C. Marionette: Yay, an update! I love updates, sadly I don't think I can update this soon all the time, I will try though. I have so many people to thank, and I'm so happy people like this and nobody so far has said anything about being insulted, I really don't want to insult anyone and I'm a little afraid to mess with religion because of this.
To the Reviewers:
Wolfwhispers: I know I'm horrible to poor, little Ryou, but like you I enjoy abuse fics, it's horrible.
DistanceBetween: I'm a bit of a angst junkie, that's why it's so sad, I'm glad you still like it and also that you think it's well written, I know I have a few mistakes here and there, but I try my hardest.
randomn: I know, I'm horrible.
laciva6: I'm very glad you like it and I will try.
Mittelan: Original is the best compliment you could give me, thank you ^_^. And I know, I'm evil to poor Ryou.
Shminzi: Always good to hear my story is loved, and Bakura is best with a tail ^_^.
kasai chii: OK OK OK! ^_^
Thank you all, very, very much for reviewing.
Also thanks to:
LellowOssapus
Thief of Spades
Mittelan (again)
kasai chii (again)
For adding my story to your favorites.
C. Marionette: I hope that I don't disappoint any of you in the future, and know that I will always be open to your thoughts, ideas, and criticism.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, any of the Yugioh characters I use in this story, I am just borrowing them. I also make no profit, what so ever, from writing this, I do this for my own enjoyment.
Demon in the Chapel
Chapter Two
"B-bless me father, f-f-for I have s-sinned," It is dark in the booth and so very small, making the child within it grateful that he doesn't have any unwelcomed guests in here with him.
"You seem nervous child, when was your last confession?" That voice is familiar, deep and warm, owned by the man that beats him wife, or so says the demon, he tries not to think about that, the demon must speak lies.
"Th-this is my first," Ryou answer, his tension not deflating in the least.
"I see, what is your sin?"
"I-I see a-a... d-demon," the last word is a whisper, so low no one could possibly hear.
"A what?" The man questions from the other side.
"D-demon," Ryou repeats just a bit louder.
"A demon?" The man sounds shocked, if not a little skeptical, Ryou is just glad he doesn't have to say it again. "You must be mistaken my child," the man says after a few moments of silent.
"I'm not!" The boy replies with a little more fervor than he meant, his retort showing just how young he is, still calming himself a bit before continuing, "I-I have seen him a f-few times."
"Even so.." That voice shows that he doesn't believe the boy, throwing it off as some child's imagination run amuck, "what is your sin?"
Ryou doesn't know how to answer that, in his mind he sinned, he must have to be plagued with such a horrible being, but he can't recall what he done to deserve it, what he did that was so awful to suffer this fate.
"I-I don't know," he finally answers, feeling stupid and helpless, things someone his age don't feel very often, and never to this extent.
"You can return when you figure it out," it's a dismissal, the voice, once warm now sounding cold and impatient.
Ryou doesn't say a goodbye before leaving that closet of a room, only slipping off the seat and exiting. Someone is waiting outside for him, someone with red eyes and white hair, the nameless demon, this is the fourth encounter.
"I'm flattered you mentioned me," the youngster doesn't know the definition of the word flattered, but he doesn't really care to find out, not if that being used it. He tries to turn from the much taller male, the top of the boys head at the man's chest, it's useless, every which way the boy turns, the demon is there. "Though, if you continue they might think you're crazy."
You shouldn't speak to demons, Ryou is sure of that, Eve spoke to a demon and it caused her to get cast out of Eden, but he is struggling with himself, because he finds himself wanting to talk to it, and he had already spoken to the male, though only pleads, nothing bad happened to him yet.
"W-why?" the child finally questions after much contemplation within his young mind. Though there is so much he wants to ask that one word pretty much sums it up.
"Why?" The demon muses, bending down so brown and crimson meet. "Why what, little Ryou?" He asks back, the one he addresses only shakes head though, taking a step back, eyes searching the room for help, though if there actually were someone there, they wouldn't be of much help. "Why am I here? Why can only you see me? Why do I tell you people's thoughts and feelings? Why what, Ryou?"
The boy doesn't answer, on the contrary he turns and runs, it's too much for him, the questions and the intensity they were asked mixed with his own thoughts and fears, his mind screamed that the right thing to do is flee. He doesn't get far in his journey, the demon appearing before him, blocking his way; he hardly stops himself before crashing into the larger.
"I'm bored, it's all because I'm bored," the demon says after letting the boy cower is his shadow, metaphorically speaking since he doesn't truly hold a shadow, for a few moments, tears brimming his eyes from fear. "It's because I thought it would be fun to play with sweet, little Ryou, so gullible and innocent," the child flinches when the taller steps closer, towering over him, "I want to see if I can make something so pretty and pure hate, can you hate Ryou?"
"Please," is the boys only answer, he's confused and scared and just wants it to all end, he wants this creature to leave him alone.
"No," the man says almost thoughtfully, before kneeling down and cupping the child's pale cheek, slightly wet from spilt tears, "Not yet, but soon, now get home, it's late." The demon says before getting up and starting to walk away, tail fluctuating behind him as he goes.
"Wh-what's your n-name?" The boy doesn't know what possesses him to ask the question to the retreating back, but it is to late to take it back.
"Call me Bakura." (1)
As soon as the heavy, wood doors of the chapel close behind the boy does he realize what a bad idea it was to come here today. Though it is on the way home from school and he had the strongest need to do confession, it is now growing dark.
The sun has sunk below far off buildings and the sky has turned so many different beautiful shades of orange and pink, contrasting wonderfully with the few whimsy clouds out.
Though it only felt like he was in the chapel for a few moments, it must have been longer. It will be dark by the time the boy gets home, this is not a good town to be walking about around in the dark, though it's Ryou's only option, his father is working and he has no other to pick him up.
A small, pale hand reaches up to grab the strap of his backpack, as if to make sure it is still there, then the boy takes his first step down the mainly empty sidewalk, followed by his second and third, until he is walking a regular pace.
The more he walks the less he worries about the dark and more about his demon; he has decided on his own that the demon is his because it only haunts him.
Bakura, that's what he said his name was, Ryou's own surname, is this coincidence or is the demon spouting more lies? It is something the boy would most likely never find out so he goes over other thoughts. He thinks about the encounter's he had with the man, an encounter every Sunday for the last two weeks, once at bible study on Thursday, and then one today when he went in for confession, on Tuesday. Every day he's been to the chapel since two Sundays ago the demon was there.
The question is what happened two Sundays ago to make the demon appear?
Ryou doesn't get to seriously think about this, having run into something quite solid and falling down, his tailbone screaming in protest when hitting the cement below.
"Ow!" The child cries with more enthusiasm than needed, his vision becoming blurry as tears threaten to shed.
"What the fuck?" That brings Ryou out of his self centered state, he looks at the one he bumped into, the larger male illuminated by the street light the two are under, clothes baggy and dingy, hair short and dark, specific color hard to make out in the dim, artificial light, and face covered in shadows as he looks down at Ryou.
"I-I-I'm s-sorry," Ryou looks up with large, imploring eyes, looking much like a kicked puppy.
"That's alright, kid," the man's demeanor changes, the smaller doesn't feel any bit more at ease though, he might not be able to see the man's face but he is certain he is being grinned upon, in the most horrible of ways. "What'cha doing out so late?"
The boy hesitantly takes the hand offered to him, he's pulled up with such force that if the older wasn't there he would fly forward, instead he hits that unyielding body again.
It is late, real late, Ryou hadn't noticed because he was lost in thought, he also didn't notice that he past his street and walked into an even worse part of town.
"I-I have t-to get h-home,"
"Well, you can't just knock into someone and walk away, you seriously hurt me," it's a lie, if any permanent damage was done it was to Ryou's poor, abused behind, though the child won't say that. "How about you pay me for the damage and I'll leave you alone, k?"
"I-I don't have an-"
"Lying, little shit!" Another change in the man's behavior, wouldn't even let Ryou finish his sentence, which he wasn't lying he wish he did have money to give the man, it would get the man away quicker, but he doesn't.
"Pl-please, I d-don't," the child tries to reason, taking a step back subconsciously, just remembering his hand is still caught in that of the larger's hand, he doesn't dare try and tug it away.
"Then you won't mind if I check," Ryou's hand is dropped only for his bookbag to be grabbed.
"No! St-stop!" A surge of panic comes over Ryou and he tries to escape the man's grip, a punch to the face sufficiently stops his struggles, his face turned to the side from the force of the blow, the taste of copper on his tongue, and legs feeling weak, he's only still standing because of the hand that refuses to remove itself from his bookbag. The child can't force himself to try and fight anymore, he lets the other take his bookbag. He stands there obediently and keeps his eyes downcast when he hears all his things hit the ground, the man dumping it all out.
"Fuck! All this shit is useless," The man turns back to Ryou, glaring at the child avoiding his gaze, as if it's his fault, then he decides to take his anger out on the smaller.
Ryou falls to his knees with a pathetic mewl, arms crossing over his stomach as if it will take away the pain inflicted there.
"Stupid, fucking kid," the man grumbles before kneeling down to grab a book, Ryou flinches when he hears the papers rip, tears sliding down his cheeks.
It's not till the boys glass's case is picked up does the little one say anything, his fear of his father's disapproval overwhelming his fear of this man.
"Don't!" He cries, he is rewarded with a kick to his upper arm, forcing him to the ground.
"Yo Kazou! What are you doing?" (1) Ryou feels a bit of hope when he hears this, hoping someone is going to save him, he is proven wrong real quick when one of the two newcomer's puts his arm around 'Kazou's' shoulder, the other behind the two.
"Teaching some punk a lesson," With those words another kick is delivered, sending Ryou rolling a bit.
It's only by chance that the boy catches a hint of blonde hair and tan skin.
"M-Marik?" The child's pleading eyes land on the one he recognizes, barely seen behind the other two males there.
"You know this kid, Marik?" If the kid wasn't sure before, he is now, Kazou confirming it by saying the teen's name.
Marik steps forward to get a better look in the dim light, it doesn't take long to realize just who the child is, that long, white hair glowing under the street light almost surreally.
"Ryou, what the fuck?" He kneels down next to the boy, the boy sniffles at the action, unconsciously leaning back. If there was a bit more light out the younger would see the pity in swirls of violet, he doesn't though and he associates Marik with the one who beat him.
"Marik?" The unnamed guy questions.
"He's my brother's friend," Marik answers, leaving out the fact that they go to the same church. He pulls the child up by his arm, then instantly grabs the child's chin, forcing puffy eyes on himself. "Ryou, you're going to grab your stuff, go home, and tell nobody about this."
"Y-yes," Ryou is quick to agree, anything to get away.
"Promise, Ryou," the blonde before him demands, the grip on the child's chin growing just the slightest bit harsher.
"I-I-I p-promise," Marik's hand becomes slick with tears before he releases the kid.
Like promised the boy gather's his things, not including his glasses that have disappeared (in Kazou's pocket), and makes his way home, running the whole way.
1. I originally ended the chapter here, but I looked at the next one and thought it would probably be better if I combined the two.
2. His name being Kazou is ironic; it means harmony or man of harmony.