Life of a Thief by Ryou Bakura
A/N: Sage: 4…4…47…47 reviews on chapter 7. OO (faints)
Kaley: (blinks) Course, it's really 36 is you just count the reviews for this chapter 7 and not the "sorry we lost the data" chapter 7. But that's still hella lot!
Bakura: All thanks to me of course, this fic would be nothing without me.
Kaley: Actually, this fic would be nothing without us, the writers. Without you it'd probably be about Ryou and Marik. That pairing is nice…
Bakura:…you wouldn't…
Kaley: Not this far into the story, heavens no! Anyways, you guys are so encouraging. I didn't know I made you guys feel so many emotions. I really pulled out all the stops, emotions wise, with this chapter.
Bakura: She tried to anyway (smirks) she got writer's block towards the end.
Kaley: Umm, well…yes but…I still worked my ass off on this chapter, even though I really should have been working on There's Something About Elk. I haven't updated that in forever.
Bakura: Oh and one final warning, this chapter has ancient Egypt Marik in it.
Kaley: Now of course I don't even know if he was in ancient times or what he did back then or anything but this is fanfiction. Sure, I'm trying to stay true to what we do know about Bakura's past but I can add things if I want.
Bakura: Are you done now?
Kaley: I suppose, just enjoy the fic everyone! And don't worry about the Bakura plot twist thing that him and Marik were talking about. We'll get there soon enough (winks)
Bakura: Ok, now on with-
Sage: (wakes up) START THE DAMN FIC ALREADY!!!
Bakura & Kaley: oO okkk…crazy lady…
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Ryou's morning had been less than perfect, especially considering how well his evening went. After his unexpected kiss from Bakura (due in part to Marik's meddling) Isis had given him a wonderful gift of books that Ryou had wanted. A cup of hot chocolate later, he'd gone off to bed only to see Bakura leaning against his door.
"Oh, um…hi…Bakura…" Ryou's face had turned an instant red. "You weren't downstairs…"
"Using the journal you gave me…" He said, nodding his head towards the door. He had spent most of the evening in that room.
"Oh, really? So you like it then?"
"Course I do…" He smiled but he was staring at his friend with a hard look in his eyes. "Ryou, we have to get that report done." He said suddenly. "We're working on it all day tomorrow. So you might want to get some sleep…" He walked forward and gave Ryou a small peck on the cheek. "Night…" He muttered, walking down stairs.
"Um…night…" Ryou mumbled after him.
Of course, that had been last night. He wasn't really sure what happened between then and this morning but Ryou knew it had something to do with Akila. He'd heard Bakura in his sleep, crying out for his sister. However, far from put him in a somber mood, it'd made him severely angry. Bakura refused to talk to anyone and when he did, it was only to snap at them or shout something. So it was no surprise that Isis had rushed them out first thing. Now, the two were walking home in silence, giving Ryou plenty of time to think about all this.
"You have your papers with you?" Bakura's sudden voice interrupting his light's thoughts.
"Papers?" He asked, still in a bit of a daze.
"Papers, the ones you've been writing my story down on?" Bakura raised an eyebrow. "C'mon, you have them?"
"Uh, yeah…in my coat pocket…why?"
"We're going to get some down on the way home." Bakura stretched his arms above his head, yawning widely. "Get them out, I'm starting without you…well, let's see…where were we then?" He asked loudly over the noise of Ryou flipping through his pages. "Oh right, of course…after the village was destroyed…course I didn't know it then but they'd taken all the bodies down below and dumped them all in a big pot. Melted them down, added a few other ingredients then poured them into the molds. Ta-da, instant millennium items and the key to saving the kingdom." He let his arms fall limply to his sides.
"You mean, this item I'm wearing…" Ryou looked down at it. Ever since Bakura had told him of the flesh needed to make the items, he'd wondered where it fit into creating them. But now…
"Yep, for all I know you've got part of my sister around your neck…" Bakura eyed the ring for a moment, then shrugged. "But I didn't know any of that then…I just wanted away from the village…so I ran…"
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Run, it was the only thing locked into Bakura's young mind. Nothing was going to stop him from escaping the screams that still echoed into the cold night. Every so often he looked back, just a bit, and saw the bright, flickering light behind him of the fires that had engulfed his former home. As his tiny feet struggled to carry him over the sand dunes, he became distantly aware of the blood flowing from the numerous cuts on his body: His arms, his legs, some on his chest and stomach but it was the one of his cheek that he could feel the most. He fell to his knees, placing a hand on his cheek. When it pulled it away, he saw it was completely drenched in his life fluids. Yet it only scared him more and put running away even further up his priority ladder.
He'd already run for miles, he knew that much even if this thought was very distant in his mind. Bakura had a stitch in his side that felt like someone had jammed a knife into his ribs and his breath was coming in short, ragged gasps. He'd never felt more tired in his life, his muscles screamed at him to stop if only for a moment. Their pleas fell on death ears though; his brain had gone numb to his body's protests. To stop running would mean his death though, he couldn't stop, he couldn't stop, he…couldn't…
It was then that his young body finally gave up. Bakura stumbled, falling face first into the sea of sand below him. He tumbled down a small dune, his arms flopping over on his chest as he came to a stop at the bottom. Now all he could see were the stars. He stared up at them, his entire being in pain as he lay there bleeding and panting weakly. His chest heaved with the effort of drawing in another breath and in he wondered vaguely if he was dying. The young boy tried to sit up, to move any part of his body so he could continue to run, but he was far too exhausted to do anything save for looking at the heavenly bodies above. It was then that he did something he'd done every night with his family: He prayed.
"Please…Amun…Bastet…Hathor…someone…" He gasped, his weary eyes searching the skies, "Please…someone…I don't…I don't care…if I…die here…but my…my sister and…my mother and father…please…they shouldn't…they shouldn't die…they don't…deserve it…" He took a deep, quivering breath as a gust of cool wind blew over him. "I don't want them…to die…please…do something…please…" He shut his eyes, let his muscles relax and he spoke no more as his mind went dark as the night around him.
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Ryou gaped at Bakura for what seemed like an eternity. The thief was becoming a bit uncomfortable under the stare. They'd reached their home and now stood silently on the steps. Bakura pretended to be rummaging through his pockets for the house key but Ryou only stood there, gawking.
"So…yeah…" Bakura coughed, carefully avoiding Ryou's eyes. "I passed out in the desert…not a smart thing to do either but I was too tired, I didn't care…all I was hoping for then was the Gods and Goddess' to come floating down or something and save my family…" He finally found the key and hastily unlocked the door. "So…anyway, let's go inside now and I'll tell you the rest…"
"Did they answer you?" Ryou asked after a length. Bakura ushered him inside, laughing a suddenly harsh laugh.
"Did the answer me? Ha! Sometimes I wonder about you Ryou…" He shook his head, a mirthless smile on his face. "Anyway, sit down, back to me passed out…"
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"Bakura…my sweet child…come now…get up…" His head was spinning, he felt positively sick to his stomach. He wondered distantly about trying to sit up but the ground wouldn't stop moving.
"Son? You need to wake up now…" It felt a bit like the ground was spinning under him, or maybe tilting was the better word. Tilting from side to side, going up and down over and over again. Whatever it was, it was making his stomach hurt worse. He was definitely going to throw up now.
"Big brother! You look awful…you're sick!! Are you ok? You should wake up now! Hurry up brother!" Yep, he was sick all right…He'd just proved that all over the sand next to him. His cheek hurt so badly…why was his family trying to wake him up? Couldn't they see how sick he was? Then, as he sat up holding his head, he realized these voices weren't coming from around him. They were in his mind.
"Honey…I know you're sick but you must get out of the desert…those troops will be along any moment Bakura…"
"Your mother's right son, get up…you have to get going…"
"Big brother stop being so lazy!! Get to the next town then you can sleep I promise!! Please? The guards will hurt you! Please get going!" Bakura's eyes snapped open as memories flooded him. It was still dark out, that meant it had been perhaps only hours since the massacre of his village. Of course, now he remembered…why he was lying here, covered in drying blood and sand. He'd been running, he'd got tired and fell…then he'd prayed to the Gods…for his family…and here they were!! He sprang to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain that exploded from his legs. His muscles were far too tired for such quick movement but he didn't care.
"Mother! Father! Akila!" He cried, his voice hoarse from his throat being so dry. "I'm here!! The Gods saved you!" But even as he yelled, looking all around him, he saw that he was only shouting into the still desert night. "Mom, dad…sister?" He tried again, his voice growing quieter. "Where'd you go? You guys…where are you?" Still no answer. He stood silently, looking everywhere he could. Then it hit him. He'd been dreaming, hearing them in his dreams…he'd known the voices were coming from inside him but…he still hoped that they'd be here. He swallowed, even though he had no spit to use and felt a new wave of tears over take him. He sat down heavily into the sand, bowed his head and sobbed openly into the darkness.
He cried out of pain for his muscles ached so badly he thought they might burst. His stomach hurt too, threatening to expel more of its contents at any moment. His heart was also in pain though. Bakura had never felt this sting before. It was as though someone was trying to squeeze his chest. He buried his face into his hands. He didn't want to cry. He knew he couldn't stop the tears from coming though. His family was gone, his home was gone, he was alone, sick and in pain. It was too much for him. Even his cheek had begun to hurt again, as he not only was touching it now but his salty tears had put fresh pain into the open wound. So Bakura let his tears come until he heard another voice.
"Big brother…you're not listening to us…you have to go…please?" He looked up immediately, his eyes puffy and bloodshot.
"Akila?" He whispered, trying to find the source of her voice.
"Big brother, you're wasting time!"
"Akila!" He jumped up again, wiping the tears on his sleeve to look around properly. "Sister! I don't care if I'm wasting time! I want to see you! Where are Mother and Father?"
"…We're…big brother don't worry right now…if you want to see us again…you need to get to the next town…please Bakura…"
"You mean it?!" Bakura shouted, unable to hide his glee. "You promise Akila?!"
"…I…I promise…now hurry…" Her voice faded as Bakura gave a cry of joy. The Gods had answered him after all! They'd saved his family and put them somewhere safe! He no longer cared about the pain or the sick feeling. All he knew again was running, with a far different purpose. He wasn't alone anymore. Sure, he'd only heard these voices in his head but prophets heard voices in their heads too! None of that mattered of course. Because now all he had to do was run.
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"You heard voices?" Ryou asked, scribbling down some notes. Bakura grinned and ruffled Ryou's hair.
"Sounds like someone I know." He laughed.
"That was because you were in my head…" Ryou grumbled, taking a moment to fix his now messy hair. "I blame you for that…"
"You blame me for everything." Bakura said, waving his hand dismissively. Ryou decided it best not to comment on that, as he noticed Bakura's mood was steadily improving. He smiled instead, waiting for the thief to continue. "Right so…back to me…heh, I finally reached the town but…well…"
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It had been morning for little over two hours but the market place was booming. Why wouldn't it be though? Living in such a hot climate, you got use to rising early to beat the heat and shoppers were no different. Merchants would get up before the sun to set out their wares and no sooner had the sun come up than buyers would appear. The sellers would yell to their potential buyers about their goods ("Rare jewelry! The Pharaoh himself couldn't get a ring like this!" or "Fruit so fresh you'd think I had a tree in my house!") And all around him Bakura could only hear the yells and chatter of the townsfolk. So of course there was a mass of people for young Bakura to work his way through. He wasn't sure where he was going but he knew that Akila was here. She'd promised him she would be so now it was just a matter of finding her. He pushed his way gently through the crowds. He didn't want them to see him and he had good reason. Those he did notice him pointed openly and talked loudly.
"You see that boy there? Look at his hair! I've never seen hair that color…like someone put the moon on that boy's head!"
"His tunic is covered in blood!! And his body…where he get those wounds?"
"Did you see his cheek? Nasty, so much blood all over that side of his face…that will scar for sure…"
"Poor boy, so disgusting looking…looks poor too…wonder what happened to him?"
"Thieves no doubt…"
"Poor soul…his hair is so repulsive though…black is a much more natural color…maybe he's foreign…so freaky looking…" He could hear them and it was starting to bug him. Sure his hair was the color of the moon (and current had clumps of blood in it) but that wasn't too weird was it? Being covered in blood though didn't make for a pretty sight, he knew that much. So he decided it best to stay off the main bartering road and cut down a side alley that seemed to be filled with barrels and assorted boxes. There he found it was cooler, shaded and to his delight, it was abandoned. At least, he thought it was.
"Hey, what's with your hair? And you're bleeding all over, try to fight one of the Pharaoh's bodyguards?" Bakura gave a start and peeked behind a barrel. A young boy with sparkling violet eyes and a great length of light sand colored hair was hunched over, his traveling cloak draped around him as if to hide something. Right then though, those strange eyes of his were locked onto Bakura as though he was a deadly snake.
"My hair? What about yours?" Bakura said indignantly. "Yours looks like you poured sand on it only it never fell out."
"Better sand than moonlight eh? At least I blend in." He said proudly. "So what about your wounds then?"
"What are you hiding?" Bakura asked, trying to change the subject. The boy looked over him suspiciously, pulling something close to his chest.
"Nothing, what I've got won't kill me, unlike those cuts you've got…here…" The boy paused and started fumbling through his hidden bag. "You're going to bleed yourself to death or get an infection or something if we don't hurry…"
"That's nice but I'm looking for someone so this isn't the time…" Bakura said, growing impatient with this strange kid.
"Just sit down you nutcase…" He mumbled. "It will only take a minute…"
"I'm not a nutcase!" Bakura shouted irritably though he sat down anyway. "My name is Bakura…"
"That's a messed up name…" The boy said, looking up. "I'm Marik…my hair, just so you know, is normal. A priest did it for me in Greece."
"Where?" The bloodied teen asked curiously.
"Eh, it's north…way north…we took a great big boat there, cross the sea…my dad and me I mean…I learned a lot there…I was 6 when we went there…I kinda wish we still were…" He added with a suddenly bitter tone. "Anyways, they did it…with this paste stuff, gave me a bunch so I could keep dying it." He grinned and pulled out a vial of some amber colored liquid, a rag and some bandages. "My dad's a healer, he's taught me some stuff so no worries eh?"
"Umm…sure…" Bakura eyed the vial nervously, "That won't hurt much will it?"
"Nah, don't worry about that right now and if it did hurt it wouldn't be much I promise!" Marik laughed. He put some on the rag. "Now stick out your legs so I can get those first…" Bakura obeyed, though with a bit of reluctance, and Marik went to work on his legs. It didn't sting at all but rather felt cool and soothing. He relaxed, letting the healer's son do his job. "Ok, now your arms…oh wait you have some on your chest too huh? I'll get those in a minute…" He continued to clean all the wounds, wrapping them carefully as he went to prevent infection. Then he got to Bakura's cheek. Marik gave a low whistle, staring at it.
"What's wrong?" Bakura asked, trying to stay calm. "Is it bad?"
"Well…" Marik paused, wiping away some of the dried blood. "It's deep…it's more a gash than anything…it might not heal that good…"
"I'll have a scar then?" Bakura frowned. He didn't want to have another weird body feature.
"Probably…pretty neat looking scar though…" He laughed, trying to cheer up his new friend. "Don't worry, it will heal at least. You should be happy about that."
"I guess…so…what are you doing down here anyway?"
"Well…ok fine I'll tell you…I took a lot of food and I've been hiding here for an hour, waiting for the guards to cool down and leave me alone…it's working too." The sandy teen said brightly. "They've stopped looking for me."
"But you're a healer's son!" Even Bakura, who'd grown up around thieves, knew a healer made a great sum of money. "Why do you need to steal?"
"I'm running away you dolt!" He hissed suddenly in a low voice. "Don't go shouting around that I've been stealing!! Listen, my dad's great but he made a mistake bringing me back to boring old Egypt. I'm going to get myself a huge pile of money and then I'll get back to Greece my own way…and now that the guards have finally given up..."
"But…" Bakura didn't know what to say. He had a terrible sinking feeling that Marik was going to leave him now and deep down he didn't want that. "I…don't want you to go…"
"Well, since the coast is clear I've got to…" Marik stood and with one swift movement had taken off his cloak and fastened it loosely around Bakura. "There, with all the blood and hair you stood out too much. You'll blend better with that I promise…and take these…" Marik shoved the vial of medicine, the rag and some bandages to him. "Clean your wounds everyday alright? Don't look at me like that either…" He added, noting the look of sadness in Bakura's eyes. "I'm heading up north…I have a feeling I'll see you again so don't worry…" He grinned. "We're friends after all, right Bakura?" Bakura attempted a small smile, nodding.
"Right, we're friends…" He said sadly. Then he remembered why he was here in the first place. "Marik! Have you seen my mother? She has my hair…my sister and father are with her!"
"Oh, is that why you're here?" Marik seemed to be thinking, then he shook his head. "Sorry, haven't seen anyone like you before…if I see them on my way out of town, I'll tell them you're looking for them ok?"
"Thank you…I hope your journey goes well!" Bakura grinned, holding out his hand. "Thanks for healing me and everything…"
"No problem…" Marik smiled back, shaking the younger boy's hand. "Good luck finding your family." And without another word the teen swept out of the alley, blending in easily with the crowd outside and disappearing. Bakura frowned, hanging his head a bit. He'd just made a friend and now he was alone again. He smiled though, remembering that somewhere in this city his family was waiting for him. He went back out into the market place but happier this time. No one was staring at him now and the aches and pains this wounds had caused him were starting to go away. Soon, he'd be with his mother, his father and Akila and then everything would be ok again.
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"Marik was around back then?" Ryou asked in surprise. Bakura looked up and nodded.
"Yeah, didn't you know that? All your little friends had some sort of past life experience there. Cept you and little Yugi." Bakura added with a smirk. "Because of me and Yami that is."
"…Oh…I see…" Ryou said, though he didn't fully understand it at all. "Umm, you can continue then…"
"Right, anyway, so Marik left and I went back to looking for my parents…but…it didn't go so well…"
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Three days. Three long, torturous days had passed since Bakura first reached the town and it was becoming increasingly clear that his family had never even been to this place. After the first day, he asked around, trying to see if anyone had ever seen them. But no matter who he asked, he always got the same answer: His family wasn't here. The sun was setting on the third day as Bakura sat alone against a wall. He'd been watching people pass by all day. The plan was, sit by the town entrance and he wouldn't miss them. So he'd waited all day, observing everyone he saw and asking them questions. Even through all this he hadn't forgotten to clean his wounds like Marik had told him. In fact they were starting to look much better. Bakura sighed, seeing all the people going into their houses to rest for the night. No one would be out now so it was no use to keep looking tonight. Finally, he bowed his head, ready to sleep again as the street emptied.
"Hey kid, you slept here last night too didn't you?" He glanced up. An elderly man had stopped cleaning his stand and now stared at Bakura. "Have you even eaten yet?"
"…No…I…don't have any money…" He muttered, ignoring the pains in his stomach. "I don't know how to steal either…"
"Ha! Such an honest little boy!" The man laughed harshly. "Say, are you waiting for someone?"
"…Yes…" Bakura hesitated though he wasn't sure why, "…My parents said they'd meet me here…"
"Did you check the inn?" The merchant asked. "I doubt they'd wander the streets you know…" Bakura gaped up at him, dimly aware of how stupid he must look. Of course, why didn't he think of that? His parents could have been there the whole time! He jumped to his feet.
"No I didn't! Where's the inn?!" He cried.
"Down this street, take the fifth left and keep going until you see it. You won't miss it I swear…" The man paused, looking him over. "Bunch of people staying there tonight…just tell them old Tet sent you and they'll give you some food and a place to sleep…"
"Thanks sir!" Bakura grinned and took off at top speed down the road. He could feel the hope rising back into his chest. The inn, such an obvious answer that he couldn't help but feel a bit foolish for overlooking it before. Even with all these thoughts, he was still careful to keep his cloak wrapped around him tightly. Clutching it as he ran, he amused himself with a 'race' against the sun. The sun won, however, as it was already nightfall by the time he'd reached the inn. "I'll beat you next time!" Bakura hollered playfully into the gathering darkness before entering the inn. The old man hadn't been lying. A great number of people were there sitting around tables, laughing and eating.
"Say aren't you a bit young to be here on your own?" A young woman asked him as he approached the counter. He shook his head, still making sure his robe was covering his hair.
"No, I'm waiting for my parents…have you seen them? My mom has long silvery hair so she kind of stand's out…" Bakura watched the girl intently as she fell into thought.
"Well, I don't think I've seen anyone like that in my whole life…" She frowned as she thought. "Are you sure they're here?"
"W-well…I thought…" He stammered nervously, the hope he'd managed to build up slipping away rapidly.
"Did they say they'd be here?"
"Well…I mean…they said…"
"Are you okay sweetie? Your face looks so white…"
"I'm…but Akila said…well…I…" Bakura sat down in a nearby chair, his eyes staring blankly ahead as he tried desperately to figure out what was going on. At the table next to him, a quiet conversation wormed its way into his ears.
"…It was hard, I had to kill the rest of the guards you know so they couldn't tell the Pharaoh…"
"So then the items have been created?"
"It wasn't an easy task…but yes they have…using the dark spell…"
"Out of the ninety-nine bodies of Kuru Eruna?" When Bakura heard this, his eyes slowly turned towards the speakers: Two heavily cloaked men, speaking to each other in hushed tones. They wouldn't have been overheard anyway. The place was too loud and the only one that seemed to hear them was Bakura. Everyone else, including the nice owner lady, was too busy to notice them.
"Yes, it was difficult but we managed to get all of them into the pot…it was amazing really…to think that these gold Millennium Items were made from the liquid of human bodies…"
"I'm so glad you did this, now the Pharaoh will have the weapons he needs to save all of Egypt. No one will miss Kuru Eruna. There were no survivors and no one else but us know how the Millennium Items were created…"
"Yes, it's wonderful…" The other man said cheerfully. Bakura stood and walked quietly out of the inn. Once outside, he continued walking, making his way out of town, going farther away from his home. It was hours before the numbness wore off, hours before he was able to think again. His brain had been too busy pouring over what he'd heard. Then, as it finally clicked into place, a new feeling burst into his heart: Anger, anger beyond anything he'd ever felt in his young life. It consumed him entirely as he began to shake and sniffle, tears forming in his eyes. He fell to his knees in the sand and gave a cry of anguish as fresh tears surged from his eyes.
"I'm so stupid!" He roared. "SO STUPID!!! How could I have even thought they were alive? All this time!" He bit his lower lip, his whole body quaking under the cloak. He balled his hands into fists and pounded the desert below him. "They weren't alive! They…How could I have been so stupid?! I heard voices and I followed them? Even after I saw them…saw the guards…kill them! I…I'm so…and you!" Bakura titled his head up, now screaming at the stars. "You didn't save them! They…my mom and dad…and Akila…sister…you let them get turned into those…item things! In some pot! Melted down! That man said so! Do you think the way he does?! No one will miss Kuru Eruna right?! No one lived right?! I lived! Why didn't you let any of them live either?!" He fumed, flinging his head back towards the ground as waves of hot tears flowed down his face. They splashed silently on his tunic, mixing in with the dried blood. "They're dead…I saw them die…how could I have thought…that they'd still…and no one helped them…I couldn't even help…Akila…you didn't have to die…mom…dad…you're gone…no…no one cares…they don't care…NONE OF YOU CARE!!" He bellowed, falling onto his back in the sand.
"…I care big brother…" He rolled his eyes when he heard the voice. He was being delusional again.
"You're dead Akila…" Bakura muttered, his voice growing hoarse from yelling.
"Do you still love me big brother?"
"Of course I do!"
"Then I'm not dead, the people you love never die. They stay in your heart. Mom, dad, me…were here…we'll always be here for you…whenever you need us…Bakura, big brother, no matter what you decide to do, we'll always be with you. You're not alone big brother. I'd never abandon you. So don't forget, you're not alone as long as you need us."
"That's nice, lot of help it does me. I need you now but I don't see you here." He groaned. "You're just a voice, my sister is dead so stop bugging me…" The voice of his Akila obeyed, falling silent as he stared up at the stars. He could still feel the tears coming from his eyes and he felt a few drip into near his ears. The anger was still very much present, Bakura's fists remained balled and his body refused to stop shaking. He sniffed, wiping his nose and eyes quickly with his cloak before he burst into a new wave of tears. Bakura closed his eyes hoping to stop them but it didn't work. He was really alone now. Lying here, under the moonless cloudy sky with only a few stars staring back at him, that became clear. No one was going to be with him, nor did anyone care if he was even alive or not. He was supposed to have died, died in the flames of his village or by the guards spear. He too, was supposed to be melted and put into the Millennium Items, whatever they were.
"…Stupid items…" He sniffed, his voice sounded tired and ragged. "If…if those items were never made…if…if the Pharaoh didn't need them…" Suddenly his eyes snapped open. "The Pharaoh…if…if he wasn't…if he wasn't alive then…" He sat up, his mind slowly clearing. "If the Pharaoh was dead, he'd never have sent those guards…they'd have never come to Kuru Eruna…they'd have never killed everyone…Akila, mom, dad, they'd still be alive…if it hadn't been for the Pharaoh…it's all his fault…all because of him…" He picked himself up off the ground, a plan forming in his mind. "So then…the Pharaoh is the reason I don't have a family…or a home…or a life…then…" He swallowed and for the first time in his life, a strange feeling came over him. He wouldn't know it then, but it was hints of the insanity that he would soon grow accustomed to. Bakura grinned. "Then I'll just have to get rid of the Pharaoh…and get the Millennium Items. No one knows I survived…so they think everything's going according to their plans…so I'll show them…if all that's left of my family is some item thing, then it's mine. The Pharaoh wants it so bad, then I'll fight him for it." Bakura threw his head back and laughed loudly into the night. "Your plan backfired Pharaoh!" He sang to the night. "I lived! Those items are mine and so are you!"
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Ryou's pen fell silent as it dropped on the seat next to him. Bakura didn't say anything, turning his attention towards the window rather than Ryou's face. He didn't want to see that look in his light's eyes, the pity mixed with alarm. He'd only seen that look once before, when their souls had been separated. In that instant, Ryou had felt, in essence, all the pain and suffering that Bakura had felt in his entire life. The thief himself suddenly became interested in the fresh, falling snow as he distantly felt Ryou's eyes boring into his back.
"Save your words." Bakura said, cutting off Ryou before the teen could even speak. "Listen, I lived my life the way I wanted to. There was no other road. I had to get revenge, what else was there for me? I defied Fate somehow, I escaped death so there was no future for me. There wasn't supposed to be. So I made my own future." He sighed, resting his head against his arm. "You know, it's funny that you would feel sorry for me…why should you? I was happy…I got my revenge, sort of…well, I did make the Pharaoh miserable so that's always a plus. Then I…I met you and found Marik again…plus I can go yell at the Pharaoh whenever I want. So why should you feel sorry for me? I've got a pretty decent life, all things considered." He couldn't see Ryou's face of course but he knew he must be surprised.
"But…Bakura…you're happy?" He said finally, sounded very confused. "But your sister…and your parents…"
"They died to give me a chance at life." Bakura turned around though he still refused to stare Ryou in the eye. "I thought about it a lot lately…and I realized…well…my parents died to save myself and my sister…Akila didn't have to die but…when I became a thief, I heard her voice a lot, telling me where guards were, which way to run…who knows? She might have saved my life by dying as well…" He smiled sadly. "It's not a happy thought, I hate thinking that my stupid life was spared but it was…and I've decided, recently…that I'm not going to waste it…I'm going to do a few things better…" His voice trailed off. Ryou blinked a few times then smiled softly, his eyes bright with wonder.
"That really is amazing, Bakura. I'm not sure how you did it, but you managed to change your outlook on life…so that you can live a happy life…I'm very happy for you." His cheeks turned a soft pink as his words echoed in his head.
"I didn't do it on my own you know…you helped…a lot…" Bakura tried resisting the blood rushing to his face but he couldn't hide it very well. "I mean, I'd never have thought this stuff if you hadn't made me relive my past. So…credit is being given where credit is due…you helped me a lot Ryou…"
"Anytime Bakura." He took a deep breath. Now seemed like a good enough time to ask him. It was something that had plagued him all night and it had just risen again in the form of a knot in his stomach. "Bakura I need to ask you something." The other looked up, raising an eyebrow as if to say "Go ahead" so Ryou continued. "…Why…why did you kiss me?" The yami didn't speak for a while, looking back out the window instead. When he did speak, it wasn't what Ryou had been expecting.
"It's getting pretty late you know, we've been talking all day…" Bakura said as if he didn't hear Ryou. "You should probably get along to bed or something…"
"Avoiding it?" Ryou frowned. Usually, he'd just let this slide but his heart felt like it was twisted up into a ball and he had to know if Bakura felt the same way. "I just want to know…please tell me, whatever the reason I won't be hurt or mad or anything." Bakura groaned, running his hands over his face.
"Ryou, listen, just…forget that happened ok? It was just…" Bakura stopped when he realized he had no way to finish this sentence. Ryou waited patiently which only cause the darker one more grief. "It's just that…I want you to forget about it…and…if you have any feelings about me…that are more than friendly then forget those too. It's just better for both of us this way." After he spoke, he was prepared to let the conversation die and go back into silence. Ryou, however, seemed to have another question on his mind.
"…How do you really feel about me Bakura? Be honest." Ryou gave him a half glare, he couldn't muster up a real one right then.
"How do I feel about you…" Bakura said slowly. He shut his eyes and Ryou could tell he was trying to think of what to say. They lapsed into silence and Ryou wondered if Bakura had fallen asleep or was just refusing to answer. Before he could voice his concerns, however, Bakura spoke again. "How I feel about you…is kind of complicated…but…I promise I'll tell you soon, once I figure out how to word it right." He stood up and marched towards the stairs. Halfway up them, he turned and said. "I'm going to bed now…Please just accept my answer for now?" Ryou could hear a strain in his voice, one that held in it a great deal of confusion. So he agreed, nodding his head and allowed Bakura to go upstairs without an argument.
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Ryou worked late into the night on his report. Or, at least he tried to work on it. He knew he should but all he could think about was Bakura. He'd gone through so much, was it really right of Ryou to give him a hard time about something like a kiss? Maybe Bakura just felt like kissing him. And about his feelings…maybe he just shouldn't pry. He could be bringing up more painful memories for all he knew. He laid down on the couch, setting his notes on the table. Why was it then, that even knowing this he still asked Bakura such personal questions? He didn't really want to say the answer but a few minutes of mulling it over caused it to come out of him.
"I give up…I love him, can't deny that…" Ryou muttered sleepily. If he was honest with himself, then he knew he was in love with Bakura. Then was no doubt in his mind about that, not anymore. He wondered with slight amusement what his father would say about that or how the conversation would go. "You know that necklace you gave me, the Millennium Ring? Well it had the spirit of an insane ancient thief inside it. Anyways, he did a lot of stuff like stole people's souls and tried very hard to kill my friend Yugi since he has the spirit of the Pharaoh. Anyway, that's not important, what is important is that I am in love with the thief. Course I don't really know if he loves me back or anything and I think he still wants to kill the Pharaoh but that's ok with you right?" He gave a laugh, it sounded terrible out loud like that. "Yeah right…dad would faint…" He yawned widely and shook his head. "No…I shouldn't bother Bakura anymore with stupid questions like that…maybe he's right…maybe I should just forget about my feelings…but the only reason I would do that is because I love him too much and I don't want him to go through anymore pain…but then I can't really forget my feelings for him then…kind of a problem…" He sighed and decided not to think about it anymore. Instead, he contented himself with drifting off to sleep. However, he was the only one who was asleep.
Bakura had been sitting at the top of the stairs, out of sight, listening to intently to every word Ryou said.
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Bakura's Journal Entry 2
I still refuse to say dear journal…
Fine, if you give up then I do too. I love you Ryou. Gods, there, I said it. It's true though, that's my honest answer. Those are my feelings for you, try as I have and Gods know I have, to deny them. Because of that, you can ask me any stupid question you want. Hell, you can ask if what color the sky is and I won't laugh I promise. Well, ok I might kind of smirk a bit but that is a really really stupid question and you wouldn't ask me that right? If you did then…but that's not the point!
Ok I really don't have a point…I just love you Ryou…two times I've actually said it now, within five minutes too, pretty impressive huh? Although you're right, I do still want to kill the Pharaoh. Even though you've helped me a lot, old habits die hard you know. Oh well, if you love me then you love every part of me, including the insane part.
But you really do care about me, that strongly…Ryou, you really are an angel. Ok yes that does sound incredibility sappy but I read a book in your room about angels and it said they are capable of loving anything, including things that shouldn't be loved like a serial killer or a mass murderer or that guy who delivers the mail. He's an asshole but you're still nice to him. Anyway, point is…you're an angel by that definition. See?
But even with all this stuff, I'm still going ahead with my plan. It's really the only way I can get closure…I think that's the nicest way of putting it. I'm still not going to tell you about it…but I promise things won't be so bad. You'll be just fine without me. Marik thinks I should tell you but I'm still not going to. That's why we have to get this report done…and I'll even take you to the New Year's Eve party at little Yugi's as…I don't know what it is, just a chance for us to bond more I guess…
…but even though I told you to forget your feelings…it's…nice to know that you love me…it means Akila was right…I'm not alone…
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A/N: Sage: (faints) that…took…a lot…of…typing…
Kaley: Longest chapter yet.
Bakura: Wayyy too long…
Sage: But…I feel that the chapter…wouldn't be as good…if I'd have left a single word out.
Kaley: The reviewers will tell you if you wasted your time.
Bakura: Yep, they're nice like that.
Sage: Anyways, I have to thank Pandoras Fallen again She helped cure my writer's block and saved this chapter from being completely done over. She's great like that.
Kaley: So anyways, hope you guys like this chapter.
Bakura: Review and we'll see you…soon. Heh.
