Doragon no Kokoro

This is a short fic- only four planned chapters... and the chapter length hasn't been that long either. Originally, I had planned it as a one-shot thing, but I decided that it would be a lot easier otherwise. Gomen nasai...

Excerpt song is Dark Side Stories from one of the Yu Yu Hakusho soundtracks.

Oy, this is so conflicting with the actual storyline of Ancient Egypt... T_T **starts bashing herself badly for messing it up**

SLIGHT SPOILER WARNING~! For those of you who have never even seen the Egypt story arc in the manga... everything just kinda fell apart after reading some of the scanlations to Ancient Egypt... T_T

And I decided on no lemon! So rating is going back down to PG-13.

Chapter 3-

Melting an Icy Heart

 
Koori no  Kokoro
Tokenai My Dark Side
Horo no Kokoro
Kesenai My Dark Side

Heart of ice

Can't melt in my dark side

Heart of fire

Can't burn my dark side

His sleep had been restless, so Bakura felt more snappish than normal that morning. He mumbled to himself as he sat up and yawned.

It was just then that Seto came in. "You're up? Good, good..." He started gathering some clothing in a quick, nervous manner.

"Wha...?" Bakura asked in a non-intelligent voice.

"The Pharaoh and the other three priests are coming here for a meeting today. Um... can you act like you work here as a servant? Just... until they leave? Or you can take leave for the day, whichever."

He thought about it for a few moments. "I'll roam for the day." I need to steal something anyway. My fingers are twitching to steal something. Can't break old habits, huh?

He got up and dressed. He would leave early so that he would prove to not be a problem for Seto and his company. It's not that they knew what the infamous tomb robber that had stolen many a sacred item, or else Seto probably would have turned him in. But better be safe than sorry.

As he was getting out the door, a tug on his skirt stopped him. Mokuba looked up at him. "Could you possibly get some stuff for us if you're going out? I need to help Seto with the preparations."

Bakura would have turned him down, but... "Sure, why not?"

"Thanks!" Mokuba named what they needed and gave him a few things to barter for it.

Bakura left the house and went off into the market place.

It was the farming season, when the Nile was pretty low on its shore. It was the time of the year when Bakura would usually be stealing stuff, while during the inundation- the season when the Nile flooded and provided fertile silt to the banks- he would be skipping out on working on building the pyramids and planning what to steal when they were done.

This was life as he knew it, but now he was going into the marketplace not to rip something off, but for legitimate business. It was funny how so suddenly things could change.

His Ring shown brightly as he walked under the hot sun, hood cloaking his white hair.

Since Egypt had no currency in ancient times, Bakura used some of the things Mokuba had provided him to bargain for various types of food and items.

"I'll trade you for the ring." One old merchant said, pointing at it.

"I don't think so!" Bakura answered a little coarsely.

"Ah, so it was given to you by someone special?" He asked, grinning in a grandfatherly way. "Why didn't you say so? I would never ask you to part with an item that held such place in your heart."

"The person who gave me this means nothing." Bakura sniffed indignantly, turning his head to the side.

A gentle smile fell on the old man's face. "Sure."

Bakura got what he needed from the man and walked off at a quick pace. "Humph. Old fool... sees what isn't there. If only I wasn't here on an errand... I'll rip him off first after all this is said and done!"

He wandered around a little more, looking at trinkets and other various things. After a few more stops, he had everything that Mokuba had assigned him to get.

"Hm, I probably should get these ho- back to the high priest's home." He corrected himself quickly. That home wasn't his; it was merely his current place of residence.

"Ne, Bakura!" A voice yelled.

Bakura muttered derogatory words under his breath as Malik ran up.

"Didn't I just see you yesterday?"

"Yeah, so?" Malik asked in a confused way before his smirk came up again. "I just got news from the inside that the pharaoh is planning something. There's no news on what, but that can easily be changed..." His voice became suggestive.

"What do you want me to do, Malik?" Bakura asked.

"Well, since you're living with the priest, can't you get him to tell you secrets? You can find out what it is the pharaoh is trying to do... or maybe Set has put some sort of illness on him to make him die early, without an heir! We could easily loot his tomb with you on the inside like this!"

"How the hell do you expect me to do all of this?"

Malik's grin widened. "Remember what I said yesterday?"

Bakura glared before swinging his fist into Malik's cheek. "Don't you dare say that! I am not some whore for the man, and don't plan on becoming one!"

Malik held his cheek. "Then why are you still there."

Bakura stopped. "I... I don't know." Why am I still there?

The blond smiled, but in a different light. He thought he may know what was happening, but refrained from opening his mouth, lest he get punched again.

"Well, I have to get back, seeing as these are Seto and Mokuba's. Goodbye Malik." He turned and walked off, not seeing Malik's evil smirk return.

"I know something he doesn't..." Malik said in a sort of low, singsong happy voice. "I know something you don't know."

Indeed, Bakura probably didn't know it, or at least he hadn't wanted to admit it to himself. What was it that made his heart start beating whenever seeing the priest Seto. What was it that made him stay in that home?

"Ok," he started talking to himself, "those people are probably over as of now for that meeting. I'll just hurry into the kitchen or something and hide out until they leave. If nothing else... I work there. As a servant." He growled at this thought.

Walking through the front, he ducked out of sight very quickly, hearing voices talking in rapid Egyptian.

"Pharaoh!" Seto's voice came. "The Sennen Items are reacting to something that's happening... but no one is sure of what."

"Yes, it's as if something will happen... my Tauk shows of destruction." A female voice came up.

"Seto, what ever became of Mahaado's Sennen Ring?" An old man's voice asked.

Bakura looked down at his Ring now, touching it slowly. Mahaado... a priest that had died, right? He sighed and gathered up his courage suddenly. With his head held high, he came into the room in which they sat around a table.

There was the pharaoh with the Puzzle, a woman with black hair and the Tauk, an old man with a beard and the Eye, a young man with a mostly shaved head except for one lock of hair and the Ankh, another young- though slightly older- man with black hair with the Scales, and Seto with his Rod. And then there was Bakura with his head of pure white hair and his Ring.

Eyes snapped in his direction- the pharaoh, four of the priests, and then finally...

Seto.

"So, that answers the question." The pharaoh nodded towards Bakura. "A new acquisition of yours, Seto?"

Seto nodded slowly, unsurely, beckoning for Bakura to come over. He did, and Seto took his wrist and put his hand on his own shoulder. He nodded, hair rubbing Bakura's arm in a way that made his stomach feel funny. It was as if they were lovers, no longer secret... and yet they weren't.

"I see..." Pharaoh Yami nodded. "He is your... personal slave?"

"He isn't... he is not a slave." Seto said slowly.

"A servant, then?"

Seto did not answer, but Bakura took the opportunity to nod furiously.

Yami smirked. "Humph. I hope you chose the next bearer of the Sennen Ring well." But you could see that in his eyes he was hurt with the passing of one of his closest friends.

"But pharaoh," Seto continued, "Mahaado's kah... you say that it became a monster on a tablet?"

"Yes, Seto." Yami nodded slowly, sadly. "He became... yes, his soul was incarnated into a dueling monster. My closest one, one I will cherish forever."

Seto's eyes narrowed. It was no secret that he was searching for a kah strong enough to become the ultimate monster, the white dragon from his dreams...

"Seto." The old man with the Eye reprimanded.

"Yes..." Seto lowered his eyes, still narrowed, but in a different way, "Father." His gaze went to the Rod at his side and then to the pale hand still on his shoulder. "Bakura, you can go now. Tell Mokuba that you're back."

Bakura nodded, leaving the room. So that was Seto's father? The priest that bore the Sennen Eye? There was no semblance between them whatsoever.

Bakura smiled lightly. "So, this Ring belonged to some priest that is now dead? Hm." He went off to find Mokuba.

Over the next month, Seto became absorbed in his newest project- finding a person with a powerful kah to sacrifice to become a monster.

Seto and the priest of the Sennen Ankh, Shadii, were walking through town, trying to find the said person with the kah.

There was shouting as a cloaked figure fell to the ground, revealing a girl with long, white hair and blue eyes. The masses threw rotting food and trash at her, saying that she was s devil of bad omen for looking different. Her pale skin was bruised.

Seto stopped it, bringing her to his home as he had done with Bakura, but this time with a look of triumph in his eyes.

As an overview, this girl was the one with the dragon's kah. Seto sacrificed her before a tablet with the dragon on it, crying as he did so. He had now split the blood of an innocent for his own purposes.

Bakura watched him walk into his home that night, stoic in emotion for what he had done. Seto didn't understand; he should be happy that now he had the ultimate monster at his disposal, but it was empty...

"Seto..." Bakura muttered, blinking away tears.

The ex-thief stilled remained in the priest's household, now under the excuse of Seto's that he needed to be protected because he was a bearer of a Sennen Item. It was logical, but Bakura took it to meaning that maybe he had a place in this household now, maybe that...

No, he shouldn't be so hopeful as to wish for that.

Another week passed and the period of the inundation was not too long away, when the waters rose. Bakura noticed something else troubling Seto now, not just the murder of that girl. He followed him outside that night as he went to walk.

"Seto!" Bakura called. "What is troubling you this time? Is it still that girl?"

"No, it's nothing." He answered.

"Seto, I can tell something happened- you're not acting like yourself. Tell me."

Seto's eyes softened a tad. "The pharaoh and other priests are dead. I have been chosen to commit ceremonial suicide and guard the items with my soul."

"Seto, why...? Why must you accept this?" He asked, voice quivering.

"Because." They High Priest in front of him answered in a calm, unwavering voice. "The Pharaoh and the four other priests are sealed away with the Sennen Items and the monsters. It is my duty."

"I don't care!" The other boy yelled, bursting out with emotions suddenly. "Just because of your rank. The Pharaoh is dead; you don't need to listen to his orders anymore!"

"But it is my duty-"

"I just don't care anymore. I never cared about your rank, because I..." He turned his head away in frustration. Letting a couple of tears only dot his eyes, he turned his back from the priest and kept his head lowered, tears threatening now to spill over.

"Bakura." Seto said in a calm voice. "I will be buried with the Sennen Items. The Pharaoh is gone, so I must be the one to protect them. The world's fate depends on me." With that, he turned and left, holding his Sennen Rod in hand and clenching it with a deadly grip.

"Seto..." Bakura whispered after the priest had left. "I don't want to you to die." Why can't you just give up your position? I realize I'm not one to understand the laws and everything, but you never let laws stop you before. Laws forbid us to even be friends. Just disobey them once more. I never got to tell you everything about me. I never got to tell that that-

"I love you." Those words resounded around his ears. I love you, he who is doomed to die. I love you, fallen angel. I love you, Seto.

Feeling just like nothing else mattered anymore, Bakura rushed after him suddenly. "Seto!"

"I already told you, Bakura." Seto started with his back still to the white-haired boy. "I, as the High priest, was chosen to he the guardian of the Sennen Items. Tomorrow, I will die and be buried with them, and nothing you can do will stop this." The priest stopped ranting, looking back at the sad eyes. "Bakura?"

"Seto." Bakura stood up straight and looked him in the eyes. "I don't care what you may say after I tell you this. I don't care what you may think, but I need to get this out. Seto, I love you." There was barely any pause. "I am in love with you and nothing you say or do will change that. I don't want you to leave me because I finally found you, the one person I ever really cared for. I love you! I love you, I love you, I love you!" He felt short of breath after this, flushing crimson upon his pale cheeks. He took this opportunity to bury his eyes in Seto's shoulder. "Don't leave Mokuba and me alone."

"Bakura..." Seto took him in his arms. "Please take care of Mokuba for me when I'm gone. I trust him in your care."

"Seto..." Bakura's eyes watered further, letting a couple of tears fall. "Give me tonight to try to give you a reason to stay. I don't care if it would only lead to future pain, give me tonight at least." He lifted his lips up Seto's neck, searching for his own lips.

"B-Bakura..." Seto sighed as he was enveloped into a desperate, but loving kiss.

The next chapter is probably the last... this is really messing up in my own mind cause I learned all that happened in Egypt, and blah... T_T

I know, I am disappointing all of you, but I dunno... I've become rather apathetic when it comes to all of this, all my writing in general. And my schoolwork, if I ever did well in that... but I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.