Title: String of Fate
Author: MiyAsuka
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does.
Pairing: Bakura/Ryou
Rating: R
Warning: Yaoi (duh!).
Summary: The Ring's gone, and even though Bakura is still there, things can't go back the way they were.
Notes: Oh my! An update! I'm just as surprised as you are, really. This chapter is a bit short but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.

Chapter 7: Past

Where to start? Logic would say the beginning, but did Ryou need to know everything? There were things Bakura didn't want to talk about. Weaknesses he didn't want to reveal. Sins he weren't proud of.

Ryou was looking attentively at Bakura, waiting for the spirit to start explaining. The teen's large brown eyes had a gleam of excitement; it was the first time Bakura would be revealing things about his past. It didn't help the spirit much. He felt like a parent about to tell his children that Santa Claus or the tooth fairy – stupid modern beliefs – didn't exist.

Bakura's past was obscure, tainted by blood, probably too much for Ryou to handle. It wasn't just the part when he had still been human. Over three thousands of years, he had been responsible of too many deaths to count. And Ryou knew nothing of it.

"I…"

It was rare for Bakura to look this hesitant. Ryou gave him what he thought was an encouraging smile. The spirit bit his lip.

"I'm sorry."

"Eh?"

"I can't."

The teen frowned. "But you promised."

"I know. But…" His past was ugly. The fact he had been hiding it from Ryou all this time made it all the more revolting.

"Whatever it is, I can handle it." Ryou's eyes strayed on the side for a few seconds before reverting back on Bakura. "My feelings for you won't change." I will always…

The spirit sighed. There was no escaping this.

"Alright. I'll tell you."

The thief moved his head slightly on the right, easily dodging a dart. He couldn't believe this place was the former Pharaoh's tomb. All these traps supposed to dissuade tomb robbers like him were lame. The place wasn't heavily guarded either. Bakura had been able to sneak in without much trouble. Leaving probably wouldn't be that simple though; given the fact he would be quite… loaded.

It was actually the first time the thief robbed a tomb. Furthermore, a royal tomb. Quite a start. If he made it out alive – which he didn't doubt – he would become a legend among his peers. The Thief King. The term brought a smile of pride to the man's lips. All his life, he had mostly been stealing on the markets, never getting caught a single time. Only recently had he started robbing houses, a more delicate operation that could turn bad. The scar on the right side of his face proved it. It had been his only mistake so far.

The thief pushed a rock out of his way. He had to close his eyes at first as his oil lamp illuminated more gold that the thief had ever seen gathered in a single place. Trinkets of great value that were supposed to rest in the Pharaoh's tomb for all eternity. What a loss. There would eventually come a time when everyone would forget about the old kings and retrieve all the gold from the depths of the earth. The thief was just helping himself some early.

The young man unfolded the long linen cloth he had been carrying on the floor. It was large, enough for Bakura to bring back quite a lot of souvenirs from his illegal trip. The thief grabbed everything he could; there was no need to be picky. He wasn't planning on trading any of the treasures he would bring back. Shock was his main goal. Showing the current monarch that his kind wasn't untouchable.

A flash of red caught the thief's eye. Some kind of fabric was hanging from the wall. After further inspection, it ended up being a large coat. The thief was surprised. Red clothes were highly unusual in Egypt. So rare the thief was almost positive he had never seen such crimson fabric before. He set his oil lamp aside and, with a swift movement, slipped on the coat. The fabric felt incredibly soft to the touch. Much more than linen fabric he was used to.

The thief resumed his quest for precious items, his new possession billowing around him as he moved, a heap of gold piling up in the center of the room. Once he was satisfied with his haul, he headed toward the burial chamber.

There it was. The sarcophagus containing the remains of the former king. The thief slowly approached it. "We finally meet," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. The smug smile on his lips gave way to a pained expression. It didn't linger more than a few seconds though. Without care, the thief sat on the depiction of the Pharaoh. This wasn't enough to fulfill his need for vengeance. The king was dead, but he hadn't paid for what he had done.

The current Pharaoh would have to. He would pay for his father's crimes.

The thief uncoiled the rope he had wrapped around his thigh. He would humiliate the father in front of the son. Dishonor was nothing compared to what he had been confronted to, but it would be entertaining enough.

Yes, his vengeance would be slow and sweet, he thought as he tied the rope securely around the royal coffin.

"I can't wait to see the look on your son's face when I bring you to him."

Pulling on the rope, the thief dragged the sarcophagus behind him. A metallic sound made him stop. He instantly knew what the item was when he saw it. A plate of gold joined to a large bracelet made from the same metal. The thief had seen that priest use it a few months ago. This thing was called a DiaDhank and could summon powerful creatures.

"Such a powerful item left for anyone to grab," the thief whispered with an ironic smile. The bracelet fit his arm perfectly. He could feel the power emanating from it.

The men guarding the tomb barely got time to realize what was coming to them. As he walked out, the thief raised his arm. A large being the color of silver materialized behind him. A snake's head pounced and easily sliced the first guard in two. The thief watched, unable to hold his mad laughter. He felt powerful, invincible, ready to fulfill his revenge.

Ryou was silent for while, taking in the things Bakura had just said. It was the first time he heard about a human Bakura. Ryou closed his eyes as he tried to picture the spirit as an Egyptian thief. Tall, strong, smelling of sand… The teen could feel a blush rising to his cheeks. He opened his eyes to find Bakura scowling at him.

"Just what is going on in your head? I just told you I killed men. You're supposed to look horrified, not flustered."

Ryou shook his head slightly with a nervous laugh. He didn't think Bakura was lying but it was still kind of hard to believe that all this was true. Though it wasn't more difficult to accept than the fact he was talking to spirit – or should he say a ghost?

"You said something about revenge. Did the Pharaoh do something to you?"

"That's not important." The spirit answered too quickly, giving his former host a small start.

"Not… important? But Bakura, you said you would tell me everything."

However, no amount of pouting would change Bakura's mind. He didn't want Ryou to know about that part of his past. The spirit didn't want to vindicate his actions. The last thing he needed was to have Ryou thinking all this had been justified, because Bakura had used his host as a tool for this vengeance.

And nothing justified what he had subjected Ryou to.

Bakura wasn't usually kind toward people. To put it bluntly, he thought most human beings were rotten and didn't deserve any form of compassion – including the one he used to be. What made his former host any different?

He had known Ryou since the white haired teen had been a child. He had followed the evolution and the growth of this young, frail soul. Like an apprentice potter, he had shaped the soul so it could become beautiful, despite all the blows it had to constantly endure.

Why?

Because he didn't want Ryou to become like himself.

"Bakura?" The soft voice of his former host caught the spirit's attention again. His light brown eyes shone in incomprehension. And pale hand reached toward Bakura who took it. Despite the lack of feel for both parts, it still brought a smile on their lips. "You don't have to tell me. Of course, I'd like to know but… if you don't want to talk about it, I understand."

Ryou let his hand fall. The spirit wanted to hold it back but was unable to.

Silence lingered between them. Ryou shifted nervously, the collar of his bathrobe opening up slightly, revealing skin so pale bluish veins were clearly visible. The collar-bone was a bit too prominent.

"You haven't been eating properly."

"Whose fault is that?"

Yet more damages Bakura had done to his host. He had been so focused on his revenge he had forgotten all about Ryou's well-being. "I'm sorry…" A word that rarely fell from his mouth and that, when said to Ryou, always meant a lot.

The white haired teen closed his eyes for a brief second. When his eyelids fluttered open, there was something in those eyes the spirit couldn't understand. Or maybe he just didn't want to.

"Yadonushi…"

"Come here."

Ryou could feel nothing but air on his lips, yet, his body responses were more intense than if he had felt any kind of warmth. Tears fell from eyes and his toes curled while his fingers trembled. A faint whimper of distress managed to escape.

"Don't cry."

Ryou nodded as he wiped his cheeks. "…couldn't help it."

"I know."

Ryou raised his head for another kiss. Bakura complied.