I actually started this back in about August '09, and just now finished it. it's a songfic to God Help the Outcasts, from Hunchback of Notre Dame. It's such a sad and pretty song that I'd thought I'd try and do it justice for Ryou.

This starts out as a young Ryou, and evolves to the beginning of the final Season, Memory World, where Ryou is running into the Church and Bakura returns.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song God Help The Outcasts (Done by Bette Midler)

"Are you there God? It's me, Ryou."

Ever since he had been little, Ryou had been going to church with Mother and Amane. Every Sunday the three of them would dress up and attend morning mass. Ryou and Amane attended the Sunday School their church had, and became adapted to the Christian life-style.

I don't know if you can hear me, or if you're even there.

Father never went to church mainly because he always had work. Ryou and Amane had tried countless times to entice him into going, but he never budged. He sometimes went to the evening masses during the week with them, but not often.

I don't know if you would listen to a humble prayer.

They had actually been on their way home from an evening mass the night the accident had happened. Ryou had been in the passenger seat, and Amane had sat directly behind Mother. The car that had hit theirs crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle. Mother had died slowly, staying alive enough to murmur prayers to God, and soothe her distraught children.

Yes, I know I'm just an outcast, I shouldn't speak to you.

Mother died on the way to the hospital, in a different ambulance than Amane and Ryou. Amane and Ryou had been taken to the hospital in the same ambulance, Ryou panicking as he thought about his sister and Mother. One of the EMT's had tried to calm him, but nothing seemed to work.

But, Still, I see your face and wonder, were you once an outcast too?

After Ryou had been cleared with a broken wrist and bruises from the accident, he had sat on one of the benches in the waiting room, swinging his legs lightly in the air. Not only was he waiting for news on Mother and Amane, he was waiting for Father. Father was to be coming to fill out Ryou's official release papers, and to fill out some forms for Mother and Amane.

God help the outcasts, hungry from birth.

When Father got to the hospital, Ryou offered him a faint smile and a small wave of his blue-casted broken wrist. Father made to go over to Ryou, but was stopped by a doctor who pulled him over. Ryou watched the two talking, carefully observing Father's expression. He knew that the doctor was telling Father about Amane and… well, Amane's condition.

Show them the mercy they don't find on earth.

Ryou watched as Father walked over to him, and knelt in front of the bench. He placed his arms on Ryou's shoulders and took a deep breath, as if he was going to tell him something that was extremely difficult to say. But Father didn't have to say anything. Ryou had already been told. So, all Ryou did was hug his Father around the waist, curious as to why no tears would form in his eyes at the thought of his mother being dead.

Lost and forgotten, we look to you still.

Amane had been left in critical condition after the crash, and worst of all, a coma. Father didn't pull the plug right away because not only did he have faith in his daughter waking up, Ryou had begged him not to. He had lost Mother already, he couldn't bear the fact that he'd lose his sister and best friend as well. And the fact that Ryou did not want to know if he'd be able to cry when Amane died.

God help the outcasts or nobody will.

Ryou still went to church without Mother, Amane, or Father. For a while, everybody was sympathetic. It had to have been hard to lose his family members like that, they had figured, and even harder when they knew the fact that he had been in the vehicle when the crash happened. But Ryou didn't want sympathy.

I ask for nothing, I can get by but I know so many less lucky than I.

Ryou prayed often, at home and at church. The silence was too great without Mother or Amane, and Father was hardly at home as it was. He mainly prayed for Amane's health, hoping that she'd get out of her coma soon. His prayers were never answered, until one day a month later.

God help the outcasts, the poor and down trod.

Ryou had been visiting Amane on a Sunday close to a month later after church when her heart started to fail. A passing nurse had come in, and had immediately called for a doctor, trying in vain to usher Ryou out of the room. Once the doctor came, the nurse had forcibly removed Ryou from the room as the doctor tried to revive Amane. Ryou knew it would be in vain. Amane was gone.

And he shed no tears.

I thought we all were the children of God.

Three months later, Ryou's father had them moving from the area. Change of scenery, was what had been offered. New job; old memories; moving on.

The first Sunday in the new town Ryou went to Church. He got a few odd looks, and at the end of the service the Pastors wife asked him where his family was. Ryou looked at her blankly, before responding,

"Mother and Amane are with God." He hesitated, before saying. "Father doesn't believe in God." The Pastors wife hesitated, before offering the young boy a smile.

"Would you like to have lunch with Pastor Dan and I?"

All Ryou offered in return was a bright smile as he followed the woman.

I don't know if there's a reason, why some are blessed, some not.

He was thirteen when he received the Ring. After that first week Father had started going on archaeological digs more often, so he was practically never home. Ryou went to Church religiously, every mass, every sermon, every holiday. He was the perfect little Catholic.

"Father sent it," He told Lucy, the new Pastor's wife. She and her husband were the third Pastor he had in this town.

"It's beautiful," Lucy smiled, grasping it, before frowning as if something was wrong. "I don't trust it." Ryou looked at her oddly.

"Why?" He asked, but she just shook her head in response.

"Oh nothing," She responded airily. "Just an old wife, you know us and our tales." Ryou smiled and laughed along with her.

Why the few you seem to favor- they fear us, flee us, try not to see us.

At fifteen, Ryou stopped in front of a Church in Domino City, Japan, and felt a whine coming up in the back of his throat. He knew the Wednesday evening mass would be starting soon, but he couldn't go in. Oh, he desperately wanted to go in, but he couldn't.

He was cursed; a demon. He couldn't go in a holy place like a Church while he held this… curse around his neck.

He should have listened two years ago, but he didn't. He had foolishly believed that Father was only doing good by giving him the Ring out of the goodness in his heart.

God help the outcasts, the tattered the torn. Seeking an answer to why they were born.

At sixteen, he believed he was free of the demon. Lost in the woods, he was told by his friends. It won't come back. You're free.

And Ryou truly believed he was free, for a time. Until a few days later.

He was dressing for Church- the first time he would be able to go in over a year.

It appeared around his neck just as he was buttoning up his shirt. Sighing, Ryou knew that he wouldn't be able to go to Church once more.

Winds of misfortune have blown them about. You made the outcasts, don't cast them out.

A few months later a tournament started. Everything was closed for it. Except for the Church, of course. Ryou gazed at it longingly as he passed to meet his friends. He just wanted to go into the confessional, confess everything bad that had happened.

But no, not with the demon he held around his neck. He would never be able to go to Church again.

At one point, going to meet his friends, he blacked out. When he woke up again, he was staring down Yugi and a giant red dragon. His arm was in pain. Through the pain, the only thing that filtered through was,

'Why me, God?'

He blacked out again, and when he woke again, he was in an infirmary of sorts. His friends told him once more that the demon was gone, and he believed them again.

The poor and unlucky, the weak and the odd. I thought we all were the children of God.

The demon had been gone for three months. In that time Ryou had started going to Church again. He had become a little happier, and felt for once that his life was looking up.

However, not for long.

He was walking home one day from school- he had had to stay after for some reason or another.

A storm had been brewing fiercely. He had been walking home, hoping that he could make it home before it started when the laughing started. The hairs had stood on the back of his neck as he froze.

That laugh. It was the same as…

Lightning struck and he was running.

He stumbled through a barricade, but continued running. There was only one place that he could be safe. One place.

He stumbled into the Church, slamming the doors shut behind him. It was vacant, which to some would've seemed odd, but Ryou didn't notice in his panicked state.

He only noticed when the candles started lighting themselves up, and an all too familiar voice asked,

Miss me landlord?

And Ryou felt that he had wronged God in some way or another.

~~Owari~~

So, how was it? Alright, I hope. The beginning takes place in England, by the way. Where is up to you to imagine, but it's only in Japan once Ryou turns fifteen.

Read and Review and tell me what you think!

~~Paw-Chan Signing Out~~