Jaazi: Yet another chapter with everyone's favorite Demon and Angel.
KK: Jaazi's very grateful for all the reviews you readers leave.
Disclaimer: I own it not.
Previously
Reality crashed around Bakura when he finally saw looked down at himself and his surroundings.
Throwing himself away from Ryou, he turned around and threw up.
Chapter Fourteen: The Dampener
Mai had heard Bakura's howl when he regained control over his magic. It was an eerily familiar howl. She sped off to find Ryou. He was the only one who had any chance of sparking some lucidity in Bakura.
Ryou was recovering from the scare his master had given him when Miss Mai had barged into the room. Giving him a quick, incoherent explanation, Ryou found himself being transported to town, the same part of town that Malik and Master Bakura had found him except it didn't look like the town he remembered. Everything was drenched in blood; there were screams and destroyed homes everywhere he looked. In the center of it all was Bakura, looking more like a monster with his pale hair stained red and trails of blood dribbling from his lips. His eyes were glowing pure crimson.
Ryou froze. His master, his beloved master who always treated him well…Ryou choked back a sob. He failed his master again. Ryou knew that deep down, his master didn't want this. He couldn't have wanted this. Ryou inhaled sharply, his body shaking. His eyes widened when Bakura caught a small girl. Serenity.
"Master!" Ryou cried out desperately. Bakura stilled. His eyes quickly found Ryou.
"Angel," Bakura purred. Ryou let out a sigh of relief when Bakura released Serenity.
"Master, what've you done?" Ryou whimpered. Bakura, his dear master Bakura, looked at him with such intensity, such bloodlust. Bakura looked at him but didn't appear to see him. It was like he didn't recognize him at all.
"Ryou!" Serenity sobbed, dashing away from Bakura and hiding behind Ryou. Ryou patted Serenity reassuringly before sending her off to get Miss Mai for help. Once she left Ryou took a tremulous step forward. Bakura's glowing eyes never left him. He bared his teeth and growled defensively, louder with each step Ryou took. He even tried to get away, but Ryou caught him before he could. Ryou clutched him close.
"I'm sorry, so sorry…Bakura, forgive me, please," Ryou begged softly, tears cascading from his green eyes. Ryou felt Bakura gasp suddenly, every muscle in his body tensing. Ryou loosened his grip on Bakura.
"R-Ryou--you're bleeding," Ryou heard him say before Bakura scrambled away vomiting violently. Ryou slumped onto the bloodied stone street, all of his remaining strength escaping him. He watched silently as Bakura retched. Once he was sure Bakura was done, he crawled forward and laid Bakura's head on his lap, gently brushing away crimson-stained strands of hair from his face. Bakura was burning up, while most of his sanity returned to his eyes, the fever still mad him hazy and very disoriented. Bakura murmured incoherently.
"Shh," Ryou whispered gently. "Bakura, rest."
Bakura grasped Ryou's hand, although his grip wasn't as strong as it normally was. Ryou hummed soothingly, stroking Bakura's hair tenderly. Bakura shivered, curling his body around Ryou as much as possible and burying his face into Ryou's stomach. He continued to mumble gibberish. Ryou was sure he caught his name among the jumble of nonsense.
"Ryou," Bakura rasped.
"Yes, master?" Ryou replied tremulously.
"Don't leave," Bakura murmured fuzzily. Ryou smiled sadly.
"I won't."
Before too long, Bakura's breathing deepened and evened out. He fell into a listless sleep. Even with dried blood crusting around his lips and hair, even with his pitch black wings torn and sprawled awkwardly behind him, even with the stench of blood and vomit surrounding him, Bakura was still beautiful. Ryou's eyes widened. Did he really think that? Yes, Ryou realized, he did. His master was beautiful.
Ryou leant down. He cared for his master. He cared for him so much. It hurt him to see his master. It hurt him even more when he couldn't help his master; he didn't want him to be in pain. Ryou leant in even closer, just looking at his master. Bakura had dark shadows around his eyelids. He looked so gaunt and exhausted. Ryou's fingers roamed delicately over Bakura's face, marveling at how soft his skin was compared to his brusque nature. Ryou felt Bakura's breath, moist against his skin. They were so close, what would it be like to get just a little closer? No, he couldn't! A Mortal slave kissing the Prince of Demons; it was unthinkable.
Ryou bit his lower lip. It was his only chance. No one would have to know. Even Bakura wouldn't know. It would be his own little secret. He was close enough already, it wouldn't take that much more to close the gap.
So he did.
Bakura's lips were dry and chapped. They felt so coarse against Ryou's own lips. There was a sour taste from Bakura's earlier retching mixed with the coppery taste of blood. It was perfect. It was Bakura. A kiss shared with Bakura could never be anything less than perfect. He'd wanted this for so long. He'd wanted it enough to confess it to King Yugi.
King Yugi…
Ryou gasped and jerked away from Bakura. He clutched his head. His head hurt. All these images…memories…magic. Ryou whimpered as he was bombarded with everything that the spell King Yugi cast had been holding back. Ryou's eyes were closed tightly, brow furrowed.
"Ryou! Let's go!" Joey laughed, tugging his arm, taking him outside to play.
"I'll look after you until you're old enough to care for yourself," Isis said warmly, cradling his small body in her welcoming arms.
"You have such potential," Sugoroku murmured proudly as he watched Ryou master yet another healing technique.
"I've decided to make you my heir," King Yugi beamed.
"Greatest healer around. The king made a good choice when he made you heir," Rebecca, his self-appointed "eternal rival" muttered grudgingly.
"You're staring at that creepy castle again aren't you?" Joey asked, worry marring his normally joyful features.
"You should let that infatuation go, Ryou. I do not wish to see you hurt," Isis advised yet again, tucking the pale strands of hair that obscured his vision behind his ear.
"If you love him this much, I could let you see him…but there's a price," the king said hesitantly.
Ryou's eyes snapped open, horrified. Shimmering, white wings unfurled behind him, curling around him, and Bakura, in a defensive manner. Ryou felt as if he was about to break down. A Mortal and Demon together would be bad but an Angel and a Demon together would be beyond sacrilegious. It was traitorous. It was wrong. Ryou's throat tightened. But he loved Bakura. How could that be wrong? He loved him more than anything else in this or any other realm.
That isn't the way an heir should think, Ryou thought to himself. An heir's first priority is his kingdom and its people. An heir must give up anything and everything in order to keep his kingdom safe. Ryou placed another kiss against Bakura's lips, another and another one after that. His wings quivered with desperation. He quickly tucked them away. He didn't want his wings to be seen.
Ryou remained still until he finally regained his wits. He shouldn't have lost control like that. Ryou took a deep breath and shakily let it out. Right now he had to get Bakura back to the castle and have someone tend to him. Ryou tucked himself underneath Bakura's arm and stood up. Bakura was a good two and a half inches taller than him and quite a bit heavier than him too, but he was also semi-conscious by the time Ryou got him into an upright position.
"We have to get back to the castle, master," Ryou murmured. Bakura leaned heavily against him, dark wings hanging limply and scraping against the ground as they walked. Bakura didn't respond but tried to hold himself better so that Ryou didn't have to carry all of his weight.
They had been walking for a short time when Serenity came running towards them. Someone was following her. She cried out in panic. Ryou's eyes widened.
"Ryou! Run away, he hurt Miss Mai!" Serenity screamed before she was shoved to the ground. Ryou took an unstable step back. Bakura's glazed eyes looked up slowly. He wasn't all there but he could tell something was wrong. His mind vaguely registered the Demon before him: Seto, the Demonic king's advisor.
"There you are, my prince. I've been looking for you," Seto said, placing a hand on Bakura's chest. The hand glowed a black-blue that was quickly absorbed into Bakura. Bakura's feverish state dissipated completely, clarity and strength returning full force. "I have interesting news for you, Prince Bakura.," Seto said, smirking eerily. "We've picked up an Angelic aura not too long ago."
"Seto, what's going on? Why am I outside of the castle?" Bakura snapped crankily. His head hurt and he was covered in crusty, dried blood and dirt; he was less than comfortable. His arm was still wrapped around Ryou, who looked absolutely terrified. Bakura's brow furrowed in confusion. "Ryou, what's wro--"
"You're on a first name basis with you slave, Bakura? I suppose this news will be all the more hurtful for you then," Seto said and then lunged forward, grabbing Ryou's shirt front. Ryou cried out, startled. Bakura snarled.
"Seto let go of him!" Bakura shouted without thinking. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered why he cared, but he ignored that in favor of the situation at hand. Ryou was talking frantically to Seto, who was completely ignoring him, instead focusing his Demonic magic against Ryou.
"Seto! What are you doing? Do you plan on killing my slave? You know Mortals have no defense against magic!" Bakura yelled angrily, reaching to grasp Seto's wrist. He stopped mid-movement, though, as Ryou began to glow.
"Please, don't! S-Stop, please, I don't want him to see!" Ryou moaned pleadingly, squirming in Seto's grip. But it was too late. Ryou's silvery white wings sprung loose and closed around him, repelling the Demon's hurtful magic and dislodging the Demon's hand from him. Ryou was sprawled on the dirty, bloody ground, wings getting sullied, feathers sticking out at odd angles because of the sudden fall. Bakura's red eyes were wide.
"Bakura…" Ryou whimpered. He wailed when Seto slammed his boot on Ryou's wing. A loud snap was heard. White feathers were soon stained with silver-streaked crimson. Ryou moaned, grabbing his broken wing and fruitlessly tried to tug it from underneath Seto's boot.
"Do not be so familiar to the prince, Angel," Seto spat. "Do you see, Bakura? Your favorite slave is an Angel. The Angelic heir, to be more precise. I've no doubt he was sent to gain your trust in order to get close enough to kill you."
"Master, it isn't true!" Ryou yelled. Bakura eyed him coldly, his dark wings flared behind him. He struck him.
"Shut up," Bakura snarled, watching as Ryou's face reddened where he was hit. Distantly, he heard the Mortal girl sob the Angel's name. Ryou's green eyes were wide and filled with hurt but Bakura had the nagging sensation that Ryou was more hurt by his actions than by the broken wing.
"Mai, apparently, knew. She's a traitor. I've thrown her into the dungeons. The Angel will be joining her soon. As you might have guessed, the king is less than pleased. He wants you to decide the proper punishment for the traitor and Angel." Seto said. "It's time to prove yourself worthy of carrying the title of heir, my prince." Bakura's eyes flashed angrily at Seto's jeer. He turned his back on him and continued on his way to the castle.
"The same punishment that goes to all Angels caught in this realm. A public beheading, two days from now, at noon. Make sure all the Demons and Mortals see that I'm not one to be trifled with," Bakura said icily. He disappeared into the shadows.
"Bakura," Ryou whispered. Seto dug his heel into the Angel's wing more firmly. Ryou yelped.
"The end of your kind is near, Angel. Bakura is the harbinger of total Demonic domination." Seto sneered.
Ryou's eyes were downcast. He knew that and yet…
He still loved Bakura more than life itself. Ryou let himself be dragged to the castle where he was then thrown roughly into a dungeon cell. His broken wing hung uselessly behind him while his other wing and hands were bound with shadow magic. Miss Mai, who was in the cell beside his, began to talk to him once the guards left, but Ryou heard nothing. He was reminiscing about his time as a Mortal slave. Never before had he wished to be anyone other than himself. However, his dearest wish at the moment was to be Mortal.
He was the Demonic heir. He was cold. He was heartless. He hated Angels. He would bring their destruction. Some part of him knew that. Those blackouts he suffered from…they were the key to Demonic domination. He was their weapon. It was another thing he knew without really knowing how he knew. The voices. The screaming voices. They always knew and they always told him.
You are a monster.
Their special little tool.
To kill every Angel and Mortal that exists.
That is what you are to do.
They told him something he didn't want to know.
Little Angel-boy. Bad little slave-Angel.
Fool.
You trusted him.
Idiot.
Did you think you could care for anyone?
Or that anyone could care for you?
You trusted him.
And he played you. Used you. Tricked you.
Fool.
Bakura roared and tore at the silk sheets of his bed. That smell was everywhere. The scent of that blasted Angel. He tricked him. He pretended to care for him and treated him kindly with no fear. The little wretch.
"I hate you. I hate you," Bakura raged, destroying and tearing at everything he could reach.
Bakura hated him. He couldn't remember hatred ever hurting so much before, though.
Jaazi: How was that? I'm not too satisfied with it…especially with the Ryou-torture. Writing that made me feel terrible.
KK: It made me cry.
Jaazi: I have to get some sleep now. I hope you sort of liked it even with the angst and stuff.
KK: REVIEW PLEASE!