A/N: I don't own Yugioh!
After two weeks of procrastination, I'm baaaaaaccckkk! This chapter's a bit short (only four pages 0.o), but I promise the next one will be a bit longer. Oh yeah, I changed chapters 1 and 2 (it's now more graphical^_^), so you can read that if you want. It actually makes sense now! (ok, kind of..) ^_^ So.enjoy!^_^
~*~
'thought' "speech"
A Moment In Time
A deep, mellow crimson wrapped around the desert air, dominating the once blue sky. Over the horizon was a streak of scarlet, an accessory to the massive ball of fire behind it. It was almost nightfall.it was time to leave.
Bakura snapped the cap of the veil Isis had so kindly given him and, lifting Yugi's head onto his lap, poured half the content into his mouth. A sickly green liquid appeared, and the tomb robber was forced to hold his breath against its putrid smell.
"How can Isis stand this.this.thing!" Bakura grumbled, slipping the bottle into his pouch.
A slight shifting caught his attention. Bakura looked down and found Yugi clutching his own heart and muttering, or was it pleading, something incoherent. Beads of sweat rolled down the youngster's forehead, and his face was flushed with sickness. Bakura sighed as he brushed away a few blonde strands, then stopped himself.
'What in the nine hells am I doing?!' The albino mentally berated his mind. 'This brat is not worth my time. The only reason I'm keeping him is to avenge my father. No, I do not like him, I do not like him, I do not---'
While Bakura was trying to convince himself that he had no interest in Yugi, the sky was already darkening. Soon, a blanket of night blue covered the Earth, scattered with tiny crystals too far to touch.
By the time Bakura looked up, he found himself sitting in what was close to darkness. The tomb robber silently cursed as he hauled both himself and Yugi onto the waiting horse. The small boy still had labored breathing, and Bakura hoped the remedy had better work. When he was sure Yugi was secured tightly in front of him, Bakura snapped the reigns and entered into the darkness.
***
"Uh, your majesty?" One was the braver warriors spoke out. "We should set up camp. Night has come."
Yami nodded absently, wallowing in his own remorse.
'Another day has past, yet I still haven't found my koi', the pharaoh though bitterly. 'What kind of lover am I?'
"No."
All heads turned toward the royal command.
Yami stared out into the forever stretching desert, determination blazing in his eyes. "We will not rest just yet. We must continue searching, if not only for a while longer."
No one dared protest against the ruler of Egypt, so the group resumed trotting towards the West Nile. Each was silent, either in his own world, or staring absently into the darkness. None believed they'd find anyone or _anything_ at this unearthly hour, let alone the pharaoh's lover.
Yami's crimson orbs carefully scrutinized the bronze specks of sand, as if trying to memorize every detail. His eyes brushed past a flash of silver, nearly missing it. Of course, _nearly_ doesn't mean he missed it. The great king maneuvered his horse towards the desired direction, his puzzled troops following.
The flash of silver grew closer, and soon Yami could make out the outline of a person huddled in a futile position. At about ten feet, he halted and yelled out.
"Who are you?"
There was no response, except a soft whimper, barely audible.
Yami's eyes slanted in suspicion as he dismounted, grabbing his dagger in the process.
Walking warily over to the still figure, Yami repeated sternly, "Who are you?"
Again, no answer. The king let out an exasperated sigh; patience was never his good quality. Reaching out, he turned the being around.and gasped.
"Bakura!" Yami drew his knife and pushed it to the boy's neck. The rest of the soldiers immediately surrounded the two, pointing crossbows, swords, and all other types of lethal weapons at 'Bakura'.
But the victim didn't retaliate. No, instead he whimpered and hugged his knees to his chest.
"P-please don't kill me.I didn't do anything wrong! I-I'm sorry!" The latter pleaded, fresh tears dawning his features.
Yami blinked in surprise. This certainly isn't Bakura; the tomb robber would never beg him even if his life counted on it.
The ruler bent down to examine the boy a bit closer.
The still-victim had chocolate brown eyes shining with innocence and fragility. His smooth face was framed by a mass of silvery white hair that fell down to mid-back. Beneath the sparse grubby rags, Yami could make out a thin, scrawny body. In fact, in the moon light, he could practically count the ribs. It was like he was a porcelain doll, so easily broken.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Yami spoke in a softer tone, kneeling next to the boy. "Now, tell me, what is your name?"
"R-Ryou."
"Alright, Ryou. What are you doing out here in the middle of the night. The desert is a dangerous place."
Ryou's dark brown eyes flickered toward Yami for a second, then returned to the desert. A moment of silence past before he finally answer in a wavering tone.
"M-my master g-got mad at me b-because he found a-a speck of dirt in h-his morning t-tea. He thought I d-did it and l-left me here." Ryou suddenly grabbed onto Yami's shirt, half pleading for trust, half in momentary insanity. "B-but I didn't do it! You have to believe me! You h- have to believe me."
His words broke off into sobs as he clung desperately to Yami. The ruler stiffened, unsure of what to do, and did his best to comfort the poor boy.
"It's alright now. No one's going to hurt you. Don't cry." Yami rubbed Ryou's back gently, who was hiccupping between intervals of tears.
One of the soldiers was about to step out and wretch the slave away and be executed, for it was forbidden to touch a pharaoh without permission, but Yami waved him back.
When Ryou's tears had subsides, Yami held him at arms length and watched him for a split second before asking, "How long have you been out here?"
"S-since noon."
"Did you see someone that looked like you riding a horse with someone that looked liked me?"
Ryou blinked to interpret the question, then slowly shook his head.
"Oh well," Yami muttered. "It was worth a try."
The young king stood up and turned to face his army. "Let's set up camp. We'll continue searching tomorrow."
The troops saluted and busied themselves with setting up the tents and building a fire. Yami led a wide-eyed Ryou over to a log and sat down on it. After a few minutes of watching his men work, the pharaoh soon noticed that the boy next to him keep looking at him.
"What is it, Ryou?" Yami frowned.
"N-nothing." The slave averted his gaze to the ground, and then hesitantly, as if he wasn't sure if he was to ask, spoke, "W-who are you?"
Yami wanted to lie so that he wouldn't scare the boy half to death by his position, but then realized it wasn't plausible, for Ryou would surely find out when one of the soldiers refer to him. So he flashed a small, weary smile and closed his eyes in distress.
"I am the pharaoh of Egypt."
***
When Yami opened his eyes, he was met with a very amusing sight. Ryou's mouth was hanging open and his chocolate orbs were even larger than when Yami first found him, if that was even possible.
"Y-you're the pharaoh?" The white-haired boy whispered as the truth sank in. Then he quickly got onto the ground and kneeled before Yami.
"Y-your m-majesty, I'm so sorry about earlier, I---"
Ryou's rambling was cut off when he felt a finger on his lips. Stunned, he allowed Yami to pull him back into his previous seat on the log.
"You don't have to bow, Ryou." Yami grinned, something he doesn't do often. "To tell you the truth, I hate all that formal stuff. Just call me Yami when we're alone."
Ryou gaped in surprise. "B-but---"
"That's an order," Yami interrupted, still wearing that cocky smile.
The slave just nodded mutely, still amazed at the behavior of this particular pharaoh.
A whistle sounded and Yami abruptly stood up.
"Come on, Ryou. It's time to get some rest. You can take the tent next to mine. There's a spare bedroll in it." The ruler pointed to a brown construction next to a slightly larger one.
"T-thanks."
"Let's go." Yami led the way with Ryou trailing behind.
At the entrance, Yami briefly smiled. "Good night, Ryou."
"G-good night, your ma---er, Yami."
As Yami lay in his tent, he couldn't help but note how much Ryou reminded him of his own love.
"Yugi." Yami sighed before finally allowing sleep to claim him.
***
How long he'd traveled, he had no idea. But he did know that no matter what it took, he must be ahead of the pharaoh. The dull moon light didn't provide much aid in brightening the shadowy depths of the desert, and the stars could not spare more glow than a rabbit could defeat a tiger.
Bakura growled in dismay, but was thankful that they had made it this far without serious incident. Yugi continued to whimpered and mumble at intervals, sometimes breaking out in cold sweat in the process, but other than that, they were alive and not bodily injured.
The tomb robber slowed down to retrieve the little veil from his pouch. The boy in front of him was starting to thrash, probably in pain, and the medicine was slow to take on effect. Pulling the cap off, Bakura poured down a generous helping of the green liquid into Yugi's mouth and returned the bottle back to its place.
'I guess we should stop.it is really late,' Bakura thought, then realized something. 'What the &*^%?! When did I start using _we_. It's _I_, and will always be _I_.' Grumbling, the thief dismounted and tied his horse to a cactus. 'I swear, the kid's starting to have a bad influence on me.'
Suddenly, a zephyr picked up, sending shivers down his spine. Cursing, Bakura settled down beside his horse, trying to keep warm. Soon, he heard teeth chattering and found Yugi unconsciously hugging himself, his small frame shivering from the cold. Bakura decided to ignore it, and returned to his light snooze. Unfortunately, the breeze did not die down and, as to not freeze to death, Bakura had no choice but to pull Yugi onto his lap and hug the latter to keep warm. Yugi's shivering ceased, and a small smile appeared on his mouth as he moved closer in Bakura's embrace.
The tomb robber blushed despite himself, then reminded himself harshly that he was only doing this to keep warm, and _not_ for lust. But his heart is telling him otherwise.
~*~
Bakura: What kind of ending was that?!
YK: Hey, don't blame me!
Bakura: You're the authoress, for goodness sakes! You have the power to change the ending!
YK: At least I didn't make you kiss Yugi!
Bakura: .
Yami(surrounded by fire): Do that, and I shall personally tear you apart limb by limb
Bakura: Wouldn't dream of it
YK: Actually, kissing's not a bad idea.
Yami: Nooo!!!!
Bakura: I'm going to be sick.
YK: Ah. sorry the chapter's short.
Bakura: Thank Ra.
YK: _Anyway_ please R&R!^_^
After two weeks of procrastination, I'm baaaaaaccckkk! This chapter's a bit short (only four pages 0.o), but I promise the next one will be a bit longer. Oh yeah, I changed chapters 1 and 2 (it's now more graphical^_^), so you can read that if you want. It actually makes sense now! (ok, kind of..) ^_^ So.enjoy!^_^
~*~
'thought' "speech"
A Moment In Time
A deep, mellow crimson wrapped around the desert air, dominating the once blue sky. Over the horizon was a streak of scarlet, an accessory to the massive ball of fire behind it. It was almost nightfall.it was time to leave.
Bakura snapped the cap of the veil Isis had so kindly given him and, lifting Yugi's head onto his lap, poured half the content into his mouth. A sickly green liquid appeared, and the tomb robber was forced to hold his breath against its putrid smell.
"How can Isis stand this.this.thing!" Bakura grumbled, slipping the bottle into his pouch.
A slight shifting caught his attention. Bakura looked down and found Yugi clutching his own heart and muttering, or was it pleading, something incoherent. Beads of sweat rolled down the youngster's forehead, and his face was flushed with sickness. Bakura sighed as he brushed away a few blonde strands, then stopped himself.
'What in the nine hells am I doing?!' The albino mentally berated his mind. 'This brat is not worth my time. The only reason I'm keeping him is to avenge my father. No, I do not like him, I do not like him, I do not---'
While Bakura was trying to convince himself that he had no interest in Yugi, the sky was already darkening. Soon, a blanket of night blue covered the Earth, scattered with tiny crystals too far to touch.
By the time Bakura looked up, he found himself sitting in what was close to darkness. The tomb robber silently cursed as he hauled both himself and Yugi onto the waiting horse. The small boy still had labored breathing, and Bakura hoped the remedy had better work. When he was sure Yugi was secured tightly in front of him, Bakura snapped the reigns and entered into the darkness.
***
"Uh, your majesty?" One was the braver warriors spoke out. "We should set up camp. Night has come."
Yami nodded absently, wallowing in his own remorse.
'Another day has past, yet I still haven't found my koi', the pharaoh though bitterly. 'What kind of lover am I?'
"No."
All heads turned toward the royal command.
Yami stared out into the forever stretching desert, determination blazing in his eyes. "We will not rest just yet. We must continue searching, if not only for a while longer."
No one dared protest against the ruler of Egypt, so the group resumed trotting towards the West Nile. Each was silent, either in his own world, or staring absently into the darkness. None believed they'd find anyone or _anything_ at this unearthly hour, let alone the pharaoh's lover.
Yami's crimson orbs carefully scrutinized the bronze specks of sand, as if trying to memorize every detail. His eyes brushed past a flash of silver, nearly missing it. Of course, _nearly_ doesn't mean he missed it. The great king maneuvered his horse towards the desired direction, his puzzled troops following.
The flash of silver grew closer, and soon Yami could make out the outline of a person huddled in a futile position. At about ten feet, he halted and yelled out.
"Who are you?"
There was no response, except a soft whimper, barely audible.
Yami's eyes slanted in suspicion as he dismounted, grabbing his dagger in the process.
Walking warily over to the still figure, Yami repeated sternly, "Who are you?"
Again, no answer. The king let out an exasperated sigh; patience was never his good quality. Reaching out, he turned the being around.and gasped.
"Bakura!" Yami drew his knife and pushed it to the boy's neck. The rest of the soldiers immediately surrounded the two, pointing crossbows, swords, and all other types of lethal weapons at 'Bakura'.
But the victim didn't retaliate. No, instead he whimpered and hugged his knees to his chest.
"P-please don't kill me.I didn't do anything wrong! I-I'm sorry!" The latter pleaded, fresh tears dawning his features.
Yami blinked in surprise. This certainly isn't Bakura; the tomb robber would never beg him even if his life counted on it.
The ruler bent down to examine the boy a bit closer.
The still-victim had chocolate brown eyes shining with innocence and fragility. His smooth face was framed by a mass of silvery white hair that fell down to mid-back. Beneath the sparse grubby rags, Yami could make out a thin, scrawny body. In fact, in the moon light, he could practically count the ribs. It was like he was a porcelain doll, so easily broken.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Yami spoke in a softer tone, kneeling next to the boy. "Now, tell me, what is your name?"
"R-Ryou."
"Alright, Ryou. What are you doing out here in the middle of the night. The desert is a dangerous place."
Ryou's dark brown eyes flickered toward Yami for a second, then returned to the desert. A moment of silence past before he finally answer in a wavering tone.
"M-my master g-got mad at me b-because he found a-a speck of dirt in h-his morning t-tea. He thought I d-did it and l-left me here." Ryou suddenly grabbed onto Yami's shirt, half pleading for trust, half in momentary insanity. "B-but I didn't do it! You have to believe me! You h- have to believe me."
His words broke off into sobs as he clung desperately to Yami. The ruler stiffened, unsure of what to do, and did his best to comfort the poor boy.
"It's alright now. No one's going to hurt you. Don't cry." Yami rubbed Ryou's back gently, who was hiccupping between intervals of tears.
One of the soldiers was about to step out and wretch the slave away and be executed, for it was forbidden to touch a pharaoh without permission, but Yami waved him back.
When Ryou's tears had subsides, Yami held him at arms length and watched him for a split second before asking, "How long have you been out here?"
"S-since noon."
"Did you see someone that looked like you riding a horse with someone that looked liked me?"
Ryou blinked to interpret the question, then slowly shook his head.
"Oh well," Yami muttered. "It was worth a try."
The young king stood up and turned to face his army. "Let's set up camp. We'll continue searching tomorrow."
The troops saluted and busied themselves with setting up the tents and building a fire. Yami led a wide-eyed Ryou over to a log and sat down on it. After a few minutes of watching his men work, the pharaoh soon noticed that the boy next to him keep looking at him.
"What is it, Ryou?" Yami frowned.
"N-nothing." The slave averted his gaze to the ground, and then hesitantly, as if he wasn't sure if he was to ask, spoke, "W-who are you?"
Yami wanted to lie so that he wouldn't scare the boy half to death by his position, but then realized it wasn't plausible, for Ryou would surely find out when one of the soldiers refer to him. So he flashed a small, weary smile and closed his eyes in distress.
"I am the pharaoh of Egypt."
***
When Yami opened his eyes, he was met with a very amusing sight. Ryou's mouth was hanging open and his chocolate orbs were even larger than when Yami first found him, if that was even possible.
"Y-you're the pharaoh?" The white-haired boy whispered as the truth sank in. Then he quickly got onto the ground and kneeled before Yami.
"Y-your m-majesty, I'm so sorry about earlier, I---"
Ryou's rambling was cut off when he felt a finger on his lips. Stunned, he allowed Yami to pull him back into his previous seat on the log.
"You don't have to bow, Ryou." Yami grinned, something he doesn't do often. "To tell you the truth, I hate all that formal stuff. Just call me Yami when we're alone."
Ryou gaped in surprise. "B-but---"
"That's an order," Yami interrupted, still wearing that cocky smile.
The slave just nodded mutely, still amazed at the behavior of this particular pharaoh.
A whistle sounded and Yami abruptly stood up.
"Come on, Ryou. It's time to get some rest. You can take the tent next to mine. There's a spare bedroll in it." The ruler pointed to a brown construction next to a slightly larger one.
"T-thanks."
"Let's go." Yami led the way with Ryou trailing behind.
At the entrance, Yami briefly smiled. "Good night, Ryou."
"G-good night, your ma---er, Yami."
As Yami lay in his tent, he couldn't help but note how much Ryou reminded him of his own love.
"Yugi." Yami sighed before finally allowing sleep to claim him.
***
How long he'd traveled, he had no idea. But he did know that no matter what it took, he must be ahead of the pharaoh. The dull moon light didn't provide much aid in brightening the shadowy depths of the desert, and the stars could not spare more glow than a rabbit could defeat a tiger.
Bakura growled in dismay, but was thankful that they had made it this far without serious incident. Yugi continued to whimpered and mumble at intervals, sometimes breaking out in cold sweat in the process, but other than that, they were alive and not bodily injured.
The tomb robber slowed down to retrieve the little veil from his pouch. The boy in front of him was starting to thrash, probably in pain, and the medicine was slow to take on effect. Pulling the cap off, Bakura poured down a generous helping of the green liquid into Yugi's mouth and returned the bottle back to its place.
'I guess we should stop.it is really late,' Bakura thought, then realized something. 'What the &*^%?! When did I start using _we_. It's _I_, and will always be _I_.' Grumbling, the thief dismounted and tied his horse to a cactus. 'I swear, the kid's starting to have a bad influence on me.'
Suddenly, a zephyr picked up, sending shivers down his spine. Cursing, Bakura settled down beside his horse, trying to keep warm. Soon, he heard teeth chattering and found Yugi unconsciously hugging himself, his small frame shivering from the cold. Bakura decided to ignore it, and returned to his light snooze. Unfortunately, the breeze did not die down and, as to not freeze to death, Bakura had no choice but to pull Yugi onto his lap and hug the latter to keep warm. Yugi's shivering ceased, and a small smile appeared on his mouth as he moved closer in Bakura's embrace.
The tomb robber blushed despite himself, then reminded himself harshly that he was only doing this to keep warm, and _not_ for lust. But his heart is telling him otherwise.
~*~
Bakura: What kind of ending was that?!
YK: Hey, don't blame me!
Bakura: You're the authoress, for goodness sakes! You have the power to change the ending!
YK: At least I didn't make you kiss Yugi!
Bakura: .
Yami(surrounded by fire): Do that, and I shall personally tear you apart limb by limb
Bakura: Wouldn't dream of it
YK: Actually, kissing's not a bad idea.
Yami: Nooo!!!!
Bakura: I'm going to be sick.
YK: Ah. sorry the chapter's short.
Bakura: Thank Ra.
YK: _Anyway_ please R&R!^_^
