Change of Heart
Authoress: Aisling Kaiba
(Aisling): Yay! You actually like this???? *Is so happy I could cry*
(Ryou): Umm, love? Calm down.
(Seto): Oh great, now there's *really* going to be no living with her now.
(Aisling): Oh, you're so mean, big brother. Spoil all my fun! *Pouts*
(Malik): When do me and my Yami come into this?
(Aisling): Gomen nasai, Malik-kun. You two aren't in this one, but you can be in the sequel.
(Marik): How come the Pharaoh and his brat get to be in this?!
(Aisling): *Eep!* Marik, calm down, like I told Malik, you two can be in the next one.
(Marik): *Glares*
(Aisling): Okay, you're scaring me, which is why I'm backing slowly away from you. Anyway, I just want to clear up a bit of confusion on something here. When I said in the last chapter that Ryou had heard of Bakura before he got the Ring, I meant that he had heard of the tomb robber, and the legends of said tomb robber being imprisoned in a mystical item, but that's it. So, gomen nasai if I confused anyone. Anyway, on with the fic now!
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(Chapter Three: Nothing Left; Last Resort)
Ryou shook his head to banish the memories, and immediately wished that he hadn't. An intense wave of dizziness flooded over him from the pain and loss of blood, making him nauseous.
He finally managed to stand up, though, albeit just a bit shakily, using the wall behind him for support. He whimpered once as the pain flared in his back from where the glass had cut him. He steadied himself, trying to ignore the pain, and slowly made his way upstairs.
Ryou went into his bedroom first, taking off his Millenium Ring and putting it down on his desk as he did so. He took a pen and some paper from one of the drawers, as well as the small pocketknife that he kept hidden in the back of the drawer where Bakura wouldn't find it. He sat down on his bed and started to write a note to Bakura. Tears streamed down his pale cheeks as he realized just how far he had been pushed over the edge.
Bakura,
I can't take this pain anymore, so I'm going to end it all, right here, right now. It isn't the physical pain as much as the emotional pain that you've caused me that I can't handle. I can't deal with you hating me. I was afraid to tell you before, but I guess in a few minutes, it isn't going to matter anyway. I love you, Bakura. I love you with my very heart and soul. I have ever since you came to me from the Ring and I first saw you.
I know you could never return those feelings, though. It's not in your nature, and I've come to accept that. I was only in your way before, but I won't be a burden to you any longer. The Ring is yours now, do what you wish with it. I need to go now, before I lose my nerve to do this. Ha, you always did say I was weak, and maybe I am. But not now. No, this time I'm going to be strong. Just know that I forgive you, despite everything you've done to me. I always have, and I'll leave this world still loving you. Maybe we'll see each other again in another lifetime. Good-bye, Bakura. Tell everyone I'm sorry, and to forget about me. It's better that way.
Love always,
Ryou.
Ryou choked back a sob as he finished writing the note. He let the pen fall from his hand to the floor, and, with trembling hands, carefully folded the paper twice. He stood up then, the note in one hand and his knife in the other.
He walked over to the desk and put the note down next to the Ring. Then he took one last sad look around the room before he walked out and made his way down the hall to the bathroom, blocking off his link with Bakura.
Ryou turned on the bathroom light as he entered, shutting and locking the door securely behind him. He leaned against the door for a long moment, his eyes squeezed shut in despair as he tried to stop his tears from falling.
When he finally managed to regain a little bit of his composure, he opened his eyes and walked over to the mirror across the room. He cringed as his reflection stared back at him from the other side of the glass. His skin was far too pale, his cheeks were sunken and hollow, and covered in bruises, scars and dried blood. His chocolate brown eyes that were once so full of life were now haunted and empty.
Absently, he flicked the knife's blade out of its sheath, watching detatchedly (A/N: Is that even a word?) as the light reflected off the blade. He started to cry again, harder this time. He pulled back the sleeves of his bloodied shirt and touched the blade first to one wrist, then the other. He bit back a cry of pain as he pushed the knife deeper, splitting the pale flesh.
Ryou stared in morbid fascination at the blood that seeped out of the wounds, just a few droplets at first, but then it became a river of crimson that flowed down his arms and dripped onto the floor, staining the white tile red. He stumbled backwards in horror, letting the knife clatter to the floor with a hollow clanging noise.
Suddenly he became dizzy-headed from the blood loss, and collapsed to the floor. Part of him tried to hold on, but he could feel his life slowly drifting away on a river of crimson, the darkness of oblivion beckoning to him and offering him solace.
Just then, he heard someone pounding on the door, and a muffled voice coming from the other side. Idly, Ryou realized that it was Bakura, and he actually sounded worried. Ryou tried to make out what he was saying, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.
Ryou lifted his head weakly, looking up as Bakura finally got the door opened with one of his lockpicks and burst into the room. Bakura cursed viciously in ancient Egyptian when he saw Ryou's slashed wrists and the blood on the floor.
"Ryou!" Bakura shouted.
He hurried over to the fallen tenshi, kneeling down beside him. He pulled Ryou into his arms, his touch surprisingly gentle this time. He grabbed a couple of small towels and wrapped them around Ryou's wrists firmly, trying to stop the flow of blood.
"Kura," Ryou breathed softly, his eyes starting to close.
"Ryou! Ryou, come on, stay with me. Don't close your eyes," Bakura said, desperately trying to keep Ryou talking.
But it was too late. The boy was already unconscious. He was still breathing, but it was far too shallow and labored for Bakura's comfort. He stood up, carefully gathering Ryou up into his arms, and left the bathroom. He'd worry about the blood on the floor later, right now his main concern was the angel in his arms.
He made his way downstairs to the living room, laying Ryou's motionless form gently on the sofa. He checked to make sure the boy was still breathing, and was relieved to find that Ryou was still holding on.
"Just hold on a little longer, Aibou," he said, lightly touching Ryou's cheek for a moment.
Then he picked up the phone and dialed the number to the Kaiba mansion. He had to get Ryou to the hospital soon, but he couldn't drive, and it was too far to walk. He tapped his foot impatiently as the cursed thing rang, waiting for someone to answer. He didn't have to wait very long. Three rings later, a childish voice came through on the other end of the line.
"Moshi, moshi. Kaiba residence."
The mental image of Kaiba's little brother Mokuba trying to sound formal would have been almost comical if the situation hadn't been quite so serious.
"Mokuba, put your brother on. I need to talk to him immediately," Bakura said, doing his best impersonation of Ryou's soft British accent, and trying desperately to sound calm.
"Oh, hey, Ryou. Sure, just a second. I'll go get him for you," Mokuba said, putting down the phone reciever. "Seto! Phone call!"
Bakura sighed impatiently, only vaguely aware of a very brief conversation going on in the background. He glanced over at Ryou, making sure that he was still breathing, and was reassured by the sight of the younger one's chest rising and falling almost imperceptibly.
Suddenly Bakura was startled out of his reverie by a voice on the other end of the line asking him what was wrong. He didn't even bother disguising his voice this time.
"Ryou? Is everything all right? What's wrong?" Kaiba asked, his normally cold voice now filled with concern.
"Kaiba, this is Bakura. Look, don't hang up. I need you to get over here as soon as you can. Ryou just tried to commit suicide," he said, his voice trembling with the tears that he was obvoiusly trying to hold back, and failing miserably.
There was a moment of tense silence before Seto spoke again. "WHAT?! All right, I'll be right there. You'd better not have hurt him again, Tomb Robber," Seto replied.
"Never mind that, just get over here!" Bakura snapped, losing his patience.
Seto merely grunted softly, making it utterly clear that he was doing this for Ryou's sake, and his sake alone. Then they both hung up their respective ends of the phone line. Bakura turned back to Ryou, sitting down on the sofa and pulling the boy into his lap. He wrapped his arms around Ryou, holding him close against his body protectively. He buried his face in his Hikari's soft, snowy-white hair, and, for the first time in five thousand years, he cried.
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To Be Continued....Mwa ha ha ha ha!!! Evil cliffie!!!! Don't worry, this isn't the end. And no one's gonna die, like I said before, I couldn't do that to them. I almost cried myself when I was writing that last part. *Sniffles, then glomps both Ryou and Bakura apologetically* I'm sorry I took so long to update this, but I'm close to graduation and I've had to deal with all that stuff. *sigh* Anyway, I really hope it was worth the wait. Arigatou to anyone who reviewed, and I'm sorry I can't respond to you guys personally this time. But, I'll try to get the next part up in a few days if I can. R&R!!! And please, go easy? *Hides behind the two white-haired bishies* Well, ja ne, all!
*Aisling Kaiba*
Authoress: Aisling Kaiba
(Aisling): Yay! You actually like this???? *Is so happy I could cry*
(Ryou): Umm, love? Calm down.
(Seto): Oh great, now there's *really* going to be no living with her now.
(Aisling): Oh, you're so mean, big brother. Spoil all my fun! *Pouts*
(Malik): When do me and my Yami come into this?
(Aisling): Gomen nasai, Malik-kun. You two aren't in this one, but you can be in the sequel.
(Marik): How come the Pharaoh and his brat get to be in this?!
(Aisling): *Eep!* Marik, calm down, like I told Malik, you two can be in the next one.
(Marik): *Glares*
(Aisling): Okay, you're scaring me, which is why I'm backing slowly away from you. Anyway, I just want to clear up a bit of confusion on something here. When I said in the last chapter that Ryou had heard of Bakura before he got the Ring, I meant that he had heard of the tomb robber, and the legends of said tomb robber being imprisoned in a mystical item, but that's it. So, gomen nasai if I confused anyone. Anyway, on with the fic now!
***************************************************
(Chapter Three: Nothing Left; Last Resort)
Ryou shook his head to banish the memories, and immediately wished that he hadn't. An intense wave of dizziness flooded over him from the pain and loss of blood, making him nauseous.
He finally managed to stand up, though, albeit just a bit shakily, using the wall behind him for support. He whimpered once as the pain flared in his back from where the glass had cut him. He steadied himself, trying to ignore the pain, and slowly made his way upstairs.
Ryou went into his bedroom first, taking off his Millenium Ring and putting it down on his desk as he did so. He took a pen and some paper from one of the drawers, as well as the small pocketknife that he kept hidden in the back of the drawer where Bakura wouldn't find it. He sat down on his bed and started to write a note to Bakura. Tears streamed down his pale cheeks as he realized just how far he had been pushed over the edge.
Bakura,
I can't take this pain anymore, so I'm going to end it all, right here, right now. It isn't the physical pain as much as the emotional pain that you've caused me that I can't handle. I can't deal with you hating me. I was afraid to tell you before, but I guess in a few minutes, it isn't going to matter anyway. I love you, Bakura. I love you with my very heart and soul. I have ever since you came to me from the Ring and I first saw you.
I know you could never return those feelings, though. It's not in your nature, and I've come to accept that. I was only in your way before, but I won't be a burden to you any longer. The Ring is yours now, do what you wish with it. I need to go now, before I lose my nerve to do this. Ha, you always did say I was weak, and maybe I am. But not now. No, this time I'm going to be strong. Just know that I forgive you, despite everything you've done to me. I always have, and I'll leave this world still loving you. Maybe we'll see each other again in another lifetime. Good-bye, Bakura. Tell everyone I'm sorry, and to forget about me. It's better that way.
Love always,
Ryou.
Ryou choked back a sob as he finished writing the note. He let the pen fall from his hand to the floor, and, with trembling hands, carefully folded the paper twice. He stood up then, the note in one hand and his knife in the other.
He walked over to the desk and put the note down next to the Ring. Then he took one last sad look around the room before he walked out and made his way down the hall to the bathroom, blocking off his link with Bakura.
Ryou turned on the bathroom light as he entered, shutting and locking the door securely behind him. He leaned against the door for a long moment, his eyes squeezed shut in despair as he tried to stop his tears from falling.
When he finally managed to regain a little bit of his composure, he opened his eyes and walked over to the mirror across the room. He cringed as his reflection stared back at him from the other side of the glass. His skin was far too pale, his cheeks were sunken and hollow, and covered in bruises, scars and dried blood. His chocolate brown eyes that were once so full of life were now haunted and empty.
Absently, he flicked the knife's blade out of its sheath, watching detatchedly (A/N: Is that even a word?) as the light reflected off the blade. He started to cry again, harder this time. He pulled back the sleeves of his bloodied shirt and touched the blade first to one wrist, then the other. He bit back a cry of pain as he pushed the knife deeper, splitting the pale flesh.
Ryou stared in morbid fascination at the blood that seeped out of the wounds, just a few droplets at first, but then it became a river of crimson that flowed down his arms and dripped onto the floor, staining the white tile red. He stumbled backwards in horror, letting the knife clatter to the floor with a hollow clanging noise.
Suddenly he became dizzy-headed from the blood loss, and collapsed to the floor. Part of him tried to hold on, but he could feel his life slowly drifting away on a river of crimson, the darkness of oblivion beckoning to him and offering him solace.
Just then, he heard someone pounding on the door, and a muffled voice coming from the other side. Idly, Ryou realized that it was Bakura, and he actually sounded worried. Ryou tried to make out what he was saying, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.
Ryou lifted his head weakly, looking up as Bakura finally got the door opened with one of his lockpicks and burst into the room. Bakura cursed viciously in ancient Egyptian when he saw Ryou's slashed wrists and the blood on the floor.
"Ryou!" Bakura shouted.
He hurried over to the fallen tenshi, kneeling down beside him. He pulled Ryou into his arms, his touch surprisingly gentle this time. He grabbed a couple of small towels and wrapped them around Ryou's wrists firmly, trying to stop the flow of blood.
"Kura," Ryou breathed softly, his eyes starting to close.
"Ryou! Ryou, come on, stay with me. Don't close your eyes," Bakura said, desperately trying to keep Ryou talking.
But it was too late. The boy was already unconscious. He was still breathing, but it was far too shallow and labored for Bakura's comfort. He stood up, carefully gathering Ryou up into his arms, and left the bathroom. He'd worry about the blood on the floor later, right now his main concern was the angel in his arms.
He made his way downstairs to the living room, laying Ryou's motionless form gently on the sofa. He checked to make sure the boy was still breathing, and was relieved to find that Ryou was still holding on.
"Just hold on a little longer, Aibou," he said, lightly touching Ryou's cheek for a moment.
Then he picked up the phone and dialed the number to the Kaiba mansion. He had to get Ryou to the hospital soon, but he couldn't drive, and it was too far to walk. He tapped his foot impatiently as the cursed thing rang, waiting for someone to answer. He didn't have to wait very long. Three rings later, a childish voice came through on the other end of the line.
"Moshi, moshi. Kaiba residence."
The mental image of Kaiba's little brother Mokuba trying to sound formal would have been almost comical if the situation hadn't been quite so serious.
"Mokuba, put your brother on. I need to talk to him immediately," Bakura said, doing his best impersonation of Ryou's soft British accent, and trying desperately to sound calm.
"Oh, hey, Ryou. Sure, just a second. I'll go get him for you," Mokuba said, putting down the phone reciever. "Seto! Phone call!"
Bakura sighed impatiently, only vaguely aware of a very brief conversation going on in the background. He glanced over at Ryou, making sure that he was still breathing, and was reassured by the sight of the younger one's chest rising and falling almost imperceptibly.
Suddenly Bakura was startled out of his reverie by a voice on the other end of the line asking him what was wrong. He didn't even bother disguising his voice this time.
"Ryou? Is everything all right? What's wrong?" Kaiba asked, his normally cold voice now filled with concern.
"Kaiba, this is Bakura. Look, don't hang up. I need you to get over here as soon as you can. Ryou just tried to commit suicide," he said, his voice trembling with the tears that he was obvoiusly trying to hold back, and failing miserably.
There was a moment of tense silence before Seto spoke again. "WHAT?! All right, I'll be right there. You'd better not have hurt him again, Tomb Robber," Seto replied.
"Never mind that, just get over here!" Bakura snapped, losing his patience.
Seto merely grunted softly, making it utterly clear that he was doing this for Ryou's sake, and his sake alone. Then they both hung up their respective ends of the phone line. Bakura turned back to Ryou, sitting down on the sofa and pulling the boy into his lap. He wrapped his arms around Ryou, holding him close against his body protectively. He buried his face in his Hikari's soft, snowy-white hair, and, for the first time in five thousand years, he cried.
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To Be Continued....Mwa ha ha ha ha!!! Evil cliffie!!!! Don't worry, this isn't the end. And no one's gonna die, like I said before, I couldn't do that to them. I almost cried myself when I was writing that last part. *Sniffles, then glomps both Ryou and Bakura apologetically* I'm sorry I took so long to update this, but I'm close to graduation and I've had to deal with all that stuff. *sigh* Anyway, I really hope it was worth the wait. Arigatou to anyone who reviewed, and I'm sorry I can't respond to you guys personally this time. But, I'll try to get the next part up in a few days if I can. R&R!!! And please, go easy? *Hides behind the two white-haired bishies* Well, ja ne, all!
*Aisling Kaiba*