Double Meaning
gninaeM elbuoD
(( Mondai Senshi ))
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GAH! Okay, that was WAY too long of a pause, now please, people, DON'T KILL ME!
Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fic belong to me, and no profit is being made in writing this story.
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Ryou tore through the hallway, slammed his shoulder into the heavy stone door, and quickly slipped through. He headed for a flight of stairs, down a hallway, and effortlessly past the ghosted mage who guarded a doorway. He skidded to a stop as he quickly turned a corner, never questioning which way to turn or wondering if it might be dangerous. Once his shoe caught on a rock pressing out from the floor, but his hand only grazed the soft, cold sand before he slammed his other foot beneath him and pressed on.
The room was brightly lit, making a stark contrast from the rest of the chambers he'd passed. Ryou could run no longer. His feet ached and his head was pounding, but this was dwarfed by the heavy slamming of his heart. It was clear that Bakura, or maybe the pharoah himself, had set off quite a few traps in the room, but as some lead directly to the door, he surely must have made it through. Yet why did Ryou not want to pass into those chambers?
It was only then, with a heavy gasp for air, did Ryou realize that he was not the only one breathing, quite heavily, in that room. Bright as it may have been compared to the rest of the catacombs, the room was still rather large, and lit only with a sparce placement of torches around the room. Ryou gazed around himself with an intense stare, which was met with a glint from the white shine of Bakura's hair.
All Ryou could do was stare, horrorstruck, completely forgetting his own exhaustion. Bakura was pressed against the wall, pinned by a flat stone surface, the shaft of an arrow protruding from between the thief and his captivating barrier.
It was the Pharoah's sudden arrival, his footprints sounding not quite as quickly as Ryou's had, that finally encouraged Ryou to act.
He sprinted foreward, pressing his fingers into the crevice between the wall behind and the stone that held Bakura, then pried with all the strength he could summon. He was soon joined by the Pharoah, and Bakura's desperate rasping breaths turned to agonized screams.
Ryou's mind echoed Bakura's pained cries, his heavy gasps, his voice speaking gently in his ear, and Ryou's own prayers that, by strength or by miracle, Bakura's life may be saved.
The stone slab gave an inch, and Bakura's screaming grew slightly more faint. Another inch and he retreated to laboured groans. It became simpler to force this boulder against the pull of gravity, and before Ryou thought it could be possible, Bakura had pulled himself from the stone's path.
He lay on his side, unable to move and, at the same time, unwilling. Ryou flew to his side, fingering the puncture in Bakura's ribs, then brushing the platinum hair from his face. He looked almost peaceful, then, in a state of numbed consciousness.
Bakura's face contorted as he forced himself to his feet, staggering unsteadily. Ryou wrapped his arm beneath the thief's shoulders, steadying him with his own. Bakura stood, limp but strong, and forced a grin, accompanied by a slight chuckle.
"When first we were together, I was aware of you." Bakura spoke slowly, pained by the effort. "I remember how frightened you were when you first heard my voice, how pleased I was by your response. I'd never have thought I would be here, least of all on your account."
Ryou grinned, his eyes wet and sympathetic. "I'd not have you die for me. Let's get you back to your soul room."
Bakura groaned against the pain, but stood apart from his accomplice. "No." He began a slow stride towards the opposite door from which Ryou had come. "From here, I go alone."
This caused Ryou to flinch. He stood steady, yet still shaking, eyes lowered to the ground. Without a second thought the words spilled from his mouth. "You jackass! You dare to go, probably get yourself killed, and leave me without you?" His eyes were now narrowed, and shot directly at Bakura, who grinned back at him from the dim doorway.
"You forget, Omote-chan, the dead cannot die."
He emerged himself in darkness without another word, leaving Ryou standing in the torch-light, flames flickering in his eyes.
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I kinda lost the end of the chapter... T-T
