Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Fate of the Damned ❯ The Master Arrives ( Chapter 5 )

Since it took me so damn long to get this chapter written and uploaded, I won't put anything extremely important in the opening notes so it's more convenient to ignore them.

 

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-gi-oh or any of its characters and I make no profit from this story.

 

Ch 5

 

The white-haired human gasped and leaned heavily against the wall beside him, trying to catch his breath and remain on his feet. He could hear the angry chatter of Yukio ahead as the boy called for him to hurry, and it only filled him with a weariness he hadn't felt in years. He wiped his forehead and pressed his cheek against the wall, collecting his thoughts and taking time to enjoy the sensation of the cool stone against his heated flesh. He was rudely torn from his moment of serenity, though, when yet another yell sounded from down the hall, making him jump slightly and sending his heart thumping with anxiety.

 

Deciding he'd better return to Yukio, Ryou stood straight and stretched his back painfully, holding the stitch in his side dejectedly. `Three nights,' He told himself as he shook his head and jogged onward to catch the small terror that he had been assigned to watch, `Three whole nights of doing nothing but traipsing after Yukio, feeding him, clothing him, putting him to bed, and eventually leaving his side to stumble down to the slave housing to catch a few precious hours of sleep, only to wake up the next night and do it all over again.'

 

He felt tears stinging forming at the corner of his eyelids, and his eyes narrowed in fury and frustration. `I've hardly seen or spoken to Malik, and he'll be taken away soon. All I want to do is spend these last few days with my best friend before he's passed off like some cheap housewarming gift, but it's as though fate is refusing me even this simple request.'

 

Setting his jaw, Ryou came around the corner at the end of the hall which led to the upper stories, panting for breath and sweaty from his attempts to keep up with the vampire child. This was where he found Yukio, his tiny hands placed upon his hips and a grim scowl adorning his face.

 

“What took you so long?! I was waiting here for a long time, you know! You humans, you never were any good at anything. I still don't know why father keeps you around - you're as worthless as a dog without legs!”

 

Ryou blinked at that, wondering where Yukio had heard such a unique, albeit strange, simile. Mentally rolling his eyes, he stepped within close range of the boy and gave a short, stiff bow, hiding the sudden curl in his lip at the action. Damn he hated treating this kid like royalty.

 

“I'm sorry, young master.” Ryou apologized, wincing at the salutation he was forced to use when addressing the boy, “It won't happen again.” Straightening once more, he held back his own glare he wished so badly to direct at Yukio and instead put on his usual submissive, neutral expression.

 

“It better not.” The young vampire sneered (which only made him look more like his father, if that was even possible) as he showed Ryou his back and continued toward his play room at a surprising pace for one so short. His human attendant pursued him, making sure to keep a good distance between himself and the boy, as was the proper way of doing things between a slave and his master. Yukio smirked, enjoying the power he held over this human and the other servants of the house, all because of his lineage.

 

“It's nice to be able to give the slaves orders.” He threw over his shoulder, sharp eyes watching the human for a reaction. How would his silent keeper respond to him? With anger? Disdain? Maybe a bit of sorrow at his position? Anything would be better than the taller boy's usual soft replies and unyielding compliance. Yukio was surprised, however, when Ryou offered him a bit of a smile and focused his eyes on a spot near the vampire's ear.

 

“I wonder, young master, if the slaves revere you for your accomplishments or simply because they are ordered to do so.”

 

Yukio paused, gaze not leaving the human's face. “What are you talking about?”

 

“I mean that there are two types of respect, young master - that which comes from fear, and that which comes from admiration for the ruler. You see, if a group of people cares for their leader and appreciates his good deeds and concern for their well-being, they will be more inclined to fight for him. If people only follow their leader because they fear him, they will not hesitate to abandon him when he is in danger or need of their help.” Ryou's smile widened a fraction. “I was just curious as to which respect the workers of this house held for you.”

 

The young vampire frowned in thought and he glanced at a spot on the wall. He felt the human servant's eyes on him, but ignored it for the time being. “I'm sure it's the first one.” He spat, turning up his chin and continuing through the hall and up the stairs toward his room.

 

Ryou chuckled and went to catch up, knowing full well Yukio had taken his speech a bit more seriously than he was letting on. Hopefully the boy would think on what he had said and change his attitude - God knows he needed to. If not, then at the very least the idea of his servants turning on him during his rule might make somewhat of an impact on him.

 

Running up the stairs and past a few rooms, Ryou came to Yukio's playroom, the door of which was wide open, revealing the ocean blue walls and whitewashed lining, large expanse of rugs, plush furniture, and toys within. He also caught sight of his charge, who had planted himself in the corner of the room nearest to one of the gorgeously designed windows and was smashing two figurines together with alarming might. The moonlight filtering through the glass behind the boy gave an eerie glow to the vampire's icy blue hair and pallid skin, leaving Ryou with a feeling of fright and nervousness that had not been unfamiliar to him within the last three nights.

 

An uncontrollable shiver raced up his spine, only to be ignored by the young human as he made his way over to Yukio and sat within a few feet of him, eyes roving over the sea of games and playthings surrounding him, and then to the toy box situated near the opposite wall which was completely empty. `I'll probably be expected to clean this up.' He groaned inwardly and climbed to his feet, ready to begin his work.

 

“Where are you going, servant?” the boy beside him suddenly asked, his misty colored gaze locked on Ryou's now still form.

 

“I'm going to clean this room up a bit so no one trips and hurts themselves. Your father would probably be disheartened if his heir were to be injured.” Actually, Ryou couldn't care less about Yukio hurting himself, just about the punishment he'd receive if that were to happen. In fact, his life would be much easier if the child were to suddenly…disappear, but since that was extremely unlikely (he wasn't dumb enough to try anything with the master vampire ever watchful over his home and occupants it held), he'd just have to deal with the boy and hope one day he was relieved of this position, like the female demon before him.

 

His charge nodded his approval and returned to his violent play with the figures, losing interest completely in his caretaker. Ryou drew an irritated expression at this, then bent and began collecting toys from the floor, his arms quickly filling and requiring him to make a trip to the toy box and toss his burdens into it's depths before he could go back for another arm full.

 

The human worked restlessly throughout the next ten minutes, alternately bending to scoop up figurines and other assorted objects and dropping them into their container on the other side of the room. Soon, the floor was practically spotless except for the furniture dotting the room and the items surrounding Yukio in the corner, and Ryou sighed in relief, glad to have completed his chore.

 

Upon returning to the young vampire's side, he slumped to the floor in a tired heap, bottom thumping loudly on the rug beneath him. Silently watching Yukio, he noticed the boy would suddenly pause in his play and look around him, apparently searching for something. Curious, Ryou snuck a quick peak at what the boy was currently holding (a knight in his layers of armor and a dragon covered in glossy hand-painted scales) and thought that perhaps he was trying to locate a damsel in distress among the other things littering the floor.

 

Scanning the area, the white-haired human spotted the unmistakable yarn hair of a maiden lying half-hidden under a pile of blocks to his right. Freeing her from her wooden cell, he handed the beautifully clothed doll to Yukio, offering the boy the warmest smile he could muster.

 

“Is this what you're looking for?” he asked, motioning the figure in the small vampire's direction.

 

Yukio stared hard at the doll for a moment, then snatched it from Ryou and returned to acting out the rescue scene unfolding on the playroom floor. With his attention on his toys, he didn't see the scathing look the human shot at him.

 

Huffing indignantly, Ryou sat back, ordering his arms not to fold in front of his chest like they wished to do. `The little jerk could have at least acknowledged my help, but I guess he's too good to thank a servant.' No sooner had those words passed through his mind did he hear a tiny voice, almost inaudible over the sounds of wood and cloth roughly smashing against one another, murmur, “Thank you.”

 

Stunned, the human turned back to Yukio, but didn't see any sign that the boy was paying him any notice. Had he heard what he thought he did? Had this little snot actually thanked him for his help? Ryou twirled a lock of hair around his finger idly, adjusting his body into a more comfortable position. Perhaps this kid wasn't a lost cause, after all. If he could be polite during his play time (even in the smallest of fashions), then just maybe he could be civil in other areas of everyday life.

 

`I'll have to see if I can get him to move away from the shadow of his father and become his own person.' Ryou told himself. `If I can, I think he'd actually grow into a ruler this land could respect and fight for. It's obvious he's bold, strong, and courageous - three traits a king should have - and with time and training, he could switch these qualities from a negative standpoint to a positive one.'

 

A crack resonated through the air which made Ryou jump and immediately turn his head to the source of the noise. He was shocked to find that the maiden, who was supposed to be saved by the knight, had lost her arm to the dragon and the knight was no where to be found. Blinking in confusion, he looked to Yukio for an explanation.

 

The boy just grinned leisurely at him and said with immense glee, “The knight decided he couldn't win, so he ran and left the weak damsel behind. Smart, huh?” Then, quite calmly, as though none of this was odd in any way, he went back to tearing the limbs from the maiden.

 

`This might take more work then I originally expected.'

 

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Malik yawned, a tanned hand covering his mouth and hiding the show of fatigue from the rest of the world. He was so tired from the backbreaking labor of scrubbing floors and dusting age old furniture that he could hardly walk a straight line. Without Ryou to help, he had a larger work load and no one to share it with, leaving him twice as exhausted as he had been before the other boy was relieved of his regular slave duties. The blonde also found himself missing the conversations they used to hold and the tinkling of his friend's light laughter whenever he thought up a decent joke or jab at their superiors' expense.

 

Closing his mouth with a click of his teeth, he lowered his arm back to his side and went about his early-morning-pre-bedtime business, which consisted of a quick bath (after the demon slaves had finished their's, of course), a brief stop in a clump of reeds near the pond to take care of his late night business, and a light meal of bread saved from his earlier dinner. Once all of these were accomplished, he returned to his cot in the slave quarters (which was conveniently situated near the far wall and away from his demon peers) to fall into the blissful throws of sleep. This morning he was met with a bit of a surprise, however, when upon arriving at his bedside he found none other than Ryou lying atop his covers and appearing to be extremely content.

 

With jaw practically hitting the floor with disbelief, he hurried past those shuffling near him and leaped in the air a mere three feet from his bed, barely missing his friend's back when he hit the thin sheets beside him and bounced from the force of his landing. Malik's grin (which was almost splitting his face from his happiness at seeing his friend once again) widened considerably at Ryou's reaction, the boy jumping a foot or two into the air and his wide eyes turning to the blonde. When he touched back down and his heart recovered from its fevered pace, though, Ryou's expression matched the other's.

 

“Malik, you jerk!” he cried, tears of joy beginning to pool at the corners of his eyes. “Was that really necessary?” He smiled when the tanned boy wiped away the crystalline droplets before they could fall, and happily took the invitation when Malik spread his arms wide, offering Ryou a warm, welcoming embrace after three days of being without any form of human comfort.

 

Holding his white-haired companion close to his heart, Malik placed a kiss to the shorter boy's temple, enjoying how Ryou's bangs tickled his nose as he did so. Sighing cheerfully, he tightened his embrace and moved one arm to wrap around his friend's waist and the other around his shoulders, fingers splaying in his snow-white hair.

 

“So, who do I have to thank for your company, Ryou?” he whispered, closing his eyes to block what little light the candles in the room offered to its occupants. “I've hardly seen you these past nights, let alone had the chance to be near you. What makes tonight different?”

 

“Oh, Yukio had some warm blood for a twilight snack and it made him sleepy enough that I could get away with putting him to bed a little early today. I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to come here and speak with you instead of taking orders from the `young master.' Usually when I come down here after putting Yukio to bed you're already fast asleep, and since I know how hard you work each and every night I don't have the heart to wake you.”

 

Malik chuckled, his breath washing over Ryou's forehead and lulling him into a deeper sense of safety and ease. “I wouldn't mind getting less sleep every night if you were to wake me. Believe me, it would be an hour or two well spent.” The blonde felt the other nudge his head against his chin and moved to accommodate the boy, allowing Ryou to nuzzle into the crook of his neck. “I'd rather be awake speaking with you than asleep and experiencing the nightmares of what faces me in the future.”

 

Ryou detected the bitterness in his friend's voice, but chose to ignore it. He was already well aware of how he and Malik felt when it came to the tanned boy's rapidly approaching departure from Bakura's castle-like home and didn't much wish to reflect on it right now. No, he'd rather enjoy the other's presence and steer clear of the subject. “I'll remember that for tomorrow.” He replied, giving the tanned flesh under his lips a chaste kiss and turning his head, cheek resting against the blonde's collarbone.

 

Silence reigned for a moment, then Malik spoke, his voice soft. “I take it life with Yukio isn't too pleasant?”

 

Ryou snorted uncharacteristically. “What gave you that idea?”

 

“He's really that terrible, eh? On a scale of one to Bakura, where would you say he falls?”

 

Without hesitation, the white-haired human replied, “A nine.” His answer was met with a low whistle from his companion and he smiled when the fingers in his hair massaged his scalp affectionately.

 

“Wow, that is pretty bad. I can't believe you're still sane and in one piece.”

 

“Me neither.”

 

A shout from one of the demon servants interrupted their conversation, slashing through the air rudely. “Would you humans be quiet?! You're not the only ones who have to work tomorrow night and the rest of us would like to get some rest, not listen to you chatter on all day. Now, be silent or Otogi will hear about this.”

 

Malik snorted and was about to reply, but Ryou stopped him at the last moment with a firm smack to the chest. The blonde growled low in his throat but did nothing more, heeding his friend's request to do as he's told. After throwing the glance at the servants nearby and frowning in irritation, he rolled to the side, back facing the demons and Ryou still glued to his chest, and closed his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep.

 

It didn't take long for Ryou's soft, snuffling snores to reach his ears, signaling the younger one was in a deep slumber, and Malik couldn't help but release a low laugh. The boy was too cute for his own good. This though brought new ideas to light, and, unbidden, words flew through his foggy mind, startling him somewhat with what they implied.

 

`I hope Bakura doesn't start thinking of Ryou as anything more than a slave after I leave.'

 

A flash of fear went through him at this, followed by a streak of possessiveness. `I'll have to make sure that before I leave, Ryou knows and understands that he can never be with that man.' The blonde swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. `Even if it means defying Bakura and refusing his wishes.'

 

Curling further around the pale boy in his arms, Malik ordered his thoughts to cease and allowed his eyelids to droop, letting the flickering of the torches nearby and the sounds of his companion's deep breathing carry him into unconsciousness.

 

This welcomed ease did not last long, however. Quite abruptly, he was awoken in the late afternoon, tanned flesh covered in a layer of sweat and heart pounding madly. He glanced around in a state of unease, immediately picking up on the fact that Ryou was nowhere in sight. His mind panicked, running over information from the past four days and slowly formed an answer as to his friend's disappearance. He was with Yukio.

 

“Damnit.” Malik muttered, throwing his blanket to the side and rolling out of bed. “I let myself lose control for a minute there.” Scanning the faces of those close to his bed, he decided that most had taken no notice of his actions as they continued with their nightly business. Grateful for this reprieve, he groaned and popped his back, figuring he might as well join them. “The sooner I get my work done, the sooner I can come down and wait for Ryou to return from watching Yukio.”

 

Yawning and hopping to his feet, Malik flattened the creases in his tunic and mussed up his hair, preparing for a trip to the pond to bathe. He had taken a single step when -

 

“Human! Get over here!” Otogi's voice rang authoritatively throughout the area, easily catching the attention of all. “Hurry up, human, I haven't got all night!”

 

Malik drew his hands into fists at his sides, knuckles whitening under the pressure. God, he hated this life of servitude and following orders. If he ever escaped from his captors, he promised to find Ryou and take them both somewhere far from demons and vampires alike. For now, he would just have to submit. God damn it.

 

“You need something, sir?” the tanned boy asked, bowing stiffly to his superior.

 

“Of course I need something! Why else would I be speaking to you?” Otogi barked, hands coming to rest on his narrow hips. “I want you to go help clean the welcoming and dining halls with some of the other workers. We have important company coming tonight and the master wants his castle spick and span.”

 

Malik's ears perked, intrigued by this new information. “Company? Who is it?” His inquiry was met with the black haired demon's angry glare and raised voice.

 

“That is none of your concern, human! Now, get out of my sight and upstairs to finish your assigned chores.” The master servant went to leave, the heels of his boots knocking loudly on the stone floor, but appeared to change his mind at the last moment and faced Malik once again.

 

“One more thing, boy. Once you've finished the halls, I want you to aid your little friend in the care of Yukio tonight. The child is always a handful during times like these and the master does not want to be embarrassed in any way by his unruliness.” His eyes met the lower servant and narrowed maliciously. “I want you and the pale human's interaction to be nothing but professional business, understand? No worthless banter, no unnecessary contact, and you are not to be seen or heard outside of the young master's company. Do I make myself clear?”

 

“Perfectly.” Malik breathed, far too excited to take notice of Otogi's harsh rules. He was going to spend time with Ryou! Yukio was going to be a pain in the butt, but he'd dealt with aggravating people before, so he was relatively certain he could handle himself properly.

 

Bowing again when Otogi left, he could barely contain his eager grin until the man was out of sight. Clapping his hands and hollering fervently to the exasperation of the other slaves, the blonde raced out of the servant quarters and in the direction of the pond, dead set on washing up and completing his chores in record time so he could be with Ryou as soon as possible.

 

The white-haired boy in question was unfortunately not feeling the same elation as his human friend at the moment. Ryou was held up with Yukio in the young vampire's bedroom, trying with all his might to keep the child entertained and his cries of exasperation at bay. Trapped in a room with this boy when all he wanted was to be outside was pure torture and he wasn't sure how much more he could handle before he reached his breaking point.

 

“I want out of here!” Yukio yelled for what seemed like the thousandth time. “I hate being in here all night, it's boring! I want to watch what's going on and see who's coming to visit us!”

 

“I know you do, young master, but I was given specific orders by Otogi to keep you here in your room while the castle is tended to.” At the curl beginning to form in Yukio's lip, he sputtered and wracked his mind for something to say that would soothe the child. “Well, err, it has been quite awhile since we first came in here to wait.” Ryou stole a glance at the clock and saw it to be only nine o'clock. `It's been an hour! Is this kid saying he can't stay in one place and be silent for an HOUR?'

 

The small boy suddenly jumped to his feet and padded over to Ryou's legs, the movement frightening his caretaker immensely. The human hadn't been expecting Yukio to come within such close proximity of him, a lowly human and servant, and what came next astounded him further, for the boy had never done it before.

 

Upon reaching Ryou, the vampire snatched the material surrounding the taller male's tunic-clad leg with a tiny hand and tugged roughly, his childish voice echoing through the room a second later. “So you're saying we can go?” he asked hopefully, the unusual expression of glee washing over his face disturbing the white-haired human greatly.

 

“Um, I guess we can.” He conceded, hoping the boy would release him now that he had gotten what he wanted. To his horror, Yukio's grip tightened, and for the life of him he couldn't brush the child away. Ryou didn't want to outright tear the boy from him, but at this point that's what it might come down to.

 

Yukio's thin fingers lingered in the human's clothing as he pulled Ryou along beside him, the two leaving his bedroom and entering the halls together. He smiled and hurried forward, intent on getting to the welcoming hall before the company arrived, and didn't appear to notice as Ryou flailed next to him, desperate to keep up with the boy's frantic stride.

 

To Ryou's relief, they made it to the main hall soon after leaving Yukio's bedroom, and he was still in one piece. Sighing under his breath when the boy relinquished his hold on the human's garments, Ryou watched him scamper a few feet away to bother a servant who was putting the finishing touches to the columns. Pitying the poor soul who was now in his ward's sights, the white-haired boy studied that room, awed by how the tiles appeared to sparkle under the light of the torches. He noted that the flames were much brighter tonight than they had been when he first arrived at the castle.

 

While slowly making his way down to the front doors and taking in the magnificence surrounding him, he paused when he saw a familiar mop of blonde hair nearby. Excitement bubbling within him, he ran over and laid a hand on the other's shoulder, a grin unfolding on his lips when the servant turned and violet eyes widened.

 

“Ryou!?” Malik cried, standing straight and drawing his friend into a hug. “I didn't think I'd see you down here! Otogi told me to go see you after I finished here.”

 

“Come see me? Why?” he asked, his own arms winding around his friend's shoulders.

 

“He wanted me to help you take care of Yuk-” The blonde cut himself off, holding Ryou away from him and staring the pale boy in the eye. “Ryou, where's Yukio?”

 

Giggling, Ryou pointed to where the little vampire was bombarding the other slaves with questions. “He's over there, bothering anyone within earshot.”

 

“Ryou, this is bad.” Malik whispered, bringing his companion closer. “Yukio isn't supposed to be here! Bakura wanted him out of the way for most of tonight so the kid didn't do anything to embarrass him.”

 

Dropping his arms back to his sides and feeling Malik do the same, Ryou gnawed the nails of his fingers in thought. A moment later he spoke, “Okay then, I'll take him back to his room.” Brushing imaginary dirt from the front of his tunic he added, “If he refuses, I'll drag him back. I don't think Bakura would mind as long as Yukio wasn't hurt in the process.”

 

“Good thinking.” Malik chuckled, starting toward their young master. “Oh, and I'll help you if you need me to. I've been itching to do something like this since the first day you were made his caretaker.”

 

Smothering their laughter as best they could, the pair jogged over to meet the young vampire, but jumped when a booming voice hit their ears and caused the rest of the room to go silent.

 

“Get out of here, you worms! Our company has arrived before schedule, and he is not to see such filth when he enters our master's home!”

 

At this announcement, all the lower demons raced to do as they were told, bumping into one another in their haste to leave. Ryou and Malik, however, stayed where they were, the blonde having had the sense to snatch Yukio's collar so the boy wasn't lost in the confusion. Searching for the source of the voice, the two spotted a winged guard near the front entrance, his back to them while he pushed open the doors.

 

“Damn, we need to hurry, Ryou.” Malik said, picking up the child at his feet and tossing him to Ryou, who caught the boy awkwardly. Grabbing his friend's upper arm, the blonde pulled him to the side, walking swiftly along the perimeter of the welcoming hall in the direction of a hidden path which would lead them straight to the servant quarters. From there, he planned to lead their little group back to the upper floors and Yukio's room.

 

Ryou held Yukio close to his chest in an effort to keep him quiet. The child was screaming up a storm at being handled so roughly, and was also angry that his chance to see their visitor was going to be thwarted once more. Speaking softly to him as they hurried along, the human apologized and promised that they would return just as soon as they were given permission. The vampire didn't seem too happy with this, and continued to fight tooth and nail to be released.

 

They had almost made it to the passage when a gust of air blew past them, forcing them to stop in order to keep their footing. Closing their eyes as their hair whipped about their faces, they didn't see the figure looming ominously before them, his black cloak billowing at his feet.

 

Malik was the first to recover, gasping when he caught sight of the stranger and noticed the similarities between himself and the man standing in their path. Whoever it was took hold of him and Ryou, dragging them forward and inspecting them closely. His violet eyes blinked and stared, first at Malik and then Ryou, before coming to the bundle in the white-haired human's arms.

 

Yukio, realizing they had halted, twisted to see why his caretaker's heart had started racing and his muscles had stiffened. He spotted the new arrival and his face lit up as he held out his hands, shouting, “Uncle Marik! I didn't know you were visiting us tonight!”

 

The man, Marik, laughed, bending until he came face to face with all three boys. “Well, well. What's going on here?” He grinned, lips parting and showing a pair of sharp fangs.

 

With a start, both humans came to the same conclusion. This was the vampire lord of the southern region - Malik's new master.

 

TBC

 

You know, as I sit here in my 'I Love You Beary Much' boxers, I still can't believe how little writing I've done in the past month. It's just sad, unlike the bear couples making out on said undergarments.

 

Hopefully, I'll be able to get more done this month. I'm looking forward to finally finishing Opal and getting this 'Fate of the Damned' show on the road. Also, it'll be nice to get my other stories rolling. Whee!

 

This chapter was incredibly irritating to write, but for what it's worth I think it came out alright. Not good, but not terrible, either.

 

Whelp, Marik is here. Aren't you all just wetting yourselves with excitement? I know I am. xD

 

Again, we'll find out about Yukio's mom later. Probably next chapter or the one after that.

 

Did you enjoy this chapter? Then leave me a review and let me know!