Dark Crimson Night: Travels
Author's note: Ok, thanks for your input ^_^ Now, on with the show!
Warnings: Yaoi, cussing, death, blood, mass destruction, lots of dark things and who knows what else at this point.
Pairings: Well… Bakura/Ryou, some subtle hints of Seto/Jou, and Ishtal/Malik… others are still to come. ^_~
Disclaimer: *glares*
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Soft shaking woke Ryou early the next morning. With an annoyed groan, the boy buried his face back into the thin blankets and curled into a ball, hoping his waker would just go away. A light chuckle registered in his sleep-fogged mind as the shaking persisted.
"Ryou, time to wake up," a familiar voice chirped. Ryou grimaced unconsciously. Damn morning people anyway.
"G'way Malik…" was his mumbled reply. The tanned boy snickered. Without warning, Ryou felt the thin blankets pulled away from his thin form and he curled tighter, trying to hold in some of the mind-melting warmth. Warm arms lifted him from the old mattress and through his sleepy mind Ryou idly registered the fact that he was being carried from the room.
Snuggling into his friend's chest, he allowed himself to drift to sleep again, only to be jolted out of his light doze when he was dropped unceremoniously on the tattered couch of Seto's sitting room. Ryou yelped and jolted awake, his eyes snapping open to glare at his 'friend'. Malik smirked back.
"I told you, you needed to wake up," the Egyptian reminded him smugly. Ryou's growled, his eyes twitching slightly. With his hair all mussed from sleep he looked for all the world like his irate darker half. A soft chuckle from the doorway caught his attention and he looked up to see Yami watching him intently, a cup of some steaming liquid, probably coffee, in his hand.
"What's so funny?" Ryou snapped, focusing his glare on the tri-color-haired spirit. Yami only grinned back.
"It's just that I've never seen you look so much like the tomb-robber," he replied. Ryou's scowl vanished and he blinked.
"Tomb-robber?" he asked curiously.
"He means me, remember?" said a gruff voice from behind Yami. Bakura was leaning comfortably against the doorframe, his eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face. "I was a tomb-robber before pharaoh porcupine here sealed me in the ring." Ryou giggled at that, while Yami rolled his eyes. Same damn tomb-robber… same damn insults.
"Malik woke me up," Ryou told them with a huff. Malik chuckled, flopping down next to him on the couch. The two spirits moved into the room, Yami settling himself on the opposite couch while Bakura sat himself on the arm of the sofa next to his hikari.
"Seto is bringing us to the main house today. Malik volunteered to get you up," Bakura explained to his hikari.
"Why didn't you do it?" Yami asked, his eyebrow raised. Bakura shrugged.
"I don't have a death wish?" was his reply. Malik snickered as Ryou growled… yes growled at his darker half. Bakura let out a dramatic sigh. "Plus, I thought Ryou would be more comfortable with someone he really knew waking him up. He's used to Malik… not me." Though Ryou missed it, Malik couldn't help but notice the barely hidden hint of bitterness in the thief's comment. As if to break the awkward silence, Seto entered the room with Jou close behind.
"Are we almost ready?" he asked. A set of nods answered him. Ryou frowned, his eyes darting about.
"Where's Ishtal?" he asked. Malik brushed aside his tattered 'cloak' to reveal the Sennen Rod. Seto nodded in response.
"We'll have to split up," he sated. "It'd be to obvious for all of us to move together.
"I can stay in the Ring," Bakura volunteered. Seto nodded.
"Then I'll lead Ryou and Malik first," the brunette told them. "Jou, can you lead Yami?" Jou nodded in response.
"I can do that," he replied.
"Alright then. Let's get going."
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Ryou and Malik followed Seto at a swift pace through the busty streets of the lower city. Eyeing the crowds nervously, the two younger boys kept their makeshift cloaks wrapped tightly around their heads, concealing their features from wandering eyes. Seto himself kept his head bare so that nothing would restrict his vision.
Ahead of them, a small gleam of grayed light marked the exit to the lower city. They blinked as they walked into the open, Malik wincing at the dull light. He sensed trouble. The streets in front of them were silent, to silent considering the bustle within the lower city. Ryou nudged closer to him as if sensing his agitation.
"Come on," Seto murmured, sapphire eyes darting about. "We need to keep moving." The small group picked up their pace, hurrying through the deserted streets. Inside their respective items, Bakura and Ishtal watched warily through their hikari's eyes.
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Yami and Jou had and easier time escaping the lower city. Most people ignored the two-cloaked men, bustling along on their busy way. The two moved quickly, Joy watching the front while Yami followed, guarding their backs.
"Do ya think Seto and the others are alright?" Jou asked the spirit as they moved along. Yami smirked slightly, his mind making quick note of Joey's main focus.
"Jou," he murmured mischievously, a devilish light in his eyes. "What exactly is your relationship with 'Seto' now?" Jou blushed brightly, stumbling on a small bit of rubble at his feet. His face was getting redder as he sputtered, searching for something to say. Yami couldn't help but grin, his crimson eyes twinkling with mirth at his friend's predicament. Yep… same old Jou.
"Would you believe me if I told you we're just friends?" the blonde eeped. Yami raised a skeptical eyebrow in response. Jou gulped. "Ok, ok… he's… we're… I mean…"
"He's your lover?" Yami answered for him. Jou nodded, dropping his shoulders with a loud sigh.
"I can't tell you how or why… it just kinda… happened." Yami nodded.
"I think they'll be fine," he said, finally answering the previous question. A sudden screech overhead made them both jump.
"We should hurry," Jou hissed, his voice becoming stern. Yami nodded grimly.
"Let's go."
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A pair of loud screeches above startled Malik, Ryou and Seto into diving for the nearest cover as two of the dark one's wraiths descended on them, claws extended. The spirit of the Ring reacted quickly, possessing Ryou's body and forming a shield of shadow magic to protect them while Malik hovered at his feet, Ishtal appearing at the boy's side.
"Hikari is unhurt?" the blonde spirit asked.
"I'm fine," Malik answered him, before glaring up at Bakura. "Where is Ryou?" he demanded. The thief's eyes narrowed. He winced slightly as one of the wraiths struck his shield with it's tainted claws.
"He's safe in his soul room," the raider answered. Malik nodded, slightly skeptical but understanding of the situation. Twin blasts of a strange bluish magic forced the pair of wraiths back as Seto dashed towards the thief's shield. The ache in Bakura's head was escalating slowly, giving a sharp pain as he allowed the tall brunette through the barrier.
Ishtal's own black-violet eyes narrowed as he watched the thief carefully. He stood, moving behind Bakura and steadily beginning to lend his power to the shield while the two wraiths circled them outside. Panic was beginning to filter through Bakura's mind. The ache in his head was becoming almost unbearable, almost enough to break his concentration.
"Let go, thief," Ishtal told him, taking more control of the shield. "You are distracted." Bakura winced, stubbornly continuing to feed his powers into the shield. The chaotic emotions were getting steadily stronger.
"What's wrong?" Malik asked the thief, worry evident in his eyes.
"I don't…" Bakura froze, memories from the past suddenly flashing before his eyes. Of course… why didn't he think before… Ryou! Without warning, he collapsed, Malik catching his, or actually Ryou's, body before it hit the ground, staring in shock. The thief himself materialized in his own soul room, walking deftly to the door and entering the twisting corridor that separated his room from his hikari's.
How could he have been so stupid! He should have known… Cursing under his breath, the tomb-raider paused before his hikari's door, glaring at the pale blue and silver surface.
"Yadounshi," he called, pressing his hand against the door. It opened a crack, much to his surprise; just enough to allow him inside and it closed the minute he entered. The chamber was unusually dark, even for Ryou's soul room, which always held shadows creeping about the corners. The normally pale blue walls could barely be seen in the darkness. It was bare of everything, save a small pile of old blankets in a corner.
It was there that Bakura found his hikari, curled up in a ball and shaking. A small, glowing silver light, the only light in the room, hovered about his head as if trying to comfort him. The thief knelt beside the boy, turning his shaking form and wrapping it in his long arms. Ryou shivering seemed to quiet, as he curled into his yami's embrace.
"I'm sorry," the boy murmured finally, chocolate eyes blinking open. Bakura looked down at his lighter half, an eyebrow raised. "You were only trying to protect me," the hikari explained. "I don't know what…" Bakura placed a finger to the boy's lips, quieting him. Ryou blinked, frowning sadly. "You must think I'm useless," he murmured.
"I don't think you're useless Ryou. I should have expected something like this to happen," the thief confessed, resting his chin on the boy's head. Ryou's expression grew more confused. "You were right, when you told me that I felt different than the feelings you remembered. On more than one occasion I took over your body by force. I didn't have a body of my own then." Ryou nodded, understanding but knowing there was more to his reaction…
"It's not that really, it's…" Before Ryou could finish, his soul room was jolted, sending them tumbling. Bakura peaked out through the eyes of Ryou's body, cursing at what he saw. The shield that Ishtal had taken over was crumbling fast, black web-like cracks forming in the surface. Seto seemed to have his hands full directing blasts of that strange ice-blue power at the remarkably quick wraiths.
"Go," the thief told Ryou. He would have to ask what his hikari had meant to say later. "I'll follow you." Ryou nodded, returning to consciousness. He found himself in Malik's arms, concerned violet eyes staring down at him.
"Are you alright?" Ryou nodded in answer as Bakura appeared at the hikari's sides.
"Damn don't these creatures ever quit?' he snarled, releasing a burst of shadow magic at one of the wraiths. It dodged, hitting the shield with it's own powers. Ishtal winced, his face pale and sweating.
"Can't… hold…" The cracks were growing, glowing white as they splintered across the shadows.
"Ishtal!" The shield shattered at Malik's frantic cry, sending the tanned yami flying backwards. Malik wrapped his arms around Ryou protectively as the wraiths edged closer. They knew their prey was weakening. Malik pointed the Sennen Rod at his unconscious yami, allowing the spirit to return to his item. Bakura and Seto settled in front of the two hikaris.
Malik's eyes darted about, searching for a possible escape. It was useless. They weren't getting out of here. There was nowhere around them to hide. Still, he couldn't break his promise to protect the younger hikari in his arms… not again…
"Don't you dare think I'm leaving you," Ryou hissed, catching on to Malik's thoughts from the darting of the boy's eyes and his frantic expression. The pale hikari's yami blinked, shocked at the determination in his, from what he remembered, passive hikari. Malik's face was blank.
"Ryou…" his voice held a warning tone. Ryou glared up at him.
"You never failed Malik, don't you dare think it, especially not now. There was nothing you could have done then," he told the blonde firmly. "You're my best friend, my brother in every sense of the word but blood. Don't you dare think I'd leave you behind, even if you made me."
A thin smile passed over Bakura's lips. His hikari, the one who had for so long been hiding beneath his mask of frail passivity, was finally returning. It was something he remembered only briefly. The hikari that had died long before Bakura came to him with the ring, the Ryou that had died with his mother and sister so very long ago. Despite all the pain of this dark world, Ryou's light shown brighter than even Bakura remembered.
"If you insist on staying, Yadounshi," the thief murmured, a smirk on his lips. "Then keep your head about you. Not that you could escape anyway." Ryou nodded to him, his eyes firm.
"Alright then!" Seto leapt at the nearest wraith, ducking its claws and shooting blasts of his blue magic at the creature. The second wraith screamed, going after Bakura, who ducked and rolled away, dodging the wraith and waiting for an opening. The true battle had now begun.
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Author's notes: Ah, another chapter done. Maybe next time they'll actually make it to the main safe house. ^_~ These things write themselves I swear!
Seto: *rolls his eyes* No, the muses write these things… don't deny your input.
*grins* Ah yes, Arien, Aria and Diedra have oh so much fun helping me think up what to do to you next *evil smirk*
Seto: *shudders* I fear to think…
Please review, I still need to know what you think on the Otogi/Isis or Otogi/Honda idea! ^_^ Thank you for the support thus far!