I'd like to start by bringing up how I ended the last chapter. I don't
know what I was thinking. Wimpy boy? .* What kind of insult is that!?
*Thwacks herself repeatedly upside the head with the big book of insults*
(wouldn't it be awesome if there really was such a book?) I can't believe
I did that! ~_~() Well, I'm going to go ahead and leave it like that I
suppose. too much work to upload the improved chapter and delete the other
and. yeah. I'm lazy. .*
So just ignore that and read the following:
"You ready to play, you (add YOUR OWN insult here)?" Chuckled a terribly familiar deep voice. It was so full of malice that it held an audible sneer. Then, the person who had grabbed him began to drag him towards the nearest exit.
Yeah. I'm completely drawing a blank on insults right now. All I can come up with is, bastard child. and I don't think that quite fits.
Anyway, now for the disclaimer! (This time, inspiration struck during psychology)
Psychiatrist: I feel you're holding back. What's REALLY on your mind?
Silverscreamer: Alright. alright. It's my obsession.
Psychiatrist: Now we're getting somewhere. What troubles you?
Silverscreamer: I don't own YuGi Oh! This is just a fanfic! *Bawls*
***A little note about yami and hikari 'mental' communication. I figure I may as well figure out some sort of way of telling apart who's 'talking'.
~(words)~ hikari to yami (words) yami to hikari
Chapter Four: Surprises
"Hey Yug!" Joey called out when he spotted his friend crossing the schoolyard. "We're over here!"
Looking up, Yugi saw Joey and Tristan waving him over. Nodding, he walked over to them. "Hi guys."
Tristan frowned. "What's up, Yugi?"
"I'm worried about Ryou. He said he'd meet us in class after lunch, but I haven't seen him anywhere since then."
Joey gave him a blank looked, seemingly searching his memory. Then he nodded a bit and glanced around. "You're right. I guess I never really noticed." He scratched his head thoughtfully.
Tristan rolled his eyes and grinned. "You'd prob'ly notice more if you weren't sleeping through class all the time. It's really quite pathetic. When you aren't eating, you're sleeping."
"Tristan." Joey shook a fist at him and growled. "I'd watch it if I were you."
"Or you'll what, little puppy dog? Bite me?" Tristan grinned, holding back his laughter.
"That's it!" Joey shouted as he jumped at Tristan.
Yugi wasn't paying any attention as the two wrestled. He was scanning the empty, snow filled schoolyard for yet another time. He happened to see Tea as she said farewell to her other friends and started towards them. Those friends of hers who were leaving were the only others in sight. Where was Ryou?
"Isn't that right, Yugi?"
Yugi blinked and looked at Tea, who was staring at him expectantly. "Sorry?" He questioned. "Oh. I guess I wasn't paying attention." From the looks on Tristan and Joey's faces, he figured he didn't want to hear anyway. Seemed she'd been giving another of her 'friends don't fight' speeches.
Tea frowned. "Why, Yugi? What's wrong?"
"He's worried about Ryou." Tristan informed her before Yugi had a chance.
Yugi nodded. "Yeah. Hey, I'm going to look around for him a bit more." He informed them before turning to start off.
"Alright, Yug. But hurry up, will ya? It's freezin' out here." Joey called after him.
"Sure thing, Joey." Yugi called over his shoulder before jogging off.
He'd already searched the school before coming out. Surely he'd have seen him. And the others would more likely than not seen him if he'd made it out of the school building before himself. So if he was around here that most likely meant that he was outside somewhere.
He wouldn't have stayed out here all afternoon though. Yami pointed out calmly. It's much too cold for him to have done so.
~I guess you're right.~ Yugi sighed and shook his head. ~Still, if something bad happened and he is out here somewhere, we have to find him.~
I know, Abiou.
~I'm worried about him.~
I know. Perhaps he's playing that game Joey and Tristan sometimes talk about. What is it? Wookie? Yami sounded hopeful, reassuring.
Yugi smiled slightly, but he wasn't as amused as he might have been in a different situation. ~Hooky. But Ryou isn't like that. He'd never skip class.~
Skip to class? He strikes me as the kind to skip around.
~Skip class, not skip TO class.~ Yugi sighed. He knew that Yami was just trying to be helpful and cheer him up.
There was a pause before Yami replied. I knew that, Abiou.
Yugi sighed as he scanned his surroundings. He was getting back behind the school, now. There were some back exits that weren't used very often, as well as other buildings that different classes were held in outside of the school itself. Other, smaller buildings too. Sheds for tools and that sort of thing, most likely. equipment for care of the lawn during the spring through the fall. He didn't know where to start looking, but he knew he had to try.
Suddenly, Yami materialized from the Millennium puzzle. "Don't worry, Abiou. We'll find your friend if he's out here to be found."
Yugi smiled. "Thank you."
Nodding, Yami moved off in one direction as Yugi took a different route. Yami hadn't gone very far when he noticed that the snow was disturbed in an area fairly close to where he stood. He frowned and went over to investigate. It looked like more than one person had trekked through here after exiting the school through one of the less used doors. "That's odd." he mumbled. "I don't think anyone's supposed to come through here." On top of this, he couldn't shake the thought that the tracks looked oddly shuffled and the snow disturbed too much for a couple or few people to have just walked through. "Like someone was being forced through here."
His eyes narrowed suddenly as he thought of a reason that might have happened. Following the footprints at the pace of a slow run, he began to get a bad feeling. This didn't feel right. Finally, they led him around a small building that he guessed was for holding extra repair and maintenance supplies.
"BY RA!" He exclaimed at the sight that met him.
Yugi heard his yami's yell and quickly ran off in the direction he'd gone. "What is it?" He asked as he started to turn the corner. Yami turned and tried to catch Yugi before he saw, but he could tell by the boy's expression it was too late.
"RYOU!!" Yugi cried as he pushed past Yami and went to his friend, who was laying on his left side in the snow. His winter coat was nowhere to be seen and it seemed his school uniform was soaked through completely. Kneeling in the snow next to him, Yugi carefully rolled his friend over onto his back with some help from Yami, who had joined him at their friend's side. "Ryou. Ryou, can you hear me?"
Ryou's eyes fluttered open, snow clinging to his face and caught in his eyelashes. "Yu. gi."
"Ryou, hold on!" Yugi could feel tears stinging his eyes. Who could have done something like this to gentle, sweet Ryou? He'd never harm anyone. Yugi could feel his yami's anger growing, even as he saw the terrible black eye that Ryou had; the makeup having been washed away by tears as well as the snow that had melted against his skin.
Ryou tried to speak, and it came in a weak whisper. "I. want." his voice trailed off and his eyes closed slightly. "I.. want.."
"Who did this to you?" Yami demanded.
Ryou didn't hear him, though. Just before slipping into unconsciousness, he finished in a whisper. "Bakura."
Yami's eyes narrowed. Yugi grabbed his arm, knowing what was coming. "Yami-"
"I'll get him for this Abiou. No tomb robber is going to mess with one of my Abiou's friends." Pulling from Yugi's grip, he stood and dashed away.
"YAMI WAIT!" Yugi called after him. Then he sighed, knowing it was useless, and looked back down at Bakura. Standing, he turned the way he had come. Cupping his hands around his lips he called for his friends. "JOEY! TRISTAN! TEA! Come quick! Please, Ryou needs help!"
Yami passed the other three as he tore across the schoolyard, ignoring all their questions. He'd find Bakura, and he would take revenge against him for what he did to his own hikari.
Bakura stretched absently and looked out the window. Surely Ryou should have been home by now. Standing from where he had been napping on his hikari's bed, he moved to the dresser and picked up the Millennium Ring. "Is he trying to make me angry?" He grumbled aloud to himself.
Just then, he heard the front door burst open. "It's about time." He growled as he stalked out of the room. "You'd better have a- WHAT IN ALL THE SHADOW REALM ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" He finished, seeing who it was that had entered the house.
Bakura stood at the top of the stairs glared at Yami, who stood at the bottom. For a long time, neither of them moved nor spoke. They just glared at one another, as though sizing each other up before moving in for an attack. There was so much hate in the room it was tangible. It made the air seem thick and electric.
Yami was the first to move. He stepped up, putting his foot on the bottom step. He spoke slowly and deliberately, rage shining in his amethyst eyes. "Give me one good reason"- his other foot came down on the second step- "why I shouldn't"- third step, his pace was quickening now- "just banish you to the Shadow Realm right here and now."
Bakura returned the glare evenly, stepping back just enough to give Yami room to stand at the top of the stairs. As the two yamis came face to face, Bakura finally spoke, ignoring the question completely.
"You have no right to come barging into my hikari's house like this. Nor have you the right to threaten me like you are for absolutely no reason, you second rate, good for nothing, pharaoh." He sneered at the last word spitefully.
"No reason?" Yami narrowed his eyes wrathfully, his voice almost nothing more than a whisper, but with great power all the same. "Would I be here, wasting my breath on a tomb robber- deserving of a curse by Ra himself- if I had no reason?"
"Quite playing games, pharaoh." Bakura growled as he clenched his fists, tightening his grip on the rope from which the Millennium Ring hung from one of his hands. "Say what you have to say to me. Then leave this place immediately."
"I'm here to teach you a lesson I hope you never forget. You should not treat your hikari like you do."
"How I treat my weak counterpart is none of your concern." Bakura's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"It IS my concern. He is the friend of my Abiou, and I will not stand seeing Yugi grieving over friends who are beaten nearly to death!"
Bakura's eyes widened suddenly and he stepped back. "WHAT!?"
"You heard me. You will not touch the boy again."
Bakura ignored him, reaching forward he grabbed Yami's shoulders. This threw the other off and he blinked, staring at Bakura.
"Where is Ryou? What happened?" Bakura demanded fiercely.
Yami blinked again, then scowled. "And you complain that I'm playing games."
"I won't ask you again! Where is my hikari!?"
Yami shook his head slowly, finding this hard to comprehend. "Are you trying to convince me that you were not the one who attacked him?"
"Does that hair of yours create some sort of shielding for your brain or something? Does anything get through to you!?" Bakura growled. "I promise you, that I would never beat my Ryou as badly as you make this sound. On occasion, I will punish him, but I'm not completely heartless you know." Realizing what he was saying, he added a passive shrug and stated, as though it was common knowledge. "Besides. I'm the only one allowed to hit Ryou."
"No. Not heartless at all." Yami smirked.
Bakura's eyes narrowed once more. "Where. Is. Ryou?" He questioned wrathfully.
Yami's eyes drifted off to one side as he listened to the mental link he shared with Yugi. Looking back at Bakura he stated simply. "At the city hospital. My Abiou and his friends got help for him."
Almost before he'd finished, Bakura had shoved him out of the way and tore down the stairs. He stopped only to open the front door, then sprinted down the sidewalk, the Millennium Ring swinging precariously in his hands. Ryou! Ryou, can you hear me!?
He didn't get a response. The silence bothered him. In his mind, there was a mixture of resentment that his hikari wasn't speaking to him, and worry about why he wasn't. *Hang in there Abiou.* He thought as he continued towards the hospital.
~~~~~~~~~~
Woo ha! ^_^() So. anyone surprised? *anime sweatdrop* please say that you were. Heh. Considering I did everything I could think of to make it sound like Bakura was the one who was beating him. ~_~() Considering I spent a good half an hour doctoring the original version of my first chapter when I realized that I made it seem impossible for Bakura to have done it. And that was, of course, the complete opposite of what I wanted. *grins* I was going for a startling plot twist type thing here. Did it work!?
Please tell me in your review!!!
And speaking of reviews:
IrishJade: Tee hee hee! Considering what you said in your review, I take it you're most likely rather shocked by this latest turn of events, no?
rikki rene (my yami) ryou and bakura: thanks to. erm. all four of you. ^_^() Sorry Ryou! *huggles him* But the public loves to see it happen to you! .* We're all sick sadistic people aren't we?
Kawaii Mimi-chan: thanks for another great review. and for not brandishing your hammer at me again. *eyes it cautiously, then grins* No worries. Bakura'll make the guy pay.
Slice: Oh! Oh! *sniffles* I sowwy to disappoint you. not yaoi. As for thinking it's Malik. I was thinking about that. but I've still yet to decide. I mean, that would be fun, the whole Bakura choosing between revenge for his hikari and not hurting his friend. *ponders* I'll think about that.
Bakurasgirl: . another person wanting yaoi?
Erm. Well, those of you who want me to write a Ryou/Bakura story next, (or whatever other pairings) give me an e-mail at dragonlady144@yahoo.com and I'll just see where that leads me. *wonders whether she'd be able to manage a story like that* .
So just ignore that and read the following:
"You ready to play, you (add YOUR OWN insult here)?" Chuckled a terribly familiar deep voice. It was so full of malice that it held an audible sneer. Then, the person who had grabbed him began to drag him towards the nearest exit.
Yeah. I'm completely drawing a blank on insults right now. All I can come up with is, bastard child. and I don't think that quite fits.
Anyway, now for the disclaimer! (This time, inspiration struck during psychology)
Psychiatrist: I feel you're holding back. What's REALLY on your mind?
Silverscreamer: Alright. alright. It's my obsession.
Psychiatrist: Now we're getting somewhere. What troubles you?
Silverscreamer: I don't own YuGi Oh! This is just a fanfic! *Bawls*
***A little note about yami and hikari 'mental' communication. I figure I may as well figure out some sort of way of telling apart who's 'talking'.
~(words)~ hikari to yami (words) yami to hikari
Chapter Four: Surprises
"Hey Yug!" Joey called out when he spotted his friend crossing the schoolyard. "We're over here!"
Looking up, Yugi saw Joey and Tristan waving him over. Nodding, he walked over to them. "Hi guys."
Tristan frowned. "What's up, Yugi?"
"I'm worried about Ryou. He said he'd meet us in class after lunch, but I haven't seen him anywhere since then."
Joey gave him a blank looked, seemingly searching his memory. Then he nodded a bit and glanced around. "You're right. I guess I never really noticed." He scratched his head thoughtfully.
Tristan rolled his eyes and grinned. "You'd prob'ly notice more if you weren't sleeping through class all the time. It's really quite pathetic. When you aren't eating, you're sleeping."
"Tristan." Joey shook a fist at him and growled. "I'd watch it if I were you."
"Or you'll what, little puppy dog? Bite me?" Tristan grinned, holding back his laughter.
"That's it!" Joey shouted as he jumped at Tristan.
Yugi wasn't paying any attention as the two wrestled. He was scanning the empty, snow filled schoolyard for yet another time. He happened to see Tea as she said farewell to her other friends and started towards them. Those friends of hers who were leaving were the only others in sight. Where was Ryou?
"Isn't that right, Yugi?"
Yugi blinked and looked at Tea, who was staring at him expectantly. "Sorry?" He questioned. "Oh. I guess I wasn't paying attention." From the looks on Tristan and Joey's faces, he figured he didn't want to hear anyway. Seemed she'd been giving another of her 'friends don't fight' speeches.
Tea frowned. "Why, Yugi? What's wrong?"
"He's worried about Ryou." Tristan informed her before Yugi had a chance.
Yugi nodded. "Yeah. Hey, I'm going to look around for him a bit more." He informed them before turning to start off.
"Alright, Yug. But hurry up, will ya? It's freezin' out here." Joey called after him.
"Sure thing, Joey." Yugi called over his shoulder before jogging off.
He'd already searched the school before coming out. Surely he'd have seen him. And the others would more likely than not seen him if he'd made it out of the school building before himself. So if he was around here that most likely meant that he was outside somewhere.
He wouldn't have stayed out here all afternoon though. Yami pointed out calmly. It's much too cold for him to have done so.
~I guess you're right.~ Yugi sighed and shook his head. ~Still, if something bad happened and he is out here somewhere, we have to find him.~
I know, Abiou.
~I'm worried about him.~
I know. Perhaps he's playing that game Joey and Tristan sometimes talk about. What is it? Wookie? Yami sounded hopeful, reassuring.
Yugi smiled slightly, but he wasn't as amused as he might have been in a different situation. ~Hooky. But Ryou isn't like that. He'd never skip class.~
Skip to class? He strikes me as the kind to skip around.
~Skip class, not skip TO class.~ Yugi sighed. He knew that Yami was just trying to be helpful and cheer him up.
There was a pause before Yami replied. I knew that, Abiou.
Yugi sighed as he scanned his surroundings. He was getting back behind the school, now. There were some back exits that weren't used very often, as well as other buildings that different classes were held in outside of the school itself. Other, smaller buildings too. Sheds for tools and that sort of thing, most likely. equipment for care of the lawn during the spring through the fall. He didn't know where to start looking, but he knew he had to try.
Suddenly, Yami materialized from the Millennium puzzle. "Don't worry, Abiou. We'll find your friend if he's out here to be found."
Yugi smiled. "Thank you."
Nodding, Yami moved off in one direction as Yugi took a different route. Yami hadn't gone very far when he noticed that the snow was disturbed in an area fairly close to where he stood. He frowned and went over to investigate. It looked like more than one person had trekked through here after exiting the school through one of the less used doors. "That's odd." he mumbled. "I don't think anyone's supposed to come through here." On top of this, he couldn't shake the thought that the tracks looked oddly shuffled and the snow disturbed too much for a couple or few people to have just walked through. "Like someone was being forced through here."
His eyes narrowed suddenly as he thought of a reason that might have happened. Following the footprints at the pace of a slow run, he began to get a bad feeling. This didn't feel right. Finally, they led him around a small building that he guessed was for holding extra repair and maintenance supplies.
"BY RA!" He exclaimed at the sight that met him.
Yugi heard his yami's yell and quickly ran off in the direction he'd gone. "What is it?" He asked as he started to turn the corner. Yami turned and tried to catch Yugi before he saw, but he could tell by the boy's expression it was too late.
"RYOU!!" Yugi cried as he pushed past Yami and went to his friend, who was laying on his left side in the snow. His winter coat was nowhere to be seen and it seemed his school uniform was soaked through completely. Kneeling in the snow next to him, Yugi carefully rolled his friend over onto his back with some help from Yami, who had joined him at their friend's side. "Ryou. Ryou, can you hear me?"
Ryou's eyes fluttered open, snow clinging to his face and caught in his eyelashes. "Yu. gi."
"Ryou, hold on!" Yugi could feel tears stinging his eyes. Who could have done something like this to gentle, sweet Ryou? He'd never harm anyone. Yugi could feel his yami's anger growing, even as he saw the terrible black eye that Ryou had; the makeup having been washed away by tears as well as the snow that had melted against his skin.
Ryou tried to speak, and it came in a weak whisper. "I. want." his voice trailed off and his eyes closed slightly. "I.. want.."
"Who did this to you?" Yami demanded.
Ryou didn't hear him, though. Just before slipping into unconsciousness, he finished in a whisper. "Bakura."
Yami's eyes narrowed. Yugi grabbed his arm, knowing what was coming. "Yami-"
"I'll get him for this Abiou. No tomb robber is going to mess with one of my Abiou's friends." Pulling from Yugi's grip, he stood and dashed away.
"YAMI WAIT!" Yugi called after him. Then he sighed, knowing it was useless, and looked back down at Bakura. Standing, he turned the way he had come. Cupping his hands around his lips he called for his friends. "JOEY! TRISTAN! TEA! Come quick! Please, Ryou needs help!"
Yami passed the other three as he tore across the schoolyard, ignoring all their questions. He'd find Bakura, and he would take revenge against him for what he did to his own hikari.
Bakura stretched absently and looked out the window. Surely Ryou should have been home by now. Standing from where he had been napping on his hikari's bed, he moved to the dresser and picked up the Millennium Ring. "Is he trying to make me angry?" He grumbled aloud to himself.
Just then, he heard the front door burst open. "It's about time." He growled as he stalked out of the room. "You'd better have a- WHAT IN ALL THE SHADOW REALM ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" He finished, seeing who it was that had entered the house.
Bakura stood at the top of the stairs glared at Yami, who stood at the bottom. For a long time, neither of them moved nor spoke. They just glared at one another, as though sizing each other up before moving in for an attack. There was so much hate in the room it was tangible. It made the air seem thick and electric.
Yami was the first to move. He stepped up, putting his foot on the bottom step. He spoke slowly and deliberately, rage shining in his amethyst eyes. "Give me one good reason"- his other foot came down on the second step- "why I shouldn't"- third step, his pace was quickening now- "just banish you to the Shadow Realm right here and now."
Bakura returned the glare evenly, stepping back just enough to give Yami room to stand at the top of the stairs. As the two yamis came face to face, Bakura finally spoke, ignoring the question completely.
"You have no right to come barging into my hikari's house like this. Nor have you the right to threaten me like you are for absolutely no reason, you second rate, good for nothing, pharaoh." He sneered at the last word spitefully.
"No reason?" Yami narrowed his eyes wrathfully, his voice almost nothing more than a whisper, but with great power all the same. "Would I be here, wasting my breath on a tomb robber- deserving of a curse by Ra himself- if I had no reason?"
"Quite playing games, pharaoh." Bakura growled as he clenched his fists, tightening his grip on the rope from which the Millennium Ring hung from one of his hands. "Say what you have to say to me. Then leave this place immediately."
"I'm here to teach you a lesson I hope you never forget. You should not treat your hikari like you do."
"How I treat my weak counterpart is none of your concern." Bakura's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"It IS my concern. He is the friend of my Abiou, and I will not stand seeing Yugi grieving over friends who are beaten nearly to death!"
Bakura's eyes widened suddenly and he stepped back. "WHAT!?"
"You heard me. You will not touch the boy again."
Bakura ignored him, reaching forward he grabbed Yami's shoulders. This threw the other off and he blinked, staring at Bakura.
"Where is Ryou? What happened?" Bakura demanded fiercely.
Yami blinked again, then scowled. "And you complain that I'm playing games."
"I won't ask you again! Where is my hikari!?"
Yami shook his head slowly, finding this hard to comprehend. "Are you trying to convince me that you were not the one who attacked him?"
"Does that hair of yours create some sort of shielding for your brain or something? Does anything get through to you!?" Bakura growled. "I promise you, that I would never beat my Ryou as badly as you make this sound. On occasion, I will punish him, but I'm not completely heartless you know." Realizing what he was saying, he added a passive shrug and stated, as though it was common knowledge. "Besides. I'm the only one allowed to hit Ryou."
"No. Not heartless at all." Yami smirked.
Bakura's eyes narrowed once more. "Where. Is. Ryou?" He questioned wrathfully.
Yami's eyes drifted off to one side as he listened to the mental link he shared with Yugi. Looking back at Bakura he stated simply. "At the city hospital. My Abiou and his friends got help for him."
Almost before he'd finished, Bakura had shoved him out of the way and tore down the stairs. He stopped only to open the front door, then sprinted down the sidewalk, the Millennium Ring swinging precariously in his hands. Ryou! Ryou, can you hear me!?
He didn't get a response. The silence bothered him. In his mind, there was a mixture of resentment that his hikari wasn't speaking to him, and worry about why he wasn't. *Hang in there Abiou.* He thought as he continued towards the hospital.
~~~~~~~~~~
Woo ha! ^_^() So. anyone surprised? *anime sweatdrop* please say that you were. Heh. Considering I did everything I could think of to make it sound like Bakura was the one who was beating him. ~_~() Considering I spent a good half an hour doctoring the original version of my first chapter when I realized that I made it seem impossible for Bakura to have done it. And that was, of course, the complete opposite of what I wanted. *grins* I was going for a startling plot twist type thing here. Did it work!?
Please tell me in your review!!!
And speaking of reviews:
IrishJade: Tee hee hee! Considering what you said in your review, I take it you're most likely rather shocked by this latest turn of events, no?
rikki rene (my yami) ryou and bakura: thanks to. erm. all four of you. ^_^() Sorry Ryou! *huggles him* But the public loves to see it happen to you! .* We're all sick sadistic people aren't we?
Kawaii Mimi-chan: thanks for another great review. and for not brandishing your hammer at me again. *eyes it cautiously, then grins* No worries. Bakura'll make the guy pay.
Slice: Oh! Oh! *sniffles* I sowwy to disappoint you. not yaoi. As for thinking it's Malik. I was thinking about that. but I've still yet to decide. I mean, that would be fun, the whole Bakura choosing between revenge for his hikari and not hurting his friend. *ponders* I'll think about that.
Bakurasgirl: . another person wanting yaoi?
Erm. Well, those of you who want me to write a Ryou/Bakura story next, (or whatever other pairings) give me an e-mail at dragonlady144@yahoo.com and I'll just see where that leads me. *wonders whether she'd be able to manage a story like that* .