Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Pools of Glass ❯ Wonderful ( Chapter 13 )

JG-chan: Yay MORE inspiration! I rule! *does a jig*

Nyoko: -_- okay let's just ignore her… she's a little sugar/caffeine happy/delirious right now.

JG-chan: ^___________________________________________^

Nyoko: -_- oooooKAY

JG-chan: Let's see who reviewed last time shall we? …. *gets out reviews list* Oooh, only one XD well, two from the same person ^-^

DugFinn: Thanks for reviewing girlie! ^_^ I'm having a lot of fun with this fic, and I really hope you like my ideas! PS - when you do plan to update YOUR fic? I simply can't wait to read the next chapter! It's so awesome! Yes, Mai is a slut and I'm seriously thinking about taking up that idea about Anzu you gave me XD

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN YU-GI-OH!!! SO GO FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO BUG!! I'M ARLEADY INSANE!!

WARNING: SLIGHT het in this chapter… nothing serious though ^_^

Wonderful
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jou's insides lurched as the infamous Kaiba smirk graced the blue-eyed brunet's face once more. Jou's brown eyes rolled. "What more do ya want me to do, Kaiba? Bow down and kiss your God damned feet?!"

"That would be a start." Kaiba nearly laughed. "My strategy still eats yours, mutt."

"Yeah, yeah." Jou muttered. "Can I go now? This was a total waste of time in coming."

"Nobody likes a sore loser, Jounouchi." Kaiba smirked even harder. "It's not good sportsmanship."

Jou looked at his feet. "Well I would hardly call this a lesson in trigonometry. I came here to get help with my math, not to duel you."

Kaiba looked at his watch. "It's only nine o'clock. We can still get some work done if you want."

Jou's stomach growled in protest at the thought of working. "Well since you made me duel you, I think it's only fair that I get a feed around here too… since you've got so much food it could last you a damn lifetime."

"Didn't get fed tonight, I take?"

Jou narrowed his eyes and pushed past the skinny CEO through to the kitchen. "I think I should make you cook."

~*~

"Bakura… I need you to tell me what's wrong with you, seriously." Ryou said in a desperate attempt to get the metallic-white haired spirit to speak, and not only for Malik's sake.

Still he remained silent.

"Damn it, Bakura! Why won't you talk to me? Or Marik or Malik? We're all very worried about you."

"…Ryou…"

Ryou looked up, startled. His name was the first word Bakura had spoke in days. "Yeah…?"

"Even if I did tell you what was wrong, you couldn't help me. None of you could. It's beyond anyone's control." Bakura said numbly, staring out the windowsill at the velvety black sky.

"Well maybe if you tell us then we can do the best we can to help you…" Ryou replied quietly. A few moments of silence passed between the two boys. Ryou decided to wait and let Bakura talk again when he was ready.

Bakura turned away from the windowsill and toward the chocolate-eyed boy facing him. "Ryou… you know how the old saying goes of how history will repeat itself?"

"Yes," Ryou replied. "It already has."

"Yes well… it hasn't all finished yet. It never will finish. It goes around in a cycle every few thousand years."

"…what's that supposed to mean?"

Bakura sighed and dropped his head into one hand. "I keep having dreams… nightmares, rather. It's the same one over and over again and I can't stop them. But something terrible is going to happen across Domino soon, Ryou. Lives will be lost… and it may even be mine."

"WHAT?!" Suddenly Marik and his desperate hikari burst through the door, unashamed that they had been eavesdropping on the conversation the whole time.

Ryou grunted and rolled his eyes. Typical. The Ishtars always had to interrupt things just when everything was going so well. "Out, you two!" Ryou shrieked and got up, attempting to push them back out the door. "Wait until we're done and I'll tell you about it then." Then he slammed the door back in their faces.

Bakura watched the elegant frame of his hikari move back toward him and sit upon the windowsill next to him. "So… tell me more, Bakura." Ryou near whispered.

"From the beginning?"

Ryou nodded and pulled his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. "I'm listening, yami."

~*~

It's not like he has any trouble getting any… so why would he look at porn of all things?! Honda argued with himself over the conversation that he and Otogi had had earlier that day. Maybe he's holding out for someone… more like me. Gods, why does this have to be so hard? Honda was perfectly on edge. All he wanted to know is why Otogi had dedicated that song to him… and why he put `will you ever know?' at the bottom. Should I ask him…? On the phone? No. In person? Hell no. Hell, what about a letter? That doesn't sound so bad…

The brunet jumped up from his bed and went over to an old desk that was collecting a large amount of dust in the corner of his bedroom. After having a coughing and sneezing fit, he finally found an old notepad and a blue point pen that only just worked. Honda sat down behind the desk and fiddled with the pen, fathoming over the best way to start the letter.

Dear Ryuuji,

Hey man, I don't want you to get angry about this, that's the last thing that I'd want to happen, but I can't help but wonder about something. A couple of days ago when I brought you home from the hospital, I found something on your desk. I think it might have been that song you were telling me about… Anyway, I couldn't help but notice what you had written at the bottom of the page… `Dedicated to Hiroto Honda, will you ever know?'. I'm really sorry for prying, but I'm just curious about what you mean. You don't have to reply, but whenever you're ready… I guess you can come and talk to me, okay?

Ja ne

Honda Hiroto

~*~

"Egypt was always hot, especially during the summer months - the dry season. We never expected anything like this to happen though… it's almost like the world took a turn closer to the sun. It hit nearly the whole of North Africa and the Mediterranean. We didn't get rain for months, not even during the wet season. Many people died from dehydration or heat stroke, especially those that lived in the villages situated in the desert far from the Nile or any oasis."

"So Egypt was hit by a heat wave?" Ryou asked. "How awful…"

"Yes… it wasn't long after the slaughtering of Kuru Eruna, either. The population of Memphis and the small villages around it were depleted rapidly." Bakura continued.

"And what does this heat wave have to do with the dreams you're having, yami?" Ryou asked.

Bakura leant against the cool glass of the window. "… it's coming, Ryou. Sekhmet the Mighty One* has visited me in my dreams warning me of it… I myself nearly died in the heat wave of Egypt… I might not be so lucky this time, however."

"You have to have a little faith, yami. This might just be all in your dreams… it doesn't mean it's going to actually happen."

Bakura shrugged and scratched his thick hair. "I don't know… I just have such a strong suspicion about it."

Ryou looked at him, curiosity and worry flickering in his ebony eyes. "Even if this heat wave does hit, Bakura… we'll all be well prepared for it. This isn't Egypt, you know?" Ryou outstretched one arm and patted Bakura's knee.

"I know hikari… but still. I don't want to lose anymore people who I care about most." Bakura said, so quietly Ryou almost didn't hear.

"Did you lose someone close to you in your past life because of it yami?" Ryou questioned.

A silent tear fell out the corner of Bakura's left eye. "Yes… Ryou. I haven't told you much about my past life, have I?"

Ryou shook his head, his white tresses rustling about his face. "You only told me about the killing spree of Kuru Eruna, how you died and the fact that you were the infamous tomb robber that was wanted all over Egypt."

Bakura nodded. "There was a lot more to my life than just that…"

"Who was the person you lost?" Ryou whispered, inching closer to him.

Bakura suddenly hid his distorted face in his hands and hiccupped violently, tears dripping down his face and onto his jeans. Ryou was startled to say the least; this person must have been very special to Bakura. He'd never before seen him shed tears.

"Its okay yami… you don't have to tell me just yet." Ryou reassured.

"No," Bakura mumbled. "I want to tell you. I want to tell you everything, Ryou. Go and get Marik and Malik too, would you?"

Ryou obeyed and went and fetched them. They soon returned up to the bedroom and sat quietly on the floor below Bakura and Ryou who were still perched on the windowsill.

"Whenever you're ready, Bakura." Ryou said.

Bakura nodded, having now collected himself and was ready to talk. "I was at the lying in my luxurious bed one morning… I was about sixteen and a half. It was about five years after the whole Kuru Eruna incident, and I was living it up as the district's most wanted thief… of course I had my disguises and aliases."

"Oh… I think I know what this is all about now." Marik said.

"Anyway… I was tired of going about Egypt on foot, and since I had so many riches in my possession, I decided to go out and buy myself a horse."

"Why didn't you just steal one?" Malik asked, peering up at Bakura from the floor.

Bakura smiled. "One thing you did not steal in those days were horses. They were almost as valuable as gold, and very expensive. The only people that had horses were the rich, the army and the Pharaoh. And of course the people that bred them. If you stole a horse, the owner would hunt you down until they found it and kill you. They would not rest until they found their horse."

Marik smiled in listening to this tale. He had heard it once before, but couldn't quite remember how it went. "I know what happens next." He smirked.

"I know you do," Bakura said. "But don't spoil it for Ryou and Malik."

Ryou smiled. "Keep going, yami."

"Anyway… it was that day that I collected up my riches and set off to find one of the finest breeders of Arabian horses I could find. I had had previous riding experience with my mother's horse when I was young, so I knew what to look for."

"I didn't know you knew how to ride…" Ryou said, struck by surprise.

"Well, now you know." Bakura continued. "So I found a small farm on the west bank of the Nile which sold pure-bred Arabian stallions and mares… That is when I met her. The girl I never thought I would be so lucky to come across. She was strikingly beautiful, like a diamond in the sand… she stood out from the rest of the Egyptian girls I had ever met."

"What was her name, Bakura?" Malik asked.

Bakura seemed reluctant to answer that, looking across at Ryou for a few moments. Hesitantly, he answered. "Amane."

~*~

Mokuba let out an abrupt burp and giggled so hard afterward that his eyes watered. The horrified expression on Kaiba's face was priceless.

"Mokuba!" The elder sibling shrieked.

"What?" Mokuba replied innocently. "You should try it one day; I don't think I've ever heard you burp before, nii-sama."

"I'll show you what a real burp is, kid." Jounouchi said before hitting his chest a couple of times and letting a burp erupt out of his mouth so loud that it practically quaked the whole mansion. Silence followed before Mokuba burst out laughing.

"AAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Did you hear that, Seto?! I bet you couldn't do that!" The Kaiba heir nearly fell off of his chair.

Seto rolled his arctic blue eyes. "What do I need to prove by winning a burping competition?" With that, the CEO rose up and went to put the dirty dishes with the remains of blueberry pancakes with cream into the sink.

"So," Jounouchi began, following Kaiba into the kitchen. "Where to now?"

"Are you sure you're in the mood for studying…?" Kaiba said uncertainly, watching the hyper blond teen fidgeting and grinning at nothing.

"Course! I'm ready and rearin' to go!"

"I can see that…" Kaiba replied. Sighing, he gave in. "Whatever, follow me."

Walking with a bounce in every step and a satiated stomach, Jounouchi followed the taller boy up to the library where they had had their last lesson. Jou put his books down and had a look at the view of the night out the large glass French doors that led out on to the balcony.

Then something caught his eye - it was a photo on the mantelpiece above the fire. He went over to inspect it, noticing it was a photo of a man holding a baby with a small boy standing next to him. Nobody in the photo was smiling.

"Hey, who's this of?" Jou asked, catching Kaiba's attention.

Seto didn't bother to look up from his book, staying seated deeply into his armchair. "My father, Mokuba and I a few days after Mokuba was born."

"Where's your Ma?"

This time though, he did look up. "I thought you already knew?"

Jou shook his head. "Oh wait… you and Mokuba were at an orphanage right? So does that mean that… oh… shit…"

"Forget it. It happened a long time ago." Kaiba replied sternly, hiding behind his book looking at Jou over the rim.

"Yeah… sorry." Jou apologized quietly as he went back and sat next to the young billionaire.

"Here," Kaiba said, handing Jounouchi a book. "I found this in my library that I didn't know I had. It might help you a bit with the test that's coming up…"

Jou took the book and studied it carefully. Books were totally foreign paraphernalia to him, and he definitely didn't learn as well by reading as he did by having it demonstrated. "Do you think you could help me…?"

"I guess. Read through it first then ask me what you're having trouble with." Kaiba replied, now back to reading his book on advanced computer programming.

Jou could tell he had possibly upset the elder Kaiba sibling, and decided to drop it and keep quiet for a while. There was however, a question circling in his mind that wouldn't stop nagging at him until he found an answer.

"Hey ah, Kaiba?"

"Hm?"

"Uh…" Jou wasn't really sure how to word it out. "Have you ever… you know, visited Bell's grave since the funeral?"

Blue eyes behind clear glass frames flicked up as Kaiba put his book down and looked at Jounouchi for a second through his reading glasses. "No… why?"

Jou shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. I was thinking about going but… I don't want to go alone, ya know?"

Kaiba went back to reading his book. "What is it that you're so afraid of?"

Jou raised an eyebrow. "Who ever said I was scared?"

"Usually if one doesn't want to go alone they're afraid of something." Kaiba replied. "I should know… I never visited my parents' graves until I was thirteen."

"Well yeah… but they were your parents. This is different… it's Bell."

Kaiba stayed very still and silent for a few moments. Jou could tell he wasn't reading as his eyes were motionless. "So what are you implying?"

"I dunno…" Jou replied, feeling a little foolish. "You wanna go see her some time?"

Kaiba gave him a skeptical glance. "Maybe…"

Jou smiled and nodded. "Okay, good. How's tomorrow?"

"I'm busy." Kaiba replied; now back to reading his book once again.

"Uh, Friday then?"

"Busy."

"Saturday?!"

Kaiba processed his thoughts for a moment. Do I really want to spend one of my only precious days off with this mongrel? I suppose I should go and pay my respects though… it's been over a month. Kaiba sighed internally.

"I may be able to."

"Yeah? Really?" Jou piped up, motivated that Kaiba actually took him up on the offer.

Kaiba rolled his blue eyes for about the billionth time that day. "Don't sound so enthused, mutt. I'm only going out of respect."

"Sure… well that's good enough for me!" Jou cried. "So, you think you could help me out here?"

Kaiba resisted the urge to groan and shuffled his chair closer to the blond to see what he was ranting about. Pointing out what Jou was having difficulty with, the blond and the brunet boys settled down to work.

~*~

"W-what did you say her name was?!" Ryou shrieked.

"Amane."

"…wasn't that your sister's name, Ryou?" Malik asked.

"Yes! Gods! I don't believe it! Bakura, are you serious?!" Ryou looked simply mortified.

Bakura merely nodded. "Strange how these things occur, isn't it?"

Malik stroked his chin. "So… in theory, you married Ryou's sister's past life?!"

"That's correct," Bakura replied. "We are all connected to each other in some sort of way, whether it be in the present life or the past."

"I see…" Ryou said, trying to stop his hands from trembling. "Well, carry on then, yami."

Bakura nodded. "Anyway, Amane was the daughter of the man that owned the farm where I bought my horse from. It started when she led me out to the far fields of the land…"

*F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K* - Bakura's POV

"Can I help you, sir?" The ivory-haired girl asked me as I strode up the sandy driveway up to the small farmhouse.

I couldn't quite believe what I was staring at; she was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen in my life. Her hair was the same colour as mine, when it wasn't dyed. I had dyed it black for the time being, however, to cover up my identity. Her eyes were a watery blue-green, like the turquoise amulet I wore around my neck. I depicted that she wasn't native to this land, as her skin was a soft peach colour; I had never seen anything quite like it before. I thought all people were of my colour.

"Yes… uh, I would like to buy myself a steed." I managed to splutter out.

"Come right this way." As she got up, I noticed her straight silky hair reached the middle of her back. It glittered in the midday sunlight, like the diamonds I currently had in my pockets.

"My name is Amane; this is my father's farm. What is your name?" She asked sweetly, innocently. I couldn't dare tell her my real name, though.

Using one of my aliases, I replied, "Sobek."

She smiled a little. "That's an interesting name… the God of fertility, isn't it?"

I nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"Well, Sobek," She began. "These are our horses. Were you after a stallion or a mare?"

"Stallion." I replied. "They are faster and livelier."

She nodded. "We have three stallions on the farm; they are very precious to us and are quite expensive. The mares are cheaper… are you sure that -"

"I'm sure," I replied. "I want the best steed that you have to offer."

"Okay, follow me Sobek."

I followed the thin, pale-skinned girl out into the field where three horses were currently grazing. The mares were kept separate, so they wouldn't breed at the wrong time of the year. We stopped not far from where the stallions were grazing. There was a dark brown horse, a black and a grey.

"The most excellent stallion we have got here is Bomani, the grey stallion you see over there." Amane said, pointing. "He is very pleasant to ride and always produces the finest offspring. You will have to speak with my father about buying him, though."

I smirked and pulled out my sack of diamonds and other valuables from my cloak pocket and poured some out into the palm of my hand. "Is this enough for you, my dear?"

~*~

After I had purchased Bomani, I was near enough empty-handed. There was still something I wanted from that farm, though. Amane. As much as I hated to admit it, I was captured by her beauty and I knew even with my willpower I could not fight it. She had had me totally entranced, and I knew I had to go back for more. I couldn't leave such a beautiful creature for the world to take advantage of; I had to have her.

I lay under the stars that night, thinking about where I should move to next. Now that I had a horse I couldn't live in my small dusty old building in the city above the bazaars. I needed some land with grass and plants - anything to keep my now-most prized possession in top condition.

"…Sobek?"

I jumped up in fright, startled at the voice who had called my alias's name. I think even Bomani got a scare as he jerked his head up with a mouth full of grass and riverbank plants. I struggled to see who was upon the shadowy horse in front of me, but I could tell without a doubt by her voice that it was Amane.

"…what are you doing here?" I asked. "How did you find me?"

"Well, actually I followed Bomani's hoof prints in the sand…" She then delicately dismounted her lovely dark brown mare and sat next to me. "I'm sorry to have to do this to you, Sobek, but I couldn't stand living on that farm with my father any longer."

"How come?"

Amane sighed. "I hate it there, Sobek… I want out. I want to be free; to explore this new land around me. I don't want to be held a prisoner to my family anymore. Selling horses has always been in the family and I don't want to be part of it… I want to live my own life."

I blinked. "I see but… why did you decide to come and find me above all others?"

"I don't know… To be quite honest, and I hope you don't mind me saying, but I found you extremely attractive and such a nice person to be around… I wanted to be your friend so badly so you could teach me about living a life in the outside world. That's why I… I ran away."

"Well I also feel the same… Amane, you're a very beautiful creature but, I don't think this life will work if you want to stay with me…"

A hurt look appeared in her turquoise eyes. "Why not…? I can't go back now Sobek… I just can't…"

~*~

Not being able to say no to this innocent young girl, Amane ended up staying with me, never returning back to her old lifestyle. It was great for the first couple of weeks; just us two and our horses. We eventually found a little abandoned shack on the Nile River and claimed it as ours. It was perfect. Perfect until my true identity was revealed… She noticed the white roots of my hair growing back through. After noticing this, the obvious scar on my face and the fact that I was rich beyond belief but remained unemployed, she put two and two together.

"You lied to me, Sobek or Bakura or whatever your Ra-damned name is!" She screamed. "How could you? You're the most wanted criminal in Egypt and… you never told me?!"

"Amane please… I couldn't tell you, I didn't want to hurt you! I love you!" I shrieked, pushing her against the wall, but not hurting her by any means.

"…what?"

"I love you… Amane. …I love you." I could have drowned in the blue lakes that I was staring into. Never before had I had ever touched Amane like this in the month that we were living together; but there was no way I could hold out any longer.

As she went to speak, I quickly but gently closed my lips over hers, sinking into her velvety touch. She didn't fight back, but instead took initiative and placed her arms around my neck and pulled me closer into her soft, warm body. I ran my left hand up her thigh underneath her silky white dress and brushed my fingers over her most sensitive area, causing a tiny moan to elicit from her lips.

My hard arousal was pressed up against her, making the first little wave of pleasure wash over me. I hadn't felt this good in a long time… in fact I can't even remember when I did feel this good.

"Bakura…" Amane practically panted.

"Yes?"

"I want you to do something for me tonight… to symbolize my new life with you."

"And… what is that?"

"Claim my virgin self as yours, and love me forever…"

And so I did.

~*~

The heat wave hit like none other, and it couldn't have happened at a worse time. Amane was pregnant with our child when it struck, and had fallen very ill. Desert villages were dying out and even the city of Memphis was being depleted. There was no way we could escape the immense heat that was threatening the life of my wife and our child.

Amane and I had wed shortly after I had declared my undying love for her, and the night that I officially claimed her as mine. It was a night not to be forgotten; and even today our love is endless. I never thought another being could lift me up and fulfill me with the strength that she does. It was a miracle that we found each other - I couldn't imagine life without her now.

To my dismay, Amane was getting weaker and more ill by the day. The days were getting hotter and the nights were getting shorter. No matter how much water I gave to her to hydrate her, she sweated it all back out again. Her fever never ceased to break and she would vomit even when there was no food in her stomach. I could only pray now. If the Gods were on my side, they would let my wife and child live and let me die. However… that was not the way it turned out to be.

*E*N*D* *F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K*

"Bakura… I'm s-so s-s-sorry that… t-that had to h-happen t-to y-you…" Ryou sniffled, tears pouring out of his eyes. "I had n-no idea…"

"Don't worry about it, hikari. I have healed since then." Bakura replied.

"But… still…" Ryou said, and flung his arms around Bakura's neck.

"Then he met me." Marik smirked. "He saved me, too."

"Yes… but we'll tell them about that another time." Bakura said as he climbed down off of the windowsill and stretched, with Ryou still clung onto him. "I'm going to bed."

"I'll join you." Marik said. "Goodnight hikari." Malik received a wink from his yami before he headed out the door toward his and Bakura's bedroom. Malik rolled his eyes.

"Goodnight Ryou." Bakura said, kissing Ryou on the forehead and following Marik out.

"Yeah… night, yami." Ryou whispered as he detached himself from his darker half.

Marik and Bakura changed quickly and got into bed, snuggling down under the covers. Bakura rolled over and curled up, his back against Marik's chest and abdomen. Marik put his arm across Bakura's chest and pulled his more delicate frame in closer to his own more sturdy, muscular body.

"You still love me, don't you?" Marik asked.

"Of course I do. What makes you say that?" Bakura replied.

"Just checking…" Marik replied as brushed Bakura's hair aside and gave the back of his neck a gentle kiss. "Aishiteru, Bakura…"

But before Marik could expect an answer, Bakura had already fallen asleep, lost in a blissful world of dreams and all things wonderful.

* * * * * * *

JG-chan: So now you finally found out what was wrong with Bakura!! Cute love story, huh?

Nyoko: A little too sappy if you ask me.

JG-chan: -_- whatever, I liked it! And I like all you cool viewers and reviewers too! Be nice and leave your comments! ^_^ Ja ne!

* Sekhmet the Mighty One = She is the Egyptian goddess of the Sun, War and Destruction. She has the head of a lioness and has a totally uncontrollable temper. She also protects Ra and Osiris from harm ^_^