Love me so Tender
Domino City Arc
A Chiba . kun and starrrrii story!
Reviews make us as happy as kids with bendy straws. More Reviews = Faster Updates. Yes, that's the writers write. :3
Chapter 10 is finally up! PLEASE ENJOY!
Again, Love me so Tender is just the product of the evil minds of bored girls and although both authors want to own the rights to YGO, they do not have the capacity for such feat... Yet. So now, sit back, relax and enjoy the output of our boredom. :)
Chapter Warning: Character Death if you can Call it that.
Chapter 11: Pharaoh's Suspicions.
Halfway through the walk home, it started to rain. It was such a pain to go home through this route- choosing the path that would not result to an unwanted meeting with the pharaoh and his partner. Ryou leaned his head against Bakura's shoulder for a good few seconds, squeezing his hand a little before realizing that they were already near the house. He blinked once or twice to get the rain out of his eyes when he saw that his Mail box was recently opened. He opened the said mailbox and realized one small letter inside with the word "CONFIDENTIAL" in big red letters. Ryou looked at the envelope and upon further inspection; he realized that it came from the Kaiba Corporation. "Holy," he started before showing the said mail to the thief king. He groaned lightly before pulling on the thief king's hand and trudging towards his house.
The envelope bothered Bakura. He had almost completely forgotten about Seto Kaiba, mostly because he thought he had made sure that those guards had done something to make it seem, somehow, like they had been the ones to steal the Millennium Rod. But maybe that wasn't the case? Although as soon as he found out what the letter said, the thief felt himself relax a little bit. That wasn't a problem at all! It would be easy to explain: Ryou just had to tell the truth and explain that it had been his father that requested the transfer of jobs.
Ryou walked towards his couch, taking his pants and shirt off for he did not want to drench the couch more than he has already. He shuddered lightly, wondering as to why it felt so cold inside the house. Maybe it was because of the rain or maybe it was because he was drenched in rain; but Ryou was not really that sure. The white-haired boy looked up at his thief king before opening it. The contents of the letter were simple- he was just being called by Seto Kaiba himself to explain his immediate resignation after the whole incident in the Kaiba Corporation. The letter also stated that the management wanted to know if Ryou noticed anything suspicious with what happened in the building before he left. Apparently, two guards were found dead in one of the rooms and it is assumed that they killed each other.
"What if he learns that..." he murmured before sighing. He knew that there was no use thinking about this. Bakura would eventually bail him out if he was in any real danger, right? Ryou groaned a little before pulling the thief king on top of him before pouting a little. "How can you love someone like me, Yami-sama? How can you," he stopped himself by pressing his own lips against Bakura's. Everything felt so right when he kissed the said thief king like this. It felt as if everything was slowly falling into place and strangely enough, all of his insecurities left the moment he felt the other's body against his own. "Koi," he whispered lightly, licking the other's lips, not caring if Bakura would have his head over this term of endearment. Maybe his heart was right. Ryou did not care about everything else, save for the white-haired thief on top of him. He should start trusting Bakura more and if he were to be thrown away- he should just tell himself that at least he was of some use... Right?
"Don't worry," he said sternly, though his face was gentle. He even moved to touch Ryou's face again, just as gently as before, as a way of reassuring him. "He won't find out. He won't find anything out. Trust me." Even if things got bad, he would make sure that Ryou was okay. The thief wouldn't allow any harm to come to his Hikari, even if it meant killing anyone that even threatened him. It wasn't the most effective way to ensure Ryou's safety, however, and he would rather avoid something that might be taken poorly, but if he had to, then Bakura would not hesitate to do anything.
He kissed the boy again, trying to give him an answer without speaking for the time being. He was trying to come up with one himself, but in the end he just pulled away and whispered, "I don't know. It's weird, but I... I just do. I can't explain it." And that was the entire truth of the matter, as much as he hated to admit it. Bakura would much rather have understood his emotions running about like this, but he didn't and there was nothing he could do to change that fact.
Before he could add anything else on, however, he remembered what they had been saying before about Kaiba and how Ryou had switched jobs right away because of his father's request. The thief almost laughed as he moved one hand to grip his Hikari's shoulder, trying to get his attention. "What about your father?" He asked. Bakura was assuming that he would be staying with Ryou for a while, and if the man appeared one day... "I don't think daddy would appreciate the fact that his son and a look-a-like are staying together and going at it like rabbits whenever they get the chance."
Despite Ryou's father not being around all that much, the man was very perceptive when it came to his son. He knew when something was wrong, when the Spirit had been particularly nasty to him or had driven him too hard, though Bakura doubted the man actually knew what had been plaguing his son. But without a doubt he would notice the love bites he had left and the change in his son's mannerisms if he even bothered to show up one day.
And there was always the matter of concealing himself; it wasn't as if he wasn't familiar with the man, but he didn't want Ryou's father to know that he existed. It had been much more convenient to hide from him all those years.
Ryou looked up at his dark side, finding this new softness inside him. It seemed as if the spirit was slowly accepting their arrangement- as if he was already truly falling in love with him. His eyes softened a little, sighing. It was next to impossible to have someone appreciate him- let alone love him for who he is, right? Maybe it was his innate insecurity or maybe it was because of his scarred childhood; but needless to say he was having a hard time accepting this arrangement. In truth, he really loved Bakura with everything in him but it escapes him as to why it's so hard to believe that the feeling is actually mutual. He tugged on the thief's shirt, pulling him closer. He loved the sudden rush whenever their lips would meet like this. If only he could stay in this position forever. Suddenly, Bakura started to talk about his father. He had not thought about that yet but he knew that the issue would come sooner or later.
The boy then sighed, wriggling beneath him before sitting up. "I don't think my father's coming home until next month- or even three months. He's rarely home, after all," he whispered, fiddling with his fingers. He had not been thinking at all for the past few days regarding things like these. He did not exactly care as to how everyone would perceive him as after seeing that he was in a relationship with someone- with someone of the same gender and a thief nonetheless. Ryou looked up at the thief, noticing that he was just waiting for the boy to speak up. "If ever he comes home- I can stay at your house. I can say that I need to go on a trip or something. I-I don't know. I just can't stay away from you but I can't risk showing you to my father. To keep your presence a secret is my utmost priority- until we get the pharaoh's puzzle," the boy bit his lip again, something he did when he was feeling nervous or unsure.
The boy sighed lightly before pulling the thief close, nuzzling him a little, "I don't want to lose you. Face it, you're stuck with me."
Ryou groaned a little the moment he realized that it was already morning. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he sat up and realized that he was still on the couch- well on top of Bakura that is. Their clothes were scattered on the floor, Bakura's coat the only thing covering them at that point in time. He looked at the thief king blushing deeply as he caressed the other's cheek. For the past few days that they were together, Ryou loved waking up next to him like this. It just felt good and nice and fuzzy inside. He pressed his lips against the thief king's for a brief moment before sighing. He had to meet up with Yuugi at lunch and Kaiba at night. Today was going to be a tough day. "Wake up, Yami-sama," he whispered, planting soft kisses on his neck in order to wake him up. He sighed lightly before rolling off of him and landed on the floor with a soft thud.
"Well, now I'm awake," he muttered, groaning as he sat up. Grabbing a discarded shirt on the floor, he stood up as he brushed the dirt off of him. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was wearing Bakura's shirt. Finding it rather troublesome to change shirts, he made his way towards the bathroom. "I'm just going to take a bath, My Tozokuoh," he whispered, making sure that the last part was just above a murmur. He did not want to push Bakura away with all the romantic terms and all that jazz. After a few moments, he left the bathroom, still wearing the shirt. 'I can't believe I actually forgot my towel upstairs. I'm sorry for getting your shirt wet, Bakura-sama,' he said through the link, wondering if Bakura was up already. He took a glance at the living room before dashing up towards his room to change. He had to hurry though. After all, he was going to meet up with the pharaoh today.
Bakura grumbled a little bit when he was woken up. He didn't bother opening his eyes, but turned over despite the movement that he could feel. He took in a deep breath, almost yawning, and decided to just lie there for a few minutes as he woke up... or went back to sleep. It turned out to be the former, though, because he just didn't stay down.
While Ryou went and showered or whatever he wanted to do, the thief decided to clean up and got himself dressed. Of course, his shirt was missing, so he just forgot about that part for now. It wasn't really as if Ryou were going to object to him walking around without a shirt on, was it? He chuckled quietly at the thought of that, though he wasn't quite sure why it was funny.
Behind him, he heard movement, then Ryou's voice. I don't care if it's wet, he replied. I'm going to need a change of clothes soon, anyway. He decided to follow his Hikari up to his room, making no attempt to be sneaky about it. What was the point? And besides, by the time he looked inside, Ryou was already dressed. Bakura mock-pouted and slid over to him, wrapping his arms around the boy's waist and kissing the back of his neck gently. He smelled nice... clean. The thief closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of this. It was relaxing, and he was still a little groggy anyway.
"Why are you in such a rush, Yadonushi?" He asked sweetly. Of course, it was a fake sweet voice, but all the same, he was making an attempt to be playful. "Do you have plans or something? Or do you just want to get away from me?"
By now, Bakura was practically purring. He had moved his hand to snake its way under Ryou's shirt and rub his stomach. Teasing as usual. He wanted to spend as much time with Ryou as he could, because he had to face it, there wasn't much else for him to do. He could think of a way to take the Puzzle or the Key... but Ryou wanted to take the Millennium Puzzle and they had no idea where or when they would see Shadii again. But that probably wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway.
Ryou turned a little the moment he heard the sound coming from the thief king. He scratched the back of his head, nodding a little to show that he acknowledged his presence. He could not help but smile a little the moment he felt Bakura's hands wrapped around his waist. Part of him knew that he was just faking this whole sweet attitude but the thing was, Ryou did not care. He loved it when Bakura was tender outside of bed. But in bed, that was a totally different question. He let out a soft moan the moment he felt the other's hands on his stomach. It was different kind of feeling everytime Bakura touched him but nonetheless, he loved being this close to his Yami. He reluctantly left the other's hold, shaking his head, "I'm sorry, Kura but I have to go. I'm meeting up with the pharaoh today. I wonder what it's for though."
The thief removed one hand to take something out of his pocket and slip it into Ryou's. "The Millennium Eye," he explained. "Use it today as much as possible. Nobody's there to stop you from using it today." Unseen by his Hikari, Bakura's expression grew into a dark grin. No, Marik couldn't stop him today... or ever, really. He wondered what had happened to him and his sister - had someone found them, or had Ishizu woken up and carried her brother home? Perhaps he would be able to find out through Ryou later on.
"I'll check up on Marik and Ishizu today. Though I'd much rather prefer it if they were killed by some drunkards there," he whispered before pressing his lips against the thief's before getting the item from his hand. In truth, Ryou did not want to use the Millennium Eye on anyone. It felt too intruding the moment he used it. With the help of the item, whatever they were thinking became clear to Ryou- too clear and it was hard to resist the temptation of overstepping boundaries. Ryou sighed lightly, "I'm sorry to say this Yami but I think the pharaoh is a little suspicious of what's happening." The boy was laughing a little when he realized that he was actually wearing a turtle neck that day. He wanted to avoid as much questions about the bites and bruises on his neck. After all, they did increase in volume the night before.
Ryou took one last look at Bakura, smirking lightly, "You should seriously put on a shirt, Yami-sama. I might not be able to stop myself from having you if you do not," he commented before rushing outside the house. His face was flushed even more at every step he took away from the house. It was weird- as if his confidence level decreases the moment he leaves Bakura's side. At this point in time, he was even redder in comparison to a tomato. It was as if it just sunk in that they were truly going at it like rabbits.
Bakura smirked as Ryou spoke, and it remained even after he left the house. If that was the case, then maybe he shouldn't put a shirt on today at all. But then again, it was kind of cold today, so he decided against that immediately. He frowned, though, thinking about what the boy said about the Pharaoh being suspicious. That had been the reason he'd given his Hikari the Millennium Eye - so he would be able to know exactly how suspicious they were or how much they knew. But he had a feeling it might not end up being used. Hopefully Ryou had enough common sense to know when to use it and when not to.
He shook his head lightly as he entered a small cafe, noticing a familiar person inside. He slipped in his seat as he looked up, realizing that his friend was there. Ryou held on the item and for one split second, he could have sworn he saw the image of the pharaoh beside Yuugi when he did. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
By the time Ryou got to his destination, Yuugi and his other self were already there waiting for him. They had been conversing with each other through their mind link, discussing what they were going to say or what suspicions they had. Plus they had heard things from Kaiba about how Ryou had just suddenly resigned at the worst possible time, but since the CEO of Kaiba Corp hadn't exactly been generous with details, they didn't see how that was a problem. He had only just quit because his father got him a job at the museum, right?
I don't know, Other Me, Yuugi told the Pharaoh. He usually wasn't afraid to speak his mind, quite literally, to his other self, but today he was just overall unsure of himself. It was because of how worried he was that they could get into an argument with Ryou, or if something bad was happening to their friend. One never really knew with him, because even when the Spirit of the Ring had been gone for sure, the other boy had never really opened up to them. He was probably just shy and reserved by nature, but... still, if they were friends, they had to be able to trust each other, right? It was all so confusing!
It actually took a while for Yuugi to realize that his friend had arrived. "Oh! Hi, Bakura-kun!" He said cheerfully. Normally it would be just fine and good, but somehow his chipper tone sounded forced today. Probably because of what they were there to talk about. He looked down at his hands, shaking his head a little bit for a split second then looking back up into his friend's eyes with what could have been regret. "I... I don't know, Bakura-kun. I'm sorry. But are you okay? You've been acting kind of strangely lately, and I'm kind of worried about you... we all are. We just want to help," he finished lamely. But he spoke the truth, of course. He really did want to help Ryou and would do whatever he could to. He doubted it would be that easy, though - nothing ever was, and if the thief king really had returned, then that would just make things even more difficult than usual.
Ryou fidgeted in his seat a little as he looked up at Yuugi. "Strange? I don't think I've been acting strange. Just a little tired, is all," he muttered, stretching a little. Technically, Ryou was not telling a lie for he has been very tired due to their late night activities. From the corner of his eye, he could not help but notice that the Millennium Puzzle glow for a split second. He froze, knowing the meaning as to why the Millennium Puzzle would glow that way. There was only one reasonable explanation. He touched the Millennium Eye in his pocket, noticing that he can no longer read the person's mind. He could not help but give the pharaoh a smug look, remembering the back story quite well. In truth, he was thanking the pharaoh a little. Because of what he did, he was able to meet Bakura in the first place. That's a good thing, right?
Ryou relaxed a little, looking up at him with his doe eyes and his lips turning into an obvious pout. Yami could not help but feel bewildered with this boy. There were signs that said that the thief was back but just looking at this innocent boy like this, it was pushing the pharaoh to believe him. Yami shook his head in thought as he stared down at the white-haired boy, causing him to flinch a little. "Is there something wrong, Yuugi-kun?" he said in that sweet voice of his. Yami wanted to tear this boy apart and yet there was something telling him that it was not the Spirit of the Ring controlling him this time.
It felt as if it was the real Bakura but then again, he has been fooled before right? So what makes this boy different from when the Evil Spirit controlled him back then? Yami was quite unsure but he needed to keep everyone safe.
"You look jumpy, Bakura."
"I assure you that I'm alright."
"Is that so? Then why are you still wearing the Millennium Ring?"
"I already told you. It's a present from my father and I wish to keep it close to me."
"Right, it's not like there's an Evil Spirit inside the Ring, right?"
Ryou shot his head up as he looked at Yami. It was as if the pharaoh was so determined to get him to admit that Bakura was back. He gulped a little looking at the pharaoh straight in the eyes, "What do you mean Evil Spirit?" 'Oh, he's good,' Yami thought as he stared back, noticing the fact that the boy hesitated to answer for even just a split second. 'But not good enough, tomb robber.' The pharaoh looked at him before putting a somewhat obnoxious smirk on his face. "There's a spirit that resides in the Millennium Ring. A spirit of a tomb robber that wants to destroy the world and at the same time, it is a spirit that has been controlling you for years already."
What happened next truly shocked Ryou. The pharaoh was actually talking about the tomb robber in such a casual way- as if he had already expected that Ryou understood what was happening around them. He was somewhat scared, wondering if he should admit to the existence of the said thief king. He sighed lightly. No, he was not willing to jeopardize Bakura's safety. "Oh Yuugi-kun. You have been listening to too much of your grandpa's stories. Do you honestly believe that there are spirits residing in these little trinkets? I highly doubt it," he said, trying his hardest not to arouse suspicion from the boy in front of him. Unfortunately for Ryou, Yami was listening very intently to the words he had to say. "These trinkets? So you mean to tell me that you know about the others as well?"
Yuugi was watching everything that was going on from the safety of inside his own mind. He didn't want to get involved again, really, not when his other self was being so... intruding. He still trusted his friend, but the way he was responding, seeming to panic just that little bit... it sort of alarmed him. Maybe they were right and the Spirit of the Ring was back... but that wasn't possible, was it?
I don't know, he admitted to his Yami. I think something is definitely up... but I don't think we can jump to conclusions yet. It's not weird for him to know about at least some other Millennium Items, since we have one too... and even if he doesn't know what they really are, though I think he does, ours look similar enough for him to just put them together. There was enough doubt in his mind now to not fully trust Bakura, but that didn't mean Yuugi didn't want to stop altogether. But there was just too much suspicion about to cast it off as just a stupid theory...
Ryou gulped a little when he heard that before tilting his head to the side. "Well, my father always goes to expeditions in Egypt so he was bound to tell me about these items, right? Yuugi-kun, why must you press me about these things? Don't you... trust me?" he said, his voice giving off an impression as if he was about to cry. Yami rolled his eyes before returning to his Soul Room. Ryou was being a little too stubborn for his taste and since the direct approach would not work on him, maybe Yuugi will get information from him better than the pharaoh. Yami looked at him for a split second before contacting his partner. 'I still don't trust him, Aibou,' the pharaoh said through the link regarding the now sobbing boy in front of them.
When he was thrust back into control of his own body, it was kind of unexpected. And, of course, he panicked at the thought of comforting a sobbing Ryou, even if it may have been fake. He reached out and held his shoulders, eyes wide and unsure. "Whoa, whoa! C-calm down, Bakura-kun! I didn't mean to offend you!" On the inside, he was half-scolding his other self for being too intrusive. "Of course I trust you. I'm just worried! And before, you..." he trailed off. Uh-oh. They weren't supposed to say that, were they? What if he remembered how he had been controlled and did something drastic, like retreat from them even further?
But maybe that could be a good thing, if he knew. He would want to get rid of the Spirit again, right? And then they wouldn't have to worry. He explained that to his partner. Do you think we should tell him about the other Bakura?
At the moment, said thief was getting a little agitated. He had just been thinking things over, and every time his thoughts went to something else, they would always wander back to his Hikari. How was he? Was he telling them anything? Or had he convinced them that he was okay? He doubted the Pharaoh would be so easily fooled, but there was always a chance that his soft Other Self would be able to persuade him... Damned Pharaoh has gotten soft because of that one, he thought. But that just makes things easier for me. Opens him to weakness... one that he never had before. Even the Priest and the Magician couldn't measure up to his precious Hikari.
Ryou could not help but somewhat snicker at the back of his mind. For all this was worth, he was happy that Yuugi's suspicions were almost immediately cast aside the moment he started crying. It was hard to induce the tears but he knew that it was well worth it. The boy looked up at him before looking away. "Yuugi-kun, what exactly have I done for you to be this suspicious of me? All I've done is wear this trinket around and you start confronting me about things I do not even understand," he whispered, sighing lightly. Technically, what Ryou said was true. He was not really doing anything if one would momentarily forget about the Spirit of the Ring. For a second there, the boy actually felt a little bit hurt.
Ryou bit his lower lip before fixating his gaze at the boy in front of him. "If it's really that important to you, I'd stop wearing the ring, alright? I'd rather not have us fighting each other."With that statement, he opened up the mind link between him and the said thief king. 'Hold onto the Millennium Ring for now, Kura. I think that the pharaoh's really questioning your existence. Our mind link would be severed though but it's but a small price to pay, right?' he asked, his voice trailing off a little. As much as possible, he'd rather not hurt the only thing that would connect the two of them while they were apart but the circumstances pushed them to do such a drastic move, if one would consider it as such. Ryou tilted his head to the side before smiling at him, "Friends?"
Suddenly, two beeps could be heard inside the cafe- both coming from the phones of the boys in the same table. Ryou got his phone, wondering as to when he grabbed the device in the first place but he was thankful that he had the item at hand. He blinked at the message coming from Jounouchi, wondering as to what it was the got their friend so excited that he actually TEXTED them about it.
From: Jounouchi Katsuya
Subject: WOAHHHHHH!
Guys! Did you hear? The police found Marik's body and his sister's body at one of the side streets of the city. It's really scary isn't it? We should totally meet up and visit him at the hospital!
I heard that he's currently in a coma.
Yuugi really wanted to tell his friend that he didn't need to remove the Ring or stop wearing it, since he really did seem to like the Item even if he didn't know what it really was. It was important to him - a gift from his father. But it was dangerous, especially if their suspicions were confirmed. He sighed and smiled sadly, hoping to dispel any worries his friend had. "You haven't done anything, trust me. Friends." He smiled happily, just like normal, and even though the deception wasn't intentional, Yuugi really made it seem as if things really were okay. In a way, he was like Ryou in the sense that he could act incredibly innocent - the only catch was that, unlike his friend, Yuugi usually didn't have anything to hide.
Yami was getting more curious with every passing minute. After all, the boy started crying and pretending that he was really hurt. Of course, Yami was not really a heartless person but the whole idea that the Spirit of the Ring was behind all of this was slowly becoming evident. If so, why is Ryou going as far as crying in front of them and acting as if he was totally outraged with the confrontation. The pharaoh could not help but glare down at the boy but it cannot be helped for now. 'I think it's best for us to talk to him about it. Maybe the Spirit has been blackmailing him or something? I don't know what to do, Aibou. All signs are telling me that something's up but I still feel as if we should trust Bakura- somewhat. He has not done anything that would cause our mistrust. I apologize, Yuugi,' the pharaoh said through the link, still in deep thought.
I wonder what he could blackmail Bakura-kun about. He responded to his Yami. It was actually an interesting thought, mostly because he didn't think that the other student had much to hide. Perhaps the Spirit of the Ring had done something and convinced Ryou that what had happened was his fault? It wasn't exactly an impossible situation - they knew how manipulative the thief could be.
Yuugi closed his eyes for a moment. All of a sudden, he felt just so... tired. Like he could barely keep his eyes open. Don't apologize, he thought. He has been acting weird. But I don't think it was him personally that did anything that seemed odd. But when he got that text message, he noticed the other biting his lip, something he only did when he was nervous and something he had been doing all afternoon. Instead of hitting the same conclusion as his Yami, though, he thought maybe Bakura was just worried about their friend - although come to think of it, he and Marik never had been very friendly until the Thief King had been banished from his mind. After that, though... they had gotten closer, so it sort of made sense that he would be worried.
'Bakura-sama! They actually found Marik's body already. My friends are asking if I should go visit,' he relayed, before biting his lower lip, 'Should I go with them?' Yami shot his head up, wondering as to why the white-haired boy bit his lip for the nth time today. There was definitely something up and with Marik's apparent disappearance; the whole thing was something more than a mere coincidence. 'Aibou,' he said through their link but not saying anything else- assuming that Yuugi understood his suspicions better now.
"I'm sorry, Bakura-kun, but I'm going to go to the hospital and see him. I hope he and his sister are okay." With that, the short teenager stood up and grabbed the small bag he had brought with him. "You can come with me if you want, or we can meet up there later if you have to go home and do anything?" Again, it wasn't an intentional move to deceive his friend, but in asking if Ryou needed to do anything at home, Yuugi was opening up another possibility for them to gain any information from him.
When Bakura heard, however, he found the news very interesting. So Marik was in the hospital? What about the woman? That was the most pressing question on his mind - she hadn't been killed, and he wasn't entirely sure if Ryou told her to go to sleep as well, under the influence of the Millennium Rod, so it was possible she would wake up and tell them about what had happened to her. The thief clutched the Millennium Tauk tightly in his hand - Yuugi and his friends might notice it was gone, but would they suspect him? More importantly, would they blame Ryou? He was sure to tell Ryou about all of the possible things that could go wrong, everything that flitted through his mind about Ishizu telling Yuugi what had happened got sent through their mind-link now. He needed to warn Ryou, give him options on what to do...
Go with them, he told the boy calmly. As soon as possible. Try and find out what happened to Marik's sister and use the Millennium Rod on her too when you can so she can't say anything. If you don't know where she is, then use Marik to find out and get her to somewhere that you can use the Rod on her. Either way, they would have to use her and influence her so that she couldn't tell anybody what had happened to her and her brother.
Ryou was utterly nervous now, especially upon learning about Marik and his sister. 'Ishizu is with Marik as well,' he said through the link. He looked up at Yuugi quite nervously upon hearing Bakura's plot. He was sure that he wanted to help Bakura to the best of his abilities but something was holding him back from the order of the thief king. 'I don't... have the Rod with me right now, Yami-sama,' he said cautiously, not wanting to be in the other's bad side. He knew that Bakura cared for him at the very least but the idea that he could cause the end of the other's plans truly caused panic on the boy's behalf. He froze a little, watching the smaller boy stand up, holding the bag he had in his hand. It seemed like the right time to make use of the Millennium Eye as of the moment, trying to understand as to why Yuugi was doing what he was doing in the first place. He clenched onto the Millennium Eye, realizing that Yuugi was trying to fish for information, however; Ryou was still unwilling to give anything up for grabs. Yuugi was at the middle of everything- trying to protect Ryou from his Yami. In truth, it was the position that Ryou wanted Yuugi to be in.
He opened the mind link even more to the point that Bakura would be able to hear and somewhat see what Ryou was seeing- even for a few moments. The boy smiled rather sheepishly, taking a sip from his tea cup. "I'd meet up with you guys, later. I have a meeting with Mr. Kaiba in a while," he said, telling half the truth. Well, he was certainly not lying about the meeting but he had to do something to buy him time. If he was going to play as Bakura's pawn then he had to get the materials he needed.
"I hope that Mariku's alright," he whispered, sighing a little. This mere act caused Yami to tilt his head to the side. 'I think that the Spirit of the Ring just let go of the boy, Aibou,' he said, folding his arms a little. Maybe Ryou's being controlled by the Spirit of the Ring at random hours but even so, why would the Spirit be nervous? Knowing the thief king, he would be laughing haughtily if ever it was his doing. Maybe the Spirit is hurting the boy somewhat. Maybe, the Spirit of the Ring is causing the boy distraught or something. Due to the certain turn of circumstances, he was 75% certain that the Spirit was back. If only Yami knew how wrong he was when he said that the boy was getting hurt.
The puzzle glowed for a split second as Yami inched closer to Ryou, "You don't have to hide anything from me, Bakura. I know that the Spirit is back and we can help you. We're friends, Bakura. I think you know what I'm talking about," he whispered, looking at the boy intently. He knew that he was bluffing but Ryou did not need to know that, right? Ryou looked up at the pharaoh with innocent eyes, "I can honestly tell you that I do not understand what you're getting at, Yuugi-kun. The talk is a little too pressing and I hope that this would be the last time that you talk to me about this Spirit thing. I guess this artifact is more than what it seems," he said, shrugging. Yami had to suppress himself from strangling the boy now. Ryou was too innocent- too precious for the thief king to use. The whole idea seemed cruel to the pharaoh- too cruel it seemed. Yami moved away from the boy, sighing lightly. "I can only help you if I know the details, Bakura. Just give me a call if you're ready to talk."
The final part of Ryou's little exchange with the Pharaoh was clearly overheard by the boy's Yami. It wasn't exactly anything special, just what he had been expecting this entire time. He did appreciate the fact that Ryou was still denying everything so clearly, though. He laughed to himself, wondering what on earth made the Pharaoh believe that he would just let Ryou tell him everything that was happening. They probably didn't know about his separate body yet, so wouldn't he think for at least a minute that he was listening to the entire conversation from within the boy's mind? Perhaps the Pharaoh wasn't nearly as clever as Bakura had thought.
After thinking for a moment about what to do with Marik, he said, To wake him up, you probably won't even need the Millennium Rod. Hadn't Ryou's command been for him to wake up simply when he said so? But it might be safer if he had it anyway, in case when the Egyptian did wake up he wasn't entirely under Ryou's control. That was something that could be left for another time, though. Perhaps, if they went later and Yuugi had already left, he could tag along to go see Marik and his sister as well. Not to wish them well, but to get a good look at how things had turned out. He did like seeing the results of the games he had won...
Ryou watched as the boy leave, letting out a soft sigh. 'Yami-sama. I have a plan in mind. But I have to be extremely cautious,' he said through the link, standing up a couple of minutes later. Bakura's laugh was cut short when he heard more thoughts slip through their link. A plan? I'd like to hear that, he said. It was sure to be interesting - Ryou was intelligent and creative, and he had come up with the method on obtaining the Millenium Tauk, after all. Yami Bakura was actually excited to hear about what they could do next. It could be fun. After paying for the bill, he made his way back to his house when he was suddenly pulled in the alleyway. 'Yami-sama!' he said through the link but almost immediately, said link got cut off. Ryou blinked a little, eyes falling on the glinting ankh in front of him. His gaze trailed up a bit; eyes meeting with Shadii's.
"Ryou Bakura, my time is already up. I know that the tomb robber has his influence over you but I also know that you are a good friend of the pharaoh's. If you pass my test, I will give you the Millennium Key and you can do with it as you please. If you fail the test, you shall be banished to the Shadow Realm for your sins against the pharaoh," he said, pressing the end of the Ankh on his forehead.
Not even giving Ryou time to think about it, they were immediately zapped to the Shadow Realm. At the same time, Bakura was also pulled to the Shadow Realm by the said Egyptian. The boy blinked twice, looking around before realizing that he was back in the Shadow Realm. The only difference was the fact that he was alone. "B-Bakura-sama!" he cried out, trying to figure out if he could still contact the thief through their link.
But before Bakura got an answer, there was a short, panicked thought that sounded in his mind, then nothing. He had been cut off by something, but before he could even get up to go find out what might have happened, he felt consciousness slip away from him all too suddenly. When he woke up, the King of Thieves was in an all-too-familiar place. He cursed softly to himself and wondered what might have happened or how he got here. Someone must have done something to Ryou - the Pharaoh, perhaps? Or maybe the Vessel had finally learned how to do something for himself? But that would be unlike him, in any case... and he was thinking too hard about this. For now, he had to find Ryou, make sure he was here and not too badly hurt. He didn't see the point in yelling out, because it was likely his voice wouldn't carry: there were times when he had been sealed away where his own voice had no sound. But thoughts would carry.
Yadonushi, he thought. standing up and beginning to roam around in search of his Hikari. Where are you? What happened?
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PREVIEW FOR CHAPTER 12: Answers to the Underhanded Riddles.
There had been no answer to his thoughts. Bakura hadn't even been sure that he had been heard, and that truly worried him. What if something was happening and Ryou couldn't get out of it on his own? He wasn't as used to being the Shadow Realm as his Yami was, so he probably wouldn't know what to expect. This place could play tricks on your mind and all your senses - some of which even the King of Thieves had fallen for at times. But he would have to keep trying; this wasn't going to defeat him - or Ryou - if he had anything to do with it.
Yadonushi, answer me! He called out again with his mind. Somehow he knew he wouldn't get a response. Things all around him felt dead, including the link that connected him to his Hikari. But that wasn't going to stop him from finding the truth out himself.
