Hey just to answer a few questions to the following people that have asked, I'm not sure where I would put something like this but right here will just do fine for me so here we go: seto'swifey: The darkness is still within Bakura and you'll have to read to know what happens to it and Bakura, (grins evilly.) Vamp468: I love a protective Ryou and the little saying that you have 'kick ass' is cool I used to say that a lot too.
Warning: M and Yaoi and contains abuse just a little not much.
(Looks around) does it look like I own Yugioh? NO so leave me alone! (Sits in a corner and pouts)
CHAP 33: A Spark Of Hope.
After Ryou was done brushing out the tangles from Bakura's hair he asked, "Are you hungry?" Ryou knelt down in front of him. He sighed Bakura was only a shadow of what he was before all this he nodded his head. Ryou stood up and walked to the door he gasped as Bakura grabbed him and wrapped him up in his arms and wings.
"You can't go, the darkness waits for you to leave." Ryou looked down as he felt Bakura shake slightly.
"I won't be gone long," he looked up, he felt Bakura shake his head. "Come with me." Ryou turned in his hold. Bakura bit his lip and looked unsure. "Just don't attack anyone okay." He sighed as he let Ryou go but he faded into the shadows.
"I'll watch you from here." Ryou nodded his head as he walked out and down the stairs and into the kitchen. All heads turned to Ryou.
"How is he?" Marik asked hope sat in his words.
"Better than what we saw in that room, but" Ryou lent on the counter.
"What?" Marik got up. Ryou shook his head.
"We'll talk later," Ryou gave him a smile, Marik walked up and grabbed his hand but before he could speak Bakura lunged out of the shadows and tackled Marik to the ground. "Stop Bakura."
Bakura punched him in the jaw a few times before Yami came over and pulled him off letting him go, Bakura wrapped his arms around Ryou and growled at Marik and Yami. "What was that for?" Marik yelled.
"Marik" Malik was at his side helping him up.
"I'm fine, but I thought he was in the room?" Marik growled Bakura went to take a step forward to attack again, but Ryou held him back.
"He wouldn't let me out unless he came too," Ryou said as he loosened his hold when Bakura stopped pushing against him and he growled quietly at them.
"Well at least he's not going off," Yami sat down but was on his guard. Bakura wrapped his arms around Ryou and pulled him close. "It seems that he doesn't really recognize us only Ryou."
"Is it safe for Ryou to be that close to him?" Malik asked as he got up and walked towards them he reached out for Ryou but Bakura hissed and pushed him away and pulled Ryou back with him.
"Stay back all of you." Bakura hissed, "my angel's hungry." He growled as they moved to the other side of the room he slowly let Ryou go and returned back to the shadows, Ryou made some food quickly and placed some near where Bakura was a hand reached out and took the plate.
Ryou sat down at where he had put the plate and started to eat, through Bakura's constant growling Ryou heard him yawn, he smiled as he got up. "I'm going to rest now I'll come back in a bit and we'll talk then." Ryou said as he left.
Once in the room Bakura wrapped his arms around Ryou, "Who where they?"
"Marik is your long time friend he helped me get you back here, Malik, Yami and Yugi are your friends as well, Yami is a reaper and Yugi is a fallen angel turned demon and Malik is human." Ryou led him over to the bed and pulled back the covers he motioned for Bakura who climbed in and Ryou followed and snuggled up to him happy to be near him again after so long of being apart.
It wasn't long before the reaper was asleep when Ryou slipped out of the bed and left the room making his way downstairs and back to the kitchen. "He's asleep for now." Ryou sat down at the table.
"Has he said anything?" Marik asked and Ryou shook his head.
"Just ramblings about the darkness and how it will come and the ring is evil, other than that…" Ryou stopped as a few tears fell, "He… he… doesn't seem to understand who I really am or any of you." Marik got up and hugged him.
"By the end of all this he'll be back and you two will be together. You just have to be strong for now." Marik whispered.
"I'm trying to be strong, but every time I look into those eyes it's like he's on autopilot and I feel myself breaking a little…"
"So what's the plan?" Yami asked. "You guys know I'm in this."
"I know Yami and thanks." Marik said. "Well Anubis will be hard to reach but once we are there, will tell him everything that's happened to Bakura, will take him there or have Anubis come here and see for himself."
"We'll need you Ryou, it seems that Bakura is more manageable with you around" Yami said. "We can't have him running around the realm of the gods." Just as Yami had said that Bakura entered the room with a gust of wind and threw Yami and Marik to the wall, Yugi and Malik ran into the room and they were thrown as well.
"I told you to stay away from my angel," Bakura roared at them, Ryou jumped to his feet.
"They weren't hurting me!" Ryou cried out as Bakura slammed them back to the wall again. He wrapped his arms around Ryou and vanished from the room, the four fell to the floor, groaning. Marik and Yami sat up.
"I can't take much more of this." Yami shook his head but got up and walked over to Yugi and Malik. "He's getting more aggressive."
"That's it I have been his punching bitch all morning." Marik growled, "I have had enough." He got up but stopped near Malik, "Are you alright love." He asked, Malik nodded Marik helped him up and sat him on the chair looking him over, "Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked as he brushed hair out of Malik's eyes.
"I'm fine nothing broken." He kissed Marik on the cheek, which was good enough for Marik as he stormed up the stairs, he had no idea what he was going to do once he got there.
He kicked the door open to see Ryou in Bakura's lap as he patted Ryou's hair and whispered softly to him and in truth Ryou was a little scared not for himself but others around as this was not his Bakura, in form maybe but not in mind.
Ryou fell to the floor as Bakura was thrown to the wall, "You listen up." Marik stormed forward. "Ryou, leave now." Marik growled.
"What are you going to do to him?" Ryou got up, "I won't let you hurt him." And stood in front of Bakura blocking him with his arms spread out to the side stopping Marik.
"It's called tough love." Marik said, "Leave." Ryou bit his lip as Bakura growled, Ryou started to walk to the door.
"The darkness my angel he'll come for you, he is waiting to bring me back." Bakura looked worriedly at him. Ryou stopped and turned around.
"I'm not going far, I'll be back." Ryou said at the look Marik gave him.
"Leave Ryou now." Marik barked, Malik walked in and grabbed Ryou by the hand, Bakura seemed to struggle more at that.
"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" he screamed at Malik.
"Come." Malik tugged Ryou's hand gently and willingly he followed Malik out and the door closed.
Marik pulled Bakura away from the wall and slammed him back again, Bakura gasped as the air was knocked out of him. Marik walked up to him. "You Bakura have to snap out of this." Bakura's eyes glazed over and his face darkened looking demonic as ever as he chuckled.
"What would you know of the darkness?" He spat.
"I know nothing, but if you keep going your going to loose your angel."
"I will loose him to the dark anyway." Bakura growled and all Marik could see was insanity driven by pain and fear.
"Dark is not to rule light nor is the light to rule the dark! They are equally embraced and held close and loved by each other for all eternity." Marik glared at him, Anubis had said that to them and he believed that everyone had a dark part to them weather it was inside them or in the form of another, he believed that Bakura was Ryou's darker half and Ryou was Bakura's lighter half.
"The dark is after the ring, I gave it to my angel, he'll come for him." Bakura pulled on the invisible bonds and tears fell.
"Pathetic!" Marik growled Bakura narrowed his eyes with a smirk.
"Pathetic is how Ryou buys my, 'poor me I need help'" the Reaper grinned.
"Go fuck yourself," Marik pulled him away from the wall and slammed him back again, Bakura gave him a look, "You heard me, your weak, pathetic… and its disgusting that I ever knew some one like you." Marik's insides twisted painfully at the words. "YOU!" Marik pointed to him as if accusing him of a bad deed hiding the hurt. "Let fear control you like it's willing bitch, bending you as it pleases, your angel waits for you in hope, but your fear blinds you, you asked him for help!" Marik raged and walked up to him and slapped Bakura across the face hard.
"You dare ask an innocent angel to help you in fear of the boogieman. It's an insult." He hissed. "You want help then help yourself," Marik said as he smirked then lent in a little. "I'm taking your angel for myself, he deserves better than you and I can give him better." Marik turned away he closed his eyes and paused for a second then lifted his head and walked to the door and hoped that Bakura got every word and it hit home, hit his pride and heart.
"Fuck you Marik!" Bakura spat, Marik stopped in his tracks and turned to face him, "I can't get out, there is no way out, this what is before you isn't me, it is, but it's not, someone else is here with me stopping me… darker, Marik gods it's darker than anything. And the son of a bitch hurt Ryou then dared to touch him." Marik ran back to him looking into his dark eyes that looked normal.
"Who is, tell me?"
"I can't see him, but he's everywhere he's after Ryou not the ring, he wants to eat my soul." Bakura went limp in the invisible restraints as he locked his eyes with Marik's. "Keep Ryou away from me no matter what he wants, this darkness is cunning."
"Bakura tell me who is it?" Marik said looking into his eyes seeing the brown almost black seeping through.
"Use your powers to control me take me over, for me but especially for Ryou." Marik shook his head.
"I could kill you." Marik gasped as he could see that Bakura was fighting what ever it was that was in there with him but he jumped back as Bakura tried to bite him.
"GET OUT!" Bakura screamed at him, Marik narrowed his eyes.
"Fine Bakura," he turned and walked to the door he opened it, and Ryou ran up to him.
"What did you do to him?" he asked worriedly.
"It's okay Ryou," He looked up, "Malik?" was all he said as Malik paled.
"You can't you could not only kill him but yourself as well." Malik pushed off the wall. Marik gave him a look, "fine but don't say I didn't warn you." Malik walked off into his room and walked to the bed he lifted Marik's pillow and pulled out Marik's item.
He walked back out and handed it to Marik, "What is that?" Ryou asked as he eyed the golden staff.
"We tried your way Ryou, we're now doing it my way." Marik smirked as he turned back to the door, Ryou reached out and stopped him.
"Your not going to hurt him, are you?"
"I would never," Marik walked in and closed the door his powers still held Bakura to the wall. "You may have fooled Ryou and the others, but me I'm a force to be reckoned with, I am what the mortals fear in the dark and cower from in fear, only the truly fucked get to see my true power." Marik stood regal, as he lifted his item in his right hand. "You like to eat souls, well I like to break them, see for yourself why I am feared." It glowed and a pained scream filled the room but as Marik pushed his way into Bakura's mind like a hot knife he was thinking on pulling out in fear that he would cause Bakura this much pain.
"Your nothing but a parasite," Marik hissed disgusted, he gasped and as Bakura had said it was nothing but darkness, he gritted his teeth together as he hardly used his powers like this, but Bakura's mind was his own, it had a sharp cold to it, but he was looking, looking for that one thing, that was in all minds, one thing that this darkness didn't find completely. "There you are." Marik growled as it should have been bigger than this it should have taken up all this mass of empty space but his powers engulfed it, a small shimmer of light that was hope, love, trust, kindness, free will, his soul. He drew it out into his item then he pushed all he had into Bakura's mind all his power.
Bakura gave one last scream as he fell to the floor at Marik's feet who panted as he knelt down, one last thing to make sure that he was in control he lifted Bakura's chin with the ball of his item so he could look Bakura in the eyes they were the same as before.
Pounding on the door as Ryou shouted to be let in, "What was that you were saying to me?" he asked, Bakura didn't looked at him he kept his gaze down.
"N-nothing… Master." His voice was flat and held nothing in it.
"Very good," Marik stood up as Bakura's head dropped but didn't touch the ground. "I'm going to let someone in you'll call him Ryou, but you will not hurt him in anyway is that understood?"
"Yes Master," was the flat reply.
"And after we'll take a trip," Marik said as he stood at the door and was about to open it, "Get up." Marik ordered Bakura did as told not looking at him, Marik closed his eyes, this is what Bakura wanted right? For him to take control over him and what ever was going on, but it hurt for him to see Bakura like this to have him speak to him like that, but if he was to get the Bakura back to his old self then this was necessary, he had Bakura's soul in his item now so no more harm could be done to him, but there was such a small amount of it left.
He sucked in a breath and let it out as he stood up straight again and opened the door Ryou stepped back looking him up and down, "You can see him." Marik moved as Ryou ran into the room and wrapped his arms around Bakura, he frowned as he pulled back.
"Bakura?" Ryou asked confused, as he didn't return the hug like before.
"Ryou, Bakura's not himself right now." Marik and Malik walked into the room.
"I know that," Ryou said not liking how that sounded.
"No Ryou what I mean is, do you remember that t.v person telling that the girl that took you from Bakura was mad and didn't know who she was?" Marik walked up to him and moved him away from Bakura, Ryou looked back and nodded.
"She was going to make money put me into shows, but Kura came for me." Ryou said as he stood next to Malik.
"We'll that's what I've done with Bakura, I can tell him what to do and he'll do it." Marik turned back to Bakura, Ryou looked confused. "Come here Bakura." He did as asked and stood in front of Marik with his head bowed. "He is like a slave Ryou, mindless and obedient. Isn't that right Bakura?"
"Yes Master." Bakura simply said, Marik looked away, but the sound of a slap skin on skin, Marik looked up as Ryou glared at him with tears in his eyes, he remember being a slave.
"How could you Marik? He's your friend."
"I'm doing it because he asked me to, I didn't want to do it, but this way I can take him to Anubis safely." Marik said as he rubbed his cheek it didn't hurt at all but it stung a little.
"He asked you?" Ryou gasped shocked.
"Yes he's still in the darkness, unable to get out so he asked me to do this… and for you to stay away from him until we have fixed this." Marik pulled him into his arms, Ryou threw his arms around his neck.
"I'm sorry Marik." Ryou pulled back, "I-I…just..." Marik lent in and kissed him briefly on the lips then said. "I know, it may seem cruel but Bakura is safe for now," Ryou frowned.
"How is he safe when he is like this?" Ryou turned around and looked Bakura over.
"Bakura's soul is in my item, so whatever's in Bakura's body is on its own but it's me that has free run of Bakura, I know Anubis will know what to do." Marik sighed.
"Are you leaving soon?" Ryou asked.
"Yes, Malik you're coming to." Marik said he didn't want to leave Malik on his own in case they came looking for Bakura, Malik would be an easy target for them he wasn't going to lose his human lover.
"I'm not to be left out either." Yami said who had been quiet the whole time leaning on the wall, he turned and walked downstairs to get Yugi, Marik watched him.
"Come Bakura," Marik started to walk, Ryou bit his lip to hold back the tears as Bakura walked right by not even looking at him, he had to remind himself that Bakura was no longer in there but something dark.
"Yes Master." Was that flat reply again, Ryou missed how Bakura would hug and kiss him whenever he had to leave his side and fuss over him if he was going out on his own with Yugi, Malik or even Jou.
"Ryou?" Marik called as he stopped at the top of the stairs. Ryou jumped as he ran after them.
TBC
Next chap will be up soon, so R&R.
