*===*===*===*===*
Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.
THANKS AND COMMENTS:
HIKARI CHERRY WOLF: Yami Bakura is now kawaii? God help us all. or just Ryou.
ARURORA BELMONT VAMPIRE HUNTER: Bakura took some happiness medication, he is considerably more chipper this chapter. So much as to annoy Ryou, actually.
RAYNE: You want another chapter like last chapter; all anguish filled and stuff? OKAY! I can do that very easily!
FALLING LEAVES: Okay *bows dramatically* I have written [typed] more!
MALIK'SGURL: Okay, another lover of this story. {Stiggy: *wink, wink*}. Look at that! I updated!
ELBERETH GILTHONIEL: Yes, I figured I'd stick to the basics with the whole Ryou-anguish plot. It's not to bad, I'm only on two hundred reviews now.
ASHURI CHAN: Who cares for Ryou, Bakura or Malik? Uh.I don't know. This fic kind of cuts off at the ending. Hehe.. So does "Plans". I have to stop doing that kind of ending.
ELLE-FATE2X1: Don't worry; Ryou doesn't die. Neither did I; I updated!
CHEESEPUFF: Bakura is in this chapter too. Yes!
SINCERE ANGEL: I can't get over the idea that people like my descriptions. I think they are so boring. I read the Lord of the Rings way too many times.
THE-DARK-ONE: Yay! You can read now! It is my opinion Malik can be a nice guy. I mean, he's just a tad bit.damaged in a way. He isn't so cynical and sadistic after Battle City as I've seen, read, whatever. And no, that is NOT Marik you see in Battle City so far one YTV. Yami Malik doesn't come until the players board the airship and Rishid [(((*Odion] loses to Jou. Trust me, Malik's hair gets bigger and he starts trying to KILL people. Hikari Malik [oxymoron] stops his insanity after Alcetraz and pretty much just disappears. Malik actually wants the Pharaoh dead and all that stuff till the end of Battle City. I think the Tauk being proved wrong lifted his spirits a bit because he hates the idea of destiny and junk. ......I also prefer Isis to Ishizu. My friends had to learn all the original names. I keep saying Jounounchi, Anzu, Ryou, and Honda. They were all really lost on Otogi. I now keep stopping myself and saying something like "Otog-duke". It sounds funny when I talk fast.....My story has lots of reviews? I know some stories that have more than me, actually. I hope my other fic "Plans" pulls a stig [stigmatized] on me and starts getting more reviews after chapter ten. That would be awesome.
TOKYOGAL89: Will you look at that, I updated.
DRAGGY: Nothing will happen in Romania. This fic isn't long enough to go into another country.
YOKOMON52: Sadly, my mother found "Sorry For You". *runs off screaming* Read the ending AN's to see.
ESCURO DE LA LUS: Quote: "Question: Does Malik have a thing for Ryou or something? Because he sure acted like it throughout this chapter."---------- --What do you think the answer to that question is? Did I not make it obvious enough?.....Otogi is awesome. *ish drooling at DDM anime dubbed poster on wall* Me loves Otogi. My preciouuusssss.. *is holding tap with DDM recorded on it*
A.K.A TALENTLESS: You read my other ficcies? Yay! *ish proud* Malik lives!
RAIN STYORMZ: No, Lucille was not a woman B.B. King loved. It will be explain in the ANs.
ANGELUS2040: Here's another chapter. Enjoy!
Some stuff is explained in this chapter. There's some personification of death and a mass murder of sorts, but that's it, really. I think chapter sixteen is the depressing one. This is also. *clears throat*.ADRIENNE AND SELINA'S LAST CHAPTER! YAY!
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Stigmatize
Chapter 16: Killing Is Easy
Ryou didn't leave his room for the rest of the night. After falling asleep for a short time, he was awakened by someone knocking heavily on the door. They had given up, seeing Ryou was not being very responsive. The boy then waited for another person to come. It was strange, being alone in the room, not really even thinking about anything. Ryou just waited. Someone was going to open the door eventually because he had just unlocked it.
"Good morning, Ryou," a voice finally greeted, coming in.
"Hello, Father," Ryou nodded courteously.
"Ryou, you know I'm going to Romania tomorrow, right?"
Ryou looked up, surprised, "You said a few days."
"Yes, I did. Literally I meant one whole day and then the next I'm gone on a plane."
"Do you want me to go with you, Father?"
"That's what I can to ask. Do you want to come along or not? I can set everything up and I'll be able to send you home again when school starts."
Ryou looked down, thinking. He bit at his lower lip in consideration of the options. He could easily leave without telling the Spirit of the Ring since they could no longer communicate. I could be just Ryou and his father in Romania, no Malik, no Yami, no Yuugi, and, thank gods, no Selina or Adrienne. Of course, the boy could always stay home where all this was and more. Maybe if he went to Eastern Germany, he could try to forget his problems amongst thousand-year-old sites and archeologists who seem almost older than their fields of study. Maybe he could learn something.
That, or get himself lost in a forest.
"Sure," he answered, "I'll go with you, Father. I assure you, the spirit will not be trailing behind."
The man's arching brow relayed his surprise at this agreement. Ryou never liked to go with his father anyplace.
"You better pack up then, Ryou. We're leaving tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir," Ryou replied. The man nodded slowly and exited, his son closing the door behind him. The boy listened to the fading footsteps before pulling out his suitcase from under the bed.
*===*===*===*===*
The Yami Bakura walked in while his Hakari was going through a selection of clothes.
"Where are you going, child?" he asked with the common growl that never seemed to leave his tone.
"Romania with Father." Ryou answered calmly.
"When did I say it was okay to take a trip?" the Fiend barked in annoyance.
"You never did. I made the choice to go. I don't need to listen to you, remember?" Ryou informed his other side casually, folding shirts and placing them in the open suitcase neatly. He was seemingly ignoring the spirit.
"Well, sorry to burst you little independence bubble, Mortal," the Fiend replied, kicking the lid to the case closed and crouching to the boy's eye level, "But I need to test something with you."
"What?" Ryou asked nervously, looking up, "Do you mean by 'test'?"
"Well, that's for me to know and you to find out, isn't it?" the Spirit taunted.
"This isn't something I'm going to seriously regret, is it?"
"Well, assuming you regret the fact that I'm talking to you right now, I'm not too sure I can answer that, Child. But, of course, you've always hated your time with me, so I really don't see a problem."
Ryou watched his Dark, still alarmed and anxious. The spirit shook his head and smirked at this.
"Fine, would you feel any better if I promise not you hurt you." he paused, ".that much?"
Ryou's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I don't know why I'm doing this, but since I doubt I have much of a choice," the Fiend's smile broadened, "I suppose I have to go. But, I must say, it would prove much better if I knew what in the word you are going to do. I also doubt it will not hurt." he paused, mimicking the spirit, ".that much."
"You know," the Fiend, announced, grabbing Ryou's arm roughly, "I could slap you for such disrespect." He was soon dragging the boy outside.
"And you haven't? Gee, somebody's sure chipper today. What'd you do, kill Malik?" Ryou asked as their distance from the house grew.
"Ha! You wish, Fool!"
"Actually, I don't but I'd like to know why you're so happy today. You re- discover alcohol or something."
"You are starting to sound a little too much like that Idiot Ishtar."
"Am I?"
"Yes, Mortal, you sound stupid, difficult, and conceited. Congratulations. You must be so proud of yourself."
Ryou didn't reply to this. He winched at the grip on his arm that was not loosening at all.
"You're cutting off my circulation, where are we going?"
"I have a lesson for you."
Ryou paled at this. Lessons were not good things at all when taught by the Fiend. The maniac's idea of discipline wasn't for any reasonable class.
"Wha-what will I be learning, Spirit?"
"Basically how to kill something for me. Don't worry, it isn't hard if you pay attention for once."
"WHAT?" Ryou asked in surprise, stopping dead. The Spirit glared at him, annoyed. Slowly he started to drag Ryou, forcing the boy to walk or get severely beaten by the ground.
"Oh to Ra, you fool!" the Spirit exclaimed as they reached a vacant lot, "Killing is essential. Anything can kill, it just need to present itself properly to the victim. You have some pathetic excuse for power now, it's about time you learned what *I* want you to do with it."
Ryou stared at him dumbly in shock and disgust.
"You want me to kill?"
"Yes," the Fiend answered, pulling the boy deeper into the alley.
"You want me to kill?" Ryou asked again, in a terrified voice.
"Oh, shut up, you idiot! It's one of the easiest tricks to learn. And, I mean, it not like you never ended a life before."
"Come again?" Ryou asked slowly, trying to clear his thoughts.
"Child, God knows how many insects and vermin you've destroyed, much less that fool Pegasus," the Spirit informed him.
"Yami, I didn't kill that guy!" Ryou defended while the Spirit smirked at him.
"That's what YOU think. I've done so much through you, made you do so many things. Not on all your fingers and toes could you count them. Believe me, your hands have killed before."
"But that doesn't count against me, I didn't know."
"Whatever makes you feel better. Right now you must pay attention. It may help you kill less hideously."
"What exactly do you mean by hideously?" Ryou asked, straining nervously in the Fiend's grip.
"Hemorrhaging and such things tend to happen. If you listen like a good little boy and do as you are told, the victim will drop, no sound, no mess. It is very important you aren't distracted."
Ryou swallowed with a pathetic gulp, "Uh, thanks for the tip, but I'm not going to go off and start killing people."
"No, you wouldn't do that unless I did it for you," the Spirit sighed, "I never expected you to be the one to murder in cold blood, that's why we're here."
Ryou looked around the dark wet alley. He had no idea why they were there.
"Spirit, I hope you know I consider the homeless humans too," he said nervously.
His dark smirked and muttered slightly how stupid Ryou was before using his free arm to display the area before them.
"What you don't understand yet, since your mind merely cannot grasp what is not shoved and tied down before it, is that this certain alley contains and excessive amount of rodents."
"Oh.." Ryou trail, watching the vermin crawl about in the shadow around the dumpsters and metal structures that were difficult to make out.
"Well of course. Like I said, I'd have to force you to harm anything with the slightest inkling of humanity about it. This location is perfect because if you really are terrible with slaughter, it will not be so noticeable." The Spirit replied, letting Ryou see the logic in the decision. The boy nodded hesitantly.
"Now, you've never used Shadow Powers before. In reality, opposite what that screwed Pharaoh likes to think, performing spells and the like is not really that difficult, as he would lead you to believe. None of it has to be a large production of sorts. Trust me, that fool says it's "oh, so hard" because he makes it like that, understood?"
Ryou just stared, confused, "But the Ring, its cold."
"Which explains why you can do so much more now if I teach you. A lot more power runs through you unchecked, Child. The Ring usually filters this all for you, so you don't notice the small current of superiority that runs through you and every other idiot with a Millennium Item, separating you from the true Mortals. You stopped being completely human after you linked to the Sennen Ring. Vice versa happened to me. Of course, I was always strong; I am still the strongest Bakura. You have such lovely powers and you don't know how to do anything with them."
"How do you know this?" Ryou asked, a bit uncertain.
"I got it off that stranger, Shaddi. It wasn't easy. Where did you think I was while you were messing around with that Ishtar?"
"Did he know why I couldn't eat?"
"He's not a god, Idiot, he doesn't know everything."
"Did he mean to say I was stronger than you?" Ryou asked, in awe.
The Spirit almost doubled over laughing. Ryou glared at him.
"In your dreams, boy!" the Yami sneered, "I outrank you in experience. I can still banish souls and everything you cannot. Teaching you to kill is nothing since you may never use it."
"You're confusing me," Ryou sighed.
"Good, lets keep it that way," the Spirit, "Lets carry on with this lesson."
Ryou nodded, not even trying to understand what his Dark had just said. He watched all the rats around him instead.
"Now, to kill is very easy. You hardly realize what your doing. All that has to be done is for you to pick a victim and mentally lead death to it."
Ryou blinked in confusion at the information, "Huh?"
"Pretend you are commanding death where to go. The quicker and more easily you call, the cleaner the kill. If you are terrified and/or nervous, the death will reflect this and look horrible and slow because you are so divided. Panicking is also not good, as death panics and makes a big mess. You want to be suave and cold hearted. Picture death a minion, a child at your control. It will do its job when told, but if you waver it is unsure."
Ryou looked at him in surprise, "So you're saying death is almost human?"
"No," the Fiend shrugged, "Personification of a force usually helps you understand it. In reality I have no idea what death is like because I have never met it or experienced it like you will someday.hopefully, unless this malfunction helps you somehow."
"I don't want to live forever, Yami," Ryou pined slightly.
"Do you think I want to die, fool?" the spirit snapped slightly. Ryou shook his head, watching the rodents in the alley.
"Lets continue now. All you have to try to do is picture you personification of death, the Grim Reaper, Ace of Spades, whatever, rushing to your victim to destroy it."
Ryou nodded at this, looking towards the gutter. Crawling next to the water was a large, greasy black rat with shiny eyes. Its tail dragged limply behind it as the creature waddled forward, obviously coming home after glutting itself over some feast. Its sides were grossly swollen with food and disease. The animal was disgusting. Ryou actually wanted it dead, he wanted to kill it.fast. He could see the darkness of death closing in quickly to rid humanity of such horrible creatures. They did not need to live, spreading illness and glorifying the gutters with their mess. Ryou hardly notice he was actually killing the rat. There was next to no effort. He just watched silently as the vermin stopped it progression. The slick, furry torso stopped moving in its' slow, content rhythm.
"Stop it!"
Ryou heard his Dark ordering him to cease.something. He was too focused on watching the rat, dead as a rock. It was so awkward and fascinating. A pain suddenly filled his brain from his knees. Ryou's legs went numb for a few seconds and he tipped over, colliding with the wall.
"Owe!" Ryou exclaimed as feeling rushed to his mind. He winched as the Fiend grabbed his shoulders and turned him around to look him in the face. The spirit appeared angry.
"I said kill ONE, you fool!" he hissed.
"Didn't I?" Ryou asked nervously.
"Yeah, plus one hundred and more. All the rats died. What were you trying to do, rid humanity of the pests?" the Spirit scowled.
"No," Ryou replied before he remembered how the thought had crossed his mind.
"I didn't tell you, it's usually best to picture the one thing you're trying to kill dead, not it's entire species. Understood?"
Ryou nodded slowly.
The two sat in silence for a few minutes in the now still alley. None of the furry bodies they could see shown any life.
"Well, this place is rat free, thanks to you," the spirit remarked, standing up, "Lets go find some mortals."
"I'm not hurting people!" Ryou gasped as the Fiend grabbed his arm again.
"I don't expect you to, child. I want you the read their minds."
Ryou looked up in surprise and blinked.
"You can read minds?"
"I'm joking," the Fiend corrected, "If I could do that, you'd be doomed."
Ryou stood and let the spirit drag him away from the dead rodents. He didn't want to be near when they started to rot away. The poor citizens and business nearby would suffer greatly. There would be reports and questions. Everyone would be confused.
"So then I said, no way, you're like a friggen faggot, Johnny."
Ryou stopped dead and turned back as fast as he could, dragging the annoyed Yami behind him. He recognized the voice around the corner.
"What is it, Child?" the Spirit growled at him.
"Is there any other way home, Yami?" Ryou asked nervously, eyeing the corner like doom was on the other side.
"Awe, are you shy?" the Fiend mocked, hearing the girls' voices.
"Like, Ryou, is that you?"
"Oh God." the boy muttered as the Spirit sneered. The whole group of people heard Adrienne's question and turned in the same direction. Ryou's heart rate sped up as he began to panic. The many footsteps started in his towards him. The Yami kept him from running with his hand on the child's arm.
"Do you know these people, Hikari?" the Spirit asked mockingly as Ryou was trying not to break out in a nervous sweat. He shook his head vigorously as the group got closer and the Fiend laughed at him.
"Oh, well I think you should introduce them. I would like to meet the people in your world."
"You can't be serious-" Ryou started, but was cut off by the other's approach.
"Ryou, it that like, you?" Selina asked, coming into view.
Ryou, unable to escape, nodded meekly. The Spirit smirked at him and tapped his shoulder, pointing to the others. The Fiend was asking for an introduction..
"Like, who is that, Ryou?" Adrienne asked, eyeing the Yami exquisitely.
""Oh, that's, uh, Bakura." he lied. The Spirit continued grinning superiorly.
"Who are you friends, little Hikari?" he asked, looking at the group.
"Like, allow me to so introduce myself!" Adrienne exclaimed, "I'm Adrienne."
"And I'm like, Selina," the other girl sang.
"Oh, hello then. Ryou hasn't told me just so much about you," the Fiend greeted, pleasant, yet insulting Ryou like he was five. The boy watched his feet. He didn't know what he was going to do about this. He stayed silent and listened.
To the boy's surprise, the Yami was a hit with the group (especially the girls). Ryou just leaned against the wall as the suddenly suave spirit talked and flattered. At that moment he hated the Fiend who was poking fun at him in conversation and acting so weirdly different. It wasn't right, the Daemon would snap. Not even Ryou could stand the group that long. But all that could be done was to wait till the Fiend started the faux pas trip. The Spirit was a good actor but Ryou could see right through it all. The Yami was doing this to annoy him.
It was working very well. Ryou listened disgusted to a group of girls laughing stupidly at something that was more of an insult to Selina than a joke. Ryou kept glaring at the wall before him. He was angry at the Spirit. How long were they going to be there?
*===*===*===*===* *===*===*===*===*
AN: I took a little creative license there. I don't know if Yami's can kill except in those punishment games. I just really wanted to do that to Ryou, Hehe..
NOTHING HAPPENS IN ROMANIA! My story ends in a few chapters, okay? I can't do anything in that short a time [no vampires]. I have just been reading about people in Romania and all the ancient cultures around there.
If you didn't know, this story was at first supposed to be about five chapters and some pretty interesting Yaoi (Ryou was supposed to be hunted down by the Spirit successfully). Hehe, which did not happen [damn, 16 chapters now?]. Also, all lemon/lime has been wished away by certain authorities and their monthly checks. My mother went through ALL my fics and deleted every one of the past chapters to Stigmatized I've already published.
The only thing my mom didn't delete was "Plans" [thank you merciful celestial beings] because she thought it was "cute" (she was obviously choosing to over look the gay characters). And my Otogi fic was also safe since there was not a single lover relationship.
Everything else: Gone.
So, I shortened this chapter and I rearrange a bit of everything, but the ending is still the same. Yay!
Answer to last weeks question:
Lucille is the name of B.B. King's guitar. The reason for this is that when King first started playing gigs in bars, he had only one guitar. This guitar was very important since it was how he made his living. One time at a bar, he had finished playing and left the guitar on stage to go somewhere else. While he was gone, two men got in a fight and knocked over the coal stove [B.B. King is OLD]. The place stared to burn down but King had to run back in to get his guitar. Afterwards he found out the fight had been started because the two men where fighting over a woman named Lucille. King named his guitar like so to remind himself never to be so stupid as to leave his instrument on stage. I doubt he has to really worry about that now though, but Gibson makes "Lucille" guitars in Memphis.
No question this update! Yay!
Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.
THANKS AND COMMENTS:
HIKARI CHERRY WOLF: Yami Bakura is now kawaii? God help us all. or just Ryou.
ARURORA BELMONT VAMPIRE HUNTER: Bakura took some happiness medication, he is considerably more chipper this chapter. So much as to annoy Ryou, actually.
RAYNE: You want another chapter like last chapter; all anguish filled and stuff? OKAY! I can do that very easily!
FALLING LEAVES: Okay *bows dramatically* I have written [typed] more!
MALIK'SGURL: Okay, another lover of this story. {Stiggy: *wink, wink*}. Look at that! I updated!
ELBERETH GILTHONIEL: Yes, I figured I'd stick to the basics with the whole Ryou-anguish plot. It's not to bad, I'm only on two hundred reviews now.
ASHURI CHAN: Who cares for Ryou, Bakura or Malik? Uh.I don't know. This fic kind of cuts off at the ending. Hehe.. So does "Plans". I have to stop doing that kind of ending.
ELLE-FATE2X1: Don't worry; Ryou doesn't die. Neither did I; I updated!
CHEESEPUFF: Bakura is in this chapter too. Yes!
SINCERE ANGEL: I can't get over the idea that people like my descriptions. I think they are so boring. I read the Lord of the Rings way too many times.
THE-DARK-ONE: Yay! You can read now! It is my opinion Malik can be a nice guy. I mean, he's just a tad bit.damaged in a way. He isn't so cynical and sadistic after Battle City as I've seen, read, whatever. And no, that is NOT Marik you see in Battle City so far one YTV. Yami Malik doesn't come until the players board the airship and Rishid [(((*Odion] loses to Jou. Trust me, Malik's hair gets bigger and he starts trying to KILL people. Hikari Malik [oxymoron] stops his insanity after Alcetraz and pretty much just disappears. Malik actually wants the Pharaoh dead and all that stuff till the end of Battle City. I think the Tauk being proved wrong lifted his spirits a bit because he hates the idea of destiny and junk. ......I also prefer Isis to Ishizu. My friends had to learn all the original names. I keep saying Jounounchi, Anzu, Ryou, and Honda. They were all really lost on Otogi. I now keep stopping myself and saying something like "Otog-duke". It sounds funny when I talk fast.....My story has lots of reviews? I know some stories that have more than me, actually. I hope my other fic "Plans" pulls a stig [stigmatized] on me and starts getting more reviews after chapter ten. That would be awesome.
TOKYOGAL89: Will you look at that, I updated.
DRAGGY: Nothing will happen in Romania. This fic isn't long enough to go into another country.
YOKOMON52: Sadly, my mother found "Sorry For You". *runs off screaming* Read the ending AN's to see.
ESCURO DE LA LUS: Quote: "Question: Does Malik have a thing for Ryou or something? Because he sure acted like it throughout this chapter."---------- --What do you think the answer to that question is? Did I not make it obvious enough?.....Otogi is awesome. *ish drooling at DDM anime dubbed poster on wall* Me loves Otogi. My preciouuusssss.. *is holding tap with DDM recorded on it*
A.K.A TALENTLESS: You read my other ficcies? Yay! *ish proud* Malik lives!
RAIN STYORMZ: No, Lucille was not a woman B.B. King loved. It will be explain in the ANs.
ANGELUS2040: Here's another chapter. Enjoy!
Some stuff is explained in this chapter. There's some personification of death and a mass murder of sorts, but that's it, really. I think chapter sixteen is the depressing one. This is also. *clears throat*.ADRIENNE AND SELINA'S LAST CHAPTER! YAY!
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Stigmatize
Chapter 16: Killing Is Easy
Ryou didn't leave his room for the rest of the night. After falling asleep for a short time, he was awakened by someone knocking heavily on the door. They had given up, seeing Ryou was not being very responsive. The boy then waited for another person to come. It was strange, being alone in the room, not really even thinking about anything. Ryou just waited. Someone was going to open the door eventually because he had just unlocked it.
"Good morning, Ryou," a voice finally greeted, coming in.
"Hello, Father," Ryou nodded courteously.
"Ryou, you know I'm going to Romania tomorrow, right?"
Ryou looked up, surprised, "You said a few days."
"Yes, I did. Literally I meant one whole day and then the next I'm gone on a plane."
"Do you want me to go with you, Father?"
"That's what I can to ask. Do you want to come along or not? I can set everything up and I'll be able to send you home again when school starts."
Ryou looked down, thinking. He bit at his lower lip in consideration of the options. He could easily leave without telling the Spirit of the Ring since they could no longer communicate. I could be just Ryou and his father in Romania, no Malik, no Yami, no Yuugi, and, thank gods, no Selina or Adrienne. Of course, the boy could always stay home where all this was and more. Maybe if he went to Eastern Germany, he could try to forget his problems amongst thousand-year-old sites and archeologists who seem almost older than their fields of study. Maybe he could learn something.
That, or get himself lost in a forest.
"Sure," he answered, "I'll go with you, Father. I assure you, the spirit will not be trailing behind."
The man's arching brow relayed his surprise at this agreement. Ryou never liked to go with his father anyplace.
"You better pack up then, Ryou. We're leaving tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir," Ryou replied. The man nodded slowly and exited, his son closing the door behind him. The boy listened to the fading footsteps before pulling out his suitcase from under the bed.
*===*===*===*===*
The Yami Bakura walked in while his Hakari was going through a selection of clothes.
"Where are you going, child?" he asked with the common growl that never seemed to leave his tone.
"Romania with Father." Ryou answered calmly.
"When did I say it was okay to take a trip?" the Fiend barked in annoyance.
"You never did. I made the choice to go. I don't need to listen to you, remember?" Ryou informed his other side casually, folding shirts and placing them in the open suitcase neatly. He was seemingly ignoring the spirit.
"Well, sorry to burst you little independence bubble, Mortal," the Fiend replied, kicking the lid to the case closed and crouching to the boy's eye level, "But I need to test something with you."
"What?" Ryou asked nervously, looking up, "Do you mean by 'test'?"
"Well, that's for me to know and you to find out, isn't it?" the Spirit taunted.
"This isn't something I'm going to seriously regret, is it?"
"Well, assuming you regret the fact that I'm talking to you right now, I'm not too sure I can answer that, Child. But, of course, you've always hated your time with me, so I really don't see a problem."
Ryou watched his Dark, still alarmed and anxious. The spirit shook his head and smirked at this.
"Fine, would you feel any better if I promise not you hurt you." he paused, ".that much?"
Ryou's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I don't know why I'm doing this, but since I doubt I have much of a choice," the Fiend's smile broadened, "I suppose I have to go. But, I must say, it would prove much better if I knew what in the word you are going to do. I also doubt it will not hurt." he paused, mimicking the spirit, ".that much."
"You know," the Fiend, announced, grabbing Ryou's arm roughly, "I could slap you for such disrespect." He was soon dragging the boy outside.
"And you haven't? Gee, somebody's sure chipper today. What'd you do, kill Malik?" Ryou asked as their distance from the house grew.
"Ha! You wish, Fool!"
"Actually, I don't but I'd like to know why you're so happy today. You re- discover alcohol or something."
"You are starting to sound a little too much like that Idiot Ishtar."
"Am I?"
"Yes, Mortal, you sound stupid, difficult, and conceited. Congratulations. You must be so proud of yourself."
Ryou didn't reply to this. He winched at the grip on his arm that was not loosening at all.
"You're cutting off my circulation, where are we going?"
"I have a lesson for you."
Ryou paled at this. Lessons were not good things at all when taught by the Fiend. The maniac's idea of discipline wasn't for any reasonable class.
"Wha-what will I be learning, Spirit?"
"Basically how to kill something for me. Don't worry, it isn't hard if you pay attention for once."
"WHAT?" Ryou asked in surprise, stopping dead. The Spirit glared at him, annoyed. Slowly he started to drag Ryou, forcing the boy to walk or get severely beaten by the ground.
"Oh to Ra, you fool!" the Spirit exclaimed as they reached a vacant lot, "Killing is essential. Anything can kill, it just need to present itself properly to the victim. You have some pathetic excuse for power now, it's about time you learned what *I* want you to do with it."
Ryou stared at him dumbly in shock and disgust.
"You want me to kill?"
"Yes," the Fiend answered, pulling the boy deeper into the alley.
"You want me to kill?" Ryou asked again, in a terrified voice.
"Oh, shut up, you idiot! It's one of the easiest tricks to learn. And, I mean, it not like you never ended a life before."
"Come again?" Ryou asked slowly, trying to clear his thoughts.
"Child, God knows how many insects and vermin you've destroyed, much less that fool Pegasus," the Spirit informed him.
"Yami, I didn't kill that guy!" Ryou defended while the Spirit smirked at him.
"That's what YOU think. I've done so much through you, made you do so many things. Not on all your fingers and toes could you count them. Believe me, your hands have killed before."
"But that doesn't count against me, I didn't know."
"Whatever makes you feel better. Right now you must pay attention. It may help you kill less hideously."
"What exactly do you mean by hideously?" Ryou asked, straining nervously in the Fiend's grip.
"Hemorrhaging and such things tend to happen. If you listen like a good little boy and do as you are told, the victim will drop, no sound, no mess. It is very important you aren't distracted."
Ryou swallowed with a pathetic gulp, "Uh, thanks for the tip, but I'm not going to go off and start killing people."
"No, you wouldn't do that unless I did it for you," the Spirit sighed, "I never expected you to be the one to murder in cold blood, that's why we're here."
Ryou looked around the dark wet alley. He had no idea why they were there.
"Spirit, I hope you know I consider the homeless humans too," he said nervously.
His dark smirked and muttered slightly how stupid Ryou was before using his free arm to display the area before them.
"What you don't understand yet, since your mind merely cannot grasp what is not shoved and tied down before it, is that this certain alley contains and excessive amount of rodents."
"Oh.." Ryou trail, watching the vermin crawl about in the shadow around the dumpsters and metal structures that were difficult to make out.
"Well of course. Like I said, I'd have to force you to harm anything with the slightest inkling of humanity about it. This location is perfect because if you really are terrible with slaughter, it will not be so noticeable." The Spirit replied, letting Ryou see the logic in the decision. The boy nodded hesitantly.
"Now, you've never used Shadow Powers before. In reality, opposite what that screwed Pharaoh likes to think, performing spells and the like is not really that difficult, as he would lead you to believe. None of it has to be a large production of sorts. Trust me, that fool says it's "oh, so hard" because he makes it like that, understood?"
Ryou just stared, confused, "But the Ring, its cold."
"Which explains why you can do so much more now if I teach you. A lot more power runs through you unchecked, Child. The Ring usually filters this all for you, so you don't notice the small current of superiority that runs through you and every other idiot with a Millennium Item, separating you from the true Mortals. You stopped being completely human after you linked to the Sennen Ring. Vice versa happened to me. Of course, I was always strong; I am still the strongest Bakura. You have such lovely powers and you don't know how to do anything with them."
"How do you know this?" Ryou asked, a bit uncertain.
"I got it off that stranger, Shaddi. It wasn't easy. Where did you think I was while you were messing around with that Ishtar?"
"Did he know why I couldn't eat?"
"He's not a god, Idiot, he doesn't know everything."
"Did he mean to say I was stronger than you?" Ryou asked, in awe.
The Spirit almost doubled over laughing. Ryou glared at him.
"In your dreams, boy!" the Yami sneered, "I outrank you in experience. I can still banish souls and everything you cannot. Teaching you to kill is nothing since you may never use it."
"You're confusing me," Ryou sighed.
"Good, lets keep it that way," the Spirit, "Lets carry on with this lesson."
Ryou nodded, not even trying to understand what his Dark had just said. He watched all the rats around him instead.
"Now, to kill is very easy. You hardly realize what your doing. All that has to be done is for you to pick a victim and mentally lead death to it."
Ryou blinked in confusion at the information, "Huh?"
"Pretend you are commanding death where to go. The quicker and more easily you call, the cleaner the kill. If you are terrified and/or nervous, the death will reflect this and look horrible and slow because you are so divided. Panicking is also not good, as death panics and makes a big mess. You want to be suave and cold hearted. Picture death a minion, a child at your control. It will do its job when told, but if you waver it is unsure."
Ryou looked at him in surprise, "So you're saying death is almost human?"
"No," the Fiend shrugged, "Personification of a force usually helps you understand it. In reality I have no idea what death is like because I have never met it or experienced it like you will someday.hopefully, unless this malfunction helps you somehow."
"I don't want to live forever, Yami," Ryou pined slightly.
"Do you think I want to die, fool?" the spirit snapped slightly. Ryou shook his head, watching the rodents in the alley.
"Lets continue now. All you have to try to do is picture you personification of death, the Grim Reaper, Ace of Spades, whatever, rushing to your victim to destroy it."
Ryou nodded at this, looking towards the gutter. Crawling next to the water was a large, greasy black rat with shiny eyes. Its tail dragged limply behind it as the creature waddled forward, obviously coming home after glutting itself over some feast. Its sides were grossly swollen with food and disease. The animal was disgusting. Ryou actually wanted it dead, he wanted to kill it.fast. He could see the darkness of death closing in quickly to rid humanity of such horrible creatures. They did not need to live, spreading illness and glorifying the gutters with their mess. Ryou hardly notice he was actually killing the rat. There was next to no effort. He just watched silently as the vermin stopped it progression. The slick, furry torso stopped moving in its' slow, content rhythm.
"Stop it!"
Ryou heard his Dark ordering him to cease.something. He was too focused on watching the rat, dead as a rock. It was so awkward and fascinating. A pain suddenly filled his brain from his knees. Ryou's legs went numb for a few seconds and he tipped over, colliding with the wall.
"Owe!" Ryou exclaimed as feeling rushed to his mind. He winched as the Fiend grabbed his shoulders and turned him around to look him in the face. The spirit appeared angry.
"I said kill ONE, you fool!" he hissed.
"Didn't I?" Ryou asked nervously.
"Yeah, plus one hundred and more. All the rats died. What were you trying to do, rid humanity of the pests?" the Spirit scowled.
"No," Ryou replied before he remembered how the thought had crossed his mind.
"I didn't tell you, it's usually best to picture the one thing you're trying to kill dead, not it's entire species. Understood?"
Ryou nodded slowly.
The two sat in silence for a few minutes in the now still alley. None of the furry bodies they could see shown any life.
"Well, this place is rat free, thanks to you," the spirit remarked, standing up, "Lets go find some mortals."
"I'm not hurting people!" Ryou gasped as the Fiend grabbed his arm again.
"I don't expect you to, child. I want you the read their minds."
Ryou looked up in surprise and blinked.
"You can read minds?"
"I'm joking," the Fiend corrected, "If I could do that, you'd be doomed."
Ryou stood and let the spirit drag him away from the dead rodents. He didn't want to be near when they started to rot away. The poor citizens and business nearby would suffer greatly. There would be reports and questions. Everyone would be confused.
"So then I said, no way, you're like a friggen faggot, Johnny."
Ryou stopped dead and turned back as fast as he could, dragging the annoyed Yami behind him. He recognized the voice around the corner.
"What is it, Child?" the Spirit growled at him.
"Is there any other way home, Yami?" Ryou asked nervously, eyeing the corner like doom was on the other side.
"Awe, are you shy?" the Fiend mocked, hearing the girls' voices.
"Like, Ryou, is that you?"
"Oh God." the boy muttered as the Spirit sneered. The whole group of people heard Adrienne's question and turned in the same direction. Ryou's heart rate sped up as he began to panic. The many footsteps started in his towards him. The Yami kept him from running with his hand on the child's arm.
"Do you know these people, Hikari?" the Spirit asked mockingly as Ryou was trying not to break out in a nervous sweat. He shook his head vigorously as the group got closer and the Fiend laughed at him.
"Oh, well I think you should introduce them. I would like to meet the people in your world."
"You can't be serious-" Ryou started, but was cut off by the other's approach.
"Ryou, it that like, you?" Selina asked, coming into view.
Ryou, unable to escape, nodded meekly. The Spirit smirked at him and tapped his shoulder, pointing to the others. The Fiend was asking for an introduction..
"Like, who is that, Ryou?" Adrienne asked, eyeing the Yami exquisitely.
""Oh, that's, uh, Bakura." he lied. The Spirit continued grinning superiorly.
"Who are you friends, little Hikari?" he asked, looking at the group.
"Like, allow me to so introduce myself!" Adrienne exclaimed, "I'm Adrienne."
"And I'm like, Selina," the other girl sang.
"Oh, hello then. Ryou hasn't told me just so much about you," the Fiend greeted, pleasant, yet insulting Ryou like he was five. The boy watched his feet. He didn't know what he was going to do about this. He stayed silent and listened.
To the boy's surprise, the Yami was a hit with the group (especially the girls). Ryou just leaned against the wall as the suddenly suave spirit talked and flattered. At that moment he hated the Fiend who was poking fun at him in conversation and acting so weirdly different. It wasn't right, the Daemon would snap. Not even Ryou could stand the group that long. But all that could be done was to wait till the Fiend started the faux pas trip. The Spirit was a good actor but Ryou could see right through it all. The Yami was doing this to annoy him.
It was working very well. Ryou listened disgusted to a group of girls laughing stupidly at something that was more of an insult to Selina than a joke. Ryou kept glaring at the wall before him. He was angry at the Spirit. How long were they going to be there?
*===*===*===*===* *===*===*===*===*
AN: I took a little creative license there. I don't know if Yami's can kill except in those punishment games. I just really wanted to do that to Ryou, Hehe..
NOTHING HAPPENS IN ROMANIA! My story ends in a few chapters, okay? I can't do anything in that short a time [no vampires]. I have just been reading about people in Romania and all the ancient cultures around there.
If you didn't know, this story was at first supposed to be about five chapters and some pretty interesting Yaoi (Ryou was supposed to be hunted down by the Spirit successfully). Hehe, which did not happen [damn, 16 chapters now?]. Also, all lemon/lime has been wished away by certain authorities and their monthly checks. My mother went through ALL my fics and deleted every one of the past chapters to Stigmatized I've already published.
The only thing my mom didn't delete was "Plans" [thank you merciful celestial beings] because she thought it was "cute" (she was obviously choosing to over look the gay characters). And my Otogi fic was also safe since there was not a single lover relationship.
Everything else: Gone.
So, I shortened this chapter and I rearrange a bit of everything, but the ending is still the same. Yay!
Answer to last weeks question:
Lucille is the name of B.B. King's guitar. The reason for this is that when King first started playing gigs in bars, he had only one guitar. This guitar was very important since it was how he made his living. One time at a bar, he had finished playing and left the guitar on stage to go somewhere else. While he was gone, two men got in a fight and knocked over the coal stove [B.B. King is OLD]. The place stared to burn down but King had to run back in to get his guitar. Afterwards he found out the fight had been started because the two men where fighting over a woman named Lucille. King named his guitar like so to remind himself never to be so stupid as to leave his instrument on stage. I doubt he has to really worry about that now though, but Gibson makes "Lucille" guitars in Memphis.
No question this update! Yay!