Of Mages and Elves: A Healer's Wish and a Thief's Request
Author's notes: Alo again ^_^
Warnings: Yaoi, AU, possible OOCness
Disclaimer: *glares* If I owned it I wouldn't be this broke!
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Malik brushed a damp cloth across Ishtal's brow, dull concentration on his face. It had been like this for days, with the mage running an almost constant fever. Malik cursed silently. He wasn't much of a healer, and Ishtal needed more than he could do. If only he could find the one who had helped the mage before, then maybe he could heal him.
Ishtal stirred again, still lapsing barely in and out of consciousness. When he was conscious he did noting but stare above him, and only for a few moments before he fell unconscious again. Malik gazed at him, worry creasing his brow. He'd have to find that healer soon, or Ishtal wouldn't survive much longer.
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Bakura awoke to soft whimpers and screams beside him. A flash of silvery hair twisted out of his line of sight. Ryou was having another nightmare. It had been like this since they had been thrown in these cells. Ryou had almost recovered from healing the mage, but these dark dreams still plagued him. *Help him,* a voice whispered in Bakura's mind. It had been whispering since he first heard the elven boy's screams.
*What would he think if I did that?* Bakura asked the voice.
*Just help him. You know you want too,* the voice replied. Bakura growled at the voice. Since when did it know anything?
Ryou's tossing was becoming more violent. *Shit… if I don't do anything he'll hit his head on the wall or something,* he thought. Slightly less reluctant then he had expected, Bakura inched over to the boy, gathering the pale healer in his arms. *He's too thin,* Bakura thought idly, before shaking the thought out of his head. What the hell was going on with him?! *Why do I even care!* he snarled. Ryou was still shaking slightly, but his screams had diminished to light whimpers.
After a few minutes of cradling the boy more gently than he would have thought possible, Bakura began to grow curious. *Just what is he dreaming about anyway?* he wondered. *It can't be that bad. It's just a dream!* A sharp wail echoed through the cell.
"Get away from me!" Ryou shouted in his tormented sleep, suddenly struggling against Bakura with all the strength his frail body could muster. Bakura just clung to him for dear life.
"It's ok, no one's here. I'm not going to hurt you little one," he murmured as Ryou again began to still, fading back into a restless sleep. A pale hand gripped Bakura's shirt tightly as if it were Ryou's only lifeline.
"Don't let them get me…" the elf whispered. Bakura shook his head. *What the hell? What the hell his he so worried about!* he thought.
*Maybe you should ask him.*
*Shut up brain!* Bakura thought back at that annoyingly persistent little voice. He leaned down, brushing silvery-white hair away from Ryou's ear.
"You're safe, I won't let them get you," he whispered, not sure if it would help or not, nor why he was even compelled to try and help. Ryou smiled in his sleep.
"Thank you, dark one," he whispered.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Seto snarled, gazing into the silver basin of water before him. Pegasus hadn't been joking when he had said that Ishtal's mental defenses were impenetrable. Even when the mage was half dead it was nearly impossible to scry him out. The half-blood mage leaned back against his chair, thinking quietly.
*If only I had met this Malik I could trace him instead. I wish there was someway to link to his mind. He would be easier to trace,* he thought to himself. Seto closed his eyes, his mind settling on the blond Master Mage. He had only met Ishtal once, and only for a brief time, but he knew the mage's magical signature inside and out. He sighed.
*Maybe if I focus on finding an untrained mind within this Tower, I can find the apprentice. That might narrow it down,* he thought. Settling himself before his scrying bowl once again, Seto gazed into the silvery waters, opening his mind to the spirit world beyond.
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"Are we there yet!" Joey whined. They had been walking almost nonstop since breaking camp that morning and the servant boy's feet were killing him. Yugi chuckled, looking back at the blond.
"Joey's right Yami, maybe we should rest. We've been walking all day," he told the elven Prince. Yami frowned.
"We need to get to the Tower as soon as possible Yugi, we don't have time to sit around," he said. Honda leaned his back against a tree.
"We're not going to do much good if we're exhausted by the time we get there. Not all of us have an elf's stamina your highness," he stated. Joey nodded.
"What he said…" Yugi looked up at Yami, eyes wide and begging.
"Please Yami? We won't take long," he begged. Yami sighed and relented.
"Fine, but not too long," he said. (Author's note: Honestly, who can resist Yugi's puppy eyes?) Yugi smiled up at him.
"Thank you Yami!" he grinned, earning a small smile back. Yami couldn't help but feel a little guilty for not listening to the boy earlier. Yugi was quite the charismatic character. Joey snickered, flopping down on the ground and watching the two closely. *Someone likes Yugi!* he though gleefully to himself. Yami shot the snickering boy a sharp glare, then leaned back against a tree and shut his eyes, listening contentedly to the rustling wind around him. A distant crack caught his sensitive ears. They twitched slightly, following the noise. It was a ways off, and soon followed by a second crack. Yami opened his eyes, gazing steadily into the forest behind him.
"Yami?" Yami found himself staring into a pair of wide violet eyes. Yugi blinked, watching him closely. "What is it?" he asked. Yami frowned, glancing back into the brush.
"It's nothing, just a noise," he told the boy, not wanting to worry him. Yami closed his eyes again, this time reaching out towards the noise with his magic. A good ways off, and near the base of a tall building, the pale violet aura of a young mage pulsed steadily. *We're much closer than I thought*, the elf thought to himself. The figure, whoever it was, moved swiftly towards the wall of the Tower, opening a passage in the wall before disappearing inside. Yami frowned. *Why would one of the rouge mages use a hidden entrance?* he asked himself. He shook his head. Now was time to prepare for their entrance.
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Malik returned swiftly to the chamber he had hidden Ishtal in, a bucket of fresh water and a small packet of herbs filling his arms. Sure, healing wasn't his strong suite, but his sister had taught him some herb lore before she died.
Malik's older sister Isis had been lost in an expedition into the North, somewhere few dared to go. Her entire group had never been seen again. Shaking his head to clear his mind of such thoughts, Malik entered the room where Ishtal lay, still sprawled unconscious on a small bench. The mage was still as weak as before and constantly on the verge of slipping. Malik only hoped he could find that healer in time.
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Seto smirked as he watched the young blond apprentice hurry through the hidden halls and passages. He had found Malik's magical signature a few hours ago and had been watching the boy since, waiting for him to return to the Master Mage. The violet-eyed apprentice stopped at a discrete door and looked around carefully, letting himself slip in.
Suddenly Seto's scrying bowl went blank. He cursed as the silvery water splashed violently, then settled and went completely still. An amused glint caught the half-blood mage's eye.
*So that's where you're hiding Ishtal,* he thought. A stray voice in the back of his mind spoke up.
*Why bother attacking him? If he recovers he might kill Pegasus for you,* it told him.
*Not before that freak killed Mokuba. I can't endanger him,* Seto thought back. Before him, his scrying bowl shifted, now showing a small group of four making their way towards the Tower. The crimson-eyed elven Prince stopped at the Tower's wall as if searching for something. With a smirk, Yami opened the same entrance Malik had used earlier to enter the Tower and the four travelers entered the Tower.
"Kuso!" Seto snarled. *They're inside! I have to warn Pegasus!*
*Why?* the voice hissed. *Just let those idiots kill him.*
"But Mokuba…" Seto shook his head. He'd head the group off before Pegasus even realized they were there.
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Bakura watched, slightly agitated as Ryou finally awoke. He had settled the boy on the floor under a ratty, moth-eaten blanket once Ryou had calmed down, not trusting his own control. He had liked holding the boy a little too much for comfort. Ryou's eyes blinked open and he sat up slowly, taking in the scene around him.
"What exactly was that all about?" Bakura asked him. Ryou blinked, a blank stare on his face.
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. Bakura gave the boy a stern glare.
"That dream. You've been having violent nightmares for the past few days and I want to know why," he stated firmly. Ryou froze, biting his lip. He didn't know what to say. If he told the truth, Bakura might get mad but… He jumped when he felt a calloused hand caress his cheek.
"You can tell me what happened to you. I won't hurt you little one." Even when Bakura spoke gently his voice carried a sharp edge. Ryou shivered, wrapping his arms around his knees and drawing them to his chest. Bakura tilted his head to one side. "What happened?"
"It's not what happened to me," Ryou whispered. Bakura's brows furrowed in confusion.
"What?" Ryou shivered again.
"It's not what happened to me… it's what happened to you," he said softly. It was Bakura's turn to freeze.
"What do you mean?" he asked, eyes narrowed. Ryou hugged his knees tighter, fear tinting his voice.
"Do you know why there are so few healers?" he asked. Bakura shook his head. He knew the healing power was a trying one, and that few people had it, but he never thought there might be a reason why they tended to die so early. Ryou nodded to himself before continuing. "You know about my instinct to heal. I can't really control it. But it's not that instinct that's dangerous, it's what happens after a healing," he said, curling closer in on himself.
"What happens?" Bakura asked. He knew the answer. He knew… but he didn't want to believe it until he heard it for sure.
"When I healed you, I absorbed some of your memories," Ryou whispered.
"Then those dreams…"
"Yours and Ishtal's darkest memories," Ryou said, shivering again. Bakura frowned. None of his memories were particularly happy. If Ryou had seen the worst of those…
"Why?" he asked. Ryou gave him a confused look. "Why did you heal me if you knew this would happen? You said I wasn't hurt badly enough for you to loose control," Bakura told him. Ryou lowered his gaze.
"I wanted too," he said softly. Bakura just stared at him.
"Why?"
"I want to help as much as I can. I know I won't live much longer, few healers do," Ryou replied, smiling sadly. "I'm almost too old to find a bond-mage anyway."
"A bond-mage?" Bakura asked, confused. Ryou nodded.
"Healers are able to bind their power to one specific person to help control their empathy abilities. Once bonded, they are linked to that persons emotions only and are less likely to loose control of their instincts. Few healers without bond-mages live past their sixteenth year. I'm almost past the age limit to find a bond-mage," he explained softly.
"Then why haven't you bonded yet, if it could save your life?" Bakura asked. Ryou blushed slightly.
"It's a very close bond. I wanted to find the right person before I performed the spell, but now… I don't have much time left. If I don't find a bond-mage within the next month I'll be too old to ever find one," he said, cheeks still tinged a pale pink. Bakura smirked.
"You're going to die because of that you know," he said wryly. Ryou nodded with a small, sad smile.
"I know, but at least I won't live on knowing I chose wrong," he said. Bakura frowned. So, not only was this boy a weak, skinny, nearly weightless elven noble, he was dying as they spoke. The more he healed, the more pain he absorbed, and without a bond-mage, that pain was becoming too much of a burden to bear.
"I wish I could do something to help," the thief muttered, almost too low to hear. Ryou's eyes flew wide. Had Bakura, his former captor, just said that? The thief must have forgotten about an elf's legendary hearing, even if he was a half-blood himself. Ryou smiled slightly.
"I wish you could too," he whispered. At least he knew someone cared.
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Again, Malik crept along the dim halls, avoiding Pegasus' guards by hiding in the ever-present shadows. He had to find that healer. Ishtal had taken a turn for the worse last night, and Malik knew he wouldn't last much longer. The mage's only hope was the one who had saved him once before.
The blond apprentice had looked everywhere he could throughout the Tower without getting himself caught and had come up empty handed each time. Finally he had looked through Ishtal's spell books, which he had rescued from the mage's quarters. Malik had been rewarded in his search by a magic tracer spell, which allowed the user to temporarily sense magical auras around him.
After making sure he had what he needed, Malik had performed the spell and had almost immediately fainted from the sudden bombardment of magical signatures that flooded his mind. One aura, a pale, almost silvery gold, had caught his mind's eye. It felt a little different than the others, so he followed it, praying to whatever god might be listening that it would lead him to the healer.
Malik found himself in the far depths of the Tower's dungeon, a place he generally avoided if possible, even back when the Tower was under the old head mage's control. It was surprisingly quiet, with the exception of two soft voices, one of which he recognized. *What is Bakura doing down here?* he wondered, approaching the cell. He peaked in and jumped back in shock. He had not been expecting to come face to face with a pair of soft dark eyes.
"You can come out," the pale boy murmured to him. Malik stepped into the dim light and found himself facing a second pair of dark eyes, this time ones he recognized. Ryou gasped when he saw Malik.
"Bakura? What are you doing town here?" Malik asked, surprised. Ryou glanced at his harsher double. The thief muttered under his breath and glared.
"What does it look like?" he snarled. Malik smirked.
"It looks like you've been caught," he replied. Bakura growled. "Now who is this?" Malik asked him. Ryou bit his lip.
"This is Ryou, the elf I kidnapped," Bakura replied, his voice forced. Malik's eyes widened.
"Then you're the one that healed Ishtal?" he asked, attempting to hide the excitement in his voice. When Ryou nodded he almost laughed out loud.
"How is he?" the healer asked. Malik's elated demeanor faded instantly.
"Not good. I've done all I can for him but…" his voice trailed off. Bakura gave him a stern glare.
"So are you going to let us out of here or what?" he asked. Malik nodded.
"Him at least," he said, nodding to Ryou. "I need his help. Just give me a minute." As he concentrated, Malik missed the feral growl and dark glare Bakura had given him. Within a few minutes Malik finished his spell and the lock popped open. HE had been studying lock spells ever since he and Ishtal had become lovers. The Master Mage had thought his obsession hilarious. Ryou stepped out into the dark hall, glancing around.
"Where is he?" he asked. Malik nodded down the hall.
"Follow me, but keep quiet. We may have to duck a few guards," he told the healer. Ryou nodded and turned to follow when Bakura caught his wrist.
"Ryou, wait," he murmured. Ryou tilted his head, giving the thief a confused glance. Bakura sighed. "I don't want you to heal Ishtal. You're too weak right now," he told the boy. Ryou lowered his eyes, pulling his hand away.
"I can't let him die Bakura, I won't. I have to help while I still can," he said. Bakura frowned, as Ryou turned to follow Malik to what the thief was sure would be his death. He grabbed Ryou's wrist again. The healer's eyes flew wide when the thief pulled him into his arms and crushed their lips together in a fierce kiss. Bakura took advantage of Ryou's shocked gasp to plunge in and taste the boy. He was sweet; unlike anything the thief had ever tasted, sweet and warm like an exotic chocolate. When he finally hand no breath left, Bakura pulled back and stared into Ryou's wide eyes. The healer brushed his lips with his fingers, lost for words.
"Why?" he finally choked out.
"I don't want you to die Ryou," he told him, his gaze hard. "I can't let you die. I got you into this mess and now I have to get you out." From behind them Malik smirked. *I should have known,* he thought. Had the situation not been so serious he knew he would have been grinning madly. Ryou lowered his gaze again.
"I'm sorry Bakura… but I…" He pushed past the thief and stared at Malik expectantly. "Take me too him," he said. The blond nodded.
"Ryou, wait… Malik!" Bakura growled. Malik spun, his eyes alight with fierce determination.
"Ishtal is dying Bakura. I don't have time for this!" he snapped. Bakura's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Ryou will die if he heals Ishtal Malik, don't you understand that? He's too weak right now!" he hissed, righting to keep his voice down. Malik's eyes held a sincere apology.
"If there was any other way, I'd do it Bakura. There isn't, and I'm sorry," he said. Ryou stepped forward, touching Bakura's arm lightly.
"I'm doing this willingly Bakura. It doesn't matter if I die today, I won't live much longer anyway," he said softly. Bakura lifted the elf's chin, gazing into his deep eyes.
"It matters to me Ryou. And I will do anything in my power to stop you," he said. Ryou's eyes widened slightly.
"Why?" he asked the thief.
"I…" Bakura frowned. "Ryou, I want you to do the binding spell." Bakura didn't think Ryou's eyes could get any wider.
"What?"
"Let me be your bond-mage Ryou, if that will save you," Bakura replied.
"Bakura, I…" Ryou whispered. "Do you know what you're asking?" Bakura nodded.
"I'm doing this because I want to Ryou."
"Ba-" Bakura silenced the boy, capturing his lips in a gentle kiss.
"You're mine," the thief hissed, sending shivers down Ryou's spine.
"Eh-hem," Malik interrupted, earning a growl from Bakura and a deep blush from Ryou. "Sorry, but my own lover is currently in danger of kicking the bucket, again, so if you don't mind…" He tapped his foot and crossed his arms expectantly. Bakura glared at him.
"What about the spell?" he asked.
"You can perform it in the room. It's safer there anyway." Ryou blushed brightly at that, making Bakura wonder just what this spell entailed. Bakura then nodded to the apprentice.
"Let's get this over with."
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Author's note: Ah well, that was a little longer than usual ^_^
Bakura: *raises eyebrow* So what exactly was my hikari blushing about?
Ishtal: At what part?
Bakura: *evil glare* You know what I mean.
Ryou: ……
*sheepish grin* You'll see… Anyway please Review ^_~ And thank you to all who have read and reviewed already ^_^