Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Royalty ❯ Royalty Ch. 17 ( Chapter 17 )

Author: WOW!!! So much criticism just for one little plot twist! *sob* does everyone hate it that much? I really thought I did it well…*sob*

Ok, I have some replies to some people:

à Rowan Girl: I killed off Marik…not Malik… maybe you just wrote the wrong names… ><

à Anonymous: Well I can't really reveal the plot to everyone by saying who and who not dies…so if you email me or something I'd be glad to tell you like that…but it didn't give me the most pleasant feeling to hear that people might stop reading the fic just cause it got a lil angstier…however, I do appreciate your honesty.

à DirtyD: Wow…lotsa criticism from you, but I accept it cause it was constructive, just not loads of crap… well to answer your reviews…I DO post at AFF.net…but I do post here too cause it's my haven from FF.net…c'mon! I can post where I want to can't I? My buddies who also write angst like this do fine! And I know I'm rushing a bit thanks for telling me that it sounds like that…but Ryou-Bakura1 (who issued this fanfic challenge) said to me that she's gonna decide the winner at the end of the month…so I'm really really trying to get it done by then…and it's in like 3 days! I can't write so many chapters to tie it all up plus balancing schoolwork! Let's hope I can get another week extension to finish this…a week is all I need. And I know there are probably some tools or words or something that may not have corresponded to ancient Egypt…but I can only be so limited and I assumed if they had mirror and makeup…they had some sort of eating device of which I called a fork…I know already all those questionable things…I even was contemplating if the doors were made of wood or not and some things like that…and towels…>< but I didn't live back then…chill out…it's a fanfic…how perfect can it get? Please overlook my faults…I ain't perfect.

Ryou: WOW!!! You're taking up all my writing space!

Author: Sorry babe, but you can talk more at the end…I just want to clarify stuff with people…I dunno…seemed like this chapter (that I had been waiting for write for such a long time) is getting a lot of negative feedback…maybe I'm beginning to screw up this story or something…but I'm getting worried now and a little hurt that people seem to be picking out EVERY little detail mistake I make…c'mon…I am not perfect…I just write what comes to me… *sigh* I didn't mean for it to turn out like this…

Anyways…I'll update more…but if you guys really think I'm losing it and screwing this up…tell me and I'll just drop the challenge and stop writing this fic or something…cause I got a feeling that the previous chapter is losing me lots of support from my readers…

I didn't mean to move this fast…

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Granted by Seto, Malik stayed in his room in the dark for 5 suns, unable to believe what had happened to his brother and lover. He can only imagine their faces when they realized their fate, their fear as they were being led to their deaths.

He had cried until there were no more tears left to cry, and now he just sat in a brooding silence, contemplating how much his life has been destroyed. They were separated from their family as infants, raised in the palace as professional slaves…they were infamous…he was beaten, tortured, raped, and now he had lost his brother…and Jounouchi.

They were both so young…their whole lives still ahead of them; it was ended so abruptly. Jounouchi and he had vowed to one day run away together and live in the desert…Marik was going to free Bakura…and they wanted to marry…all of them, to each other, bonding their souls for eternity once the restraints of slavery were broken.

Marik wanted to see the desert so much, the brothers never having left the palace their whole lives.

He remembered the older Ishtar's determination to become an explorer of the desert, traveling the land, wild and free with Bakura. Now those dreams will never come true…

Why were they so suddenly taken from him? They did no wrong…Jounouchi was nothing more but his lover, their relationship carefully hidden and never exposed…why would someone be so cruel as to infiltrate their secrets and have him killed? What did Marik do other than defy Seto for what he believed in?

The reason made him sick, Seto killed his brother just to scare him into being a 'proper' slave… no other reason…Marik died for absolutely no reason…

In his contemplation he didn't hear the grunts made underneath the carpet and the sound of being stone being moved, "Shit! Marik? Are you in there? Pull back the bloody carpet for Ra's sake!"

Malik gasped and turned at the sound, recognizing the white haired teen's voice. Immediately he flung back the carpet, seeing for the first time Bakura's face through the barred entrance.

"Oh Malik!" Bakura offered a grin, "Why the solemn face? I haven't come in awhile and I didn't expect to see you…Marik was always here when I came, where is he?"

"He's not here…" the voice was tiny and whispering, as if still denying the truth, "He will never come back…"

"Why? What in hell happened?" the pale teen noted the distraught look on the Egyptian's face, "Malik! What in the bloody hell happened!? Tell me!"

"He's…" there was a frustrated cry as Malik hunched over and started slamming his fists onto the stone ground, with such force that his flesh tore and beads of blood splattered, "Oh Ra! He's dead! He's dead Bakura! I can't believe it! He's dead! My brother's dead!" The boy choked and began to sob, the truth finally dawning upon him that his brother is never to return.

Bakura eyes grew in shock, and he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He could only sit there in stoned silence as the other Ishtar let loose his sorrow. He's dead…Marik…my lover…he's dead…dead…

"H-how…how can this be? No! It can't be!"

"S-S-Seto…" Malik growled through his cries of grief, "that bastard…he killed him! He killed him unjustly! He killed him! And he killed Jounouchi!" his nails dug into the palms of his flesh, drawing even more blood, "I can't believe it! What happened? What did they do to deserve this!??!?!?!?! MARIK!!! JOUNOUCHI!!!!" the teen collapsed into another fit of sobbing, continuously beating the ground as he screamed their names over and over.

No tears came, and Bakura cursed his dehydrated body, wanting so much to let loose his confusion and hurt just like the younger Ishtar. He wanted the tears to flow, cry in agony for his lost lover…but only a vice grip that tightened his heart came, the pain tearing him apart. "Marik…no…I didn't even get to…take him to the desert that he always wanted to see…" tears of blood finally began to slip down the teen's face, "I never got to sit and hold him one more time…I didn't get to kiss him one more time…tell him just how much he meant to me…tell him how much I truly love him…I never got to tell him anything…"

"I-I never got to tell Jounouchi how much I appreciated him healing me all those times…for accepting my love for him even though I was a slave and he, a famous healer…I never got to tell him how wonderful our nights truly were…I never knew how much I needed to tell him!"

"So he WAS your lover…"

Malik shrieked and turned to see Seto entering the room, a gaze of victory in his eyes, "So my spies were correct…You didn't open your mouth to tell me on the day of their deaths…I grew worried…but I can now rest…" he strode over to the Egyptian, who was trembling in anger. He gripped his chin and pulled it up, "It was your fault…you knew that one day a price will be paid by betraying your Master…and you dragged the healer into it…you little whore." He dropped the boy's chin and turned away, "I was kind enough to let you rest for so many days…your repose is now over! I'm tired of waiting on you so much you spoiled worthless slut!"

He turned slowly and walked over to the bars on the ground, Bakura glowering at him, "Ahhh Bakura…I see that you have set your sights on escaping so much that you even managed to find a way to Marik…thank goodness he's dead…I don't know how I would have dealt with his increasing bad behaviour…"

"Fuck you," Bakura spat.

"What language directed to someone like me," the High Priest taunted, using a quick spell to dissolve the bars and yanked out the white haired teen by his hair, "it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I killed you right now." Seto reached into his robes and withdrew a blade, holding it up to Bakura's face, "It will be of so less trouble for me…you have disturbed my life long enough you dirty slave!"

"May Set devour your soul," Bakura snarled.

Rage was seen in Seto's eyes as he brought the blade to the pale neck, "Join your whore in hell…"

"No!" Malik came to his senses, using the only method he knew now to save Bakura, "Get away from him you worthless bastard!"

At those words the white haired teen was immediately dropped onto the ground. Seto turned slowly, his eyes almost glowing with wrath, "What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me you bastard! You killed my brother! You killed my lover! What else does that make you? Set WILL devour your soul!" he stood his ground until the High Priest snatched him by the neck and lifted him into the air.

"You ungrateful little slut! I guess you want to face the damned consequences after all! Just like your obnoxious whore brother!"

Malik kicked his legs helplessly in the air and gurgled, "YOU'RE the obnoxious rapist!"

"How dare you!" Seto raised the dagger over his head, "You will die just like your brother!"

Malik closed his eyes, welcoming the death that was about the come when there was a screech and his neck was released, him crumpling to the ground from being unexpectedly dropped. He opened his eyes, seeing a large shard of a broken vase embedded into the High Priest's shoulder, another in his side. Bakura stood across the room, shaking from using so much strength to hurl the large vase at the older man.

Seto cursed, unable to cast any spells in his weakening state, and retreated from the room, "You will both regret this! You hear me! This has just begun!"

Malik sighed and laid back on the ground, relieved that for the moment, it was over…though it surprised him how rapidly Seto admitted defeat, in fact it worried him. It wasn't like Seto to let a prisoner of the underworld roam free in the palace, leaving him alone, and not calling upon the guards. Bakura crawled over and peered over the Egyptian, "You alright?"

"I'm fine…I'm glad I finally got it all out though… I've been longing to tell him that for a long time…"

"You are not only strong but courageous Malik…you ARE just like your brother," with a painful heave Bakura helped Malik to the bed, setting him down. "You should rest…it has been a long day…and you aren't fully healed yet…even though scars will remain…you are still suffering…" he said, placing his hand over the young Ishtar's heart. "And so am I… I may have some healing to do as well…"

"Why did you save me?"

"The real question should be…" Bakura lay down next to Malik, desperately needing the rest, "Why did you save ME?"

"You are Marik's lover…I can't let you die as well as him…he sacrificed his life for you…I can't let it go in vain…" Malik turned to face the other teen, "and I didn't want someone else I care for to die…"

There was a soft, bitter chuckle, "A life for a life...you saved my life…it was only logical that I saved yours as well…Besides…" he gazed into Malik's eyes, realizing just how much resemblance he held to Marik, except for his gentler and more delicate features, an type of innocence that shone in his eyes that his elder brother seemed to lack. "Besides…you are Marik's brother…I don't think he would have wanted you to die either…believe it or not, I feel as if I need to care for you now…it's only reasonable…"

"So much is happening," new tears trickled down Malik's face, finally calmed from his anger, but the grief returning, "it was so sudden…I didn't know at all that Marik or Jounouchi was going to die…I-I…I couldn't even save them…and how Seto knows about you…something is going to happen…I know it…"

"Don't think about it…hush," Bakura commanded gently as Malik moved to pull the covers over them, "We will worry about that later…but admit it…we are both exhausted…let us rest and we will think of something after our rest…Marik told me you believed in happy endings…never stop believing that…he will not want you to…"

"How could I believe such a thing now?"

"We will pull through…and Ryou…does he know yet?"

"I…I don't know…I haven't seen him for many many suns…"

"Nonetheless…you have the rest of us…and we won't leave…just as I know that none of you will leave me…I don't know Ryou that well…but…" Bakura smiled, "I've got a feeling that he has just as kindred a soul as you…" he relaxed on the bed, feeling for the first time in almost 10 months the luxury of a bed, "We will pull through…believe in happy endings for me…you need to…then maybe I will too…"

"I will try…"

Like Malik, Ryou had stayed locked in his chamber, oblivious to all the events happening beyond his doors, completely crestfallen since Yami disappeared from his life. The Pharaoh hasn't even tried to see him…breaking the boy's heart farther…

"Maybe he didn't love me as much as he said," he sobbed softly, "I'm just a whore…a worthless slut that does nothing but create pleasure for those who are my Masters…Yami's whore…Seto's whore…a whore…"

The fact that none of his friends have tried to visit him upset the teen even further, feeling ostracized. Not even his friends noticed that he was missing…deep inside him he wanted a little attention other than that of Seto's, who only came for sex.

"I'm really worthless.." he whimpered, "Yami must hate me…no one has come to see me…not even Marik," he sobbed, "I knew everyone hated me…why did I deny it? I'm nothing but a worthless person who is capable of nothing but sex…"

He cried to himself until darkness came…lulling himself into a tearful sleep.

When he awoke he felt sore, realizing that he lay nude, his legs coated in blood…what happened? How in the world…

"I see you are finally awake…"

Ryou turned, realizing that he was bound, laying on a large bed in a dimly lit room, clearly not his, "M-Master!"

Seto grinned, "I love you how you call me that…you slept a long time…almost as if you drifted off into a trance…you didn't even wake when I fucked you…"

Tears stung Ryou's eyes from the pain as it began to seep through his body, "Why…"

"For pleasure whore…for pleasure…" Seto stroked the pale skin, "I wonder how your friends would feel…knowing that you have submitted yourself to not one but two masters…completely willingly…won't they be ashamed to have you as their companion."

The white haired boy hiccupped in shame. "I'm nothing but a worthless whore…" he whimpered, beginning to fall into his hypnotic chasm of darkness. He was jolted back to reality by a slap.

"Don't die out on me there again you whore…I'll need you fresh for my plots…"

"W-what?" Ryou struggled a bit, "why…what are you going to do?" He realized that he being tied up wasn't actually some sick fetish of the High Priest's but something more…

"Something so much larger…the Pharaoh will pay for thinking he can command me around…your friends will pay for their treachery…and you will lead them to it…my beautiful hostage…"

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Author: Argh….it's getting awkward when I write…I think of the perfect things to type down but the second I start typing it all goes poof and I have to think of something else instead…BLAH!!!

Ryou: Please review!!! A little support? *hopeful eyes*

Author: Wow…I've got Ryou begging on my behalf…

Ryou: Because I'm the star!

Author: Suuuure…anyways…please review…if it really is beginning to destroy itself…tell me and I will stop updating... fair enough everyone? I don't want that to happen though so let's hope this came out better…