Disclaimer : I don't own YGO, so please don't sue.
A/N : Okay, yeah, so here goes another try with this writing thing. (
Seto/Jou fic, and other pairings.
It's kinda slow, so bear with me please!
Oh, yeah, and sorry about that whole, telekinesis, astral projection. in the long run, you know what I mean. right? . . High Tide 4 . .
"Raining harder?" Seto couldn't believe it. Ra was punishing them. There could be no other explanation. He hoped that the people stuck in the city would not die, but most of all, he hoped that his slave would not die.
Seto ignored Ryou while he moved to wake his sleeping beauty up. It would do him no good if Jou died because he slept through the largest and most terrible flood ever seen in Egypt.
"Jou. Get up."
"Is the flood over yet?" Jou asked, eyes still closed, "'cause I won't move until it's over." He fleetingly realized that less than two days ago, he would never have thought of refusing an order from a master. He couldn't believe how comfortable he felt around Seto.
"No, it just got worse," Seto replied, smiling at Jou's answer, and in a way so that Ryou wouldn't be able to see the unnatural happiness on his face.
"Fine, fine," Jou slowly moved to get up.
-------------------------
"Bakura?" Yami practically pleaded. Yugi was on his lap still a little sick, but able to move, which was beneficial since Yami was going to leave the city sooner than he had expected.
"I don't think we'll be able to save the people," Bakura said rather blandly. He didn't care about the other people. He cared about his Ryou, who was currently not by his side. "The thunder seems to be getting louder, and the lightning is getting too close to the basin and the water for people to actually be safe. They have to get out very soon, or else they'll die. And we have to leave, too." He emphasized the last part. He was not going to lose Ryou. Not now, not ever.
Just then, Ryou, Seto, and Jou entered the room. Ryou immediately went to Bakura, who put his arm around his love.
Jou heard him whisper, "What took you so long?" and saw Ryou shrug deeper into the hug that followed the question.
Seto spoke to Yami, "How are we going to help the people now?"
"Progress is slowing down, that we know for certain, but since most of the people have already evacuated the basin and are moving toward the hill city at a good rate, we may not have to worry," Yami stated, trying to ignore the fact that he was more anxious to get out of the city now that he knew Yugi could be moved.
Tea interjected, "Honda is doing the best he can, but he won't be able to hold on much longer, and then the people will be lost."
"Won't they just follow the people in front of them?" Jou asked. He was able to keep up with the conversation, it would seem clean clothes and a short nap was all he needed.
"That's what we're hoping for, but we still need light to help lead the way," Seto elaborated.
At this Yugi moaned. Yami tried to hush him back to sleep but he would not be swayed. He weakly manage to say, "We can summon our monsters to help out, I'm sure that we would have enough energy to keep them present long enough to evacuate."
At seeing his aibou so weak, Yami used his magic to force Yugi into a healing sleep. He added, "Yugi's right. It will weaken us to do so, but if we use our monsters, we will be able to evacuate them quicker and more efficiently."
Seto, remembering the collar on Jou's neck, turned to him in time to see his slave staring intently at him. He smirked to see the blush spread through his face at being caught.
"That collar?"
Jou absent-mindedly fingered it, "My dad put it on me, so that I wouldn't be able to use my monsters against him. I-I don't even know if I can call them anymore."
Seto reassured him, "These monsters do not just become disloyal to their master. They know their place and will forever be by your side. Just give me a moment." Seto wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for, maybe a clasp, a hint, or even an idea of how to take it off. It was a collar that he'd never seen before in his life, and he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to take it off.
Bakura saw what Seto was doing and said, "Don't even try."
"What?" Seto asked irked by the interruption.
Yami had already called forth his Dark Magician, Gaia the Fierce Knight, and Curse of Dragon to help the others. If three was the great pharaoh's limit, he knew that he had to start helping or else there would be no time left to save everyone. Of course, Yami did call three of his strongest monsters. Ryou called his favorite card Change of Heart, Lamp Spirit Ra Djinn, and White Magical Hat. Tea summoned a card that a passing princess had given her, Harpy Lady (A/N as if we don't know who she got that from, and I didn't include her because I didn't see anywhere to put her). Seto had half his mind on Jou and the other half trying to sustain his three Blue Eyes White Dragons as they flew outside trying to help with the others to safety. While Bakura was also busy trying to force the water any place but the basin and away from the road which the people were trying to leave.
"Don't even try to take off that collar," Bakura said again gritting his teeth as the rain came down harder.
Jou was standing patiently under the scrutiny of Seto even though he was anxious to be able to help, that was until Bakura interjected, then he just became nervous.
"Why?" Seto asked for the elaboration which Bakura wasn't giving.
"I once saw a collar like that a while ago before you ever caught me. I haven't seen one until today. It's one of the older versions of the collars used on slaves who can reach the Shadow Realm. Because of the great damage those slaves used to do upon their masters and slavers, they developed these as the first prototypes of cutting them off from their monsters. After a while, they stopped developing them," Bakura left them hanging once more. He was trying to finish, but he needed to concentrate on the flood, but he forced his attention to the Seto and Jou because he knew they had to know.
"They stopped developing it because whenever the slavers put them on the people from cities they had pillaged because slaves weren't always slaves, those people tried to take them off. They succeeded, somewhat, but because the power of the collar had left a certain imprint on their souls, those people were consumed by their own monsters and by the Shadow Realm. If anyone even attempted to try to take it off, even just a crack would do, they would die." Bakura finished his story and was able to fully concentrate on the flood.
Jou looked up at Seto, and Seto saw the heart ache and pain that he was feeling. "Jou."
"No," he interrupted, honey-brown eyes filling with tears, "help them, they need you more than I do right now." He said pointing outside where the others were congregated working their magic.
"If you tried to my own Red Eyes Black Dragon would kill me, and I don't think I would survive just the betrayal," Jou tried to reason.
Seto was a little taken aback that Jou even had such a powerful monster, but dismissed it, and shook his head, but Jou pushed him out and ran the other way, uncertain of where he was actually running to. He was about to follow when he heard one of his monsters roar. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, to never be able to call his monsters would be a fate he would never wish upon any of his enemies. He walked to the others.
Yami said, "The water has gotten too high, and Honda is almost out of energy, but we've got things under control so far. There are only a few more people left to save. The others down there took the hint and summoned their own monsters to help. No one had thought to use them for other than dueling."
Seto nodded distractedly. He saw his monsters flying to help those without their own monsters. Saw the city that he helped control almost be submerged with water. He threw his mind out of his body to feel if anyone was left behind or in danger, and feeling no one, he let his Blue Eyes White Dragons return to the Shadow Realm.
The others soon followed suit, and Honda was able to take a rest.
"We actually did it," Yami said relieved, "but now we must save ourselves."
Tea suddenly fell to the floor. Honda ran to her side and helped her up once the vision had passed.
"What is it?"
Tea looked out to the storm, "Everyone, inside now!" she screamed. No one questioned her, and a lightning bolt came from Ra himself and ripped through a large part of the palace. Luckily everyone was safe. almost.
"Ryou!" Bakura screamed. Ryou had covered Bakura in order to protect him from the flying rock debris that resulted from the blast, and by doing so, saved Bakura's life and took a fatal blow to the back of his head. Everyone looked on at the scene, shocked into stillness and hoping against hope that the red all over Bakura and the floor was just an illusion.
Bakura cradled Ryou's head on his lap, "Ryou, don't leave me. Don't. I love you too much, and I don't know what I'll do without you. Please don't go, I-I." He broke into tears and the sobs that racked his body were uncontrollable.
Ryou gingerly lifted up his arm and brushed the tears away from Bakura's cheek, "As long as you're okay." and the brown in his eyes slowly lost the vitality of life.
"Nooo," Bakura yelled as though his own life had come to an end, and for him it had. His life had been Ryou, and without him, he didn't know what he was going to do. Yami and the others tried to pry him and Ryou apart, but were met with hostility and a persistence so strong that no one expected to be able to tear them apart.
"You tried to save my life, but without you there's nothing left here worth living for," Bakura said as his final farewell, and turned to the Pharaoh, "Leave. I will stay and die with Ryou by my side. There is nothing you can do to change my mind."
Yami shook his head knowing that the Tomb Robber would be true to his word until the flood did kill him, but time was running out and the water level was higher than most of the buildings outside and was almost reaching the floor of the palace that they all were assembled. The third eye on his forehead started to glow and the Millennium Puzzle lifted from its place on Yami's chest.
"I'm sorry Bakura, but." Yami saw the hurt in Bakura's eyes and the hatred after he realized what Yami was about to do. Bakura was about to protest when his spirit became trapped in the Millennium Ring. The others shook their heads in sadness because although Yami had saved Bakura's life, he would not be happy once the Pharaoh set him free once more.
"Where's Seto?" Tea asked.
~~~~~~
When Seto saw Ryou die, he immediately thought about Jou and ran out of the room in search of his lost love. He himself did not come out unscathed from the blast, but he ignored the stabbing pain in his left leg and the dull but insistent throb that came from his head. He knew that whatever he had could both be fatal and fixed, but his main concern was to find Jou. He would have used his telepathy but the dull throb prevented him from concentrating long enough.
"Jou! Jou! We need to go now," Seto yelled, hoping the boy didn't go too far into the palace. It was like a maze and to find him without telepathy in time would be almost impossible.
"Seto!" He heard a soft yell coming down the hall on his right. "Seto, where are you?"
Seto ran towards the voice hoping that its owner would be unscathed considering the blast had destroyed a little less than half of the palace. As far as his luck was going, Jou wasn't going to be alright, and why would Ra let him down this time? Seto turned the corner and saw a hole in the wall the size of a Blue Eyes White Dragon and a pile of rubble in front of it.
"Seto!" The voice was underneath the rubble. Seto started to claw at the rocks and throw them from where he thought he heard the voice originate from. As long as he was breathing and not fatally wounded, Seto would forgive Ra for what he had done.
##### In limbo. (A/N: Right in the middle of a good scene.. Darn!)#####
Bakura held tightly onto Ryou. He had stopped crying not because he didn't feel like it anymore, but because he had no more tears to shed, and after Ryou had witnessed his own death back in Egypt, something had broke in him.
"Shhh," Bakura slowly rocked Ryou back and forth, "it's alright. It's okay. We're together now, and everything's going to be okay." Bakura didn't know what he was saying, he was just rambling on hoping to comfort Ryou.
The sobs became less and less, Bakura remembered what happened after he was imprisoned in the Millennium Ring only because of his deep connection with Ryou. He desperately didn't want to disappear like the Pharaoh did because he didn't know what happened after his entrapment. He didn't want to abandon Ryou and was eternally grateful for the connection between the two.
After a while, Ryou stopped crying and looked up at Bakura, "Why is this happening?"
Bakura considered his question because it had been one he'd been wondering the whole time he saw the events go by, and he had yet to come to a conclusion. "I don't know. I really wish I did so that I could make it go away, but I can't."
Ryou smiled faintly, "I'm glad it happened."
Bakura looked shocked at his aibou, "Why?" He was certain he didn't want to relive a past life in which he lost Ryou and everyone else seemed about to die as well. He was something like a friend to them all, at least he could tolerate them in that lifetime, and that morbid part of him had died a long time ago with witnessing Ryou's death.
"Because," Ryou sat up a little higher so that they were eye to eye, "it brought you back together with me." He coyly kissed Bakura softly on the lips, and the blood rushed to Bakura's cheeks at his forwardness, "The real you." Ryou kissed him again but with a little more pressure as his hand slowly slid down Bakura's abdomen.
Suddenly, Bakura couldn't have agreed more with Ryou at that statement. The blood rushed elsewhere in his body, and he was glad that this limbo only had room for the two of them.
##### End limbo. (A/N: no lemon for you today, there will be other stories!)#####
(A/N: I was considering whether I should finish the story in this chapter or in the next, and I wasn't going to, but since I'm here already!)
Yami said, "Don't worry about Seto, he will be able to take care of himself. He probably just went to find his slave." Yami was concerned for his High Priest, but he also had faith that Seto was strong enough to face whatever came his way. The others agreed and moved to leave.
Yami summoned Gaia the Fierce Knight and used a polymerization card to combine him and Curse of Dragon. The others were wary to ride alongside, but had no time to discuss or complain because the water level was already rising to their waists (A/N: it's a basin and the second level to even a palace isn't that high!, so yeah, it's to their waste right now). Honda and Tea climbed on while Yami passed the still sleep induced Yugi to Tea (A/N: I know he's been asleep the whole time, but hey, it's easier to write him in that way at least, right?) and climbed on himself.
The four flew out of the destroyed palace with a lingering glance hoping to see a Blue Eyes White Dragon fly out as well. The whole palace was going to be submerged sooner than they hoped and they had already lost two friends, Ryou and Bakura. They didn't want to lose any more.
"Are you sure we should leave him behind?" Tea yelled over the rain and thunder to Yami.
"We can't go back," Yami yelled back, sadness tinting his voice, "We can barely fly right now and if we go back, we won't be able to do anything for them anyways." He choked on his last statement. He had a bad feeling, "Did you see something, Tea?"
"No, but I just don't want to leave anyone behind," Tea said.
Honda replied, "The rain isn't letting up any bit. I hope they're okay."
"We all do," Yami said trying to think of a way to help his High Priest, but finding none, expect to pray to Ra.
~~~Meanwhile~~~~
It was getting harder and harder for Seto to move the rocks with the water coming higher and higher on him. He was beginning to lose hope when he saw a bit of blond hair and a shoulder.
"Jou! Hold on I'm almost there." Seto dug more frantically, and finally Jou was free. but not happy.
"Seto!" Jou yelled and held tightly onto him. He was crying.
"It's okay, Jou," Seto tried to calm him down, but to no avail, "We're going to be able to get out alive. I'll just summon my Blue Eyes."
"No," Jou interrupted, he half sobbed, "It's not going to be alright. I- I'm sorry, Seto."
"What are you talking about, Jou? We need to get out of here. No more of your nonse-" Seto stopped mid-sentence as he looked down from where he pulled Jou out of the rubble and saw gold shining back at him. Jou's collar!
He heard the roar, and before he knew what he was doing he dove into the water carrying Jou with him just in time to miss the Inferno Fire Blast meant to kill its owner. The giant beast crashed through the opening in the wall, and Seto didn't know what to do. Jou was practically catatonic in his arms with the Shadow Realm pulling at him. So he did the only thing he thought would help.
A/N: Okay one more chapter after this one, and I know it sucks to leave it like this but I can't help it, it's just too easy, and I need another one. It'll just give in to what happened in the end though. Too anticlimactic for my taste. :o) R/R!
A/N : Okay, yeah, so here goes another try with this writing thing. (
Seto/Jou fic, and other pairings.
It's kinda slow, so bear with me please!
Oh, yeah, and sorry about that whole, telekinesis, astral projection. in the long run, you know what I mean. right? . . High Tide 4 . .
"Raining harder?" Seto couldn't believe it. Ra was punishing them. There could be no other explanation. He hoped that the people stuck in the city would not die, but most of all, he hoped that his slave would not die.
Seto ignored Ryou while he moved to wake his sleeping beauty up. It would do him no good if Jou died because he slept through the largest and most terrible flood ever seen in Egypt.
"Jou. Get up."
"Is the flood over yet?" Jou asked, eyes still closed, "'cause I won't move until it's over." He fleetingly realized that less than two days ago, he would never have thought of refusing an order from a master. He couldn't believe how comfortable he felt around Seto.
"No, it just got worse," Seto replied, smiling at Jou's answer, and in a way so that Ryou wouldn't be able to see the unnatural happiness on his face.
"Fine, fine," Jou slowly moved to get up.
-------------------------
"Bakura?" Yami practically pleaded. Yugi was on his lap still a little sick, but able to move, which was beneficial since Yami was going to leave the city sooner than he had expected.
"I don't think we'll be able to save the people," Bakura said rather blandly. He didn't care about the other people. He cared about his Ryou, who was currently not by his side. "The thunder seems to be getting louder, and the lightning is getting too close to the basin and the water for people to actually be safe. They have to get out very soon, or else they'll die. And we have to leave, too." He emphasized the last part. He was not going to lose Ryou. Not now, not ever.
Just then, Ryou, Seto, and Jou entered the room. Ryou immediately went to Bakura, who put his arm around his love.
Jou heard him whisper, "What took you so long?" and saw Ryou shrug deeper into the hug that followed the question.
Seto spoke to Yami, "How are we going to help the people now?"
"Progress is slowing down, that we know for certain, but since most of the people have already evacuated the basin and are moving toward the hill city at a good rate, we may not have to worry," Yami stated, trying to ignore the fact that he was more anxious to get out of the city now that he knew Yugi could be moved.
Tea interjected, "Honda is doing the best he can, but he won't be able to hold on much longer, and then the people will be lost."
"Won't they just follow the people in front of them?" Jou asked. He was able to keep up with the conversation, it would seem clean clothes and a short nap was all he needed.
"That's what we're hoping for, but we still need light to help lead the way," Seto elaborated.
At this Yugi moaned. Yami tried to hush him back to sleep but he would not be swayed. He weakly manage to say, "We can summon our monsters to help out, I'm sure that we would have enough energy to keep them present long enough to evacuate."
At seeing his aibou so weak, Yami used his magic to force Yugi into a healing sleep. He added, "Yugi's right. It will weaken us to do so, but if we use our monsters, we will be able to evacuate them quicker and more efficiently."
Seto, remembering the collar on Jou's neck, turned to him in time to see his slave staring intently at him. He smirked to see the blush spread through his face at being caught.
"That collar?"
Jou absent-mindedly fingered it, "My dad put it on me, so that I wouldn't be able to use my monsters against him. I-I don't even know if I can call them anymore."
Seto reassured him, "These monsters do not just become disloyal to their master. They know their place and will forever be by your side. Just give me a moment." Seto wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for, maybe a clasp, a hint, or even an idea of how to take it off. It was a collar that he'd never seen before in his life, and he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to take it off.
Bakura saw what Seto was doing and said, "Don't even try."
"What?" Seto asked irked by the interruption.
Yami had already called forth his Dark Magician, Gaia the Fierce Knight, and Curse of Dragon to help the others. If three was the great pharaoh's limit, he knew that he had to start helping or else there would be no time left to save everyone. Of course, Yami did call three of his strongest monsters. Ryou called his favorite card Change of Heart, Lamp Spirit Ra Djinn, and White Magical Hat. Tea summoned a card that a passing princess had given her, Harpy Lady (A/N as if we don't know who she got that from, and I didn't include her because I didn't see anywhere to put her). Seto had half his mind on Jou and the other half trying to sustain his three Blue Eyes White Dragons as they flew outside trying to help with the others to safety. While Bakura was also busy trying to force the water any place but the basin and away from the road which the people were trying to leave.
"Don't even try to take off that collar," Bakura said again gritting his teeth as the rain came down harder.
Jou was standing patiently under the scrutiny of Seto even though he was anxious to be able to help, that was until Bakura interjected, then he just became nervous.
"Why?" Seto asked for the elaboration which Bakura wasn't giving.
"I once saw a collar like that a while ago before you ever caught me. I haven't seen one until today. It's one of the older versions of the collars used on slaves who can reach the Shadow Realm. Because of the great damage those slaves used to do upon their masters and slavers, they developed these as the first prototypes of cutting them off from their monsters. After a while, they stopped developing them," Bakura left them hanging once more. He was trying to finish, but he needed to concentrate on the flood, but he forced his attention to the Seto and Jou because he knew they had to know.
"They stopped developing it because whenever the slavers put them on the people from cities they had pillaged because slaves weren't always slaves, those people tried to take them off. They succeeded, somewhat, but because the power of the collar had left a certain imprint on their souls, those people were consumed by their own monsters and by the Shadow Realm. If anyone even attempted to try to take it off, even just a crack would do, they would die." Bakura finished his story and was able to fully concentrate on the flood.
Jou looked up at Seto, and Seto saw the heart ache and pain that he was feeling. "Jou."
"No," he interrupted, honey-brown eyes filling with tears, "help them, they need you more than I do right now." He said pointing outside where the others were congregated working their magic.
"If you tried to my own Red Eyes Black Dragon would kill me, and I don't think I would survive just the betrayal," Jou tried to reason.
Seto was a little taken aback that Jou even had such a powerful monster, but dismissed it, and shook his head, but Jou pushed him out and ran the other way, uncertain of where he was actually running to. He was about to follow when he heard one of his monsters roar. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, to never be able to call his monsters would be a fate he would never wish upon any of his enemies. He walked to the others.
Yami said, "The water has gotten too high, and Honda is almost out of energy, but we've got things under control so far. There are only a few more people left to save. The others down there took the hint and summoned their own monsters to help. No one had thought to use them for other than dueling."
Seto nodded distractedly. He saw his monsters flying to help those without their own monsters. Saw the city that he helped control almost be submerged with water. He threw his mind out of his body to feel if anyone was left behind or in danger, and feeling no one, he let his Blue Eyes White Dragons return to the Shadow Realm.
The others soon followed suit, and Honda was able to take a rest.
"We actually did it," Yami said relieved, "but now we must save ourselves."
Tea suddenly fell to the floor. Honda ran to her side and helped her up once the vision had passed.
"What is it?"
Tea looked out to the storm, "Everyone, inside now!" she screamed. No one questioned her, and a lightning bolt came from Ra himself and ripped through a large part of the palace. Luckily everyone was safe. almost.
"Ryou!" Bakura screamed. Ryou had covered Bakura in order to protect him from the flying rock debris that resulted from the blast, and by doing so, saved Bakura's life and took a fatal blow to the back of his head. Everyone looked on at the scene, shocked into stillness and hoping against hope that the red all over Bakura and the floor was just an illusion.
Bakura cradled Ryou's head on his lap, "Ryou, don't leave me. Don't. I love you too much, and I don't know what I'll do without you. Please don't go, I-I." He broke into tears and the sobs that racked his body were uncontrollable.
Ryou gingerly lifted up his arm and brushed the tears away from Bakura's cheek, "As long as you're okay." and the brown in his eyes slowly lost the vitality of life.
"Nooo," Bakura yelled as though his own life had come to an end, and for him it had. His life had been Ryou, and without him, he didn't know what he was going to do. Yami and the others tried to pry him and Ryou apart, but were met with hostility and a persistence so strong that no one expected to be able to tear them apart.
"You tried to save my life, but without you there's nothing left here worth living for," Bakura said as his final farewell, and turned to the Pharaoh, "Leave. I will stay and die with Ryou by my side. There is nothing you can do to change my mind."
Yami shook his head knowing that the Tomb Robber would be true to his word until the flood did kill him, but time was running out and the water level was higher than most of the buildings outside and was almost reaching the floor of the palace that they all were assembled. The third eye on his forehead started to glow and the Millennium Puzzle lifted from its place on Yami's chest.
"I'm sorry Bakura, but." Yami saw the hurt in Bakura's eyes and the hatred after he realized what Yami was about to do. Bakura was about to protest when his spirit became trapped in the Millennium Ring. The others shook their heads in sadness because although Yami had saved Bakura's life, he would not be happy once the Pharaoh set him free once more.
"Where's Seto?" Tea asked.
~~~~~~
When Seto saw Ryou die, he immediately thought about Jou and ran out of the room in search of his lost love. He himself did not come out unscathed from the blast, but he ignored the stabbing pain in his left leg and the dull but insistent throb that came from his head. He knew that whatever he had could both be fatal and fixed, but his main concern was to find Jou. He would have used his telepathy but the dull throb prevented him from concentrating long enough.
"Jou! Jou! We need to go now," Seto yelled, hoping the boy didn't go too far into the palace. It was like a maze and to find him without telepathy in time would be almost impossible.
"Seto!" He heard a soft yell coming down the hall on his right. "Seto, where are you?"
Seto ran towards the voice hoping that its owner would be unscathed considering the blast had destroyed a little less than half of the palace. As far as his luck was going, Jou wasn't going to be alright, and why would Ra let him down this time? Seto turned the corner and saw a hole in the wall the size of a Blue Eyes White Dragon and a pile of rubble in front of it.
"Seto!" The voice was underneath the rubble. Seto started to claw at the rocks and throw them from where he thought he heard the voice originate from. As long as he was breathing and not fatally wounded, Seto would forgive Ra for what he had done.
##### In limbo. (A/N: Right in the middle of a good scene.. Darn!)#####
Bakura held tightly onto Ryou. He had stopped crying not because he didn't feel like it anymore, but because he had no more tears to shed, and after Ryou had witnessed his own death back in Egypt, something had broke in him.
"Shhh," Bakura slowly rocked Ryou back and forth, "it's alright. It's okay. We're together now, and everything's going to be okay." Bakura didn't know what he was saying, he was just rambling on hoping to comfort Ryou.
The sobs became less and less, Bakura remembered what happened after he was imprisoned in the Millennium Ring only because of his deep connection with Ryou. He desperately didn't want to disappear like the Pharaoh did because he didn't know what happened after his entrapment. He didn't want to abandon Ryou and was eternally grateful for the connection between the two.
After a while, Ryou stopped crying and looked up at Bakura, "Why is this happening?"
Bakura considered his question because it had been one he'd been wondering the whole time he saw the events go by, and he had yet to come to a conclusion. "I don't know. I really wish I did so that I could make it go away, but I can't."
Ryou smiled faintly, "I'm glad it happened."
Bakura looked shocked at his aibou, "Why?" He was certain he didn't want to relive a past life in which he lost Ryou and everyone else seemed about to die as well. He was something like a friend to them all, at least he could tolerate them in that lifetime, and that morbid part of him had died a long time ago with witnessing Ryou's death.
"Because," Ryou sat up a little higher so that they were eye to eye, "it brought you back together with me." He coyly kissed Bakura softly on the lips, and the blood rushed to Bakura's cheeks at his forwardness, "The real you." Ryou kissed him again but with a little more pressure as his hand slowly slid down Bakura's abdomen.
Suddenly, Bakura couldn't have agreed more with Ryou at that statement. The blood rushed elsewhere in his body, and he was glad that this limbo only had room for the two of them.
##### End limbo. (A/N: no lemon for you today, there will be other stories!)#####
(A/N: I was considering whether I should finish the story in this chapter or in the next, and I wasn't going to, but since I'm here already!)
Yami said, "Don't worry about Seto, he will be able to take care of himself. He probably just went to find his slave." Yami was concerned for his High Priest, but he also had faith that Seto was strong enough to face whatever came his way. The others agreed and moved to leave.
Yami summoned Gaia the Fierce Knight and used a polymerization card to combine him and Curse of Dragon. The others were wary to ride alongside, but had no time to discuss or complain because the water level was already rising to their waists (A/N: it's a basin and the second level to even a palace isn't that high!, so yeah, it's to their waste right now). Honda and Tea climbed on while Yami passed the still sleep induced Yugi to Tea (A/N: I know he's been asleep the whole time, but hey, it's easier to write him in that way at least, right?) and climbed on himself.
The four flew out of the destroyed palace with a lingering glance hoping to see a Blue Eyes White Dragon fly out as well. The whole palace was going to be submerged sooner than they hoped and they had already lost two friends, Ryou and Bakura. They didn't want to lose any more.
"Are you sure we should leave him behind?" Tea yelled over the rain and thunder to Yami.
"We can't go back," Yami yelled back, sadness tinting his voice, "We can barely fly right now and if we go back, we won't be able to do anything for them anyways." He choked on his last statement. He had a bad feeling, "Did you see something, Tea?"
"No, but I just don't want to leave anyone behind," Tea said.
Honda replied, "The rain isn't letting up any bit. I hope they're okay."
"We all do," Yami said trying to think of a way to help his High Priest, but finding none, expect to pray to Ra.
~~~Meanwhile~~~~
It was getting harder and harder for Seto to move the rocks with the water coming higher and higher on him. He was beginning to lose hope when he saw a bit of blond hair and a shoulder.
"Jou! Hold on I'm almost there." Seto dug more frantically, and finally Jou was free. but not happy.
"Seto!" Jou yelled and held tightly onto him. He was crying.
"It's okay, Jou," Seto tried to calm him down, but to no avail, "We're going to be able to get out alive. I'll just summon my Blue Eyes."
"No," Jou interrupted, he half sobbed, "It's not going to be alright. I- I'm sorry, Seto."
"What are you talking about, Jou? We need to get out of here. No more of your nonse-" Seto stopped mid-sentence as he looked down from where he pulled Jou out of the rubble and saw gold shining back at him. Jou's collar!
He heard the roar, and before he knew what he was doing he dove into the water carrying Jou with him just in time to miss the Inferno Fire Blast meant to kill its owner. The giant beast crashed through the opening in the wall, and Seto didn't know what to do. Jou was practically catatonic in his arms with the Shadow Realm pulling at him. So he did the only thing he thought would help.
A/N: Okay one more chapter after this one, and I know it sucks to leave it like this but I can't help it, it's just too easy, and I need another one. It'll just give in to what happened in the end though. Too anticlimactic for my taste. :o) R/R!