Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! and I don't think I'll come into possession of it any time soon.
Warnings: Yoai - mainly Bakushipping.
Usage of the name "Akefia" for Thief King Bakura.
My characters might be out of character in some parts, while Ryou will be slightly darker than normal. I'll explain that eventually.
I think that's all, so without further delay: on with the show!
~~~Tainting the Innocent~~~
"Why must we hide from him? He's right there!"
"We can't just barge up to him and hope he'll listen to us, I pretty much screwed up that chance ages ago."
"I know that! But still, wouldn't his curiosity at least win us a chance to speak to him?"
"Not if those brats have gotten to him first. They hold quite a sway over him, even if it means he must simply fade into the background when he isn't needed."
"Bu-"
"Hush, he's coming this way."
Today hadn't been going well for Ryou at all. First he'd overslept because his alarm had malfunctioned and then it had started raining while he made his mad dash to school, causing him to slip in one of the newly formed puddles. It had been going okay at lunch until one of the numerous bullies in the school had decided he'd look better with a blue eye, and then Yuugi had invited him to come over to the Game Shop after school so that they could talk.
Usually that would have been a good thing, but the way he'd asked - all fidgety and nervous - and the way the others were staring at him as though the blue eye had turned neon green and started flashing, had made him weary enough to consider just saying no and going home to his empty apartment as per usual.
And now? Well, he could have sworn someone had been staring at him for the past few minutes while he himself had been staring at the school gates, wondering just what he had gotten himself into when he said yes. 'Curse my stupid inability to say "no" to Yuugi!' He sighed and went back to looking for whoever had been staring at him. Finding no-one, he shrugged it off as the usual curiosity about his hair colour and started walking in the direction of the Game Shop, certain that this was not going to be a comfortable visit at all.
"What happened to his face? Why's his eye that swollen?"
"It seems as though while I've been gone for a few months, bullies have plucked up the courage to start hurting him again."
"What do you mean by again?"
"You see how soft he looks?"
"Yeah..."
"It makes him the perfect bully magnet. The damn freaks can't leave him alone. I mean, even you would have considered mugging him if you hadn't known him."
"No I wouldn't have! He's too soft to be a challenging enough target!"
"Yeah, yeah, what ever. I wonder where exactly he's going though - his house is in the opposite direction."
"That and he looks as edgy as a goat about to be slaughtered."
"Those brats!"
"What are you ranting about now?"
"They told him to meet them at the midget's house!"
"Midget?"
"Gah! The Pharaoh's midget! Damn it, I've already told you about him!"
"Oh, right, him. Wait! That's it then!"
"...You lost me."
"They haven't told him yet, that means we still have a chance!"
"Hmm.. good use of logic. But I have a better idea. You saw how nervous he was right? Well, how about we "rescue" our fallen angel when the pack of Pharaoh Worshippers turn against him in the next say, ten minutes?"
"You just want to make a dramatic entrance, don't you?"
"Tell me you don't."
"...Fine. Just so long as we make it clear to him that we are helping him, not harming him."
"He's got you going soft on me already!"
"Shut it."
It was far to soon in Ryou's opinion that the Game Shop came into view. As he walked up to the door, he entertained one last thought of retreat, before squaring his shoulders and pushing it open.
"Welcome to the Game Shop! Oh it's you Ryou! Come on in, Yuugi and the rest are upstairs." "Thank you Mr. Mutou." "Oh Ryou, no need to be formal. I've told you before that all of Yuugi's friends just call me 'Grandpa'".
Ryou simply smiled and nodded as he climbed the stairs to Yuugi's room. 'That's just the problem. I'm not sure that we are still or even ever were friends.' He walked down the hall to a slightly open door where voices could be heard and pushed it open.
"... and with that attack I bring your Life Points down to 0. Wow Joey that was a good game!" "Yeah Yuge, even with you creaming me again. Oh! Hey Ryou! 'Bout time you got here."
Ryou smiled nervously when all heads in the room swung in his direction. "Uh yeah, sorry I took so long; my locker door got stuck again." He looked toward Yuugi who seemed to be staring into space. "Um, Yuugi? What exactly was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Yuugi seemed to snap out of it. "Oh right. Ryou, why don't you sit down?" He pointed to a chair that was leaning against the wall. 'Right, very odd indeed.' He sat down as Yuugi continued talking. "Yami and Atem are on their way up. They just finished helping Grandpa."
"What?" Ryou yelped and leapt up, eyes swinging to the door as Joey and Tristan grabbed a shoulder each and forced him back down. "Guys? What's happening?" His gaze turned to Tea, silently begging her to help him. "Why are you holding me down?" He winced when his voice came out higher than normal.
"Ryou, how did you really get that injury?" A deep, regal voice demanded from the doorway. When he looked, he nearly fainted. Standing there was Atem, his tanned skin contrasting with the white t-shirt he was wearing, and Yami, looking slightly more crazed then when he had been sharing a body with Yuugi. "What do you mean 'how did I get this'? How are you even here? This isn't real, you can't be real!" Ryou's voice had become faint as he started ranting.
"What do you mean they can't be real?" A chorus of confusion and anger greeted his ears. Tea looked confused, Tristan and Joey tightened their grips in anticipation of an attack on their friend…friends, while Yuugi... Yuugi simply looked sad. "If they're here that means... No, he couldn't be back. He simply can't be back!" Ryou was still muttering to himself, too absorbed in his thoughts to notice the slight swirls of purple circling his feet.
Yami studied him intently. "By his reaction I would say that he hasn't seen them yet. However, he is a good actor." Atem then spotted the shadows. "He's lying! He's already with them! How else would there be shadows protecting him?"
At that, the Shadows flared, pushing Joey and Tristan to the ground. Ryou simply sat there, not noticing anything. That was, until deranged laughter started filling the room. His head shot up, chocolate eyes wide.
"Your trust in the innocent is pitiful oh great Pharaoh!" Both Atem and Yami glared at Bakura, who had appeared in a flash of Shadows next to a now restrained Joey and was smirking at them.
"One would think that a brain was a requirement to rule a country." Everyone except the two Pharaohs gasped in surprise when a second form appeared next to the silver haired spirit.
"How are you here?" Tea yelled from her seat on the bed. "Aw come now, the Pharaoh came back in half and you accepted him...them. Why couldn't I come back as well?" "Because a Tomb Robber such as yourself isn't welcome here!" Atem was visibly bristling at the "came back in half" comment, while Yami was looking at Ryou.
To his credit, Ryou had managed not to pass out from shock when the two thieves had appeared - although he still looked ready to bolt at any given second.
"Ba…Bakura? Is that honestly you?" Ryou's attention was focused solely on him as he seemed to forget that he had an audience. Bakura didn't even look at him when he replied. "Yes Ry, it's really me this time." "But how? I felt the link close, disappear even! There was nothing, there still is nothing!" He stepped forward and put his hand out, though what for even he didn't know. "How can I believe you? You've broken your word before. You can't even look at me right now! So please, tell me you're not lying!"
They all watched in amazement as Bakura flinched, yes the mighty Spirit of the Ring flinched, at the usually calm Ryou's words. It shocked them just how much emotion was present, it was far more than what Ryou usually displayed.
The sound of a throat clearing snapped Ryou out of it. He looked around for the source of the noise and seemed even more surprised at who had made it. "If you can't trust him, maybe you'll trust me?"
"And who exactly are you?" 'I feel as though I should know him, no, that I do know him. I've seen him before. Why can't I remember where?' Ryou shook his head and glared at the floor as though it had offended him in some way.
"Heh heh, I should have known your memory of me would be tampered with. Allow me to re-introduce myself then. Akefia, King of Thieves, at your service Little Innocent."
At his words Ryou's head shot up, a light blush dusted across his pale cheeks.
"Don't listen to him Ryou! He's an even greater liar than Bakura and a murderer to boot!" "We can help you Ryou, keep you safe from them!" "Yeah! Remember what he did to you man!" An outburst of protest from Atem, Yami and Tristan caused Ryou to look at them, his head tilted to the side.
"You believe you can keep me from harm? That you can keep me from them? Ha! The only 'harm' he caused me was a broken heart when he started ignoring me in favour of pursuing that thrice-damned puzzle of yours! Then when that blasted game started, he was torn from my mind! Leaving me to wonder for hours about what was happening and if I'd ever see him again!"
"So you have chosen to stand with the thieves then?" Atem's cold voice demanded an answer, even as Ryou's heart begged not to be asked that question. His mind was still spinning from shock, how could he be expected to answer in this state? He shifted his gaze from Atem to Akefia, who looked at him with an unreadable expression. Then - slowly - he looked towards Bakura, who was now staring at him with guilt and hope flooding his eyes. Nodding slightly to him, Ryou looked Atem straight in the eye as he gave his answer.
"There was no choice. Them and me, we share a soul. You of all people should know how powerful it is."
Yami sighed and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Then we have no choice but to banish all three of you. I'm sorry Ryou, but this is the only way to help you now."
Both Yami and Atem started summoning the Shadows in preparation to send the white haired trio the Shadow Realm when Akefia started laughing. Bakura soon joined in as the two of them went to stand next to their angel.
"Do you really think we'd let you harm him?" Akefia's eyes darkened as he too summoned the full power of the Shadows. He seemed to pause before turning to Bakura. "You know you should be the one doing this, right?" "I figured the great Thief King would want to make his own escape, so go ahead and start it. I'll take over later." "You're really annoying, you know that?" "Yep."
Akefia smirked and turned back to the pharaohs. "Goodbye Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dummer. I hope not to see you two soon!" Bakura simply waved to the angry pair before they disappeared in a swirl of purple, leaving a stunned group of friends behind.
Well, that's it for now. Chapter 2 (and the lemon) will be up as soon as I manage to type it out.
~CyberKitKat