Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Vampire Hunter D. And I apologize for this long, long wait. There were some busy schedules and technical difficulties in getting this sent out to you lovelies. Thank you for sticking with this story, and thank you again Aldedron for being such an awesome (and patient) beta reader. Enjoy!
And Happy Halloween once again!
Chapter Eighteen: New Lands
"This is as far as you go."
The neon green haze in the far distance to the left was what unnerved him. Not this situation, not the gun that was pressing into the back of his head. No, he had come to understand, why everything had played out like it had, why they had been persecuted. Part of him actually did not blame the man for doing this. It was just his way of survival.
It was just Kaiba's way of not being followed.
Yugi and the others had lived up to their word. Bakura did not go hungry, and by the end of another two weeks of waiting in the dark, the two backpacks were still full. D had been surprised when Bakura had procured a syringe from his bag, and even more so when the man showed aptitude for placing it into his own arm. It seemed the man had planned for something like this, or some intuitive spark had guided him to do so. While D was never full with what Bakura offered (for which he could not blame him, neither of them were doctors, nor could they assume to know how much was too much) he was content. His hand had even received some form of nourishment while down there; much to Bakura's never ending amusement. It was as if everything was falling into some sort of pattern. A peace.
"Take your tainted things and leave."
It was obvious to the two that they had not been expected to survive. The day that they were pulled out of their prison and into the icy wind of the sea, there was almost a collective gasp at their appearance. At first Bakura had not dared to look at his friends for fear of giving their loyalties away, but looked out over the ocean, the gray scenery welcoming them with enough light to sting his eyes and make them water. He tried not to squint for it would only give them one more reason for throwing them overboard, if they already did not think it. At that thought he did look at Yugi with inquiring eyes, and saw despair. This would be the last time they saw one another. Bakura gave the slightest of nods, understanding the man's position. It was the same as his after all. What they would do for their children overrode any bonds of friendship.
When he turned his head away, he caught the gaze of another. Finally, after just less than a month of imprisonment, he was facing the man who had put them there. Kaiba. The man stood there as resolute as he ever was, and just as cocky. What Bakura saw in his eyes, though, was something he could not fathom, and when the taller man looked down at the boy, where Bakura had expected contempt, he only saw sadness. Although he did his best to remain stoic on the outside, Bakura was flabbergasted, his entire core shaken. This was not the man he had been expecting. Looking at him again, searching for anything that could have lead to such a change, he found his answer. After seeing it, the young man almost cried.
He recalled the night that seemed so long ago, where they had not only found Yugi, but Mokuba and the others on their escape from the city. Kaiba had been dazed, in a semi-conscious state. He had been caked in blood, most of it on the side of his neck. Suddenly, everything that had transpired afterwards made sense. Why else would he have attacked Bakura? Kaiba was aggressive, to be sure, but he would not have attacked him simply because the other man was right. Not even for the destruction of the city.
But if he was the reason that the other was made a pawn, that his life would be taken away…and the scarf that was tied tightly around his neck was not just for show…
If Kaiba had truly wanted them dead, he would have taken their bags. He knew they had been packed for a trip. Kaiba had not been the one to attack Jounochi, even after the other had spoken against him. Bakura hardly heard the words that Kaiba now spoke, hardly saw the gestures to a small inflatable lifeboat. Finally, after Kaiba had concluded his speech and asked for Bakura's last words, he spoke as clipped as he could to not give the man's secret away.
"You knew." It was damning for him to say such a thing. D looked up at him in shock, showing what those not privy to his mind saw would assume. They would think, 'you knew I was on their side,' or 'you knew that I had been bit.' All for the better, for as much as he despised the man before him, he did not want to ruin his life further. It was already destroyed, but he still had Mokuba, and his brother needed him.
Kaiba glanced at Yugi, who was looking away. This answered Bakura's question. He had known what Yugi had been up to, and had said nothing.
"Yes."
"Is it because of him?" Bakura nodded to D, who only looked more confused.
"Of course it is. Why else?"
Bakura sighed inwardly. Kaiba Corp. had been a gaming company. Kaiba had poured a good bit of his profit into making Kaiba Land for all children to enjoy. He may have used it for other means at one point or another, but if anyone could look past that, past the money it would make, they would have seen someone who genuinely cared about making kids happy. Maybe he was cocky, maybe he had a homicidal edge, maybe he treated his peers and adults like crap; everything paled in comparison when it came to his hidden compassion, though. Bakura wondered if Kaiba had seen a bit of himself in D. He remembered hearing stories about Kaiba's life prior to his rise as CEO. It would make some sense.
"I see. Then all I have to say is good luck to you all."
"There's no such thing as luck."
"Of course there isn't."
They were guided to the orange lifeboat, and then lowered into the sea. Bakura could only watch as the other passengers stared over the edge. He would probably never see their faces again. Mokuba looked ill, but remained resolute beside his brother. Kaiba's face was now like stone. Yugi held a silently crying Anzu, who held a crying Etsu. His mother had a hand over her mouth, looking miserable. Jounochi was aiding their departure, making sure that they would land as gently as possible on the water, but Bakura could see in his face that this was not where he wanted to be. He was injured though, and they had the supplies, along with his other friends. The others just looked on maliciously, contemptibly.
As the ship sailed away, the young man took just enough time to wave before really looking at their situation. D was huddled on one side of the raft, having not been able to help himself after seeing Amami glare down at him; he had bowed his head to hide the tears. Now he shook forcibly as he let himself cry. It was embarrassing, and he knew that his resident parasite would never let him live it down, but everything had just become too much for the boy.
"We…are going…to die!" he cried between heaving breaths.
"I doubt that is what is bothering you the most, D-kun," Bakura replied, not uncaringly, grabbing the plastic oars that they had been allowed. He wondered if there was another one of these life-boats on the ship. He figured there was. Kaiba had shown some compassion, but he was not self sacrificing.
"She hates meee…they all do…everybody wants me dead…"
"Everybody is a sweeping generalization, D-kun, I don't want you dead." He began rowing, taking great care to make sure that they were going as far away from the glowing portion of the horizon. He hoped that they were far enough away that they would not be affected. He wondered briefly if D could be affected.
"Everybody else does!"
"We don't know everybody else," Bakura soothed, hiding his own fears, "not to mention that Kaiba isn't ditching us here because of that."
A sniffle. "What?"
"Kaiba was bitten." The way the boy gasped almost made Bakura laugh. "Not in a way that changed him, but I think more in the way like the book. He exiled us, so to speak, because he didn't want to be used…and maybe he wanted to give you a chance to get away."
"But I've done nothing but cause him trouble."
"No, I'm the one who caused trouble. I brought you there, I endangered everyone, I am the reason that only a handful of people survived," he lifted a hand to stop the boy from interrupting, "I am not pitying myself, but I understand that in his mind, I'm at fault. And I suppose I am, to a degree. You are just an unfortunate bystander who just so happens to be the son of our attacker. Not to mention I think he has a soft spot for kids."
D scoffed at that, as children often do when something does not fit into their way of thinking. The boy had stopped crying however, which made Bakura feel better. He knew it took a lot to make him cry, and it broke his heart when the boy did. D said no more following that and the man continued rowing for an unknown amount of time, the only sound prevalent being the lapping of water and the distant surf. He did not stop, even when his arms tired, even when his own panic reached its peak; he just continued the strong, steady strokes. It was odd, the position they were in. Frightening. They seemed so small in that big expanse of water. He knew they were drifting, but he could not quite tell if it was in their favor or not.
"Aren't you sad, Bakura-sama?" D said after a while, his eyes firmly affixed to the vibrant orange that was the bottom of the "boat". "I mean, you'll probably never see them again, and they were your friends, right?"
"I'll be sad latter," Bakura replied, his voice strained with effort, "right now I'm more concerned about getting us safely on land, and then finding the place where we're going to sleep."
"I must have looked so foolish to you," D muttered, tugging at a lose thread on the hem of his jeans, "here we are in real danger, and I'm whining over the fact that no one likes me."
"You didn't look foolish, D-kun, far from it. I'm sorry that any of this had to happen to you, and you had every right to cry. I just felt that there was no reason for me to be sad at the moment, and I didn't want to make you feel bad just because I might."
"Oh," the boy said, looked over the man's shoulder, squinting, and added, "I think I see land."
"Really?" the young man asked, tiredly but not without some excitement, "What's it look like?"
D looked back at Bakura and then back to the land. He drummed his fingers against his lips and then smiled an almost unnoticeable smile. "Gray."
"Very funny," Bakura said, sounding annoyed, but giving away his actual feeling by laughing as he shook his head. The boy's inconspicuous smile brightened into a goofy grin, very unlike him, but very welcome.
"I can help you know," the boy offered, his mood lightened considerably.
"Help?" Bakura panted, "With what?"
"Rowing." D motioned to the man. "You look tired. I have more stamina than you do, and I could probably get us there faster."
"I couldn't ask you to—"
"Sorry to say, but with the rate you are going, we're going to be here all night."
"I…" Bakura paused, "Is it that late already?"
"I can't be sure, but I believe so."
Bakura sighed, lifting the oars from the water. "I'm not very good at this am I?" he asked, more to himself, and sighed again. D watched the man with a sympathetic gaze as he shook out his arms before handing the boy the oars. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I'd feel better if I could help you," came the child's reply, and as he positioned himself he added, "What do you think we'll find when we get there?"
Rubbing his arms, Bakura looked in the direction where "land" was. "I have no clue," he answered honestly, "but something tells me that so long as we act normal, we won't be seen as a threat."
D nodded. Bakura smiled at him and then nearly fell out of the lifeboat when the boy began to row. He was never prepared for the boy's feats of strength, such a small thing exuding that much force seemed impossible to the man. Bakura straightened himself as quickly as he could so as not to tip them both into the icy water, and marveled at the speed that the boy performed. It was by no means as fast as a boat with a motor, but it was most definitely faster than what he had been able to manage. Covering his mouth so as not to laugh, he watched as D's expression went from concentrated, to almost bored.
"What's that green haze that's all the way over there?" D asked, nodding his head in the direction of the glowing scenery. It seemed further away than what Bakura remembered. "Do you think its radiation or something?"
"I hope not," Bakura replied, "But I can't think of anything else that would be doing that."
"We should stay very far away from it then."
"Agreed."
By the time they made it to where the white foam floated in and out of the surf D looked as if he were now exerting some force behind his strokes. He was taking deep breaths, and just a flush of pink tinged his cheeks. The both of them were freezing. The occupants of the boat regarded one another with small smiles. They bobbed around, being pushed to and fro as the tide pulled them further away from the greenish glow in the far distance. A mist had settled in as they had crossed the split of the oceanic and neritic divisions, and now, even though they had remained in the lifeboat, they were soaked. As D pulled the oars back into the boat, he began to shiver, his exertion being the only thing that had kept him warm. Bakura peered into the waters depths only to see a cloudy gray churn of sand swirl beneath them.
"Do you think it would be better if we just swam the rest of the way?" D asked, shivering harder.
"Without the food," Bakura said, "maybe. It doesn't make much difference considering we're already kind of wet."
"I guess."
"I can finish getting us there if you want."
D considered the oars for a moment and nodded his head. "Go for it," he said, "I just want to get out of the water."
"Are you okay?" Bakura asked; his head tilted to the side in confusion.
"Yeah."
Bakura gave D a look. D sighed and rolled his eyes, which made Bakura grin. It was more normal behavior from the child who did not always act like one.
"I didn't want to tell you this, but I've been nauseous ever since we got on that stupid ship. I'll be happy if we never have to do this again."
Bakura nodded and took the oars. Within a few moments, after spending about a month at sea, the pair was finally back on land. Bakura took two wobbly steps before tripping on his own feet and collapsing onto the wet sand. D fared little better. He managed to walk a few more paces before getting hit with a rather large wave that had come from the side. The boy toppled over, shocked, grabbing his pack as if to cover it from its already soaked fate. Bakura laughed, having been hit with the same wave, and crawled to the boy, who was shivering violently, more out of alarm than cold. Helping one another up, they zigzagged their way up the beach, their feet dragging through the sand, opening the dry bits underneath to the wet environment. When they reached the crest of a dune they turned to watch the lifeboat with its plastic oars be first pushed onto the sand and then away, floating back into the deeper expanse of water.
"Do you think we might have needed that?" D asked, holding onto Bakura for both warmth and comfort.
"I dunno," Bakura said, "but I doubt that we won't be able to find another one if we really need it."
D pressed his face into Bakura's side and took a deep breath. "Do you think there are people over here?"
Bakura looked around, and unable to see above the nearest cliff he shrugged. "I don't know D-kun."
"Do you think they'll know what I am?"
"Doubtful," the man replied, patting the boy on the shoulder, "It's probably an isolated incident, what your father's doing."
"At least for now."
"Yes, at least for now."
They spent an hour trying to find a way up from the beach, but the darkening sky and warning drops of rain made them rethink their position. Content with finding a small cave in the crack where two caves met, they kicked out as much of the oozing mud as they could, hoping that when the tide did come back in that the water would not somehow find its way up to them. After they settled in Bakura ate a few crackers and D allowed Bakura to feed him one syringe of blood (he absolutely refused to bite the man), leaving his left hand to munch on the earth surrounding them without much thought. As the rain began full force they lay there, their backpacks used as pillows, their clothes set aside in the farthest corner to dry, simply listening to the water as it either crashed with the surf or pitter-pattered against the earth above them. They were both filled with fear of what would happen tomorrow, but when D voiced his anxieties Bakura soothed them away with a calm voice and when asked why, he created an excitement he did not feel, telling the boy of what great adventures they could have. It allowed the boy to fall into dreams without worry, but the man remained awake for a long time after. He ruminated on their position, his fears, and D's fears. Was it safe? Were there people who would attack them? Where were they? He doubted anyone would speak Japanese. What would happen if D got sick? If he got sick?
D awoke at what his body dictated as three o'clock in the morning to a soft sobbing sound. For a moment, with the chill he experienced as the wind howled past the cave, he believed he was in the not-dream world, with that crying "darkness". It took not even a second for his eyes to adjust, however, and he saw Bakura at the entrance of the small cave, hunched over, hands pressed viciously against one another. His mouth was moving and his lips only stopped when he let out a muffled sob. He was praying. To who or what D did not know; the man had never mentioned what religion he practiced. The boy could not even tell what the man was saying; the angle was bad and the man was not actually speaking. D flinched involuntarily; he knew anything religious usually resulted in something painful in regards to him, and he did in fact feel a bit queasy. This queasiness was the only negative reaction though, which made D wonder yet again to who Bakura was praying to. He wanted to get up, to comfort the man, as it seemed he needed it, but the words that Bakura spoke aloud made the boy think twice.
"Please, please, please, don't let anyone hurt D-kun…Keep him safe. Help me keep him safe. I don't care what you do to me but let me keep him safe and happy…Help me be strong for him…"
D was silent as he rested his head once again on his backpack, knowing that if Bakura knew that he knew the man had been crying, it would only exacerbate the situation. He lay there in silence, listening to the man sob over his lost friends and family, and realized that recently, the man had not been as emotional as he had remembered. It seemed as if he had been bottling it up, but to what end? It only took him a moment to answer the question himself. Bakura was doing it all for him. He was being strong for him. Blocking out the reverberating, weeping pleas D made a mental vow to be just as strong for Bakura before he fell back into a deep slumber. That promise would not come so easily as later on that night his disturbed nightmares had him clinging to the man for reassurance. In time he would be strong enough, but for now he was still a child with many limitations, and Bakura was the one he could rely on.
The morning greeted the two companions with a deep fog and the smell of salt and soaking vegetation. Their clothes were not much dryer than when they had first come to shore, but eager to be off of the beach and onto more solid land left them little choice but to once again clothe themselves in their semi-damp and stiff attire. Bakura chewed on dehydrated ramen noodles as they made their way along the beach, once again looking for some sign of a way up. The fog made it difficult to see very far, and the lack of people left the two feeling very uncomfortable. It was eerie; the only sound aside from their footsteps was the cry of seagulls in the distance. On more than one occasion they nearly tumbled into a newly formed riverbed in the sand, and would have to make their way around to the mouth and hurry across before a wave made its invisible trek up the beach and hit the two with an icy barrage of water.
It was when the fog finally began to dissipate that they found what they had been looking for. A set of concrete steps built into the side of a half cliff, half sand dune formation provided them a way up, and they gladly climbed the solid steps, their excitement almost tangible. Wherever they had landed most surely had to have some people. With steps such as those, the beach must have at one point been frequented by thousands of people. When they reached the parking lot, they celebrated. They celebrated for finding the way up, they celebrated for being alive. Bakura checked the exterior shower to see if it was still functional and let out a whoop when he pressed the button and ice cold water came bursting forth. Seeing as no people seemed to reside near this particular area any longer, he stripped down and took a much needed shower, unable to care that the water was freezing. D was less excited about the prospect, but his preference for cleanliness defeated his distaste for discomfort and he followed suit, immediately regretting the decision. They washed and found new warmth in their clothing when they redressed themselves. Bakura made a mental note to find a store where there was still clothing, they would need something more than the soaking fabric soon enough. Especially the young boy who, although seemed just as ecstatic as he, was carrying himself in a somewhat sluggish way, his normally flushed lips a dead white, promising the dangerous blue of hypothermia.
After taking care of more personal necessities, they walked through the parking lot, past the empty toll booth (too preoccupied to notice the destroyed sign below the window), admiring the empty houses that still stood after the promised devastation. This place seemed almost untouched, save for the faint green glow in the far distance that was now obstructed by trees as they made their way down a road that had yet proclaimed its name. It was when they reached the stop sign that either of them had an inkling to where they were.
"Stop…" Bakura said, studying the red octagon with some interest. "This is English."
"Yes, it is," D mused, "Considering what direction we were going, it only makes sense that we would probably arrive somewhere in the United States. I mean," he paused, "I doubt we're in Canada or anything."
"Hm…" Bakura said thoughtfully, "I don't think I've ever been to the United States before."
"Neither have I."
Bakura looked down the road that lead to the right of what looked like a small highway and noted the buildings that stood in the distance. This was in their favor; it would take them further away from both the beach and the green glow. However this was not at the forefront of his mind, his main concern was if the people were hospitable or not. He no longer had his rifle; this had been the one thing they had indirectly denied him before shoving the pair onto the now long gone lifeboat. He almost hoped for a weapons shop, but if guns were available to him, they were also available to those who were native.
Bakura made as if to walk on the right side of the road, but D pulled him back with enough force that the man turned to look at him, a quizzical look upon his face. "I remember reading once in one of my Father's books that it's better to walk on the incoming traffic side, that way you can see what's coming."
"That's what I was doing."
D shook his head, a small smile on his face. "They drive on the right side of the road.
If by any chance there are cars, if we walk on this side they'll have ample chance to hit us."
Bakura blinked. "Oh," he said, "that's right." D was amused further by the man's slow shaking of his head, as if the idea was inconceivable. His pleasant feeling plummeted when another thought hit him, however. It was not a particularly formed thought, but it encompassed everything and nothing all at once.
"Now what?"
Bakura looked down at him and grinned. "Now we live."
D frowned. "Well that doesn't explain anything. Where are we going? What's going to happen to us?"
"First we're going to get you out of those wet clothes, and then," Bakura breathed deeply, taking in the cool air and feeling more alive than ever, letting the feeling sink in and feeling oddly happier for it, "we'll do whatever we want."
D's mouth hung agape. This did not seem like the man who had been sobbing in that dismal cave. "Aren't you afraid at all?"
"Oh, yes, absolutely terrified."
D was now the one shaking his head. "You are absolutely weird is what you are."
Bakura laughed. "No, I'd say driving in the right lane is still far more bizarre."
When the young man began to make his way across the street D followed with a bemused grin across his lips. He had to hand it to Bakura; even with whatever trials the man was suffering, he certainly knew how to distract the boy from his own. Allowing himself to forget his trepidation, he finally noted the sweet smell of the surrounding flora, the greenery left untouched by the destruction that had destroyed the land he had once lived in, and reveled in it. Maybe not knowing what was going to happen would be a good thing. Maybe he could…live for himself.
Maybe; but maybes were not certainties, and perhaps what faced the two in their near future was a horror far greater than what they had escaped.