Life of a thief by Ryou Bakura
A/N: Sage: Yeah, we know we know…why do take so long to update right?
Kaley: We can ONLY update when the school's computers are working. For the past week and a half, the media center has been not allowing us to type for some unknown reason or another so we basically type for maybe five minutes a day -_-
Bakura: Ohh the torture, the torment…heh, I like it.
Sage: Anyways, this chapter introduces Bakura's sister and we get a better look at his tragic past. But there's something even more important about this chapter…
Kaley: This chapter, hell, most of this story is dedicated to my good friend, my imouto-san and a wonderful Authoress Saakura!! ^_^ This goes out to her!! I let her read some of this chapter but she didn't get to read the ending of it heh heh heh…
Sage: She also kept us on track with death threats! ^_^ I love that girl.
Bakura: Geez, this story is about me and she dedicates it to her…not fair…
Kaley: Quit your whining! We got a story to write!
Sage: Yep!! On with the Ra damned fic!!
Bakura: Stealing my lines now??? Even today's rant was small…what's wrong with these people -_- Oh yeah, Kaley forgot to mention something very important!
Kaley: I did? Ohhh, right! There's a bit of violence in this chapter, sorry about it but it can't be helped. Bakura's past is a violent one. So sorry if you don't like it…I'm hoping to tone it down at least a bit…you'll see…but still, my beta readers have told me it's an emotional chapter so…good luck ^^;;;
#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!# (Beginning the Ra damned fic)
Night had finally fallen on the small village of Kuru Eruna. Most people were off the streets, sitting in their homes and getting ready for what the next day would bring though it undoubtedly had to do with stealing. One young boy and his sister however, stayed out by the town well looking up at the heavens silently. The night was clear and, like any desert town after dark, cool. The stars above them twinkled brightly and the moon shone with a powerful light as they sat on the brick well. The girl was young, maybe only six with long raven hair and big gray eyes. She turned to her silver haired brother with a smile.
"…Um, do you think the stars are pretty?" She asked, her voice gentle. Her brother turned to her, pushing some of his moonlit hair from his tanned face.
"Well yeah, they look better than anything I've seen. Not that I've seen much I guess but…stars are high on the list…" He said candidly. She giggled and inched closer to him.
"Um, you think the moon is pretty?" She asked again.
"Yeah, it is…why else would I sit out here looking at it? Not to torture myself." He answered. She grinned and scooted towards him.
"Do you think that snow stuff mama talked about really looks like a thousand shooting stars?"
"That'd be amazing wouldn't it? Snow sounds so neat…"
"When we see snow, let's watch it like we do the stars. Mama said she's taking us back to her country next year in time to see the snow…"
"Yeah…snow…I still don't even get what it is…"
"Bakura…can we sit out here tomorrow night too?"
"Yeah, of course we can…" The boy paused, "Only if mom and dad says we can…if I get in trouble one more time dad won't take me to town."
"Hee, thank you big brother…" She finally curled up against him, nuzzling her face into his chest. Bakura grinned and draped his arm over her.
"Heh, anytime Akila…hey, where's your doll?" He peered down at her and she pulled her arms away from her chest, revealing a ragged doll. "Oh, keeping her warm huh?"
"Well, she's um, scared of the dark…she hates darkness…" Akila smiled nervously.
"Well, she shouldn't be…as long as I'm here, she doesn't need to worry about that stuff!" Bakura boasted. "I am the oldest kid in town, pretty sure I can handle something like the dark!"
"Really?" The little girl closed her eyes and let her whole body relax against Bakura. "So…you'll be her star then? You'll chase the darkness away right?"
"Yep, I'm so full of light Ra is jealous of me!" Bakura grinned and his sister giggled. "Hey, it's all true you know, my light is brighter then the stars. So I promise you Akila that I'll chase away the shadows for you…always, even if it's daytime." He added with a slight smirk.
"I know…" Akila sat up and suddenly looked very sad, "It was bright…here, when you promised me…but…you didn't keep it did you? You let me die…and mom…and dad, you let them die too…mom was going to let us see the snow…remember, she promised us and you made her a lair…you killed us all…you…you…"
"What?" Bakura was taken aback by his sister's words. "What are you talking about?"
"You hid…when the Pharaoh's army came you hid…and watched me die…watched me bleed…" Akila's voice grew colder as she spoke. The desert winds began to pick up, becoming so strong that they concealed the town, leaving only the well and Akila. The gusts howled and raged around them, lashing at Bakura but his sister remained motionless.
"Sister!!" Bakura shouted over the winds. "I'm sorry but I don't get it!!"
"Bakura…you weren't a light…you weren't even a shadow or the dark…" Akila pushed her brother to the ground and narrowed her eyes. "You're evil…you were my death…now, why don't you just die? Die…you let us die, it's your turn isn't it?" The winds whipped around her, causing her to fade away from her troubled brother.
"Akila!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "Akila!!"
@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@# (dramatic music plays)
Bakura sat bolt upright in bed, his eyes wide as his chest heaved and gasped for breath. He tried to swallow but both his mouth and throat were far to dry to accomplish this. He gripped the bed sheets until his knuckles turned white, Akila's words ringing loudly in his ears. He shut his eyes tightly, realizing that tears were flowing from them like they had only once before.
"Akila…" He whispered hoarsely, letting go of the sheets to wipe his eyes. Bakura buried his face in his hands, only vaguely aware that his whole body was shaking uncontrollably. Only when the door burst open, with Ryou stumbling in did he remember where he was. Not in Ancient Egypt but in Ryou's spare bedroom.
"Bakura!! Bakura are you alright?!" Ryou cried in a panicked voice, navigating around the messy room to the bed. "I heard you scream and and…and…" Ryou froze as Bakura lifted his head. The yami held a deep look of fear and hate in his eyes, one that Ryou had never seen before and it frightened him. Though, not as much as his bloodshot eyes and the tearstains all over the former thief's cheeks. "Bakura…you…"
"Go away now…" He said, his voice shaking, "Just…just go…"
"Bakura…" Ryou knew this was a bad idea, that he could be signing his own death warrant but he was determined. With a deep breath, he sat down at the foot of the tomb robber's bed. "What's wrong?"
"I said you need to go." Bakura pointed at the door but his arm was trembling so he quickly withdrew it, hoping Ryou wouldn't notice. The lighter side however, did see it.
"Bakura, did you…did you have a nightmare?" He asked delicately. Bakura's eyes flashed and he was about to scream when Akila's voice began echoing in his mind again. He pushed his face back into his hands.
"Damn it just shut up!" He cried, a few tears fighting their way from his eyes. "I know it was my fault!! Akila…"
"That's the name you screamed earlier." Ryou said quietly. Bakura looked up at him again. He was going to find out sooner or later anyway so it didn't make any difference when he said it.
"She was my sister. She was killed by the Pharaoh's army." Bakura said curtly. "I had a nightmare about one of the times we looked at the stars only…only at the end she told me it was my fault she died because I hid and said I should die too." He squeezed his hands into tight fists and lowered his head. "She's right too…she should have lived…she wanted to see the snow…and I promised her…I'd be her light and fuck that sure as hell didn't happen…I should just die but hell even that won't happen so I can't do anything to make her happy…"
"Bakura…" Ryou reached out, tears coming out of his own eyes. His hand rested on Bakura's shoulder and for a moment the old thief relaxed, a light trying to break through the pain in his eyes. But the moment ended quickly as Bakura smacked his lighter side's hand away with a sharp glare.
"Don't touch me! Stop being so weak it's not your fault, not even your family! She was my sister not yours!" He spat, jumping out of bed and walking quickly from the room. Ryou bowed his head, his hair falling against his face as tears made their way down his cheeks.
"That may be true but you aren't the only one who lost your family…"
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* (speechless)
For the rest of the morning, neither party spoke. Ryou went about, drawing sketches of what he thought Thief Bakura looked like while Bakura stayed out of sight somewhere in the house. It was later in the day when the roar of a motorcycle broke their silence. Ryou looked up and saw Malik jumping off while Isis just continued driving past. Bakura's head poked out of the stair well curiously as Malik burst in through the front door.
"You two!! I know it was both of you so don't deny it!" He shouted as soon as he spotted Ryou sitting on the couch.
"I didn't deny anything." Ryou said.
"Well…uh…well you were about to!" Malik sputtered. "Listen, I had to walk around naked in front of Isis!! And she was pissed off because her jewelry is missing! She could care less about my clothes, she gave me her stuff to wear until we go shopping!" Malik tugged at the long white robe he was wearing. "Not to mention no towels, no toothpaste, no bed sheets on my bed!"
"Uh, I only took-" Ryou began, ready to clear his name when in one swift move Bakura had jumped over the railing, sat down next to his hikari and stomped hard on his feet. "Ow! Bakura!"
"Listen, maybe you should get your facts straight before accusing us." Bakura said, pinching Ryou's arm as the boy tried to speak again. "We were here last night, I was telling Ryou about my childhood. In fact, I just went upstairs for a moment, now you're interrupting us."
"Oh…" Malik paused, looking Bakura over suspiciously. "Well, fine, I'll pretend that it was someone else, for my sake. After all, if I came back to her knowing it was you guys, she'd kill you."
"Isn't it for my sake?" Bakura asked.
"No, it's for mine. She'd kill me after killed you two…" Marik sighed and rubbed his head. "But something good came of it I guess…I get to go clothes shopping…wanna come with?"
"Nah, I've got things to do." Ryou said, noting the look Bakura gave him. "So umm…how about we come next time?"
"Well, alright I guess…" Marik said, looking rather disappointed. A motorcycle revved outside and he glanced at the window. "Err, that'd be Isis…I better go and get some real clothes…" He tugged at the white robes he wore. "So I'll see you two later, don't steal anything from my house though or sister will kill me this time!" Grumbling, he left the ivory haired teens house and drove off with Isis to the mall. Bakura watched them pull away, a grim look returning to his face.
"It was…kind of cold that night…the night the guards came to town…" Bakura drew in a deep breath and settled himself in a chair across from Ryou. "Well? Aren't you ready to write yet? I'm going to tell you about Akila."
@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@ (Poor Marik…)
Ryou nearly tumbled down the stairs in his hurry to get his notes. He wanted to hear this part of Bakura's life and didn't want to miss his chance. When he came back downstairs Bakura was still sitting, his head tilted back towards the window. He was frowning, maybe because it wasn't snowing anymore. Ryou grabbed his pencil and sat quietly down, ready to write the second words came from his yami's mouth.
"Akila wanted to see snow even more than I did." He started and Ryou's pencil instantly went scratching across the paper. "Our mom was from a foreign land, I don't know where. My father was only ten went he left on a journey with my grandfather and when he returned twenty years later, he brought my pregnant mother with him. She had brilliant white hair, white as the clouds. I was born with that same hair."
"So then, you've always had white hair?" Ryou asked, making notes about this on the side of the page.
"Yes yes, it gave me away when I became a famous thief. Though my bright red clothes may not have helped…but that's later anyway. Back a bit up eh? Our mother entertained us with fantasy like stories of her homeland. It filled us with this grand desire to leave Egypt and see more of the world. She told us that when we were older she'd take us and father back there. Akila dreamed about snow all the time…but our little world collapsed…the day the guards showed up."
"Why did they show up though?"
"Easy, because we were a village of thieves and the Pharaoh needed some flesh for the ritual. Two birds with one stone. Well, the guards came one night…they set fire to the whole village and rounded up and hunted down everyone…my mom…my mom she…"
"Bakura!" A woman screamed, running into the dark house. A girl and boy stirred in their sleep. "Bakura, Akila!! Please wake up!" The girl sat up and yawned but the boy jumped out of bed with alarm.
"Mother? What's wrong?" Bakura asked. His mother shook her head and grabbed both their arms.
"No time! The guards have come! They are killing everyone! We must hurry!" Their mother, Naisha cried. Akila's eyes widened in fear and she gripped her mother tightly.
"Mama, where's Dad?" She asked as they were lead from the home wearing only their bedtime smocks.
"He…He went off to fight them…but there's so many…I…I just want you two to get out of here!" Naisha pushed them outside and there they saw it all. Fire raged all around them, roaring like an angry god as it engulfed the people and village until nothing was left. People's screams of terror and pain echoed through the night and caused shivers to run down the young children's spines. The hot white flames seared the sands and blew dangerously close to kids. Naisha pushed them away.
"They're dying…" Bakura muttered, hearing the cries of his village. "What's going on…why…"
"Bakura!" His mother turned to him and looked deeply into his eyes. She looked truly terrified. "Take Akila and run, just run far away and don't look back! I…I…I need to find your father…and stall…give you some time…they only need a ninety nine…"
"Huh, a ninety nine what?" Bakura asked but his younger sister threw her arms around his waist and buried her head into his dirty clothes. He swallowed nervously and nodded. "Alright…but mother…" He hesitated and tears fell from his eyes, "Mama I never thought your hair was weird! I know the other villagers said it was but it'd not mama I love your hair please don't die!" He shouted over the fire and screams. She smiled at him, her own eyes flushed with tears.
"Bakura…you'll be a fine man someday…I can see it in your eyes…you have such a big heart, please…just…just run and protect your sister." Naisha hugged them both tightly to her both running off into the burning village. Bakura put his arms around her and tugged her away.
"C'mon…Akila let's go…" She lifted her face, her dark eyes now red from crying and the fire around them. She shook her head madly, her black hair flying around her.
"No!! Big brother…big bother please…I don't want to die…" Akila was shaking against Bakura. He was doing his best to look calm but he knew he was crying.
"Akila…listen, we have to go…if we don't, we'll end up like mom and dad-" He cut himself off, knowing what he'd said. Akila's eyes widened and she let go of her brother.
"No, mama…dad…no!" She screamed and ran into the fire. Bakura gasped and followed her.
"Akila! No come back here!"
"No…your sister went after them?" Ryou's pencil had stopped moving as Bakura spun his sad tale. The thief nodded, his eyes dark and lifeless.
"Yes, Akila went back into the village because of my big mouth. She wouldn't have done that if I hadn't said anything. Mistake one of the evening…"
"Bakura…" Ryou found his own eyes growing teary. "Bakura…I…"
"Not done yet light." Bakura warned and started his story back up.
"Akila!" Bakura screamed, running through the flaming streets of his hometown. "Akila where are you!" He was starting to see where the pained screams he'd heard earlier were coming from. The deeper he went into the town, the more blood he saw…but that wasn't all. Bodies; tons of bodies lay everywhere with spears, arrows and blood around them. He was trembling now, his body voicing the fear he held in his heart. There were corpses of kids he'd played with, people with whom his father was once friends with, so many dead and there was nothing but blood everywhere.
"Bakura!" He stopped and spun around, hope flying in his heart.
"Father!" He cried, running and embracing the man. It was brief though, as he scooped up the boy and ran.
"Bakura! What are you doing?! I thought Naisha got you and Akila to safety!" He shouted as he darted through the town. Bakura was about to answer when his father cried out in pain and fell to the ground, his son tumbling behind a wall. There he bumped into something soft: His mother and his sister were curled up together.
"Akila! Mom!" Bakura cried. They both looked up in surprise and embraced him.
"Bakura, have you seen your father?" Naisha asked. Bakura nodded and pointed.
"Over there, he dropped me…" The boy began but Naisha quickly jumped up and ran out from the safe wall. Bakura peeked around the corner to see what was going on. His father was slowly pushing himself up, two arrows lodged in his back. The silvery haired woman was bending over him, helping him to his feet. Suddenly, more arrows flew towards the couple and nailed them several mores times. Naisha took an arrow to her heart and neck and fell to the ground. Bakura's father gasped and reached shakily at his wife but two men came running up behind him, laughing loudly as they drove a spear into his back. He screamed, his eyes rolling back in his head and blood shot from his mouth. His hand went skyward before falling to the ground as he hit the dirt.
"Heh, lowly thieves, this should teach them all…an example!" One guard sneered as he drove the spear repeatedly into both of Bakura's dead parents.
"M…M…Mom…Dad…" Bakura whispered hoarsely, his body shaking like never before as he fell back into the sand. Akila crawled forward nervously.
"Big Brother? What's happening?" She peeked around the corner and screamed.
"Mama!! Dad!!" She screamed shrilly as the guards stabbed her parents. She rushed forward and shook her head. "No please don't hurt them!!" She begged the guards, grabbing onto their arms. "Please! They're my mama and dad!"
"Akila!" Bakura hissed, pushing himself against the wall. "No don't…they'll…"
"Stupid girl…daughter of these disgusting people? Then you can die with them!" The guard smacked her across the face and she fell to the ground. The other man laughed and drove his lance through the young girl's chest. Bakura watched, his eyes filled with tears and his mouth agape as if to scream. Instead, it was his sister who shrieked in pain. The other one then plunged his own spear through her back. They laughed at her cries then withdrew their spears and let her fall down on top of Naisha.
"There, rest in peace." The guard said, spitting in Akila's face. Then they left, as though they'd never even been there. Bakura shook in his spot for a moment longer then dove to his sister's side.
"Akila!!" He whispered franticly as he held her hand. "Akila!! Please talk…" She lay still, her blood soaking his shirt. Then her eyes fluttered opened and she coughed some more of the warm red liquid on his face. He grinned despite that, hope returning to him once again. "Akila!!"
"B..big…brother…" She smiled weakly and squeezed his hand. "I…I…I'm sorry…"
"No, no Akila don't be sorry…please don't…don't even talk…Akila…don't worry I'll do something…I'll do something…" Bakura stammered, shaking his head.
"Bakura…you're my…light remember? You'll…you'll…save me…every time…you'll…save…me…" Her voice faded and her eyes slowly shut, her hand growing limp in his hands.
"Akila!! Stay awake! Please you have to stay awake!" Bakura pleaded with his dying sister. She remained silent, a thin trail of blood trickling from her mouth. It was then that Bakura noticed something very important, her chest was still rising and falling. "Akila…ok, rest! Good idea! I'll go get a blanket…stop bleeding…number one thing…right…ok!" Bakura jumped up and ran into a nearby house. As he gathered up a blanket, he heard voices. He looked out the window and saw the guards returning, dragging is mother and father's bodies away.
"Hey, this one is still breathing." One Guard said, nudging Akila with his foot.
"Well, then fix it! This is in the name of the Pharaoh so we can't have a mistake like that!" His superior ordered.
"Yes sir!" The man responded, then drove his spear into Akila's skull.
%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$
"…After that, I wasn't thinking too clearly. I mean, would you? So I…I…hey are you ok?" Bakura paused his story and bent low, looking up at Ryou. The boy had his head bowed, his hair in his face. "Hello?"
"Bakura…" Ryou lifted his head, tears in his eyes. "I…oh Bakura, I never knew anything like that was in your past…in your childhood…you had to watch that…oh god…" He wiped his eyes roughly, though his note pad was already stained with tears.
"Yeah well, it's not like you have to cry about it…" Bakura grumbled, crossing his arms. "Was it your sister? No. Was it your family? No. Was it even your time period? No. Most importantly, was it you? No…"
"Doesn't matter…because Bakura…I don't think I've heard a sadder story in my life." Ryou leaned forward and hugged his dark side, resting his forehead against Bakura's shoulder.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" Bakura cried out, surprised by such an awkward move.
"Before my sister died, she used to tell me that everyone liked to be touched…something our mother said…" Ryou said distantly into Bakura's shirt. It was then that the yami realized that he was talking more to himself than to Bakura. "They both told me that…my dad didn't believe in it, he never really hugged me…but they always did and it made me feel better…"
"So what? You're hugging me because you want me to feel better about my sister's murder?" Bakura raised an eyebrow.
"…pathetic isn't it?" Ryou sighed. "It's a useless thing for me to do…to try and make you happy…why should I bother…but I still want to try…after hearing that, don't you think that maybe…maybe that…"
"Ryou, just shut up!" Bakura snapped, though the boy smiled upon hearing his name. Bakura rolled his eyes and put one hand on Ryou's back, stroking it lightly. "You're making yourself sound so stupid, don't talk like that. Akila used to try to make me smile, it was a game we'd play when I was pissed off. I'd sit there and she'd do everything she could to make me smile…she always won too…"
"Bakura…I'm so sorry…I…I interrupted your story didn't I?" Ryou looked up, smiling in spite of his tears.
"Yeah, ya did…quit doing that!" Bakura groaned, wiping away his light's tears. "So, maybe…I'll tell you the rest tomorrow…I uh, well…we…uh…I just think you need a break…"
"Heh, thank you Bakura…so…then um…"
"Yeah uh listen…I'm hungry, go make some food will ya?"
"…Yes Bakura…" Ryou sighed and shook his head. He was changing alright. Now he asked for food instead of demanding it.
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*
A/N: Sage: Well now, a bit darker than the normal stuff huh?
Kaley: (is sobbing) poor Bakura!!! Wahhhh!!
Bakura: Now who loves the Pharaoh?!
Sage: Well uhh…review please…and we'll see how next chapter goes…
