A/N This chapter kinda got away from me I had a different plan for it but realized that it would not work so I had to rework most of the concept for this chapter. It's a bit of a mess and Im not sure what to do to fix it at this point. I feel like what I ended up with will work but it been a while since my last update so I wanted to give you guys something. please let me know what you think. hopefully it is better than I think it is.
Wind whirled around them as they went through the portal. The stilled as they collapsed in their living room. They laid there on the floor gasping for air shocked that they were able to pull that off. After catching their breath Marik got up and used a healing spell while on Bakura, Ryou went to turn on lights.
As soon as the light came on Bakura screamed. Marik pulled his hand the away shocked glow of the healing spell fading. Ryou rushed over to Bakura other side he quickly placed a hand on Bakura for head muttering a spell knocking Bakura out. Marik stepped away allowing Ryou to heal Bakura, he was the better mage, Marik cast a few spells to replenished Ryou magic. After what felt like an eternity to Marik. Ryou removed his hands from Bakura.
"He should be fine and will wake up in a few hours."
"You sure?" Marik question worried looking down at Bakura.
"I did everything I could the only thing we can do now is wait." Ryou said Marik nodded gently picking Bakura up and carrying him to his room. He placed Bakura on his bed and covered the ancient thief with a throw blanket. Marik had intended to sleep on the couch tonight, but as he turn away to leave he heard Bakura give a small groan. Marik looked back and saw his face was scrunched from a nightmare Marik could not leave after that he went back to the bed snuggling closer to Bakura.
Red eyes bore down at Bakura as he stood there with his arm bond above his head "Fuck" Bakura thought his mental barrier he had put himself in must have broke down. Zorc was always furious when Bakura was able to lock his mind away for a time. It took all of the fun of torturing Bakura. "Enjoy this while your fools are still alive."
"What are you talking about?" Zorc gave a cold smile and instead of an answer he blasted a fire ball at him. The heat of the fire washed over him and he felt like everything fade away.
Bakura woke up surprised he found himself in one of his delusion. he attempted to lock his mind up whenever he could. Zorc's torture was always worse after Zorc pulled him out of the delusion. Bakura thought that Zorc let him go just to make the torture worse. Bakura tried to lesson this by having the most boring fantasy's possible. He would normally just be painting monster world figures with Ryou. Which is why it confused him that he was in a bed, and not standing in front of a table.
He felt something move at his side and looked down to see a mass of blond hair curled up against him. dread quickly filled Bakura's stomach he never had Marik in any of these dreams. One of Zorc's favorite ways to mess with him was to make believe that he was back with Marik. Then have it all end with watching the fake Marik be brutally murdered, it would only be a matter of time before this turned in to another nightmare.
"Your awake." The fake Marik said. Bakura closed his eyes trying to ignored the figment. This is all in my head this is all in my head you're going to wake up in the shadow realm with Zorc. Bakura kept repeating this to himself in his mind.
"Bakura?" he heard Marik say as gently shaking him "Bakura pleased stay with Me." Marik begged but Bakura continued to ignore the phantom. Bakura felt a hand on his chest and a warm sensation over taking him "Ryou." Marik yelled.
Bakura was barley aware of the other presents appearing. He was aware of muttering as he felt another set of hand on him and the warm feeling intensifying he assumed that the figments attempted to talk to him. He wished that they would just shut up he wanted to be able to sink into the nice warm feeling.
"Shut up, I know none of this is real." Bakura muttered. He felt a set of hand move away Bakura felt a cold-water splash against his face and he jolted up.
"Do you still need prof this is real?" Marik asked Bakura took in his surroundings. Marik was standing there a glass in his hand. he looked older than Bakura remembered. Marik in his mind never aged. It made him question if this was real he needed to find out.
"How long have I been gone?" Bakura asked
"A little over two years it took us a year to find a spell to get there, then we spent the next year training so that we'd be able to be able to fight Zorc!"
"You to shouldn't have bother" Bakura said. He was trying to provoke a reaction from Marik. Zorc was never to full capture the banter that he had with Marik. Normally he would break down the façade and have bloody end to it there. That did not happen there was only silence broken by Ryou.
"I'm going to go make breakfast." Ryou stood up from his spot by the bed and walked out of the room.
Bakura waited for a reaction from Marik. He stared him down as Marik just stood there till he finally said. "I'm going to go help Ryou cook, let me know if you need anything." Marik walked out of the room. Well that proved it he thought there is no way that Marik fucking Ishtar would just calmly walk away after he said something like that. Bakura laid back down moving to the other side of the queen size bed he groaned he felt like he was going out of his mind. he couldn't tell what was real anymore, and it was too bright in here to be able to think, so he covered his eyes.
Zorc was getting more elaborate with his torture Zorc usually when zone made him believe he escaped, it normal involved an intimate exchange with Marik that resulted in Bakura watching him being brutally murder. Zorc would also torture him disguise as Marik. He couldn't let himself believe this was real. After what must have been a few minutes Marik came back in the room, caring a tray and a set of clothes Under his arms. Marik placed the tray in front of him
"Figured this would be easier for you" Marik said moving to the end of the bed he took the clothes from under his arm hear is a change of clothes for you." He then pointed to a door to his left "There's a bathroom use anything in there to take a shower if you want." Marik said he stood there for a "Do you want to be alone right now?"
"I can't be around, I can't believe your real" Marik took in a deep breath and thought for a moment he went over to his nightstand and pulled out the gold armlets that he wore back in battle city. He walked over to Bakura.
"give me your arm." at this point Bakura had no choice but to just accept whatever illusion this was, and hope that it will be over quick. Bakura held out his hand Marik took it and gently placed the bracelet Bakura's arm. "I don't know if this will help you since you don't think that this is reality but this is something that helped me." Marik said as he took Bakura's other hand and placed it on the cold metal "Anytime you feel like you drifting on that nothing feels real place your hand on the armlet and focus and fell the metal against your skin."
Marik took his hand a way and Bakura was sad at the loss. Marik began walking out of the room "could you turn off the lights?" Marik turned around there were no lights on in his room only the light from the window. Marik mattered a spell that the see though curtain that he had over his window for decoration opaque. Marik quickly left the room leaving Bakura alone.
With Marik gone Bakura gorged himself. It was the closest thing he came to eating since the shadow game. illusion or not it was good. moving the tray on the floor he laid back down, He thought that he would wait for something to happen. Zorc was bound to do something soon. every second that passed was torture maybe that was the point. The longer he sat there the more he began to hope that this was real. he would occasionally place his hand on the bracelet it felt real. everything did, the sounds the smells it all seemed too real, but he just couldn't let himself believe. He was afraid. Terrified that if he truly gave in to this delusion that it would break him. More time must have past than he realized as Ryou came in the room with another tray of food.
"Hey, how are you doing?" Ryou asked receiving only a snort from Bakura in reply. "still think this is all fake?" Bakura felt safer that it was Ryou bringing him food. Zorc never had much fun impersonating Ryou so he hardly did it.
"Marik didn't yell at me for what I said earlier, so I can't." Ryou gave a sad sigh and sat down at the end of the bed.
"Marik's not going to yell at you for acting out after what you've been though."
"What are you a phycologist." Bakura said taking a bite of the food. Ryou laughed
"No but Marik's studying to be one." that surprised Bakura he put down his fork "that doesn't sound like Marik?"
"You been gone for over two years and haven't seen him for even longer than that."
Ryou responded. Bakura picked back up his spoon and started eating again after a few bite Bakura asked
"Why didn't Marik bring me the food."
"We thought that you would be more comfortable if I brought food to you. Why do you think your still in the shadow realm."
"One of Zorc's favorite ways of torturing me was making me believe that I was back. it always felt so real so I afraid to believe this." As he spoke Bakura stared down at his plate he didn't want to see any of Ryou s pity.
"In my English class, we read this play called life is a dream the King hears a prophecy that his son will kill him so he imprisons his son as a baby eventually the king felt bad and decides to bring him to the palace. The prince loses his temper and kills someone so the king puts him back in prison and the prince is told that everything that happened was a dream. There is a rebellion and the rebels find out about the prince and they over throw the king but the prince doesn't know what's real anymore. He ends up deciding that even if it all a dream he should strive for goodness!"
"Really" Bakura a blurted out.
Ryou shrugged "It was written the 17th century Spain what did you expect."
"What's your point." Bakura rolled his eyes
"Worrying about whether or not this is real is only going to make yourself miserable."
Bakura thought about what Ryou was saying. He had to admit that he was right. He had not been able to break out of this. The only thing that he could do was wait for this to eventually turn bad. He placed his hand on the armlet Marik gave him again. It did not give him the solution that he was want to figure out but he did find it comforting in a way. He just could not find it in himself to believe that the two of them actually rescued him form the shadow realm
"I don't know what you expect me to do!" Bakura confessed Ryou got off the bed walking over to the window
"Nothing except believe this is real and maybe getting used to sunlight." He looked back at Bakura waiting for his answer. Bakura closed his eyes and took a deep breath
"I'II try." Ryou altered Marik's spell letting in a small amount of additional light in.
"Here I think you like it, its pretty good." Ryou said handing him a hand held same. "Give you something to do besides staring at the wall." Bakura picked up the switch and started it up. Ryou took this as his que to leave. Bakura scrolled though the various titles Ryou had down loaded. he recognized most of them there were a hand full of them were released after he lost the final shadow game. He eventually settled on playing Zelda. The game was a good distraction from all of the torment that was going on in his mind.
He took a break when Ryou brought him dinner. Bakura ranted about the poor game designed for the third dungeon. Ryou said that he was just mad because he got stuck on it, which Bakura of course denied they talked for a good hour about the game. Ryou giving several recommendations for what he should play next. Bakura went back to playing the game as soon as Ryou left to taking the dishes to the kitchen to be cleaned.
Bakura continued to Play the game for several more hours. his eyes began to burn form staring at the screen so long. Bakura did his best to ignore it and continued playing. After another hour his eyes were getting heaver and it was difficult to stay away. Bakura nodded off and he was immediately greeted by Zorc standing in front of him laughing.
"If I would have known you were this good at torturing yourself I would have tried this years ago." Bakura tried to move back but he was frozen in place. Zorc leaned down to his eye level taking a claw and dragged it across Bakura's chest drawing blood. Bakura startled awake. His heart was racing as he looked around at his surroundings. He was in was in Marik's room. Why the fuck did he keep ending up here. He heard the faint music form the switch that he had been playing when he fell asleep. He saved and turned the system off.
"Okay Zorc haven't you got enough of me sitting in a bed all day." Bakura called out "Just end this so that-we can get this over with." Bakura closed his eyes hoping that when he opened them again to see Zorc towering over him. when he opened his eyes, he was in the same room. He had leveled out his breathing he laid in bed trying to fall back asleep but every time he closed his eyes an image of Zorc would flash in his mind.
As he laid there in bed thing began to make less and less to him. Why was Zorc dragging this out this long where nothing was happening. If Marik had come back at all he could renationalize all this as Zorc trying to get him to let his guard down. This was too slow for Zorc's taste. why only show up for a few seconds to only start the illusion again. The only way that way any of this made any sense was that all this was real.
His throat was dry so he got out of bed. he stumbled as soon as his feet hit the ground his muscles weak from lack of use. He steadied himself and made his way to the kitchen. He opened up a few cabinet before he found the one where they kept the glasses. Bakura took a glass filling it with water from the fridge before guzzling it down. Repeating the process three times before the dryness in his throat went away. He put the glass in the sink, and began walking back to the room.
When he passed though the living room his eyes drifted to the couch he saw Marik sleeping on the couch. He couldn't help but to go over to Marik.
Marik opened his eyes looking up at Bakura surprised at his standing there. Bakura quickly turned away embarrassed about getting caught. he could hear Marik sitting up from behind him
"Wait Bakura what's wrong." Bakura stopped at the sound of Marik s voice. he was never able to deny any request from Marik.
"I had a bad dream and was having trouble falling back to sleep, don't worry about it."
"Okay." Marik responded defeated. Bakura stood in the door way to Marik's room the queen bed in there Suddenly looked foreboding. the thought of going back to that bed made him shuddered. He would not be able to lay back down without terrible images over take him, and he didn't want to go in there alone. He wanted Marik to come with him but he was afraid to ask. If he gave in it would break him. He thought about what Ryou had said earlier that even if it was all in his head that he was just going to make himself miserable. It would be easy to do what he wanted and believe the delusion.
"I don't want to be alone right now will you lay down with me?" Bakura asked not looking back at Marik. Marik did not respond the request only got up and followed Bakura into the room. Bakura turned on the small lamp on the side take that dimly light up the room. He remembered how Marik never had the lights off when they were together.
They got into oppose sides of the bed. Marik trying to keep a distance between the two of them. Bakura reached across the bed and took Marik's hand. If he was going to have this for a short while then he was going to be with Marik in any form that he could. He felt asleep felling safe for the first time since he could remember.