Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Hostile Takeover ❯ Collapse ( Chapter 46 )

Dragondreamer: So, does Otogi like to be puked on?

Isawa16: The coffee part was inspired by my wife above. That';s exactly how she is. It's funny!

star: Marik has the Rod. And it won't be for a little bit that they figure out it is Aku.

Shadow of Light: Robbie is so cute! I won't get rid of him.

MarikIshtar77: I just figured out since Aria is the darker part of Cinetti, she is the stronger one. Aten will never be strong or anything.

IYYASHI: I like tea, personally. Joey's acting like an ass because he still thinks it's Seto who hurt him. It's his own defenses coming up against Seto.

Lady Elfskye: Nope, Malik doesn't have a clue what is going on.

Cynical Spirit Valea: I like tea, personally. Aria loves carrots. I thought it would be funny to see Otogi be more feminine than Tris. Tris is so guy-ish.

bakachibi voidfox: My wife loves coffee too. Otogi loves Tris and Tris loves Otogi. It's all in good fun.

malik lover and Bakurasgirl worshipper: They're all doomed.

Amane Bakura: Aten needs Aria, though she doesn't realize yet how much she needs him. Aten will have to remind her of this when they grow older.

Collapse

Marik came back from his job-hunting unsuccessful like the day before. Marik had returned for lunch and was planning on leaving later to try again. Ryou made peanut butter sandwiches.

//Ryou! Tell Marik what Malik did to you yesterday!//

/I can't, yami. Malik is my friend./

//Are you going to fight him back this time if he tries that again with you?//

/No./

//Ryou, I hate to sound like an ass here, but, didn't I teach you anything? Didn't I teach you not to take that type of abuse?//

/No./

//What did I teach you, then?//

Ryou sighed and touched his cheek. /That you don't fight back even when someone you love hurts you./

Bakura growled. //Then you learned the wrong lesson, hikari.//

/You asked me what I learned, that is it. That was my lesson. Besides, Bakura, when I DID retaliate, you always beat me worse. So, I learned to take your abuse with silence./

Bakura leaned against the soulroom door. //So, you loved me even when I was beating the living snot out of you every day and night?//

Ryou nodded. /No. Not at first. But, I couldn't hurt you back like you hurt me. That is why I never fought back. That is why I cannot hurt Malik./

//Ryou, he's going to kill you if you think that way! Fight back!//

Marik finished his sandwich and his milk. "I hope I'm lucky this time. If I have to have another sandwich, I'm going to send myself to the Shadow Realm."

Marik kissed Ryou goodbye and turned to Malik. "Be good." Marik left the house, slamming the door behind him.

Malik finished eating, keeping a cold eye on Ryou. Ryou cleaned up the dishes from lunch and went into the living room. He sighed sadly at the playpen.

/I really miss them, yami. I miss my children./

//I know you do, Ryou. But, we can't subject Aria or Aten to Malik's violent temper. He already hurt Aten. If he hurt Aria, I would have to decapitate him slowly. Nobody steals my little girl's innocence!//

Ryou picked up one of Aten's monkeys which held a stuffed heart in its paws. /It's so quiet here without the kids!/

Ryou went upstairs to the kids' room. He missed tucking Aria in for her afternoon nap. Ryou pet the huge gorilla which sat smiling on the empty bed.

//I wonder what it is with Aten and monkeys. I mean, I never saw a kid with such a fascination with an animal!//

/Yami, you were never around kids before I got pregnant./

//…Oh yeah. Still. I wonder why he loves monkeys so much.//

Ryou shrugged. /I liked teddy bears when I was a kid./

//Rats were my favorite.// Bakura smiled. //I could have written the book called '1001 Fun Games to Play with Street Vermin.' Of course that would have to go with my other book called '1001 Fun Ways to Eat Street Vermin.'//

/Yami, that's disgusting!/

//Hey, I had to find my own food on the streets at four years old! It's not like I could go down the street and buy any food I wanted. I had to earn my dinners. And rats were a cheap delicacy. If I didn't have to "service" anyone for my dinner, I considered it a good day.//

Ryou sat on the bed and sighed. /I really miss my little boy and girl. I wonder how they are doing at Tristan's./

//I wonder if chibi yami is making Tristan's life a living hell. Let's go see them, Ryou!//

/But…/

//No 'buts!' Malik can't hurt you if you are not here! Besides, while we are out, we can go harass the pharaoh some more. He has to let me out eventually.//

/I hope he does let you out./

//I tell you, love. You may not like what you see when I come out of here.//

/I don't care, yami. I love you and nothing is going to change that./

Bakura smiled. //I love you, Ryou.//

/Love you, yami./

*********************

A knock sounded on the door and Malik lifted his head from his plate. The blond gave a grin. "That has to be the kids! They must be running home to their mommy. Come to me, Aria. It's time to die, you little brat!"

Malik rushed to the door and opened it up growling.

"Hello, Aten's-Other-Mommy! Is Aten home?" the blue-eyed boy asked.

"What do you want, kid?"

Robbie stepped back. "It's me! Robbie! I wanted to see if Aten came back yet."

[This child knows the location of Aten! Surely the sister will be with the brother!]

"No. He is not back yet. Maybe you can tell me where he is and I can go and pick him up. Then all four of us can play together…me, you, Aten, and Aria."

Robbie's eyes lit up. "Really? You'll play with us?" Robbie wrapped his arms around Malik's leg. "You're the best ever!"

Malik growled again,, trying to shake the chibi off of his leg. "Get off of me! Where is Aten?"

Robbie grinned. "You don't know? You're his other mommy! You should know where he is!"

Malik sneered again. "Where is Aten, kid?"

Robbie slowly began to back away, sensing the teen's increasing anger. "I…I can't tell you. Aten told me yesterday that you hurt him! Why did you hurt Aten?"
Malik grinned. "Because it was easy. Because I enjoyed it. And I would do it again."

Robbie narrowed his eyes. "Nobody picks on Aten and gets away with it!"

Malik let out a laugh. "And what are you going to do to stop me?"

Robbie clenched his fists and punched Malik in the kneecap. "TAKE THAT! AND THAT! AND THAT!"

Malik rolled his eyes and yawned. He picked up Robbie by the left wrist and pulled him into the house. Malik shut the door and removed a knife from his pocket. Malik placed the blade at Robbie's chest.

"HELP! S.O.S.! HELP!"

Malik sneered. "You little whelp! I think you would look good mounted to the wall!"

Malik drew back the blade as the frightened chibi made a last desperate shriek.

Ryou ran down the stairs and saw Robbie pinned to the wall and Malik ready to kill him. "MALIK! NOT ROBBIE!"

Malik grinned. "Tell me where Aten and Aria are, Ryou, and I promise not to hurt the boy."

Robbie held onto the arm that pinned him to the wall and kicked Malik in the ribs as hard as he could. Malik released his grip and Ryou grabbed Robbie. Ryou darted out of the house with the chibi, running towards Robbie's house.

Ryou arrived at Robbie's house panting. Robbie ran through his door and to his mother in the kitchen, clinging to her skirt.
"Aten's-Other-Mommy tried to hurt me, mommy!"

Miranda picked up her son. "Are you okay?"

Robbie wrapped his arms around her shoulders whimpering. Ryou walked into the house.

Miranda turned to Ryou. "What happened over there? Why did Malik attack him?"

Ryou shook his head. "Malik is trying to get to Aria and Aten."

"You didn't tell Malik where they were, did you, Robbie?"

Robbie shook his head. "No. I just wanted to play with Aten, mommy."

"I know you did. You will see him soon."

Robbie looked up at his mother his large, blue chibi eyes. "Can we go see Aten, mommy?"

Miranda turned to Ryou. "Do you think your friends will mind if we see them?"

"I don't think Tristan would mind. I miss the kids terribly."

"Ok, Ryou. I'll call Ryou's friends and see if we can come over."

Robbie squealed and brought his mother into a tight crush. "Thank you, mommy!"

********************************

Tristan and Otogi had to give Aria another bath. She was practically limp in their arms as they washed her. Otogi held her up as Tristan washed her. Aten sat in the living room clutching onto his Winged Dragon of Ra plushie.

"Wa. Mate my tisser be otay."

The doorbell ran as Otogi ran out of the bathroom shirtless and dripping with water. He opened the door and they saw Robbie, Miranda, and Ryou standing there.

"OH THANK YOU, RYOU! Gods, we don't know how you do this childrearing thing!"

Robbie ran into the apartment and saw Aten sitting by the window curled up and clutching his plushie to him as if his life depended on it. "ATEN!"

Aten looked over. His face lit up. "WOBBIE!"

Robbie ran over to Aten, bringing him into a big hug. "I was hoping you would be home! I wanted to play with you."

Aten shook his head. "I tant be home, Wobbie. Mommy Mawik is dere. I tared of him now." Aten's entire body quivered.

"I beated him up for you, Aten! I punched him! It was so cool!"

"Dit he hurt you?"

Robbie nodded slowly. "Yeah, but that's ok! I punched him! GO ME!

Aten wrapped his arms around Robbie's right leg, sniffling. "I no wan anyone to hurt you, Wobbie. You my bess fend."

Robbie smiled. "You're my best friend, Aten! That won't ever change! Not even in a gajillion-billion-trazillion years!"
Aten squealed and hugged tighter. Robbie lost his balance and fell backwards. Aten crawled over beside Robbie and started tickling Robbie's belly.

"Aten! Oh gods! Stop!"

Miranda sat on the couch watching them play.

"Mommy! Mommy! Make him stop! Oh gods!"

Miranda chuckled. "I'm an innocent bystander, Robbie."

Tears came to Robbie's eyes as his body quaked with loss of control. "Aten! That tickles! Not the armpits! NO! Mommy!"

Miranda laughed as Aten started tickling Robbie's armpits.
"Tay'Unkie," Wobbie! TayUnkie!"

"Mommy!"

A wicked grin formed on Miranda's face. She kneeled on Robbie's other side and began tickling Robbie's belly while Aten tickled .

"Why's my boy? Who's my boy?"

"TayUnkie!"

Robbie's face started turning red. Tears came from his eyes in buckets. "Mommy! Aten!"

"Tayit!"

"UNCLE! UNCLE!"

Miranda pulled away and Aten laid his head on Robbie's chest, panting heavily. Aten wrapped his arms around Robbie, bringing him into a cuddle.

Robbie panted. "Too….much…..tickling."

Miranda saw Ryou enter the apartment and rush down the hallway. She stood up and followed Ryou, Tristan, and Otogi.

Aria was laying beside a bed with an empty bucket again. Ryou sat next to her, rubbing her hair.

"When did she get sick?"

"This morning. Aria found my stash of coffee beans and chocolate candy."

Ryou shook his head. "Let me guess what happened. She ate your coffee beans and your chocolate and now got sick."

Otogi pointed to Tristan. "We were changing Aten's diaper. He was fighting both of us."

Aria snuggled into Ryou's body. "Mommy, I never eat coffee beans and chocolate again. I pomise."

"What do we do for her, Ryou?"

Ryou rubbed his little girl's back. "Just let her sleep it off. The coffee and chocolate were too strong for her belly to take. Her tummy is just upset."

//Poor little chibi yami.//

/You know, yami, she has a penchant for getting into trouble. Just like you./

//Hey, she is my offspring. What do you expect?//

"Other than this little incident, did the kids behave for you?"

Tristan shook his head. "I honestly don't know how you do it, Ryou. I don't know how you can be so patient and calm with them when they get into trouble."

Ryou shrugged. "Well, I may be a guy again, but the maternal instinct never disappeared."

Tristan turned to Otogi. "That means you must have been a woman, Otogi. Otogi is too good at this nurturing crap to be a guy."

"HEY! I can't help if I'm in touch with my feminine side, Tristan!"

"Ok, well, you keep in touch with the woman inside of you. I'll keep my masculinity, thank you."

Otogi pushed Tristan. "That's the side of you that makes you a real jerk! A real pain in the ass! A real ass-."

"Guys! Not in front of Aria."

//She's heard worse than this at home. Don't forget that her bedroom is beside Marik and Malik's.//

/True. But still. She's sick and doesn't feel well./

Bakura paused. //That makes two of us.//

/Bakura?/

//Ryou……I don't feel so good.//

"Yami?"

Tristan and Otogi shot confused glances at Ryou.

//Ryou…..I don't feel so good.// Bakura whimpered, struggling to breathe.

"Ryou? What's going on?" Otogi asked.

//Ryou……//

"Something is wrong with Bakura in his soulroom." Ryou laid down beside Aria. "Guys, I have to check on Bakura. I'll be right back."

Ryou closed his eyes and retreated into his soulroom. He ran to the door of his yami's soulroom and opened the sliding window.
Ryou looked inside and saw Bakura laying on the bed whimpering, clutching his stomach so badly that his fingernails dug into his skin..

"Yami? What's wrong?"

"Hunger pains……Hurt all over…."

Ryou grabbed the handle on the door and tugged on it again violently. When he failed to open the door, he looked at Bakura on the bed. His entire body was pale. His body went into convulsions. His arms were wrapped around his sides for a pitiful attempt at keeping himself warm. Bakura looked almost like a skeleton, the way his bones stood out from under his skin.

"Yami?"

"Osiris……just take me…….finish this."
Ryou brushed away the tear. "No, yami!! Don't say that!"

Bakura let out a painful whimper again, rocking himself.

"Shit! I have to get him out of there! There's just one person who can get him out of there!"

"Ry--."

Ryou watched in horror as Bakura's shaking suddenly stopped and his arm fell limp to the side.

"Yami?"

"……….."

Ryou banged on the soulroom door. "BAKURA! OPEN YOUR EYES!"

"Osiris…….." Bakura let out a breath and closed his eyes.
"Bakura! BAKURA!" Ryou received no response. "Bakura…"

Bakura lay limp and unconscious on his bed.

Ryou opened his eyes as he lay on the bed and jumped up. "I can't hold off anymore! I have to go see Yami!"

Otogi raised an eyebrow. "Why him?"

"Only he can let Bakura free."

Miranda leaned against the door. "I don't understand what's going on."

Ryou sighed and sat beside Aria again, stroking his daughter's hair. "Miranda, this may shock you, and I don't want to scare you away."

Miranda shrugged. "I've seen and heard everything, Ryou. Nothing scares me anymore."

Ryou nodded. "Bakura is a spirit. Marik is a spirit. They are the spirits of two dead tomb robbers who were sealed inside these items. See my necklace? This is the Millennium Ring. This is where Bakura resides and has done so for five thousand years. Marik resides in the Milleniuum Rod. These items are very special. Whomever holds all seven Millennium Items will wield great power."

Miranda nodded. "I see. So, Bakura and Marik are spirits, huh?"

"They were killed five thousand years ago and Pharaoh Yami sealed them in their respective items. Yugi's Game shop burned down and Yami blamed Bakura. Now Bakura is sealed inside his Ring again and he lost consciousness."

Miranda nodded. "Are you really Aten's biological mother?"

Ryou nodded. "Yes."

"How is that possible?"

Ryou blushed red. "Miranda--."

"Ryou, I just want to know. I'll drive you to where you have to go, but I want to know. I'm just trying to understand this."

Ryou sighed. "Yami's stepbrother turned me into a woman one year ago. I got pregnant with Aria and Aten shortly after."

"They are big for one year olds…except Aten."

"Well, they were transformed back into two year olds after aging at an accelerated rate."

Miranda nodded. "I see."

"I hope this news doesn't…bother you."

Miranda shrugged. "Not really. I find it interesting. Little creepy….but interesting."

Ryou kissed Aria on the forehead. "Sweetheart, we have to go see Auntie Yami. You be good for Tristan and Otogi."

Aria threw the covers off of her. "I want to come."

Ryou shook his head. "No, sweetheart, you're too sick."

Aria pouted. "But my daddy! I can make Auntie Yami bring him back!"

"Aria, darling, please listen to mommy. You are too sick."

Aria's large brown eyes filled with tears. "But my daddy needs me, mommy. I can feel that daddy is sick."

"Aria, your tummy…." Ryou paused listening to what his daughter just said. "You can sense daddy?"

Aria nodded. "I can feel daddy is very sick and he needs me."

"What's wrong with daddy, Aria?"

"Daddy is hungry. Daddy's energy is fading. Daddy is weak."

Ryou looked into his daughter's eyes and nodded. "Okay, sweetheart. If you feel you will be well enough, you can come with us."

Aria nodded. "Unkie Togi? I need my white dress and my sparkly black shoes! I gonna go there, kick Auntie Yami's butt, and be back in time for my nap!"

Aria dressed in her dress and shoes. Miranda went to the living room and saw Aten and Robbie playing with the duel monsters plushies.

Tristan and Otogi followed Ryou and Aria to the living room.

"Robbie, we have to go, son. Say goodbye to Aten."

Robbie hugged Aten. "Goodbye, Aten! I hope you can come to school soon."

Miranda brought Robbie into her arms. Ryou brought Aten into his arms.

"Robbie, Aten won't be coming back to school," Ryou said.

The smile disappeared from Robbie's face and his face went pale with fear. "What?"

Aten looked up at his mother. "What?"

"Aten, I removed you and Aria from that school."

Tears filled up in each chibi eye.

Aten's lower lip quivered. "I no tee Wobbie aden?"

"You can still see Robbie when he comes over to play, Aten. I just don't trust that school anymore."

Aria looked down sadly. "I no see Umi again?"

Aten reached out for Robbie. "Wobbie! No weave me!"

Robbie reached out to Aten, his cheeks spilling over with tears. "Aten! NO! I want to be with Aten, mommy! Don't let me leave, mommy!"

Miranda closed her eyes as she heardthe choking sobs coming from her son. This had to be the most painful thing she could put him through. And she felt guilty for doing it. "You can see Aten after school's over."

Robbie reached out for Aten as his mother walked away. "I can't live without Aten! MommY! Let me go! Aten! I can't be separated from him!"

Aten let out a shriek as Robbie was carried away. "MommY! I wan Wobbie! I nee Wobbie! Aten need Wobbie!i I no can wiff wifout Wobbie! Wobbie no weave me!" Aten sobbed as he tried reaching out for his friend.

Otogi reached over and grabbed Tristan's hands squeezing it. He bit his lip to try to keep himself from crying.

"I WUFF WOBBIE! No mate him weave!"

"ATEN! Don't make me leave Aten, mommy!" Robbie wailed.

Miranda and Robbie disappeared and Aten cried loudly.

"I WAN WOBBIE!"

Ryou stroked Aten's hair gently. "Sweetheart, you can see him after school."

Aten covered his face with his hands. "I mits Wobbie!"

"Aten, you'll see him again. Don't cry, sweetie."

"Wobbie…." Aten started to struggle with Ryou. Ryou put him down and the crying chibi ran into Otogi's bedroom.

Otogi sighed. "I'll take care of him, Ryou. You go take care of Bakura."

Ryou sighed. "Tell him I love him. I'll drop Aria off here when we're done. I still don't trust Malik."

Ryou took Aria's hand. "Honey? Why are you upset?"

"I miss Umi."

"Maybe Mako will let you visit his boat sometime."

Aria sighed and thought, 'This is Mommy Malik's fault! It's Mommy Malik that made Aten cry! It's Mommy Malik's fault I can't see Umi again! Maybe I should kick Mommy Malik's butt, too! Nobody hurts my daddy and my brudder and gets away with it!'

Tomorrow Updates: Aria Vs. Yami…. Part I