Yami no Koi: Darkness of Love

AN: The next couple of chapters were supposed to be one chapter but it ended up being like 18 pages so I chopped it up into smaller chunks. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 11 – Remembrance

It was snowing. The sky was dull and large snowflakes fell from the heavens. The sound of crunching footsteps could be heard as Ryou walked tentatively through what felt like an endless abyss. His breathe fogged up before his eyes that looked on warily. He felt so cold, and so alone.

Where… am I? The teen thought tiredly. His cat ears twitched as the snow began to cling to them, causing them to go numb. He continued to walk forwards, swaying as he did so. He was so weak.

After walking for what felt like an eternity, what appeared to be a street appeared through the falling snow. There was plain, windowless buildings lining the pure white street. It was almost invisible except for the small, blue shadows marking where the curb was. Like someone who had been lost in a desert, Ryou stumbled into the town, looking for any sign of life; there was none. This place was completely deserted. There was no sound of people or vehicles, only the harsh wind as it skimmed the solid brick walls of the would-be shops and houses. For a moment, Ryou looked over his shoulder.

"My footsteps…" he mumbled to himself. "They're…" Disappearing. He face forwards once again. His heart skipped a beat as am almost familiar figure stood before him. White hair sprayed out over broad shoulders and down the black trench coat that fell just till it touched the ground. Spots of snow clung to it and melted soon after. Ryou's mind nagged at him for reasons he did not know. He had never seen this man before, but he seemed so familiar. Whether he knew the man or not, it seemed common sense to talk to him as there appeared to be no one else around. Ryou ran over to the figure. The snow sprayed up as his feet kicked up. They were numb by now, as he had nothing on them. For that matter he was barely even dressed: only now, as he ran up to the stranger, did he realise he was wearing northing but a t-shirt and a pare of shorts. Despite that, Ryou still went up to him.

"Hey!" He called as he reached the man. The figure remained motionless. "Hey, mister!" He said again. Still nothing. Ryou raised an eyebrow; why wasn't this guy listening… was he deaf? "Can you please help me? I don't know where I am and… Hey are you listening?" Ryou grabbed the man's shoulder and pulled him round to face him. But soon after, Ryou wished he hadn't done it. The man was faceless. All that lay under the white bangs, was an empty space. There was no nose, no mouth, no eyes, just a flatness that looked creepy and unnatural. Ryo stepped back. His mouth hung open, as though he was about to scream, but no sound came. Ryou was struck with terror at this horrific sight – sure it could have been worse, but this was just odd.

"Uh… Urm…" He struggled. "I- I'm sorry…" It was all he could think to say. The teen jumped when the figure raised its hand and began t reach out to him. The man made no sound, but Ryou could feel him calling out. Ryou stepped back again, keeping his distance. Although the man was reaching out, he made no attempt to move closer.

Ryou was too afraid to reproach him, but the sight almost seemed to sadden him. Before the teen could do anything else, the man began to almost… dissolve into the sky. His body broke up into tin pieces and began to scatter. He remained in the same position as his body disappeared. His hand outstretched, his face turned to Ryou, and he just stood there, until he was gone. Ryou stared at where the man had been in horror. Tears began to brim his eyes but he had no idea why. It felt like he had just lost a friend, but the man was a complete stranger. The teen stood frozen. He couldn't move, he wouldn't move. The tears were threatening to fall, until something made Ryou jump. A hand was placed on his shoulder and Ryou's head snapped round to see who the offending hand belonged to. His eyes widened.

"Master?" He breathed. Yami stared straight ahead, blankly. His eyes were lifeless and his face emotionless. Slowly, the demon turned his head to face his slave. The emptiness of his eyes sent a chill down Ryou's spine. An unexpected smirk appeared on Yami's face, making the empty eyes even more chilling. Ryou looked forwards again as he felt the demon's arm wrap around him. The slave watched helplessly as a cloaked arm move around him and covered his face, making everything turn black.

Suddenly, Ryou found himself in a world of darkness. There was no beginning and no end, there was no light except a dim glow that made his body visible, and there was nothing but the pain that coursed through his petit body. Before he knew it, Ryou found himself completely naked and agony wracked his body. It was as though he was being torn apart from the inside out and all he was able to do was twist about on what seemed to be the floor of the blackness. Ryou watched in horror as what appeared o be Yami's head moved closer, and swallowed his body whole.

There was a jerk and then the gasp as Ryou shot up from his nightmare. He stared straight ahead of him, seeing his master's bed and home. The slaves body shook violently as he sat there, wearing nothing but a loose t-shirt and shorts. Yami had insisted he just sleep naked but Ryou was less open to having the demon touch him if he had no clothes to protect him.

Images of his dream sped through Ryou's mind. The emotions he had felt, the emptiness within himself… it had al felt so real.

But… who was that man? He thought. It felt like I've known him but… I can't remember ever seeing him. The slave's brow furrowed as the thought went through his head. He had never seen him in the past… he couldn't remember him from anytime before he had come here. He couldn't remember anything from before he came here. It had only just struck him. Where had he come from? What had his life been before this place? Who, exactly, was he?

I'm Ryou. He thought, trying to state the obvious to himself.

Yes, but who was Ryou? A foreign voice said to him. It was within is mind… but wasn't quite his own voice. Never the less it had a point.

My other dreams… He thought. His other dreams seemed to consist of things that he felt were familiar, but couldn't remember. Could it be… that the things of my dreams are…

His thoughts trailed off when a movement in the sheets beside him distracted him. Yami sleepily sat up behind the slave.

"Good morning, my little pet." He said pleasantly. His tired expression soon became confused as he saw the troubled look on his slave's face. "Is something wrong?" He enquired. Ryou stayed in the same position for a moment before nodding and turning to face the demon with a smile.

"No, master." Yami raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? You seemed pretty spooked." The demon's voice didn't sound concerned, but more suspicious. Ryou nodded again.

"I just had a nightmare… but I'm fine." Yami smirked and wrapped his arms around his slave's waist possessively.

"There is no need to worry about nightmares. They are just your silly imagination running wild." Ryou gave a small nod, although he disagreed, but he would never tell Yami that.

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"Ugh, this world is so open." A frustrated Bakura said aloud as he wondered around the streets. The sun shone brightly, but still the air was cold. As he breathed in, Bakura could feel the freshness of the air burning his lungs. It had been so long since he'd been up on the surface and it generally brought back memories that Bakura wished to forget in his current situation. He headed along the high street and almost instantly recognised it as where he and Ryou had walked the night they had been to the cinema… and the night they had run into Yami. Bakura wished he'd never been out that night. He should have known better than to have Ryo out that late with demons lurking in every corner and sensing his every move. He mentally kicked himself for so many things… but it was too late to take back what had already happened. The demon sighed, his crimson eyes filled with sorrow as he continued through the streets. He wasn't even paying attention to where he was going; he just kept walking

Hmm… He began t think. I wonder how everyone at schools reacted to him disappearing… I doubt anyone will have noticed me going. And with that the demon made his way to Ryou's school.

Upon arrival, Bakura scanned the place. It seemed the same as before. Boys playing sports and showing off to the girls, groups of girls chatting amongst themselves and then the odd few loners who just sat alone. Bakura decided to ask around. He didn't know anyone who was Ryou's friend but someone had to know him.

He began with a group of girls who he remotely recalled being in Ryou's class. He went over and frowned as he heard the ends of there conversation:

"He was such a weirdo. I'm glad I'll never have to see him again." Despite how cruel the comment was, it was possible she was talking about Ryou.

"Excuse me." The demon said rather loudly so he could be heard over the hum at talking. The girls looked at him with with odd looks, some looking at him like he had just interrupted a top secret meeting and other giving him looks that made him nervous… it was like their eyes were saying "Oh my god I want your babies!" He cleared his throat and kept his calm stance.

"Are you a pedophile?" One of them said before he could even start. What was disturbing was how she said it so calmly. Bakura sweat dropped and stared at them unsurely.

"Urm… no" Was all he could say to such a blunt and strange question.

"Then why the hell are you in a school? You're too old to be a student but too young to be a teacher." Bakura just sighed.

"I'm here looking for someone I know… urm… a relative of mine." He lied, thinking it would stick seeing as both he and Ryou looked like each other. "His name is Ryou Bakura. He looks kind of like me with white hair and had cat ears." The girls exchanged looks and some giggled.

"You must be at the wrong school. I've never heard of or seen anyone like that." Bakura was tacked aback.

"What? Are you sure?" The girls nodded. He frowned and waved briefly. "Thanks for your help." He mumbled before walking off. The girls continued to stare at the stranger for a while and then returned to there chatter; this time about the strange man.

Bakura was so confused. He knew he was at the right school. He had attended here for a few days, after all.

Maybe I'll just go check at reception. He thought, and briskly headed to the reception office.

The demon waited patiently as the receptionist talked on the phone while sorting various files. She seemed like your typical stereotype receptionist: hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, glasses with a chain that hung around the neck, a smart, plain V-neck sweater with a smart, knee length skirt. Bakura couldn't help but chuckle at the cliché ness. He became a little agitated by this point: continuously tapping his fingers on the small ledge in front of the reception and he began to gnaw on his lower lip. When she finally finished on the phone, Bakura was ready to pounce on her and demand that she tell him about Ryou, but he would have to control himself. Although, she didn't exactly make it easy as she began organizing papers while he stood there waiting. He cleared his throat to try and get her attention, but she didn't budge. 5 minutes later, she placed the papers into the filing cabinet and sat back down at her desk. She sorted herself out before turning to Bakura and saying politely:

"How may I help you?" The demon's eye twitched and he was just about ready to tear chunks out of the walls. How the hell can you taker that long to respond to someone at the reception?

I should complain. Bakura thought.

"Ahem." The woman said (that's right she actually said 'Ahem'). Bakura had to force a polite smile onto his face, but it looked more like he was constipated.

"I was wondering if you could tell me… if the student Ryou Bakura still attend at this school?" The receptionist trotted over to the filing cabinet and pulled out a draw labelled A-D. Obviously where they kept records of the student. She flicked through the files and a look of confusion covered her features. She then closed the draw and trotted right back over to Bakura.

"I'm sorry." She said. "But we have no record of a Mister Bakura ever being here. You may have the wrong school." Bakura's eye twitched. Why is it that everyone thought he was an idiot and had come to the wrong school? Either way, he had to let it pass. He bowed a little,

"Well sorry for wasting your time." And left.

The demon wondered down yet another random street and was lost in a train of thought. What… what if Yami did one of his mind trick things to make it seem as if Ryou never even existed? He thought to himself. But how can that even be possible? There are so many people in different places that know him… like his father. Isn't he off in some foreign country? He's hardly going to forget he even had a son… especially with all those pictures in the house… The house. Bakura looked up. Strangely enough, Bakura found himself stood on Ryou's street; almost as if he was fated to come here. The demon headed over to Ryou's house and slowly ascended the steps to the door. He placed his palm against the wooden door and narrowed his eyes. The house felt so empty, so… lifeless.

What's happened here? He thought. Quickly checking that the coast was clear, Bakura pushed on the door and it instantly opened, despite being locked. The demon swiftly dived in and shut the door behind him. The aura of the house was so much colder than when he had first come here. He looked around in the entrance. He remembered pushing past Ryou as the teen questioned him about who he was. He had been so arrogant. He still was arrogant, only now there was something serious going on in his life. The demon looked into the living room. Photos lined the fireplace and windowsills and the place looked spotless. Maybe this was part of Yami's mind trick, because Bakura didn't remember it being this tidy when he left the last time. He strode over to the fireplace and gazed at the photographs. As he examined them closely, Bakura's eyes widened in horror. Ryou had been erased… from ever photo he had been in before.

How… could Yami have done this? Bakura thought worriedly. As far as he knew, no demon's power could to this much to a human's life. Maybe he could make the human forget or make a couple of people forget… but this was much bigger. It seemed as though the whole town had forgotten Ryou's existence… little did Bakura know it wasn't just this town, but the entire world. The demon quickly looked away, unable to think of so many people being manipulated just so Ryou would not be missed. He found it mind-boggling. No demon in existence had been able to do such damage to the world.

Bakura made his way upstairs and headed straight to Ryou's room. It was much neater that the last visit he had made, just as he had expected. The demon clenched his fists and grit his teeth. This was too far. Even though he was angered, Bakura felt tears fill his eyes. He took a sharp breath to try and keep himself controlled. He wouldn't break down when Ryou needed him so much. He wiped away the traces of tears with his sleeve and kept his head bowed. He couldn't stand looking at this place… looking as though Ryou had never lived. He wanted to hold him so bad, but there was no one to hold here. Bakura raised his head and turned to leave, when something suddenly caught his attention. He peered at what appeared to be a slip of white paper. It lay under the leg of the bedside table in the room. The demon knelt down and slipped it out from under the leg. The side facing up was blank, but he flipped it over to find a photograph. His eyes widened when he saw it and this time the tears did fall. It was a picture of Ryou. A small smile spread across Bakura's face and he held the picture to his chest, just above his heart. He could feel small warmth inside him, glowing and telling him he needed to save Ryou.

Quickly, Bakura slipped the photo into his jean pocket and made for the front door. He would save Ryou, make no doubt about that.

The outside was colder than Bakura remembered. The wind seemed to have picked up and dark clouds seemed to be swarming. The demon, not wanting to be caught in any rain, quickly jumped down the steps from the front door and started down the street. Out of nowhere, he found himself ramming into another body. The collision sent him stumbling backwards, but he did not fall. He grunted at the slight pain the bump caused.

"Watch where you're going." He said brutally as he glanced at the other figure. Upon getting a visual, Bakura blinked dumbly.

"Well that's no way to talk to a friend." The other said in a raspy voice as he stood up straight and flicked his bright blonde hair from his face. Malik looked at Bakura with his usual disturbing smile.

"Malik? What in the name of Hades are you doing here?" Bakura said, looking at the tanned demon suspiciously. Malik's smile dissolved as he began to look offended.

"Well I was just wondering about. It gets so boring in our world." Bakura furrowed his brow. There was something about this situation he just didn't find quite right. The albino demon knew of his friends 'slight' crush on him. He also knew Malik could be a scheming little bitch when he got jealous. What was he doing round Ryou's house anyway?

"Uh, Malik… what exactly are you-"

"Wait Bakura I have WONDERFUL news!" The other butted in enthusiastically. "I found a way for you to save Ryou!" Bakura's eyes widened and he suddenly grabbed Malik's shoulders, shaking him lightly.

"How?"

"Well, you know how Yami usually dumps his slaves after he's had sex with them…" Bakura's face dropped and he became a little despaired. "… well just wait till he dumps Ryou and you can get him without Yami noticing!" Malik seemed to fail to see the look on his friend's face.

"Malik, I was thinking of saving him before Yami does anything to him." Malik placed his fingertip on his chin and looked mockingly thoughtful.

"Oh yea." Bakura wanted to punch him in the face so bad.

"Surely there must be a way to save him beforehand." Bakura said desperately. "I mean… can't we just steal him or something?" Sure it sounded a little dumb for Bakura, but he was desperate to get Ryou back soon.

"Well that would be stupid because you'd get thrown in jail, or killed and then what good are you to Ryou?" Bakura sighed.

"But what if…"

"Bakura! It's the only way that won't get you killed, jailed or banished. Believe me I've thought this through a lot!" Bakura frowned. As much as he hated to admit it, Malik was right. The only way to save Ryou was after Yami had had his way with the slave… and most likely tortured him.

"Fine… but I still don't like it." He mumbled.

"Then it's settled. Now we just have to keep our eyes and ears open for any signs that he's done it and then we make our move." Bakura nodded half-heartedly. "Now lets go back down, I'll treat you to a nice strong drink."

The two began to make there way to the nearest portal back to hell. Bakura was clearly down having now discovered it will be almost impossible to save Ryou before the worst of his troubles begin. Malik placed his hand on Bakura's shoulder to comfort him. The tanned demon smirked inwardly as he thought to himself:

Now I've got Bakura's trust, I just have to make sure the plan stays in my favour. Once that pathetic mortal has had his pure essence taken away from him, Bakura may not want him anymore. But just in case I'll make sure that I get to the slave first… then I'll dispose of him properly.

TBC

The end of part one of this one huge chapter! Next chapter should already be up so please read on!