Chapter Ten
I slowly walked home. There was no hurry because Ryou would most likely sleep till morning and I was still weak from 'Mind Crush.' For the first time I was actually impressed by the former pharaoh, using the shadow power like that barely seemed to affect him. When I did get home I started to think of were I could sleep that night. Afraid of waking Ryou if I slept in his room, I chose the couch. As soon as my head hit the pillows, that always occupied the chairs, I was asleep. Oblivious to any and all things that were happening around me.
By the time I awoke the next morning the sun was high in the sky and my energy was fully restored. Upon standing a glint caught my eye and on closer inspection I noticed the Millennium Ring. 'I guess I forgot to put it around his neck.' I thought still a little tired. As I walked upstairs I was thinking of the explanation I would need to supply along with the apologies that would never be enough. When I reached the top of the stairs I noticed Ryou's door was open and ran to see if he was still inside. Needless to say, he wasn't. Now fully awake I ran out the door and down the street, with the ring around my neck to give to Ryou when I found him. I didn't know where he was only that he was in trouble and needed me.
I hadn't been running long when I heard someone say "Bakura." The voice was soft and familiar.
I spun around and started walking towards the direction from which my name had been called. "Who's there? Show yourself!" Out of the shadows came Vincent, "Valentine is that you?"
His accustom nod was the answer, "Call me Vincent."
"Alright Vincent, what was it you wanted to say? I am in a hurry."
"I have a message to deliver to a Yami Bakura concerning a Ryou Bakura."
"What? You know where Ryou is. Where? Please tell me!"
Sympathy was visible through the mask he wore. Most might not have seen it but since I used to always wear a mask of my own I could see through it, to the real Vincent. "My sister paid me a visit this morning."
"Your sister? What has she-" pause "Wait your sister wouldn't be-" he nodded and took a step back.
"Unfortunately my sister is Mai, which is why I asked you not to call me by the name we share." He let me soak all this in before continuing. "She showed up this morning and asked me to deliver this message," he held out a folded sheet of paper, which I quickly took and read:
Dear Bakura,
This is not a ransom note because I am not asking for money and have no intentions of returning my new 'sex toy.' I am just stating a fact that your hikari is now mine and that if you wish to try to save him, you are welcome. I am at my house. I have not enclosed directions because they are not necessary. The boy that is delivering this message knows the way well enough. At least to the start of the maze. Good luck.
-Hojo
By this point my blood was boiling but above the anger was a different emotion. That of fear. Fear that Ryou would be violated again. I knew that sicko would do it. There was no doubt about that. I just had to get there first. "You know the way." It was half a question half a statement but all the same Vincent nodded. "Good, then let's go." With that we were on our way.
It took longer that I had wished to make it to the beginning of the maze and it was almost dark by the time we had actually gotten to the door at the end of it. The door looked normal enough; it was wood but only had a simple looking lock. 'Cocky isn't he,' I studied spitefully, 'He will learn never to mess with a yami's koi first hand.' Voices could be heard. Hoping to gather information I listened. But what I heard only fuelled my anger.
"Suck," demanded a voice I recognized to be Ian's. Vincent apparently recognized it too because he stiffened for a second before relaxing a little. If he had once been here like the note said it was obvious he had never wished to return.
"N-no, p-p-please, s-stop." That was my Ryou pleading. With that the thought of gaining information was thrown out the window and I tried to open the door. I could never stand Ryou's pleading; it made me feel so guilty. Problem was when I tried to unlock the door I found it lock to me more complex than it looked and when I tried to break the lock no matter what it wouldn't work. I worked frantically as voices inside continued.
"I said suck, whore." The crack of a whip followed the angry voice.
"P-please, I don't-"
"Just suck," a gasp from Ryou, then there was a moan of pleasure from the other. "Harder," another moan, "ah, that's it."
Finally the lock broke and I flow the door open relieving the sight I had expected to see but still hated seeing. Ryou, naked and bleeding, on his knees; his head being held to Ian's crouch with one hand, making it impossible for Ryou to get away. In Ian's other hand was the whip I had heard from outside. Ian didn't seem to have noticed my entrance, Vincent had stayed outside promising to make sure neither Mai or Ian left that way alive, as he continued bucking into Ryou's mouth. I couldn't stand it anymore; I lunged forward and tacked him, throwing him to the ground. In the surprise he had released Ryou, who had now collapsed and was breathing heavily.
I got off of Ian and went to Ryou trying to help him breathe and get him out of this place. "Ryou is going home with me." I raised my hand in the same fashion as I had done the night before.
Instead of becoming scared or accepting defeat he started to laugh. "You underestimate me Bakura. Mai, come out here please. "Out stepped Mai from another room. "You know what I expect you to do right?" She nodded and turned to me.
"To bad you could have had me and lived. In fact you still can. All you have to do is denounce your love for Ryou."
"I would never."
"Oh well," she said causally and shrugged, "guess I will just have to kill you then."
I will never understand her. "Do you truly think you can defeat me? I have shadow powers, remember." To emphasis my point I held up my hand and projected shadow energy around it.
"I have a surprise for you." 'What? What is she talking about?' I quickly learned the answer to that question as she mirrored what I had done. Shadow energy radiated from her hand and she smirked at my surprised expression. "Didn't know I had shadow powers too, did you? Actually they are a recent improvement Hojo provided me with. You see I have liked you for awhile and knew I had to make you mine but it was obvious you liked that slut." She pointed toward Ryou, who was listening intently, and wrinkled her nose. "So I devised a plan that used the Millennium Rod, which unfortunately takes time to learn to manipulate. Time I didn't have. Instead I kid-napped Malik and made Marik use it instead. But I knew without shadow powers I couldn't fulfil this plan because he would just use the Rod to make me give Malik back. That is when I met Hojo here. He said he knew a way for me to obtain the energy if I didn't mind the risks involved. I was willing to be his guinea-pig if it meant getting the powers of the shadow realm like you yamis.
He fulfilled his promise too, granting me temporary manipulation of the shadow realm. I used those powers to kidnap Malik and force Marik into using the powers of the Millennium Rod to make you kiss me as soon as I was sure the slut was watching. It worked too and Hojo got want he wanted out of it. Ryou was alone and vulnerable.
Later that night when you banished his soul to the shadow realm you ran out of energy and only sent him halfway. Using all of my remaining power I brought him back, as you can see, and explained to him about yamis and hikaris. This was just the information he needed to get an idea, and what a wonderful idea it was too. Turns out that if we converted enough light energy into dark energy, I could regain my shadow powers and keep them permanently. Problem was 'where could we find enough light energy?' It had to be from a hikari, as they are the only ones with that much light power, and there are only three of them that I know of. Yugi was out of the question because he had his Millennium Puzzle on and could call for Yami. Besides those two have grown so close Yugi could call for Yami without the help of the puzzle. Malik was also out of the question because I was bond by Marik's spell never to have anything to do with him ever again. So the only hikari left was yours.
Our first plan was to take him while he was still asleep, but when we arrived at your house you were the only one there. It didn't take us long to find him though. Apparently he had gone to Malik and Marik's place. When he left and was out of site of any prying eyes we captured him. I must admit though I am quite impressed. He had made it all around the town by himself, blind as he is."
"What do you mean? How did you know he was blind?"
"It is obvious; all you have to do is look in his eyes."
"What did you do to him?"
"To make him blind? I didn't do anything. Actually it is mostly your fault." 'What is she talking about? My fault? Did I do this to him and not even know it? What have I done?' "But as for the kid-napping all I did was capture him and bring him back here. After that I left these two to play while I went to deliver a message to my brother as you must have figured out. When they finished playing the whore had passed, which made it easier to complete the experiments, both of which, if you ask me, were a success."
"Experiments?" I raised my eyebrow not liking the way that sounded.
"Well actually one of the experiments was sort of a failure. The one that gave me my shadow powers. It was supposed to only take most of his light energy but instead it will take all of it."
"What?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "But his light energy is his life force. If you drain it all you will kill him."
"Yes, you are right. That is why I say it was successful." I couldn't believe them. "The second experiment was basically pointless seeing as he will die before it matters so I won't bother telling you about it," she chuckled.
The dark power radiating from my hand grew at the same rate as my anger. I looked around the room to survey the situation. Ian was watching all that was going on. Ryou was staring in my direction, wide brown eyes full of guilt at what he had just heard and how he had acted or what he might have thought before he knew the truth. Vincent was barely visible outside the door. "Vincent," my voice was harder than ever before, "get Ryou out of here." As soon as I saw Vincent enter the room and head toward Ryou I turned my attention back to Mai. "I will not let him die."
There is nothing you can so to stop it. Even if you kill me he will still be drained of his light and his life."
"I will save him somehow, you can be sure of that, but first I will kill you, and him," I indicated Ian. "As much as you deserve to spend eternity in the shadow realm I cannot risk you returning again. Not when you have done all of this to my koi."
"Ha, we'll see about that," with that she shot a burst of energy at me. I barely had time to dodge it before another shoot was fired. This time instead of dodging I countered. Our blast hit each other and we were equally matched. "So how does it feel to be fighting against Ryou? That is basically what you are doing after all. I have his light and life at my disposal." At the same time we both sent the rest of our energy though our blasts. When the fresh energy touched they exploded and everything went black.
LF: It snowed, it snowed.
Bakura: Yes, yes it did. You are very observant. Congradulation.
LF: Yep. But we were cheated.
Bakura: No 'we' weren't. Who is this 'we' anyways.
LF: We were to. It snowed on a Friday night so we didn't get out of school.
Ryou: We live in your head sweetie. We don't go to school.
LF: Lucky. Oh well hope you enjoyed this chapter.
