Disclaimer: Hey all. This is the… what is it now… eighth chapter? Wow, we've come a long way from being in the city of Thebes to Bakura pulling a knife on our young prince, ne? So anyway, I'll get on with the story… I'm doing my best to keep updating as regularly as possible… School is a bitch and kind of hinders me a bit.
Just a random little tale before we start… I know a lot of you don't care about other peoples love lives, but I recently, today actually, talked to this chick Michelle who had gone out with my ex of seven months. So we swapped stories and it turns out… dun dun dun! He's a man-whore! So we're planning to chop off his nuts. ^_^ Anyone care to see pictures? Note, you'll need a microscope to see them…
Enough about that. On with the story!
Chapter Eight: Untouchable
Bakura wavered, his arm beginning to shake. The more he stared, the harder it became, the more gruesome… The task he had planned to do the first time he met Yami seemed beyond him now. But he had to.
His mouth became dry. Why was he reacting to this stupid brat like this? Why couldn't he just kill him?
Yami stirred a bit, scrunching up into a little ball in the cold water, shivering gently. Bakura took a large breath, subconsciously hoping the boy would wake up… would stop him… But he continued to sleep soundly.
"…why…" Bakura whispered. "…why can't I kill you…?" Sweat ran down the sides of his face. Finally, he felt wetness he had not felt for years.
Tears formed at the corners of his eyes, eagerly clumping together, melding with his sweat and running down his face. Bakura let out a sharp gasp as he dropped the knife. It collided with his foot, stabbing right through his tanned skin and pinning him to the ground. He made no sound as pain seared up his leg. He couldn't. He couldn't even move to take it out. He was stuck in this moment….
At the loud thunk of the knife, Yami stirred again, his eyes fluttering open. He stared up at Bakura, watching the empty tears run down his face.
"B-Bakura… what…" Yami started. He finally noticed Bakura's foot which was now stained with blood, the ground around it a brilliant red. Yami quickly got up, tearing the knife from his foot. Bakura cringed, making a choking sound, the tears flowing feely now.
"Bakura! How…?! We need to bandage it!" Yami cried, grabbing his dirty clothing from the ground beside the bin. Tearing at it with his teeth, he began to wrap Bakura's foot, his eyes still wide with horror.
"…wh…" Bakura whispered. Yami stopped, looking back up at him. "What is it, Bakura…?" Yami said breathlessly.
"…Why are you helping me, brat?" Bakura snarled, kicking him away. He had to… Yami yelped in pain as his side hit the bin hard. Bakura picked up the blood-stained knife.
"This blade… is meant for you…" Bakura whispered menacingly, his eyes showing no emotion except for the salty tears that still flowed from them. Yami cringed as he tried to move away, his face filled with fear.
Bakura advanced slowly, his face hardened.
"Please…Bakura… why are you doing this?…" Yami sobbed, his eyes watering from fear and pain. Bakura said nothing.
"Don't look up, boy."
Yami said nothing.
"Don't you look up, boy."
Yami looked down at his own feet, watching them walk on their own toward the ritual site.
"Just remember, boy… They may be crowning you Pharaoh, but the place still belongs to me. Don't you look up!"
Why was he here? Father was supposed to be dead. It wasn't supposed to happen now. He wasn't ready. He looked up to see the priests waiting for him. Akunumkanon slapped him in the side of the face.
"I told you! Don't you look up, you fool!"
Yami approached the priests slowly, his eyes lowered again. Why wasn't he allowed to look up? After all… wasn't he Pharaoh?
Bakura stopped abruptly, slashing Yami across the arm. Yami cried out in pain. Blood poured from the fresh wound, running slowly down toward his hand.
"…Get out of here." Bakura said softly. The malice was gone. The tears were wiped away. Bakura was completely devoid of emotion. Yami glanced up at his eyes. They were empty too.
"Bakura…" Yami started, edging his way closer. Bakura stepped back quickly like a wounded animal. He lowered the knife, tossing it away.
"…I can't kill you. I don't know why… I can't kill you. Leave. Go home, Pharaoh." Bakura whispered, turning his back on Yami. Suddenly, Yami wrapped his arms around his legs, holding him tightly despite the pain in his arm.
"Don't leave me here! You can't! I don't know how to get home!…" Yami sobbed. "And… You still haven't taught me! You haven't shown me what father did!!" Yami cried wholeheartedly, his voice catching in his throat.
Bakura shook him off easily. Yami fell to his hands and kneed in the dust, his face bent down low, tears falling into a small pool.
"Bakura… I don't want to go home yet! Please… we're friends aren't we?!" Yami said gently through clenched teeth. Bakura turned and smashed his hand into Yami's open wound, causing him to scream in pain.
"WE ARE NOT FRIENDS! WE NEVER WERE, YOU STUPID FOOL! I'M SICK OF BABY-SITTING YOU! GO THE HELL HOME, BRAT!" Bakura screamed at the top of his lungs.
"…I hate you… Bakura…" Yami whispered. Bakura turned back, sneering at him. Finally, his lips formed a twisted smile.
"Don't need your approval, Pharaoh. I do what the hell I need to get by. Get over it." Bakura laughed. Yami watched him, his heart growing heavy with bitterness. His eyes narrowed as tears flushed his cheeks, his breathing growing heavier. Lies. They were all lies Bakura had told him…
"So, Pharaoh. What shall I call you? I'm sure you don't appreciate being called 'Pharaoh' all the time." Bakura inquired teasingly. Yami turned and hushed him, pushing him up against a wall. Two guards passed, both looking rather uninterested in the events of the palace. Yami turned to him, a small smirk on his face.
"My proper name is Yami. You may use that if you wish." Bakura smiled.
"Yami, eh? Then that is what you shall be called. Or maybe…" Bakura lifted Yami's chin up, staring down into his eyes. "…Or maybe I'll just call you slave." Yami cringed, his eyes narrowing in anger. Yami raised his hand, preparing to slap him, but Bakura grabbed it, pressing it back against the wall.
"Don't even try it. Slap me once, that's alright. Slap me twice, however… then I kill you." he growled, not even a trace of humor in his voice. Yami finally stopped struggling. Bakura released him and pushed him forward a bit.
"Now… keep leading." Yami nodded, quickly moving about the palace.
Yami continued to stare at him, trying to figure out why Bakura had used him. Was it just the hatred toward his father? Bakura continued to laugh, slapping his knees, pain still making him cringe. His foot bled worse than before and his skin had begun to pale at the loss of blood.
It hurt. It hurt so bad to look at Yami staring at him with such hatred. He hated himself for doing this, but he could not continue. The way things were… Dammit, it had only been barely a day and he felt so close to the boy…
"You stupid thief! Let me go! I WANT TO GO HOME!" he screamed. Bakura held on tightly, his eyes flaring.
"Shut-up, brat!" he yelled, his hand flying across Yami's cheek for the second time. Yami staggered and fell to the ground, stuttering. Bakura grabbed him by his cloak, pulling him back up to his own eye-level.
"You wicked little brat! You told me… You told me you wanted to know the truth! Here I am, trying to show you what your dear-old daddy has done, giving you food and the clothes off of my back, and you're trying to make a fool of me?!" Bakura spat maliciously. "How dare you?! You're not a captive! You're being treated as a prince, as I have never treated anyone before you!" Bakura tossed him back to the ground, his breathing heavy.
"Well fine then, little Pharaoh… Yami. You can go. Go back to your life of luxury. Be my guest. You'll never know… my pain…" Bakura gazed down at him for a few seconds, longing to pull him into an embrace; to make amends for his cruel words. His facial features softened, his heart aching… How he had wanted to have Yami understand…
Bakura turned away and walked back into the swarm of people, his white hair disappearing from Yami's view.
"Goodbye, Pharaoh! Go back to your golden cage! Nobody wants you here!" Bakura yelled, his face still grinning at Yami. Yami felt like tearing his eyes out. How did this happen…?
"You stupid, thief! I hate you!! I HATE YOU, DO YOU HEAR?! I hope that you burn!" Yami cried, clambering to his feet, his eyes narrowed. "The next time we meet, I will have your head, Bakura!!" For a second, Yami could have sworn that Bakura's eyes had softened… for only a second…
"Well then, Pharaoh… Just remember. I'm untouchable. Even to you." Bakura smiled. "Then we're enemies. Just how it was meant to be." With that, he disappeared into the crowd, leaving Yami to his own devices.
"Yes… definitely… Untouchable? Ha." Yami gloated.
Oi oi. This story WILL continue… perhaps three years later? Hmm? I don't want to end it like this… It's too sad. Hehehe. So, any requests? Ideas? Anything? Feel free to tell me where YOU think the story should go from here. I always love to take opinions… It really helps me write this kind of stuff. Like the OTHER flashbacks from earlier chapters? I couldn't help it. I'm a total egotist.