We'll Be There

-

Part III

"Stop yelling at me! Just stop! Leave me alone!!"

Bakura's plea struck a cord within Ryou.

-"STOP!" Ryou shrieked, covering his throbbing head.

Bakura seized Ryou's shirt collar, pushing him against the wall. His eyes narrowed, and his nose was centimeters from Ryou's. "What did you say to me?" he demanded.

"Please don't hurt me," Ryou begged. "I…I'm afraid I can't take it anymore…"

Why does he hate me so much?-

He hates me because he used to be like me, Ryou realized. Bakura used to be an innocent boy like me, until someone broke his spirit.

"Bakura, I'm not going to hurt you," Ryou repeated. "Here," he outstretched his right hand, "do you need help getting up?"

Bakura shivered, but didn't respond.

Ryou sighed. Guilt overwhelmed him. This is all because of that beating I gave him last night…

But that's exactly what he told you to do. It was that other voice again. You're finally learning to stand up for yourself.

But how could I hurt Bakura like that, though? he argued mentally. He's my yami, my other half…I'm supposed to be the good one.

You can't let him walk all over you like he was. Bakura was the one trampling your spirit.

-"People in this world will do anything to take advantage of you." Bakura walked around Ryou's figure, speaking barely above a whisper. "You have to be the one to strike first, before someone else hurts you."

"Isn't that a tad paranoid, Bakura?"

"No," he hissed. Bakura halted in front of Ryou, staring into his chocolate orbs. He bent close to Ryou's ear before speaking. "If you learn one thing from me, Ryou, learn that you can trust no one. Everyone is after something. Everything comes with a price."

Ryou snorted. "That's absurd. Not everyone is like that."

"Everyone has a dark side, Ryou. They just keep it hidden from the world, until the time comes that they unleash its wrath, destroying any spirit that obstructs its path towards its ultimate goal."

It all sound completely unreasonable to Ryou, but he didn't dare laugh out loud.

"Do you know what's going to happen to you?" he asked Ryou. "One day, you're going to get your spirit crushed by some power-hungry bastard. You're going to get trampled on, taken advantage of. You'll be left in a sorrier condition than ever. You're going to be in so much pain you'll just want to die."-

Bakura was watching his light fearfully, but at the same time carefully observing Ryou's facial expressions.

My 'dark side' has finally revealed itself, Ryou realized. And it's ruined Bakura's spirit. I've hurt him, both emotionally and physically.

Ryou fell to his knees, his petite frame shaking. Tears rolled down his pale cheeks. What have I done?

He felt so small, but so terrible. Ryou held his face in his hands. "I'm so sorry, Bakura," he sobbed.

Slowly, Bakura crawled over to his hikari, wrapping his arms around his slender frame.