Sorry I haven't updated in some time, stuck my head in the sand and being a writer that doesn't strategize her writing/plots makes the struggle all the more real and I lost all inspiration to write for some time, but got it back and I really really tried to not make this feel rushed or choppy. AS always you got my best. I hope you enjoy this as much as I have writing it.
This has been edited to the best of my ability.
Warnings: M. M/M Yaoi. Mpreg. Supernatural themes. Language. Violence. Adult themes. Character death. The plot is mine.
Chapter: 30: Home
Ryou found himself standing in a vast endless sea of green that vanished into the horizon of a cloudless cerulean blue sky in all directions. The last thing that he remembered was Bakura approaching his egg. He placed his hands against the flatness of his stomach and clutched the light fabric so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The overwhelming panic that threatened to consume him that he had died giving birth to his child and the idea that he would never see his mates or child again had his vision unwillingly blurring up with unshed tears. "Hello?!" It came out as a gasped croak despite his deep need to scream.
A sudden gust of wind that had a familiar energy whipped up blades of grass and white scales glinted beautifully into the air. Ryou raised an arm to shield his face as the wind eased blowing gently at his hair and clothes. "I am not dead," a powerful deep voice that seemed to fill every inch of air in the seemingly never ending field and also in Ryou's head. Standing before him a large white Dragon. Ryou took a step back sucking in a breath, it was the largest Dragon he had ever seen, so much larger then Touzoku and even Mahado. Its body showed scaring of a hard life and battles won or lost. "I am not dead," The Dragon spoke again without its jaw moving at all and his voice somewhat softened and not so startling loud in his head.
"Where am I?" Ryou took a chance to ask ignoring the Dragon's odd choice of words and hoping the creature wouldn't eat him. The Dragon huffed smoke from his nostrils and his wings fluttered a little and with a slight turn of his head he lowered it to his level with only his left eye focusing in on Ryou and in that stare there was no malicious intent or wanting to do him harm, just curiousness as the Dragon took in every inch of him as if seeing a human for the first time.
"I am here," the Dragon answered its black vertical iris narrowed and it took far too long for Ryou to get what he meant.
"Here?" Ryou placed a hand to his chest and that iris impossibly narrowed farther as he tried to take another inconspicuous step back. The Dragon might not have ill intentions towards him, but it didn't mean the creature had its sanity.
"I remember everything now," The surge of raw white hot energy flowed through Ryou's body so hard that he jerked painfully and his head flung back looking skyward, his mouth open in a silent scream as his eyes turned completely white.
It had seemed like an endless exhausting struggle as he fought and pushed himself through the unrelenting earth's burning crust. He finally pulled his body completely free with his powerful claws and molten lava dripping from his scaled body as he took in his first breath and roared his presence over the land below. "I was born at the dawn of the Realm, my brethren came soon after, and then came Demon, Fae, Elf, Trolls, Giants, Werewolves, Casters, Goblin and so many, many more." He flew swiftly over the land as it burned, rivers of lava streaming from mountains across parts of the land, gruesome furious battles raged, tearing each other apart for food and territory. "Every being in the Realm became envious of the power my brethren and I possessed, especially the Casters." The Dragon's voice in Ryou's head vibrated with so much pain and hatred that it swelled in his chest becoming his own.
Casters moved in large groups hunting and bringing down Dragons some on the brink of death being dragged away to the covens to be chopped up, boiled, stuffed, skinned, drained of blood and some even eaten alive where they fell. "Cursed and killed," the Dragon hissed and its mouth pulled back revealing razor sharp fangs in a painful angry snarl.
Ryou's surroundings changed and he was no longer witnessing it like a memory fed to him. The darkness was only pushed back by a small fire nearby. The dampness and chill had a life of its own as it seeped bone deep seizing up his joints and making it impossible to move. The chains enchanted with runes burned, and he still fought, using his pure rage to drive him to get free. From the darkness of the forest, cloaked casters emerged in mass numbers and circled him, all began to chant their spell as they used ceremonial knives to cut and collect his blood and painted his body in runes, which glowed and burned as it soaked into his skin and into his bones. His form painfully, unnaturally forced into that of a human, that endless flow of energy suddenly and instantly severed. He screamed writhing in agony on the ground. The casters rushed forward with victory screams, shoving and pushing each other, daggers raised above their heads with wicked grins on their faces-
"STOP!" Ryou screamed falling forward onto his knees, his arms shaking and clenched his fists in the grass. Ryou took in deep breaths of cool air, beads of sweat dampened his forehead and his vision swam with tears as that red hot rage consumed him and it took all that he had to not burn the Realm and everyone in it to ashes. "Why are you showing me this?" He rasped out and shut eyes tightly as he could feel everything, the burn of runes, blades that stabbed into his body so viciously.
"Memories," The Dragon answered.
"Memories?" Ryou stared at his hands with wide eyes for a moment and slowly looked up, his limbs shook with effort to support him, his chest heaved with almost panicked breathing and his heart raced as it all fell into place. "My memories," He whispered, he wasn't staring up at some benevolent spirit guide giving him back all his memories. It's his original form. The first Dragon to crawl from the centre of the Realm made by magic that gave life to the other creatures that followed after.
"Yes," The Dragon gave a soft pleased growl as all of Ryou's previous lives flooded his mind at once. The curse that spread among his kind like a contagious disease, causing those birthed by Dragons to be born without form, weaker, smaller causing them to be cast out, abused or killed as an abomination. Over time all the original Dragons that had crawled from the centre of the Realm after him had perished. However, Ryou would meet his end and then reincarnate again, again and again. The curse grew stronger and with it his knowledge of who he was faded and his power weakened with every death and new life until he forgot all together what he truly is.
"What will this change?" Ryou looked almost pleadingly, knowing now what he is and the curse broken, would it mean that he would be stuck as a Dragon forever? The idea to never be with his mates intimately or able to leave the Realm and go home were almost too much to bare and he didn't want any of it, he just wanted to be human and only human.
Ryou watched the human before him vanished like star speckled mist caught in a breeze.
Ryou's senses upon waking was slow and sluggish as if he had been in a drug induced sleep and couldn't shake the fogginess. He drifted in and out of unconsciousness feeling no hurry at all to wake and allowed the warmth to lull him back to sleep every time. He noticed that soft glow that resided in him was now beside him. Ryou uncurled his large body, moving his large limbs, tail and wings to focus and the sight that met him and took his breath away. She laid there bundled up and sound asleep. Ryou marvelled only for a moment how he had not crushed her.
As easy as breathing Ryou switched to his human form as if he had been doing it his entire life. Ryou reached out and ever so gently he ran a finger from her forehead to the tip of her tiny nose before he took her into his arms and held her against him.
Her tiny hand opened slightly only to fist up gripping the edge of her blanket by her face. He gently brushed his fingers against her silk smooth skin of her cheek, ran his fingertips over her fine white hair. He lifted her up slightly as he bent his head down, kissed her forehead and breathed in her newborn smell.
Tears burned Ryou's eyes as all the fears that he had while pregnant were flooded with complete happiness in that moment. He openly sobbed for a time until his tears dampened her blanket and a drop had landed on her cheek and he gave a watery laugh as he brushed her cheek dry. "Are you alright?" came Bakura's concerned voice.
"She's just beautiful," Ryou sniffed as he wiped at his eyes and face.
"That she is," Bakura smiled standing in his true form of pure white skin, his claw tipped fingers completely black that ran up his arms and faded to white at his biceps, eyes completely black as ink and horns, his large black wings with the few dark blue almost black feathers. Bakura's energy pulsed around him like a heat wave of dark mist as if it was too large and powerful to contain in such a small form and could break free to wreak havoc at any moment. "How are you feeling?"
"Overwhelmed," Ryou answered honestly, not only from finding out who he truly is but mostly all the emotions that ran rampant of having a baby and holding her and what their lives would hold going forward.
"Figured that," Bakura approached them and it was then that Ryou realized that they were in a nest, not his nest that he had spent time making. The air was heavy with the fresh smell of earth and foliage. He sat on soft moss and leaves that rivaled any mattress and the heat that radiated off the walls around them was pleasant. "You want me to call Kaiba?"
"No," Ryou shook his head. "I want it to just be us, for a bit." He couldn't bring himself to hand his daughter over to anyone right now when he had only just seeing her for the first time. Bakura sat down next to him and Ryou's energy surged outwards and brush against his mate's power and surround him in almost eagerness not to consume but to just feel. "She's a Dragon," Ryou stated seeing Aki's Spark that all Dragons had and gave them their unique powers and abilities that would grow with her into adulthood.
"She hatched as a beautiful white Dragon for a few moments and then changed to what you're holding now." Bakura it seemed couldn't resist touching their infant either as he stroked her cheek, Ryou lent against his mate. Bakura told him of their struggle of dressing their daughter for the first time and had managed to put her clothes on backwards before righting them only to have her shift into a Dragon and tear all the clothes and how she had spat up all down Marik's back, had peed on Malik, changed forms during a check-up with Kaiba and bit him and wouldn't let go until she was ready. "The bastard Healer has proclaimed himself her uncle."
"Really?" Ryou stared up at him in shock, considering all that Kaiba had harped on about how crossbreeds were an abomination.
"Completely smitten with her."
"Before or after she bit him," Ryou laughed having relief wash over him.
They sat there for a time just watching her sleep in Ryou's arms when he asked, "Where are we?" Ryou had noticed the entry way on the other side of the cavern with stairs leading upwards into a softly lit corridor.
"We are underneath Pegasus's castle, this was Touzoku's place once. We cleaned it out and fixed it up just for you two. We can stay here until the end of the Gathering." Bakura sighed tilting Ryou's chin up. "I'm sorry about your nest, it just wasn't safe anymore. Ishizu's minions are still running free. We couldn't risk leaving either of you there even if we guarded."
Ryou cupped one side of his mate's face pulling him in for a chaste kiss. "This is perfect." He understood Ishizu's loyalists would want revenge by any means possible and knowing where he had nested. A spell could cause a cave-in and even though Ryou would survive it and claw his way out, his baby wouldn't.
A flutter of wings and Marik landed a few feet from them holding Malik to his side, "I heard voices." Like Bakura, Ryou could only see Marik's true form, his powers shimmered around him with flecks of bright colours. His form wasn't as dramatic as Bakura's, his black wings with the few dark purple feathers, and crimson eyes.
"Malik," Ryou breathed out did Marik and Bakura not see how diminished and worn his half Demon looked that it made Ryou's eyes burn with unshed tears. Malik's energy sparked here and there like a small broken lightning storm desperately trying to gather strength only to fizzle out at the last moment. He lent forward slightly not wanting to let his child go but wanting to rush to his feet and wrap his arms about Malik, who had rushed forward falling to knees engulfing Ryou in an odd hold, both trying to avoid crushing the baby between them.
"Quite the show you put on for my return," Malik winked as he pulled back.
"A complete Dragon," Marik grinned like he had already plotted something mischievous.
"Blackwood," It all came back to Ryou in a series of flashes, the pain, fire everywhere and screaming. "Did I… burn Mazaki's coven?"
"To the ground!" Bakura exclaimed excitedly, it was Marik's level stare with a raised eyebrow that had Bakura blurting out, "what?! Its Dragon fire, impossible to extinguish and can melt just about anything." Ryou shook his head, all his mates have a keen fascination for all counts of destruction, it was even better if it was caused by one of them and on fire.
Ishizu attacking and wiping out covens, plus Blackwood, would be a hard hit to the caster community. It must have shown on his face. "No one was harmed by your fire. In fact it hadn't done much damage at all due to the Witch having already burned most of it."
Malik spoke up, "Pegasus is allowing all the residents of Blackwood to stay here and giving them aid to rebuild their coven." Ryou would later find Mazaki and apologise in person for adding to Ishizu's destruction of Blackwood.
"What was it like eating the Witch?"
"He's been dying to ask you." Bakura snorted.
"Like you haven't," Marik retorted.
"Everyone wants to know," Malik added eagerly, by everyone he meant them.
Ryou had rather enjoyed eating the Witch even though her life had been extinguished before he chewed her down, her dying powers caused an enjoyable popping in his mouth that he wouldn't mind experiencing again soon. It came back as a passing thought that all Witches were that pleasurable to eat. "Like popping candy."
"Ewww," Malik and Marik scrunched up their noses in disgust and Bakura laughed. It felt to Ryou almost another life time ago that he had been in the same room with all his mates.
Ryou glanced down as his baby started to wriggle, "did we decide on her name?" he had only presumed to call her Aki, since the name had been given to her before her birth and they had not spoken of any other name since.
"Yeah, it has." Marik gave a curt nod.
"Aki," Malik said.
"Only if you like it," Bakura added.
"It's perfect," Ryou smiled.
The weeks rolled by and despite spending what time he could in the nest it wasn't uneventful. Bakura tried not to show the cracks of disquiet that Ryou not once changed forms since their conversation after Aki's birth. His Dragon seemed beyond exhausted and would only wake when Aki fussed. Ryou would raise his head and Aki would wobble like a newly hatched chick and she would flitter her wings making odd excited sounds for the meal that would come.
Ryou would indeed feed her much like birds to their chicks, only there was a charge of energy that prickled at Bakura's skin and made the hair stand on end it was as if Ryou was feeding her pure magic. Ryou's jaws completely engulfed Aki as if he were going to eat her. Afterwards Aki's snout could be covered in a soft pale blue glowing substance and she would burp creating floating bubbles for a few moments that would pop. Ryou would then sleep and not move until Aki needed him once more, it was as if he was in some kind of odd hibernation.
Malik also took most of that concern, even though Kaiba and Pegasus's Healers had spent time healing his mind, his wings were another matter altogether. Malik instantly seeing Kaiba he delivered a blow that sent the Healer toppling over a small table and sprawled out on the floor, standing over the dazed Healer and growled, how Kaiba had allowed him to be taken.
Marik laughed finding it far too funny, though he stopped when Kaiba rose to his feet with apologies and explanations that he had no choice but to follow Yami's orders like they all had to.
Malik over time had relented and started taking daily healing sessions with Kaiba, no matter the crippling pain he was in afterwards or the fact that the infection spread even further twisting up those now bare bones that once resembled beautiful wings. The first few times Malik had to be carried out, though it got so bad that he now remained in the Healer's wing and so too did Marik.
Marik could no longer watch and having turned his back. Bakura rested his hand on Marik's shoulder comforting him. Marik stood close to his side with his arm wrapped about Bakura's waist. "Why isn't he healing already?" Marik whispered through clutched fangs, after every session Malik just seemed to get worse.
It wasn't a simple matter of a broken wing or a half severed one and a bad infection, it was the nastiest damn curse he had ever seen. A deep dread crept in that Bakura tried to keep tightly contained that Malik could not be healed and the rate of the curse spreading… "He needs to try." Bakura replied his throat constricting, his eye burned with unshed tears. He had to hold it all in and stand strong for Marik, be the rock when that same unbearable thought overwhelmed his lover and he started smashing and throwing anything he could get his hands on until he was physically stopped.
One Healer stood by Malik's head keeping him in a state of blissful unconsciousness, while Kaiba and two other Healers with their hands gently placed about the bass of Malik's wings, using their healing abilities to make the bones, muscles, tendons, skin of Malik's wings tear apart, reshape, reposition and seal back together.
"No! Damn it!" Kaiba hissed and Marik turned about as the other three Healers stepped back and all watched as Malik's wings twist back, turning black once more and the blue veins spread like spider webs across Malik's entire back. Marik rushed forward and falling to his knees to be level with his mate's face. "The rot is spreading," the Healer ran a hand through his hair. "I can't stop it." Bakura knew what was coming next, Kaiba looked at him with such a hopeless and saddened expression. Kaiba opened his mouth and Bakura expected him to say like he had every other time, 'I need to amputate his wings.' Instead gave a heavy sigh staring at Marik for a moment. "I'll go back to the scrolls, maybe I'm missing something."
Marik had sought out Touzoku and had asked for his help to give Malik a bit of his Spark to heal him. The Dragon had agreed without any persuasion. He removed a small piece of his Spark and pressed it into Malik's back where his heart would be. Malik's body after a few moments glowed softly and his wings unfolded from his back like a vine over the bed and onto the floor and feathers bloomed like flowers all lush and thick and sleek black. The redness of his skin between and around his wings and those dark blue veins began to seep away leaving behind tan smooth skin.
Bakura and Marik stared a moment at Malik's now healed body and both hugged a very surprised Touzoku thanking him. Until Malik started screaming those feathers fell off and vanished and his wings shrivelled up and the redness blistered his skin and the blue veins returned spreading even further than before into his arms, legs and up his neck and part way to his face.
Touzoku had apologized profusely that if he had of known that sharing his Spark would make Malik worse or cause him pain he would have refused. Bakura stared at the Dragon wide eyed, if a Dragon's source of power couldn't heal this, nothing could. He closed his eyes against his tears as Marik fell to knees beside Malik's bed and the anguished cry he let out made Bakura's heart shatter. "Thank you," Bakura's voice croaked and it was all he could manage.
Bakura always returned to the nest at night he'd press his forehead against Ryou's and in an odd hold he'd explained everything to his slumbering mate. Ryou oddly sensed his presence and would lift his wing allowing him into the warmth of his larger body. Bakura would lay on his side and the weight of Ryou's wing over him and Aki snuggled right up against him in her human form gave him the comfort he needed. Over the last few weeks her shifting had settled and became less erratic. He twirled a bit of her white hair with his fingers, Malik would never see her grow up and Aki would only know of Malik through stories and pictures. Bakura couldn't bring himself to think of what Marik would do once he no longer had Malik.
Bakura woke with a start and focused on his daughter who slept soundly in his arms. He moved himself out from under Ryou's wing and listened. An explosion went off in the levels above causing dirt and small rocks to come lose and rain down on them. Bakura could hear muffled yelling from above and more explosions that made the cave tremble.
Ryou let out a low ominous growl and that was it not even a twitch of muscle. Bakura vanished in a puff of black mist.
The upper levels was a war zone Witches and Warlocks yelled and snapped spells at each other and the occasional body being thrown across the room, through a wall or out a window. Werewolves dashed about in small groups, taking those on the edges of the fight, the attack was blocked by the furry bodies, though the defiant screams rang out that turned gargled and then silent.
Bakura stood at the top of the entrance to the storage area that also lead down to Ryou's nest. He stood there as his eyes turned black and all that swirled in his mind was causing the same pain Malik was in and so much more that the Witch would feel it all in the afterlife.
Pegasus and his guards flanked the attackers as they pushed their way towards Bakura. Mazaki and what remained of his coven, Atem and Touzoku appeared before him acting as a blocker and protecting Ryou and Aki.
Bakura faded to dark smoke that was charged with yellow cracks of small rapid lightening, and the whole floor filled instantly with the pitch black mist. The fighting stopped and hushed whispers of spells etched in the darkness as the Witch's loyalest were trying to bind his powers. The screaming started when his tendrils slithered out from the floors and walls and snagged their prey. "Do not take my guards!" Pegasus yelled from a distance.
Bakura would not deny his shadows a meal and if they got in the way, it would not be his fault. It was only when the screaming and everything fell silent and he was sure each one of Ishizu's minions were gone did he withdrew his powers.
Anzu, Shada, Kaiba and Marik had protected Malik and had managed to capture a Warlock. The interrogation was short lived as they found out Anzu was rather skilled and seemed to know all the right spots that had their captive answering every question.
It had come as no surprise to hear that the Witch's loyalist were trying to resurrect her. They had everything they needed but for one thing, they needed to sacrifice a Dragon and since Ryou and Touzoku were too big for the short time limit they had, Aki was the best and easiest option.
Anzu got the location and time of the ritual and the numbers of those preforming and attending. Marik opted to stay behind with Kaiba, Anzu and Atem just in case. Bakura had hoped that this strike would be enough of a blow in their numbers that they would not be able to even consider an attempt on resurrecting the Witch or come after his child or mate.
Bakura was torn between not wanting to leave Ryou, Aki and Malik and wanting to chase down the Witch's loyalists and make them pay in the most gruesome ways imaginable. Pegasus sent some of his guards to join Bakura, Shada, Anzu and Touzoku to eradicate any threat the loyalists presented and in turn protect the casters and their covens at the same time.
They found the Witch's hidden village and Touzoku flew over it setting fire to everything and all those within. Leaving Bakura, Shada, Anzu and the guards to pick off those that were trying to escape. It was the oddest thing they had experienced for every loyalest they caught, a spell swiftly spoken and they would take their own lives before it was taken for them.
The five of them were chasing down a group of loyalists that made an escape at the back of the village and fled into the woods.
Bakura and the others gave chase using their natural speed abilities to keep up. Touzoku being the fastest out of all of them had caught one by practically leaping into the air and landing on the shoulders of a Witch and as they went down together he had shifted into a Dragon and devoured her.
Anzu ported herself and appeared feet behind one loyalists and a few moments later Touzoku ran by her, followed by the rest. "I've bound them they can't escape using portals or spells!" Anzu shouted arms pumping and staying right behind them, however, Anzu cried out as her foot caught on something and she tripped over in full sprint. She landed hard and slid a few feet in the snow until she hit a solid mound. "Don't stop!" She called out knowing Shada had already turned back to help her.
Touzoku used his wings and speed landing in his Dragon form before the Witch's minions. He reared his head back for a second and they could all see the liquid like lava burbling in his throat. The group slid to a stop and changed direction, the Dragon's head came down and they were engulfed in flames and vanished within the fire and smoke.
"Should have brought marshmallows," Shada patted Bakura's shoulder as he jogged back to Anzu.
"They are like cockroaches," Bakura sneered, it had always seemed that the Witch had an endless supply of those willing to die for her. He had thought once Ishizu was dead all those that followed her would disband, but it seemed that the loyalty they held for the Witch seemed more like a sickness than anything else.
"You need to see this!" Anzu called out. She hadn't moved from her where she had fallen, though she was on her knees and both hands covering her mouth.
Once Bakura got closer he stopped and cursed under his breath he glanced back at Touzoku who was casually walking towards them. "It's Devlin," Anzu whispered behind her hands as she rose to her feet. It looked as though whoever killed Devlin just dumped him here and left his body for the creatures of the forest and the elements. It was then that Bakura noticed that they had ran through what looked like a small grave-site, ten mounds of snow covering bodies that had also been carelessly dumped here.
"I never thought I would find his body," Touzoku muttered staring down at the blood stained corps of his familiar.
"You knew he was dead?" Shada asked looking at the Dragon.
"What happened?" Anzu gasped.
"Betrayal," Touzoku once again changed forms and everyone backed away giving him room as he scooped up Devlin's body in his claw and took to the skies.
The days that followed were the worst, Malik was hanging onto life by the thinnest thread. The more Malik slipped away, so too did the ability of consoling Marik. He had stopped all attempts of trying to heal his mate. Kaiba could do nothing even though Bakura had retrieved his collection of the most rearrest curses and cure books he had. He, Marik and the Healer spent long nights reading to no avail. Bakura had started to think that perhaps it might not be a curse at all but simply what happens to a Demon once their wings were damaged beyond repair. He had only read about what happens in vague detail, but never in person.
Bakura left the nest and walked onto the main floor with books in his hands, having read through them in the nest and found it hard to concentrate as his attention strayed to Ryou. The idea crept in all the time, to force Ryou to awaken and use his Spark to heal Malik. However, it was pointless since Touzoku had tried just that and failed and if Ryou attempted the same thing it would most likely end Malik's life.
Bakura ran a frustrated hand through his hair, what he wouldn't give to have his family whole, together and enjoy the little moments with their daughter. He turned down the corridor that led to the Healer's wing and slowed to a stop when he saw Marik standing just outside the threshold, motionless and staring unseeingly. Bakura's heart started to pound and his hands started to shake, "Marik?" it came out as a choked whisper. His lover didn't respond until Bakura touched his shoulder. "Marik?"
"Hey."
"Is everything alright?" Bakura looked into the room and Malik lay on his stomach and still breathing. Relief flooded Bakura so fast that it made him a little dizzy.
"Yeah, I just…" Marik trailed off as he glanced down at an empty clear container. "Kaiba sent me to get something, I forgot what." He turned to face the room as if it would help him to remember. As Bakura was about to offer to take care of whatever the Healer needed, eight of Pegasus's guards appeared in the large foyer. "Call the King we have him!"
"Keep the chains tight!" six of the goblins held chains that connected to a Collar about Yami's neck, who garnished his fangs and spat insults at them. One Goblin moved in and kicked the back of Yami's leg and brought him to his knees.
"Leave him alone!" Yugi struggled, he hit, kicked and bit the goblin holding him with one hand and didn't seem at all affected by what the human was doing to him.
"You!" Marik growled shifting to his true Demonic form and instantly he landed a hit to the Demon Lord and sent out his shield that pushed everyone away and the chains fell to the floor though still connected to his neck. Marik was upon him and rained down bone breaking punch after punch, it was like he had gone completely feral.
"Bakura stop him!"
"Why? Yami's Collared he can't hurt Marik." Malik had explained that Yami wanted him to get close to the Witch, had threatened him when he had refused. Yami had even stood by and allowed her to take him. Yugi screaming for Marik to stop when he summoned his weapons, Bakura held his breath anticipating the blow that would separate Yami's head from his body. Atem and Touzoku had moved through Marik's shield and pulled him off Yami.
"You're dead Orrick!" Yami spat out a mouth full of blood on the floor between them. The goblins rushed in and took up the chains keeping the Demon Lord in place.
Marik launched himself at Yami which was a useless effort against the hold Atem and Touzoku had on him. He let out a cry of rage that tears of blood started to actually fall. "This is all your fault that I'm losing him!" Marik snarled relentlessly trying to use his powers to free himself from Atem and Touzoku.
"Marik stop!" Bakura used his most commanding tone he had, Marik indeed was turning feral. The entire castle shook with a furious roar from below that everyone staggered on their feet and covered their ears and when it stopped, Ryou stood before them, his sights set on Yami.
"Did you think there was no repercussions for your actions! Well you aren't getting away with it this time. Ryou!" Marik called. "Yami's the reason Malik is dying, eat them, eat them all!" Ryou roar right at Yami that he fell over. "And burn it all to the ground!" Ryou's chest glowed with that molten like liquid burbled up his throat and light and heat filled his maw. "Do it Ryou!"
Yugi had broken free and threw himself over Yami as if he could shield the Demon from Dragon's fire or its fangs. "Please don't Ryou!" he called out eyes shut tight for a moment. The fire in Ryou's throat and the glow in his chest died down a little. "We are friends, right?" Yugi had looked up eyes filled with tears that streamed down his cheeks. "Ella had forced Yami to do horrible things because she had Atem and threatened to kill him if Yami didn't do as he was told."
"Yugi, get back," Yami tried to shake him off, but it only made the human hold onto him tighter.
"Don't listen to them Ryou, eat them already!" Marik shouted.
"Yami knew it wasn't right to use Malik, but it was all he had to try and find out what Ella was really planning and when we found out it was too late, you had killed the Witch and Ella was dead. We were going to leave, go into Exile back home and leave Atem to take the throne, but Pegasus's guards found us and brought us here." Ryou gave an omniums growl. "You weren't a good friend!" Yugi accused them all. "You all left Yami to deal with all this on his own not once did any of you sought him out to see if he was in need of anything. No, you all worried about yourselves when he was only trying to protect you all."
"You lying little worm!" Marik spat. "Don't let him talk his way out of this!" Ryou's chest glowed once more as he built up his fire.
"He's reacting to Marik," Touzoku called out to Bakura.
"Kaiba," Bakura made the gesture to Marik.
"Don't you touch me you bastard! I have a right to Homsha!" Marik struggled once more demanding his fight to the death with Yami and as soon as Kaiba placed his hand on Marik's head, he was rendered unconscious.
The fire glow faded and Ryou shifted to his human form for a moment looking a little confused and his legs shook, Bakura removed his cloak and rapped it about his mate and picked him up into his arms. "I missed you," Bakura muttered as Ryou hugged him tightly and everyone around them visibly relaxed.
"What gave the impression that Yami couldn't have come to us for help?" Kaiba asked. "It doesn't excuse his actions of sacrificing one of us for his own needs."
"Sacrifice?" Ryou pulled back, glanced over his shoulder to see Marik laying on the floor unconscious. Bakura let him go when Ryou moved wanting to get to his feet and he rushed to Marik and knelt beside him to check him. He scanned everyone that stood about watching what was happening. "Malik?" his hands firsts in Marik's shirt. "Please bring Aki," Ryou vanished.
"Take the Demon Lord and his mate to the dungeons until we know what to do with them." Pegasus ordered.
Bakura and Kaiba carried Marik to the Healer's wing and when they got there, Touzoku sat in an armchair by the fire holding Aki. Ryou knelt by Malik's bedside brushing the hair back from his face. "What did she do to you?" Ryou whispered wiping at tears from his cheeks. They placed Marik down onto a bed and Bakura approached stopping on the other side of Malik. "So sorry you had to be in so much pain while you waited for me." Ryou pressed his lips to Malik's for a moment before he rose to his feet and placed his hands on his chest.
"Baby, Touzoku already tried giving Malik a piece of his Spark, it didn't work and made his condition worse." Bakura felt awful in stopping his mate from trying to heal Malik. "You are newly changed and had Aki, you would harm yourself."
"Touzoku isn't me and I have power to spare," Ryou's eyes growled gold as he moved his hands away from his chest and within them a pulsing heartbeat of blue light that was much larger then what Touzoku had offered.
"Please don't," Bakura whispered knowing what was going to happen and he did not want his mate to blame himself for ending Malik's life sooner. Ryou moved his hands and the light between Malik's wings and pressed down until his hands were touching skin and instantly Malik's body glowed soft blue and like before, his wings unfolded from his back like a vine over the bed and onto the floor and feathers bloomed like flowers all lush, thick and sleek black even his dark purple feathers fanned out.
The redness and those dark blue veins seeped away leaving behind tan smooth skin and the glow faded and Malik lay there motionless until he drew in a laud breath as if he hadn't been breathing at for a long time and bright lilac eyes fluttered open.
The months rolled by and Ryou had moved Aki and himself out of the nest and into one of the bedrooms Pegasus gave them until the end of the Gathering. Once a week, Ryou would leave Aki in the care of Seto, Joey and Necro for a short time to fly and hunt. Often his mates joined him as did Touzoku and together they would hunt the large creatures of the forests.
Marik had confided in him that while Dragons hunted their meals in such a savage unleashed primitive way, it also satisfied their primal urges in ways that they couldn't before. Yami had placed restrictions on them, how and when they could hunt. The Demon Lord's way of keeping everyone under his thumb. Ryou reassured his mates that no one would ever rule over them again, not while he is alive. Ryou while he cleaned himself off in the river. He enjoyed his mates whooping with excitement and laughter, roughhousing and gushing over the events of the hunt, so charged with invigorating energy that it often got burnt out in bed together.
The nights Ryou didn't need to hunt and after Aki had gone to sleep, they huddled up together talking on random subjects. Ryou had some time ago, explained everything to them, how he is the first Dragon, his curse and death and all his reincarnated lives. All conversations led to all kinds of naughty activities until the early hours of the morning.
During the days, Bakura and Marik worked over a large desk in their room, scrolls, papers and what they discarded littered the floor around them. Marik or Bakura would leave with multiple messages and when Ryou inquired what they were doing, they shooed him away or got Malik to distract him and eventually they moved their work out of the bedroom to elsewhere in the castle.
Mazaki had no hard feelings about the burning of Blackwood and nor did he blame Ryou for anything. Pegasus was helping in the rebuild and extended that help to other Covens that had been destroyed by Ishizu's hand. Ryou gave the Warlock a vial of his blood and a few of his scales as his way of apology. Mazaki stared at the items for a moment before hugging Ryou and thanking him.
Yugi had been let out of the dungeons with a guard escort at all times, Atem upon taking back his throne would exile Yami and Yugi to the human Realm. Yugi had marvelled at Aki and congratulated Ryou. He also held no ill will against anyone for what happened as all had turned out well and they had gotten what they wanted. A peaceful life without any responsibilities but to each other.
Over the months Atem had gathered all those still loyal to his family and him at Hythe Hill along with half of Pegasus's army and one Dragon. Atem with the armies descended upon his family's home and established his foothold… which hadn't been the epic battle Atem had hoped for since all of those loyal to Ella had abandoned the castle shortly after her death. Atem allowed the Gathering to pass without a crowning ceremony as he set about on repairing the castle, rebuilding his guards and staff.
It was only at the end of the Gathering Atem held a small ceremony taking his rightful place as King of the Demons and Touzoku had also been crowned as Atem's mate and equal. Touzoku had grumbled that he was already King of the Dragons and didn't need a second title.
It was in the afternoon that everyone started to leave, portals of all kinds opened up and allowed those to pass through before closing again. They couldn't travel by portal due to Aki being too fragile for the journey so they returned to the dock where Marik's boat awaited them. "Take care," Touzoku said as he and Ryou hugged.
"I'll be back to hunt," Ryou reassured him. Bakura, Marik and Malik bid their farewells to Atem and Touzoku. Shada was already boarding with a giggling Anzu slung over his shoulder. Seto was given his title back as head Healer and no longer exiled. It had come as a shock as the Healer informed them upon leaving that he and Joey were going to remain in the Demonic Realm. Joey seemed happy about the idea having been given a job in the library. Serenity had been in the castle the whole time oblivious to their absence as she had spent her time working in the kitchen unharmed and enjoying herself as she took on the role as head cook and run a tight orderly kitchen.
"Let's go," Malik grabbed Ryou's hand and pulled him towards the boat, Marik followed holding Aki and Bakura by his side. It wasn't long when the shore had vanished from sight and nothing but open water and they were truly on their way home.
The End.
I will answers any and all questions if you have any. R&R