Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Seraph ❯ Chapter 1

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Warning: Tendershipping with Ryou seme

This is AU, seriously so

:blah: hikari to yami telepathy

-blah- yami to hikari telepathy

Yugi knew that something was up with Ryou from the way the other boy was acting. He'd almost think that Yami no Bakura had taken over his body and was masquerading as him, but Yami insisted that he could sense the other yami's presence, and he wasn't there - he wasn't even in the Ring. When he'd asked about that Ryou just smiled - no he smirked the way his yami did. Once they'd gotten to school he didn't have any more chances to talk to Ryou, but there was something really weird about the way he was talking to the boy who sat next to him. Youji just laughed it off, but something about the set of Ryou's shoulder's told Yugi that was a mistake on the redhead's part.

“Class, we have a new student starting today. This is Hiei Bakura. Hiei-san, please write your name on the board, and introduce yourself to the class before finding a seat.”

The new student was Yami no Bakura! But...he looked so different. His silver hair fell down to his waist, and there were chains of rubies bound into it. He had to be wearing dark red lipstick, and he'd painted the scar on his face with the same colour. There were heavy silver bracelets on his wrists, over his thin, red, clinging sweater, and on his ankles, over his tight black leather pants. A silver collar set with rubies was on his neck, and he moved like...like...some sort of sex slave, every line of his body screaming sensuality, but a sensuality that was almost chained. He wrote his name on the board, the kanji in Bakura different to the ones Ryou used before he turned to face the class.

“I'm Hiei Bakura, and I'm Ryou's.” He seemed to feel that this was sufficient, and started to walk towards his hikari.

“Stop. What do you mean, you're Ryou's? Ryou's what?”

“Bakura, you're supposed to tell them something about what you like or dislike, that sort of thing. Not that I'm not flattered that you primarily identify yourself by your relationship to me.” Amusement filled Ryou's voice, amusement and the confidence Yugi associated with his yami.

“Yes, Ryou. I apologise if I embarrassed you.” He sounded...obedient, submissive. It was like they'd switched personalities or something. “When I was seven my entire...clan was slaughtered, burned alive, and their bodies desecrated and turned into jewellery, because it was supposed to have magical powers.” Magical powers? He couldn't be talking about the Millennium Items, could he?

:Yami, that isn't how the Millennium Items were made - is it:

-I...don't know. You know I can't remember much about my past.-

“I was spared because they only needed ninety-nine lives, and I wasn't where I was supposed to be, so I ended up on the streets. My family were big on the boys knowing how to use knives, and that meant I could hunt - since there was no way for me to cook the meat I learned to like it raw. I also became very good in a knife fight, and a good thief, to survive. I decided to hunt down and steal back the jewellery made from my clan's bodies, Ryou was the first person I found with a piece like that, he didn't know the origin of it, but I attacked him anyway, he defeated me,” Whispers started across the classroom at that, Bakura still moved like he was dangerous, and everyone knew Ryou was a wimp. “and helped me deal with what had happened. Is that enough?” It was a rhetorical question, he stalked over to the seat by Ryou and snarled at Youji to move. A command that was quickly obeyed.

Yugi passed the morning half in a daze, and half watching Bakura for any sign that he was dangerous. He was expecting the yami to lash out at any moment, or hurt Ryou somehow, but the thief acted like the perfect student, if anything it was Ryou who was acting weird. Yeah, he was making notes, but whenever the teacher went back to recap he'd grope at Bakura, running his hands over the other's body in ways he really shouldn't in public. And Bakura didn't seem happy about it, he just kept his head bowed throughout, submitting, but not really responding, focusing on his work instead - or at least it looked that way.

--0--

Bakura refused to let anyone see just how relieved he was when the morning classes ended - anyone but his hikari that was. His head was still hurting, and he knew he couldn't rely on his reflexes or his strength to be up to their usual standards, let alone risk using Shadow Magic until the drug cocktail Solar had forced on him wore off. And he wouldn't normally be this aroused by Seraph's casual touches, not in public anyway, even before his first death he'd never been an exhibitionist, he'd always preferred privacy. So the humiliation factor of this being in front of people he barely knew, and certainly didn't trust should have kept him from reacting to Seraph displaying his claim. It was his own fault that he was aching all over, he'd been careless enough to let Solar take advantage of him, and he'd taken gamma standard testing, which was right at the edge of his abilities at the moment, instead of settling for delta enhanced.

“Might I go to the washroom and join you later?” He whispered the question to Seraph, knowing that the hikari would pick up on his hint.

“Need to jack off? Sure. I'll let you know where we're eating.” Bakura knew he was blushing as he spun and damn near fled the classroom, Seraph's laughter following him. This had to be some sort of punishment, not the constant `affection', ever since he'd become old enough to see a Consort as a bedmate as much as a status symbol Seraph had insisted on his right to touch Bakura however and whenever he wanted, but being forced to come to school while the drug cocktail was still in effect. And he didn't even know what he'd done wrong!

He realised he was crying as his seed spattered into the toilet bowl, and he finally recognised that his very last chance to avenge his people had slipped through his fingers. Perhaps that was what he'd done to deserve being punished...no, that had never been more than an amusement for Seraph. Either way he couldn't afford to let it show that he'd been crying, he dashed the tears from his eyes with the back of his arm and went out to wash his hands and face, before taking his lipstick and lipbrush out to repair his make-up. He ran his fingers over his collar in wonder that he was still claimed as Seraph's property and under his protection, lingering on the tag, an angel with six wings, a seraph with his hikari's face.

:We'll be eating outside, here.: Seraph pushed an image into his mind. :How long will you be:

-I'm just leaving the washroom now.- He hastily put his make-up away and matched his actions to his thoughts. He tried not to think about how Seraph's `friends' - although how they could be friends when they never knew the first thing about him, or tended his wounds beyond the minimum that they forgot about was beyond him - would be reacting to this. And so he found himself obsessing over that very question, so much that he didn't notice the six large teens surrounding him until one of them had grabbed him by the hair. He wondered briefly if Solar's drugs had dulled his senses too, then he brushed the question off, to focus on surviving this. -Seraph!- He didn't care about his pride, not when he was too drugged to defend himself without a weapon and not allowed to use his knife. Not that it would really have done much good, as soon as his hair had been grabbed two of the goons had grabbed his arms, and he couldn't get free of them to use his knife, or any of the nerve pinches he'd learned.

“So, you're that white-haired wimp's fag boyfriend, huh?” The leader stepped close to him, crudely groping him, and Bakura realised that his feet were still free, raising them to kick him in the stomach as hard as he could. The boy staggered back, and growled at him - not very well, but he still growled. “Hold his legs!” That reminded Bakura of another weapon he could use.

“Coward!” He didn't have enough room to stop the goons grabbing his legs, but he could make it hard for them. “You don't even have the courage to face me on your own, let alone him!” And they didn't, none of the idiots Seraph allowed to bully him worked alone. If they had Seraph would have been able to use nerve pinches to defend himself, even weakened as he had been. He knew he'd delayed them long enough when he heard the crunch of a wrist being broken and felt the hand in his hair release him.

“No one touches my property.” Seraph's voice wasn't loud, but quiet with controlled fury, the boys recognised the danger and dropped Bakura, he just sat back and watched as Seraph demolished them.

--0--

Yami pushed Yugi into his soul room in panic when Ryou cursed and ran off without explaining anything. He'd felt a flare of power and he led Yugi's friends after Ryou. When they got through the crowd surrounding him Yami could see five larger boys who'd bullied Yugi in the past lying about with broken bones, a woman - no, not a woman, Bakura, kneeling nearby, gathering his and Ryou's gear back together, and Ryou holding one last bully, the leader from what he'd seen, up against the wall. This last bully was relatively undamaged, Ryou seemed to just touch him on the neck and he went limp below the neck.

“You've just been temporarily paralysed. It should wear off in a minute or two. But remember what I can do.” Then he lifted his free hand and just flicked a finger at the centre of his chest. There was a loud cracking noise and the bully screamed as Ryou dropped him. He turned to Bakura and the spirit handed his bag up to him before letting Ryou pull him to his feet.

“Did they get the chance to hurt you, Shadow?” Ryou's voice was hard, but the arm he slid around Bakura's waist seemed very gentle.

“No, Seraph-sama.” The rubies in Bakura's hair made a tinkling sound as he shook his head. “You got here before anything could happen.”

“Come on then.” Ryou ignored the moaning bodies littering the hallway as he began leading Bakura away. “Oh, Yami, sorry about leaving you like that. I'd rather not explain how totally incompetent the goons are as fighters, would you?”

“No.” Yami found himself laughing at that, and at the totally disarming smile Ryou offered, a smile that was so familiar from the year they'd known him. It was true, almost none of the bullies could fight very well, he'd been able to use Yugi's body to defend his hikari from up to three of them without resorting to Shadow Magic - but he'd never have been able to do what Ryou must have. He didn't think Bakura could have, and he knew the tomb robber was a better fighter on the physical level than he was.

:But I can't imagine Bakura needing to be rescued, Yami. Why did he need Ryou to save him:

-Good question Yugi. I'll ask.- Yami realised they were almost to the entrance of the school, they needed to change shoes before they left the building, and decided to wait until they'd actually gotten out into the grounds before he asked anything. Well, before he asked Ryou anything. -Aibou, is Bakura really putting on women's boots?- The boots in question were black leather, ankle height, and had a low, narrow heel.

:I think so.:

Bakura seemed to sense the unspoken questions, because he gave everyone a sidelong glance from beneath lowered lashes and spoke. “Seraph-sama likes the way I walk in boots like these, and at least these heels are low enough that I can fight in them, when I'm not drugged.”

Drugged? Yami didn't have a chance to ask about that, they were outside by now, and Ryou called a bit of Shadow Magic, he wasn't sure what for.

“No one can overhear us now. Shadow, what did the drugs Solar forced on you do? I thought it was just an aphrodisiac, and something to keep you from concentrating well enough to use your Shadow Magic safely.” His voice was quiet, sympathetic, but firm, Yami could tell that he was going to get an answer, whatever it took.

“Apart from that? I think it works out to about the same effect as those power binders you've been wearing this past year Seraph-sama.”

“Except that you don't have the benefit of being stronger for it when the drugs wear off.” Ryou pulled Bakura a bit closer to his body, kissing his throat just above the collar - and what was that attached to it? “So your reflexes and senses are screwed, and you're probably as weak as a normal five year old at the moment.”

“Pretty much Seraph-sama.” Bakura was blushing so red it almost hid his painted scar by now, he had to be humiliated to have to admit this in front of them. Yami knew he should leave well enough alone, but he couldn't resist, and as soon as they'd all sat down, Bakura between Ryou's legs, his back against his hikari's chest Yami reached out and took hold of the...tag; he couldn't think of a better term; hanging from Bakura's collar. The tomb robber didn't make the slightest effort to stop him, and Ryou seemed more amused than anything else as he twisted the little metal model of...Ryou; the eyes were brown so it had to be Ryou; clad in a white tunic and trousers, with six wings. When he turned it over, to look at how the wings were attached to the back they moved and he saw that they had writing on the back.

--0--

Ryou didn't even try to conceal his amusement as the amnesiac pharaoh examined his Consort's tag. He felt a momentary flash of guilt for telling his Consort to wear the heavy platinum jewellery when he was weakened by the drugs Solar had pumped into him, but he reminded himself that he hadn't known about Shadow's weakness at the time. Besides, he knew that it made Shadow feel better when he wore his collar, and he'd earned something that beautiful and valuable.

“Shadow, property of Seraph.” Well, he could read at least. “What's that about?” Shadow was shifting uncomfortably in his arms, as if he half wanted to answer that himself.

:Go ahead, tell him what a yami really is.: While he remembered what it had taken to teach that to Shadow in the first six months he'd been inside his head, how he'd killed his yami over and over in his soul room, how he'd taught the other that his will was too weak to stand against him. And how he'd forced Shadow to watch as he fulfilled the contracts he was given on the `faces' of the criminal world.

“A yami is the property of the hikari who claims the Millennium Item he is bonded to. It is his hikari's right to do whatever he chooses with him, treat him however he pleases.” Shadow tilted his head to one side, curiously. “You do not know this? I had thought you did considering how rarely you defy your hikari's decisions on who should control your shared body, and how he has altered your personality to please him better without any protest from you.” Ryou had used a number of scrying spells to find out everything he could before allowing Shadow to make his attempt to gather the last remnants of his people, and that was one of the things that had come up. It seemed to be a surprise to everyone else though. The pharaoh paled and swayed a bit, until Yugi came back out and steadied himself, even if the teen still looked shell-shocked by the thought.

“I didn't!” He was protesting his innocence. Oh this was amusing. “And what's with the Shadow and Seraph thing anyway?” Now he was trying to change the subject. Ryou would allow it, but he wasn't going to let Yugi ignore what he'd done.

“You did. You might not have realised it, but you locked away all the parts of Yami's personality that disturbed you. It is your right to do so of course, and you could because he was shattered when he went into the puzzle and in resembling it you reassembled his mind and soul to a large degree. Shadow and Seraph are our names among The Children of the Fairest.”

“The what?” Jounouchi was the one to ask that of course.

“The Morningstar was the fairest of the angels in Christian mythology before he Fell.” Shadow spoke quietly, bowing his head in apology for speaking out of turn. Ryou just laughed and stroked his hair. It seemed to encourage him, because he spoke again, reaching over to their bags to get their bento boxes out as he did. “Shouldn't we start to eat? You don't want to spend so long talking about this that you don't have a chance to eat, do you Seraph-sama?”

“Well thought, Shadow.” Ryou lifted his Consort by the waist, turning him so he was sitting on his left thigh. “This will make more sense if I tell you from the start, so be patient.” He frowned, thinking about where to start, then started to explain between bites of rice and meat.

“I was learning how to fight before I knew how to walk. No one in my family knew about it, I kept it secret, even if I can't remember why I did back then. My teacher, later my Sponsor, is called Delphi, he's only mid-ranked, just gamma enhanced, but he gets a lot of allowances made because of his skills at finding talent. Puppeteer is one of his Sponsored, as I am, so she helped train me. Solar hates that he isn't.” One of the reasons behind the rivalry that had pulled Shadow into it and hurt him. While Solar was just attacking him Ryou had allowed it, but now he'd hurt Shadow, really hurt him, not just a prank like slipping him one of the cocktails often given to recalcitrant Consorts or concubines.

“When I was five, after I'd killed an idiot for trying to get me into his car, Delphi decided I was good enough to test as an Adept among The Children of the Fairest. There's two other branches, The Children of the Eldest, and the Children of the Fallen, but he felt I fitted best in the Fairest, and I went through delta standard testing. Then I began to Work. Solar resented me because at ten he was the youngest Adept until I was tested, and he'd started as epsilon enhanced four years previously, and then he had just gone through delta enhanced testing. He took gamma standard the next time, but he's just beta enhanced now, I don't think he's likely to get to alpha standard, and I'm alpha enhanced, the highest rank we have.

“My father gave me the Millennium Ring when I was seven, just two weeks before I was due to test as delta enhanced for the first time.” And Ryou let himself remember that.

--0--

His father hadn't made it to his birthday party - not that it had meant much to him, his Aunt and Uncle had invited all the kids in his class at school, and they'd come because he scared them - but he'd been disappointed that he hadn't even managed to get a present delivered on time. So he hadn't been too pleased a month later when he'd been called to Egypt and put to work sketching his latest find. But the doctor had made it up to him, he'd called him into his hotel room two days after he'd arrived and smiled at him conspiratorially.

“I know I missed your birthday, and I'm sorry, but I saw something that I just knew had to be yours, and I couldn't risk sending it through the mail. Here,” He thrust a clumsily wrapped parcel at Ryou then, “it's supposed to be over 5000 years old, and magical. Probably illegal for me to have it too.” He laughed then, and Ryou opened the package eagerly. He knew that the pendant inside really did have power, but he couldn't tell what sort yet, so he put it on and showed all the enthusiasm his father could want. And he was happy with the present, he appreciated the fact that his father was breaking the law to give it to him more than anything else, more even than the power it could offer. It was the first sign Ryou had seen that his father had any sensitivity beyond what normal people possessed, and that was enough to make up for missing his birthday, and after all he couldn't have dragged Ryou over here until school was over.

He began to meditate that night, rather than sleeping, focused on the pendant - no, it wasn't a pendant, it was the Millennium Ring - that was the first thing he found out. But he didn't have a chance to interrogate it more, there was a link between him and it, and there was also something pulling him through the power structure of the Ring, to a room of sorts. It was carved out of rock, only roughly finished, and gold and silver tomb goods were stored in meticulous order along with the sort of weapons used 5000 years ago in Egypt. There wasn't a bed, only a pile of furs and blankets, and a pale haired man, perhaps twenty years old, with red eyes and a strange scar on his right cheek climbing out of it.

“Who the fuck are you?” He was angry, and he obviously didn't understand what was going on. That was good, he could use that to his advantage. Ryou let himself smile at the man, coldly, cruelly.

“Your new master.” And even if his words weren't true yet, if simply possessing the Ring didn't give him control of the spirit bound in it, he'd make them true. This had to be the spirit's place of power, defeating him here would allow Ryou to control him in all ways and then he could find out what abilities he could have to be of use. Ryou continued to speak while the spirit was still speechless at his arrogance. “Tell me what skills you have that might be useful, slave.”

That last word was enough to push him over the edge, he attacked Ryou, but he wasn't anything more than a brawler, a good brawler, but only a brawler, and Ryou easily bested him. Until he tried to bring magic into it, but all that did was cue Ryou into the fact that magic would work here, and he called his own magic to burn the other's away. He was hampered by his desire not to actually kill the spirit, in case it was permanent here, but it finally occurred to him to break his new possession's sternum, rendering him helpless, for a while anyway.

“What sort of magic was it that you tried to use, slave?”

“I'm not your slave, you fucking bastard!” And Ryou sensed magic again, but this time he could taste what type of magic it was, at least a little. His magic was light, and healing sometimes, this felt like some amalgam of that and its opposite, and it was the same type of magic bound into the Millennium Ring. He burned it away again, this could get tiring, then he picked four knives from the weaponry available and used them to pin the spirit to the floor.

Then he left the room and began to explore the Ring. The magic was interesting, and fascinatingly intricate, but he was interrupted before he had a chance to explore properly. He'd left a link to his body, in case something happened that he couldn't leave to autonomic functions - and something was happening. When he got back to his body he found someone else already in it, the spirit of the Ring trying to possess it. He wasn't going to allow that, he used the methods he'd learned to fight against Puppeteer's control to throw him out of his body violently, then he chased the other down to the room he'd found him in, and dragged him out. If the spirit had a place of power connected to the Ring so must he. He searched it out, and imprisoned the man in a sensory deprivation chamber he created there.

--0--