Disclaimer: Not mine…WHY MUST YOU KEEP MAKING ME SAY THIS?
Now that I'm back, here we go!
Ryou/Kriia/Krisha: Finally!
Wildgirl: Or, maybe not…
Krisha: (unsheathes dagger)
Kriia: (death glare)
Wildgirl: OK, OK! Here it is! (mutters under breath about evil impatient muses)
Chapter Three: Demon Fire
Three days later, Ryou was figuring out the last clue.
Find the tree that marks the K
Midnight moon will show the way…
Midnight moon.
He'd have to wait 'til midnight then. It was a full moon, which had to be what it meant…Find the tree that marks the K? That was new. Normally it was an X or something…
That marks the K? How could a tree mark anything? If it said 'has the K's shadow' he would get it, but mark?
Never mind. It was 11:30. Close enough.
He walked down the path, following a random trail that took him northwest.
That marks the K…
His mind was still wandering, thinking of Bakura.
Is he all right? If they hurt him…
No. Don't think about that. Don't. Think. About. That!
He kept thinking, kept picturing what could have happened to him. What could have stopped Bakura from freeing himself? Not a lock, that was for sure and certain.
No. Think about the clue. It doesn't matter why Bakura can't free himself. It only matters that you find him before…
Engaged in this inner battle, he completely missed the tree until he walked into it.
BANG.
"Ow…"
Something landed in front of him. It was a bit of…paper?
He checked his watch. 12:00
He looked at the tree. In the shadows behind it, scratches in the earth were connected by shadows into a scrawled K.
He unfolded the paper.
Try the top floor of Demon Fire. You probably won't get this in time, anyway. I'm sure you understand why.
An old, slightly rusted key was taped to the note.
He knew Demon Fire too, he'd read about it in the paper. He'd remembered it because it had been a rather odd name. Another abandoned place, only this time, it was an old apartment building that…
Was being knocked down in roughly three hours.
Oh my God…Bakura!
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Ryou hadn't even stopped to think about it. He'd gone straight up, never mind that it had taken him an hour and a half just to get there. He looked down the hall. There were seven rooms. It wouldn't take too long. He tried the first six. None opened. When he tried the seventh, it worked, but the door was half-closed still. He went in. "Bakura?"
Y...yes?
Bakura was lying on the floor, nearly hidden in the shadows the door cast.
BAKURA!
Ow…you don't need to shout…
Sorry, sorry…why didn't you come home?
You think I didn't try?
Only then did Ryou notice the awkward angle to Bakura's leg.
They hurt you!
There's only him, Ryou…I thought you weren't coming…I wouldn't have blamed you…
Ryou blinked. Bakura had thought he wasn't coming?
He didn't have time to argue about that now. He had half an hour to get Bakura out.
Bakura couldn't make it on his own…
Ryou…
What?
You don't have time to get me out. Go.
No!
He knew he only had one choice, really.
Ryou picked up Bakura. It was almost frighteningly easy.
I'll worry about that later…
He walked quickly, trying not to hurt Bakura and knowing it wasn't working. Finally, he was standing at the top of the last flight of stairs.
I've only got five minutes…
The last flight of stairs was long. He went down almost, but not quite, at a run.
CRASH.
The destruction had started.
He went across the room as fast as he possibly could, trying not to think about being crushed beneath falling ceiling. Finally getting to the door, he pushed it.
It wouldn't open. There was a letter pinned to it.
This has been wonderfully interesting, hasn't it? Don't bother with looking for a way out…But if you simply must look for one, have fun trying.
Mariku
AN: I am a bad girl…(hangs head in shame)
Ryou: Yes…you let him hurt Bakura!
Wildgirl: (rolls eyes) Would you prefer I'd let him knock Bakura unconscious? At least every couple of hours? That was my only other choice.
Ryou: Do we get out?
Wildgirl: That depends on whether or not my reviewers want a happy ending…HINT HINT
Ryou: WHAT? Our LIVES depend on your REVIEWERS! What if no one reviews?
Wildgirl: I'll just make Bakura push you out and die in there alone…that's what happens if no one reviews at all…my revenge…bwahaha…
Ryou: There's something wrong with you…
Wildgirl: It took you THAT LONG to figure it out? I mean, come on, it's ME!
Anyway, review if you so choose. Concrit accepted with worship.