Judgement
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, otherwise . . . you get the picture
Summary: Seto, Ryou and Ryuuji are TC's Elite and their job is to exterminate all Otherworldly beings from the real world. But real judgement is yet to come, what with the Chimera Brigade on the loose . . .
Warnings: Semi-Alternate Universe, OOC (on some parts, not all). In this chapter there will be angst (GO ANGST!) and an uncertain Ryou with a pathetic attempt at showing how much Seto and Ryuuji really care about our bishie.
Responses to Reviews/Author's Notes:
Maruken: two reviews from you! I feel special ^_^! You're welcome about the pairing; yes I created it especially for you! Oh hell yeah, Seto and Ryuuji have to work fast cos lil uke-chan isn't gonna be very safe with Marik and the other Ishtars . . . and I'm in love with Kurama-chan too ^_^!
Kaoru: of course you'll be pleased! I live to please my faithful readers/reviewers! Mostly reviewers, and you're one of them! Maruken's another and Picaro's another and Jargonelle's another and Elle-FaTe2x1 is another and Ril's another, alick's another, quintain (Queenie) is another and shrowded angel is another! But in this reply, you're most important! I live and love to please!
How come I can name all my reviewers without trouble and other people can't? T_T Please! Ask people to read and review? I'd really appreciate it! Could all the faithful followers of this fic please introduce it to people who they think will enjoy it? I'm expecting more reviews after this chapter * looks at people sternly *
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Chapter Nine: Illusions and Temptations
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TC Search General Subject/Keyword(s): Namu
Results found: 1
Ryuuji clicked on that search result. A window opened on the screen of his bike database (A/N: lol, so cool!). There was little information on him, but what information there was, was not good. Ryuuji read:
Namu, the mortal name adopted by one leeching demon, Marik Ishtar. One of the four kings of Chimera Brigade, a new Otherworld force pit against humanity.
Leeching demon, one of the four kings of Chimera. Ryuuji panicked. He knew it! Namu was not who Ryou thought he was and this put the albino in danger. Swinging a leg over his bike, Ryuuji sped down to join Seto, who was having trouble with reaching Ryou.
"Seto!" he called.
"Ryuuji, this isn't working," Seto shouted. "He can't seem to hear me."
"He's – one of – Chimera," Ryuuji panted, running up to him. They had left their bikes at the edge of the pier. "Four kings – leeching demon."
"Nani?" the CEO glanced at Ryou, whose expression had glazed over and he was slack in Marik's arms. "Then he's probably leeching Ryou's energy right now! We have to do something."
They watched Marik carefully as he clutched Ryou to him. The grip was possessive and his lips were curled in a smirk. He knew the two were furious with him for taking Ryou away. Ryou's eyes were glazed over and he was slack in his arms. His leeching had taken away any coherency in the boy's thoughts. Just to spite the two standing a little away from him, Marik brought Ryou's neck closer to him and began to treat it in an intimate fashion, kissing and sucking.
Ryuuji started forward in anger, but Seto kept him back. He himself was fuming. Oh, the demon was enjoying watching them squirm.
"Unhand him immediately, Marik," Seto ordered.
"And why would I do that?" Marik asked sweetly, running a hand lovingly through Ryou's long hair. "He chose to come to me and frankly I'm not complaining."
"You've bewitched him." Ryuuji was trembling with anger.
"I did no such thing," Marik replied lightly. He picked Ryou up, bridal style. "I – we – have to go now. So many things to do . . . and so little time, ne, ore no koneko-chan?"
Ryou mumbled inaudibly, leaning against Marik's chest as he was carried away. They disappeared into the nearest warehouse, number five. The two left behind didn't even bother hesitating before storming after them and into the darkness of the abandoned warehouse.
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Warehouse Five – Domino Pier
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It was cold and dark, a dingy place. A rat scuttled by Seto's foot as they walked through the surprisingly dark warehouse. This did not look anything like a normal warehouse. It was too much like a maze, a dark, warped maze. They were definitely in some sort of other dimension.
"Can you feel him nearby, Seto?" Ryuuji whispered.
"Faintly," Seto murmured back. "The darkness – it's clouding everything and Marik's leeching didn't help much either."
"What is it about Ryou's power that makes him a target for leeching demons?" Ryuuji's question hung in the silence. "I –I mean, first there was the spectre and now there's Chimera. Is there something about Ryou that we don't know?"
"Perhaps it's because he is an easy target." Seto could tell Ryuuji was about to protest, so he cut him off. "Maybe not physically and psychically, but emotionally and psychologically. You've seen how uncertain he is of himself. It makes him an easy target for those who can manipulate minds easily."
Seto had realised that, over the past few months. He noticed, perhaps more than most, what the albino hid from them. On the outside, yes, he was emotionally unaffected by most things. He could cope with the burden of another's emotions by suppressing his own. But when all was said and done, Ryou was the one left broken and distraught, fighting for security and safety.
He put up mental blocks, but they were shattered with the nightmares he had. Those nightmares would leak into Seto's mind, showing him horrific scenes that no one should have had to experience. Those were Ryou's fears, memories and worries, the burdens he had to bear and the pain he went through. He may be one of TC's best, but he was still a child, trying to find where he belonged.
"Kami-sama, he has to be all right," Ryuuji muttered.
"He will be," Seto said firmly. "I know he will."
And I'm going to make sure of it.
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River of Lost Memories
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Marik chuckled in amusement. He had opened a portal to the Otherworld while entering the warehouse. So now the two TC agents were mindlessly wandering in the Otherworld, looking for Ryou, who was safely with him. They wouldn't be able to trace them down for quite a while. Even if they did, they would not survive the temptations of this garden.
He reached River of Lost Memories. Here, he laid a semi-conscious Ryou by the river. A young woman rose out of the water to greet him. She had long, dark hair, braided with a net of pearls and wore a flowing, black dress. Marik nodded to her casually.
"Lethe," he said.
"Welcome back, Marik. You have brought a visitor."
"His name is Ryou – Bakura Ryou," Marik said. "I want you to erase all his memories of everything except me. Everything."
Lethe nodded, gliding over to where Ryou was stirring. His eyes shot open when her cool hands touched the side of his face. Immediately he sat up, looking around him. Marik took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
"What's going on, Namu?"
"Sh, daijoubu Ryou. Lethe is going to help you," Marik murmured soothingly. "She will give you a drink of her healing water and you will feel better."
"Healing water . . .?"
The woman frowned. Ryou instantly knew something was wrong from her reaction. When Marik offered him the cup, he pushed it away, refusing to drink. There was nothing wrong with him. Why did he need to drink healing water?
"Ryou, onegai, drink this," Marik said, on the verge of pleading. "You want to stay with me, don't you? If you drink the water from this river, you can. Your body is not suited to this plane of existence."
"No! I won't!" Ryou yelled suddenly, scrambling to get away. "You're not Namu! He doesn't exist, does he? There is no Namu. You don't have to lie to me any more. I could tell you were a demon, but you made me so happy, I couldn't just get rid of you. For a while, I'd actually thought I had fallen for you. But if you're asking me to give up everything for you, I won't."
"Ryou, koi, what are you talking about?"
"I heard, Marik," Ryou said bitterly. "I'm just a use-it-and-lose-it toy."
"No, you're not. I want you to stay with me forever, so I took these measures to bring you here. No one will be able to separate us anymore."
"You have my permission to enter the river, should you choose it," Lethe intervened. "I must return. Mnemosyne is waiting."
She disappeared under the waves. Ryou continued trying to get away from Marik, who grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him down. The albino landed on the grass with a thud and Marik forced himself on top of him, pinning him down. He looked dangerous,
"Ryou, you will listen. Join me. We will live an immortal life together. Just you and me. No one will interfere with our lives again. I don't know who gave you the idea that I was lying to you, but I'm not. I never have."
"I heard that woman calling you Marik," Ryou mumbled. "And your behaviour was just too suspicious. If you really cared, you wouldn't make me forget everything."
Marik cupped his face with both hands, forcing him to meet his eyes. He was surprised at how conscious Ryou's mind was, even after he had leeched his power. There was something extraordinary about him and that made Marik want him to stay even more.
He leaned forward and kissed him gently. Ryou was reminded of the first time that they had kissed, in that same alleyway they had met. The touch was the same, gentle, almost as if he were the most fragile thing in the world. It made him feel needed, wanted and loved, even if the feeling only lasted when they touched. Marik moved from his lips down his jaw.
"I need you . . ." he murmured against his neck.
"Marik . . ."
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Garden of Lost Memories
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It seemed that the place they were walking in did have an end. In fact, the end came so suddenly; neither was expecting it at all. The darkness just fell away from around them and was replaced by a blinding light. They were thrown backwards with the force of it all, only to hit their backs onto . . .
"A tree?" Ryuuji's surprised tone cut through the air. "Where are we?"
"A garden."
"I can tell, Seto."
The brunette stood up, brushing himself off. He then turned around to face the tree they had crashed into. It was an ancient oak, with a huge trunk and widespread branches. In fact, the whole place around them seemed untouched and old, very old. Even the flowers and smaller plants there seemed to give off a wise, serene feeling.
"It's not a normal garden," he murmured. "I'll bet we're in the Otherworld."
"So Marik took us to the Otherworld. Great," Ryuuji muttered. "How are we supposed to find Ryou? Maybe we should split up. I mean, it's not like we can't take care of ourselves. Come on, I'll go towards the hills."
Before Seto could say anything else, Ryuuji set off. With a shrug, the CEO decided that he was right and went in the opposite direction, towards the river. This garden was immense and it was difficult not to stray off course while walking through the beds of flowers. More than once, he had almost forgotten why he was there in the first place and was tempted just to relax and do nothing.
Where are you going? A voice asked
"Nani? Dare ka?"
Down here.
Seto looked down and there was a single rose in a bed of carnations. He looked closer and discovered that the rose had what resembled a little fairy residing within the bud. It was a minuscule creature, with delicate, silvery wings and skin a light pinkish tinge. It flittered up to his eye level, smiling.
I'm a rose sprite, it explained.
"So you live here?"
Yes. I haven't seen you before. What's your name?
"Ore wa . . ."
He stopped, frowning. Somehow, he just couldn't say his own name. It was like his mind had been wiped blank and his name was just a mass of indistinguishable words and sounds. He tried again, but failed, unable to utter the name that was known so well in the world.
"I don't remember," he breathed. "I don't remember my name."
Then don't think about it. Why are you here, in my garden?
Again, he frowned. No, he didn't remember that too.
Are you looking for someone?
"Hai, I'm looking for – for . . ."
The name slipped his mind. He tried to picture the person's face, but it just remained shadowed, unable to form a clear picture. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't remember who he was looking for. Wait, he had come with someone, hadn't he? So if he pictured that person's face, he would remember.
The rose sprite smiled sweetly at him and his attempts at remembering his companion failed utterly. His mind swam like it was submerged in rapidly running water, his memories and thoughts washing away from him.
If you don't remember, it must not be important. Come, relax here and have a long rest. You must be tired, coming all the way here.
He looked around to the river, where he swore he could see the faint image of a woman with long, dark hair looking back at him. Suddenly he felt very, very tired. His eyes began to grow heavy and he fought to stay awake. What was happening to him?
Sleep. You'll feel better just being asleep.
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Hillside
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Ryuuji looked over the edge of the hill he had been climbing and gasp. Standing in the valley below, tall and proud, was the Kaiba Mansion. It looked as if it belonged there, instead of back in Domino City. He approached it with caution, edging down the hill carefully. Until, of course, he saw who was inside the gates.
Sitting on the edge of the large, ornamental fountain was a certain person from his memory. He wore an oversized white shirt over torn jeans and had a mop of sandy brown hair and green eyes. Ryuuji's breath hitched in his throat.
"Ya, Ryuuji-kun."
"S-Satoshi-kun!"
Kobayashi Satoshi raised a hand in greeting, smiling cheekily at him. The game creator walked towards the fountain slowly, unable to believe his eyes. He was overwhelmed to see his old friend, but he was also suspicious. Satoshi was dead. He had seen Malik destroy him with his own eyes.
"Why are you here, Satoshi-kun?" he asked. "I saw Malik destroy you back at the mansion. And why is the Kaiba Mansion here?"
"Are you feeling all right, Ryuuji-kun?" Satoshi asked with a laugh. "We are at the Kaiba Mansion. I haven't been destroyed at all. You must have been dreaming things up again. Look, I'm very much real."
He lifted a hand to Ryuuji, who took it hesitantly. Satoshi was right. He touched real flesh, warm and solid under his hands. But how could he be real? Satoshi had been dead for years. As if sensing his doubts, Satoshi smiled softly and very much unlike the real Satoshi.
"Sou, boku wa Satoshi janai," he said, voice changing to a higher pitch.
His hair lengthened and lost its sandy colour, eyes darkening to a soft, mysterious brown. His skin paled to a moonlike complexion and the scars faded. His shirt and torn jeans turned into a cream coloured sweater and dark blue jeans. When the change was complete, Ryuuji was staring at Bakura Ryou.
"Is this better?" he asked softly. "Ryuuji?"
"Ryou? We've been looking all over for you, how did you do that?"
"I learned it from the inhabitants here," Ryou explained. "It's good to be able to shape change in this place. I – I escaped from Marik and came here."
He took Ryuuji's hand gently and led him to the fountain edge, seating the game creator down onto the marble. When he started to pull his hand away, Ryuuji clung on tightly, looking up at him with a strange emotion in his eyes.
"Ryuuji . . .?"
"Ryou, I – I . . ." Ryuuji pulled him down. "I. . ."
Ryou smiled and rested a hand on his cheek, brushing the bangs out of his eyes with the back of his other hand. By now he was sitting in Ryuuji's lap, with the taller teen's arm around his waist. Leaning forward slightly, he brushed his lips against Ryuuji's gently.
"Ryuuji wa totemo daisuki desu," he whispered, pulling away.
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End Chapter Nine
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Author's Notes:
Ryuuji wa totemo daisuki desu – I really like (love) Ryuuji
Sou, boku wa Satoshi janai – Yes, I'm not Satoshi
Nani – what?
Dare ka – who is it?
Ore wa – I am. Ore is the masculine form of 'I'. Males say either 'boku' or 'ore'. The former is more feminine and Ryou, Ryuuji, Malik and Yugi use it. Seto and the other guys use 'ore' while Anzu uses 'watashi', the feminine form.
Daijoubu – it's all right
Koi – love, lover, sweetheart. It's short for 'koibito'
Lethe – this is a character I found in the Sailor Stars manga. She is the guardian of the River of Lost Memories, which, when someone is submerged into it or has drunk its water, will lose all their memories. Her counterfeit is Mnemosyne, who is the guardian of the River of Memories.
River/Garden of Lost Memories – I'm not sure if this is recorded in any mythology or legends, but it's basically (in this story) the first part of the actual 'Otherworld' you have to pass. I saw this in Sailor Stars too, when Usagi was trying to rescue Mamoru and ended up losing her memories in the garden talking to flowers and Makoto saved her.
The place Ryuuji stumbled over is basically another part to the Garden. More will be explained in later chapters.
Anyway, so that's their predicament at the moment.
REVIEW!
Relinquished