R Amythest: SOOORRRRRRRRYY for not updating. I was busy on my new story
'The True Heart of the Dice' and 'The Heart with the Cards.' But here it
is! (I think it's longer than the others.)
(Rayo's POV)
My cloak hung loosely over my head. It was pitch black, and the star Malik showed me shone bright overhead. It was midnight, and it was the time I would meet Malik every night.
"Hi, again, Rayo," a soft voice said. Malik stepped out of the shadows. "Ready to go treasure hunting again?"
A 'treasure hunt' was what Malik called tomb robbing. The first time I followed him and did it, I didn't think it was wrong. That was, until Yami complained about the thieves.
I asked Malik about it before and he gave me a sad look and said, 'You can believe the pharaoh if you like, but I need to steal to survive. I'd starve if I didn't.' He picked up a few more parcels. 'Believe me, Rayo, I'd earn an innocent living if I were free.'
'Free?' I asked.
He picked up a few more priceless items, ignoring me. I wondered what catastrophe happened to him. . .
'I. . . I'm a slave,' he finally answered. Malik pulled the strap on bag. 'Just forget it Rayo. Nothing can change it.'
'Everything's changeable,' I replied, hoping I could help my friend.
He shook his head. 'Forget it. My dad would never release me.'
'You're a slave of your DAD?!'
'Well, technically, yes. My dad's an overseer,' Malik replied. He strapped the pouch to his waist. 'I don't know WHAT he'd do if he found out I did this.' He turned to me. 'You'd never tell, right?'
'Promise.'
"Malik, just call it by its actual name!" I laughed.
Malik grimaced. "It's better to call it by a code name. Too many sneaky guards around here."
I sighed. "Okay, then." I gazed back at the giant pyramid. I've always tried to veer Malik away from this one. It was Yami's dad's grave. But Malik never robbed a pyramid twice, and we robbed all the ones except this one.
"Ready to go?" he asked me.
"Always," I confirmed.
The tunnels were curving and twisting. It was probably one of the most complex we've met. From the look on his face, Malik thought so, too. Fortunately, I've seen plenty of the pyramid plans and I knew which were fake passages.
"You sure this is the way?" Malik asked, almost stepping on a spellbinding circle.
"WATCHIT!" I blurted, tackling him to the side.
Malik pushed me off, none too gently. "Shh! Quiet! They'll hear you."
"They'll execute you if you stepped into that spellbinding circle back there," I replied, pointing to the tile behind us. "See?" I grabbed a fallen brick and threw it onto the tile. A blue circle appeared.
Malik held me closer and gave my hand a light squeeze. "You're really learning the ropes quickly." He brushed himself off and we ventured deeper into the pyramid.
**MORNING**
"Rise and shine, Rayo!" I heard the overly cheerful voice of Yami call. I groaned slightly and pulled the covers over my head. Being awake for around five hours in the night sure adds to the difficulty of getting up. "C'mon, I need you to help. You DO like browsing in the marketplace, don't you?"
Actually, the truth was that I liked traveling the aisles with Malik, rather than Yami. I loved the thrill of being free, not watched over from head to toe every second, just like how Yami did when he was a child. But then again, I guess what happened after I met Malik kind of made him cautious. . .
"Rayo! What are you doing here?!" Yami shouted. Malik froze then ran into the underbrush, beckoning me to follow him. I hesitated, and Yami ran into the clearing. "Rayo, how in the world did you get here?" Yami demanded. "There are thieves and other criminals everywhere."
"I'm okay, Yami," I assured him, giving him the puppy dog eyes I was famous for. Yami sighed.
"Fine then, back to the palace, but next time, I'm watching over you. I don't want you to get lost."
But Malik was different. Although we had to put on cloaks and wigs, it was a lot more fun. There was thrill in being there myself. I mean, it's just so boring riding around on a horse while having a million guards on each side. I needed. . . freedom. And there was no way I could get it with Yami. "I'm tired," I told Yami. I couldn't say I didn't like the marketplace, but I didn't want to say I didn't like it, because I did like the marketplace when I browsed with Malik.
"Oh," Yami said, a bit disappointed. "I guess I'll just go without you, then." He turned to leave. I turned over and buried my head into my pillow.
"I know you're waiting by the door, Yami. Give it up. I'm tired," I muttered drowsily. I heard footsteps approach me.
(Yami's POV)
"I know you're waiting by the door, Yami. Give it up. I'm tired," Rayo mumbled. I sighed. He went to sleep at sunset yesterday. He shouldn't be this tired. . . it was already a long time after sunrise. I approached him. Maybe he was faking it. I started tickling him. He giggled slightly and turned over, looking at me with large brown eyes. I froze.
Instead of those bright, cheery eyes, they looked slightly dull. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, and they looked slightly narrower and clever. And his skin. . . Was so pale. . . And he looked so. . . frail. He noticed my staring.
". . .is everything all right?" he asked, slight worry showing in those russet eyes. I snapped out of it.
"Yeah, but you do look tired," I commented. He collapsed into the pillows.
"I wanna sleep. . . lemme alone please," he muttered in a pitiful voice.
I sighed. He did look drained. But still. . . "You can sleep on the horse. I don't trust the servants with all the traitors around these days."
Rayo wearily pushed the covers aside. "Okay. . . but I don't want to go for too long."
"Fine," I replied. I tossed him some robes from the dresser. "I'll wait." With that, I exited the room.
(Rayo's POV)
I fell back onto the pillow again. My head throbbed from the lack of sleep. I think I only got an hour. Wearily, I slipped on the robes. I yawned again. Looking into the mirror by my bed, I gasped at my reflection.
It didn't look much like. . . me anymore. My skin was several shades paler, and my eyes were clouded over. When was the last time I looked at my reflection? Not yesterday. And certainly not the day before. Thinking a bit further, I don't think I've looked in a mirror attentively since I met Malik. But I still don't think my skin's ever been so pale. But my eyes. . . I strained to see. They're. . . misty. What happened to my bright eyes? I sighed. I guess it just happened when I longed so hard to be free.
Hopping out of bed, and straining to open the door (stupid rusty hinges), I found Yami waiting for me. His eyes lit up at the sight of me fully dressed, but then his expression darkened again when I gripped the door for support.
"Rayo are you-" I heard no more of his phrase as I fell into a deep slumber.
****************
R Amythest: *sniffle* poor guy. . .
Chibi Yami Bakura: *cries softly* cin I hawve a bweak, pwease?! (translated: can I have a break, please?!)
R Amythest: okay.
CYB: *falls asleep instantly*
Ryou: I never knew my Yami was so sweet as a kid. *cradles CYB in arms*
R Amythest: watch it, Ryou. This is a CYB/YM story, not a CYB/Ryou story.
Ryou: *whines* why?!
R Amythest: 'cause I said so! REVIEW!
(Rayo's POV)
My cloak hung loosely over my head. It was pitch black, and the star Malik showed me shone bright overhead. It was midnight, and it was the time I would meet Malik every night.
"Hi, again, Rayo," a soft voice said. Malik stepped out of the shadows. "Ready to go treasure hunting again?"
A 'treasure hunt' was what Malik called tomb robbing. The first time I followed him and did it, I didn't think it was wrong. That was, until Yami complained about the thieves.
I asked Malik about it before and he gave me a sad look and said, 'You can believe the pharaoh if you like, but I need to steal to survive. I'd starve if I didn't.' He picked up a few more parcels. 'Believe me, Rayo, I'd earn an innocent living if I were free.'
'Free?' I asked.
He picked up a few more priceless items, ignoring me. I wondered what catastrophe happened to him. . .
'I. . . I'm a slave,' he finally answered. Malik pulled the strap on bag. 'Just forget it Rayo. Nothing can change it.'
'Everything's changeable,' I replied, hoping I could help my friend.
He shook his head. 'Forget it. My dad would never release me.'
'You're a slave of your DAD?!'
'Well, technically, yes. My dad's an overseer,' Malik replied. He strapped the pouch to his waist. 'I don't know WHAT he'd do if he found out I did this.' He turned to me. 'You'd never tell, right?'
'Promise.'
"Malik, just call it by its actual name!" I laughed.
Malik grimaced. "It's better to call it by a code name. Too many sneaky guards around here."
I sighed. "Okay, then." I gazed back at the giant pyramid. I've always tried to veer Malik away from this one. It was Yami's dad's grave. But Malik never robbed a pyramid twice, and we robbed all the ones except this one.
"Ready to go?" he asked me.
"Always," I confirmed.
The tunnels were curving and twisting. It was probably one of the most complex we've met. From the look on his face, Malik thought so, too. Fortunately, I've seen plenty of the pyramid plans and I knew which were fake passages.
"You sure this is the way?" Malik asked, almost stepping on a spellbinding circle.
"WATCHIT!" I blurted, tackling him to the side.
Malik pushed me off, none too gently. "Shh! Quiet! They'll hear you."
"They'll execute you if you stepped into that spellbinding circle back there," I replied, pointing to the tile behind us. "See?" I grabbed a fallen brick and threw it onto the tile. A blue circle appeared.
Malik held me closer and gave my hand a light squeeze. "You're really learning the ropes quickly." He brushed himself off and we ventured deeper into the pyramid.
**MORNING**
"Rise and shine, Rayo!" I heard the overly cheerful voice of Yami call. I groaned slightly and pulled the covers over my head. Being awake for around five hours in the night sure adds to the difficulty of getting up. "C'mon, I need you to help. You DO like browsing in the marketplace, don't you?"
Actually, the truth was that I liked traveling the aisles with Malik, rather than Yami. I loved the thrill of being free, not watched over from head to toe every second, just like how Yami did when he was a child. But then again, I guess what happened after I met Malik kind of made him cautious. . .
"Rayo! What are you doing here?!" Yami shouted. Malik froze then ran into the underbrush, beckoning me to follow him. I hesitated, and Yami ran into the clearing. "Rayo, how in the world did you get here?" Yami demanded. "There are thieves and other criminals everywhere."
"I'm okay, Yami," I assured him, giving him the puppy dog eyes I was famous for. Yami sighed.
"Fine then, back to the palace, but next time, I'm watching over you. I don't want you to get lost."
But Malik was different. Although we had to put on cloaks and wigs, it was a lot more fun. There was thrill in being there myself. I mean, it's just so boring riding around on a horse while having a million guards on each side. I needed. . . freedom. And there was no way I could get it with Yami. "I'm tired," I told Yami. I couldn't say I didn't like the marketplace, but I didn't want to say I didn't like it, because I did like the marketplace when I browsed with Malik.
"Oh," Yami said, a bit disappointed. "I guess I'll just go without you, then." He turned to leave. I turned over and buried my head into my pillow.
"I know you're waiting by the door, Yami. Give it up. I'm tired," I muttered drowsily. I heard footsteps approach me.
(Yami's POV)
"I know you're waiting by the door, Yami. Give it up. I'm tired," Rayo mumbled. I sighed. He went to sleep at sunset yesterday. He shouldn't be this tired. . . it was already a long time after sunrise. I approached him. Maybe he was faking it. I started tickling him. He giggled slightly and turned over, looking at me with large brown eyes. I froze.
Instead of those bright, cheery eyes, they looked slightly dull. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, and they looked slightly narrower and clever. And his skin. . . Was so pale. . . And he looked so. . . frail. He noticed my staring.
". . .is everything all right?" he asked, slight worry showing in those russet eyes. I snapped out of it.
"Yeah, but you do look tired," I commented. He collapsed into the pillows.
"I wanna sleep. . . lemme alone please," he muttered in a pitiful voice.
I sighed. He did look drained. But still. . . "You can sleep on the horse. I don't trust the servants with all the traitors around these days."
Rayo wearily pushed the covers aside. "Okay. . . but I don't want to go for too long."
"Fine," I replied. I tossed him some robes from the dresser. "I'll wait." With that, I exited the room.
(Rayo's POV)
I fell back onto the pillow again. My head throbbed from the lack of sleep. I think I only got an hour. Wearily, I slipped on the robes. I yawned again. Looking into the mirror by my bed, I gasped at my reflection.
It didn't look much like. . . me anymore. My skin was several shades paler, and my eyes were clouded over. When was the last time I looked at my reflection? Not yesterday. And certainly not the day before. Thinking a bit further, I don't think I've looked in a mirror attentively since I met Malik. But I still don't think my skin's ever been so pale. But my eyes. . . I strained to see. They're. . . misty. What happened to my bright eyes? I sighed. I guess it just happened when I longed so hard to be free.
Hopping out of bed, and straining to open the door (stupid rusty hinges), I found Yami waiting for me. His eyes lit up at the sight of me fully dressed, but then his expression darkened again when I gripped the door for support.
"Rayo are you-" I heard no more of his phrase as I fell into a deep slumber.
****************
R Amythest: *sniffle* poor guy. . .
Chibi Yami Bakura: *cries softly* cin I hawve a bweak, pwease?! (translated: can I have a break, please?!)
R Amythest: okay.
CYB: *falls asleep instantly*
Ryou: I never knew my Yami was so sweet as a kid. *cradles CYB in arms*
R Amythest: watch it, Ryou. This is a CYB/YM story, not a CYB/Ryou story.
Ryou: *whines* why?!
R Amythest: 'cause I said so! REVIEW!