Merry Christmas everyone and if you don't celebrate it that's ok because I'm wishing you a happy and safe holiday as well –hugs- enjoy the chapter.

Warnings: M. Yaoi, Language. Supernatural themes. Horror. I own NOTHING! The plot is mine.

Chapter 25: Another Darker Day.

Ryou pulled his wet jacket about his already cold body, trying to ignore his instincts that screamed at him to find comfort in his mate's arms, that Bakura would ease his pain, it was even screaming at him to run to Marik and Malik. Ryou cleared his mind. He no longer had a mate, Marik made sure of that and his mark was almost gone and that he was completely on his own once again.

He started to tire from what seemed like mindlessly wandering around the streets. He needed a place to stay, so he headed in the direction of Yugi's house. In the past he had so regularly stayed at his friend's house and wondered if Yugi's Grandpa would welcome him back... that awkward uncomfortable feeling ate at him of having to ask the old man if he could stay and then having to deal with having to face Yugi after what he witnessed, Ryou really didn't think he could speak with him let alone face him again tonight... was he really to blame on walking out over what happened?

His neck ached as well as his throat; Ryou brought up his hand and gave a light rub, wondering if the bruising could be seen already. A thought sent a cold chill down his spine, would he be lying in the driveway dead if Malik hadn't of intervened?

He stopped walking... a part of him wished that Malik hadn't stopped Marik so this chaos of wretchedness that seemed to swell within his chest like a black hole would at least cease to exist. Ryou's body gave a violent shiver and his teeth begin to chatter. He was brought from his thoughts and glanced about again. Staying at Yugi's would mean run-ins with Yami, Seto and possibly Malik or Marik.

Ryou walked through the streets blinded by his own tears that he no longer had control over... there was one place that was still all his. He turned and headed in a new direction.

He wiped at his face and tried to fix himself up a little as he walked through the doors and up to the super's counter and rung the bell. Moments later, "What?" came the gruff voice followed by the old woman in a bed robe, slippers and curlers in her hair, a cigarette sat in the corner of her mouth.

"I'm Ryou Hikari apartment 115b." The older woman just stared at him as if she didn't understand him. "I'm picking up the spare key... it's my dad's apartment, Galen." She nodded her head and moved away, coming back moments later with the key in hand.

"They were cleaning up the place a few days ago, getting it ready to sell." She handed him the key. "Sorry to hear about your father." There was no sympathy in her voice or her face, they were just empty words.

"Thanks." Ryou turned for the lifts; he stepped inside when the doors opened and pressed the floor he needed. He soon stepped out and walked down the hallway, knowing where he was going and not needing to see the numbers on the doors he passed. He soon stood before his door and unlocked it.

The apartment was dark and the air was stale. The lights from the hallway lit up the room and Ryou was met with a sight to which this little apartment had never seen. It was clean and very tidy, new furniture from a couch, t,v, to dining table and chairs, plants had been placed in the room to brighten it up. His mother must have done all the work or most likely she had someone do it for her.

He walked in, locking the door behind him and lent against it, he slid to the floor pulling his knees to his chest...

"This is your fault!" Malik raged in fury to which only the dead had been privileged to see firsthand. The half Demon's body surged with electric currents and sparks, every light bulb in the library had exploded, popping one after another.

Marik had expected it would have been him to have taken the blunt razor edge of his mate's fury knowing Malik wouldn't have taken what happened so lightly. "It could not have been helped." Kaiba stepped in trying calm the situation before it got out of hand and someone ended up hurt.

"Ryou left!" Malik turned on the Healer, eyes consumed with so much blood that all whites of his eyes were gone and turning black. "HE LEFT ME!" His fangs were at a deadly length. "Because of you!" Malik's attention was now on the Demon Lord. "And you took it upon yourselves to take Bakura too!"

"Again Marik you sit idly by and leave all explanations too late." Yami stood still and made no sudden movements, even with Malik so fresh out of Recovery; the half Demon could very well do a lot of damage to everyone in the room.

"Malik." Marik moved keeping his hands up and Malik tracked them like a wild animal unsure of its prey for a moment before snapping his eyes to met his mate's. "Rigor-mortis set in and Bakura had to be moved... I couldn't... I couldn't bring himself to let Ryou handle what had to be done."

"You did it behind his back?" Malik hissed lowly as he moved to keep all in the room within his sights.

It had been a good three days since Ryou had walked out on them and the days had rolled by slower then Marik cared for. The guilt and self loathing had taken a new twist, dropping the Demon into a more bitter mood than ever... never had he hated himself so much as he did right now and most likely Malik would too. "I didn't want it to happen that way... Ryou took it so hard." Marik was having trouble keeping the overwhelming emotions at bay; dealing with his own right now was hard enough let alone dealing with his mate's as well.

"It happened he isn't here, both of them are now gone... ARE YOU ALL FUCKING HAPPY!" Malik bit back the red tears of blood that ran down his cheeks despite his efforts to keep them back; Yami cringed at the sound of electronics exploding throughout the house, once again everything that had to be plugged into a power-socket would have to be replaced.

"I wanted to give him more time... I would have given him to the end of time if I knew it would have been just the slightest bit easier on him." Marik defended himself. He left out the part that he was angry at himself for what he had done, never before had he raised a hand to his mate or Bakura no matter how dark, desperate or angry he had gotten at them... However, Marik had never been called a traitor in his existence and his reaction to it had been so strong he had no control over himself... he didn't blame Ryou for leaving.

"You attack Ryou when he needed you the most." Malik's voice strained. "How could you not consider how he might have been feeling? You're as hot headed as ever and not once did you stop to think how much he was hurting."

Marik stood there in silence and took what anger his mate aimed at him, if Malik so wished to beat him into a puddle of ooze right here where he stood Marik wouldn't stop him or defend himself... he deserved it, deserved to have someone take revenge on him on Ryou's behalf.

Malik stopped moving and talking, taking in a trembling breath as his powers that spiked and surged about him subsided somewhat, his shirt was blood stained from his own tears. "I'm so mad at you right now!" He hissed at Marik unable to express it in any other way on how he felt... no doubt in his mind that Marik already knew without having him say it anyway.

"I know."

"NO!" Malik yelled at him as his fists clenched at his sides. "No you don't know." His half Demon raged. "For what you've done Ryou will never forgive us." Malik took in a deep breath and said in a somewhat level voice. "I don't care how you feel right now... just, just make up with him, beg if you have too, just get him to forgive you and get him home."

Yami stayed quiet not wanting to be a part of a mates quarrel, he backed up a little wondering if he could slip through the door unnoticed. Kaiba moved in just in case Malik or Marik lost it and attacked each other; he had never seen them react like this before.

No matter how much Marik so badly wanted to purge what love he held for his human, his heart was a different matter and the need to still protect his human was still strong enough despite his mood... it didn't stop the dark thoughts from entering his mind. "Maybe it was fate that Ryou was never meant to be with us." Marik's voice was low and soft that Yami, Kaiba and Malik almost missed it.

"What?" Malik jerked back with a gasp. "Of course he belongs with us!"

"Think about it." Marik glared at his mate and didn't need to read the emotions of confusion as it was clearly written over Malik's face. "He was with us for a few years and died at the hands of the Witch. The experiments to bring back his soul into the bodies of those boys that looked so much like him, only for them to die on the table in agony." Malik's back hit the glass windows needing something to support himself with as it felt that Marik's own words winded him. "I even brought him back from the dead to only kill him again hours later... what part don't you understand? How many more look-a-likes must we go through before you and Bakura realize this... Ryou's not meant to be with us. My heart can't take it anymore, just let this one go."

"No! How can you say that after all this time; he's proven it so many times that he's the real deal. I don't care what you think or say, Ryou's worth keeping and fighting for..." Malik's words died in his throat as his eyes swept to Yami's and narrowed, was this some twisted plan Yami and his Council conjured up and somehow dragged Marik into it by bribing him to get their hands on Bakura and have Ryou out of their hands unprotected and vulnerable... Malik backed up a few steps towards the door. If that was the case then he too was on his own and nothing hurt more than the thought of losing his mate and his lovers to an enemy. "Yami." Malik hissed. "You think Ishizu is a nightmare, than I promise you that if anything happens to Ryou and Bakura and I find out that you and your Council had a hand in it... You'll find out firsthand just how much worse I am."

"Malik." Marik growled his eyes on Yami and ready to intervene should the Demon Lord decided to attack his mate. Yami never did take threats lightly.

Malik replied with a growl and a flash of fangs before he turned and stormed from the library... both Marik, Malik and Kaiba had simultaneous thoughts.

I wish Bakura was here.

Ryou slowly cracked open an eye at the sound of someone knocking on his front door. He pulled the covers over his head and buried his face in the pillow... the landlord had been up five times to see him in four days since taking the keys from her. Ryou didn't care what she wanted and ignored her. He presumed it was her again, but the knocking persisted for a few more moments before it stopped and whoever it was left.

It was noon when his stomach twisted up so painfully reminding him that it hadn't seen any food for days. He gathered himself up enough to get off the couch and headed for the bathroom. He avoided looking at himself in the mirror knowing what he would see. Hopefully a shower would have him looking good enough to enter society again.

He soon stepped out of the shower and got into the same clothes he had been wearing for the past few days. Glancing in the mirror, he was right, he looked a little better. Ryou ran his hands through his hair a few times to get back a little order to it. He stopped when his shirt lifted and eyes caught the bare skin of his hip and where his mated mark should be. He ran his fingers over the pale smooth skin for a few moments... he missed Bakura more than words could express. Ryou turned from the mirror before something more could come of it or he would start crying again.

He walked out into the living area and froze upon seeing his bag on the kitchen bench. Ryou hesitantly approached it. The bag hadn't been there when he went into the bathroom he was sure of it as he didn't bring anything with him other then the clothes he had on.

Ryou approached the bag and opened it; the first thing he saw was an envelope on the top. He plucked it up and opened it, a small note that was in Malik's hand writing.

I packed a few of your things that you might need. Just don't stay away too long, I miss you. Hopefully there is enough to keep you going for a little while. Can't we be friends if you don't wish to be with me any longer? I don't think I could live out another life time without you.

Love Malik.

Ryou wasn't at all shocked or surprised to know that Malik had let himself in, it was the kind of thing his half Demon always did. Holding back the tears and the lump in his throat, he missed Malik too and the urge to rush out the door to go see him was still as strong as ever. He opened the envelope a little more and found money, he flipped through the notes lightly, there was enough to keep him going for months, the realization of what happened a few days go between Marik and himself hit him like a punch to his stomach. Malik was the one person Ryou would have spared from the argument between Marik and himself.

Ryou refocused on the money, Malik did always think of him more than necessary and he was always grateful for it... this was Malik's way of being certain that Ryou would be able to finish high school without the worries of having to fit in a job.

Ryou's stomach twisted up in hunger, he fished out some clean clothes and a smaller bag of personal goods and headed down the hallway, wearing the same clothes for a few days wouldn't be smelling like roses... besides, he needed to go and see his doctor, because there was no way he was going back to the mansion for his meds and risk a run-in with Marik.

He stepped out of the elevator and headed for the doors, in the few days of staying in the apartment he had found that whoever had cleaned up the apartment had thrown out everything he had owned. It didn't matter he took everything with him that was important to him when he moved in with Bakura, Marik and Malik. "Hey kid?" The old woman shuffled towards him, dressed the same way, bathrobe, slippers, too much make-up and curlers in her hair.

Ryou stopped to face her and wasn't sure how to address her, he had never been introduced to her since his father was the one that always spoke with her. "Afternoon," Was the best greeting that came out of his mouth.

"You're apartment was bought up yesterday afternoon." That was just great, so now Ryou would have to leave and he was really homeless. "Don't fret kid." She mumbled. "The guy said you're welcome to stay for as long as you like or until you get a place of your own."

Ryou frowned at her and asked. "Wouldn't he want to move in right away?" Usually it was what people did, right?

She looked thoughtful for a movement as if she had to pull all her thoughts out of an abyss and spoke her words carefully. "He mentioned something about not knowing what to do with it yet."

"What rent is he asking for?" Ryou sighed knowing he would have to get a job anyway, but now he would have to find a job that would cover whatever his new landlord was asking.

"He didn't." She turned and shuffled back to her office. "Just pay me what you usually pay." Ryou wasn't too sure about that either since his father once again handled everything like that. He would work it out later, for now he needed something to eat.

The small take-out shop was packed by people who flocked to the market with the same idea he had in getting a few groceries for home. Ryou was waiting in line to order his food when he was suddenly engulfed in a tight hug. "Ryou, it's so good to see you." Anzu pulled back moving about to stand before him. "I was so worried that you would be in hiding forever."

"Wanted to be." Ryou muttered back with a weak smile.

"Yugi and Joey told me what happened." She said sadly.

A voice rang clear over the small chatter in the store. "Someone needs to knock Seto down a few pegs." Joey huffed, arms crossed over his chest as he walked with Yugi through the crowd. "I'm sick of his stick up the ass attitude I didn't even get so much as a goodbye this morning."

"A lot has happened." Yugi reminded him and paused for a moment when his eyes met Ryou's.

"I know." Joey turned with a growl facing his friends and continued talking as if Ryou had been there from the start. "He comes home so exhausted and in such a pissy mood that he ignores me more than usual. But its okay if he works me like his little house bitch. Like I'm meant to wait around for him." Joey's eyes widened and he paled and then he gushed out, "I'm so sorry Ryou, I didn't mean, you know. Seto just gets to me some days."

"I know," Ryou gave him a soft smile; everyone seemed to be arguing around him and he wondered if all human and Demon relationships had the same problems as they did, Yami was hardly around, Seto seemed to care more for other's then his own mate.

"I didn't mean... I like Seto, he's just not as thoughtful as he could be." Joey grunted as Yugi elbowed him in the side. "Sorry."

"Guys." Ryou stopped Yugi and Joey from talking. "It's ok to talk about your mate's in front of me, just because I've lost mine and had a falling out with Marik, doesn't mean my world has come to an end." but it sure felt like it had, Ryou's voice cracked and strained again through the light smile he gave them. Ryou turned his attention back to the line he was in and moved up to the counter, Anzu followed him ordering what she wanted with him.

"Shit!" Joey hissed; damn Ryou had forced himself into some kind of denial way of thinking that everything was fine; no one recovered in days of what Ryou had been through. "I didn't mean to make it sound like..."

"It's called foot in mouth syndrome." Yugi shook his head with a grin teasing his friend a little. "Don't bother asking Seto for a cure, there isn't one."

"Yeah, yeah, you're really funny." Joey muttered unhappily as he watched Ryou for a moment. It didn't slip his mind that he would someday be in Ryou's shoes. "I gotta go, got papers to turn in from last week that I haven't completed yet. Cya back at school."

"He doesn't mean half the things he says," Yugi said sitting down at the table Ryou and Anzu had picked out. "It's sad really, that he gets so nervous when he talks about Seto and it makes him so confused and mad." Yugi gave a small laugh, "Joey's so head over heels for that Healer." Yugi glanced up when no reply came from Ryou. His friend was already eating his food with a somber look. "Are you alright?" Yugi asked worriedly Ryou could fool most with his 'I'm fine' act when things got bad. "I mean... how are you coping?" Yugi didn't think he could function as a person if Yami had somehow ended up like Bakura or if Yami had done to him what Marik had done to Ryou. How his friend made it this far was beyond him.

"I don't think I am." Ryou muttered softly again trying to hold back tears. "I miss Bakura so much." He had never seen Ryou so cut up before, not even when his mother had walked out on him or when his father had beaten him black and blue and kicked him out of home for the first time... Ryou was hurting in the worst possible way and there was nothing Yugi could do to help, but hoped that Marik made up with him soon.

"Oh yeah, while I remember, It's a pre-Halloween dress-up that's organized by the school." Anzu suddenly blurted out, Yugi shook his head as Ryou just stared at her. "The student's night only at a local night-club, well it's tomorrow night." Anzu with her sharp mind had instantly formed a plan in her mind, if she could talk Ryou into going with her then she would make sure that Marik and Malik would be there as well. "Shall I pick you up at five?"

"Anzu I don't think..." Ryou started to say, a party wasn't something he was up to doing.

"It'll be fun and don't worry." She stood up hardly touching her food. "I have your costumes picked out already." She winked at them as she rushed off, yelling over shoulder that she was going to remind Joey.

Ryou suddenly jerked with a deep coughing fit, splattering blood over his hands and food on the table. Yugi suddenly cried out getting to his feet and wrapping his arms about Ryou and looked around to see everyone around them watching in shock. "Ryou what's wrong?" Yugi sounded panicked the more blood that filled Ryou's hands.

Ryou's throat and chest felt as though they were set alight with fire; he couldn't get a breath in between the coughing. He tried to get to his feet and leave, his vision darkened and he slipped from Yugi's hold and his chair. "Ryou!" Yugi leapt over the chair knelt down on one knee, his foot on the other side of Ryou's body and Yugi was careful that he didn't put any weight on him. "He needs help!" Yugi shouted upon seeing more blood ooze from Ryou's mouth and nose and his body twitched while he stared up at Yugi. "I'll get Seto."

"No." Ryou gasped out in a raspy breath and gripped onto Yugi's arm. "Please don't." Yugi could barely hear what he was saying.

"Ryou, stay with me!" Yugi shook him a little trying to fight against a losing battle in keeping his friend conscious.

It was late in the evening when Yugi was allowed into the room of the local hospital to sit with Ryou who still slumbered. Yugi was trying to get over the shock in seeing his friend, doing what? Choking? Dying? And how helpless he was to help, Yugi glanced at the bed worriedly, how badly he wanted to rush out to the phones and call Seto to fix whatever was wrong with his friend.

The ambulance had arrived but Ryou had been unconscious for a good few minutes and didn't look to wake up anytime soon. Yugi stated that he knew Ryou better than anyone and ended up travelling with them to the hospital. Once arriving, Ryou was rushed away on the stretcher and Yugi was told to wait. He had spent most of his afternoon in the waiting area worried for his best friend and what he should do, Ryou didn't want Seto to heal him... it was insane not to, there was so much blood.

Doctor Gates breezed in and out of the room, checking on Ryou and reassuring Yugi before leaving to attend her other duties only to return soon after to do everything over again. "He'll be fine." She smiled at him. "Yugi was it?" She asked moving away from the bed. "Could you tell me if Ryou was taking his mediation regularly; they won't prevent these attacks from happening but they help keep them from being so severe. This was a severe attack."

"He's on... He's on medication?" Yugi frowned, he didn't know and he had a feeling that no one else did either.

She frowned with a sigh and added softly. "I'll give him a new set when he wakes up." She wrote down in a folder. "But I wish to keep him in overnight just in case." She put the folder away asking once more. "Is there anyone I should call for him, parents, guardians?"

"No.' Yugi shook his head. "Not right now." He wasn't sure how Marik or Malik would take the news of Ryou being in the hospital or how Ryou would react to them being here.

"When you are ready, you can use the phone at the nurse's desk." Gates patted his shoulder as she left the room once more.

Yugi sighed leaving the room to call his Grandpa and let him know what happened, no doubt that the school would have called him by now telling him that Yugi had never returned to school that afternoon. His Grandpa had been shocked as well and rather upset and insisted that Ryou came back to stay with them until the boy was back on his feet. "I'll be sure to tell him." Yugi muttered. "Ok Grandpa, I'll be home soon." Hearing a goodbye from his Grandpa before he hung up the phone, he thanked the nurse behind the desk and headed back to the room.

Yugi took up a seat beside the bed and waited.

It was about nine that night when Ryou woke up, Yugi just didn't have it in him to leave sooner and not let his friend know where he was. "Hey." Yugi got up and moved to the bed.

"Where..." Ryou glanced about sleepily. Doctor Gates had told him that the medication she had given Ryou would keep him a little out of it for the night and hopeful repair what damage was done.

"You're in the hospital." Yugi pressed the call button for a doctor.

"You know." Ryou relaxed trying to focus and get out what he needed.

"Not all the details, something about doctor patient confidentiality." Yugi sighed. "I know your sick... really sick and you haven't told anyone, have you?" Yugi knew the workings of Ryou's mind and his ways of not liking to make people worry about him or being a burden to others.

"I'd like to keep it that way." Ryou shut his eyes and Yugi frowned thinking he had drifted off to sleep. "Please keep this to yourself." He muttered opening his eyes slowly staring into Yugi's light lilac with flecks of blue.

"How long have you kept this from Bakura, Marik and Malik?" Yugi knew that this illness wasn't something that occurred over overnight. "How long have you suffered with this?"

"Awhile." Ryou coughed out and Yugi pressed the call button again.

"Ryou." Yugi sighed in a scolding way.

"Please keep this to yourself. I'm doing just fine." Ryou gasped again and blood dribbled from his lips into his hand.

"Whatever it is it's killing you, isn't it?" Yugi watched wide eyed as Ryou struggled to breath. Why hadn't Seto picked up on Ryou's illness before, the opportunity had come up so many times... was Seto in on keeping this a secret from everyone as well?

Doctor Gates and two nurses rushed into the room and Yugi was moved out of the way. They worked on Ryou adjusting the drip that was connected to his hand and cleaned him up and got Ryou settled once more. "He needs his rest, he shouldn't be talking anyway."

Yugi nodded thinking it was best that he went home anyway. "Ryou." Yugi got his attention once more as he lent over on the bed. "I'll keep it to myself, but if this happens again I'm tell someone whether you like it or not." Yugi pulled away with a sad thought that this just might be what Ryou wanted, to die with his mate.

Yugi left the room and Ryou was sound asleep before he had made it to the door. He wiped away a few stray tears and prayed that everything somehow would turn out for the better for Ryou's sake and his own.

The word had spread through the Demonic Realm like wild fire, shooting up the ranks of guards and slaves of the castle. The reports from the rarely seen and strange creature Healers that worked within the walls of the Hollow, Kyoshi was dying despite their efforts.

This news brought on a new wave of excitement that had long since withered and died in the old Demon. Her plans were coming about full circle and the achievement to her success made her mouth water, for it was just in her reach. "I know and everything possible is being done to ensure he survives." Ella watched and listened through the crack in the door as the Demon Lord tried to reassure the castle's twin Shadows. "Bakura took extensive damage." Ella could feel the air around her was tight with agitation and anxiousness.

The old Demon held in her small cackle as she slipped away before she was noticed, she had never seen the Shadows in such disarray, it was a good thing to see. While the Shadows were distracted no one would be watching her.

She slipped out into the night unseen by the busy night guards who were seeing all invitations to those who were arriving early or for business. She made it to the outer court yard and approached a young Demon and dropped a small bag of money into his waiting hand. She mounted the Flyer taking up its rains. The large lizard like creature hissed and bared its razor sharp teeth. "Careful, he hasn't been feed." Ella ignored him forcing the creature to turn about and take to the night sky.

Her ability to fly any distance was not an option for her anymore. Her wings had withered and aged along with her body and rarely used even in her youth. Turning down training in combat and battle tactics for books and climbing the ranks in the castles Council as their assistant for centuries until becoming the first youngest ever Council member. It all payed off, she was but a breath away from achieving what she really wanted, the throne and a crown with a little revenge.

Half the night of flying and the Hollow finally came into view... it stood black against the night, small windows around the top of the peaks glowed an inviting yellow. Ella knew better, nothing was welcoming about that place. She was however impressed that even at this distance it was the largest construction she had ever seen in her long life.

She landed the Flyer just outside a rundown town. "Over 'ere." A voice hissed at her from the shadows, his words were rough and he had much difficulty speaking them.

Ella dismounted and rushed to him a large bag of money already out. She couldn't risk hanging about or being seen. This had to be done fast. The creature hunched and hissed at her and backed up a little and grunted holding out a dark hand that was wrapped in dirty, torn bandages for the bag. "Nine hundred gold coins and you ensure Kyoshi's death." She dropped the bag into his hand. He didn't move for a moment and Ella wondered if he understood her, their language was of mere sounds of hissing, clicking and growling, how they formed words and communication with each other was beyond her understanding.

He looked up at her, his eyes were just as red as her own, growled at her lunging forward a few steps, Ella cried out and leapt backwards out of his reach, her heart pounding. The Healers that worked within the Hollow walls were savage and barbaric creatures that often ate their own patients and their own kind. "You'll get the rest when the job is done... Kyoshi doesn't leave there alive, understand?" Ella moved forward. "I'll guarantee a new work order for you to work in the Healing Wing of the Demon Castle, fresh water and food daily."

The creature grinned showing a mouth full of stained jagged teeth as he hissed and clicked at her and laughed, she thought, it sounded more like he was choking as he hobbled away as if he had a bad limp.

Ella grinned as she walked back to the Flyer; the creature would never see the inside of the castle or live to see another bag of coins from her. The Flyer gave a cough like bark as it took to the sky again.

TBC.

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