11/25/09-Someone found a typo. The existence of said typo annoyed me so much that I had to go and fix it. Sorry for any confusion.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, All Dogs go to Heaven 2 or Your Guardian Angel; they all belong to their respective owners. I own everything in between, including one OC.
Chapter Ten
Bakura turned his head so fast he felt a twinge of pain in his neck. His mouth dropped open as he saw an all too familiar figure racing toward them. Noa too seemed to be shocked, because he allowed Yami to barrel into him, easily knocking the teen to the ground and pinning the hand with the knife to the ground. Bakura felt his hands drop back to his sides as he was released, but was too shocked to move.
Yami looked up from his captive, glancing up to glare at the man who still held the kid in the red jacket. The thug immediately dropped the kid, backing away from the angry red eyes. Jack and the other kid immediately moved to stand by Yami, looking away as he turned the glare on them. The look softened for a moment before the tri-color haired teen turned his attention back to the thugs. "Yugi, get Jack, Jaden and Yusei to safety."
Bakura snapped out of his shocked as he saw Yugi appear, the smaller teen shooing the kids off and retrieving the dropped card and stuffed toy. The tableau held until they were far enough away, then Yami stood up, reaching back down to grab Noa's collar and haul him upright. "What do you think you are doing?"
"Merely making sure that my employer gets the best service he can. I assume that you got the message that he sent to you." Noa winced as he was shaken roughly, head snapping back and forth. Bakura shook his head at the foolhardy words; even he knew not to mess with the Pharaoh when he was in this mood.
Disgusted, Yami threw Noa to the side. The aqua haired teen gingerly rubbed his neck before smirking up at Yami. "Heaven didn't get rid of that temper, Atemu. You'd better be careful about that. They'd never make you a guardian angel with that."
He gasped as Yami gave him a rough kick in the side, quickly backing himself off as he reestablished the hold on his temper. Bakura was almost tempted to go and hold Yami back, but the appearance of the teen was troubling him. Yami was dead, they all knew this. So why was he here?
Noa was looking at something over beyond Yami when Bakura withdrew from his thoughts. The thief knew that the smirk meant nothing good. Yami seemed to reach the same conclusion as Bakura, because they turned around at the same time to look as thugs corralled Yugi and the kids he was guarding.
Yami, Marik and Bakura all lunged into a run, trying to make it to the small group before they were overpowered. Through the ring of thugs, Bakura got glimpses of Yugi as the smaller teen put up a fight, nearly clearing a hole before the thugs overpowered him. The thief stumbled as Yami shoved past him, the vicious motion brought about by the sight of Yugi being slung over the shoulder of a thug.
The thugs were away with their hostages before the three could even reach them, Marik and Bakura stopping to gasp for air as Yami staggered a few more steps before coming to a stop. Bakura looked up, watching the teen tremble with anger as Noa caught up with his gang, giving the three a cheery wave before calling, "Get me that book, Atemu, and I promise no harm will come to them!"
Silence descended over the group, Marik and Bakura edging a bit away from Yami. A single look at the Egyptian assured Bakura that Marik was thinking on the same lines as he was. Why was Yami even here to start with? And how did he get Yugi from Domino without his grandfather?
Their confused musing was shattered, along with the silence, as Malinda and Ryou rushed up, the British teen stopping by Yami's side as Malinda remained a good distance away. The young woman looked very confused, staring at Yami with growing fear. The object of their collective stares didn't seem to notice.
"Ryou, where were you sensing the book?" Yami looked out of the corner of his eye at the white haired teen. Ryou pointed in the direction of the market, taking a few steps in that direction. Yami followed along, stopping to make eye contact with Malinda. "I'll get them back."
"Yami…what…" Bakura noticed the wince that passed over Yami's features and the movement of his hand to the watch that dangled around his neck; the piece nearly identical to the one that hung around Ryou's neck. Instead of trying to reassure the young woman, Yami jogged off, Ryou running a little bit ahead of him.
Bakura stood up straight, expecting to have an explanation demanded of him. Instead, Malinda just shot him a helpless look before walking back to the nervous group of children. The thief envied her for a moment for having something else to worry about instead of trying to sort out the mystery of Yami.
He shot a look at Marik before running to catch up to Yami. The Egyptian caught up with him. "What do we do now?"
"We follow him and figure out what is going on. And then, we demand answers." Bakura gave his curt answer, a glare reinforcing the fact that he didn't want to talk. He turned his gaze back to Yami and Ryou ahead of them, narrowing his eyes at the back of the tri-color haired teen. He wanted Ryou to be safe, outside of all these weird things happening. He thought he had lost him once and he didn't want to lose him again.
Yugi grunted as he was shoved into the dim warehouse, catching himself at the last minute before he fell on the concrete floor. He turned his head to glare at the thugs, reaching out to steady Jaden as the younger boy was tossed after him. Keeping one hand on Jaden's shoulder, Yugi stood up to face the thugs.
His brave face faltered as he found himself facing Noa instead of one of the men who had brought him in. Yugi took a step back, pushing Jaden behind him as the aqua haired teen advanced. For a moment, Yugi was back in the Baroness, waiting for his next round of intimidation.
But Yami was out there. Yugi shook his head, clearing from his mind the clinging memories of the old steamboat. They were gone and buried in the mud of the river. He pulled himself up, imitating Yami's posture. Which Noa laughed over, finally having to stumble over to a few crates to hold himself upright.
"Look boys, this one thinks he's Atemu!" Yugi slumped a bit as he looked around, wincing as the thugs broke into stuttering laughter. He felt Jaden tense up behind him and shot the boy a look that told him to stay back. Another round of laughter drew his attention back to Noa. The aqua haired teen had recovered from his laughter to stroll back over. "Do you think Atemu will come and rescue you?"
"Yes." Yugi flinched back as the laughter started again, his eyes narrowing in anger. He turned around and motioned for Yusei and Jack to follow him. Yugi stopped as Noa pressed a hand into his shoulder, pulling him back for a moment.
"Don't hold Atemu to that, brat. He abandoned you once, and he will again. How long did it take you to forgive him?"
Yugi shrugged off the arm, glaring at Noa and about to respond. The aqua haired teen motioned, cutting off Yugi's retort. The smaller teen spun around at the sound of struggles and curses as four other people were dragged into view. Yugi's eyes widened as he recognized the man who walked at the head of the group, Yami's uncle smirking at him as he stepped to one side.
"Hello, Yugi. It's good to see you again." The man walked over to Yugi, the intense red-tinted stare keeping him in place. The teen shivered as Yami's uncle knelt before him and ran a hand down Yugi's arm, the motion making Yugi gasp and try to run away. The hand clamped down on his arm, pulling him toward the group as he stood up. Shrieks sounded from behind Yugi as thugs picked up the three kids and walked to the group, throwing them in the general direction of the hostages. Atemu's uncle held Yugi back from rushing forward, laughing coldly at the panic that showed in the teen's eyes. "I know that Noa is wrong."
"What?"
"Atemu will come, because we have all that he holds dear. Those orphaned brats, your friends, and most importantly you. The one person that he would give up his life for." Yugi shuddered at the hungry look that the man shot him as he said that last sentence. "You should have heard him begging when he first came to me. Oh how far the mighty Pharaoh had fallen. And all because of one scheme gone wrong."
"What do you mean?" Yugi pulled away from the man's hold, backing into the group of his friends. He wanted to be surrounded by people he could trust, not out in the open with the man who glared at him. He wanted to be able to protect those he loved, just in case Yami was late.
He felt Tèa reach out and brush his hand as Yami's uncle threw back his head and laughed. The man turned to look at Noa. "Dismiss your servants; Atemu comes to claim his friends," Yugi tried to match the glare that was sent his way as the man turned back around, "and his little lover."
"It was here." Yami gave a stiff nod at Ryou's order, already feeling that something was off. Something was here that didn't belong, and all his instincts were telling him to get away from the place. He began pacing the area, one hand holding the watch out of habit. He could still hear the steady tick of the watch as it measured out the seconds of his life, every one spent in frantic planning.
Ryou would kill him if he figured out what Yami was planning. And Yami didn't blame him, because it could get them both sent to hell if the plan went wrong. He was hoping that he could send Ryou away with Marik and Bakura and just try this on his own. It was the only way he could be sure that none of his friends would be penalized for his actions.
He threw a glance over his shoulder as Bakura and Marik came running up to them, stopping where Ryou was standing and fiddling nervously with his watch. Yami turned around to walk backward and meet the accusing glare that Bakura was shooting him. He opened his arms to demand Bakura to speak when his heart stopped for a moment.
The tri-color haired teen gasped and fell to his knees, a hand closing over the watch as the metal burned. Yami fell forward, barely catching himself with one hand as he gasped for air, trembling as none came. He could hear Ryou calling his name in the distance, barely aware of the hand that was resting on his shoulder.
Slowly, he was able to draw air into his lungs, the ticking of the watch slowing down again. Laboriously sitting back up, Yami flipped open the watch, eyes focusing on the flashing center. "What Isis?"
"I tried to contact you earlier! What made you break the connection?"
"We ran into a bit of trouble." Yami stood up, wincing as his muscles protested the move. He waved away Ryou's offer of help and began pacing the area again. He needed to find that book quickly, no matter what. No distractions.
"Atemu…Have you found the book yet?"
"On the trail."
"Just hurry up. There have been signs that…"
"I know that thing is here." Yami snapped at the watch, holding back a curse as he lost the trail, having to backtrack again. "It took over a man who claims to be my uncle. And it took prisoners. I really don't have time for this now."
Isis was silent for a while, the middle of the watch gently pulsing for a moment before the angel sighed. "Alright Atemu."
The glow faded, leaving Yami standing in the middle of a street. He sighed, shutting the watch and dropping it to dangle around his neck and taking a step forward. The feeling disappeared again, leaving him casting around frantically as he tried to find it again. He growled to himself as he stomped back to where he had lost it, glaring at Marik as the Egyptian opened his mouth to speak.
While Marik didn't want to broach the subject, Bakura had no such qualms, the thief crossing his arms and glaring at Yami. "I was right that there was something wrong with you after the incident with the car."
"Not now, Bakura."
"You were dead, Yami. I saw the Baroness go down with my own eyes and you never came out. What do you expect me to do, accept it like nothing happened?"
"You did it the first time!" Yami spun around, backing up until he lost the feeling. "You even accepted Ryou without a question."
"Ryou is different. Ryou is-"
"As dead as I am, Bakura." Yami spat out a curse as the lost the feeling again, pacing around in a circle until he found it again. He glanced up at Bakura, noticing the anger that the other teenager displayed, but decided it was not important at the moment. Saving Yugi and the others was. "Now-"
The air was pushed out of him as Bakura tackled him to the ground. He struggled before the thief forced Yami to look at him. They remained like that, Bakura pinning Yami to the ground as they both panted for air. "We mourned for you. Our lives were shattered when you died, both times! And you could have popped back to life any time you liked! And Yugi…"
Bakura leaned back as Yami winced, the tri-color haired teen knowing that he had given away something by the shocked look in the thief's russet eyes. "Yugi believed that you were still alive. Ryou told me that. And I bet he still doesn't know. I thought you loved him."
Yami snarled and pushed the thief off his chest, clambering to his feet and stumbling away as he glared at Bakura in anger. Marik chose this moment to interject his own thoughts into the conversation. "You mean that little look-alike that answered the door?"
"Yes." Yami spun around to glare at Ryou as he joined in on the conversation, silently begging the British teen to say nothing else. But Ryou shook his head, the even stare he sent Yami enough to make him stumble back a few more steps. Even his best friend was turning on him now. "And even though you know we are going back, you still encourage him. What are you doing to him, Yami?"
"Going back?"
Yami ignored Bakura's surprised mumble, turning to face Ryou. "I told you that it was a bad idea going to Yugi's house in the first place. What did you expect me to do? Just pretend that I didn't spend every second in heaven thinking about him? Leave everything I said to him as a joke? What if we had gone back to our house as I had suggested, could you have just left everything as it was?"
"Yami…"
"No, Ryou. I don't think so. And don't tell me what I'm doing is wrong. I know it's wrong! I know that it could end up breaking him, but I can't help it. I don't want to waste what time I could have had with him because I was afraid of what would happen in the end! I know that it will end up breaking his heart because it's breaking mine!"
Yami turned around, punching the wall of the building he was standing by as he forced himself to stop speaking. It would give away too much, cause his plan to go wrong if he continued. If any of them suspected…
He glanced up as he still felt the sense of something wrong where he stood. His eyes traveled over the building before he took a few steps back, looking up and down the street before rushing to the door of the place. He blinked rapidly to adjust his eyes to the darkness inside the building before he plunged in.
Yami stood just inside the doorway, staring at the wooden floor and the musty red rug that was resting on the floor, half of it dropping into a hole in the flooring. He remembered that hole, and where it led to. He remembered the horrors that were down there. But the feeling was leading him there, which could only mean one thing.
He stepped outside again, leveling a glare at his friends. "I found it."
Ryou was by his side in an instant, the distance that he kept between them saying enough. Ryou was willing to help him for now, because it would get him back to heaven, but he was unwilling to speak again. Yami shrugged as he turned to go back inside, not caring what the other two did.
He carefully made his way over to the carpet, wincing as a loud creak echoed through the condemned theater. He looked back over his shoulder, cursing as he saw Bakura and Marik skirting the weaker boards. "You shouldn't come."
Bakura nimbly leapt the last foot to the carpet, wrapping an arm around Ryou and pulling the British teen back to him. "I'm not letting him out of my sight."
Yami snorted and dismissively waved his hand before walking over to the hole in the floor. He hesitated on the edge for a moment, shivering before taking a deep breath and stepping into the open air. Instinct took over as he tried to balance, but Yami forced himself to fall, tumbling through the air and hitting the water on his back.
His eyes shot open and he whipped the watch from around his neck, keeping a tight hold on the chain as he shot back up to the surface, jumping away as Marik nearly landed on top of him. Yami waited until the blonde Egyptian had popped back up to the surface before calmly putting his watch back on. He glanced behind him at the dangling rug, smirking when he saw Ryou helping up a soaking wet Bakura.
The sound of sloshing water got his attention, the tri-color haired teen turning around to glare into the shadows as someone approached. His eyes narrowed as he began to see the outline of a person, crossing his arms irritably. "You've had it this entire time, haven't you."
The robed man stepped out into the circle of light, giving a quick nod of the head to Yami. "I have been keeping it safe for you, my pharaoh."
Yami rolled his eyes before motioning for the man to lead them on. He paused for a moment before retreating back into the darkness. Yami was about the follow when Ryou grabbed his arm, pulling him back for a second. "Can we trust him?"
He gave a shrug, the motion freeing him from Ryou's hold. Yami took a few steps forward, pausing when he didn't hear the sounds of the others following him. The tri-color haired teen turned around, glaring at the three of them. "You can stay here if you want, but I'm taking this chance. This man has the book and we can get it now. Then you can do what you want, Ryou."
The harsh glare that he sent to Ryou was enough to cause the British teen to quickly move to his side, brown eyes dropping to avoid the angry look that Bakura was giving him. Yami gave the others a quick look before following after the man, feeling like he was chasing a shadow as the man made sure to keep himself ahead of the two teens.
Yami didn't turn around to look as Marik and Bakura joined them, walking faster as Bakura moved to stand beside Ryou. Even now, he could feel their stares on his back, Marik's one of confusion and Bakura's one of anger. But he couldn't bring himself to care. If they weren't willing to accept him, it didn't matter to him. In a few hours, he would be gone again.
His heart clenched at the thought, his hand reaching for the watch around his neck. Yami tried to ignore the pain, just focusing on pushing forward. It was better to just follow his plan and try and forget about everything that was keeping him tied to this place. He closed his eyes for a moment, ready to write Yugi's face out of his memory. It's what he would have to do.
His eyes snapped back open as he ran into the man, glaring at him as the robed man gave a bow. "I'm sorry, my pharaoh."
An arm was raised from the man's side, gesturing to a platform above the water. The stone rose, two steps cut into the grey rock before it flattened out. On the surface, there was a table, a small and crude wooden one, serving only one purpose. From where he was standing, Yami could see some creamy pages and a flash of gold. He shivered as the feeling rolled through him again.
"The book waits for you there."
Yami pushed on, hearing the man stop the three others following him. He shrugged it off. He was alone in this venture anyway. He bounded up the two steps to the platform, reaching the book and staring at it.
It was just as he remembered; a hefty tome with a deep purple cover and gold embroidery on the cloth that made up the cover. He traced over a vine with a careful finger, his eyes avoiding the angels that frolicked on the cover. Impatient, Yami opened the book, his eyes widening as he read over the page in front of him, recognizing it as something from his own life.
He looked up, distracted, as Ryou spoke. "Who are you?"
The man in the robes gave the British teen a sidelong glance. "I am Shadi, the leader of those who guard the treasures of Domino."
"Treasures?"
"Anything and anyone the Pharaoh holds dear." Shadi tilted his head in Yami's direction before continuing. "We are the people who were not welcome in the main city, but found the life on the other side of the river something we were not suited to, so we went underground. We dedicated ourselves to helping the people of this facet of Domino, as the Pharaoh did on the surface. I personally care for that which the Pharaoh holds dear, like Yugi."
Yami almost slammed the book shut on his hand as he heard the name, a cold feeling beginning to form at the pit of his stomach. This had gone too far with these people. First they tested him for the state of his soul and then they watched over Yugi. He looked up abruptly as he felt Shadi staring at him. He shifted uncomfortably as the empty blue eyes stared at him.
"You merely gave us an outlet for our skills, my pharaoh. We existed in this exile long before you came here, but we are loyal to you to the end." Yami nodded faintly, turning his eyes back to the book. He had to keep himself from flinching, one hand moving to turn the page of the book as Shadi spoke again. "And we will do anything you ask, for the good of the people we all hold dear."
Yugi. The name sprang to Yami's mind as he turned the page, looking up to meet Shadi's eyes. He did not doubt the man's words, he was just cautious of the almost fanatical devotion he was receiving from this group. Cautiously, his hand reached for the watch that hung around his neck, noticing that Shadi's eyes followed the movement. Yami looked away, partially embarrassed at being caught in the motion. In doing so, his eyes landed on the page below him, skimming over the words without really reading them for the first moment.
His eyes widened as he began to absorb what the words were saying. He braced his hands on either side of the table, reading quickly over the page before him. His heart started to pound faster as he felt his mouth drop open. This couldn't be right. None of what he was reading could be right. He wouldn't let any of this to be right. He wouldn't let Noa get his slimy hands on his aibou again!
Yami snapped the book shut, snatching it up in one smooth movement. He stormed to the edge of the platform, glaring down at the robed man. Nothing in Shadi's demeanor showed that he had come across what Yami had read, but Yami didn't know how to read the man. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before allowing them to snap back open. "What is the fastest way to the docks from here?"
"I will show you." Yami jumped back into the water, holding the book slightly above his head so the splash wouldn't damage it, but he doubted that water could harm this book. Shadi waited until he was steady on his feet before turning and wading through the water in the opposite direction from where they had come from. Yami tucked the book under his arm, resolutely trudging after the man.
He could feel Ryou's searching eyes on his back, rolling his shoulders forward slightly to prevent the teen from asking any questions. The subtle hint worked because Yami heard Ryou start after him. The British teen probably assumed that Yami wanted to get out of the underground system before contacting Isis. Yami sighed, slumping forward before picking himself back up.
Only Shadi noticed his change in posture, moving from the shadows to cautiously walk beside the teen. Yami shot him an annoyed look before glancing back to the book, his fingers drumming nervously on the cover.
"Whatever you are planning, I am sorry that Ammut will not be able to accompany us." Yami glanced up at Shadi, unsure if the man was joking or not. He looked back down, staring at the water as he bit his lip.
"Were you able to read anything?"
"No." Yami looked back up, staring at the dark water that shifted around them. He shivered, one hand reaching up to hold onto the watch that dangled around his neck.
"No matter what, make sure that Yugi makes it out safely."
"Yes, my pharaoh."
Ryou let them travel in silence for a while, making sure to keep a good distance between the three of them and Yami. He would leave the tri-color haired teen to come to terms with the fact that he would be leaving soon. They had the book after all, it would only be a matter of time before they would go back.
He squeezed the hand that was held in his own, taking a calming breath as Bakura turned his head to look at him. It was now or never. Ryou gave a weak smile and brushed his free hand over Bakura's arm.
"Ryou?"
"I have to go back, Bakura."
"Back…" The thief stared at him with incomprehension before his hand suddenly tightened around Ryou's. The British teen didn't have time to protest the move before Bakura spoke again. "You mean to…you can't… you just got back."
"But I don't belong here." Ryou forced himself to look at the hurt russet eyes. "Bakura, I died. It's not right. And my family is waiting for me up there."
"They would want you be happy." The words were murmured, but Ryou still heard them. He slapped Bakura's arm, the rebuke not being as sharp as he wanted it to be.
"Don't say that. And it's out of their hands."
"Can't you find a way to stay?" It was surprising to hear the pleading note in Bakura's voice, the tone almost undoing Ryou.
"No. I don't know what they would do to me, or Yami." Bakura scoffed at the mention of their friend's name, rolling his eyes. Ryou decided to ignore the disregard to Yami for the moment, allowing the thief to be mad at Yami for lying to them before. He still wasn't sure that he forgave Yami for lying to him, but he agreed that there was no good way to tell them.
He let the conversation drift into silence, only looking back up when the area surrounding them began to lighten up. Ryou blinked against the light, seeing Yami framed in the sunlight as he turned to talk to Shadi before stepping out into the sun. Ryou tugged his hand from Bakura and rushed up to stand beside his friend. He didn't want to be held back when the time came because he wouldn't struggle to be let go.
Ryou stepped out into the sunlight, raising one hand to shield his eyes for a moment before searching for Yami. He found the teen staring at a page in the book before opening his watch to consult the face before muttering a low curse and letting the watch fall back to his chest. He snapped the book shut as Ryou walked up beside him, not bothering to look up at the teen as Ryou offered a wavering smile.
"So, when do we leave?"
"Not now. I have to get Yugi."
Ryou's smile dissolved instantly, one hand reaching out to grab Yami as the teen stepped to the side. He followed Yami, stepping around him to look him in the eyes. He couldn't hold Yami's gaze, the crimson eyes refusing to look at Ryou directly. The British teen lunged for Yami, grabbing hold of his shoulders. "No. We go now."
"Not until we get Yugi." Yami looked up, the anger in his red eyes nearly making Ryou back up. The white haired teen held his ground, fighting the instinct to run as he continued to meet Yami's glare.
"Yami, they won't let any of them go unless you have something to exchange." He looked down as Yami moved his arm a bit, allowing Ryou to get a glimpse of the book that he held there before he shifted it back. The simple motion shocked Ryou, making him rock back onto his heels, shaking his head. "No. Absolutely not."
"We're not going back until they are free."
"And I won't let you do this!" Ryou shoved Yami back, too infuriated to notice that Yami was allowing Ryou to back him into the wall of the nearest building. The British teen slammed his friend back, smiling at the wince that passed over Yami's face before he turned his head aside, letting his blonde bangs cover his eyes. "I want to go back and they won't let me without that book and you!"
"And we will, as soon as we free them."
"And then you'll come up with another excuse to stay!" Ryou fought the urge to throw his hands into the air, knowing that Yami would slip away from him if he was let go of. "No, we are going now. Bakura and Marik can handle this."
"I promised Yugi-"
"I don't care about the brat!" Ryou felt Yami stiffen under his hold, but plunged on anyway, too frustrated to care. "Why don't you want to go back? It's perfect up there and I'm sure your precious angel will arrive eventually. Until then, just wait. No more struggles, no more pain; who wouldn't want that?"
"Not me!"
"Why not then?!" Ryou gave a cold laugh, some distant part of his brain telling him that he sounded like Bakura. "Tell me, Atemu, because I feel that I have a right to know. I thought you would be happy because you could be with your family again, or do you still hate them for abandoning you?"
"They never abandoned me!" Yami turned his head, snapping out the words as he glared at Ryou. "I walked out on them! Did you expect me to stay there and watch them starve knowing that I could make it on my own?! It was for the best for all of us!"
"So? You get the chance to see them all again!"
"No!" Yami snarled, pulling himself up to his full height to meet Ryou's gaze evenly. "Angels don't look too kindly on suicide cases, so my sister is beyond our reach. And my parents don't talk to me. They think that I should have watched her better, and I should have! But there was nothing I could do and now I'm paying for it with every second of my afterlife.
"So, no Ryou, there is no reason for me to go back to that place. There is not a single moment of my afterlife that I have enjoyed since reaching heaven and there will never be a second that I will enjoy until Yugi reaches heaven. And what's to say that he will not have forgotten me by then? Who's to say that the other angels won't tell them about what I've been through, since they obviously don't even trust me with minor tasks? What do I do then, Ryou? What can you do when the pain will never go away because you are already dead?! Do you have a brilliant plan for that?"
Ryou let go of Yami in shock, stumbling back a few steps. He didn't even realize that Bakura had wrapped his arms around his waist, just leaning back into the other teen on instinct. He was too busy staring at Yami as the teen tried to regain control of his breathing after venting his frustrations.
Yami glanced down at the book he held before shaking his head. Ryou cautiously reached out a hand before drawing it back, watching as Yami pressed himself further against the wall to get away from the proposed contact. The British teen lowered his eyes to his feet, still assimilating everything that Yami had said. To have one's parents hate them, and know that they were in heaven with him…it was impossible to fully understand. He would have thought the joy of seeing one of their children again would have overridden that feeling of disappointment, or even given Yami a brief window to explain…
Ryou looked up shyly, shaking his head. "I don't understand. How could they?"
"I was able to do what my sister could not. And I was too preoccupied with myself to save her." Yami slammed a fist into the wall behind him, letting his head fall back to the wall when that didn't seem to ease the tension. "But I didn't even think that I would be saved."
"Yami…your sister…" Ryou snuggled back against Bakura, shivering as the implication finally made sense to him. Of course the angels didn't look kindly on those who took their own life. Wasn't it considered a waste of the gift that life was? So the only other alternative was hell.
Almost afraid to get the answer, Ryou spoke again. "Why don't the other angels trust you?"
The laugh that Yami gave alone was enough to make Ryou want to run away. The British teen flinched back, feeling Bakura's arms tighten around him as Yami took a step forward, one hand cradling the watch around his neck. "That car was supposed to kill me, Ryou. You read what it had done to me. Could you imagine that anyone survived that? Care to elaborate for Bakura and Marik?"
Ryou swallowed harshly, knowing that question was really an order. He turned to look at Bakura, catching a glimpse of Marik out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't used to this side of Yami. Usually he was safely on Yami's side when he vented his temper. But he wasn't as lucky this time. "Broken neck, broken ribs, pierced lung. But…unconscious on impact, so he just drowned."
"Good." Yami chuckled to himself, still holding the watch. "But I wasn't willing to just give up like that. And I came back for all of you, because I wasn't ready to let go. So I stole this watch and restarted my life. I damned myself to hell for you three!"
Ryou gasped and turned to tuck his head against Bakura, not wanting to see Yami anymore. He whimpered when he realized that he could still hear him. "And when the Baroness went down, that's where I went. But, because I begged and pleaded, I was able to see Yugi and you again, Ryou. And that's where heaven decided to interfere. I was allowed back because I died trying to save Yugi. But that wasn't enough for some of the angels.
"Did you ever find it strange that all of them avoided me? Or were you too busy with your little reunion? They can't stand the sight of me because, to them, I deserve to stay in hell. What do you think, Ryou? Do you agree with them?"
"Yami." There was a warning tone in Bakura's voice, the interruption by another person seeming to calm the tri-color haired teen. Ryou finally turned his head to see Yami backing up until he was pressed against the wall again, staring at the watch that was held in his hand. He looked up at Ryou, the abrupt change from fury to sorrow startling the British teen.
"And the sad thing is, I'm ready to do it again, Ryou. I'm always ready to sacrifice my eternal happiness for all of you." The hand tightened around the watch as Yami looked up. Ryou slowly began to work himself from Bakura's embrace as he read Yami's emotions. The teen smiled and shook his head. "Not this time, Ryou. Don't worry, you'll get the book back and I'll return, like they want me to. But just allow me my bit of heaven before I go back to hell."
Before Ryou could protest, Yami was running toward the docks, book still in his hands. Ryou stared after his friend for a moment, his own hand brushing over the watch that hung around his neck. It didn't even take a moment of thought before Ryou was ready to run after him.
He took a single step before he was yanked back, Bakura holding onto his arm. Ryou thought he saw panic in the russet eyes before the thief calmed himself down. "Let him get into trouble this time."
Ryou smiled and allowed himself to be pulled back, brushing a hand over Bakura's shoulder before giving the thief a kiss. "I would, if I didn't understand why he was doing this. But I do."
He pulled away and sprinted after his friend, letting the implied 'And I would too' hang in the air.
Read and review. Criticism, as always, is welcome.