Author's Notes: Heheh...did I make you all wait long enough for this
chapter or should I draw it out longer? *hears many screams of "NO!" and
cackles madly* Well, anywhos... *coughs purposefully*
Bakura: *Death Glare* After the torture you're putting me and Ryou through, you expect me to cooperate?!?!
Author: *grins evilly, flashes contract, and then mace-sama, along with a piece of paper containing other torture ideas if aforementioned albino boys don't cooperate*
Bakura and Ryou: *hastily* Dragon Mistress doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh or its characters!!!
Yami: *quietly to Yugi* Though that doesn't stop her from writing stories about us or torturing Bakura-kun and Ryou-kun, ne?
Yugi: *sweatdrops*
Yu-Gi-Oh: Soulmates
Chapter Six: The Discovery
Yugi hummed cheerfully as he dialed Ryou and Bakura's house on his phone, thinking about how much fun it would be at the sleepover he was holding tonight. Yugi frowned in puzzlement as the phone rang four times, and was just about to hang up when Ryou's voice came over the phone with a tired-sounding greeting.
"Ryou-kun?? Daijobu ka?" Yugi inquired worriedly. There was a pause.
"Oh...yeah...I'm...fine...nothing to worry about. I'm perfectly fine. Don't worry about me. Whatcha calling for?"
Yugi gave Yami an extremely puzzled and worried expression, which Yami returned with one of confusion. Yami moved closer to Yugi so he could hear the phone easily.
"Eto...I was gonna hold a sleepover party tonight. Jou, Honda, and Anzu are all gonna be here, along with me and Yami, of course. Can you and Bakura come?"
"Oh...uh...gomen nasai, Yugi-kun...I, er, I don't feel good. Bakura doesn't want me going anywhere, or I might catch more bugs. I must be catching that flu that's going around the school, ne?"
An odd, forced laugh followed that sentence.
"Oh...alright. That's too bad...well, maybe next time, ne?"
"Yeah......sure...that'd be...great...ja ne..."
"Ja..."
Yugi hung up the phone, worry in every crease of his face. Yami encircled him in a gentle hug.
"What's wrong, koi?"
"Ryou-kun doesn't sound sick. If anything, he sounded scared..."
Yami frowned in thought. The same thought struck both of them at precisely the same time, and their eyes shot wide open.
"Bakura!!"
Once everyone had arrived at the party, Yami and Yugi hastily explained that they were gonna pay Ryou a visit cause he said he was sick. They all paused for a moment, thinking, as the two tri-colored-haired boys pushed them out the door, and then it hit them. Well, Jounouchi to be precise.
"No way!!" Jou shrieked. "How do you suppose that happened?!"
"My guess," Yami concluded darkly. "Is that Bakura thought Ryou betrayed him in some way..."
"Well, wait are we waiting for?" Yugi inquired anxiously, worried about his friend. Everyone began to run towards Ryou/Bakura's house, praying that they wouldn't be too late.
(Yes, I know you all are DYING to know what happens, but I'm gonna drag it out a bit- MWUAHAHAH!)
(At Ryou's house)
Ryou sighed as he hung up with Yugi, and then glanced at himself in the mirror. He felt tears build up in his eyes as he saw his hideously damaged reflection, and he finally lost control, grabbed the nearest object, and threw it at the mirror. The mirror broke, shards raining down onto the carpeted floor. Ryou hugged his knees to his chest, sobbing.
"What did I do?" he moaned to no one in particular, rocking back in forth. "What did I do to make him turn back?"
He clutched at himself, hoping for comfort but finding none.
Hours later found him still in that same position, the tears long gone but still at the ready. The doorbell rang, and Ryou cringed. He certainly couldn't go to the door looking like this. With his luck, it was probably Yugi and Yami, coming to wish him well.
He cursed. At times like this, having friends was not a good thing.
"Aren't you gonna answer the door?" a deep voice came from behind him, and Ryou stiffened in horror.
"N-N-No..."
Ryou cried out as Bakura's fist connected with one of his already wounded shoulders. He sobbed once, forcing the tears back.
"Never say no to me! Now go get the damned door!!"
Ryou leaped to his feet, stumbled down the stairs, and arrived at the front door, wiping tears from his eyes. He tried to gather his dignity -what was left of it- as much as he could, and then opened the door.
He froze in horror.
(DUN, DUN, DUN, DUN!!!)
Ryou stared at his friends, and they stared back at him. Ryou didn't know how long. At the back of his mind, he could feel something beginning. A building up of power, that was steadily growing larger and larger until it would burst.
And then it exploded.
"BAKURA!! Where the fuck are you?!?! I'm gonna kill you with my bare hands!!" Yami shrieked, brushing past Ryou and tearing up the stairs. Yugi gave Ryou a gentle hug.
"I'm so sorry this happened," Yugi whispered. Ryou tentatively put a hand on Yugi's back, patting it slightly.
"Me too..." Ryou murmured softly. "I don't know what I did. I just went to the park, spoke with Naomi, came home, and found Bakura-"
Ryou's color drained as none other than his other half came flying down the stairs. Literally. Yami stood at the top of the stairs, obviously having kicked Bakura so that the boy would fly, and then hit the wall. A sickening crunch echoed in Ryou's home, and everyone minus Yami winced at the sound. Bakura slumped to the ground, coughing up blood.
"You don't understand," he snarled hoarsely. "This is between me and Ryou..."
"You're wrong, Bakura! The moment you landed the first blow to Ryou I was instantly involved!! And once again, I shall keep you from hurting my friend!"
Yami extended his hand, and the Millennium Eye glowed on his forehead. Ryou, thinking Yami was going to send Bakura's soul to the Shadow Realm forever, shrieked, "NO!", and leapt.
"Yami-chan, stop!!" Yugi cried out in dismay, but it was too late. The energy enveloped Ryou and Bakura, and they both disappeared. There was silence. Yami sighed in relief.
"Thanks, Ryou-kun. That was just what I was counting on. Oh, don't worry, everyone, I didn't send them to the Shadow Realm. I sent them to the Realm of Mochidzuki." (Mochidzuki means 'Full Moon'. It had a nice ring to it, so I put it in here)
"What's that?" Jounouchi questioned curiously.
"The Realm of Mochidzuki is a place where two people, hikari and yami, test their love for each other. If something goes terribly wrong in their life in this world, then the nearest yami of any Millennium Item has a duty to send them to that realm to work things out and to be judged."
"But...who's the judge?" Anzu inquired. Yami smiled briefly, and held up a card. He turned it around, and a woman with smooth skin and elegant red hair was revealed to be on the front.
"No way!" Yugi cried as Yami came down the stairs so they could all see the card. "The Judge is a Duel Monsters card?!"
Yami nodded. "The Empress Judge, to be exact."
"Can't we go there and watch what happens?" Honda demanded impatiently, not one to sit around waiting, not knowing what's going to happen. Yami chuckled, and the energy enveloped them all. They disappeared.
(Want me to end it here? *cackles as screams of no follow that question* Maybe I should...heheheheheheh. *looks at Word Count* Oh, phooey. I promised myself I would always have a chapter that is more than 2,500 words in this story. Dang! I can't end it here! *hears cries of happiness and grumbles*)
Ryou looked around. "Where are we?"
"I don't give a fuck so long as I get my hands on that damn Pharaoh..." Bakura snarled, moving testily, realizing that his rib wound dealt by Yami was healed. Ryou happened to notice that he was free of cuts, whip marks, bruises, and fractures, and kept quiet, not wanting to alert his yami to that fact lest his yami feel it necessary to give him back those aforementioned wounds.
"Uh...Bakura?"
"WHAT?!" he snapped angrily. Ryou pointed, and Bakura followed his gaze.
"What the fuck?!" he shouted, staring at the extremely large pyramid in the distance, surrounded by an oasis. (*snorts* Totally stole this from 'The Mummy Returns')
"How do we get out of here?" Ryou wondered, looking around at the desert they stood upon.
"How the fuck should I know?!?!" Bakura demanded. "Just shut up or I'll give you back your wounds!"
Ryou immediately quieted.
"Do you wish to leave this place?" an ethereal voice inquired in their minds. Ryou jumped, startled. Bakura growled.
"Yes...why?"
"I can tell you how."
"Then tell us."
"May I ask you why you want to leave?"
"Because I want to go home, dammit!"
"What of the other one? Your hikari? Does he wish to leave?"
"Of course he does."
The gentle, calming voice immediately turned savage and all-powerful. (DUDE!! It's Galadriel!! AHAHAHAH!)
"WAS I ASKING YOU?!" It demanded, thunder rolling across the empty sky like a tidal wave. Ryou cringed in fear, and even Bakura flinched. The voice immediately turned gentle.
"I am sorry if I scared you, little one. Your name is Ryou, correct?"
"H-H-Hai..."
"You need not fear me. I will not harm either of you...unless, of course, you give me a reason to. Well now, Ryou-chan, do you wish to leave here?"
Ryou trembled. "Yes...and no..."
"Why the indecision?"
Ryou glanced worriedly at his yami, who was mumbling angrily to himself, staring at the distant pyramid. Bakura felt Ryou's eyes on him, and glared at the boy, mouthing, "You better say you want to leave or I'll kill you."
"Ah, I see..." the ethereal voice murmured. "You fear him. You wish to return to your own time but are afraid of what he might do to you."
It was not a question. Ryou hesitantly nodded, uncomfortably aware that the voice could somehow see their movements. How else would she have known of Ryou's fearful gaze on Bakura?
"Well, then, I shall help both of you. In order to leave this place you must travel to the pyramid you see before you. The pyramid is called Mochidzuki. Once you have arrived at Mochidzuki, I will tell you what you must do next. Oh, and beware of the path to Mochidzuki. The pyramid's guardians might not like one of you, but I will not say which. Until you reach the pyramid, then."
The voice disappeared from their minds, and Bakura let forth a string of Egyptian curses.
======
Jounouchi and Honda snorted with derisive laughter at Bakura's antics. Yami and Yugi watched solemnly, both not in the mood for laughter. Yami had his arms draped lazily around Yugi so they would both feel more at ease. Anzu merely watched on in silence. She finally couldn't stand it.
"Doragon-sama," Anzu began, "What did she mean by that?"
The Blue Eyes White Dragon craned its large head around to peer majestically at her. "There are many things in the forest surrounding Mochizuki-sama. Some don't like humans. Especially those that were once humans themselves."
Everyone shivered at that comment.
======
"Get up!" Bakura commanded once he was done expressing himself. Ryou submissively stood, and began to follow his yami doggedly. After a long time of walking, he finally couldn't stand the silence, and began to hum a song he had recently become attached to, for obvious reasons once you listened to the lyrics.
Bakura stopped.
"What are you doing?!"
Ryou looked up, startled, as he almost bumped into the slightly taller albino boy. "J-Just humming..."
"Why?"
"B-Because...I like to sing...and I don't like silence..."
Bakura huffed, and turned around, continuing to walk. "Do whatever you want."
Ryou smiled softly, knowing that this was Bakura's way of showing he wanted to hear Ryou sing. Ryou began to hum the opening melody, and then began to sing.
"Sometimes I feel
I've got to run away,
I've got to get away
From the pain you drive in the heart of me.
The love we share
Seems to go nowhere,
And I've lost my light,
For I toss and turn and can't sleep at night.
Once I ran to you, (ah, baby)
Now I'll run from you.
This tainted love you've given-"
"Sing something else!!" Bakura snapped, interrupting Ryou. Ryou frowned sulkily, but granted his yami's wish.
Ryou couldn't have possibly known that Bakura had only said that because tears were now making their presence known to the yami as he realized once more that he was the cause of Ryou's pain.
"Kaze ga yoseta kotoba ni
oyoida kokoro
kumo ga hakobu ashita ni
hazunda koe
tsuki ga yureru kagami ni
furueta kokoro
hoshi ga nagare koboreta
yawarakai namida
suteki da ne?
futari te wo tori aruketa nara
ikitai yo
kimi no machi ie ude no naka
sono mune
karada azuke
yoi ni magire
yumemiru
kaze wa tomari kotoba wa
yasashii maboroshi
kumo wa yabure ashita wa
tooku no koe
tsuki ga nijimu kagami wo
nagareta kokoro
hoshi ga yurete koboreta
kakusenai namida
suteki da ne?
futari te wo tori aruketa nara
ikitai yo
kimi no machi ie ude no naka
sono kao
sotto furete
asa ni tokeru
yumemiru..."
Bakura hastily wiped his eyes as Ryou finished the song, and made himself remember the anger in his heart at seeing Ryou with Naomi.
======
Everyone looked at each other.
"Did I see...what I thought I just saw? Was Bakura-kun crying?"
But neither Yami nor Yugi were listening. They were puzzling over what could possibly be the reason behind Bakura's sudden change of heart. Yuumei appeared on top of Doragon's head, gave the dragon a cheerful greeting, and then questioned why everyone was here. Everyone merely pointed at the two albino boys below. Yuumei followed everyone's gaze and frowned.
A sigh escaped her lips. "I wondered how long it would last..."
"What do you mean?" Yugi immediately questioned. Yuumei sulked.
"The way I was made, I can change someone's heart, like Bakura, but, afterwards, it only lasts for a short period of time. Could be a day, could be a few days, could be a week or a month or even a whole year. Hell, it could be a decade. But, eventually, something would happen that would hurt the one I changed and their heart would change of its own will. And then, the two people considered are tested."
"You mean you knew all along that this would happen?!" Anzu shouted indignantly. Yuumei hung her head.
"It's not my fault I'm like this," she sniffled, "I was just trying to make things better for them...I forgot about the consequence...I was just trying to help..."
"Anzu-chan, calm down," Yami interjected calmly. "You know as well as any of us that Yuumei-san was only trying to help. I am sure Ryou-kun and Bakura-kun will make it through alright. It's what caused this that I don't understand..."
Yuumei instantly perked up. "Well at least that's something I can help with without anything bad happening afterwards! You see, while Ryou was in the park, he sat down next to that girl -what was it? Oh yes, Naomi- and it so happened that Bakura was watching. He had been hoping to catch Ryou off guard and finally confess his love. However, Naomi apparently had the same idea."
"No fucking way!" Honda exclaimed.
"Naomi likes him?!" Jounouchi demanded.
"Well, it would explain why she follows him around all day," Anzu commented.
"Yup!" Yuumei went on cheerily. "Well, Bakura saw her kiss Ryou, and thought that Ryou had betrayed him. It's all a simple misunderstanding. But, indeed, minor misunderstandings can sometimes lead to wars, so this right now is no surprise."
"Minna," Doragon suddenly announced in his bellowing voice, diverting their attention back to the two people down below.
======
They had finally entered the forest. Ryou, suddenly afraid, crept closer to his yami unknowingly, looking around in fear. Bakura scowled for a little while, and then found himself enjoying his hikari so close. A flashback of Naomi and his hikari kissing made him push Ryou back a little.
"Quit crowding me, you weakling!" Bakura commanded angrily, then turned and pressed onward. Ryou sadly trotted along behind the ancient spirit, and was so wrapped in his thoughts that he didn't even realize that something had grabbed him from behind until he felt himself lifted from the ground and being carried away.
"BAKURA!!" he screamed upon reflex, forgetting that his yami probably didn't care shit about him.
Bakura whirled around, panicking as soon as he noticed that his hikari was gone. (So much for not caring, ne?)
"RYOU!" he called back, searching frantically for the boy. He heard some inhuman screeching coming from the direction the voice had come from, and he pressed on in that direction, running as fast as his legs would carry him. He emerged into a clearing after a minute of running, and nearly fell into the fire pit that Ryou was dangling precariously over.
"What the fuck?!" Bakura exclaimed as soon as he saw his hikari's kidnappers. They looked like humans that had been tortured until they became something dark and hideous. They had four legs, a gaping mouth like an open wound, blood red eyes, a scorpion's tail, and clawed arms that greatly resembled a Harpie Lady. Bakura grimaced in disgust for a moment before realizing that the old rope keeping Ryou from falling into the fire pit was quickly burning up. With a war cry even he did not understand, he leapt at the creatures, striking at them with punches and kicks.
He cried out in pain as one of the creatures' tails had pierced his left arm, the venom sinking into his bloodstream. He snarled like a wounded animal, and tore the creature apart by ripping off it's hand and using its own claws to shred its body apart. (Gruesome, ne? Well, that could be because I recently watched Resident Evil.)
He snatched Ryou from his perch just as the rope disintegrated, and set the boy down on his feet. He began to turn and make his way back towards Mochidzuki when fire traveled through his bloodstream, making his limbs go numb. He cried out in pain, clutching his wounded arm, and collapsed to the ground in a tumble of limbs and clothing. Ryou rushed over to him, forced his hand away, and began to suck on the wound.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Bakura hissed through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the pain. Ryou drew his mouth away -Bakura instantly missed it- and spit out some black liquid.
"Sucking the poison out of the wound," was Ryou's simple answer before applying his mouth to the wound once again. Five more times of this repeated process, and then the Bakura could move again. Both boys lay where they were for a moment, resting.
"Bakura?" Ryou began.
"Yeah?" Bakura panted, forgetting for a moment that he was supposed to be mean.
"Why did you save me?"
Oh shit.
Bakura paused for a moment, frantically searching for an explanation. He couldn't find one. After all, his hikari had betrayed him. So why was he still helping the boy?
"I have to have someone here to help me," Bakura answered gruffly, standing and beginning to move in the direction of Mochidzuki once again.
"Get up!" he commanded like a drill sergeant. "We're almost there."
Ryou smiled softly for a second or two before standing and following his darker half.
======
"And so it begins," Yuumei intoned mysteriously, receiving a glare from everyone on Doragon's back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Notes: HOW WAS IT!?!?!?!?! Was it worth the month-long wait?! Gomen nasai about my punishment! Also, I really regret saying this, cause it makes me look like a bad child or something, but I accidentally gave my phone number to an internet friend and they called. I made the mistake of telling my parents who was on the phone. SOOOOO...now I'm not gonna be able to get on the internet for a long time.
BUT, WAIT, THERE'S MORE! I'll still be allowed to get on the Net in order to post my stories, mainly because my mommy is lenient, much more so than my father, and she's a writer, so she doesn't mind me getting on to post stories! WAI!
Yuumei: Next chapter, we will have-
Author: No, don't TELL them!
Yuumei: B-B-B-B-B-B-BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTT!!!!
Author: *glare* No buts.
Yuumei: *sniffles and flies into a corner to sulk*
Author: You can announce the other news, however.
Yuumei: *immediately perks up* YAY! Guess what, minna-chan? The Dragon Mistress has kindly added a short fic starring Ryou and Bakura to make up for the long wait of these two chapters! It's called PPR:KUT (as in Linkin Park's song Papercut, only from the CD REANIMATION). Go check it out! ^.^ Sadly, it's not a slash fic, however, if there are enough reviews, Dragon Mistress promises to make a sequel and turn that into a Ryou +Bakura slash!
Also, check out Dragon Mistress's new chapter fic "Eyes On Me". It's a Yugi + Seto pairing, but it still should be interesting, coming from her! Go check it out!
Author: *blinks* Er, Yuumei?
Yuumei: Yup?
Author: Where's Doragon?
*Yuumei and Author both blink*
Yuumei: Uh...I believe he went to go speak with Kaiba...
Author: Go get him! I need him to go fetch the Protector of the Throne card and the... *Yuumei clamps a hand over author's mouth*
Yuumei: Shhhhh!!! You're giving it away!
Bakura: *Death Glare* After the torture you're putting me and Ryou through, you expect me to cooperate?!?!
Author: *grins evilly, flashes contract, and then mace-sama, along with a piece of paper containing other torture ideas if aforementioned albino boys don't cooperate*
Bakura and Ryou: *hastily* Dragon Mistress doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh or its characters!!!
Yami: *quietly to Yugi* Though that doesn't stop her from writing stories about us or torturing Bakura-kun and Ryou-kun, ne?
Yugi: *sweatdrops*
Yu-Gi-Oh: Soulmates
Chapter Six: The Discovery
Yugi hummed cheerfully as he dialed Ryou and Bakura's house on his phone, thinking about how much fun it would be at the sleepover he was holding tonight. Yugi frowned in puzzlement as the phone rang four times, and was just about to hang up when Ryou's voice came over the phone with a tired-sounding greeting.
"Ryou-kun?? Daijobu ka?" Yugi inquired worriedly. There was a pause.
"Oh...yeah...I'm...fine...nothing to worry about. I'm perfectly fine. Don't worry about me. Whatcha calling for?"
Yugi gave Yami an extremely puzzled and worried expression, which Yami returned with one of confusion. Yami moved closer to Yugi so he could hear the phone easily.
"Eto...I was gonna hold a sleepover party tonight. Jou, Honda, and Anzu are all gonna be here, along with me and Yami, of course. Can you and Bakura come?"
"Oh...uh...gomen nasai, Yugi-kun...I, er, I don't feel good. Bakura doesn't want me going anywhere, or I might catch more bugs. I must be catching that flu that's going around the school, ne?"
An odd, forced laugh followed that sentence.
"Oh...alright. That's too bad...well, maybe next time, ne?"
"Yeah......sure...that'd be...great...ja ne..."
"Ja..."
Yugi hung up the phone, worry in every crease of his face. Yami encircled him in a gentle hug.
"What's wrong, koi?"
"Ryou-kun doesn't sound sick. If anything, he sounded scared..."
Yami frowned in thought. The same thought struck both of them at precisely the same time, and their eyes shot wide open.
"Bakura!!"
Once everyone had arrived at the party, Yami and Yugi hastily explained that they were gonna pay Ryou a visit cause he said he was sick. They all paused for a moment, thinking, as the two tri-colored-haired boys pushed them out the door, and then it hit them. Well, Jounouchi to be precise.
"No way!!" Jou shrieked. "How do you suppose that happened?!"
"My guess," Yami concluded darkly. "Is that Bakura thought Ryou betrayed him in some way..."
"Well, wait are we waiting for?" Yugi inquired anxiously, worried about his friend. Everyone began to run towards Ryou/Bakura's house, praying that they wouldn't be too late.
(Yes, I know you all are DYING to know what happens, but I'm gonna drag it out a bit- MWUAHAHAH!)
(At Ryou's house)
Ryou sighed as he hung up with Yugi, and then glanced at himself in the mirror. He felt tears build up in his eyes as he saw his hideously damaged reflection, and he finally lost control, grabbed the nearest object, and threw it at the mirror. The mirror broke, shards raining down onto the carpeted floor. Ryou hugged his knees to his chest, sobbing.
"What did I do?" he moaned to no one in particular, rocking back in forth. "What did I do to make him turn back?"
He clutched at himself, hoping for comfort but finding none.
Hours later found him still in that same position, the tears long gone but still at the ready. The doorbell rang, and Ryou cringed. He certainly couldn't go to the door looking like this. With his luck, it was probably Yugi and Yami, coming to wish him well.
He cursed. At times like this, having friends was not a good thing.
"Aren't you gonna answer the door?" a deep voice came from behind him, and Ryou stiffened in horror.
"N-N-No..."
Ryou cried out as Bakura's fist connected with one of his already wounded shoulders. He sobbed once, forcing the tears back.
"Never say no to me! Now go get the damned door!!"
Ryou leaped to his feet, stumbled down the stairs, and arrived at the front door, wiping tears from his eyes. He tried to gather his dignity -what was left of it- as much as he could, and then opened the door.
He froze in horror.
(DUN, DUN, DUN, DUN!!!)
Ryou stared at his friends, and they stared back at him. Ryou didn't know how long. At the back of his mind, he could feel something beginning. A building up of power, that was steadily growing larger and larger until it would burst.
And then it exploded.
"BAKURA!! Where the fuck are you?!?! I'm gonna kill you with my bare hands!!" Yami shrieked, brushing past Ryou and tearing up the stairs. Yugi gave Ryou a gentle hug.
"I'm so sorry this happened," Yugi whispered. Ryou tentatively put a hand on Yugi's back, patting it slightly.
"Me too..." Ryou murmured softly. "I don't know what I did. I just went to the park, spoke with Naomi, came home, and found Bakura-"
Ryou's color drained as none other than his other half came flying down the stairs. Literally. Yami stood at the top of the stairs, obviously having kicked Bakura so that the boy would fly, and then hit the wall. A sickening crunch echoed in Ryou's home, and everyone minus Yami winced at the sound. Bakura slumped to the ground, coughing up blood.
"You don't understand," he snarled hoarsely. "This is between me and Ryou..."
"You're wrong, Bakura! The moment you landed the first blow to Ryou I was instantly involved!! And once again, I shall keep you from hurting my friend!"
Yami extended his hand, and the Millennium Eye glowed on his forehead. Ryou, thinking Yami was going to send Bakura's soul to the Shadow Realm forever, shrieked, "NO!", and leapt.
"Yami-chan, stop!!" Yugi cried out in dismay, but it was too late. The energy enveloped Ryou and Bakura, and they both disappeared. There was silence. Yami sighed in relief.
"Thanks, Ryou-kun. That was just what I was counting on. Oh, don't worry, everyone, I didn't send them to the Shadow Realm. I sent them to the Realm of Mochidzuki." (Mochidzuki means 'Full Moon'. It had a nice ring to it, so I put it in here)
"What's that?" Jounouchi questioned curiously.
"The Realm of Mochidzuki is a place where two people, hikari and yami, test their love for each other. If something goes terribly wrong in their life in this world, then the nearest yami of any Millennium Item has a duty to send them to that realm to work things out and to be judged."
"But...who's the judge?" Anzu inquired. Yami smiled briefly, and held up a card. He turned it around, and a woman with smooth skin and elegant red hair was revealed to be on the front.
"No way!" Yugi cried as Yami came down the stairs so they could all see the card. "The Judge is a Duel Monsters card?!"
Yami nodded. "The Empress Judge, to be exact."
"Can't we go there and watch what happens?" Honda demanded impatiently, not one to sit around waiting, not knowing what's going to happen. Yami chuckled, and the energy enveloped them all. They disappeared.
(Want me to end it here? *cackles as screams of no follow that question* Maybe I should...heheheheheheh. *looks at Word Count* Oh, phooey. I promised myself I would always have a chapter that is more than 2,500 words in this story. Dang! I can't end it here! *hears cries of happiness and grumbles*)
Ryou looked around. "Where are we?"
"I don't give a fuck so long as I get my hands on that damn Pharaoh..." Bakura snarled, moving testily, realizing that his rib wound dealt by Yami was healed. Ryou happened to notice that he was free of cuts, whip marks, bruises, and fractures, and kept quiet, not wanting to alert his yami to that fact lest his yami feel it necessary to give him back those aforementioned wounds.
"Uh...Bakura?"
"WHAT?!" he snapped angrily. Ryou pointed, and Bakura followed his gaze.
"What the fuck?!" he shouted, staring at the extremely large pyramid in the distance, surrounded by an oasis. (*snorts* Totally stole this from 'The Mummy Returns')
"How do we get out of here?" Ryou wondered, looking around at the desert they stood upon.
"How the fuck should I know?!?!" Bakura demanded. "Just shut up or I'll give you back your wounds!"
Ryou immediately quieted.
"Do you wish to leave this place?" an ethereal voice inquired in their minds. Ryou jumped, startled. Bakura growled.
"Yes...why?"
"I can tell you how."
"Then tell us."
"May I ask you why you want to leave?"
"Because I want to go home, dammit!"
"What of the other one? Your hikari? Does he wish to leave?"
"Of course he does."
The gentle, calming voice immediately turned savage and all-powerful. (DUDE!! It's Galadriel!! AHAHAHAH!)
"WAS I ASKING YOU?!" It demanded, thunder rolling across the empty sky like a tidal wave. Ryou cringed in fear, and even Bakura flinched. The voice immediately turned gentle.
"I am sorry if I scared you, little one. Your name is Ryou, correct?"
"H-H-Hai..."
"You need not fear me. I will not harm either of you...unless, of course, you give me a reason to. Well now, Ryou-chan, do you wish to leave here?"
Ryou trembled. "Yes...and no..."
"Why the indecision?"
Ryou glanced worriedly at his yami, who was mumbling angrily to himself, staring at the distant pyramid. Bakura felt Ryou's eyes on him, and glared at the boy, mouthing, "You better say you want to leave or I'll kill you."
"Ah, I see..." the ethereal voice murmured. "You fear him. You wish to return to your own time but are afraid of what he might do to you."
It was not a question. Ryou hesitantly nodded, uncomfortably aware that the voice could somehow see their movements. How else would she have known of Ryou's fearful gaze on Bakura?
"Well, then, I shall help both of you. In order to leave this place you must travel to the pyramid you see before you. The pyramid is called Mochidzuki. Once you have arrived at Mochidzuki, I will tell you what you must do next. Oh, and beware of the path to Mochidzuki. The pyramid's guardians might not like one of you, but I will not say which. Until you reach the pyramid, then."
The voice disappeared from their minds, and Bakura let forth a string of Egyptian curses.
======
Jounouchi and Honda snorted with derisive laughter at Bakura's antics. Yami and Yugi watched solemnly, both not in the mood for laughter. Yami had his arms draped lazily around Yugi so they would both feel more at ease. Anzu merely watched on in silence. She finally couldn't stand it.
"Doragon-sama," Anzu began, "What did she mean by that?"
The Blue Eyes White Dragon craned its large head around to peer majestically at her. "There are many things in the forest surrounding Mochizuki-sama. Some don't like humans. Especially those that were once humans themselves."
Everyone shivered at that comment.
======
"Get up!" Bakura commanded once he was done expressing himself. Ryou submissively stood, and began to follow his yami doggedly. After a long time of walking, he finally couldn't stand the silence, and began to hum a song he had recently become attached to, for obvious reasons once you listened to the lyrics.
Bakura stopped.
"What are you doing?!"
Ryou looked up, startled, as he almost bumped into the slightly taller albino boy. "J-Just humming..."
"Why?"
"B-Because...I like to sing...and I don't like silence..."
Bakura huffed, and turned around, continuing to walk. "Do whatever you want."
Ryou smiled softly, knowing that this was Bakura's way of showing he wanted to hear Ryou sing. Ryou began to hum the opening melody, and then began to sing.
"Sometimes I feel
I've got to run away,
I've got to get away
From the pain you drive in the heart of me.
The love we share
Seems to go nowhere,
And I've lost my light,
For I toss and turn and can't sleep at night.
Once I ran to you, (ah, baby)
Now I'll run from you.
This tainted love you've given-"
"Sing something else!!" Bakura snapped, interrupting Ryou. Ryou frowned sulkily, but granted his yami's wish.
Ryou couldn't have possibly known that Bakura had only said that because tears were now making their presence known to the yami as he realized once more that he was the cause of Ryou's pain.
"Kaze ga yoseta kotoba ni
oyoida kokoro
kumo ga hakobu ashita ni
hazunda koe
tsuki ga yureru kagami ni
furueta kokoro
hoshi ga nagare koboreta
yawarakai namida
suteki da ne?
futari te wo tori aruketa nara
ikitai yo
kimi no machi ie ude no naka
sono mune
karada azuke
yoi ni magire
yumemiru
kaze wa tomari kotoba wa
yasashii maboroshi
kumo wa yabure ashita wa
tooku no koe
tsuki ga nijimu kagami wo
nagareta kokoro
hoshi ga yurete koboreta
kakusenai namida
suteki da ne?
futari te wo tori aruketa nara
ikitai yo
kimi no machi ie ude no naka
sono kao
sotto furete
asa ni tokeru
yumemiru..."
Bakura hastily wiped his eyes as Ryou finished the song, and made himself remember the anger in his heart at seeing Ryou with Naomi.
======
Everyone looked at each other.
"Did I see...what I thought I just saw? Was Bakura-kun crying?"
But neither Yami nor Yugi were listening. They were puzzling over what could possibly be the reason behind Bakura's sudden change of heart. Yuumei appeared on top of Doragon's head, gave the dragon a cheerful greeting, and then questioned why everyone was here. Everyone merely pointed at the two albino boys below. Yuumei followed everyone's gaze and frowned.
A sigh escaped her lips. "I wondered how long it would last..."
"What do you mean?" Yugi immediately questioned. Yuumei sulked.
"The way I was made, I can change someone's heart, like Bakura, but, afterwards, it only lasts for a short period of time. Could be a day, could be a few days, could be a week or a month or even a whole year. Hell, it could be a decade. But, eventually, something would happen that would hurt the one I changed and their heart would change of its own will. And then, the two people considered are tested."
"You mean you knew all along that this would happen?!" Anzu shouted indignantly. Yuumei hung her head.
"It's not my fault I'm like this," she sniffled, "I was just trying to make things better for them...I forgot about the consequence...I was just trying to help..."
"Anzu-chan, calm down," Yami interjected calmly. "You know as well as any of us that Yuumei-san was only trying to help. I am sure Ryou-kun and Bakura-kun will make it through alright. It's what caused this that I don't understand..."
Yuumei instantly perked up. "Well at least that's something I can help with without anything bad happening afterwards! You see, while Ryou was in the park, he sat down next to that girl -what was it? Oh yes, Naomi- and it so happened that Bakura was watching. He had been hoping to catch Ryou off guard and finally confess his love. However, Naomi apparently had the same idea."
"No fucking way!" Honda exclaimed.
"Naomi likes him?!" Jounouchi demanded.
"Well, it would explain why she follows him around all day," Anzu commented.
"Yup!" Yuumei went on cheerily. "Well, Bakura saw her kiss Ryou, and thought that Ryou had betrayed him. It's all a simple misunderstanding. But, indeed, minor misunderstandings can sometimes lead to wars, so this right now is no surprise."
"Minna," Doragon suddenly announced in his bellowing voice, diverting their attention back to the two people down below.
======
They had finally entered the forest. Ryou, suddenly afraid, crept closer to his yami unknowingly, looking around in fear. Bakura scowled for a little while, and then found himself enjoying his hikari so close. A flashback of Naomi and his hikari kissing made him push Ryou back a little.
"Quit crowding me, you weakling!" Bakura commanded angrily, then turned and pressed onward. Ryou sadly trotted along behind the ancient spirit, and was so wrapped in his thoughts that he didn't even realize that something had grabbed him from behind until he felt himself lifted from the ground and being carried away.
"BAKURA!!" he screamed upon reflex, forgetting that his yami probably didn't care shit about him.
Bakura whirled around, panicking as soon as he noticed that his hikari was gone. (So much for not caring, ne?)
"RYOU!" he called back, searching frantically for the boy. He heard some inhuman screeching coming from the direction the voice had come from, and he pressed on in that direction, running as fast as his legs would carry him. He emerged into a clearing after a minute of running, and nearly fell into the fire pit that Ryou was dangling precariously over.
"What the fuck?!" Bakura exclaimed as soon as he saw his hikari's kidnappers. They looked like humans that had been tortured until they became something dark and hideous. They had four legs, a gaping mouth like an open wound, blood red eyes, a scorpion's tail, and clawed arms that greatly resembled a Harpie Lady. Bakura grimaced in disgust for a moment before realizing that the old rope keeping Ryou from falling into the fire pit was quickly burning up. With a war cry even he did not understand, he leapt at the creatures, striking at them with punches and kicks.
He cried out in pain as one of the creatures' tails had pierced his left arm, the venom sinking into his bloodstream. He snarled like a wounded animal, and tore the creature apart by ripping off it's hand and using its own claws to shred its body apart. (Gruesome, ne? Well, that could be because I recently watched Resident Evil.)
He snatched Ryou from his perch just as the rope disintegrated, and set the boy down on his feet. He began to turn and make his way back towards Mochidzuki when fire traveled through his bloodstream, making his limbs go numb. He cried out in pain, clutching his wounded arm, and collapsed to the ground in a tumble of limbs and clothing. Ryou rushed over to him, forced his hand away, and began to suck on the wound.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Bakura hissed through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the pain. Ryou drew his mouth away -Bakura instantly missed it- and spit out some black liquid.
"Sucking the poison out of the wound," was Ryou's simple answer before applying his mouth to the wound once again. Five more times of this repeated process, and then the Bakura could move again. Both boys lay where they were for a moment, resting.
"Bakura?" Ryou began.
"Yeah?" Bakura panted, forgetting for a moment that he was supposed to be mean.
"Why did you save me?"
Oh shit.
Bakura paused for a moment, frantically searching for an explanation. He couldn't find one. After all, his hikari had betrayed him. So why was he still helping the boy?
"I have to have someone here to help me," Bakura answered gruffly, standing and beginning to move in the direction of Mochidzuki once again.
"Get up!" he commanded like a drill sergeant. "We're almost there."
Ryou smiled softly for a second or two before standing and following his darker half.
======
"And so it begins," Yuumei intoned mysteriously, receiving a glare from everyone on Doragon's back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Notes: HOW WAS IT!?!?!?!?! Was it worth the month-long wait?! Gomen nasai about my punishment! Also, I really regret saying this, cause it makes me look like a bad child or something, but I accidentally gave my phone number to an internet friend and they called. I made the mistake of telling my parents who was on the phone. SOOOOO...now I'm not gonna be able to get on the internet for a long time.
BUT, WAIT, THERE'S MORE! I'll still be allowed to get on the Net in order to post my stories, mainly because my mommy is lenient, much more so than my father, and she's a writer, so she doesn't mind me getting on to post stories! WAI!
Yuumei: Next chapter, we will have-
Author: No, don't TELL them!
Yuumei: B-B-B-B-B-B-BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTT!!!!
Author: *glare* No buts.
Yuumei: *sniffles and flies into a corner to sulk*
Author: You can announce the other news, however.
Yuumei: *immediately perks up* YAY! Guess what, minna-chan? The Dragon Mistress has kindly added a short fic starring Ryou and Bakura to make up for the long wait of these two chapters! It's called PPR:KUT (as in Linkin Park's song Papercut, only from the CD REANIMATION). Go check it out! ^.^ Sadly, it's not a slash fic, however, if there are enough reviews, Dragon Mistress promises to make a sequel and turn that into a Ryou +Bakura slash!
Also, check out Dragon Mistress's new chapter fic "Eyes On Me". It's a Yugi + Seto pairing, but it still should be interesting, coming from her! Go check it out!
Author: *blinks* Er, Yuumei?
Yuumei: Yup?
Author: Where's Doragon?
*Yuumei and Author both blink*
Yuumei: Uh...I believe he went to go speak with Kaiba...
Author: Go get him! I need him to go fetch the Protector of the Throne card and the... *Yuumei clamps a hand over author's mouth*
Yuumei: Shhhhh!!! You're giving it away!