This is my fault. I really really really like my beta, she's funny, she's smart, she's sweet, she's crunchy, she's salty, jk, but she's not responding fast enough but I can understand cause my chapters are super long and I guess I can't expect much but… I can't let you guys down. I WILL FINISH THIS STORY!! ON MY WORD OF HONOR, BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL— I kid, I kid, I kid…
Sorry, guys. Really I love you all.
This is all thanks to PSYchOtiC-teNdencieS for kicking me in the butt. I love you, girl.
P.S. this chapter is wicked awesome.
Chyaputa 25: Abomination
1. a person who is loathsome or disgusting
2. the feeling of extreme disgust and hatred, abhorrence, detestation, loathing
3. That which is abominable; anything hated, wicked, or shamefully vile
4. a cause of pollution of wickedness
Jounouchi was going to enjoy this trip. He was determined to enjoy it. A journey with Kaiba to his not-so-humble home. Yes, the whole reason they were going to the Kaiba mansion was pretty serious, and there was no way Ryou's condition was in any way funny. But Jounouchi lived in the moment. And right now he was with Kaiba…
Fortunately, they tied the race to the mansion.
"I beat you," Jounouchi pronounced, stepping in through the front door. Kaiba did not take the argument. Jounouchi didn't think he would.
The mansion was dark and very empty. Creepy.
"Where are all your servants?" Jounouchi wondered.
"I fired them," Kaiba said. "No more reason to keep up the pretense, is there?"
Jounouchi frowned. Cutting poor humans out of their livelihood. But Kaiba didn't care about things like that.
In the hall, Kaiba finally offered Jounouchi some rigid conversation. "My research is upstairs."
"How interesting," Jounouchi taunted.
Kaiba glared at him. "Stay here. Remain in your demon form and stand watch."
"And miss you rummaging through your desks and pantries?" Jounouchi questioned. He let disappointment show on his pouted lips.
Kaiba glanced hard at him. "You'll live."
"I don't know about that," Jounouchi spoke honestly. "You, exploring odd dark rooms, alone. Seems like some major missed opportunities."
Yeah, Jounouchi was having fun. It was sick.
Kaiba lifted his stare from Jounouchi. "It wouldn't be that exciting," he stated flatly.
That could have been an insult. But Jounouchi shrugged. "What, Kaiba? Not in the mood?"
"No," and Kaiba climbed into the elevator. "Don't leave this room."
"Your loss," Jounouchi called getting, just as he had planned, the last word. Nothing pissed Kaiba off more that not getting the last word. Jounouchi was on fire today.
But Kaiba was gone now and Jounouchi was growing bored fast. He paced the mighty hall, feet purposely stomping to create echoes on the high ceiling. He whistled. He hummed. But was still bored, ghostly white wings flapping uselessly behind him.
Kaiba was taking a long time.
Jounouchi kicked up his heels, his demon claws clicking on the flawless marble. Time to make Kaiba squirm.
So Jounouchi wandered. He didn't travel far. He stayed on the first floor but that was enough to keep him mildly interested. The rooms were pretty much the same, rich and too big for practicality.
Kaiba would have to go looking for him when he came back down. He would be pissed but only a little. He would act more pissed than he was when he found Jounouchi. They would trade curt, suggestive, remarks, at least on Jounouchi's side, and then they would leave.
Jounouchi reached the kitchen. He explored the fridge, of course, but there was no food except some fast souring milk. Jounouchi let it fester.
Then he felt it. Something. Something odd.
Jounouchi followed the signature into the dinning room, the pearly leather of his wings rustling.
Then he found Bakura.
Shit.
"Well, look at that," Bakura commented. "A visitor in your house. How did that happen?" And now Jounouchi, the demon Count, could see that the villain was towering over a defenseless demon youngling.
Jounouchi's stomach almost exploded. Danger. He could not last against Bakura, he could not last one second. Kaiba couldn't last against Bakura. They were going to die here. Together…
The young demon flinched and, to Jounouchi's horror, jumped behind Bakura.
"Get the hell away from him!" Jounouchi cried. He didn't even know who this demon kid was or how the hell he had gotten here, but he did know Bakura was even now feeding off of the boy's power. "Kid, he's dangerous!"
"Aren't we all dangerous?" Bakura mused, fingers laced in the youngling's spiked black hair.
"What are you doing in my brother's house? You filthy demon!" the young demon shouted.
"What?" Jounouchi expressed. What the hell was going on? Why was this demon kid cuddling up to an angel instead of a demon, his own kind?
The youngling demon was frantic. "This guy is a friend of my brother's and he'll kill you if come nearer!"
"I will," and Bakura put a slimy hand on the youngling's shoulder.
"Get off of him!" Jounouchi ordered. "Look, kid, you don't know who that guy is!" But he was still so confused. Had Bakura done something to him? What had Bakura said? This was the demon kid's house? And he was talking about his brother…?
"Get out! When my brother comes back he's going to kill you!" the youngling shouted.
"Mokuba," Jounouchi realized. "You're Mokuba, right?"
The youngling was stunned. "How do you know my name?"
"Obviously, he's going to capture you," Bakura lied lazily.
Jounouchi took a step forward. "Mokuba, I'm a friend of your brother's. Do you remember me? Jounouchi? The food contest. You said you were glad your brother had finally found a friend. Remember?"
The youngling hesitated, clearly confused. "I-I-"
"Mokuba, this guy might seem great because he's a Tainted angel, like your brother, but don't let that fool you! He's evil! He already hurt a friend of mine and he's going to hurt you!"
Bakura ruffled the youngling's shaggy black hair. "He's lying, kid."
"I'm not!" Jounouchi cried. "Look, I'll prove it."
His brain screamed at him. He would be defenseless, even more defenseless. He was going to get himself killed.
But Mokuba… Mokuba was precious to Kaiba.
Jounouchi mentally pulled on his human skin, his white wings and claws retracting.
Mokuba's steel-colored eyes went wide.
"See?" Jounouchi pointed out, limbs trembling in their mortal casings. "I'm Jounouchi. I'm a friend of your brother's. And that guy-"
But Jounouchi didn't get to finish his sentence. A shock of cold blasted him in his vulnerable gut. His human body caved and was thrown into the wall behind him. Smack!
Jounouchi screamed. "Fuck!" Fuck. That hurt. Fuck. "FUCK!"
"Jounouchi!" That, thankfully, was Mokuba. He had gotten away from Bakura. "Jounouchi!" Hands clutched Jounouchi's bruised shoulder.
"That was careless," Bakura told him.
Jounouchi hurt. Fucking hurt. But at least the kid knew Bakura was bad. If things turned for the worst, Mokuba would have a chance to escape…
"Mokuba," Jounouchi hissed. "Run."
"Or you could stay right here," Bakura corrected. "Either way, your choice."
The kid was terrified but he stayed at Jounouchi's side, a hand clutching at Jounouchi's mortal sleeve.
With a stumble of feet, Kaiba came to the rescue. Well, not really. Jounouchi saw the flash of his blue eyes as they took in the scene: Jounouchi, wounded, his brother, and Bakura, relaxed and in perfect control.
"Yo, Principaly-san," Bakura stated, smirking. Fucking smirking like an ass.
Jounouchi thought his bones might have been broken.
Kaiba planted himself in front of Jounouchi and Mokuba, like a statue, like a protector. It was sweet, really. But the arch of his black feathered wings would not be much a shield.
"You know you can do nothing to me," Bakura said.
"Why did you come here?" Kaiba demanded. It was bold. Jounouchi respected him for it.
"Same reason you did, Principaly-san," Bakura answered mildly, picking a spot on his ear. "To look over the information you have been collecting on the power source. It was interesting. Thank you."
"Did you discover if the power source really exists?" Kaiba asked.
But instead of answering, the gray freak's feverish black eyes examined the three weaker Higher Beings before him. "I could slaughter you all, especially that Blessed shit."
Kaiba kept silent. Jounouchi was kinda proud of him. The Count hoped that if Bakura decided to go after him, Kaiba would jump out of the way, take the kid and fly.
But Bakura's smirk widened, pale skin sagged. "He helped kick me out of your home last time, prevented me from seeing his Majesty. That was irritating."
No one moved for a pause, a length in time.
Then a chill dashed through the room. A real chill. Something that made not only Kaiba, but also Bakura, simultaneously look up at the ceiling. Mokuba's whole body shook, clutching at Jounouchi's good arm. And Jounouchi felt it too, through his pain, a dull ache began in his shoulders and traveled down to his tail bone.
Jounouchi shivered, feeling somehow violated. "Fuck…" It was dangerous and hit Jounouchi at his very center.
Bakura had taken his attention off of them completely, studying the air. He sniffed. "Interesting… very interesting." Then as though making a sudden decision, the steel-winged angel took a hold of the shadows at his back, curling them in his fist.
Then Bakura smirked. "See you there. Don't be late."
And he disappeared into the shadows. Exactly like Ryou used to. He really had stolen the Prince's powers.
Kaiba dropped to the floor beside Jounouchi and in a hushed voice accused, "Idiot. You confronted Bakura in your human form? I told you to stay in your demon shape!" It was an angry voice.
"Fuck off," Jounouchi grunted. He didn't feel like explaining.
"It's my fault," Mokuba butted in. "I didn't believe him when he told me who he was! Don't blame Jounouchi! I didn't recognize him in his other form!" The kid was sweet.
Kaiba's expression did not visibly change. "Mokuba, get some ice in a towel."
The kid was very obedient.
Great, Kaiba had gotten the kid out of the room, leaving the two of them alone. Jounouchi thought Kaiba was going to scold him for wandering away from the hall, for getting himself injured, for almost getting Mokuba damaged.
Jounouchi did not expect Kaiba to help him into a sitting position.
"Look," Jounouchi began before Kaiba could start. "I'm sorry, ok. I'm sorry I couldn't protect Mokuba better. I just walked in and there he was-"
Jounouchi did not expect Kaiba to wrap his arms around him.
It was a hug. A desperate hug. It hurt his bruised sides but Jounouchi wouldn't have interrupted it for the world.
It was a hug, from Kaiba. An awkward hurtful hug.
Kaiba smelled nice. Kaiba felt warm. Jounouchi let Kaiba dig his face into his neck. Kaiba's panicked breathing felt amazing.
"Thank you," Kaiba's words were so soft, so muffled by the fabric of the blonde's shirt that Jounouchi could have dismissed them.
Jounouchi tingled.
"I didn't do much," he protested. "Just got hurt."
"Shut up," Kaiba demanded and Jounouchi did.
God, this was nice.
Jounouchi wished Kaiba would get freaked out all the time.
…)(-)-(Abomination )-(-)(…
Atemu had stayed diligently by Ryou's side since Jounouchi and Kaiba had left. He had not seen Yugi since the boy was still the living room, diligently powering the house's defenses. Now Atemu had nothing to distract him from watching Ryou's complexion wane. And wane. And wane…
It was like Ryou was disappearing.
The only sign of life was an occasional twitch of the Prince's battered, thinning wings.
It was a hopelessly antagonizing situation; either Ryou awoke to his full demon self, wild and insane, or Ryou remained asleep, potentially never to wake again.
Atemu attempted to keep his nerves at a minimum.
Jounouchi and Kaiba had been gone a long time. Perhaps they had run into trouble. Would Bakura go after them now that they were defenseless? No, Atemu calculated. Going after Jounouchi and Kaiba did not serve his motives. He would stay by the house, waiting perhaps until the two returned when Yugi had to drop the shield.
A pop of air pressure and the shield outside the house dropped.
It was about time.
But the smash that echoed strangely next to Atemu's ear drum was unexpected and unplanned. They couldn't afford surprises right now.
Then a cry. Yugi's cry.
This was bad. Had Bakura broke in? He shouldn't have been able to. He shouldn't have been powerful enough.
Ryou's friendly shield popped and dissipated. Someone had hurt Yugi enough to make him loose control of his power.
A wave of power rolled into Atemu's stomach, upsetting his gut and making him sick. It was overwhelming, and ancient. Very ancient.
Ryou gasped in his sleep, eyes spinning under the lids.
This was bad. Atemu's chair tumbled to the floor as his wings ripping free from their mortal bonds. He flashed to the doorway, running straight towards that source of dark power…
Yugi was crumpled against the wall of the house, magnificent wings limp and dim. White feathers were scattered on the floor. The angel wasn't moving. Atemu jumped out irrationally, fighting to get to the angel he loved, before he noticed the unmistakable dark figure looming over the scene.
It wasn't Bakura.
It wasn't anyone Atemu had ever seen. He had only ever associated this Being with the rot in his gut, the poison tumors on Ryou's skin, that big glassy black and gold castle…
Atemu was at his knees before he remembered where the floor was.
That- that Being. That thing of darkness- no- The Darkness. The Ultimate Being. The…
"Master," Atemu choked.
The monster rotated his magnificent body to face Atemu.
White eyes, dark flesh, were the only two features Atemu's powerless senses could comprehend.
"A servant of Mine below the shield of an angel? That's very unusual, wouldn't you say?"
A velvety voice, Atemu felt blood drip from his ears.
"You're staring, Soldier. I have to grant you permission to do that," the Master observed.
It was terrible. This monster was so ugly, so beautiful… How could Ryou stand this?
"Years of practice," the Master monster answered with the ultimate smugness.
'He reads thoughts?' Atemu realized instantly. 'Like Ryou. Ryou can read… could read…'
The Master was inside his head; Atemu could feel His essence wriggling around in his brain matter. Atemu couldn't even register the amount of pain that was coursing through his being. It was as though his limbs were being taken from his control, one by one, removed from his body…
"That's normal for first timers," the Master reassured him. "Soon you will loose control of your consciousness. If you're very lucky you will wake up within the next human year."
Atemu was flat on his back in submission, yet his eyes couldn't turn away from that awful, evil, sin-filled face.
"Sin-filled? Now, that is a bit extreme. I don't even much care about you anymore, not since you've diminished. No, you and your angel love-partner are quite dreary at the moment."
The words were pronounced not only to the air, but also within Atemu's skull. The alien consciousness intruding upon his own was beyond what Atemu could stand. Somehow, logic sprung. 'Think of something else! Distract Him away from your mind!'
Memories exploded and Atemu shoved them into the monster's greedy consciousness: Ryou. Bakura. Ryou and Bakura. Ryou capturing Bakura. Ryou's bloody neck. Bakura Tainted, strong, enemy. Power source! No power source!
"Yes, yes, that is all so interesting," the Master dismissed. "But I'm not here for that. I'm looking for my charge."
Ryou.
Blood Ceremony? Now? Had he come just for that? For pleasure? Atemu felt his old rage rebelling in his gut, then his sense caught up with him.
If Ryou went through the Blood Ceremony then he would get the Master's blood. He would be out of danger.
As much as he detested this situation, Atemu choked. "Save Ryou," he implored out loud.
The Master approached and there was more more pain pain around, on, in Atemu. "He is in the other room." The Master knew this because Atemu knew it.
"Ma-aster…"
Atemu actually managed to tear his gaze away from the Master, twist his neck back to the bedroom.
Ryou was in the doorway. Demon fangs dangled passed his chin. His body as gray as fog. Transparent as mist. Shriveling.
Ryou was going to be saved. Ryou was going to be saved!
"Master… please, Master… he took so much," Ryou groveled. He was crawling out of the doorway, claws racking the floor into strips of bad carpet.
But the Master wasn't looking at him. He wasn't even facing in the weaken Ryou's direction. He was focusing on the shadowy corner of the room.
The Master flashed multiple pairs of fangs. "Charge? Beautiful charge?"
"R-you!" Atemu protested. Save Ryou!
But the monster, Master, Darkness, reached into the shadows and pulled out a lump of wriggling shadow. Bakura, steel wings crashing with disturbing sound. The newly Tainted angel looked astonished to be discovered.
"Precious," the Master slung himself over Bakura's form. "It's been such a long time. How awful for us both! You've lost all the beautiful marks I gave you! That won't do. We shall have to start all over again."
Atemu's brain hurt. 'The Master thinks Bakura is Ryou!'
"His name does not matter," the Master answered Atemu's thoughts again. "My power is within him. Therefore he is mine."
Bakura stared, distastefully, at the monster clinging to him. "You are?"
The Master licked Bakura's cheek. "I have many names."
A snap. A flash of dark blue light and suddenly Kaiba, with a wounded Jounouchi in his arms, teleported into the house.
Atemu saw the look come over Jounouchi's face. Although he also had never laid eyes on this creature of nightmare, he knew in his core, his demonic core, who this monster was.
Jounouchi dropped out of Kaiba's arms to the floor, white filmy wings like dead canvasses. "Master? The Master…"
"The Master?" Bakura was becoming intrigued.
Neither Bakura nor the Master had taken even the slightest interest in the arrivals of Jounouchi and Kaiba, they were too preoccupied with each other.
"I've taken a special interest in you," the Master, ran his fingers down Bakura's chest. "I always have. Ever since the Early Wars."
Bakura's face fell.
"Bad time for you, wasn't it? Simply splendid how you shattered so many souls though. I can still hear the sweet sweet cries. Beautiful times. Chaos. Always something to watch."
Bakura didn't like this. "And?" It was the most ruthless word in the universe.
"You're getting your powers back! It's all very exciting. Once you get that power source that will definitely be something memorable," the Master promised. He sounded excited. Ecstatic.
"There is no power source," Kaiba said, aggressively. How bold he was! In any other circumstance he would be dead, more than dead.
The Master was uninterested in everything that wasn't Bakura. "But there is. And it's of infinite proportions. Rainbow colored. Like your soul. Isn't it wonderful?" His dark fingers were tracing Bakura's ear down to his chin. "A great treasure like that can easily be stolen back."
"Stolen?" Yugi repeated. The boy must have woken up.
The Master ignored the Hashmallim. "Once you get your power back, I'll look for you, beauty. You won't get pulled away again by that nasty Council. I won't let them."
'Why?' that question stung in Atemu suddenly. 'Why is the Master, who seems to know Bakura, hanging on him? He knows what will happen if he gets too close. He knows… and wants it?'
Atemu saw a whole new realm of problems. And it was extremely bad.
And there was nothing he, a Soldier, could possibly do about it. Nor could Jounouchi or Kaiba do anything either. It was futile.
"You weary me," Bakura said to the Master.
"So soon? You don't want to talk a little? Know of my big plans for you?" the Master suggested. His dark copper hands were touching Bakura all over, clutching at the dangerous angel's hips.
Bakura didn't look at the monster before him. "No."
The Master was disappointed. "You won't even look at Me."
"Did Ryou do that for you?" Bakura questioned. The Tainted angel was gazing at the fallen Prince, like a wrinkled skeleton on the floor. Ryou, with his big brown eyes, was staring back at him, limbs thinner than wire.
"Ryou would do whatever I asked," the Master answered, not looking at his old demoted plaything.
"Sounds like him," Bakura grunted, nose wrinkling. His eyes were still fixed on Ryou's desperate pleading face.
The Master shoved Bakura's hair back, exposing the Tainted angel's pale neck. "Shall we begin?"
Shit. It was happening. What Atemu feared.
"No, I don't think so," Bakura growled. And at the last second he grabbed the Master's head viciously and bit into the sinister, dark flesh.
"Bakura! No!" That scream had been Yugi.
The four of them watched Bakura suck and feed. Atemu could not move, there was still too much pain. Yugi was paralyzed with his sobs. Jounouchi stunned. Kaiba stubbornly immovable.
Were they really so powerless? Was there nothing they could do but sit and watch this disgusting ritual?
Ryou grasped at the floor, trembling as though with disease. The expression on his pale face as he gazed up at Bakura and his Master could've broke a million hearts.
Bakura's business was quick and the Master groped at him, emitting noses of pain and pleasure as his body rotted in the graying angel's arms. The Master's form wilted faster than expected, dark body morphing fast into crumbles.
It didn't take long.
In a splash of poisonous gases, the Master's body crumpled and burst into a caustic soot; the black stuff getting every where.
Atemu was finally blacking out now, but not before he saw Bakura's radiating body stretch and turn, as though onto the next course, to Ryou.
Jounouchi jumped wobbly to his feet, not nearly recovered enough to fight. "Back off!" he demanded.
"Bakura, please don't," Yugi pleaded.
Bakura's eyes did not leave Ryou's broken body. "Oh? Does that mean you don't want me to save Ryou from crumbling into dust like his predecessor?"
Jounouchi hesitated. Yugi swallowed.
"No…" Atemu choked. "Don't let…" Blackness had already invaded the sides of his vision.
"Atemu?" Yugi was by his side, caring face glowing. "You ok?"
But Bakura was already leaning over Ryou.
"If Bakura gives Ryou… you can't let—" Atemu coughed.
"Shhh," Yugi hushed him sweetly.
Ryou was doomed.
Bakura's mouth twisted, biting his own tongue. Then he lowered his head and dropped that bleeding split tongue into Ryou's begging mouth.
And Atemu finally blacked out as Demon Ryou mercilessly sucked the blood from Bakura's grotesque kiss.
…)(-)-(Abomination )-(-)(…
Yugi twisted the washcloth, ringing out the old stale water. He dipped it into the ice water and replaced the cloth back on Atemu's forehead.
He had been asleep for two days.
So had Ryou. Neither had moved since the coming of the Master.
Bakura hadn't shown up either.
Jounouchi had explained that fainting in the presence of the Master wasn't unheard of.
"Because of Atemu's minuscule power levels, it's not surprising he got overwhelmed," Kaiba had added
"Like your knees didn't quake when you saw Him," Jounouchi scolded.
Yugi ran his fingers through Atemu's damp bangs. The Soldier had been sweating through his immortal skin, but besides that he had been perfectly fine. Yugi had emitted his healing powers on Atemu, the pure magic easily adapting to Atemu's skin. But there wasn't much physically wrong with him.
"He's in shock," Kaiba had pronounced. "He'll wake in time."
That didn't stop Yugi from holding Atemu's hand.
Meanwhile Kaiba had been occupied with his laptop, quietly piecing together statistics and observation data to come up with some logical answer of what happened to the power source, if it even existed.
Jounouchi had been occupied solely with Kaiba. The Tainted angel had of course said he needed to combine both the angel's and the demon's data on the power source. Which could explain why Jounouchi seemed glued to Kaiba's side, and why Jounouchi continuously hovered over Kaiba as he worked. And why Kaiba didn't shove him away every time he got close, like he did with everyone else.
But Yugi was too worried about Atemu to comment on their strange relationship.
Yugi folded a blanket over Atemu's still sleeping body. He was in his demon form, unable to consciously transform himself back into his human shape. Yugi had spent many hours looking at him like that. At Atemu's ruby-colored wings, at the angular hellish sharpness of his limbs, softer than other most demons, almost human looking.
'He looks different,' Yugi thought and his fingers reached for Atemu's face again. 'But not… too different…'
The Hashmallim's fingertips brushed the demon's nose. The peak of his lips…
Jounouchi laughed loudly in the next room.
Yugi flinched and his hand jerked away from Atemu's face.
To prevent anymore dangerous examinations of this demon Soldier's body, Yugi pulled himself away from the bed and out of the bedroom.
He entered the common room to find Jounouchi with his chin on Kaiba's shoulder. The two were sitting very close.
Yugi didn't understand it. But he didn't feel like he had to. So he snuck around behind the pair so he wouldn't disturb their position.
"What's that scrawly looking graph?" Jounouchi questioned, poking the laptop's shiny screen.
"You'll have to be more specific since most of these graph could be considered vaguely scrawly," Kaiba commented rigidly, continuously typing as he spoke. "And don't damage the screen."
"I didn't damage it, it's totally fine," Jounouchi protested. "That graph there in the corner with the, ah, blue lines and stuff, and those really tiny numbers."
"Again, you'll have to be more specific when referring to 'really tiny numbers'. Your simple human oils will mess up the light of the crystals panels," Kaiba explained curtly.
Jounouchi touched Kaiba's severely straight back. "Ok, ok, fine, I won't touch your little technological screen, fancy pants. Oh, now you've gone and deleted that graph I was telling you about. What was it?"
"If it was deleted it wasn't important."
"If you had told me what it was I might have thought it was important. We're a team here, Kaiba, remember? Angels and demons working together."
"If the definition of a team is one person working and one person annoying and distracting the other while contributing nothing to project himself."
Yugi sighed, while getting out a glass of juice. At least some people were getting along.
Leaving the squabbling two to their devices, Yugi snuck back into Atemu's room with his juice.
Which he dropped upon entering the bedroom, the glass smashing against the floor. Atemu was stirring. Yugi jumped to the bedside, clutching at the sheets.
"Atemu? You ok?"
The demon shuddered, eyelids flickering. "Yu-Yugi?"
"Yeah, yes! It's me." And without thinking Yugi grabbed Atemu's hand. God, in a rush he was suddenly happier than he'd been in weeks.
Atemu rolled over, facing Yugi. His red eyes wrinkled. "I… it was…"
"Atemu," Yugi said his name again, gripping that hand as he knelt before his bed. "Are you alright? Do you feel ok?"
"Fine," Atemu grunted, blinking, refocusing his sight.
And their two eyes connected.
And Yugi trembled. "Hi."
Atemu opened his mouth to speak, but then Jounouchi barged in.
"You're awake! Hey, Kaiba!' Jounouchi cried. "Atemu's awake!"
"Shh," Yugi hushed. "Don't wake Ryou."
"Ryou?" Atemu sat up, pulling his hand away from Yugi so he could grip his own head. Panic took over his features. "Where is he? What happened? Did…"
"He's fine," Yugi assured him calmly. "He's in his room resting like you."
Atemu's eyes were round. "What… what… Oh." Then his face fell into seriousness.
"You remember?" Yugi asked politely.
"The Master was here," Atemu answered. Then he twisted toward door. "And Bakura."
Yugi swallowed. "Yes."
"But Ryou's looking a lot better now," Jounouchi continued cheerfully. "Yugi says he's all solid and healthier. A lot less gray."
"Yes," Atemu growled darkly. "I would suspect so."
"Completely ungray, actually," Kaiba commented sourly as he appeared in the doorway.
Atemu swung his legs off the bed with purpose; he wanted to stand, and nothing in this world could stop him. So Yugi got to his own feet and offered him a hand. Atemu, thankfully, took it.
"What are you all so grim about, huh?" Jounouchi demanded. "Ryou's better! He's not blood-hungry anymore, thanks to Bakura."
"Yes, and thanks to Bakura," Atemu growled. "Ryou will be scarred for the rest of his life."
Jounouchi looked confused. "Why?"
Kaiba scoffed. "You, of all us, should know."
At that moment, there was a scream.
"Ryou!" Atemu lurched forward, out of Yugi's hold, out into the common room.
Yugi, Jounouchi, and Kaiba, followed closely behind. Yugi's temporary happiness had been sucked down into his acidic stomach like an evil vacuum. Would this terror never end?
Atemu threw open Ryou's bedroom.
There was a shock of white standing in the middle of the room. And that shock of white was Ryou.
It was unnatural, the way that every part of him was clean and fresh and full of white. To his clawed feet, to his exposed white webbed wings that shook in the air. He was on his knees. On the floor. Pure and white and snow and clean, he knelt on the carpet, in front of a mirror where the white horror was reflecting back at him. Ryou hid his face in his paler than pale hands, trying to block out that hurtful color.
Atemu skidded to the floor, next to his best friend.
Jounouchi gaped. "But… Bakura got his blood from the Master. He was giving back the Master's blood to Ryou, right?"
"Doesn't matter," Yugi said, in a small voice, head bowed. "Once the blood was in Bakura's body it held angelic properties. Not even the Master's toxins could combat the infection after it started."
Ryou was sobbing. "No, no, no, no…"
Atemu held his best friend's head in his arms, shielding him from the sight of the mirror, his own demonic head bent down on top of Ryou's fluffy white hair.
And Ryou was sobbing. "No, no, no, no…"
The ex-Prince of Hell was Blessed.
And Atemu didn't have to wipe the tears that came dribbling down Ryou's face. Because the Bleached demon's tears were no longer poisonous.
…)(-)-(Abomination )-(-)(…
For the title of this one I almost made it "Masterbation" hahaha. Unfortunately, that's not a real word. And this chapter isn't supposed to be funny.
SUPER AWESOME CHAPTER!!
Does this answer some of your questions? Are your little brains working now? I know some of you wanted to see the Master again, god knows why. He's a creepy bastard.
NEXT CHAPTER!!: How many bedrooms in that place again? Oh yeah… three, oh convenient.
REVIEW!!