The start of this chapter is heavily inspired by 'Darkness Settles In' by Five Finger Death Punch. I was heavily listening to FFDP nonstop around the time I wrote the last few chapters, and this song is one that always hits me in the feels, along with their cover of 'Gone Away' (the music videos always make me cry).
Not so much of a TW, but I just want to mention that all religious views are from a character perspective, and are not my own personal views.
Bakura stared off into the encroaching evening, took a swig from the green bottle in his hand labeled 'Tanqueray', then rested the back of his head against the marble angel statue. He'd sat there in silence for hours, occasionally tracing his fingers along the names and dates engraved at the figure's base and taking drafts of the juniper and citrus-flavored beverage in his hand.
A breeze rustled through a nearby tree, and he felt relieved that it was all he was able to hear of the element at the moment. He disliked having to deal with its all-too-intrusive chatter during those times he wished to be left alone. If he wanted to hear those kinds of things, he would have stuck around to argue with the Pharaoh some more.
"I can't believe that after they made you forget me, you went back to being a Catholic," he scoffed, breaking his hours of silence. He then appeared sad as a thought infiltrated his mind. "I really hope you retained that incredibly open mind, and still considered the other possible Afterlives. I'm sure Isis would have welcomed you back," he choked.
"Listen, I messed up badly. I-…I didn't handle the deaths of you and Amane in the best fashion. I can't undo what was done…but I wish I could. I'm not asking for forgiveness…but…I don't know…maybe a sign that maybe I can look forward to seeing you again someday? I'm not a god. I can't walk into places like Aaru to see if you're there."
Nothing. Bakura raised the bottle and took another swallow. He hadn't really expected any sort of answer to begin with.
"You probably don't even remember who I am, do you? Doesn't matter. You wouldn't even recognize me even if you could," he said with a halfhearted chuckle, attempting to change the mood. "I know, I know. What happened to that devilishly handsome guy you met at Cambridge? Well, I felt like switching up my look. Five-thousand years of the same hairstyle was getting a bit boring."
Bakura closed his eyes, a small giggle echoing from the depths of his memories and bringing a smile to his face. His face fell as an intrusive thought interrupted the pleasant reverie.
"No. If you saw me, you would think I was Ryou…or should I say Judgment," he spat. "Yeah, that's how badly I messed up. He apparently felt it was better to spend all eternity doing the tasks that were originally assigned to the gods, than to put up with me and my shattered soul," he said bitterly.
"So here I am now, spending half my days pretending to be him because I don't know what else to fucking do, then I come home…if you can call it that…and have to put up with that royal asshole sitting around bitching about how much his life sucks. La-dee-fucking-whoop-de-do. 'I'm Pharaoh and I no longer have peasants to bow before me or servants to wipe my ass'," he mocked. "And then he dares to say TO MY FACE the things that he said!" he shouted bitterly.
He was breathing heavily at this point, and he closed his eyes in an attempt to regain his composure.
"I'm sorry you had to see me like that," Bakura said in a calm voice after several moments had passed. He opened his eyes, staring off into the distance again.
"I never realized that there was a small part of me missing until I met you. Now that piece is missing again. You came back once, here's hoping that you'll come back again."
He raised the bottle to his lips again and chugged what little remained, then went back to resting his head against the statue. The loud flutter of beating wings forced him to open his eyes once again, and he looked around for their source.
The boy, whose appearance matched his own, approached in his mortal visage. He looked surprised to see Bakura.
"I have to admit, you're the last person I expected to come looking for me," Bakura said casually.
"I didn't expect to see you here either," the boy stated. He then walked over and faced the statue, folding his hands and lowering his head as he muttered a quiet prayer. He then sat beside Bakura, sighing heavily.
"That felt…weird."
"What did you expect? You just prayed to a foreign deity," Bakura stated casually.
The youth lowered his head. "I just wanted to say a prayer for Mum and Amane. I guess I'll have to stop doing it."
"Nah. The sensation is annoying, but harmless. Coming from people like us, it doesn't provide that deity any benefit, and there's no repercussions for it on our end other than discomfort," Bakura said nonchalantly.
"That's good to know."
"So, what's Judgment up to these days…other than judging the souls of the departed?"
"...Ryou."
Bakura glanced at the boy in confusion. "What?"
"I…thought about the other day…and what you said about seeing 'Ryou' standing in front of you, not 'Judgment'. I am Judgment…but I'm also Ryou. I became so caught up in my new role, that I almost forgot that."
Bakura sighed. "But you also made a fair point that day as well. I hate it when people refer to me as 'Heir of Ra'...and 'Naram-Sin' invokes too many bad memories. I tolerate both in the Godaeshan realm simply because I know it's pointless to ask those self-righteous buffoons to refer to me by my chosen name. If you prefer 'Judgment', then Judgment it is."
The boy beside him sat in silence for a long moment before speaking again.
"I think…when I appear like this, I want to be called 'Ryou'."
"Are you sure?" Bakura asked.
'Ryou' nodded.
Bakura allowed a genuine smile to form across his face. "So, Ryou, you still haven't explained what brought you here."
Ryou reached behind his back and held up a folded letter. "This is the only way I know how to talk to Mum, though I don't know if she can actually hear me or not. I like to believe that she can."
Bakura stared at the folded piece of paper in Ryou's hand. "You were filled in on the details too, I see."
Ryou nodded slowly. "The other day, when I looked at your life…which there is a lot of by the way…I saw the part with Mum and me. I also saw the 'after'. After your friend revealed the truth of what you and I are to one another, I began to wonder why Mum never said anything. Now I know why. I came here because I needed to sort out how I felt about all of it."
Bakura slowly began to rise. "I'll leave you two to talk then."
Ryou quickly reached out and grabbed Bakura by a pant leg as he began to step away. "...wait."
Annoyance flooded through Bakura. "You don't have to worry that I'm going somewhere else to eavesdrop on whatever you want to say. Even when I was in the Ring, I still had enough decency to give you two privacy."
"Oh…thanks. That's nice to know…but that's not why I asked you to wait."
Bakura waited for Ryou to say something else, but the teen just sat there as if contemplating.
"Well, spit it out already! What do you want?!" he growled.
Ryou flinched at his tone, then let go of his pant leg. "Nothing. Nevermind."
Bakura took in an irritated deep breath and released it slowly. "Listen, I'm whole again. 'Whole' does not equal 'nice'. What you 'saw' when you looked at my life…yeah, I've had my better moments…but you also know most of who I am isn't like that. I'm not the 'good-guy'. I'll never be the 'good-guy'...but I'm not the 'bad-guy' either."
"You're right, you're not the 'bad-guy'," Ryou said quietly. "You've just made a lot of bad choices."
"Last I checked, not even the gods were perfect," Bakura said irritably.
"No, they're not. Especially since I know how the Millennium Items were formed now…and why you are so obsessed with them." Ryou raised his gaze to meet Bakura's, which had become wide with fear. "I also know why you are extremely possessive of the Ring."
"Don't bring that up…and don't you dare tell a single soul about that," Bakura stated coldly.
"Don't worry, I won't," Ryou said while slowly shaking his head.
"Good."
Bakura turned and began to walk towards the cemetery's exit.
"I wish we could have been like Yugi and the Pharaoh," Ryou said loudly before Bakura was too far away.
Bakura stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. "Yeah…me too," he replied. He then stuffed his hands in his pockets and began walking again.
The hurried sound of someone running was the only warning he had before the air in his chest was squeezed out of him.
"Don't go! You're all I have!" Ryou shouted, small tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
"Let go of me!" Bakura shouted irritably as he tried to pry the youth's arms off of him. "Gods, why are you so fuckin clingy!? It was cute when you were little, but now it's just fuckin annoying!"
Ryou quickly let go and stepped back from the elemental, dropping his head enough so that his eyes became obscured by the feathery mess of white above.
"Mum and Amane are gone…and neither of us can go wherever they might have gone,"Ryou said quietly in a somber tone. "The lazy sod that took your place was still at least someone, even if all he did was break promise after promise."
Ryou lifted his head, his eyes had become harsh, and the tears that fell were obviously ones of frustration.
"You shed tears of joy when you saw me in the Halls of Osiris…and I saw how upset you became when I said that 'Ryou was dead'. I've seen the entirety of your life. You have spent millennia attempting to hide the kind of person you really are."
Ryou's face twisted into a bitter scowl, making him look nearly identical to the one standing across from him.
"I am Judgment," he said coldly. "I know why you push everyone that gets too close, away. I know why you never gave Mum the ring that is currently in your pocket. I know every little thought that crossed your mind while your soul was split."
"You don't know shit," Bakura growled. "You think you know me? Based on what? Images and thoughts?"
"It was more than just 'images and thoughts' father," Ryou said harshly, spitting out the last word. "I also felt your anger…your jealousy…your FEAR."
Ryou's eyes flashed in the same way they had back in Rome.
"I know what you feel right now."
Bakura's hands had become clenched into tight fists. "Take a single step towards me, and I'll knock your fucking lights out," he growled.
Ryou's face suddenly relaxed, appearing calm and Ryou-ish once again.
"A step? Why would I 'step' towards you?" he said innocently.
Before Bakura could respond, he saw his devious smirk form on Ryou's face. He barely had time to register his own internal shock when large wings unfurled from behind Ryou as the teen quickly flew towards him and lifted him high into the air.
"LET GO! PUT ME DOWN!" Bakura demanded.
Ryou looked down at the elemental that he held onto by a single hand, once again appearing innocent.
"Are you sure about that?" he asked as he pointed at the ground with his free hand.
Bakura looked down, and suddenly realized how high up they were. "Shit! On second thought, DON'T LET GO!" he shouted as he reached up to get a better hold on the teen.
"Why?" Ryou asked innocently. "You're a wind elemental, surely you can fly on your own?"
"Not with gin in my system!"
"Oh…well, the fall might kill you, but we both know that's only temporary," Ryou said as he slightly loosened his grip.
Bakura quickly tightened his. "It's still something I would rather avoid!"
"You know, this is rather ironic," Ryou said as he continued to fly high over Domino with the elemental suspended below him and hanging on for dear life. "You're once again reliant on me and whether or not I'm willing to do as you demand. The only difference is this time…you can't do anything if I decide not to do as I'm told. You can't forcefully take control. YOU CAN'T lock me away. YOU CAN'T make me forget and become unaware of where I am or what I've done."
"Fuck! What do you want?! An apology?! Okay! Fine! I'm sorry!" Bakura shouted in panic as Ryou loosened his grip even more.
"You know, that did sound sincere…but…it's not enough…"
Ryou jerked his hand out of Bakura's grasp and watched as the elemental fell towards the earth with immense fear in his eyes.
Bakura knew that no matter how much he prepared for the inevitable impact that he was about to endure, he was still going to endure all the unwelcome sensations he would feel in less than a single heartbeat. He knew that he would have to endure the painful sensation of his body trying to mend itself back together at a much slower pace due to the alcohol he had consumed. All he could do currently was close his eyes and wait, hating how much time slowed in moments such as this.
He zoned out as best he could, hoping that this new body of his wouldn't forcefully make him register every nanosecond of pain and agony. His old body had become so accustomed to these sensations that it had stopped sending those annoying neuropathic messages to his still functioning brain…which was something that as much as he wanted to study the behavior of, he wasn't inclined to suffer repeated deaths just to get an answer.
He waited…and waited…and waited…
Bakura could vaguely sense how close to the ground he was becoming, and wished everything was done and over with already.
His falling came to a quick end, much as he expected. Confusion slowly spread through him as he failed to register the sounds and sensations he knew would be coming. Why did it feel as though he had been caught?
Bakura slowly peeked open an eye, seeing only gold and midnight.
"Nice of you to drop in," Kat said casually, her brows raised in amusement.
Bakura slowly opened his other eye, and looked around to assess that for some reason he was being cradled in Kat's outstretched arms as she stood in her fenced in backyard. The smell of tobacco told him that she was probably taking a smoke break.
He tried to slow his racing pulse (and mind) as he pretended that falling out the sky was a normal occurrence. "You have very beautiful eyes, you know that?" he said with a smile while fluttering his own and leaning into her body.
His body quickly fell the rest of the way to the ground.
"Really?" Bakura said in annoyance as he picked himself up.
"You're welcome," Kat said nonchalantly.
Bakura groaned in annoyance then looked upwards to see Ryou slowly descending.
"What the fuck was that about?!" he shouted angrily towards the teen.
Ryou smiled his usual 'Ryou' smile, chuckling as he landed. "No wonder you enjoy tormenting others. That was kinda fun!"
Bakura's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Wha-...you-...WHAT?!"
"You act so surprised," Ryou said in amusement. "I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised too. I never thought I could get you to be terrified," he said with a hint of laughter. "But I guess I had a good teacher when it comes to inspiring fear in others."
Bakura's disbelief became irritation. He clenched his jaw and fists, one of his eyes twitching as his mind began to grasp the fact that Ryou had used his own tactics against him.
"I get it now…that was just a little payback," he growled.
"Just a little," Ryou said mischievously.
"You think you can mess with me now, is that it?" Bakura questioned, his voice full of warning.
"You know…I'm kind of embarrassed about that fact that I used to be afraid of you. Especially since now I know you're actually just a huge coward," Ryou stated casually.
Bakura tightened his fists even more. 'I'm sorry, what? I'm a…what was that word you just used? 'Coward'?"
"Did I stutter?" Ryou mocked.
"And what makes you think that I'm a 'coward'?" Bakura asked bitterly.
"Everything. Seeing your whole life and how all you do is pretend. You're a fake, just like the one that 'pretended' to care. You hide behind false confidence. You avoid things by laughing at them. The Pharaoh called you out on it earlier, and he wasn't wrong."
Bakura growled in irritation. "Leave."
"See, that's something else you do. If someone gets too close to removing the mask you hide behind, you become angry and defensive," Ryou stated calmly.
Bakura was becoming full on irate to the point that even with the gin still buzzing through his veins, he was beginning to hear the taunting whispers of his element.
"I. SAID. LEAVE. I won't repeat myself again," he said, appearing to still be holding the rage he felt at bay. He'd spent centuries learning how to appear 'calm' when he felt this angry, simply out of necessity. Before that time, he'd unintentionally created storms that were on par with the ones that could only be created by the gods themselves.
Ryou shook his head slowly while sighing in exasperation. "Fine." He then raised his eyes to stare directly into Bakura's. "You can't run and hide forever. You need to make peace with the chaos you have created within yourself."
Bakura tensed and began to lunge at the teen, but a strong grip held him back. Ryou gave him one final harsh glare, then took flight.
Ryou finally gets a little payback lol
If you feel a bit confused about some of the things Bakura says when 'talking' to Ryou's mom, like mentioning Isis and Cambridge, it's because those are things explored more in-depth in the backstory I created for him. I never intended to continuously reference the 'White Lady' story, but it's one of my favorite pieces that I've written to date, PLUS I did write it as a backstory. It only makes sense to reference an important piece of his past, right?
Here on FFN it's found under 'Tangled Web of Fate: Backstories', and is currently the only chapter there. Three more chapters will hopefully be getting added in the next month or so for Malik's backstory (sister has been very busy and not had much time for doing edits). I highly suggest taking a look at the first chapter (White Lady) to get a more in-depth look at how Bakura met Ryou's mom.