This has been edited to the best of my ability, enjoy.

Warnings: M. M/M Yaoi. Supernatural, Language, Violence. The plot is mine.

Chapter 35: The Journey Part 3

Ryou awoke to the twisted pain of hunger. He slowly sat up. The blankets fell to pool at his waist. Bakura shifted somewhat against him and through the shades of grey of early morning, he could see the angry red scaring in his Mate's side from a Werewolf attack. So far, they checked two portals. The portal in Russia was under guard; Bakura, Marik and Yami had been seen and in an attempt to save Yami from a fatal blow, a Werewolf tackled Bakura, tore into his side. They managed to fight them off and escape back to the boat without being followed and minimal injuries. It only got worse from there. England's portal and the town had been well guarded by Ishizu's minions, ambushed them before they knew what was going on, their attack so swift and brutal. Marik during the fight was stabbed with a sword right through his chest, slicing a part of heart.

Ryou had been confused and worried upon Yami's return without Bakura or Marik, both, he and Malik questioned Yami on the whereabouts of their Mates. Ryou fought against the urge to let Malik go after them, but the half Demon's condition kept him grounded. Thankfully, Seto stopped the Demon Lord from taking control of the yacht and leaving, wanting to at least search for them. Bakura returned soon after with Marik unconscious in his arms, and both covered in blood. Yami instantly explained he had no choice but to flee. Bakura did not take being abandoned in the middle of a battle all that well, once Marik was in the Healer's care. He attacked Yami. The blows were so savage, furious and nothing held back. Anzu, Serenity and Joey ran. Seto rendered them both unconscious for a time.

Marik was on the mend, slept through most of his recovery. Bakura took the helm navigating their course to the next portal. Ryou spent his time with his Mate if he wasn't with Marik and Malik. The only portals left to check were France, Canada and then Egypt if the other portals were like the previous one, heavily guarded, Ryou didn't want them risking their lives, the more they went after these portals the more dangerous they seemed to get.

Ryou slid from the bed and as he did he recovered his Mate with the blankets and slipped from the room. He made his way down the hallway to the kitchen. He glanced at the clock that glowed dimly, a show of seven am; it usually wouldn't have been this dark.

A few days ago, a cyclone gather and darken on the horizon, completely blocking their path and coming towards them, Bakura tried to outrun it, which wasn't working as the sea became rough and the storm was upon them. Reports had come in over the radio throughout the night of the storms direction, but the storm shifted quickly into his new plotted course. The warning was for all ships to avoid its path at all costs. Bakura searched all the maps he had; found a few Islands that would protect them from the storm. He had to pick the best one that would give good shelter and not smash the boat up against rocks or reef.

Ryou pulled open the fridge, its light almost blinding and the hunger was once again deep and painful like he hadn't eaten in days. He searched the contents until he found a slab of meat on a plate, placed there by Yugi for that night's meal. Ryou took it placed it on the counter and unwrapped and took a seat and started eating it raw.

The Island had mountains that acted as a wind block; they tugged up its coast line, torrential rain already falling with rolling thunder and lightning. Bakura guided the boat into the mouth of a huge cave, the water so still compared to the choppy ocean waves. It was perfect. They dropped anchor and waited out the storm which passed over last night, and they would be moving on again this morning.

Ryou finished eating, his hunger satisfied. He dumped the plate in the sink washed his hands and walked out to the deck, around to the port side, took the small ramp to the man-made dock that had been built and used by pirates as a trading port or a meeting spot and often than not a haven for ships against storms. Ryou followed the decking, careful of the broken, weak and missing bits of wood and soon enough his bare feet touched down on sand and surf. Ryou sighed closing his eyes and tilted his face up towards the warm sun and breeze and clear blue sky.

He enjoyed the moments of calm in the morning, waking up before everyone else. He used this time to push from his mind all the worried thoughts and questions and prepared himself for a day of nothing but petty arguments, growling and glares. Such a small living space and none of the Demons could get along and the Humans playing referee, two weeks at sea was taking its toll on everyone. How the Demons lived together or stayed friends for so long was beyond his understanding.

Ryou closed his eyes tighter, determined to enjoy the morning when the strong robust scent of coffee under his nose and solid warmth at his back, an arm loosely slipped around his waist and a chin on his shoulder. "They're at it again," Bakura's low husky sleepy voice, it sent a shiver up his spine. Ryou opened his eyes and glanced downward at the mug of coffee.

"Who?" Ryou took the mug and sipped.

"The Healer and his Mate," Bakura kissed his bare shoulder and straightened up, but remained at Ryou's back. "Apparently Kaiba had orders to sleep on the couch, instead he was in bed with Joey and they woke up and now everyone is awake," there went Ryou's quite time. "Have you eaten yet?" No doubt someone was making breakfast about now.

"Yes, I had a little something before coming out here," Ryou didn't think it would sit well with any of them if they knew of his raw meat craving lately or maybe they would considering that they drank blood from time to time to sustain them. "How's Marik?" Ryou asked turning about just in time to see Bakura sit down on a nearby log that had washed ashore during the storm.

"He's fine, he's charting the new course right now," Bakura moved on the log making more room. However, Ryou sat right against his side enjoying the simple comfort of contact.

"What do we do now?" Ryou asked holding the mug in both hands between his knees. He continued his train of thought, "I don't want to see anyone else get hurt, it has been mentioned that the Egyptian portal is the safer way, why are you risking your life checking these portals for a way in?" Ryou shifted and turned slightly to better see his Mate, who once again looked as though he wasn't going to answer. "Can we just save the trouble and go there, skip France and Canada altogether."

"It's complicated," Bakura heaved a sigh, Marik and Seto mentioned it too, both have lost their patience with this trip and as far as they were concerned the rest of the portals were going to be under the same heavy guard, only this time one of them might not make it back.

"How?!" Ryou snapped having enough of his Mate and lovers treating him like he was so fragile that being told or knowing anything awful would break him, "Marik almost died for a reason you find, complicated?" Ryou clutched the mug tightly in his hands, all his worries and all the dark little secrets that were hidden away and unspoken, was overwhelming and one secret in particular made his chest ache at the thought of his Demon Mate belonging to someone else other than him. How could he be their equal, be the partner they needed him to be, when he was kept him so far in the dark that there was no light at the end, it just seemed to have grown bigger with time. "Why must you hide things from me?" Ryou snapped, maybe not his best choice of words.

"The same reason you hide things from me," Bakura threw it right back at him so unexpectedly that it left Ryou slightly winded, his heart pounding. "You thought I didn't know that you're sick?" Bakura scoffed, "please, you're my Mate. I knew about your trips to that Human doctor, the medication you had tucked away in the back of your clothes draw. I acted like I didn't know, kept Marik and Malik from digging too much and I waited for you to come to me, to be open with me." Ryou stared at Bakura, he wasn't even breathing as the truth was laid out bare before him. Bakura didn't look angry, slightly hurt, there was no growl in his voice or narrowing of his dark eyes.

How? How was that even possible? He had been so careful with everything, there were no tell-tale signs that any of them knew. Ryou remembered to breath and let out a shaky breath, how did this get turned about onto him?

"Well?" Bakura raised an eyebrow.

"I... I thought it could be fixed, that the illness wouldn't have mattered once it had; we would just keep going with our lives like it never happened." Ryou sighed, "It didn't get better, the medication stopped working, it got worse, the passing out because I stopped breathing, the coughing up blood, on top of that everything got worse for us that I just dealt with it as it came. We had other pressing issues to deal with..." Ryou trailed off only for a moment not wanting to bring it back up again. "I didn't want you to see me as weak and not want me and cast me aside." Ryou wiped at his eyes that were now full of tears, his voice cracked. "Silly I know and its stupid Human insecurities, I didn't keep it from you to hurt you; I was frightened of what might happen once you knew, I couldn't lose you again."

"Ryou," Bakura's tone made him glance up just as he was engulfed in his Mate's arm and held tightly. A loud echo of an excited cry with a roar of engines as Joey sped from the cave on Marik's jet-ski out into the rolling waves and fell off into the water. Anzu close behind him.

"Loser!" Anzu laughed at him as she circled him. Joey climbed back on the jet-ski as Anzu came towards the shore. "We're going to do a few laps of the Island to check it out, want to come, Ryou?" Bakura must have waved them on as the jet-skis powered up and soon enough they could no longer be heard.

Ryou's chin was lifted, "my Mate." Bakura breathed, his forehead titled that it almost touched Ryou's. "You are my heart, you have always been and forever will be mine, nothing you can say or do would have me harm or betray you, physically or emotionally." Ryou's head tilted back into the cradle of Bakura's arm and lips against his in a not so innocent kiss, but much more of everything else.

Bakura smirked as Ryou was short on breath and a little flushed and clutching onto him. He lifted Ryou's chin to look at him, "there are other options to your illness that I can provide and cure you of them." Bakura didn't think it would work being what Ryou truly is and if he tried to he wouldn't know what would happen.

"Options?" Ryou caught on in that moment, "change me into what you are."

"It's an option with risks, you might not survive the change and if you did you'd be like Malik." Bakura lent down and gently pressed his lips to Ryou's, "It's not without its risks and it's also food for thought, that if your condition worsens, you have options. It is a decision only you can make, no one can force you." Bakura planted the seed in his mind with no pressure for an answer on the spot.

Well if they were going to be so honest with each other, Bakura thought small steps and work his way to the 'break or make them' questions and answers. He'd allow Ryou to guide himself on what he wanted to know and Bakura wouldn't hold back the truth from him. However, this was a topic he was happy and a little excited to offer up. "Marik and I have spoken at lengths before the mansion was destroyed, if you'd like to live with us?" Ryou now seemed to turn his focus from the new turmoil of thoughts of becoming a half Demon, onto the new question asked.

"I do live with you," Ryou frowned and he had for some time now.

"I'm not talking about the mansion or someplace new with Yami and Kaiba and their Mates. I'm speaking of a house that is just going to be for us only. It's a house I brought twenty or so years ago. It's in really bad need of repairs, just about everything leaks, or is broken, I think we can make it a home. Our home."

"It'll be just the four of us?" Ryou asked and Bakura nodded. It sounded like a dream to Ryou not having to feel embarrassed in the mornings running into Yami and Seto knowing that they had heard every little gasp and moan he'd made the night before in his throes of passion with his Mate and lovers. "Really?" Ryou's smile widened. No, Yami yelling at them to mind his belongings and ordering them around all the time, they could just be. Bakura was offering him a home. Ryou gave a small happy laugh.

"I was thinking we could move right in after the Gathering, but I still need to speak to Malik about it." Bakura raised an eyebrow when his Mate's smile dropped, and a saddened serious expression took over. "Neither Marik nor Malik will deny anything..."

"It's not that," Ryou shifted away a little putting too much space between them then Bakura cared for. The pleasing thoughts of home and life and even Bakura turning him into a Demon were snuffed out as issues that had been be concerning him for much longer, came to the forefront of his mind like a charging bull, then again, they had never really been that far from his thoughts to have forgotten easily over a few happy words and thoughts. Ryou wasn't complaining he loved the fact that Bakura made him so happy. However, nothing further was going to happen between them until he knew what he needed to know. "I want to talk about the other night when Pegasus brought Malik back to us. I want you to tell me who your Master is. I want to know everything."

Ryou obviously wasn't going to start out with the small stuff and went right to the big ones. Maybe he should have saved the moving into a new home together for after this conversation, ah, he was such an idiot. Ryou needed answers to that Bakura had wanted to avoid, forever, not because he was a selfish bastard, ok so maybe he was a little bit, but it was Bakura, who couldn't do life without his Mate again. "Where would you like me to start?" Bakura's eyes changed. Ryou literally watched the colours shift and churn, like a summer sky before a storm. His now crimson eyes glanced towards the cave.

"Are you mine?" Ryou's voice was somber as he glanced at his Mate. The sound of jet-skis broke their moment as Anzu and Joey came back and beached them.

"Ryou, you have to take a trip around with us," Anzu had a huge grin on her face.

"Hey? How were the jet-skis?" Serenity called out, a basket in hand, a towel over her shoulder, followed by an unimpressed Healer who held an umbrella under his arm, the Demon Lord, Yugi and Malik followed her as well.

"Oh fuck me now" Bakura growled no way were they able to talk now with everyone around them, "A whole damn Island and I can't get five minutes with you." His eye twitched as Serenity placed down towels and the basket and Kaiba set up the umbrella a few feet from where they sat. Anzu and Serenity had bought swimwear from one of the Islands they had stopped at, to refuel and stock.

"I can if you want to go back to the boat," Malik winked at Bakura and smiled on his way past them. Music suddenly blasted clearly from the cave and a few moments later, the ship emerged in a slow drift, it went out a way and the anchor was dropped and the engines stopped.

Marik minutes later took to the sky at such speeds, Ryou lost track of him within seconds he was moving so fast. The sound of flapping wings and gusts of wind and sand, Kaiba also took to the sky muttering how it felt like forever since he stretched his wings.

"Marik gave us a map of the Island," Serenity waved the bit of paper and Joey, Yugi and Anzu were at her side looking it over. Bakura's attention was on the sky.

"Go on," Ryou nudged him, knowing Bakura too wanted to stretch his wings after so long of not really using them, Ryou imagined his Mate and lovers must have felt like caged-birds, besides there was no point anymore trying to continue their conversation or getting upset about it. "We can talk later."

Bakura reclaimed those luscious lips once more, drawing his Mate closer to him by cupping one side of his face and by his other hand tangled in white hair, "Yes," the pale Demon replied spoke it against Ryou's kiss-swollen lips.

"All of you?" Ryou understand that his Mate was answering his question from before.

"Completely." Bakura's husky deep voice sent a shiver up Ryou's spine.

"Are you still talking or trying to get laid?" Joey asked.

"Not that you would know anything about getting laid," Bakura growled his crimson eyes set on the Healer's Mate as he loosened his hold on Ryou, "and yes we are still talking so do me favour and go drown yourself."

"Wow, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed," Anzu rolled her eyes. "Wait; is there a wrong side if you share a bed with three others?"

"No there isn't," Malik answered her, "It involves climbing out wherever you can without disturbing the others."

"So, Bakura's grouchiness is just how he is naturally?"

"Malik, you answer that and I'll fucking drown you," He received a hit to arm by Ryou and a glare. "You're taking his side?"

"Just go already," Ryou urged him again, smiling when his cheek was caressed before his Demon turned took a few running steps and leapt into the air with powerful beats of his wings.

Malik stared up at the sky with a longing look, his wings burst from his back batting them a few times. Ryou walked up to him and wrapped his arms about him from behind and rested his head against his back, stopping from to taking to the air. He was still forbidden to use them. "I'm sorry," Ryou whispered when Malik's wings slumped as did his shoulders.

"It's ok," Malik gripped his arm and gave them a gentle squeeze holding them to him. "I don't mind being here on the ground with you. We can do fun Human things, like walking." Ryou laughed.

"You're not going for a fly?" Serenity asked the Demon Lord and Malik's wings twitched. Yami had sat himself down on a towel, under the umbrella hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Yugi blinked in a confused manner like he had missed the Demons of their group take flight and glanced at his Mate as if had forgotten what the man beside him really is.

"No, I'm not a fledging that needs to fly about, I out grew that need centuries ago," He spoke without opening his eyes or regarding anyone.

"Please, you're the same age as Marik and Bakura," Malik glanced over his shoulder at him. "Only they aren't afraid to show off that side of themselves once in awhile." Yes, Ryou would agree that more often than not Marik and Bakura could be so immature, fighting over what movie or show to watch, what to do on their outings, Bakura tormenting Marik with something he had taken that they other wanted, just to get a rise out of him and visa a versa, Marik did his far sharing of tormenting Bakura as well.

"I do not fly aimlessly about for the sake of it or without purpose."

"Pity, would have liked to see you flying about up there with them, it looks like fun," Yami snorted and Yugi grinned at Ryou as he mindlessly played with the sand, "oh well, guess I'll have to settle for watching them instead, they do look kinda sexy up there." Marik, Bakura and Seto took a low slow fly over right then, scaring the seagulls that hovered in the air, Marik and Bakura turned slightly and dipped the points of their wings into the water, before spiralling up.

Yami got up removed his shirt and with every step, his Human form fell away, muttering under his breath on how his Mate could find the other's sexy in such a simple mundane action. He batted his wings like he was warming them up. The Demon Lord was truly an impressive creature; though he had similar feature to that of Bakura, Marik and Malik, the horns stood out the most and Ryou tried to imagine his Demon's with horns. A gust of wind with sand and he took to the air with far fewer strokes of his wings then the others and even fewer to reach top speed and over took them all and vanished.

"Why doesn't Bakura, Marik and you have horns?" Yugi, Anzu and Joey all looked at him; Serenity was running about trying to catch fish with her bare hands.

"It's a royal thing," Malik shrugged. "Yami's horns will grow as he matures and ages."

"Yami is mature," Yugi glared at his back; suddenly Marik swooped in low splashing them both.

"Marik!" Malik yelled with a slight laugh to his voice, "Not fair," he moved and Ryou let him go watching as he waded into the water.

"What's the matter?" Marik hovered above the water and out of reach.

"Come here, I'll tell you," just as Malik had said that, Bakura came down upon his lover the weight too much and the surprise attack had both Demons hit the water. Malik dove after them and all emerged with a slashing war.

"Hey," Anzu moved and stood by Ryou at the water's edge, "there is a trail going right through the forest of the Island that leads to a rock pool or is it a hot spring?" She turned the map this way and that, squinting at it trying to work out the poorly drawn map. "Did he get a five year old to draw this?" Marik lacked artistic skills it was clearly obvious. "Hey Marik?!" Anzu called out without looking up from the map. Marik, Bakura and Malik were now involved in an odd game of marco-polo, which just looked like them chasing and splashing each other about while calling out marco or polo. "What is this bit of water in the middle of the island?"

"A rock a pool!" Marik replied without looking, Seto landed on the sand and took up a spot under the umbrella, dug about the basket for a moment and pulled out a book, flipped it open and began to read.

"You want to go exploring?" Anzu asked still turning the badly drawn map this way and that.

Ryou wanted to join his Demons who seemed to be enjoying the water a lot, who knew Demons liked water. "I want to go and..." Ryou trailed off. They weren't listening anyway while now engaged in some heavy making-out.

"How about you guys?" Anzu asked, Yugi and Joey.

"I have the urge to yell shark," Seto said looking up from his book. "Hey, we are in public!" He was flipped off by both Bakura and Marik.

"We're going now!" Anzu yelled hands cupped over her mouth.

"Who are you calling out too?" Yugi asked. "They don't care obviously." He pointed to the three making-out still.

"To anyone who's listening," She then called to Serenity who stopped what she was doing and ran towards them, picked up the basket, linking her arms with Anzu's as they started down the beach with Yugi. Ryou looked at Joey who then glanced at his Mate and got up without a word started walking Ryou followed him calling out a bye but he doubted he was heard.

Anzu led them down the beach eyes on the map as she walked, Serenity guiding her so she didn't trip over the occasional large rock or washed up debris from the storm, "the path should be... right here." She stopped and turned towards the tree-line and led them forward.

"This feels like we're going on a treasure hunt," Yugi smiled at them.

"Do you think there might be treasure here?" Joey pushed some large leaves aside. "Did anyone ask Marik or Bakura if they had buried some?"

"I don't think so," Ryou followed closely behind, "Bakura said this used to be a trading Port." Once passed the tree-line the tree height above provided a thick canopy, everything opened up, it was slightly cooler and darker, colourful birds flew about and the path was easily spotted.

"Surprisingly its well used," Anzu glanced over her shoulder still leading the way.

"Maybe this place isn't such a secret," Yugi pointed out.

"Well, no one is here but us," Joey said, he'd know after taking a few trips around the Island on the jet-skies, no way would he and Anzu have missed a boat sitting off shore.

"This way, not much further," Anzu called out to her group. They chatted lightly as they walked and the heat of the day was starting to get noticeable, when Anzu removed her top, as did Joey and Yugi. Anzu wore a yellow and white bikini-top with shorts, Serenity wearing a pink one-piece. Ryou too removed his shirt and sweat started to bead on everyone.

It wasn't too long when they heard the sound of a waterfall and shortly after they stood before rock-pool with the crystal clear water and white sandy bottom. "Wow," Joey gave a long appreciative whistle; the waterfall ran down from a rock face that slopped up into the mountain covered in plants and the water fell into the large pool at the other end.

"This is beautiful" Yugi dropped his shirt and water-bottle, kicked off his shoes and walked across soft sand into the water. "It's so cool and it's fresh water."

The rest of them followed kicking off shoes and dropping shirts and water-bottles and ran into the water with cries of excitement. The small group played in the water, swam about, delightful squeals, screams, giggles, splashing and laughter filled the area.

They soon moved on exploring more of the Island and sadly found nothing else other than more trees and flocks of colourful birds. They all decided to just spend what time they had at the rock-pool and soon returned for another swim.

Serenity who brought along and carrying a basket surprised everyone with sandwiches when mentioned of getting hungry arose and she handed them out to everyone. Conversation drifted from one topic to another and nothing ever came up that was deep or meaningful or sucked out the fun.

The late afternoon came upon them all too soon and a slight chill to the air when they all decided to return to the others before getting lost in the dark. Anzu once again led them all by map through the forest and she had gotten a little turned around and they had ended up on the other side of the Island on the beach. "Should we just cut back through?" Anzu twisted the map this way and that.

"Let's just walk it," Ryou said already moving, Anzu put away the map and they all followed him. They walked along the beach and as the sun had reached the horizon the boat could be seen.

"Oh it's a good thing we didn't let lost," Yugi said a grin to his lips.

"Totally, could have been lost in there for days," Joey laughed playing along with the joke.

"I'm too young and beautiful to live the castaway life," Yugi fell to his knees dramatically like he was doomed. Anzu rolled her eyes and stepped over him, Ryou patted his head as he too stepped over him.

"This place is great, we should come back next year for a holiday," Anzu said, ignoring Joey and Yugi who were horsing around with dramatics of being lost and quoting movie lines, Wilson was mentioned and wailed out by them a few times.

"I'd like that," Ryou really did, but Marik's patients were wearing thin with everyone and he wasn't going to hold his breath for another group trip like this one any time soon.

"Hey, do you know what this Gathering is all about?" Ryou asked. "I know it's creatures from all over the Realm that gather in one place, but what is it really about?"

"It's kinda complicated," Anzu muttered thinking for a moment. "To put it simply, it's a time for all the Realm's, Kings, Queens and Lords to get together and talk about keeping the peace or adding new laws and taking care issues in their lands and seeking aid from neighbouring lands. Then, all the Healers must take records of everyone, who's Mated to who, if any are expecting or how many offspring they have already, where they live or prefer to live, in the Realm or here in the Human Realm. It's also a time for those who have been forced into a Mating giving them a chance to leave or for an unusual couple to seek Mating rights and the dreaded one of all..." She trailed off.

"What?" Ryou pressed her to continue.

"To see if you're eligible to stay with your current Mate."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, some creatures of higher lineage, might Mate, with say, a Human, when another creature of equal lineage would be better suited to that creature rather than the Human, if agreed the Mating is broken and the Human sold off at action." Anzu tapped her chin in thought. "Then there are the Human hunting games, every Human participates and you get chased down, but it's up to your Mate to reach or catch you before anyone else and if you're not Mated, well you just might be afterwards whether you like it or not. What else. There a tournaments. Dragon's night. The Mermaid's moon, watch out for them so many people eaten on that night."

"Wait," Ryou grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop, "So you're saying that at this Gathering, could I lose them, lose Bakura?"

"Bakura is not a King or a Lord and neither are Marik and Malik and common Demons like them are free to Mate and be with whoever they wish," she patted his shoulder, "Geez, Ryou out everything I said that's all you heard... it's the Human Hunt that scares the hell out of me." Ryou just stared at her, "Hello, I'm not Mated." She sighed. "I know I just may end up with some Goblin who's off his rocker for a Mate, I just know it."

"I know Marik and Bakura will look out for you," Ryou was going to keep Bakura to his word on finishing their conversation because now he had so many more questions.

"Here's hoping," they started walking again and up ahead they could see a bonfire glowing and the aroma of food in the air.

"C'mon guys I'm starved," Joey called out as he started to run, snapping Anzu's bikini strap, she yelped at the sting; Joey laughed hysterically almost falling off his own feet.

"I'm going to kill him," She seethed still rubbing her back. "I'm gunna kill you!" She screamed as red line on her back started to show and she took off after him.

"Shit!" Joey didn't think she was that fast, he stopped laughing and started running.

TBC

Updating again real soon so R&R (love and cookies)