iDisclaimer: I am not owning.
Warnings: Yaoi (male/male relationship), minor cussing, manipulation of a Greek myth, ARTISTIC LICENCE TAKEN!!!!
Pairings: (main) Bakura/Ryou, (minor) Yami/Yugi, Seto/Jou, Mariku/Malik
(PLEASE
READ!!!) A.N: cough Please look at the underlined,
bolded and italic note above. Thank you. Also, from this chapter on I
will be tweaking the story. Not too much, but perhaps enough to annoy
some of you. In my version, Malik (Demeter) will be going down to the
Underworld of retrieve Ryou (Persephone) himself. I am fully aware
that this does not happen in the original, but for those who want
Mariku/Malik then it's a must. Also, it flows with what I want in
the story. Also, I will be referring to Marik as Mariku, just so his
name isn't too close to Malik's. (nods) Now that we're all
clear with that, lets move onto other things. Like how long it's
taken me to get up this chapter. I'M SORRY!!! (begs for
forgiveness) I've had a serious case of writers block for awhile,
haven't been able to write a bloody thing. . But hopefully
things will move a little faster now. Thank you time!
Thank
you to:
Ami-chan
Girl of Grace: First off, I would like to explain that I too am a large fan of Greek mythology. Why would I write this fic if I wasn't! Thank you for pointing out the 'problems' in my story, but I must tell you that I am perfectly aware that my version of the gods is not exactly the same as the Greek ones. This is done on purpose. As I claimed in the last chapter, I'm giving myself artistic license here. But just to clear things up.
Ares:
Though usually seen as a mean character, I just couldn't resist
having Jou play this part. Therefore, I had to change the God of
War's personality to suit.
Zeus: Yes, I am perfectly
aware that Zeus loves Hera. But Anzu also strikes me as the jealous
wife type, and I –really- don't like that pairing. So I made Yugi
Ganymede to keep me and the Yami/Yugi fans happy.
Poseidon:
Yes, I know he wasn't gay. But this is a Yaoi fic, and I'm a
Seto/Jou shipper, so in –my- story he's going to be gay. Savvy?
As for me watching Disney's Hercules, that movie completely gives the wrong impression of Hades. And for the notebook, I never said that Hades was evil I, in fact, said the opposite in the previous chapter.
Anyway, I thank you for the constructive criticism but please don't think, just because I take liberties with my characters, that I don't know what the originals are. But thank you for your review.
Virtual Maiden: (laughs) Yes! Bakura's being polite! I don't know; I –can- see him being the gentleman. Only if he wanted too of course! YAY! Update Renaissance again soon! Keith and Anzu...(shudders) Oh icky.
Sabby-chan Yaoi fan: Oh good! I'm glad my foot notes explained the whole Ryou trying to vomit thing. I was a bit worried people wouldn't get it...
Connor Wolf: Yay! I was trying to make Malik kick arse, he's underappreciated. (pouts) And thank you for the review! You give me happy fuzzles
Molly-chan
the Anime/Game fan: (laughs) Glad you like it! Don't let your
muses kill you too much...O.O
Freai: (is consumed by
the happy warm fuzzles your review gave me) Thank you!
Emman:
The class I'm taking is called "Classical Societies". But I'm
in Australia, so you may not have it wherever in the world you
are... .
Maruken:
I told you who Mariku's playing in the first chapter, so you'll
have to look back there! (evil grin) And yes, I'm keeping him as
that character. Mariku/Ryou? Never read one...'cause I love the
Yami/Hikari pairings too much!
Jay-Chan: Porn? I
never said I'd give you anything of the sort! (hmphs) It's a
PG-13 story, for crying out loud! But if you –really- want porn,
maybe I'll write you some. But only if you ask nicely! (grin) As
for the Mariku/Malik stuff, well you'll just have to see.
Hershey-Kiss: Iee, sorry it confused you! V.V My writing style –is- a little funny in rhythm, that's mostly because I don't type large chunks at a time. But I'm glad you liked it.
HumorNut: Yes, they do contradict one another. I was hoping no-one would notice that . But I'll try to explain. The quickest ways to the Underworld, or Hades, is by dying. I'm assuming that Zeus could also send a person there. Obviously, as a god, Malik can't die, and Yami's refusing to send him there. Therefore, Eleusis would be the longest way. In saying 'hope he doesn't take long', Yami's hoping that the matter will be resolved quickly so the world doesn't perish. Iee, did that help?
Person6: Don't worry! Ryou was only vomiting because he thought the food would keep him there! Poor Ryou-chan's not going bulimic on us, thank Ra...er...Zeus...er...Yami. O.o And there will be more tweaking ahead! But I explained that above. (giggles at the thought of Malik on PMS) It –does- sound like it, doesn't it? As for updates, well, I've been really slow on this one! I claim writers block. V.V
Nuin:
Yea, most of the Gods were siblings. Kinda squeamish about that, but
what can you do? I'm glad you like the choice of characters!
(grumbles about how at least –someone- appreciates her greatness).
Erm, what's Triptolemos? O.o I haven't heard of it!
Dark
Magic 856: Well, it all depends on what-you-think-will-happen,
doesn't it? (smirks) But it won't be exactly the same as the
original, but the general outcome will be the same. And I'm sorry
for the long wait on an update!
The Inspector: Ah!
How'd your graduation go? Good I hope! And yes, Bakura is kinda
then usual to Ryou in this fic. I think I'm writing it that way
'cause I'm sub-consciously sorry for what I'm going to put Ryou
through in my other fic . And, as I said, it's a light
romance! Baku-chan's gotta be nice! Hmm...Marik the guard
dog...well, lemmi tell ya, bowling people over and licking their
faces is pretty close to what Mariku's going to be doing! grin
The Chaotic Ones: Wha! You reviewed me! (happyhappy) As for getting rid of Anzu...well, I'm not sure I can. Her being a god and all. But pairing her with Mai...there's an idea I hadn't considered. Her being screwed by Mai would make her not so angry at Yami screwing Yugi...brilliant plan! smirk
73 reviews! WHOO!!! (cheers) Okay, now that those ridiculously long ANs are over, let's get on with the fic!
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"We can only hope that Malik does not take long..."
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Malik stormed away from Olympus, crops wilting and shrivelling up as he passed. He paid them no heed; what did it matter that mankind suffered? His brother, Ryou, was gone and if he could not take revenge on the man who could have prevented it, then he would punish the mortals. Indirectly it punished Yami too, for who else would burn his offerings at the temples? Certainly not the animals, that was for sure.
His anger hadn't waned in the least by the time the small house he and his brother shared came into view. If anything, it increased tenfold as he walked through the now dead vegetable patches. Had to retrieve Ryou himself, did he? Well, that was fine by him. He was, after all, a god, so travelling the Underworld wouldn't be too difficult. Just tedious, annoying and long. Eleusis wasn't close to their home, by any route, and it would take at least two days to reach Athens alone (1).
Malik halted his internal tirade, taking a moment to think clearly. Journeying to the Underworld was no small task...if he was to take as little time as possible he'd have to plan. Well, plan he would, though as soon as he was done... a small smirk crept onto his features. If Yami thought the crops dying was the only thing Malik had in store for mankind, he couldn't possibly be more wrong. For the time, though, he blonde god put thoughts of revenge aside. Collecting a pack from a back store-room, he began collecting the necessary equipment for his little 'holiday'. After all, it wasn't everyday the god of harvest had a day off.
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Ryou lay on a dark, forest green sofa by the fire pit in 'his' room. He assumed it to be his, temporarily at any rate, as it was the one room in the entire palace he felt unwatched in. A paranoid thought, he knew, but a proven one.
Deimos had brought him breakfast that morning, a meal of fresh-baked bread and cheese that he didn't even touch, along with a message that as a 'guest' of the house he was free to explore as he liked. Ryou had taken full advantage of this offer, and had successfully familiarised himself with the rooms around his before lunch. It was after the midday meal, another plate he didn't touch, that his curiosity got the better of him. He began venturing further from his 'safe haven', cautiously of course, and started to mentally map the floor. The occasional staircase loomed to an upper or lower floor but those were avoided. Naturally, Ryou quickly lost his way in the maze of twisting corridors, only to find Deimos at the end of the next corner. Offering only a smile in reply to Ryou's questioning look, the servant quickly led the way back to familiar territory. This process repeated itself throughout the afternoon. Anytime Ryou found himself lost beyond reason, Deimos would appear to gently guide him back to known ground.
Rolling onto his side, Ryou exhaled deeply.
"Exploring is no fun when you're being watched." He grumbled to himself with a sigh, picking at the sofa's embroidery absently. Despite his grumblings, the fact that he was being watched didn't annoy him that much – afterall, one gets used to such things with a brother like Malik. And it wasn't boredom that plagued him either. The library was open to him, not to mention the rest of the palace was still waiting there to be explored, but he just wasn't up to it. He was homesick, badly, and not afraid to admit it. He missed the open fields and grass, the wind rustling through the trees, little things that many wouldn't notice until they were gone. He would have been satisfied with wandering the Elysian Fields, even if the people –were- dead, but the one time he'd come remotely close the front gates of the palace Deimos had promptly appeared, announcing that lunch was ready. Ryou could have sworn the whole thing was a plan to drive him insane.
Hauling himself from the sofa reluctantly, Ryou once again ventured out into the maze of dark corridors. Instead of blindly choosing a path like before, this time he closed his eyes and listened for the familiar sounds of the outdoors. Hearing the faint call he grinned, trotting off in the correct direction. He was going to get outside, Deimos or no. After all, if they were so good at tracking him down then they could do it just as well outside.
After at least a good fifteen minutes of walking, the albino finally arrived at his destination. A large, ornate, double wooden door that towered at least three times his height stood in front of him, blocking his way to freedom. He knew it was the front door, it had to be. The wind, the sun, even the grass called out to him from behind that door. Giving the handle a tug, he frowned when the door didn't budge. He jerked the handle again, a sense of urgency seeping into him. There was no way he was going to allow himself to be foiled now, not when he was so close. Apparently, though, the door had other plans and refused to budge no matter how hard Ryou pushed, pulled or kicked.
Almost screaming in frustration the young god leant heavily against the door, sinking down to the floor in both anger and bitter disappointment. A quite sob escaped him and he drew his knees up to his chin. All he wanted was to go outside, was that too much to ask? He didn't notice the other presence in the room until a warm hand brushed against the top of his head. Startled, he jerked his up to stare into the murky brown eyes of his 'host'. As his face hand tilted up, the grey-haired god's hand had not moved, and now gently rested against Ryou's cheek. Bakura seemed not to mind the change in the least and allowed his thumb to run indulgently against the smooth, tear-stained flesh of the younger man's face. He was the pleased when the slight gesture of affection caused a soft flush to creep onto the other god's features.
"Why the tears?' he asked, purposely keeping his tone soft though, un-intentionally, pressing his hand most harshly into Ryou's check. He continued to speak, unaware of the anger seeping into his voice. "I've given you everything you could possibly need, so why do you cry?" (2)
Ryou squeaked softly as the Lord of the Underworld's voice rose, and he scuffled backwards until his retreat was halted by an inappropriately placed wall. Realizing his mistake, Bakura mumbled a curse before cautiously approaching the frightened boy.
"It's okay. I won't hurt you" (3) Seeing the younger man take refuge behind his snowy bangs, Bakura squatted in front of him and gently brushed the curtain of hair to the side. Ryou's eyes were dark and full of fear, so Bakura rested brought their foreheads together for a brief moment before standing, bringing his captive with him.
"Come." He commanded, grasping the albino's slim wrist and leading him through the maze of corridors and rooms that made up the Underworld palace. After travelling a few minutes, he brought them to a halt outside a plain, wooden door. Momentarily letting go of his grip on Ryou's wrist, Bakura pulled a small key from a pouch at his waist. The key slid easily into the lock and, drawing the albino boy in front of him, Bakura gently pushed the astonished Ryou into the room beyond.
At Bakura's insistent nudging, Ryou walked cautiously into the room only to almost have his eyes pop out of his head in disbelief. In front and around him was the most exotic garden the white-haired boy had ever laid eyes on. Leaving Bakura at the room, Ryou walked slowly into the miniature paradise, all the while savouring the warm sunlight that streamed through the open roof-top.
The garden itself had to be at least twice the size of his home back on earth and between the high, sandy colored walls, the room was crammed full of hundreds of different plants, many of which Ryou didn't recognise. Of those he did – Ryou almost squealed in glee as he ran over to a small pomegranate tree and, giggling, plucked a ripe fruit from it's perch. Just as he was about to break the fruit apart to get to the sweet nectar sacs inside he halted, looking at the fruit almost wistfully before throwing it to Bakura. Seeing his companion's confusion, he smiled.
"It's ripe." He explained. Bakura just shook his head, smirking.
"The always are." He cracked open the fruit and began munching on the sacs inside, ambling over to the younger man who was examining an unfamiliar flower.
"Don't touch that!"
Ryou squeaked, drawing his finger away quickly as the 'flower's' jaws snapped shut. The albino simply stared at it in shock, which caused Bakura to snigger before explaining.
"I have no idea what it's called, though I do know that's it's a carnivorous plant. From overseas someplace, I forget where."
Ryou just rolled his eyes, not surprised that Bakura would own such a plant, before flashing the other god a smile and skipping off to examine a strange, prickly bush (4). Bakura just smiled after him, shaking his head a little. Ryou was acting like a young boy let loose in the training area for the first time, but the lord of the Underworld much preferred a happy Ryou to a depressed one. Watching the boy flop down on the grass, soaking up the sunshine, Bakura made a mental note to show his guest the way here, and have another key made. This firmly in mind, he made his way over to his guest, taking a seat next to the younger god.
"I take it my little garden has your approval, then?"
Ryou
looked up at him from his position on his back, his eyes sparkling.
"It's wonderful!" he exclaimed, beaming, before
re-shutting his eyes. "I've never seen such a wide variety of
plants."
Bakura smiled but didn't answer the boy, instead taking the opportunity to study him, un-noticed, from a close distance. The albino almost looked good enough to eat, lying prone against a soft background of
lush, green grass, though the older man was pretty sure Ryou wouldn't appreciate being pounced on. Besides, making too forward a move now would break the fragile bond that had begun to form over the last hour or so, something which Bakura, even with his lack of patience, wasn't willing to do. As Ryou began to doze lightly, the Lord of the Underworld looked over his garden, quietly brooding before coming to a decision.
"You know," he began, making sure his companion was awake before continuing. "Most of these plants are still potted, and I certainly don't have the time to garden anymore." He paused, the tiniest hint of a flush creeping over the bridge of his nose as he felt Ryou's gaze on him. He cleared his throat, feeling slightly flustered.
"What I'm trying to say is...I'm giving this garden to you." He finally said, turning away from the younger god to hide his embarrassment over his lack of eloquence. His internal reprimand was cut short as he felt a slim pair of arms work their way around his middle. He stiffened, instinctively, only to have his action met by a boyish giggle.
"Thank you." Came Ryou's voice as the younger god broke the one-sided embrace, a sly smile forming on his lips.
"Though," he continued. "Unless I'm quite mistaken, I think you're trying to court me."
Bakura was about to splutter out a fierce denial but stopped himself, smirking instead. Why bother denying it? He was, after all, after Ryou's heart and denying what he wanted just wasn't his style. Instead, he gave in to his earlier temptation, pouncing on the younger god – who squawked in surprise at the action – and pinning his arms flat out on either side of him. He grinned wolfishly down at the shocked youth.
"And what if I am?" he asked, teasingly. "You're in no position to do anything about it."
Ryou, who had recovered from shock, raised an eyebrow at the other god. "I can always ignore you."
"Well, we can't have that now." Bakura replied, feigning hurt.
"But," he continued. "I'd like to see you ignore this!" With that said he promptly began mercilessly tickling the boy, chuckling when his captive squealed in delight. Maybe his earlier thoughts had been wrong.
From Ryou's reactions, he can't have been too bad at this courting business after all.
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Standing at the entrance of the cave, Malik couldn't help but shiver a little. It would be the first and, he hoped, only trip to the Underworld. Beneath the ground. The very thought made him a little queasy. He was a god of harvest, plants, trees... beneath the ground was a completely strange concept to him. He sighed, pushing back his wide-brimmed travelling hat (which was two sizes too large) before turning back to the green world he knew, his eyes narrowed.
As he'd left Olympus, he'd vowed to make mankind suffer for Yami's mistake and, never one to break his word, he allowed himself a vicious grin before he closed his eyes in concentration. Almost immediately, the previously warm weather took on a chilly feel, flowers quickly dying under a thin sheet of frost that began covering the land. Re-opening his eyes, Malik smirked at his achievement.
"Well, Yami," he murmured, shifting his pack to a more comfortable position on his back. "Let's see how your precious mankind handles winter." (5)
This said, he turned his back on the frosty world he was leaving, lighting a small lantern he'd brought before carefully making his way down through the cave. As the blonde god's attention was completely on where he was going, and not tripping over in the dark, he was completely unaware of the crimson-stained, purple eyes that followed his every move down into the darkness.
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(1) Eleusis is about a days travel by foot from Athens.
(2) Okay, you've gotta agree with me. Bakura was getting a little –too- OOC. He's been nice (as nice as he usually is) to Ryou, yet Ryou's still upset. So how's he going to react? Had to let that tell tale temper of his in there somewhere!(3) Damnable cliché line! (strangles self)
(4) A.k.a. a cactus.
(5) Please note, that before this story there were no seasons, according to the myths. The whole story of Persephone is to explain the change of seasons, so I had to add this in. So Winter, and snow, will be a completely new concept to the people in this story.
A.N: BUMBUM!!! Guess who's stalking Malik! (grin) Okay, I think this chapter's the longest yet, so does that make up for how long I've made you all wait? Yes? Oh good. (sighs) Was worried I was going to be lynch mobbed or something . Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it and that it was fluffy enough for you all, without being too...well...overly fluffy. I know what I mean, I –really- do. And I'm sorry if it doesn't quite flow. I wrote it in separate parts then joined it together...so I hope it's alright!
Osiris-Lee
