So, if you like Tendershipping, smut, and murder, please check out my new one-shot called 'Task Failed Successfully' over on AO3! Basic summary is Bakura is a contract killer that messes up on his biggest paying job ever. He ends up calling Ryou (his former lover) for help. Did I mention that Ryou is also a high profile detective?
Small TW: Dog attack.
Bakura appeared inside of Ry-...his flat, dropping the bags full of apparel that was more his style. Spending the last few hours alone with the Royal Asshole was not how he expected his day in Italy to go, but the alternative of Kat finding out that he had let Atem temporarily out of his sight made it a much more favorable option. He didn't want to imagine what she would do if she found out that Remus had almost taken advantage of the Pharaoh on his watch, not that he wouldn't have loved to have seen the Pharaoh squirm a bit more before he had intervened.
Why had he intervened? That was a question he had yet to answer. He hadn't even seen what was going on at first. It was the sudden, intense scent of fear and desperation that had drawn his attention to what was happening inside, causing him to react instantly. He hadn't been motivated by the fear of what Kat would do to him, as that thought hadn't crossed his mind until later.
He kicked off his shoes, walked over to the sofa, and sat down. He leaned his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on folded hands in contemplation.
'Why?'
Bakura couldn't get the question out of his head. It had haunted him as he helped make suggestions on what colors and styles of clothing paired well with Atem's features. It had reverberated throughout his skull as he walked the Pharaoh through the steps to properly tying a tie. It had screamed at him as he, for some unknown reason, temporarily put aside his opinions of Atem and held his tongue. It might as well have sniped him between the eyes as he found himself, for the first time since they were children, actually getting along with Atem.
Bakura grabbed his hair in frustration, growling in irritation. Why did this bother him so much?! Why couldn't he stop asking himself 'Why'?
Had Ry-...Judgment…been right? Did he…did he actually like Atem? No. There was no way. It was a lie. It had to be a lie. The gods were good at that. They lied all the time. It was how they manipulated people into doing what they wanted. Judgment was just another of their pawns. He would say and do whatever was commanded of him. He had mentioned that his appearance in Rome had been orchestrated by the Elder. Perhaps she had intended for Judgment to place these doubting thoughts in his head? Yes! That had to be it! He just needed to prove it…
"Now where did I put it…?" he muttered to himself, leaning over the edge of the sofa to grab the short stack of magazines and newspapers that sat on an end table. He searched through the stack, stopping once he found the headline he was searching for. There, on the front page of the local newspaper, was the image of Yugi holding the three Egyptian God cards with an article about how he had been crowned 'King of Games' after winning the Battle City tournament.
Bakura scrunched up his nose in irritation. This wouldn't do. The picture was of the Pharaoh's prior host, not the Pharaoh himself. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts, hesitating and debating if he was seriously going to ask Mkhai to send him a picture of Atem. He groaned internally, then reluctantly sent the text. His foot bounced as he impatiently waited for a reply, and was startled when the printer in the room came to life. He stared unenthusiastically at the machine as a page with an image slowly emerged from within.
"Not exactly what I had in mind, but whatever," he said to no one in particular.
He got up and grabbed the picture that had finished printing. There was Atem in all his regal glory from the night of the gathering. Bakura stared at the picture, trying to determine if he actually felt anything by simply looking at the picture. Before he could, though, another page began to print. Bakura stared at the printer in puzzlement. The page was halfway exposed when he realized what the image was. He jerked the paper, tearing it in half as it had yet to finish, and crumpled it up. He did the same with the other half once it was released from the printer's grasp. The printer wasn't finished, though, as another page began to emerge, bearing the same image. Bakura jerked the power cable from the wall.
"Ha! Try sending it now, you fucker!" Bakura shouted in annoyance.
A notification chimed in on his phone. He internally groaned, having a bad feeling he knew exactly what the notification contained. He debated ignoring it, but made the mistake of looking anyway. The printer had simply printed a still image. The notification contained a video attachment.
Bakura chucked the phone across the room, not caring that it had shattered upon impact against the wall.
"Dammit!" he screamed in frustration. He looked down at the photo of Atem that he had dropped on the floor at some point, his hatred towards the Pharaoh practically emanating from his body. "They lie…they all fucking lie! I hate you!" he shouted at the printed image. "I wish you had never come back!"
Someone knocked on the door, startling Bakura.
"What?!" he shouted towards the unknown person beyond the door.
"I heard shouting, is everything all right in there?" came a muffled voice through the door. It was one of Ryou's neighbors. This particular neighbor was a kind, older gentleman that lived alone and often checked in on the pale teen.
Bakura was in no mood to put on his Ryou façade, and thankfully the old man had already become accustomed to Ryou's 'mood swings', making the facade not really all that necessary.
"I'm fine…" Bakura growled irritably in reply. "Just had the TV too loud. I'll try to keep it down," he added through a clenched jaw.
"You know, if something is troubling you, I'm always willing to listen," the older man said, attempting reassurance.
"I said I'm fine."
"Is it because your father broke his promise to you again? You poor boy. I don't know ho-"
Bakura jerked the door open, interrupting the older gentleman. He glared hard at the old man. "If you know what is good for you, you will never come knocking on this door again…is that understood?"
The aura emanating around him had become physically visible, his eyes glowing brightly against his pale form and the Shadows that coalesced around him.
The old man took a fearful step back, but wasn't entirely deterred by what he saw. "Please, I just want to help. You seem more troubled as of late."
"I don't need your help…or anyone's help for that matter!" Bakura shouted.
"I think you do," the man said fearfully, his voice quivering.
"Just leave me alone!"
The man opened his mouth to speak again. Bakura was done with his words. He lunged forward, transfiguring into a fairly large wolf-like dog, the Millennium Ring around his neck hidden by his thick fur. He clasped his jaw around the arm the man had raised as a protective measure against the attack, shaking it furiously as if he were trying to snap the neck of his prey. The man cried out, trying to pry the beast's jaw off his arm. Bakura let go, lunging forward again in hopes to get a better grip, snapping his jaws and growling ferociously as he tried to get at the throat of the one calling out for help. The bleeding arm got in his way, though, keeping him from his goal.
'Shut up! SHUT UP!'
Something hard came into contact with the side of his head, causing him to redirect his focus from the old man beneath him. Another of Ryou's neighbors, a young mother, had come out to investigate. She had seen the furry white beast attacking the old man, and thrown a large book at it.
Bakura growled, slowly turning away from his current target and stalking towards his new one. He was about to lunge towards the woman when he saw something move just inside of the door. It was the woman's young child.
The scent of fear flooded Bakura's nose. Fear from the old man. Fear from the woman. Fear from the small child. Fear from all the others that were now standing and watching him as he prepared to attack his next victim.
He turned an eye back towards the old man that was holding his arm while shouting at the woman to get back inside and shut the door. The old man's voice was muffled and far away, as was the crying of the small child.
'What the hell am I doing?'
Realization at what had happened…at what he had done…hit Bakura hard. His eyes went wide as he cowered with his ears drooped and tail between his legs. Breathing suddenly became a chore, and he instinctively fled. He ran past all the people that had gathered, their screams serving as an instant reminder of his mistake. He kept running and running, with no destination in mind. He just needed to be somewhere…anywhere…else.
Bakura didn't pay attention to his surroundings as he rushed past all the lights, sounds, and bodies. Everything was a blur.
'WHY?!'
He wasn't certain how, or even why, but he found himself finally coming to a stop in front of a house with a shimmering barrier around it. He stepped gingerly forward, passing through the barrier with ease. The lights inside the living area were still on, and he hoped his closest friend would forgive his intrusion at this hour. She would understand, right? He had been provoked. Mkhai had started this. It was all an accident. Kat would surely come to his defense when the Tribunal would undoubtedly summon him, he was certain of it. He had done the same for her numerous times, and her crimes were always far worse in comparison.
Bakura was up by the house now. He rose up on his hind legs, placing his fore-paws on the windowsill while attempting to peek through the space between the drawn curtains. His heart sank at what he saw.
Kat was on her knees, holding Atem's head in a comforting embrace. Atem, meanwhile, had buried his face into Kat's chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her.
Bakura's snout drew back in a snarl, a low growl erupting from deep within. How could she still hold a single shred of anything for that prick? What about the Tomb Keeper? It was obvious how she felt for Marik. Apparently even the Tomb Keeper was no match when it came to the Pharaoh manipulating his way back into Kat's heart.
He watched as the Pharaoh removed himself from the arms of his former wife, looking up at her with sadness in his eyes. He watched as the Pharaoh hesitated, then kissed his former wife on the forehead. He tried to focus his hearing to listen in on what was being said, but the barrier had been created so that the voices inside could only be heard by being inside the house.
Kat nodded to something Atem had said, then retreated to what was most likely her original seat while drying her face of tears.
Bakura's jaw parted as he growled. 'You made her cry again?! I'll rip your throat out!'
The two suddenly appeared to be smiling and laughing heartily about something. Their laughter increased to the point that they both grabbed hold of their stomachs as they fell over onto their backs.
Bakura's snout and jaw relaxed from its snarled state as he tilted his head slightly, one ear raised up slightly higher than the other. What was going on? One second Kat had appeared to be crying again, and now…she and the Pharaoh were laughing like they used to back during the early days?
Back when things were different between all of them.
Bakura dropped back down on all fours, sitting on his haunches with his head lowered. There had been a time when he had actually looked up to Atem. Sure, in the beginning, he'd been angry and resentful towards the (at the time) young prince for being useless in stopping Ama-shae's execution…but he eventually pushed those bitter feelings aside. Atem always treated both him and Set as equally as he did Kat. They had all become Pharaoh's favored.
So what changed?
Bakura tried to think back. What had changed? When did he start disliking the Pharaoh so much? And why? He couldn't remember. He remembered things like sneaking into the palace walls as the Thief King, and sitting poised on Kat and Atem's balcony knowing the Pharaoh would be alone. He remembered taunting him, though what about…that part eluded him. He remembered looking forward to Kat's first resurrection attempt and silently hoping it would succeed…because he had actually looked forward to seeing Atem again.
So why did everything change?
Bakura shook his head as it had suddenly begun to hurt. Those memories were apparently buried deep, and he had no desire to endure the pain of searching for them at this time. He raised back up and peered back through the window. Kat and Atem appeared to be focused on a book.
He lowered himself away from the window again, his head lowered as he debated on entering. Kat had enough things to deal with at the moment. There was the matter of when she would be summoned by the Tribunal for her actions against her sire, the Pharaoh revived and getting him assimilated into modern society, dealing with the emotional headache of simultaneously ending things with the Pharaoh and starting a relationship with the Tomb Keeper, and then there was the dilemma she was probably facing of trying to figure out how to bond with her estranged heir. It wouldn't be fair to add his problem to her list.
Bakura turned and loped out of the yard. He couldn't go back to the flat, and staying with Kat was no longer a feasible option without adding to her own issues.
'Damn,' he thought to himself. 'I'm going to need a new place to stay now. I can't believe I fucked up so badly. Maybe I'll get lucky and no one will believe the old man. Maybe they'll just think he's crazy.'
He slowed and came to a stop, suddenly feeling bad for the old man. Out of everyone in Ryou's life, he was probably the only one that had at least tried to be there for the boy. The impostor that was supposed to be posing as Ryou's 'father', hadn't even feigned interest. Why was he even a part of all of this? What exactly, in Kat's little fucked up mind, was she thinking by having that fake step in and take his place? And his name? That impostor wasn't in the least bit necessary. Ryou's mother would have been just fine without that impostor. He was never around. He wasn't there when Ryou's mother and sister had died. He was barely even a presence at their funeral. And after…
Bakura growled and snarled. Why hadn't his best friend taken in his heir? Why had she just left him in that situation? If she hadn't felt capable of taking care of him, surely she could have taken Ryou to Solomon like she had done with Yugi? Instead, she'd done nothing. The heir of her best friend…and she'd done absolutely nothing.
Something moved near the edge of his peripheral vision. Bakura turned his head towards it, snarling. This day had been nothing but one big shit-show. Hell, every day since he'd been restored had been nothing but a shit-show. He wanted to take his frustrations out on something, anything. He glanced around, searching for the source of movement. Even in the darkness he could make out a small shadow that hopped towards him.
The guttural 'kraa' that came from the shadow made Bakura stop his snarling. He tilted his head in curiosity as he watched the raven hop and flutter its wings as if it wanted him to follow. He took a step towards the dark bird, watching as it turned and hopped away a bit, glancing back over its shoulder to see if Bakura would indeed follow. Bakura let out a low 'ruff' towards the bird to indicate for it to lead the way. The raven let out another 'kraa', then took off at a low altitude, Bakura following closely beneath it.
He ignored everything, his focus solely on the dark bird above. Ravens had always led him to someplace he could be found; on several levels. It was a raven that had led him to Ama-shae.
He had been scared, alone, and on the verge of death. His mind had been shattered by what had happened. He had become nothing more than a catatonic doll, laying nearly lifeless on the ground awaiting for the moment he would close his eyes one last time, joining the rest of the people of his village. He recalled small thoughts of whether he would feel anything when the carrion feeders grew tired of feeding off burnt flesh, instead turning and tearing into something a bit more fresh. He recalled hearing a strange sound, piquing some form of curiosity in him. He had forced his left eye open, his other swollen and too caked with dried blood. He saw the dark bird, prompting him to lift his head up a bit to watch as the bird turned its head back and forth as though it were studying him. It had hopped and danced a bit before his eyes. Somehow, he had summoned up the strength to sit upright. This appeared to excite the bird as it began to 'kraa', flutter, and dance around him. Suddenly, his thoughts were no longer on dying. The bird began to hop towards and away from him. Strength he didn't know he possessed, lifted him to his feet, carrying him forward as he followed the black bird that hopped and fluttered short distances, ensuring that his small body was still behind it. He wasn't sure how long he had followed the bird, but when it suddenly lifted from the ground and took flight, vanishing into the sky, he had turned around and noticed that his village was nowhere to be seen.
He was alone again, this time out in the middle of nowhere. The closest landmark of any sort was a small outcropping with an equally small overhang. He had walked over to the rocky exposure, resting beneath the overhang. He remembered that no sooner had he sat down, he felt a cool gust of wind. There was a small hole that he hadn't seen before, hidden in the overhang's shadow. He made his way in, following a small light deep within. He had been overwhelmed with emotions when he discovered that the source of the breeze had been from air that had circulated from a hole above and cooled as it made its way across the surface of the spring that was hidden in the small cave. He had rushed to the edge of the spring, cupping his hands full of water and gulping it down as fast as possible before doing so again and again, until his gut began twisting from drinking too much too fast. After, he had crawled back a bit and lay down, suddenly overcome with exhaustion. That wasn't all that was sudden. His stomach, still cramped from drinking, reminded him that he needed to eat as well. As if on cue, the dark bird re-appeared from the opening in the cave's ceiling, dropping a small, dead hare beside him. He had stared at the limp pile of fur, uncertain what to do with it. The bird turned its head, studying him momentarily again, then began tearing at the fur, exposing the muscle beneath. His hunger had suddenly intensified, and he no longer cared that the hare was uncooked. His small mind had only registered one thing: food. He had eagerly torn flesh from bone with his teeth, ignoring the small bits of fur that still stuck to the muscle even after he had pulled off a good portion of the hare's hide and cast it aside. He'd cracked open the bones, suckling on the sweet marrow that was hidden within. There was little left of the creature by the time he had finished. With his belly full and thirst quenched, he had found himself extremely tired. He no longer wanted to die. He wanted to live. He had slept…truly slept…that night. There had been no nightmares of screams and fire, no smoke and ash, no golden man. Just a gentle song in an unknown language that wrapped around him and made him feel safe. He had awoken the next morning with the bird nestled beside him. His movement woke it, causing it to flutter out of the cave entrance, prompting him to follow. What he saw waiting at the entrance caused him to pause for only the slightest moment. There had been a fairly pale woman with eyes in a shade of green he had only ever seen in glittery gems and wavy hair the color of fire. After that, all he remembered was being picked up and carried, nestling himself deep into the warmth and safety he felt with the woman.
Bakura was pulled from his reverie as the raven above began to descend. It had led him back to the spot in the park where he, Yugi and Marik had encountered Kat and Malik. It was also the same spot where Anubis had appeared.
The bird landed, hopping around a bit in a circle. Bakura slowed and approached the spot. The raven looked at him, 'kraa'-ing in his face before fluttering upwards and flying off. He stared in puzzlement at the sky, then lowered his nose to the ground. There had to be a reason the bird led him here.
It was a subtle scent, but it was there. It was a ley-line convergence point…and its flow had been disrupted. It was also where Kat had summoned the transport obelisk. That was the reason Anubis had been able to appear inside the larger barrier that encompassed Domino. But why had the raven brought him here? Surely it wasn't just to point out that there was a gaping hole inside of an otherwise solid barrier?
Bakura looked around, trying to see if there was something else. Something white caught his attention as it came towards him at a slow pace. His eyes widened a bit as he realized it was a direwolf. He had thought them extinct, but based on what he was seeing before him, there was at least one still in existence. This particular direwolf had seen some battles, if the mottled scarring across its upper body was any indication.
The direwolf stopped several yards from where Bakura stood. It stared at him for the longest time, then raised its head back and began to howl. It was like a song to Bakura's ears, and he found himself instinctively joining the melody. They sang for what could have been minutes, or it could have been hours, Bakura wasn't certain as he had become lost in everything but the song.
When they finished their symphony, the direwolf stared at him again. Bakura saw a strange emerald flash in the other beast's eyes.
Thank you for joining me in song, brother.
Bakura's eyes widened as he heard the voice in his head. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't place who it belonged to.
'Who are you?'
Just someone that is happy to meet another who enjoys singing in the moonlight.
Bakura bared his fangs and growled low. 'Give me a name.'
The direwolf appeared to study him, as if trying to determine if he was indeed worthy of knowing its name.
You can call me…Mabon.
'Mabon? What kind of name is 'Mabon'?'
What kind of name is 'Bakura'? You don't look like a Hebrew girl, nor are you 'ripe fruit'. 'Naram-Sin', however…that makes more sense. It is obvious you are 'beloved of Sin'.
Bakura's growl intensified as his ears flattened against his skull and his hackles raised. 'You seem to know a great deal about me, yet I know nothing about you aside from the name you've given.'
The direwolf appeared to laugh, which only served to intensify Bakura's irritation towards it.
Forgive me, I don't get out as much as I did in my early days. We've actually met before, but it appears you don't remember me. No matter, that is not why I am here.
'Then let's get straight to the point. Why are you here?'
I am to deliver a message: The moon does not cast light of its own, it needs the sun. As a sign of fairness, the sun allows the moon to hide its light from time to time. The time is short, but it symbolizes the balance between the two. 'Bakura' has made things unbalanced. You must learn to become both 'Bakura' and 'Naram-Sin'.
Bakura was full-on growling and barking now. 'I am Bakura! Naram-Sin died in Kul Elna with the rest of his people! I am Ba-Ku-Ra! The Shadow Double of Ra! I am the Eclipse! I will cast my shadow over Ra for as long as he exists! He claims he is 'Perfection'...but I will always be there to prove that he is not!'
The direwolf shook its head slightly, appearing disappointed. 'Kura…why must you always be so stubborn?'
Bakura stopped his growling upon hearing the direwolf refer to him as 'Kura'. He stared at the large lupine with eyes widened in disbelief. He finally realized where he recognized that voice from. He transfigured and stood up straight, having a hard time believing who it was he had come face to face with. "Set?"
The direwolf appeared to smirk once more, then vanished in a flurry of snow.
If you are confused about the 'Naram-sin' name meaning, go back and read endnotes for chapter 46.
Bakura is an actual female Hebrew name that means 'Ripe fruit'. If you read 'White Lady', you would see where I delve into my reasoning for the name.
Then there is a Kemetic breakdown:
Ba- Personality or 'Shadow'
Ku- Vital essence or 'Double'
Ra- Egyptian solar deity
Ba-Ku-Ra= Shadow Double of Ra aka. 'The Eclipse'
