I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Rhapsody Moonschild and Tat Claire Kokoro
|~* DISCLAIMER: Yu-Gi-Oh! is the property of Kazuki Takahashi. It does not belong to Rhapsody Moonschild and/or Tat Claire Kokoro.
We thank you for reading this fanfic.*~|
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT (by Rhapsody)
Yami's POV
A strong memory, a strong memory… We didn't have long enough to make very concrete memories, did we? I despair finding a good one.
To think I go to our usual meeting spot—underneath the tree where Ryou liked to read. Not 'liked,' 'likes…' I can't talk of him in the past tense like he's dead.
He is dead to my love…
My heart hurts and I sit down heavily. My mind sifts through all the times we had together—sweet, beautiful times, but not nearly enough.
"Pharaoh?"
Who disturbs me? I look up to see… Malik or Marik. Neither of them usually have anything to do with me. But if that is Marik, I owe him something.
"Marik?"
He nods, so I rise to my feet and approach slowly. He starts to say something, but I am not listening.
I punch him in the stomach and then in the eye. He falls back with a wordless gurgle of pain.
"What the HELL was that for?!" he gasps when he can breathe. He glares at me out of his good eye, his hand cupped over the other one.
"It was your idea, wasn't it?"
"What?"
I grab him by the buckle around his neck. "Making Ryou forget!" Roughly I push him back and he lands on his butt, staring up at me.
"It was a stupid idea!!!" he says hotly. "I want a TRUCE!"
I grab him and am about to take out the rest of my frustration on him when his words finally make sense to my angry mind.
"A truce?"
"I want Bakura back to myself!" he gasps around my choke hold. He grabs my hand and pulls me off, and I let him. I consider.
"What can you do?"
"Is it a deal or not?!" he asks, massaging his neck. His eye is swollen—that will be pretty in the morning.
An alliance with a psychopath? That is… well, crazy.
But I can NOT leave Ryou in the hands of Bakura for much longer. I have to something—maybe Marik could help.
"Okay, it's a deal."