Hello my beauties! Life is very hectic! No time for writing! Sorry it's been so long!(And I'm only going to be getting busier!) Hello new reviewers! *waves*
Mariko666: The point is you're reviewing now! XD *tackles* Bakura get over himself? Pfft! Like that's gonna happen!...not easily anyway! (Bakura: That's right!...wait, was that sarcasm?) Tis a tragic story. Story of my life...minus the boyxboy lovin'. ;D
Vnadhjiu123: *tackles* Hi! I'm glad you're enjoying the intricate plotline so much! "it's written so well with such a detailed plot I almost forgot it was a fan fiction" Fwee! Now you've gone and fed my ego! It thanks you!
Fallin-Alone-Scared-Lost: Whenever Marik and Malik are around it's always interesting! XD (Marik: And that's a good thing!) (Yami: Questionable) lol
cgflower: Ah, Bakura's thirst for revenge has been stirred up again. Thank you, Jou! (Jou: Whaaa...?) "and then there's mai doing her annoying mai thing that nobody wants" I really did laugh out loud for that! XD Hilarious! (Ryuuji: And so true) What's this? Worried about Yami and Baku doing something to screw everything up? (Marik: That sounds like something they'd do.) (Yami: Hey!) (Bakura: Little bastard!) Otogi? *grins* I love him in this. I can't help it. He's such a self-centered conniving bastard. I can't help but love him! :P
pennypigeon: *grins* Patience, grasshopper, patience. (Malik: Easy for you to say...you update, what, every three months?) Shut up!...ahem. *sweatdrop*
Peepz: Ah, so much going on. So many people we want to kill, no? (Malik: O.o Not again!) lol Yes, everyone is stirring up trouble for other people. Is there anyone that ISN'T plotting something? (Yugi: Umm...my grandpa?) *snorts* True. He's kind of an idiot in this one, isn't he? :D
LaZano: *tackles* What a lovely review! 8D I'm not partial to the druggie theme either, but it just worked. Also, I've never done Jou/Bakura, and have only read one that was even plausible (which was discontinued and deleted by its author) Beneath the Surface Mai vs As I Fall Mai? lol Yeah, I've had several people mention that. Until recently I was writing four frikin' fics at once. Imagine how confused I was! :P
Miss-Berry: But of course Otogi's in trouble! Look at the mess he's gotten himself into! *grinning madly* It amuses me. Sorry I kept you guys hanging a while! Things have been pretty hectic for me lately. *sweatdrop*
dragonlady222: Yes, everyone is plotting!...except Mr. Mutou...and Shizuka...Yup. That's about it. :P Well, Jou is too, but not well. lol
little-caitlin: Well you are reviewing nowww! XD *tackles* I try to keep the ancient Egypt story weaving in and out of the "present day" one. I think it helps with the flow of this chapter nicely. :)
This chapter shall be dedicated to Mariko666, Vnadhjiu123, LaZano, Miss-Berry, and little-caitlin. Lyrics by The Smiths.
There's a club, if you'd like to go
You could meet somebody who really loves you
So you go, and you stand on your own
And you leave on your own
And you go home, and you cry
And you want to die
When you say it's gonna happen "now"
Well, when exactly do you mean?
See I've already waited too long
And all my hope is gone
You shut your mouth
How can you say
I go about things the wrong way?
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does
Chapter 25: For the Sake of Vengeance
(Jounouchi's POV)
I can't shake the jitters crawling through my limbs nor the butterflies in my stomach. Staring at the ceiling of the bedroom I can picture Malik's enraged face quite vividly as he came at me with a knife. It will be a reality all too soon. They're due back sometime tomorrow…or maybe today. It could be early morning by now.
It's not just the turmoil churching in my brain but the uncomfortable physical conditions. The house is sweltering hot. Humidity only adding to our misery. We keep the air conditioning off for his sake. Ryou has a fan in his room and set in the kitchen as well. The rest of the house is left to bake.
Exhaling in an attempt to rid myself of the tension, I begin to turn onto my side only to discover the spot is already occupied. He's so quiet I automatically assume he is asleep. Then the slivers of light from the streetlamps catch a gleam off his reddish eyes. Carefully shifting onto my side so we're face-to-face, I bend my arm under my head. It's impossible to ignore to the sweat that immediately forms in the crook of my arm near the elbow.
"Can't sleep?"
"What do you think?" he grumbles.
"It's all going to be okay, Baku," I try to assure both of us at once.
This only serves to aggravate him. Twisting his lean hips, he lies on his back.
"Stop talking as if you can control things you cannot."
"It's called not being so much of a pessimist."
Huffing, he tugs the blankets tighter around his body. I have no blankets, only wearing boxer shorts. It's too warm. This heroin detox is insane. Plus the mood swings. It's like a woman in menopause, that's what.
"I'm trying to look at the positives that have happened, is all."
"Positives? Do tell."
I roll my eyes at his cynicism, a smile playing upon my lips. "Well, for starters, having Otogi helping me out so much. It's such a relief he's watching my back."
"…waiting for an opportunity to stab it," Bakura mutters with more than a little resentment.
With a frown I scoot closer to my, once again, unofficial boyfriend. While he stood by me when Yami and the others spoke out against our relationship, it could easily have been Baku's regular reaction of opposing anything Yami does or says. Just because he sided with me does not mean he's with me either. The problems concerning my newfound fame are still a major factor.
"You should dump that trash dice guy," Baku orders as if it were solely his decision. "He's up to no good."
"He's harmless really. Otogi's got the hots for my sister," I explain with more than a hint of disgust for said teen. "He's sneaky like that. Probably what you picked up on."
Baku studies me with a disbelieving expression before scowling. It's like he can't decide how to respond to this.
"You're an idiot."
I stand corrected.
"Let me handle Otogi," I murmur pressing my body against his through the layers of fabric surrounding him.
"And I'll keep Malik from castrating you."
"Much obliged," I mutter, knowing that despite our joking, the threat is very real.
Baku rotates against me, the tips of our noses grazing. I can see into the depths of those alluring eyes that hide so much.
"What about your family?"
"Well there's no need to tell them anything if there's nothing to tell." I wag my eyebrows at him playfully. "So is there?"
The faltering look I am given says it all. The stab of rejection plunges deep through my chest cavity. He said he needed time to think about it. What's there to think about?
I have a guess.
"Malik won't be giving any blessings, Baku."
The hurt that manifests in his features pains me. I know what it's like to have the people who I care most about—who've stuck with me through everything else up until now—suddenly turn their backs on me. What's left is for Baku to decide what's more important to him. I cannot help him there. He has to do this on his own.
Reaching around him I pull him against me with no resistance on his part. He buries his face in my nape with a tremulous sigh, once again turning into a placid feline. Usually standoffish and downright petulant, he melts when I hold him. It's like he becomes a different person. Maybe this is who he is when he's allowed a safe environment to relax. Due to his distressed reaction to my last statement I find the most absurd suggestion escaping my mouth.
"What if I talk with Malik? Would that be easier?"
Bakura jerks away in order to view me. "Are you fucking insane?"
Thank Ra. How could I even have been considering a suicidal task like that?
It won't matter who the news comes from; assuming Malik doesn't already know courtesy of all the fanatic media coverage. If anyone besides Otogi could pick up on this, it's Malik. It would just be best he hear it from Bakura…
…I think.
"Right," I grin at my own stupidity while thanking the gods Baku hadn't gone along with the idea. "That was dumb. I'm just worried 'bout you."
Hesitating , he leans back against me after being convinced I won't attempt anything so rash. "Well knock it off."
Why can't he understand?
It's not that simple.
(Bakura's POV)
I walk along the river's edge, not too close should crocodiles be on the prowl. The sun set several hours ago, leaving a shroud to cover me when I enter the royal city. Kamenwati stamps impatiently where I tied him. He would run lose and never return if not for that.
No longer do I question things when it comes to the pharaoh. I see him for the person that he is beneath the false superiority; not the deity he is to everyone else. In a way, we belong to one another. Trust and so much more have been exchanged. The doubt concerning our affiliation no longer plagues me. And the views of his people are shit to me. There's one major factor I have been unable to fit into the equation.
Malik.
His opinion –no, more than just his opinion— of me matter like nothing else. If I were to lose that bond with him I would be lost.
Wouldn't I?
Snapping a reed in half within my fist, I still. Is Malik's opinion that essential now that I have Atem by my side?
"I'm losing it," I mutter flinging the broken plant carelessly into the murky waters.
Not wanting to dwell upon such troubling things, I hastily untie Kamenwati and mount him. Eager as I am to leave this place, he sprints through the sands as if it were a flat even surface. I swear I can feel his pulse beneath my hand as I drag it along his neck rippling with muscles.
He whinnies in protest when I force him to a halt. Throwing his head to show his displeasure, he does not pick up on what I swear I sensed. Stealing a glance back in the direction we came, I search for the source of my unease.
An unseen presence? Or maybe I really am losing it. Paranoia from sneaking away so often behind Malik's back. That, and there's also the increased number of soldiers on patrol due to the new temple's near completion.
"That's the reason," I decide the grounds for my fear. "He wants to go back to the temple soon. Keeps bringing it up."
Having it in my thoughts so often, it's no wonder that the thief in me would automatically switch to defense mode; already plotting out scenarios concerning traps and the royal guards themselves. Just because I've had close calls in the past doesn't mean I enjoy them.
Shaking my head, I fasten my cloak before giving the stallion beneath me the go-ahead. It's a good thing I am used to him, for he shoots off like diving falcon. Had I not been ready I would be on my back in the sand right now, quite possibly dead, the horse long gone.
"Damn horse." The edges of my lips lift upward. "Another close call avoided."
(Ryou's POV)
"Good afternoon. You look like you just awoke from the dead," I comment as Jou staggers down the stairs, his grip repeatedly slipping on the banister.
"Take out the 'awoke' part and you would be correct," he yawns, collapsing onto his stomach on the sofa. "God, just put the air conditioner on."
Offering a pitying smile, I shake my head. "No can do, Jou. However…"
I place the fan from the kitchen on the coffee table beside him. I press it to full power.
The gusty breeze it offers, though merely warm air being pushed faster, is a wonderful deliverance for the poor blonde who spent the night pressed against my clammy yami. Jounouchi groans in relief, lifting his head to let it waft through his sweaty hair.
"He's going to be the death of me," he mumbles with his eyes closed, enjoying this moment of bliss.
I laugh lightly at this while wiping my own perspiring palms across the thighs of my jeans. "I've said that myself many times before. I'm still alive."
"Yeah, but you didn't sleep with him."
"Very true."
He opens his eyes as reality sinks back in. "What'd they say on the news this morning?"
"It's turning into a manhunt, Jou," I tell him, letting him know the seriousness of the situation. "You have got to have a press conference. Even before then, you need to call Shizuka and your mother to let them know what's going on. They've no doubt heard about your 'disappearance' by now."
Nodding he scratches the back of his neck. "I'll do that."
"You keep saying that."
"Well this time I'll do it. Cross my heart." He does so while offering a tired smile. "Hey Ry? What do you think about Otogi?"
"Jou, so help me, if you start dating another person behind Bakura's back…"
It takes his exhausted mind a second before he catches on. "I wouldn't do that…and is Otogi even gay?"
"That is anyone's guess," I say wryly while peeking out the window before checking for the newspaper. "Hold that thought."
No one in sight. Doesn't mean they aren't out there. With a sigh I open the front door and retrieve the rolled up paper laying there so innocently on the porch. My brow furrows at the empty mailbox. Those damn media people and rabid fans are probably to blame. As much as I hate to imagine it, the mail carriers could be hoarding everything addressed to this house, hoping for some tidbit of information.
This is getting extremely aggravating.
Shutting the door behind me with my heel I shuffle through the pages of crinkly paper. Article upon article, all focused upon Jounouchi and Kaiba, find their way onto nearly every page. This isn't good. If it's like this in our paper…
"What is it?"
Casually folding the stories and placing them on a chair I pretend there was nothing of great importance.
"Where were these questions about Otogi leading to?"
"Oh." He sits up a bit, hunched so he stays in the path of the waft. "Well Baku said I shouldn't hang around Otogi. He doesn't trust 'im, which I completely understand. But don't you think he's overreacting? I mean, we're talking about Otogi. It's not like he's dangerous."
"Perhaps not in the way you're thinking. He does hold a substantial amount of information regarding the two of you," I remind Jou whose brow creases in anxiety. "It's enough to cause distress for my yami."
Jounouchi nods as this comes into light. It doesn't shake the feeling I have though.
"I can't help but wonder…"
"Yes?"
Brown eyes that could barely stay open before are now focused squarely on me. I've probably already said too much. I must remind myself that if Jou wants to be Bakura's lover then he must be aware of all possibilities when it comes to my yami, as Bakura often will not voice such things himself.
"Bakura isn't used to having someone fawn over him as you have, Jou. I can clearly see he enjoys it." I smile at the flustered blush that appears on his cheeks and reddens his ears. "But it makes me wonder whether it causes him to be jealous when that attention is diverted away from him."
The edges of Jou's mouth pinch as he mulls over this. "So you're sayin'…He doesn't want me around Otogi because he's jealous of him?"
"Let's not jump to conclusions or repeat that to him." I hold up a hand lest he should settle on that notion. "It's just something to keep in mind. Love him or not, Jou, you have to admit Bakura is quite self-absorbed."
"Well that's a no-brainer!" he laughs.
This merriment is short-lived at the loud voice chattering outside of the house like an alarm. Both of us tense up upon hearing it. Jou swears under his breath.
"Looks like they're back," I grimace, striding for the front door. "Brace yourse…"
I barely manage to dodge out of the way as the door swings open. Marik all but leaps into the room, lavender eyes shooting about as if scouting. Behind him a very peeved Malik follows at a steady pace.
"Honestly, hikari, what has gotten into you today?"
"It's nothing," Marik waves it off while sending me a wary look that tells me how much he himself has figured out. Quickly that charming smile appears on his face. "Hey guys! You miss us?"
"Hardly," Jou mutters. "If you want someone to miss you then you need to stay away for longer…like, at least ten years."
"Someone's in a foul mood," Malik observes in boredom while glancing around in a distracted manner. "Where's Bakura?"
"Upstairs."
At least I can give an honest answer about that. I'm leaving the explanations to my yami. This is going to get ugly. Marik's lack of composure is enough of a warning of how he feels this will go.
"It's like a sauna in here," Marik gags but doesn't sit down like he usually does. He's too on edge.
"Bakura seems to be of a different opinion," I reply twisting the newspaper around in my hands as Malik strolls for the stairs. "I think he's sleeping still."
Malik barely spares me a glance. "Then it's about time he woke up today, wouldn't you agree?"
Unable to dig an answer from myself I let him go. He doesn't wait for a response; perhaps knows he won't receive one. Jounouchi and Marik are apprehensive, not arguing and insulting one another as usual. They stare after the yami with fear of what's to come.
"He knows, Marik?"
The other hikari turns to me grimly. "I kept the televisions off, the papers away, and all that other crap."
Jou perks slightly at this. "So…you're saying he has no idea?"
Marik sends him a skeptical look. "Hell no. I'm just saying I did what I could." With a single nod towards the stairs he mutters: "Malik could perceive this state of affairs from anywhere in the world. He knows."
(Kaiba's POV)
"Do you want to enlighten me as to what you're scheming up?" I ask Ryuuji who's sitting with his feet propped up on my desk as if he were at home.
The dice master is twirling a lock of his long bangs around his finger; one of his annoying habits I've had to do my best to overlook. The more I brought it up the more he did it just to irk me. I haven't trained him completely like the majority of my business associates. He clever and uses it to his advantage, figuring out how much he can get away with and not jeopardize our affiliation. The black-haired teen always makes sure he's holding enough cards that will keep him in the game.
"Don't act so perturbed. I'm doing this partially for you own benefit, you know."
I would expect nothing less of him to satisfy me in order to save his own neck. Folding my hands I wait for him to elaborate. Instead he stares at me with that shrewd look of his, the faintest hint of a smirk itching across his lips. Not allowing him to ruffle me, I lean forward slightly.
"Well?"
Stretching so the chair leans back severely, he begins. "I've got Katsuya on my side."
"That isn't all that much of a feat, Ryuuji. I assume there's more to it than getting the dog on a leash?"
He raises his sculpted eyebrows. "I'm helping him climbing the ladder to fame."
"You're what?" I growl at his incompetence. "Need I remind you that I'm trying to break him down? Not make him a star!"
The dice master chuckles almost in a sneer. "But that's the point exactly, Kaiba. The higher he is the farther he has to fall."
Narrowing my eyes I recline. "Go on."
With a smug smile he continues. "It's just like I said: I assist him on his road to fame. If you would refrain from dueling him until I give the go ahead everything will work out perfectly."
Massaging my temples in effort to relieve some of the strain brought on the annoyance of following someone else's plan, I inquire, "And why, pray tell, must I wait until he's at the top before dueling him again?"
"I thought that much was obvious." Otogi sets his feet on the floor, scooting up to the desk. "Which would be more humiliating for Katsuya? Defeating him while he's still pretty much a nobody?" Emerald eyes glint as they catch mine. "Or crushing him after he's made a name for himself?"
A new light has been shined upon my troubles. Suddenly everything is falling into place more and more…all in my favor.
It's almost too easy.
"I assume you wouldn't be doing all of this out of the goodness of your heart."
Ryuuji snorts. "Naturally. I was never one for charity."
"What do you want then?"
Rolling his eyes he holds up his cell phone, waving it lightly with the flick of his wrist. "Stop calling me, for one thing. If the need arises, I'll call you." Shifting so he can slip it back into his pocket, he continues. "I'm going to have my hands full, so some additional funding to help move projects along would be nice. I'll need assistance with a few minor details as well."
"Finding a way to slack off?" I jeer with disapproval, considering tossing the entire idea.
"Hey, it's not exactly going to be easy with all of his friends hovering around."
"Hmm…not to mention that one yami," I comment offhandedly, waiting for my suspicions to be confirmed.
The damn dice master doesn't so much as blink. "Oh? More notions of yours?"
"Listen Ryuuji," I ground out menacingly. "You know damn well what I'm referring to so stop beating around the bush."
He regards me a moment. "If you're so confident about your notion then why don't you just say it?"
This close. I'm so close now. Far too many times all the questions point back to that foul-mouthed white-haired yami. They can't all be coincidences. Something is going on there. I have several theories, just nothing that will stick. Ryuuji seems to realize this, playing my doubt against me in order to maintain the little control he possesses. He won't give it up. Scowling at him, I straighten the sleeves of my coat.
"You have my authorization for this."
He briskly stands up to leave. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me…"
"Ryuuji." Freezing in mid-step he glances over his shoulder at me. I fix him with a hard stare. "Fuck this up and it will be your head I'm after instead of Katsuya's."
(Malik's POV)
The secret-keeping has increased tenfold.
Night after night Bakura vanishes into the city leaving me to agonize. After his cryptic mentionings regarding returning to the pharaoh, I know in the pit of my stomach that the deity has something to do with this. The fact that Bakura dared step foot in the palace is proof enough the pharaoh holds sway over him. To what degree I do not know.
Leading Aapep out of the stables, I mount the stallion and race off as the sun begins to set. He gallops through the sand effortlessly, dark mane flowing in the breeze. Like me, he quickly became accustomed to desert life. We are mean to be free and wild. Civilization ties you down and brainwashes you. It confines as ropes do a horse.
The rope has been looped over Bakura's neck, slowly tightening and reeling him in without him even realizing it. I will not sit back and watch.
It's time to put a stop to this even if I have to do it by force.
"The mutt's been quite busy," I remark from next to the dresser, idly examining a small mirror placed there. Bakura shifts uncomfortably where he's sitting on the bed.
He's been unusually quiet. This puts me on edge. It shoots my thoughts to worst case scenario. The thief stares at the tabletop, refusing to meet my gaze when I look at him. This only further confirms my fears. Setting the object back in its rightful place I fold my arms across my chest.
"Bakura, I want an answer straight-out. Do I even need to ask the question?"
Avoiding my eyes, he picks at some imaginary piece of lint on one of the many bedspreads draped around him. I'm sick to my stomach as I imagine what conspired upon that very bed. Anger boils, churning within me as he lets the silence draw onward.
"You will not do this again," I ground out between clenched teeth.
At this reddish eyes look up with a flash of rebellion. "You are not my charge, Malik."
"Well someone needs to tell you how badly you're fucking your life up…again!"
"Funny." He holds his gaze with me now in a sort of defiance. "You're the only person who's said such to my face."
Acid to my veins that begin to rise and stretch the skin around my eyes. "Perhaps I'm the only intelligent one with enough nerve to do so." Trying to calm myself lest things turn ugly, I approach him. "Bakura, it's as I've said to you before: You'll find someone else…"
"And you'll find a flaw in that person! And the next one and the next!" the thief cuts me off heatedly. "Tell me truthfully, Malik, do you actually believe you'll ever accept anyone who approaches me? You'll always find a fault, a reason they shouldn't be with me. They'll never be good enough in your eyes." He wearies as he finishes his tirade. "I'm tired of waiting for someone who doesn't exist."
It gets under my skin the way he's fighting for this. This is different than when I got mad at him for reasons like the skag. This is too familiar. When I find my voice there is malice lining every word.
"Just because of that doesn't mean you have to settle for him. It's beyond pathetic, Bakura. You're setting yourself up for a repeat of the past."
"You don't know that."
"Oh come off it!" I bellow causing him to jolt at the volume and harshness. "Wake up and take a look at yourself! You've stooped about as low as you can sink! The only way you could go further is by hooking up with the pharaoh again!"
Slamming his fist onto the mattress with a flash of blue flames he's suddenly on his feet before me. There's a crimson glow in his eyes promising pain if I so much as utter such blasphemy again.
"Stay out of this," he hisses at me, hunched slightly at the shoulders as if readying to gather as much Shadow Magic as possible to himself. "It's not your decision to make!"
Glaring at him, feeling that horrible sensation of the dark I cannot control rising within me, I snarl: "I see you've already made yours."
I won't succumb to the hatred spreading throughout me, turning away from him and striding steadily for the door. "Do what you will, Bakura. I want no part in it."
"Malik…"
He falters when I cast a livid glance at him over my shoulder. The fires are smoldering as he only now realizes what it's come to. I don't let his hurting deter me. Not this time. Once before he opted for making such a choice in favor of his own fantasies as opposed to the realities I practically screamed at him. I've suffered more than enough for his sake.
Steeling my resolve, I shake my head. "You're on your own now. That's what you wanted, wasn't it?" He opens his mouth but I continue, halting his protests. "This time I won't be here to pick up the pieces. Even though I know it's pure folly, I pray fate will not recur."
"Malik!" Bakura calls hoarsely as I reach the doorway. "If you'll just listen, I can explain what…"
"I don't want to know!" I snap at him. "Don't you get it? I don't want to hear any of it!"
"Wait!" His panic is mounting. "Where…are you going? Malik?" he entreats.
"Home. Marik has been wanting to leave for quite a while now," I muse dolefully with a unreceptive smile. "This is good bye then."
He staggers as if I'd hit him in the gut. "But…"
"I'll burn this bridge to ease the burden for you." I fight to maintain a level tone; keep the pain and anger absent. This is how it has to be. "You made your choice. Live with it."
(Marik's POV)
"How do you think things will go?" Katsuya asks while wringing his hands as we wait in the living room.
For a while there were raised voices but now it's quiet. I was frightened, could feel that 'other' side of my yami resurfacing. It appears he's kept in it check. What that means, I do not know. It takes every ounce of my willpower not to try and reach him through our connection. This is a private matter…one that he'll tell me all about later.
But for the moment it's just about the two ancient Egyptians.
"If Malik knew, as you claimed, he was acting very composed," Ryou comments from where he's standing, arms crossed, hands gripping his elbows as if creating a shield.
"Of course he was," I sniff disdainfully even as my heart continues to beat irregularly in dreaded anticipation. "He always tries to keep control of himself. You two both know why."
They both visibly wince, remembering all too well the incident with Yami setting Malik's temper off. Malik can't afford to react as much as he might like. He would lose himself.
"What do you think will happen?" the mutt repeats Ryou's question.
It's one I have been asking myself for quite some time. There were times when I was sure I'd figured out the answer. This isn't the case.
Malik won't agree to it; that much I know. What comes after that? Will he keep us here so he can use every chance he gets to try and break Katsuya and Bakura up? As if my life weren't enough of a living hell. How could he be so selfish?
Nothing could take my place. Surely he's keeping at least that in perspective? Malik understands my take on this entire affair. I want it ended one way or another. It's not his duty to look after Bakura. And it shouldn't be. That job will fall to either Ryou or Katsuya.
The thief will be dead within the week if it's the latter. Katsuya can't even watch out for himself let alone the deranged ancient Egyptian.
"He'll make the right choice."
A shadow crosses over Ryou's face. "Which is?"
"Me. Obviously."
"How could you be so egocentric? This isn't about you!" Katsuya shouts at me, rising from where he's been fidgeting on the sofa.
"Then it's about damn time that it is about me!" I retort balling my fingers into fists. Unlike Malik, I don't have to worry about my emotions running amok. Not anymore.
"You and Malik are in a relationship! That's what I want with Baku, which is impossible when people keep screwing things up for us!" the other blonde is seething, making forward as if he means to punch me. I'm not intimidated in the slightest by the likes of him.
"That's not my problem."
"You son of a…!"
"And here I thought the brawl would reside upstairs," Malik states coolly descending the stairs one at a time in even, paced steps causing all of us to freeze where we are. His Millennium Item is tucked through his belt. Unused.
Unneeded.
"Yami!" I hurry over to him and nuzzle against him ignoring a gagging sound from the mutt.
((Are you all right?))
(Later, hikari.) There is a distance in the way he speaks as if he were holding something back.
Despite him being able to keep his 'darker' half at bay, I can practically see the rage vibrating off of him. Can't let this scene draw out.
"What's the story?" Ryou jumps right to the chase.
Malik's features curl into a condescending look. "Good luck with this shit. Come on, Marik."
I perk at this. "Where?"
"Home."
While I do a victory dance in my head, Katsuya and Ryou are floored. They didn't expect my yami to give up so easily. Not that I would expect them to recognize this for what it is.
Malik has finally washed his hands of Bakura.
Katsuya recovers first. "What do you mean 'home'?"
"What do you think it means?" I sneer at the insolent teen. He's trying to feed that guilt so Malik will feel obligated to stay. Like hell I'll allow that to happen. "Where we live: Egypt."
"You can't…You wouldn't…!" Unable to finish a sentence, much less have a coherent thought process, he looks to Ryou for aid. The white-haired hikari supplies it.
"What about Bakura?" he asks quietly, lacking the aggression his companion holds. I can tell he's just as upset though.
"That's up to him now," Malik motions almost mockingly at Katsuya. "I'm done with this."
"Is that what you said to him?" Katsuya's volume is intensifying as is eyes are wide in disbelief and fury. "What did you say to him?"
"Take a chill pill, didn't you hear him?" I growl at him while Malik wraps a muscled arm around my waist. "You're in the clear, mutt." Pretending to throw a ball towards the stairs I jeer: "Fetch! Go get 'im!"
"He needs your support!" Katsuya exclaims, much to my surprise. "Malik," he entreats my yami. "Don't you realize how much your opinion matters to him?"
"Apparently it isn't that important," Malik mutters darkly, and I feel the energies being pulled in around the two of us. Looking at Katsuya—at the one who ruined his friendship with Bakura—it's too much for him. "But if you insist, I'll give you this one last chance, mutt. Leave." Brown eyes are like saucers. "Leave Bakura and I won't sever my ties with him."
Katsuya trembles, caught between two choices; neither outcome to his liking. For once, I side with the moron. If he caves then Malik and I could end up stuck here for the long haul.
That would be hell.
"You bastard," is what comes from between Katsuya's quivering lips. "He's your friend! How could you force him to choose? What kind of person does that?"
Malik raises his chin while gazing down at the mutt. "It's more than your former friend did for you."
"Don't!" Ryou catches the mutt's arm as he lunges at us. "Jou, it's not worth it!"
Ripping himself free, the blonde zones in on my yami who stares back with matched animosity. I keep a hold of the arm locked tightly around my waist, calculating Malik's temper.
"Even though I hated you, I was sure you'd do the right thing!" the mutt hisses as he makes for the stairs. "You'd better be gone when I come back down here!"
Malik doesn't rejoin, watching with narrowed violet eyes as the mutt disappears from sight. His jaw is set, muscles clenched as he struggles to remain in control. He's had enough.
"Let's go, Malik," I murmur running my hand up his chest and across his shoulder in a comforting manner. "We can catch a cabbie as we walk."
Without a word he crosses the room and wrenches the door open, all but throwing it off its hinges as the knob bashes into the wall. Maybe even through the wall. Grimacing, I look at Ryou who is alone with me at the bottom of the staircase in stunned shape.
While it's true he did conspire against my yami and me so Katsuya could get to Bakura, I can't really hold much of a grudge against him. Heck, I might even pity the guy a little. Look what we're leaving him to deal with!
Not my yami. Not my problem.
"I'll call sometime to check in on you guys," I find myself saying nonetheless.
Damn! Of all the times for my conscience to wake up! Well, it's not so bad. Even if I don't hold to that, what's he gonna do about it?
Ryou stares at me with bewildered eyes, still trying to process what just happened. I pat him on the shoulder.
"It's not like you could call us after all," I say 'lightly'. Thankfully. "Y'know, since we don't have a phone or address."
He doesn't say anything in response. Just stares.
Awkward.
"Well, I'd better get going…make sure he doesn't cause a scene…you know, dismember people…that sort of thing," I mumble shuffling to the exit while Ryou stands in a melancholy daze.
(Bakura's POV)
How did I let this happen?
The mutt is yapping downstairs, no doubt after Malik for something or other. Probably some shit about loyalty. The truth of the matter is, I should have seen this coming. Is it really any shock he couldn't take any more of this madness?
I didn't even get a chance to tell him, though I did try. This is all about revenge. If it's about love, it's the love that was betrayed thousands of years ago. The physical pleasures and the comfort of having someone so near are only bonuses.
That's all.
My stomach twists into knots when there's a loud crash of the front door. Tapping into the ring, I close my eyes. Everything goes colder than before as I feel the distance between myself and Malik increasing. I have the mind to chase after him, forget this whole plan. That won't do. It's time I stand up for myself and did what I set out to do after being freed in these present times, as we refer to them.
I won't involve him again.
"Baku!"
I don't open my eyes right away as he rushes to the bed. When I do look at him he's out of breath, face beet red. Sensing my calm – too calm – he hesitantly climbs onto the bed and kneels beside me.
"Baku, I…I tried to stop him…"
"I told you."
He doesn't argue; doesn't say anything I could use as fuel for the resentment I feel for everything and everyone at this moment. This blistering cold makes me want to curl up under the blankets and never move again. Perhaps my heart will take a hint and stop altogether.
An arm tentatively wraps around me and he pulls me against him, lying beside me. I don't have enough fight left in me to shove him away. Revenge will come later. For now I am overwhelmed physically, emotionally, psychologically…
My eyes close automatically when lips press tenderly between them. There's no talk at all. Not about plans or regrets or who is to blame. And it makes me wonder, just for an instant, if vengeance is the real reason I allowed Malik to go.
(Yami's POV)
"What do you mean they left?" Anzu repeats hollowly in disbelief.
She and Yugi are beyond shocked. I myself couldn't have fathomed this.
Malik is gone.
He's thrown in his cards and given up. Marik, of course, went with him. Probably pranced ahead of his yami on their way out.
That's not the only thing that's bothering me. Ryou sounded so distraught on the phone as if someone had died. I had no means by which to console him. It was bizarre given that he and the two Egyptians did not get on well. I do understand where his concern is stemming from though.
"It puzzles and worries me," I confess to my friends, settling myself onto a chair while they sit side-by-side on the sofa. "Malik isn't the type to just surrender. Why now? What makes this different than all those other trials? This is one I truly believe he would have won if he stayed."
Yugi bristles slightly; not liking me talking negatively about Jou and Bakura. Anzu, meanwhile, looks thoughtful at my words.
"What if that's the reason he left?" she queries, finger to her bottom lip in contemplation. "What if he wanted to give them a chance but didn't want to admit it?"
"No," I shake my head firmly. "Not Malik."
"Yami, it's possible…"
"No, it isn't," I interrupt her. "Many things are plausible. That is not one of them."
Her blue eyes are imploring. "People change."
"Not to that degree," I oppose her views. "It would be more credible if he had been going down a road of forgiveness and support beforehand. That isn't the case."
"Do you think it's another trick?" Yugi's distress for Bakura and Jounouchi is increasing by the second.
"I wouldn't put it past him," I mutter.
What I don't say is that the actual trap might have already been sprung. Malik left. Bakura is with Jounouchi for whatever reason. How long can the thief keep up this façade before he cracks? Without Malik he won't last much longer. With Jounouchi's rising recognition and the lack of a friend by his side, Bakura will crumble in a matter of days. If he lasts another week I will be impressed.
But what is Malik expecting? Bakura to come crying to him for support?
While there is a twinge of regret I do my best to bottle up those emotions. This is not my problem. Bakura did all of this on his own accord.
He has no one to blame this time but himself.
(Bakura's POV)
"Bring weapons. Exercise. Whatever the hells you do," Atem teases as I don my black robes, the morning sun less than an hour from appearing. "Just be ready for the next time you come."
"Oh? What's the occasion you want me in top condition?"I wink at him and a dark blush dyes his face.
"Honestly Bakura!" he huffs, unable to hide his embarrassment. "We're going to the Temple of Khonsu, remember?"
I roll my eyes while shrugging on the outer layer. "Yeah yeah. We'll go to the stupid temple so then you'll shut up about it." With a mischievous smile, I nudge him, drawing close. "Out of pure curiosity, what shall we be doing at the temple?"
"Bakura!" He laughs while pushing me playfully. "You need to get moving. You don't want to get caught in town."
"Hn." I grunt with a smirk as I step into the secret hallway behind the wall. "You know, you didn't answer my question. Should I take that as…?"
"Go!" he orders with both amusement and exasperation, promptly shutting the 'door' in my face.
"I see how it is!" I call to him.
"Bakura!" his muffled voice chastises from the other side.
Snickering, I practically run down the stairs through the narrow winding tunnel. I don't skip. That would just be pathetic. If it weren't so degrading, I might, I admit to myself.
I'm soaring when I reach the final doorway leading to the outside world. It's only when I stand before it that I compose myself a bit. How sad would it be to get caught because I was too smitten to be aware of my surroundings?
Pressing my ear to the wood I listen intently. After several minutes with no sounds from outside, I undo the latch and peer into the night. No one in sight in this part of the royal courtyard. That bodes well for me, but that doesn't mean there aren't annoying guards lurking about.
On instinct I steal back into the cover of the tunnel as two people approach.
"…would be completely ludicrous," a raspy voice scoffs. "The pharaoh is far from grasping his true powers. It would come as no surprise if he were to fall."
I bristle, entire body readying for attack mode. If they so much as think about touching him…
"I understand your viewpoint," a deep rich tone returns. There's something about it that makes my skin crawl. I've heard it somewhere before. "But it won't be that simple."
"You speak as if he controlled his powers well or had great intellect as you, Seth!" the first admonished.
"While he is a weakling, he's always surrounded by people," the identified priest argued. "And we cannot use our Items against him. If Isis catches on to any of this…"
"Good evening." A third party has joined them. The voice is even, though their suspicion is hardly veiled. "Akunadin. Seth."
The other two obviously were not expecting the newcomer. The older man, now revealed as none other than Atem's uncle clears his throat, though it comes out as more of a growl.
"What brings you here so early in the morning?"
"Indeed," Seth snorts with unhidden contempt. It's not a superior then. "What are you doing snooping about, Mahaado?"
This is getting more and more disturbing. Now Atem's former friend is here? What are all of these people congregating here for at this hour? The sun will be coming up soon!
My interest peaks when it comes to Mahaado's response. He's been of interest to me, given the fact he has the Item that I consider the most useful. It's probably how he found these two mongrels.
"I was out to see how the temple looks after dark," he answers the elder priest in a calm manner.
"I can't believe how long that project has taken you," Seth scoffs mockingly. "It's a wonder the pharaoh keeps you as a priest."
His peer regards him before speaking again. "Such sacred things should not be rushed. I'd best be on my way. There are duties I must perform prior to this morning's ceremonies."
Even for my years of stealth I am afraid to budge as they part with stiff well-bred farewells. Though they were not using any of their powers, I could practically feel the energies surrounding them, pulling at me from the other side of the heavy door.
Leaning my back against the cold stone wall I release a breath I didn't know I was holding tight in my throat. Those two priests…they're plotting Atem's murder. How do I deal with this? Surely as pharaoh he can simply sentence them to death?
I dismiss this idea. Just by the sound of those two and based on what Atem has told me about his uncle and cousin, they won't go down without a fight. If confronted about this, they will lash out. And as much as I love Atem, I don't doubt his relatives' confidence in comparing their strength to his.
It's also a matter of whose side the other priests take. Atem isn't as naïve as he used to be, but I can't imagine bowing to his every order and obeying. He's turned into a fine ruler by the standards set, but lacks the brutality his predecessors held. His cousin fits the part of pharaoh better based on their lineage.
Double-checking to make certain they've left, I steal away into the early morning across the royal courtyard. The sun is a golden sliver on the horizon, a reminder that time is of the essence. As I head for the barn I hid Kamenwati in, I am bewildered, anxiety on the rise. I don't know what to do.
Those two priests are willing use any means necessary to claim the throne. Their tactfulness and Shadow Magic are to their advantage. My mind sweeping across each weapon I carry on my person, I remind myself of another detail: They have to go through me to get to Atem. And I will go to whatever means necessary to see that they fail.
Even if it means killing them myself.
This chapter was bringing a lot of things together.
And Malik is gone! O.O
Malik: I did give up rather easy.
Marik: *grins slyly* You missed our love-fests! XD
Malik: ...no. That's not it.
Marik: Tch!
Let's get this ball rolling! XD
Malik: Can we go now?
Marik: Review! *pounces on Malik* Huzzah!