I'm finallyback. Thought I'd tackle this fic first.
Thischapter contains OCCness and slight crossovers. You've been warned...
That being said, hope you enjoy!
I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!
"Where have you been? I've been worried sick!" Ryou sprang up from the couch the moment Bakura entered.
"Shh," the elder murmured, manually closing the automatically-locking door, keeping his back to Ryou. "I'm sorry, Ryou-chan. Something came up."
Ryou raised his eyebrows. "'Ryou-chan,' huh? Alright, what do you need this time?"
"Need?" Bakura asked innocently, not turning around. He wasn't sure how his younger cousin would take to the child in his arms. "What makes you think I need something?
"The fact that you added –chan to my name." Ryou rolled his eyes. "Turn around, 'Kura. Now."
Sighing, Bakura meekly obeyed.
Ryou looked taken back at the sight in front of him. "A kid? Goodness, what a mess he's in…" the teen came forward, and took the child into his own arms. "Oh, cutie!" Bakura blinked, thinking that all his worries were for naught. Ryou was taking this quite well. "Poor little one, he's starving. I'll put him in my bed. I'll get Rock to look him over…" With that, Ryou left, cradling the little boy in his arms.
Bakura rolled his eyes at how quickly his cousin had gotten used to the situation. "And here I was, worrying about his not wanting an extra person to care for." He muttered. "I forgot what a softie he is."
"Where did you find him?" Ryou asked his cousin later, when they were alone in the kitchen, Bakura warming up with a cup of coffee. Rock, their resident robot, had declared the boy would be ok, that he was just nutrition-deprived and dehydrated. Food, water, rest, and good care were what he prescribed.
And so Bakura explained. By the end of his story, Ryou was almost crying. Oh wait, he was crying.
"Please, little cousin, don't." Bakura sighed. "I've had enough of people crying for the day."
Ryou sniffed, and wiped his eyes. "But…I just feel so sorry for him. Nobody should have to suffer like that, with all the technology and surpluses we have today."
"I know."
"So, can we keep him?" Ryou asked, hope shining in his eyes.
The older one laughed. "And here I was worrying you would say no! Yes, Ryou, we most certainly can."
With those words, a new chapter in their lives began.
The early morning silence was broken by a call sounding down the stairs. "Rock, could you find some clothes for the child? The ones he has are way too dirty. Not to mention small."
"Of course, Master," the robot nodded. "I'll do it right away."
Ryou sighed, stepping off the last steps and coming into view. "I wish you would quit calling me 'master.'"
The child-like robot grinned sheepishly. "Ah, yes, Mas - Ryou-sama, but I just keep forgetting…once something is programmed in, it's hard to get out."
"I thought you were supposed to be equipped with a self-learning program," Bakura remarked, coming in the room. "Or have those scientists been lying to us?"
"I am, Master, but still…pre-programmed data is hard to shake off. It can be done, certainly, but…" the robot ran a hand through its messy brown hair.
"Stop calling me 'master,' Rock. I don't like it any more than Ryou."
"Right, Bakura-sama."
The man threw up his hands. "Can't we just stick with 'Bakura'?"
Rock winced. "That might be going a little too far…"
"Oh forget it. Off with you!" Bakura waved a hand towards the door, his eyes sparkling mischievously.
Rock laughed, having been with his Master long enough to know that the man was teasing. Bowing, he left the room.
Rock, also known as DC47823, was a standard robot. Everyone who worked had one: they were provided by the government. One per household. That was the law. No two robots were exactly alike. Their personalities were all slightly unique, and developed according to the personalities and needs of their masters. Rock looked exactly like a human child, around the age of twelve. His (Bakura and Ryou had long ago ceased to call him an 'it') eyes were a startling shade of green, pure and clear. His hair was a messy brown, and never grew or fell. His 'skin', which felt exactly like human skin, was lightly tanned. The robot creators took great pains to ensure their creations were as human-like as possible, but they never tried to cross that fine line between natural and manmade. Rock could feel only simple emotions, and never as strongly as a human could. He never needed to eat, only to 'sleep' and recharge for at least seven hours a day. He was very useful around the household, able to do everything from grocery shopping to performing a simple diagnosis. Bakura didn't know what he would do without the robot, who was, to him, as much a friend as he was a servant.
"Master…I mean, Bakura-sama, the child is awake, and crying. He seems quite upset." Rock poked his head into the kitchen three hours after breakfast. "What shall I do?"
"Nothing. I'll take care of it." Bakura rose. "Tell Ryou, will you?"
Rock nodded, and Bakura left.
Upon his entering the room where the child had been placed the previous night, Bakura was immediately tackled into a hug. Looking down, he saw the little one hugging his legs for all he was worth.
Bakura chuckled, and lifted the boy up. "Hello there. Sleep well?"
The boy nodded. "I was scared you left me," he confessed, rubbing tears out of his eyes.
"Silly. I told you I'd take care of you. I don't break promises. No one does."
The child smiled, reassured. "I dreamed about 'niichan last night."
Bakura paused. "Oh?"
"Uh-huh. I miss 'im," the boy sniffed, eyes tearing up again. "I want him back…"
The man sighed, a was, for a moment, at a loss for words. After a moment, he managed to murmur, "I know it's hard, but I'm here to help, ok? Anytime you need me…"
The child smiled again, and pressed his head into Bakura's shoulder, making to elder chuckle awkwardly.
"Come, then. Let's get you something to eat."
Bakura carried the child into the kitchen, where Ryou was waiting. Rock was setting out an early lunch.
"Hello there, little one," Ryou grinned, coming up to them. The child drew back slightly, gazing at Ryou with a mixture of weariness and curiosity.
"Nothing to worry about. That's Ryou, my younger cousin. And that's Rock over there. They live here too, and they're your friends, ok?" There was a slight pause, before he added. "By the way, my name's Bakura."
The boy grinned, eyes bright and accepting, and nodded.
"What's your name, little one?" Ryou asked, cocking his head.
"Yamakili," the boy replied softly. "But 'niichan always called me Yami. I like that better."
"Yami, then." Bakura sat the child down on a high chair Rock had gotten over the Net that morning. "Eat, kid. Let's get used to each other, because, if all goes well, we'll be living together for a long time."
Over the next weeks, little Yami became a familiar presence inside the house. The government had approved of his living under Bakura's care, and had sent extra money when they heard about the circumstances under which the child was found.
Yami gradually adapted to the house and its occupants. Though he still woke up crying at night, and still called out in his dreams for his older brother, these occurrences lessened as time went by.
"Come, Master Yami." Rock sighed one afternoon, three months after the child's arrival. "Please, we need to get you ready before Master Bakura gets home from work."
"But I don't wanna take a bath!" the boy whined, hiding behind the couch.
"Come on. You know you'll have to do it sooner or later."
"Don't wanna!"
"I'll give you a cookie if you take a bath now," the robot prompted.
The boy paused, thinking the deal over, and, at length, nodded, coming out of his hiding place.
Rock smiled, and picked the boy up.
"I really do not understand why you don't like water," the robot remarked as he made his way towards the bathroom with the child secure in his arms. "Neither Master Bakura or Master Ryou have a problem with it."
"I dunno. I just don't like it." Yami shrugged. "But I like cookies," he added.
"Yes, I know," Rock laughed.
Thirty minutes later, little Yami was bathed, dressed, and munching a chocolate-chip cookie in the kitchen. Rock sat nearby, keeping an eye on him, as he had been instructed to do.
"Rock-kun, can I have another one?" the child asked hopefully, once the first one was gone.
"No. It'll ruin you appetite."
"Please?" the request was accompanied by a slight pout and wide, shining eyes.
"No," Rock laughed. "That look might work on Master Bakura and Master Ryou, but not me, little one."
"Awww…"
A bell sounded through the house, announcing that someone was home. Sure enough, a moment later, Ryou walked in.
"Oniichan!" Yami squealed, bounding over to the teen. "You're back!"
"Yep!" Ryou lifted the boy up. "Had a good day?"
"Yeah! Hey, did'ya know that we live in the Post-War Era? I learned that today!"
"Oh really? You're getting smart." Ryou grinned, setting the boy down to free his hands and take off his jacket. It was the latest style: to wear a lightwindbreaker outdoors. It wasn't exactly necessary, as all the clothes adjusted to the weather so that their wearers were always comfortable.
"When's Otou-san comin' back?" Yami asked, following the teen around like a loyal, lovesickpuppy.
"When he always come back. But guess what? He has tomorrow off, and then it's the weekend, so we're going to go camping!"
"Camping?" the child blinked. "What's that?"
"Staying outdoors, basically. Bakura said that we need to enjoy nature when it's still there."
"Will there be bears?" Yami bounced up and down. "I know about bears! They're big and huge and can bite your head off-"
"Master Yami, Master Ryou is never going to get anything done if you keep doing that!" Rock scolded lightly, laughing at the same time, as he picked the boy up from where he had been busy getting in Ryou's way. "Mast- Ryou-sama, would you like me to take your things up to your room?"
"Will you? That'd be great, thanks, Rock." The robot nodded, setting Yami back down on the floor, and took Ryou's bag and coat upstairs.
The child tugged on Ryou's pants, begging to be picked up. His request was granted.
"Will there be bears?" the child sprang back on subject. "And wolves?"
"No, no, they left this forest long ago. If you like, we can visit a real zoo someday." Ryou ruffled the boy's hair. "It'll be more fun to really see them live rather than looking at them through the Net.
"Can I have a cat? Lots of people useta have cats. I wanna kitty."
"Hmmm. Maybe. I heard that pets were becoming popular again. We'll ask Bakura."
"Or a dog? I'd like a dog…"
Ryou shook his head, amused and exasperated. "All right, Yami-chan. Off with you. Go play a Net game or something until Bakura gets back."
"OK." Yami agreed, and all but skipped off.
"Did you give him sugar?" Ryou asked when Rock came back.
"Only a cookie…" the robot looked uncertain. "Was that bad? He refused to come out for his bath."
"Sugar makes him weird." Ryou chuckled. "Isn't that an interesting word? My friend Joey said it was common back in the Age of the Wars."
"It is. It's recorded in the Encyclopedia of the Ages. Will Master Joey be joining you tomorrow?"
"He will, yes, him and Marik and Malik. You could come too, you know."
"No, I'll stay here. You go enjoy yourselves," Rock replied. "Master Bakura is back." He added as the bell sounded.
"Otou-san!" Yami's shout echoed through the house. There was a loud grunt and a thud from the doorway. Ryou and Rock entered a moment later to see Bakura flat on the ground with Yami on top of him, giggling hyperly.
"Yami-chan, did you have sugar?" the man groaned.
"Sugar's good!"
"And there'll be no more for you if you keep acting like this. Did you turn off the Net Connector?" Rock lifted the child up and off of his Master. "Don't leave it on. No wasting energy. Nothing should be wasted."
"Yes, Rock-kun," Yami sighed, and turned to follow orders.
"Wow. How much did you give him?" Bakura asked, picking himself up off the ground.
"Just a cookie. Sorry about that, Master."
"It's Bakura. My name is Bakura."
"Right. Sorry, Bakura-sama."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Birds, birds, birds." Yami sang happily, holding Bakura's hand, as they hiked up the mountain. It was located in one of the last Protected Areas left in the world. Even by Cruiser, it took them nearly four hours to reach it. Of course, they could have taken the Teleporter and gotten there is one second, but Bakura insisted they should enjoy the scenery around them.
"And trees! Trees, trees, trees!"
"Definitely. I've never seen so many trees in one place," Marik, a bleach-blonde teen in Ryou's class, commented.
"Are we there yet?" a blonde 18-year-old named Joey whined.
"For the last time, NO!" Bakura snapped. "I'll let you know when we are!"
"Bugs, bugs, bugs…"Yami giggled, hyped by all the new things around him that he'd only see on the Net. ""tou-san! Look! Butterfly! Butter-fly. Fly, fly, butterfly…" the boy laughed.
"Is he always like this?" Marik asked Ryou.
"No. He can be pretty quiet, actually…hard to believe…"
"Are we there yet?"
"NO!" Bakura roared, snapping. "And if you ask that one more time, I'm kicking you off a cliff!"
"Won't that kill him?" Yami inquired, eyes wide.
"Hopefully," the man grumbled.
"Bakura!" Ryou scowled.
Malik chuckled, shaking his head. "Fools," he muttered. Malik was a 23-year-old colleague of Bakura's. They could plausibly be considered friends. Sometimes, anyway.
"What?" the white-haired man asked blandly in response to his couson's sharp comment.
"Watch what you're saying arou-"
He never got to finish.
Because that was the moment Yami chose to let go of Bakura's hand and go bouncing towards the forest, yelling, "Hey, hey! Come here, I see something!"
"Yami!" Bakura yelled. His head was starting to hurt. "Come back here! Don't make me chase you!"
"But come look! What's this?" the child called back. He was now completely hidden by the trees.
"Oh, Yami!" Ryou sighed in exasperation. "There'll be no sugar for you for years to come," the teen muttered as he jogged towards the excited, sugar-highlittle boy.
"Ryou 'nii-chan! Come see!" Yami begged. Ryou rolled his eyes. "Alright, what is it?" he asked as the forest swallowed him, shielding him from the others' view.
There was a moment of silence, when the whole group started at the place where the two had disappeared.
"Bakura!" Ryou suddenly spoke up in a hushed voice, sounding as excited as Yami did. "Come look!"
"Oh, no, not you too!" the man all but whined. "Can't we just go?" but even as his mouth said this, his legs started to carry him forward. Curiosity overtaking them, the others followed.
Ryou was holding Yami close. There were both staring at something on the ground.
Bakura went over and kneeled down next to them.
His eyes widened, and he uttered a soft gasp.
There, on the ground, was a black hole. Not a hole in the ground; it wasn't the kind that made you fall down. It wasn't a pit. No, it was a swirl of black and deep indigo that created a place where nothing existed, much like a black hole one would find in space. It was pure and utter nothingness.
And it was tugging them in.
"What the-" Joey muttered. "What the heck is that?"
"It's calling me into it," Marik whispered, transfixed. "That thing's calling me! It'spulling at me, like it wants me to goin!"
"What should we do?" Ryou asked, his eyes full of wonder.
"Go back," Bakura hissed. All his senses were telling at him to run. "Let's go and forget we were ever here."
"No, let's go in!" Yami piped up. His eyes were dancing with uncontrollable enthusiasm. "Let's go and see what it does!"
"Are you crazy! Hell no!" Bakura yelped, standing up abruptly.
Joey, who had been looking over the man's shoulder, yelped as Bakura hit him. He stumbled sideways a few steps, and then tripped over a root in the ground….
…falling straight into the black abyss.
"Joey!" Ryou roared, springing up and grabbing his friend back the back of the shirt, hurling him backwards and sending the blonde sprawling onto the grass. Unfortunately, he forgot about Yami, whom he had been holding. The child let out a cry of surprise as the hold on him loosened and he tumbled downwards. Instinctively, he reached out to grab Ryou's arm. But his hands close on thin air as both gravity and the force of the hole – which had increased upon sensing a possible victim – pulled him downward.
Too late, Ryou realized his mistake and turned back in time to see the child swallowed by the vortex.
In an instant, the force of the void had amplified, eagerly sucking the others into it. Ryou, who was the closest, was immediately dragged through. Malik cursed and tried to turned back, but black tentacles shot from the hole, grabbing each of them around the waist and yanking them through.
When the last of them had disappeared, the vortex quieted, shrinking steadily until at last, it vanished.
There was not a trace of it left in the forest. The only sign that suggested it had ever been there was a bare spot among the grass where it had once lay. No life ever grew there again.
Wherethey will end up, nobody knows!
Except me.
The robot, Rock, was browwed from Mega Man, whichI do not own.
Please review and tell me what you think!