Right, I haven't updated this in… forever so I wrote this chapter pretty much entirely in one sitting (about two minutes before posting actually) to make up for it. There are many mistakes as I have not proof-read this so excuse them for now as I will repost it as soon as possible. A heck of a lot darker in this chapter and humour is taking a back seat here. I have an idea of where I'm taking this so don't worry that I'm abandoning this; I'm not and I won't. Collage is just being an arse and making it difficult to write.
Warning: This chapter is very violent. Not as bad as it could have been but still intense. Details? Well, I reassure you that Bakura is still as lethal as always.
Release
I have no idea how long I've been sat here now, staring blankly into space, because my mind drifted out of my skull at some point and this is the first time I've blinked in a while so it's only just come back. It's darker now, the sun sitting a little way above the trees and the air is still heavy.
Knees stiff, I stand slowly and do a retake on my surroundings before dropping neatly from my bit of the house and landing on the grass. It still hurts where the bond has been blocked off, thoughts and feelings that I have been used to sending surging against the barrier and burning me from the inside out. I need to find Yami. The anger is almost gone now; only the hatred I have for myself remaining.
I don't know what makes me head off in that direction but I start a quick jog towards the park. The trees are whipping past me but I'm blind to them right now. I can make out bright light and deep shadow; the rest of my world has blurred into grey.
I'm incapable of thought at the moment, my eyes staring off ahead of me blankly as I run, my mind scrambling in an attempt to come up with something that could mean *anything* to Yami right now. Ra, he looked terrible this morning but after hearing *that*, it was as if I'd destroyed him.
Ryou starts scratching at my Soul Room and it takes me a while to acknowledge the niggling before I erect a barrier against it. I can't have any distractions now. There's too much at stake for me to bollocks this up. Damnit! Why did I have to say that? How in the hell did that sentence even get formed in my head? It's-I don't know anymore.
I didn't mean it. I could never mean that. I have no idea how it happened but Yami means more to me than I could ever have imagined. Hmm. A good place to start when I finally find him, I think. I hope he's all right. That hole in the Shadow Realm looked anything but reassuring and with the strength required to mentally clamp down on a bond as strong as ours… I don't want to think of what could happen to him if I don't find him soon.
Running now, I take the winding path through the woods of the park that leads towards the lake, a place where Yami and I used to… He might be there. He'd better bloody be for my sake.
I slow down and start tracing the outlines of the trees around me, my eyes taking in every detail even if my mind wants nothing more than to sink into a numb and detached state. The mind of a hunter; sharp, calculating. Yami's weak at the moment and I can pick up on that. That's why I was so prosperous in the past.
But something else is stalking him tonight. I can feel it. I niggling feeling in my stomach that makes my muscles tighten and my vision sharp.
I move around a large trunk, my boots cracking and breaking the dry leaves and making me twitch slightly at the sound, and the path ahead of me comes into view. My heart constricts when I spot him, silhouetted against the streetlights ahead, his head low and his steps slow and methodical.
By Ra I can practically see the waves of pain and exhaustion pulsating around him. Damnit why did I have to say that?! I feel so guilty now that it physically hurts, but that isn't my immediate concern. My *immediate* concern is the gutsy son-of-a-bitch who's *following* Yami who is too depressed to notice. Another hunter. I'm better though. The fact that I'm still alive after the shit that I've done proves it. But that bastard is going after what is *mine* and I intend to make him regret it.
I'm not thinking about Yami as I start to run at him, my strides long and my footsteps silent. Reaching my arm up, I snatch my hand around and over the guy's mouth, turning my momentum to drag both him and myself into the trees at the side of the path. This piece of filth stalked in the darkness so in the darkness death shall stalk him.
I thought that that anger was gone, but apparently it was just on hold, willed away temporarily whilst I searched for Yami and exploding now in a flurry of fists. The sod doesn't have a chance as I rain blows on his face relentlessly, oddly unsatisfied with the hard, packing sounds of flesh hitting flesh. A snarl pulls at my mouth and my eyes are slits but still I continue.
It's an outlet and for once it's productive. This bastard *dared* to even *consider* hurting *my* Yami. He deserves everything that I give him.
Swelling now, the flesh under my fists softening, a balance being established between the softness of my target and the stinging in my knuckles. It's odd how the universe works. I've got his throat in one hand and I backhand him hard with a clenched fist, snapping his head violently in the opposite direction to which I had formerly been sending it. Blood spatters his bottom lip and I'm tempted to rip the dark flesh away to reveal more of that precious fluid.
His eyes roll and his meek struggles cease entirely but I am nowhere near done. I'm not even running out of steam. He has to pay. He *will* pay. I saw the stalk in his step and the way he was staring at my love, the twitching in his fingers as he imagined getting his hands on that lithe body. Never again though. I promised Yami never again and I keep my promises to him. I'll *make sure* that this animal can never harm him. Make him incapable of movement at all to be sure.
I've been in many fights and I know exactly what each blow I deliver in varying strength does to the body. The kick I send into him now obliterates his right kidney, the second his liver and now he's bleeding internally. Still not satisfied though. He needs more. More punishment. My vision is hazy and my thought processes are becoming unstable to say the least. Funny how you can make these little judgements about yourself when you're beating a human into a new shape.
I drop the body to the ground and send the heel of my boot into the chest, my mouth twitching when I hear about three bones part beneath my will. Another few impacts and I've demolished his entire rib cage. I'm running out of steam now. My hands are bloody and sweat is making my hair cling uncomfortably. Jacket is chafing and... Fuck. Yami's still out there.
There's still a sliver of life left in it though and that's a sliver too much in my mind. Returning my hand to his throat, I squeeze hard, curling my fingers with precision that I have learned only through time and experience. Jerking my hand back, I feel the flesh in my palm come away with me and step back knowingly to avoid getting dirtied. Giving the piece that I have taken an idle glance, I discard it before clenching my fists at my sides and tilting my head back.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Calm.. It's done. No more worries here. Yami needs attention now. This… thing can't harm him now.
Leaving it in a heap at the bases of the trees, I turn on my heel and my heart nearly explodes when I practically step on Yami. He's close enough to me to be under my boots and his eyes are dark. Looking behind me, he glances the remains over before his eyes meet mine again and he sighs softly, his eyes closing tightly.
I don't know what to say to him. I'm afraid of what he thinks of me at the moment. It is in my nature to protect what is mine in a homicidally aggressive manner and he definitely needed protecting right then. But after what he heard and what he just saw…
"I didn't mean it Yami," I state softly, watching his pale features intently and kneading the tips of my fingers into my palms. The skin there is sticky, clingy and the surface is quickly drying to become a confining second skin. I want to wash. Cleanse my body and my spirit. Fuck naff-poetry. It applies.
"Then why did you say it?" he whispers back. By Ra I wish the bond were open. He can't seriously believe what I said. I didn't say that exact sentence any louder than the rest of my rant so, in context, it's meaning was entirely different.
But Yami's been screwed over in the past, the residual feelings still there even if the memories aren't. He's insecure. Damn it I'm too cold-hearted to deal with this. I can't be sensitive like he needs me to be right now. I'll just take this as it comes. Let fate sort out the rest.
"I was making a point to Ryou. I… I was angry. I was angry just now," I bite out, my shoulders tightening as the memory returns vivid and bright. I was ready to kill it the second I sensed it.
Yami finally opens his eyes but they're dull and lifeless. I don't know what's wrong with him but right now he looks like he's dying. Another glance over my shoulder as his body remains still but his eyes twitch, his face impassive and muscles lax.
"He was going to hurt me." An acknowledgement. Not a question. He's not an idiot. He's not vein by any means but he's still aware of his appearance. He's different and that is a dangerous thing in this world. It was back in Egypt. I suffered more than once because of my unique hair. He suffers because of his eyes.
I do no more than nod to confirm that and he nods back to acknowledge my response. "Thank you."
"I would never let anyone hurt you," I reply with steel in my tone. *I* may have hurt him, something that I am going to damn-well fix in a minute, but no-one is ever going to lay a threatening finger on him ever. I'll make sure that they don't even get close.
"I know."
There's a long silence as we both avoid each others gaze, my mind scrambling through everything that I could say to him right now and that mordant little voice at the back of my head whispering everything negative thing that Yami could say in response to my heart-felt pleas. My pride is meaningless right now. This is too important. *He's* too important to me.
"I'm sorry that I did this to you."
There. I did it. That ranked up high on my 'best places to start' list that I compiled during the last three milliseconds. Now I just hold my breath and see how he responds to it.
"I am too."
Not quite the response I wanted there. Shit.
I wrenched out of the very beginnings of what promises to be a trip into despair when he takes my right hand gently. His own hand is trembling as he lifts mine, bringing it to him and tracing the dried blood in the creases of my palm with his index finger. "You should clean that."
Hmm. How in the heck do I react to that? Nodding mutely, I watch him with trepidation whilst he stands frozen, seemingly to be internally debating before coming to a decision. He looks up at me after an eternity and I see the corners of his eyes twitch.
The bond reopens as a miniscule crack at first before the force of everything at either end wrenches it wider and the bond is full again. All I can describe it as is bright and hot. My head dips and I repress a groan as that cold, barren place within me is filled again. I can feel his sorrow there, his pain and his exhaustion, but I can feel his understanding and forgiveness too. And he still loves me. Well, the feeling is more than reciprocated.
I take a few moments to absorb all of the sensations and emotions that I'm getting and I sense that he's doing the same. Opening my eyes feeling whole and warm, my blood turns to ice as I see him sway slightly where he stands.
His eyes are unfocussed and his fingers are splayed, unconsciously looking for a support before his strength evaporates and leaves him crumpled. I catch him when it does, my arms looping beneath his and I lower us both to the ground shakily. I'm scared now. Very. More scared than I've been in a while. He's gone from pale to a colour that's hovering between grey and white. Eyes still open, I can feel through the bond that he' struggling to even do that.
/Love? Tell me what to do? What's happening?/
Huh. I even sound scared in my *mind*.
/Can't breath. Tight. Hurts./
It takes me a few moments to figure out what he means in those few, disjointed words but when it clicks I shift around to that he's laid across my lap before I start undoing the buttons on his shirt. No buckles which is good because he needs to get a bit more freedom around his ribs. He struggling to breath. I think his body has become hyper-sensitive all of sudden and his skin is registering the light material of his shirt as a restraint on his breathing. I don't know. His mind is scrambled at the moment. In the back of my mind I still revel in the feeling that I can *feel* his mind but that is overshadowed by my concern and outright terror.
His body jerks suddenly and he starts coughing, his body instinctively twisting to face the side as he does so and I aid the movement as he obviously doesn't have the strength to do it. The corpse behind us is starting to attract wildlife and I want to move Yami away from here, move him to somewhere warm and safe where I can take care of him, but I dare not speak aloud now let alone move him.
The coughs are hard, wracking his frame violently and I instinctively start rubbing his back methodically with one hand, the other placed at his shoulder to steady him. They stop after a few minutes as he just lays there gasping until I shift him into a sitting position. Bringing my hand to his face to rub at his cheek, reassure him that I'm here because I can feel that he's scared that he's alone right now, I feel something damp on my fingers.
Pulling my hands back I frown at the fresh blood on my fingers, mingling with the old and standing out both in colour and importance. Not saying anything I just put an arm loosely across his chest and straddle his body with my legs, allowing him to rest his weight against my chest. After a few seconds with my face in his hair, I 'hear' static along the bond and can tell without looking that he's passed out.
I don't want to risk moving him yet so I plan to stay with him for a bit until I can feel that it's safe to do so. Then I'm going back into the Shadow Realm and finding out what the fuck is doing this to him. He's getting worse, bleeding inside now.
I think this is killing him but I'll be cold and stiff before I let it. I protect what is mine. Nothing is going to happen to him. This is as bad as it's going to get because there is no way in Hell I am going to let it get worse. It can't get worse. I don't understand how it could.
I'm scared, sat with a sick lover and a cooling corpse and without a source of hope or comfort to turn to. But I have the bond now.
The thought occurs to me as if a new piece of vital information and my mind turns it over rapidly before the knot in my stomach loosens just a little. I'll tie him to me. My life to his. My strength to his. If only for a little while. I don't know how to do this but I feel I *can*. It will only last a day or so I think, but it'll give me time to figure this all out.
Closing my eyes and immersing myself in his scent, I concentrate on the bond and give it shape in my mind. It's a representation but it's what I need right now. It burns to 'touch' but I manipulate, make it coil about itself, tighten and strengthen at the ends. Magic flitters into the gaps and holds it in shape and as I release my hold with a physical gasp I can already see the sparkles of light start to blink out. A day I think. A day of certainty before he's on his own and I know that I won't be able to tie us together for a while after this.
My head pounding I resign to sitting still and pondering what to do next. First I need to get him into a bed and get some food into him, get some of his strength back. Then I will go into the Shadow Realm alone and stay there as long as I can to sort this out. Hell, I'll enlist the help of a monster if I have to.
His breath hitches a little and I freeze, listening intently for the next and relaxing when I hear him inhale smoothly, air working around the blood in his throat and mouth. By Ra what did I do to deserve this? He's precious to me and something is trying to wrench him out of my grasp.
Let them try. I will stop this. I will fix this.
****
Weak ending, I know. It will be altered a little when I repost this in a better, edited version but I need a bit of feedback now please. Review and show some appreciation for my effort.