A/N: Hey all. New story, one shot actually. It's been written for a while; although it's just been recently that I decided to put it up here.
Never fear though, Seven Days in Purgatory's next chapter is halfway done, and I have just started the next chapter of Chibi Spells. All other stories will be tended to when those two stories' next chapter is up.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor am I making any money off this fic. It is purely for entertainment, and to fill my own quota of angsty-happy ending-slashiness.
Warnings: One sided Kaiba Seto/ Yami no Bakura, mentions of kidnap, a consensual Yami no Bakura/Ryou (Although that one really shouldn't be under 'warnings'.)
So, welcome to the first chapter of… Soul Stealers!
(Oh, I really need to think of a better title!)
He thought a cup of strong black tea could stop the dull ache in his stomach. A cup of tea with just a pinch of sugar – enough to barely sweeten it, but not enough to make him sick.
He held the mug near his chin, just close enough so that he could feel the steam rise up off the surface of the tea and curl its tendrils around his face. He swallowed a spoon full of the hot liquid because the mug is scalding to the touch, but he realized just as quickly that for the brief moment that the spoon was in the cup, it managed to heat up just enough to burn his tongue. He winced and carefully set the mug down.
The television sat in the corner and he vaguely wondered if he should turn it on, if only to break the stifling silence. He didn't want to, but the silence was wrapping its hands around his neck, waiting for the perfect time to squeeze so hard that he collapsed.
He took another sip of the tea and grimaced as he noticed how bitter it had become with the tea bag still strewing in the mug. He thought a cup of earl gray would have been soothing, but the irony of it compared to his own recent life exploded in his face like some sort of twisted epiphany.
He took the last sip and peered down into the mug's empty abyss. The tea bag hunches to one side and if you knew how, you would rip open the flimsy paper, scatter the contents, and divine his future. He poured another cup of tea.
The television remained silent.
He would have done so too, but the other occupant in the house would have torn the mug away from him and declared that he shouldn't believe in such petty things. You make your own future, he would say.
He'd smile a lie and nod and pretend like it was the best advice he had ever heard.
And it was.
He smiled as the mug shattered and cold tea ran down the wall like old blood.
Ring around the roses…
That was how the nursery rhyme started and he wished that was how it ended.
The children in the house next door to his real home had sung it one afternoon. They had joyfully spun around and around and around unaware that they were singing the Plague's song. They were unaware of the death that lingered in the poem.
Pocket full of posies…
He tried to block out the stench of false hope and tried to pretend that it was real, that there was hope left and if he tried, he could grasp the last strands of it.
He wanted to, so desperately.
Ashes, ashes…
The fragmented remains of his mug still laid where they had fallen. The tea had dried on the beige wall like an ornate tapestry of woven lies and deceptive dreams.
His mind was alight with the torments of a false god.
A false god with all the power to keep him imprisoned.
All fall down…
And, oh, how the might came tumbling down.
His name was Bakura Ryou.
Friends called him Ryou, and it was rightly so. He was the lighter side; he deserved the softer name.
He called him Bakura, wishing the hikari was the darker side.
He was Kaiba Seto and he had foolishly ripped the Sennen Ring from Bakura Ryou's chest and had unknowingly ripped a soul apart.
He had ripped the Ring off because he wanted the dark and put it around his neck and put Bakura in is cold, dark house.
But he didn't get the dark. One so hard as him – without a conscious, even – was dark enough.
And so, the spirit of the Ring stayed in the farthest abyss, unaware of his light's presence.
Bakura Ryou was dimming.
Where was his light? It had glowed ever so softly in the shadows and it would follow him wherever he went before. It was too quiet, too dark for even this shadow thief.
Where had his most precious light gone? Surely it had not gone willingly. The bright little like that had clung soso tight to the shadows, to him.
He was soso alone and he wished his spark would come back to him, back to his midnight arms. The shadow thief would crush his light to him and smash their lips together and tell (promise and hopeand pray!) the light that the shadows would never leave him alone again, that he would be forever enveloped in midnight lover's arms.
Shadows melded together as Yami no Bakura emerged from the Ring.
Then, there was chaos.
What had there been to go wrong? Yes, he had wanted the dark, but he didn't think he would be so vengeful, so harsh.
The shadows hissed his name. Kaiba Seto…
"Where is my light?" Those were the only words that had been whispered aloud. Kaiba Seto wished that the spirit hadn't.
There was a haunting quality to the spirit's voice, hatred in his voice.
Yami no Bakura took two steps forward and ripped the Sennen Ring from around Kaiba Seto's neck.
The Ring glowed brightly. Yami no Bakura would make sure that the Ring returned to its rightful possessor.
Then Kaiba Seto would pay for what he did.
There. He felt it. A spark? No… but something felt better… he felt safer.
Bakura Ryou stood up, curious for the first time since he had been trapped in this wretched mansion. The broken handle of his tea cup slipped out of his hand and he ran towards the source.
Downs halls and corridors, he ran with a vigor he had not had in days. He ran blindly until he felt hands gripping his arms and lips pressed tightly to his.
He clung to the other body tightly, unable to breathe. Tears rained down his face and he managed to choke out a few words. "Bakura… mou –"
He was cut off, however, when Yami no Bakura pulled back and smirked at him. "Hikari…"
Bakura Ryou stilled and looked up at his yami. "Yes…?"
"As much as I would love to continue this…" He purred, while nuzzling his hikari's cheek. "I do believe that there is a mortal's soul I need to banish for you."
For once, the light didn't mind.
Yami no Bakura did not let Ryou go, not once. He would never lose him again, he swore; I will always find you, he purred.
Ryou sipped it up like honey and wine and became intoxicated with his yami. He giggled and nuzzled and promisedpromisedpromised the same.
And when it came time for Kaiba Seto, Yami no Bakura pushed his hikari into the Ring and made sure Kaiba Seto would never hurt them again.
When he retrieved his hikari, he found him wrapped up in his blankets and tangled around a pillow in the yami's soul room.
Like a pretty trinket waiting for him.
He couldn't help but lean over and crush his lips to the pretty little mouth.
Ryou let out a few mews and sent Yami no Bakura – his yami – over the edge.
But Ryou stopped him with a few simple words: "I've missed you."
Bakura halted, panting above his hikari. He laid down beside Ryou, a leg between the hikari's two, and ran his thumb down Ryou's cheek and across the corner of his lips.
"Hikari…"
Bakura wrapped his arms around his yami's neck and place a shy, gentle kiss on Yami no Bakura's lips. He hoped it wasn't a dream…
He woke up to a wall painted with splattered old tea.
A/N: O.O I know! I'm awful! The original had a happy ending, but this… this was sad! I was bawling as I wrote this! TT.TT
Review, please. Is it really as sad as I though it was?