Ryou Bakura?"

Ryou's head snapped up as the choir teacher called his name, and he swallowed aprehensivly. Today was the day of the choir finals, when each student had to go before the class and sing a peice. The teacher wasn't really looking at the voice itself, just if the student had the right posture, breathed right, and so on.

//Well, what are you waiting for?//

Ryou swallowed again as he slowly stood up from his seat. Bakura had almost been looking forward to these tests, and had actually slacked off on his beatings this week, forcing Ryou to practice his vocals instead, which was almost worse. It was bad enough having a leering yami waiting for you with a beating when you got home, let alone glowering over you while you tried to sing.

The white-haired boy made his way to the front of the room and handed his sheet music to the teacher, who was sitting behind the piano, ready to play accompaniment. He turned toward the class, nervousness knotting the pit of his stomach.

Yugi grinned at him from his seat in the second row, and Tea gave him a thumbs-up. Tristan and Joey looked nervous about their own preformances, but gave him encouraging smiles as well.

Ryou took a deep breath to calm himself, and felt something stirring deep inside of him. He hoped his yami wasn't going to try something. Bakura usually slept through most of school, but right now he was active and awake.

"I'm ready sensei," he said in his usual, quiet voice. She nodded and began to play the piano. It was a soft, lyrical tune, much fitted to the boy who sang it. After a short intro, Ryou found his cue and hesitantly opened his mouth.

"Look what I've done,
"This picture I've painted
"It looks like my heart,
"Or what still remains."

Without previous warning, Ryou suddenly found himself shut in his soul room, and watching in amazement through his own eyes as Bakura took up where Ryou had left off. Of course, no one knew the difference except for Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey, who looked like they were going into shock.

"I’m remembering every word
"Left completely in this heart.
"I won’t even let those little memories go,
"Lock that treasure from this day on…"

Ryou's voice was a soft tenor, and Bakura's a little deeper. Yami Yugi watched in awe from his aibou's eyes, something rising inside of him he couldn't name. 'I won't let those little memories go...' So, the tomb robber missed their home as much as the pharoah did.

Inexplicably, Ryou was suddenlt thrust back into control, and barely had the grace to continue, launching with an almost feirocious vigor into the next verse, which mirrored his own life.

"I'd rather die standing
"Than on my knees
"Begging please-no more.
"Black eyes-I don't need 'em
"Blue tears-gimme freedom..."

The teacher realised that Ryou had mixxed many songs together, flawlessly stitching them into one master work. He was singing his life and his soul.

Bakura took control again, and this time Ryou was more prepared. The tomb robbers eyes were closed as he swayed slightly, singing of a time and place long forgotten. They continued in this manner, switching back and forth, each of the two baring their hearts before the audience, only Yugi and Yami really comprehending what was happening.

The teacher reached the end of the music that Ryou had given her, and ended her acompaniment. Yet still, the white-haired youth sang on. The entire class, teacher included, were soon lost in the flow of the music. It was a song of sadness, of suffering, but with an undercurrent of hope and love, weak though it was.

"Cry for the dream… yea yea yea
"In my heart
"Cry for the dream… yea yea yea
"I shout tonight
"The chains that bind me ---
"They cannot be seen…
"So you better be careful, too…"

"Distraught with tears, I wander with aimless stares
"Does it matter where I am? Nobody cares…
"Bleeding hearts weep crimson tears
"Please take away my pain and fears
"Hidden violence is revealed
"Close the door, my soul is sealed…"

Bakura mentally cursed at his hikari as he again took over the song. //I do not treat you that badly!//

/...Hai, you do.../

Bakura smirked sadisticly and almost stopped the song. But he caught himself in time and continued to sing, his mind flashing back to Egypt. He sought out Yugi in the crowd, and saw Yami's eyes staring back, filled with understanding and regret. Bakura had never felt closer to that accursed pharoah then in that moment.

"Don’t hang on. Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky.
"It slips away, and all your money won’t admit another minute by...
"Dust in the wind, everything is dust in the wind..."

Suddenly angry at how passivly his other had dismissed his heart-felt confessions of pain, Ryou yanked back control and began to sing feircly, with a passion and pitch that surprised even Bakura himself.

"Did you find it funny, when you struck me across the face?
"Did you find it amusing, when my heart began to race?
"Pulling at my hair, shrieking in my ears
"Kicking me aside, laughing at my fears?
"Did you find it funny, as your hands drowned in my blood?
"Did you find it amusing, as you tripped me in the mud?
"Abusing me in mind, body and in soul…
"You smirk at my pain, eyes like burning coal."

//Of course I find it funny. Why do you think I do it?//

Ryou felt like he was going to cry, and sadly retreated to his soulroom, leaving Bakura to finish the song.

"God will save His fallen angels,
"And their broken wings, He'll mend.
"When He draws their hearts together,
"And they learn to love again.
"All their sins will be forgiven,
"In the twinkle of an eye.
"All the saints rejoice in heaven,
"When the fallen angels fly."

Ryou felt a shock shiver through him as he realized that, although a sadist, masochist, and, above all, a lunitic, Bakura was directing the song to... Him! /Me?/ he asked tentativly as he emmerged for the final bit of song.

//Of course,// His yami's voice was almost kindly. //You will fly again Ryou. All fallen angels do,//

/Even you?/

There was a slight pause. //No.//

"No matter what they’ll take from me
"They can’t take away my dignity
"Because the greatest love of all
"Is happening to me
"I’ve found the greatest love of all inside of me
"The greatest love of all
"Is easy to achieve
"Learning to love yourself
"It is the greatest love of all."

The teacher and students sat in stunned silence. Ryou bowed silently just as the bell rang. And then, as everyone still sat frozen to their seats, he walked calmly from the room.

~@~Owari~@~

()()()()()

I have NOOOOO idea where that came from... So bizarre... *chuckles suddenly* If you want bizarre, go read my poem Dark Magic Attack! It's really messed up...

God bless minna-san!