He turned his face unto the wall. He turned his back upon her,
"Adieu, adieu, to all my friends
And be kind, be kind, to Barbara Allen."
When he was dead and laid in grave
She heard the death bells melling
And every stroke to her did say
Hard hearted Barbara Allen.
As she was wandering by the fields
She heard the death bells melling
And every note did seem to say
Hard hearted Barbara Allen.
The more it tolled the more she grieved
She bursted out a crying,
"Oh pick me up and carry me home
I feel that I am dying."
Oh mother, oh mother go dig my grave
Make it both long and narrow,
Sweet William died of love for me
And I will die of sorrow.
And father, oh father, go dig my grave
Make it both long and narrow,
Sweet William died on yesterday
And I will die tomorrow.
Barbara Allen was buried in the old churchyard
Sweet William was buried beside her,
Out of sweet William's heart, there grew a rose
From Barbara's, a green briar.
They grew and grew in the old churchyard
Till they could grow no higher
At the end they formed, a true lover's knot
And the rose ran round the briar. -Bonnie Barbara Allen
Look, I know we've all heard this type of RyouxBakura fiction before…but I wanted to publish this one. REAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYY badly, so please review!
Bakura had silver. Lots of it. He'd had gold. Plenty of that. And Sapphires, opals you'd trade your firstborn for, Diamonds the size of your fist, Rubies that glistened like an ember of fire dipped in freshly spilt blood in this dark, dark chamber-the chamber that reflected his own twisted soul ever since he'd taken refuge at this house of purity….
With an irritated groan, Bakura leapt up to resume his pacing. He thought he'd go mad before next moon.
So why was it all so worthless to him now? Standing up from the twisted black throne, Bakura stared at the treasure hoard around him with as much enthusiasm as if he were looking at a mountain of charcoaled ash.
He guessed it all led to that one thing-the core of his agitation, confusion, wonder, and….craving for.
He found, over the past three days, he could no longer deny that to himself.
* * * * * * * * *
He supposed it was sort of like this one Japanese melody Ryou's mother used to hum to herself, before she, Natsumi Bakura, and the little girl, Amane….
Both died in the wreck. But the translation was as follows for the last stanza:
More then the redwood dusk that filters through a ruby red pine.
More then any lucky charm that sparkles far away,
I'd rather have one thing all mine
Then Fortune any day.
Huh.
How ironic. Sort of like that one other story-the story that he had found by accident when he was still browsing through Ryou's unconscious mind-the one that made him think of Ryou more then anything else-
The Most Foolish Traveler in the world.
Once upon a time, there had been a wealthy, foolish traveler that had been continuing his journey in a small village.
Why was he foolish, you may ask? Because he had been tricked again and again by people's false, sapped up stories begging for help when all they wanted to do was cheat the poor man.
"I need money for seeds…"
"My sister is sick!"
"Please….some money for food…"
And, of course, the traveler's large heart responded immediately to the false cry, handing over his shoes, every article of his apparel, his money…..
Everything.
And he would always hand the items over, wiping away happy tears.
And he would always say the same thing, over and over again to the gift receivers…
"I wish you happiness."
In time, the traveler had become completely naked (uh…sorry for that word) and decided to travel on in the forest.
But that's when goblins and demons fell upon him, who wanted to eat the traveler's body.
"I need food…"
"My child is dying….."
"I haven't a thing to give as a gift…"
Of course, the traveler had been tricked, and he let the monsters eat a leg, an arm, his torso, his other limbs…
….until all that remained was his head-he'd just given away his eyes-sitting on the forest floor.
As the demon finished munching the traveler's eyes, he turned with a wicked smile of very sharp, cragged teeth.
"Thank you, traveler." He grunted. No one had been able to take away the traveler's ears.
"As return for your…generosity, I leave you this present." And, before leaving the clearing, he dropped a paper that the wind brushed up to the traveler before the demon turned and left.
Reader, do you know what the traveler's note "present" said in Kanji?
FOOL.
But of course, the traveler could not see with his ripped out eyes.
Nevertheless, tears of joy began to flood from his empty eye sockets.
"Arigatou, arigatou!" he kept saying over and over.
"This is the first present anyone has ever given me.
I'm so happy.
I'm so happy.
Arigatou.
Arigatou…."
The traveler was alone in that clearing, still crying joyous tears.
And then……
He died.
Bakura once thought the story was downright hilarious…until he learned that the tale STILL made Ryou cry.
Of course. Sweet, timid, sympathetic, Ryou….
Bakura was more protective then the average yami on this account.
How glad he was that Natsumi was dead-she could no longer make his hikari upset. Of course, NO one could make his little one upset, now….
Natsumi Bakura had been an odd person. If she had still been alive, Bakura probably would've killed her himself.
It was a harsh thing to admit, but he had to; he did not at al relish the idea that someone might've tried to make a place for themselves in Ryou's heart.
Bakura had never had anyone who cared for him before. Now that he did, it was hard not to get greedy and want that one heart to care for him and him alone.
It had to be only fair. If his assumptions were correct-for many, many hours, he had denied this fact before finally accepting it fully-and he did…love the boy, the only thing he had ever had his heart learn to love-love so much that it was not a bad assumption to figure it would stop beating with the intensity of it all-then, well…..
Ryou's heart-innocent, kawaii, Cared for him enough to…..actually…..save the thief king. Bakura shuddered at the thought.
It was because of Ryou-who was dozing in his soul room-that he wasn't being torn to pieces in hell.
Heh.
What an odd, creepy, abnormal thought that he, a thief, was actually going to……
Heaven.
A place DENIED for thieves…except for a good one in the New Testament.
And now, thanks to the sleeping angel next door….
Bakura remembered the incident three days ago. He knew he would remember it to his dying day…..
Being killed by Yugi, the pharaoh, and those sniveling fools. Screaming as the shadows began to tear hungrily at him, piece by little piece…
In a dark, frightening, endless looking hall of terrible beauty and ruin, the Thief King had been thrown to his knees in helpless rage by Osiris's servants of the damned.
He could not break through his chains- it was like struggling against pure iron-and the shadowy darkness encasing his wrists like manacles refused to break, no matter how much he tore at them.
And, like in a courtroom setting, Osiris, great, terrible, centuries old Osiris himself had came out of the enormous doors…
The judge of all human souls.
And, judging by Bakura's life and Osiris's terrifying expression….
Osiris dropped a black stone upon the millennium scales.
CLANG!
Like a 70 carrot diamond, the thing immediately overweighed the small, few good things
He had done in his life.
Tarturus.
He was doomed to the deepest pit of hell.
He'd had a good, well; perhaps not GOOD-but Bakura smirked. Satisfying life, anyway. Took what he wanted, did what he wanted-
"WAIT!"
So overwhelming was the shock of see hearing that voice, Bakura twisted around so fast, eyes enormous, as Ryou Bakura stood before them silent hall, gasping and clutching at the stitch in his chest.
The thief King could only stare.
His….
His earthly hikari…..
….had returned.
He noticed a faint sense of disdain and an uncertain feeling from the wraith guards-of course.
They could not slay the innocent.
Which meant their blades were about as good as feathers against Ryou……
Ryou staggered, and then fell. And Bakura was amazed to see tear streaks running down his face.
"Please…."
Bakura made to rush to Ryou's side, but the shadowy manacle holding his limbs clanked, and he was forced to draw back, though his hand was stretched out imploringly.
Get out of here, you fool!
But Ryou ignored the message he'd received from their mind link.
"Please," he managed to gasp to Osiris, who was standing there still, positively motionless.
"Don't take my Yami.
Take me instead."
Bakura nearly fell to his own knees in pure shock.
…………………….what…………..?
He'd hurt the boy. Countless times. Hurt, possessed, took away his bloody freedom……
This had to be a joke.
Some sick, twisted joke.
Osiris merely gazed at him.
"Young boy," he whispered-his voice sounding like the rush of desert sand-
"I cannot exchange one soul for another. He is doomed to deepest purgatory.
However, if you wish to go with him, add your purity to the scales…then you both shall go to where the scales determine."
Ryou hesitated, and then timidly nodded.
So saying, Osiris put a swirling white stone on the other scale end.
The scales tipped……
The scales wobbled uneasily….
And the purity and darkness
…………………..balanced out.
Bakura couldn't breathe. Osiris sighed.
"Ah…..the eternal balance of the four souls.
If you choose to go with him, youngling," here he was speaking directly to Ryou-"The punishment of his deeds shall encase you both in the soul chambers that you shared in the millennium ring for 100 years.
And then, with Ryou's attuned heart, you two will be sent to heaven."
Heaven?
Heaven?
For a thief? Was he joking?!
THWACK!
And Osiris's staff fell, releasing an explosion of white sparks….relocating them to the chamber of the ring.
And the two remained inside the ring for the past three days since.
Why?
For three days, in this dark, dark room, surrounded by gold and ancient treasure, the burning question had been driving him practically insane as he paced up and down, obsessively wondering, and his thoughts in a confused and agitated frenzy…
Of course, Ryou was far too meek and timid to knock at Bakura's door…and Bakura seriously wanted to think, so they hadn't seen each other….
Still…
He wanted to see Ryou, his angel, his light-the only thing he ever really had worth existing for-
He dashed from the room, dark cloak swinging beside him in his wake.
Ryou lay, quiet still, and calm, breathing in the air…but shivering a bit.
Ah….he was still cold.
Just like in the old days when his love and mercy got the better of him and he would pull Ryou in his own soul chamber while he possessed his body…guarded by the black howling winds that sheltered his sleeping, limp form against any intruder….and after the work was done, Bakura would pull the shivering form to his chest.
Bakura smiled and shook his head as he enfolded Ryou carefully into his arms.
Wow, Ryou was probably down to his birth weight-
And, so thinking, he pulled his hikari into the darkness.
Ah! Ryou stirred, and sleepily half cracked his eyes open.
His first, confused thought that this was most likely a mistake-him, being on an enormous black, towering throne….
….in the arms of his Yami gazing solemnly down at him. Ryou flushed.
"y-yami," he sort of squeaked, pale face color flushing to red. "Um….why…err, well….I…"
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."
*********************************************************************
"Why?" whispered Bakura, gazing at his light still captured safely in his arms intently, Ryou blushing overwhelmingly, extremely aware of the fact that Bakura's arms were wrapped around him like iron bars.
* * *
"Why….did you come back to me? Why did you save me? After…everything I've-"
"I had to."
"You didn't HAVE to. You didn't have to do anything!"
Ryou swallowed and gulped.
"It's just that…I…couldn't….." Ryou looked like he was on the verge of bursting into tears.
"…I couldn't ever just-Bakura….I….didn't want you to……………..to…………………
I…"
Ryou choked off, turning his head shamefacedly down.
Surely Bakura was going to call him weak, pathetic-laugh at him, probably-
But all the thief king did was gently but very firmly take hold of Ryou's face, so that the chocolate eyes met the glinting garnet.
"Ryou…….you saved me.
No one else would have ever, ever done that for me." Ryou let his fingers smooth and brush through Ryou's silver bangs.
I love you, aibou."
Ryou gasped and blushed, eyes filling with tears as he clenched Bakura close, even as he embraced him.
Bakura's lips buried themselves into the hollow of Ryou's neck. Ryou shivered. Bakura couldn't help but smirk.
Ryou was his….his……just his.
The treasure beside the throne could've been dirt, for all Bakura cared.
He'd found the simple little-as if Ryou could be anything but simple-clean, pure, and whole…..the one thing He wanted as all, all his…….
Bakura would toss away everything for the only thing and person he had ever learned to love.
He knew that, now.
Bakura turned his head to plant a very gentle kiss to Ryou's collarbone. Then,
Bakura's lips traced up the cream, silken skin of Ryou's neck and closed his eyes as his hands traveled to Ryou's shoulders and neck. Finally, even though Bakura liked nothing more then the soft, soft skin to brush against his own lips, he could've moaned with satisfaction as he moved his lips to Ryou's full ones.
"My Hikari," breathed Bakura, breaking the kiss…much to Ryou's dissatisfaction. He clenched Ryou so tight it was almost painful.
"My Hikari, my hikari, my hikari."
He pressed a shaking hand behind Ryou's head, and let it bury itself in Ryou's locks.
Ryou….
Bakura finally stood up, Ryou still safely sheltered in Bakura's arms. Even as he stood, it seemed like Ryou was about to be lost in sleepiness again.
"B-b-Bakura…." Yawned Ryou, eyelids flickering. "If…..y-you don't want to carr-"
"Hush, my Hikari."
And Ryou obliged.
He traced little circles on his Ryou's back. How ironic. His angel had been graced in pure white apparel while he'd been cloaked in darkness.
He didn't particularly care, seeing as Ryou was more then beautiful in any form.
"I don't think I especially need heaven, right now, my little Ryou-chan," he whispered, cradling his light more in his arms as he headed to the door.
Being here, enclosed with his Hikari in his arms and the fact that no one could tear him away….
It was more then good enough.
Fin.
Awwww…Kawaii. ^^ Hoped you didn't mind I added a story within a story. The Most Foolish Traveler in the World comes from Fruit's Basket, which, like Yu gi Oh, I do not own. If I did, Yuki would've ended up with Tohru, Yugi with Yami, Ryou with Bakura……and what I would've done to Anzu? Terrible, terrible things…well, all's fair in love and war.
Actually, it never is, but I digress. Please Review! And if anyone nows where I can find BxR or YxY pictures, please let me know