Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Soul Of The Night ❯ Family History ( Chapter 16 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Family History
Aten and Little Marik looked into the streets below to watch people removing corpses covered in white sheets. Crying women threw dirt over their heads in mourning for family members and strangers.  Aten noticed the little boy biting his lip anxiously as he looked below at the dead being removed and people washing blood from the streets.
Little Marik’s eyes widened as he saw a horse pulling the tethered bodies of several dead Tombkeepers behind it. The boy quickly pulled away from the scene and took a deep breath. “This wasn’t in any of my texts at home.”
Aten looked down at the younger self of his father. “Have you read anything about people jumping through time?”
Little Marik shook his head. “No. Not that I remember.  Is alright that we stay here?”
“So you both made it through the Tombkeeper’s massacre?” a voice said from beside them.
Aten turned his head to see a young woman with exposed breasts and a short white skirt standing beside him and Little Marik. “We were outside the city.”
“Khalfani was lucky to have all of us inside at the time of the attack,” the woman said.  
“Where did these Tombkeepers come from?”
“They are a secret society. They usually do not become too involved with city residents.”
Robbie opened the bedroom door and stuck his head out. “Little Marik Ishtar, it’s time for bed."
“I’m not tired," Little Marik protested.
“Let’s go, mister," Robbie said.
Little Marik sighed and sauntered into Robbie’s bedroom.
Aten looked at the woman. “Will Khalfani keep his mouth shut to the pharaoh as to our whereabouts?”
“Khalfani will keep his word to Ra himself if you pay his price.”  
Aten sighed. “Thank you, Talibah.”
“You should rest. You and your friends looked in rough shape when you came in.”
The Egyptian nodded. “It’s been a very long week...too long.”
Talibah kissed Aten on the cheek and winked at him. “If you ever need a little....release...I’m only a few doors away, pretty boy.”
Aten watched her walk away and suppressed the familiar chill which crawled up his spine whenever a woman kissed him. He walked into Robbie’s bedroom and helped tuck Little Marik into bed.
“Do you think we’ll be safe here?" the blond boy asked.
Robbie nodded. “There’s no need to worry. You just close your eyes and go to sleep. Leave the worrying to us, alright, Marik?"
The child nodded slowly and turned onto his side. Robbie walked to the other side of the bed and sat down with a painful groan. He leaned over and made certain Heaven was secured in the basket.
[I wish we had a proper cradle.] Robbie thought.
[[I highly doubt Khalfani will have a proper cradle. According to Father Bakura, Khalfani wasn’t very understanding when it came to the girls here having babies. Bakura said the babies slept in shelves or a pile of clothing while their mothers worked.]]
Robbie wrinkled his nose. [In the same room when their mothers are being screwed senseless by men?]
Aten nodded. [[That’s what Father Bakura said.]]
[That’s awful!]
The Egyptian looked into the streets again and saw people working by torchlight to rebuild their homes. “My father caused so much devastation, Robbie," Aten whispered.  “I really wish I knew what happened to him."
Robbie stood up from the bed and limped behind Aten. He wrapped his arms around Aten’s stomach from behind. He rested his head against the Egyptian’s back. “I can’t wait to go home, Aten. It’ll be good to sleep in our own bed for a change."
“You can sleep with my father...I mean,....Little Marik in the bed, Robbie," Aten turned and kissed Robbie’s forehead. “I’m concerned about you and your foot."
Robbie’s hand touched Aten’s chest lightly. “But what about you? You must be tired after everything that’s happened today."
“I’ll be fine, Robbie. You lay down."
Robbie sighed and gave Aten a kiss on the lips. “Very well. Goodnight, baby."
Aten placed a blanket on the floor and laid on the hard wood. He sighed as he listened to the sounds of construction and crying outside. Father, I pray to Ra that whatever curse has your mind in its grip releases you soon.  What would cause my father to lock children in a cage and just leave them?  I knew my father was capable of cruelty. It is the essence of being a Yami.  
Has my father’s human side become corrupted beyond repair?  I want my father back. My father who would watch horror movies with me and laugh.  We’d make popcorn and giggle whenever someone lost their head or were killed while having sex. What a way to die! I wonder how it would feel to die like that. Well, Robbie and I will never know. We already died. I died twice. No more deaths for me, thank you.  Both hurt like hell. At least my stroke killed me instantly. I was dead before I hit the ground.  It took me a few minutes to die after my father stabbed me and twisted the blade in my stomach.  Although, I think it hurt my father more to kill me than for me to die from the knife piercing my flesh.
I want that father back.  My father who took care of me and my sister.  My father who would sit outside in the backyard with a roaring fire and tell stories of his time in Ancient Egypt.
Wait a second.
My father told stories of this time. Perhaps, if I try really hard, I can remember something that stood out in his stories. Something that could help us get back to our own time.  I never heard my father mentioning Father Bakura’s-.
“Yami, it really hurts,” Ryou said through the walls.
“Just lay down, angel, and allow me.”
I never heard my father mention Bakura’s family. This can’t be easy on Father Bakura. He’s trying so hard to take care of mother in his condition and worrying about Marik.  
“Ow! Yami!” Ryou screamed through the walls.
“Sorry!”
“That’s sensitive! Don’t touch that!” Ryou protested emphatically.
Aten’s attention was drawn from his thoughts when he felt a small body lay beside him.  Aten looked down at two large, purple eyes staring back at him. Little Marik’s blond hair rested upon a rolled up towel. “Can I lay here with you?”
“Is the bed not comfortable?”
“He’s not Egyptian.”
Aten shook his head. “No, he’s not, but he’s a very good friend of mine. Robbie won’t hurt you.”
“Are you really my older self’s son?”
“Yes, Marik. I....umm...I’m your son. Or rather, I will be your son.”
Little Marik looked up at him. “Who’s your mommy?”
Aten took a deep breath. “You know Ryou next door? He’s my mother.”
“But he’s a boy.”
“It’s a long, complicated story best left for another time.”
Little Marik looked up at Aten. “Do you hate me because your daddy is bad?”
“You are not bad, Little Marik. I have been angered by some things that my father has done, but I would never hate him.”
Little Marik sighed. “Can Ryou tuck me in?”
“He’s not feeling very good, Marik. Perhaps he can tuck you in tomorrow.”
The blond boy groaned with disappointment. “Alright.”
Aten kissed Little Marik on the forehead. “Go to sleep.”
The Egyptian watched his father’s younger self cuddle closer to him and fall asleep. I have to try and remember the stories my father told me. Perhaps there might be a clue...
**************************
Little Bakura opened his eyes slightly to see Ryou laying in the bed. The hikari was laying on his back. Yami Bakura was sitting beside Ryou rubbing his lover’s stomach lightly. The child saw the pained expression on Ryou’s face as he looked up at Yami Bakura.
The yami turned and saw his younger self waking up. “Good morning, Bakura. Did you sleep well?”
Little Bakura rubbed his eyes. “Was I sleeping long?”
Ryou nodded as he reached over and caressed the boy’s spiky, white hair. “You passed out from hunger and exhaustion.”
“Ryou carried you in his arms,” Yami Bakura said. “We were worried about you, little guy.”
The boy sat up in bed. “Really?”
“Course,” Yami Bakura said, ruffling the child’s hair. “I’m glad to see you’re up and around.”
Little Bakura looked around. “The last thing I remember was being in a dark tomb.”
“We’re in the city again,” Ryou said. “Your friend helped us get out.”
“Marik?! Where is he?” the child asked excitedly.
“He’s in the other room with Aten and Robbie.”
Little Bakura smiled and shifted off the bed. He ran to the door and jumped excitedly to open the door.  “I want to see him! Lemme out!”
Yami Bakura chuckled as he walked calmly to the door. He opened it and the boy dashed out.  “Damn, he’s cute.”
Ryou nodded as he relaxed on the bed. “You’re still cute, yami.”
Yami Bakura walked to the bed and laid beside his husband. “It’s nice that you think so.”
Ryou chuckled and caressed his yami’s cheek. “I do think so.”
Little Bakura’s excited knock could be heard next door. The door had opened and a moment later, the two boys’ excited chatter could be heard across the hall.  
Yami Bakura reached to Ryou’s stomach lightly and let his fingertips caress the growing bump.  The yami leaned over and kissed his lover on the lips. Ryou closed his eyes and let his lover’s tongue slip past his lips.
Ryou felt his lover’s hand slowly glide toward his chest. Bakura’s hand touched his lover’s slightly-puffy chest, his thumb tracing a nipple. Ryou whimpered under his yami’s touch, his body tingling at the hyper-sensitive sensations through his body. Yami Bakura’s kisses drifted down to Ryou’s neck.
Ryou’s body tingled as Bakura’s warm breath brushed against his skin.  The hikari hiccuped as Bakura felt the baby jump.
Ryou giggled. “Sorry, yami. We both have had the hiccups.”
Bakura pulled back from Ryou slowly. “Well, I guess that’s a good thing.  Have you thought of a name yet?”
“Not really. I’ve been thinking of our situation.”
Yami Bakura nodded. “I know. Have you thought about what happens if you give birth here?”
Ryou’s smile faded. “I’m worried about that. I can’t have the baby normally like a woman.” Ryou took his lover’s hand and looked into Bakura’s brown eyes. “You’ll have to do it, angel.”
“Ryou.....I, I don’t think I can do that to you,” Bakura said with a quiver in his voice. “I’ll have to cut you open. I’m no doctor.”
“If you don’t,” Ryou whispered. “He’ll die. We may be immortal, but I can’t guarantee that he will be.”
Yami Bakura looked at Ryou’s stomach. “Let us hope that we get home before he wants to come out.”
“Where do we look for a way home?”
“I’m going to take Marik to the Tombkeepers’ tomb and look for answers.”
Ryou reached up and caressed Bakura’s cheek. “Please be careful, yami. I don’t want anything to happen to you. The Tombkeepers’ tomb could be dangerous.”
Yami Bakura grinned. “I will be armed to the teeth, baby. You don’t have to worry.”
“Of course I have to worry about you. You’re my husband. I love you. Why wouldn’t I worry?”
Yami Bakura leaned forward and kissed Ryou’s lips again gently. “I want you to take care of yourself. That is what I want.”
“Alright, baby.”
The yami stood up and stretched. “I’ll let the boys have breakfast. They’re probably hungry.”
Ryou heard Heaven begin to cry in the other room. “I think Robbie will need me to feed her again.”
“Maybe there will be something she can eat here. That is, unless you’re willing to do it again.”
Ryou sat up. “I’d rather she try to eat something.  I’m a little sore.”
“I’ll see what I can gather for them and you to eat.”
Ryou relaxed as Bakura left the room.  He looked down at his growing stomach. “Issa? Issa boy?” Ryou watched the baby stretch. A little handprint formed on his stomach. “There you are!” Ryou smiled as he touched the little handprint. “Funny boy.”
Little Marik and Little Bakura ran into the room and jumped onto the bed. “Good morning!”
Ryou smiled at the boys and hugged them. “Morning, boys. How did you sleep, Marik?”
Little Marik smiled. “I slept with Aten. Did you know that Robbie snores?”
“Yes, Aten has mentioned it.”
Little Bakura looked at Ryou’s stomach with wide-eyes. “What is that?”
“That’s the baby, Bakura.”
Little Marik looked at Ryou‘s stomach with wonder. ”How did it get there?”
“How’d you swallow a baby?” Little Bakura asked.
Ryou blushed. “You’ll find out when you get older.”
Little Bakura poked the baby’s hand and watched the print disappear. “Can I play with it?”
Ryou rubbed his belly. “Let me try to get him to do that again. Come on, Issa.  Let’s see your hand, baby boy.”
The handprint appeared again and Little Bakura giggled. “You see, Bakura,” Ryou said calmly. “It’s not all bad. I think he’s trying to reach for you.”
“Really?” the child’s eyes widened.
Ryou watched the hand disappear again and felt the baby settle. Little Bakura watched wide-eyed as the fetus shifted under Ryou’s skin. “I think it’s time for him to go to sleep, boys.”
Aten walked casually into the room. “Hello, mother. How are you feeling?”
“Well rested. Bakura says he wants to take Little Marik with him back to the Tombkeepers tomb to find a way back home.”
Aten shifted on his feet. “Is that really a good idea?”
“The tomb is the Tombkeeper’s haven. There may be something there.  We couldn’t stay there for long. They know every inch of those catacombs. At least we have an avenue of escape here. Besides, I want to go out to the city.”
“Mother, you should stay here.”
“Perhaps I can catch news of what happened in the palace. I want to know if Seto and the others are alright. I also....”
Aten watched his mother relax against the pillows. “Mother?”
“I want to meet Bakura’s mother,” Ryou said as he looked up at his son.
Little Bakura looked at Ryou with wide eyes. “You want to see my mommy?”
“Bakura, I want to talk to her,” Ryou said. “Maybe I can understand how she could allow her husband to kick her son out of the home and chase him away when he tried to return home.”
Little Bakura climbed on top of Ryou and looked down at him. “Can I please come with you?”
Ryou caressed Little Bakura’s cheek. “You can come with me, sweetheart.”
“Do you really think you can convince his mother to take her son back?”
Ryou took the boy’s fingers and kissed them with a smile. The little white-haired boy giggled. “I don’t know. Maybe I can.” Ryou looked at the small, thin boy sitting on top of him. The hikari smiled. “You are precious, baby boy.”
The child leaned over and laid on top of Ryou. He snuggled into Ryou with a smile and a contented sigh. Ryou wrapped his arms around Little Bakura on top of him.
The child giggled. “I think your belly kicked my leg.”
“You alright?”
Little Bakura nodded. “Yes.”
Yami Bakura carried bread and jam into the room. “Time for breakfast. Aten, go get Robbie.” The yami saw his younger self laying on top of Ryou. “He’s comfortable, isn’t he, Bakura?”
Little Bakura nodded. “His belly kicked me.”
“Aten didn’t like it either when anyone was on top of his belly either. Aria protested more, I think,” Yami Bakura said. “Especially that one time we were getting intimate and she kicked in a not very good place."
Ryou nodded with a slight smile. “Aten didn’t kick half as hard as your daughter.”
“He’s going to take me to see my mommy!” Little Bakura exclaimed excitedly.
Yami Bakura handed Little Marik a piece of bread with a smear of jam. “Ryou, what if my father is nearby?”
“Yami, I want to see your mother and talk to her.”
“Why do you want to see her?” Yami Bakura asked, turning his back and cutting another piece of bread. “She’ll just defend her husband.”
“She’s your mother, Bakura.  It couldn’t have been easy to let you go. Maybe...maybe that’s why your sister was born.  It was a way for her to have two children.”
Yami Bakura shook her head. “She didn’t have to make another baby for her to have two children. All she had to do was to stand up to my father and stop him from kicking me out.” The yami sighed. “My father just would have beaten her down anyway.”
Little Bakura nodded. “He wasn’t a nice daddy, was he?”
Yami Bakura turned and looked at his younger self.  “No, he wasn’t, Bakura. There was no need for him to be so cruel. Let this be a lesson to you, child.  When you get older and make a family, treat them with love and protect them. The weak cannot protect themselves and it is your duty to keep them safe....at any cost.”
Yami Bakura handed Ryou a slice of bread with jam.  “Never be the father to your family as your father was to you. Fathers are not meant to cast their children into the world before they are able to fly from the nest themselves.”
Little Bakura looked up at his older self. “I can’t fly. I don’t have wings.”
Yami Bakura pat his younger self on the head. “Of course not. Enjoy your breakfast. Ryou, I would avoid my father if you find him at home. Don’t be alone with my mother if my father is not home. He’ll have reason to suspect you of trying to seduce her.”
“Why in the world would I want to seduce your mother?” Ryou asked with a raised eyebrow.
Yami Bakura turned to Ryou. “Trust me.  My father never needed a reason to lose his temper. The sky could be the wrong shade of blue and he’d pick a fight with his shadow.”
*******************
Little Bakura skipped beside Ryou as they walked through the streets.  Ryou watched the little child’s spiky, white hair bounce as he skipped. “How come you are so cute?”
The boy looked up at Ryou. “I don’t know.  I’m not even trying,” the child giggled.
Ryou looked down at the skipping boy. “Do you want to come inside the home with me or stay outside?”
“Can I go inside with you?”
Ryou nodded. “Alright. If your father isn’t there, we’ll go inside.”
Little Bakura smiled. “I miss my mommy.”
As they approached the home, the child stopped his skipping and walked closer to Ryou. He looked around cautiously as his grip on Ryou’s hand tightened.
Ryou took a deep breath and knocked on the door.  He waited anxiously as a young woman opened the door. “Can I help you?”
“Mommy!” the child exclaimed as he threw himself at his mother.
“Bakura! My little baby!” the woman smiled as she kneeled to bring her son into her arms. “My son!”
Ryou smiled as the young boy kissed his mother’s cheek and hugged her tightly.
“Bakura, why are you here?”
“My friend wanted to see you!”
The woman stood up and looked at Ryou. “Would you like to come in?”
Ryou shifted on his feet. “Is your husband home?”
“No, he’s helping the cleanup effort from the attack. Come in.”
Ryou and the child followed the woman into the room. Ryou looked down at the swaddled baby laying in a basket. “Is his name 'Snefru?’”
The woman nodded. “Yes.”
“Have you seen your son, Snefru?”
The woman looked uneasily at Ryou. “Don’t be silly. My son is laying in his bed.”
Ryou shook his head slowly. “You have seen your son as an adult, haven’t you? The leader of the Tombkeepers?”
Bakura’s mother lowered her head. “Yes. I know of him.”
“What does he want?”
The woman sighed. “He found the Tombkeepers when he was a teenager, he told me. His father was very happy to discover his son had high ambitions.  Snefru convinced his younger sister to join him in the organization. Then....” Ryou saw the woman’s eyes filling with tears. She rubbed her teary eyes. “My children were caught and killed by the pharaoh.  Snefru and Ausaira were resurrected.” She looked at her infant sleeping in the basket. “That baby is going to be killed by the pharaoh.”
Ryou looked at her. “So will Bakura in fifteen years.”
The mother looked at Ryou. “Truly?”
Ryou nodded. “I’m afraid so. Yami will take his life, too.”
“So the pharaoh is destined to kill all of my children." The woman looked down at the smiling little child looking up at her. “I’m sorry, Bakura.”
Ryou looked at Bakura‘s mother. ”How is Snefru and Ausaira traveling through time?”
The woman shrugged her shoulders. “It is an object that they claim can warp time, bend it to their will.  They can alter reality and tap into a person’s soul.”
“Your children must be stopped. They cannot be permitted to continue.”
The woman looked at Ryou. “How do you know about traveling through time?”
”My family is from the future and we have to find a way to get back home. We don‘t belong here.”
“I can‘t let you stop Snefru and Ausaira. My children have suffered much already. I cannot allow you to cause them more pain.”
Ryou narrowed his eyes. “They have caused more pain to more people than ever imagined! Look at the city! It‘s nothing but rubble and piles of dead bodies.”
“Mommy, can I stay here again? I don’t want to live in the streets! The rats don’t taste good and lice bite my legs. I’m afraid in the dark and the other kids beat me up!”
“I’m sorry, Bakura. You can’t come home.”
The child’s smile faded. “Don’t you love me anymore?”
Ryou watched the scene before him and felt his heart break. It is no wonder Bakura never knew how to show love.  The very person who was responsible to love him turned her back on him.
“Bakura, my son, we cannot afford to feed you.”
The child sniffled. “But...you’re my mommy.”
“I’m truly sorry, Bakura.”
“But, he doesn’t eat much,” Ryou interjected. “He’s a small child.”
The mother shook her head. “I love my son, but-.”
“How can you love your son when you kick him out of your home? Stand up to your husband!”
The woman lowered her head. “I can’t....Dakarai is my husband and he has the final say. Honestly.....I wish I never had him...then he wouldn’t suffer in the streets.”
Little Bakura looked sadly at the ground. Ryou saw the boy’s shoulder sag. Little Bakura rubbed his teary eyes and fled the home.
“Bakura! Baby! Come back!” Ryou called. “How dare you!” Ryou chided Bakura’s mother. “How could you choose your husband over your son? What kind of mother are you to allow your husband to kick that boy out of your home?”
“I can’t stand up to him!”
Ryou narrowed his eyes. “If my husband wanted to kick my child out of my house, I would stand up to him.” Ryou took a deep breath. “Your son Bakura has never forgotten about the cruelty he suffered at his father’s hands.  He has always regretted that he never had a family who loved him.”
“How do you know my son?”
“I am....his....friend. I always wanted to know what type of parent would reject their child and my hope was that I could convince you to take him back. Right now that little boy needs me.”
Ryou turned to leave the hut when he bumped into a tall man. Ryou gasped as he saw Dakarai standing at the entrance.
“What are you doing here with my wife?”
Ryou swallowed nervously, but tried to keep a brave face. “I’m talking to her about your son, Bakura.”
“What about him?”
“How could you kick him out of your home?”
Dakarai crossed his arms against his chest. “After my wife conceived our first child, Bakura, I went to a soothsayer who said that my boy had a demon inside him and shadows would crawl through his veins.  I couldn’t allow my family to suffer because of such a bad omen.”
“She could have been wrong,” Ryou said. “Bakura is your son. If you knew before he was born, why didn’t you just.....?” Ryou swallowed. The white-haired hikari paused and looked down at his stomach. He bit his lip nervously at his question.
“Why didn’t I just get rid of him? I couldn’t. I didn’t want to be the instrument of his destruction. I figured the thieves of the streets would kill him or he would starve. He was a bad omen...a blemish on our family name. He is better off dead.”
“You are a monster. I thought Pharaoh Yami was terrible, but you, sir....you are worse than him.” Ryou saw the man narrow his eyes and tense.
“What were you doing with my wife?”
“Trying to convince her to accept your son back into your home, but it appears that I have wasted my time.” Ryou tried to step out of the home, but Dakarai grabbed Ryou’s neck.
“Were you trying to hit on my wife?”
“No! Let me go!” Ryou grabbed the man’s arm and stomped on Dakarai’s right foot.
Ryou froze as he felt the tip of a dagger pressed against his back.
“He wants to stop Snefru and Ausaira, Dakarai.”
The man grinned. “Oh, you do? I think they will be very disappointed to hear
that. Guards!”
****************************
Bakura lead Little Marik into the depths of the Tombkeeper’s sanctum. Little Marik held onto Yami Bakura’s skirt as the cold darkness of the tomb enveloped him again.
“I don’t like this place,” Little Marik said with fear.
Yami Bakura held the torch and looked down at the frightened child. “Stay with me and you will be alright.”
Little Marik looked up into Yami Bakura’s eyes. “Is your younger self going to be my friend forever and ever?”
Yami Bakura put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Yes, my little one. You will be friends with Bakura for thousands of years and beyond.”
A smile played on the child’s face. “I’m glad.”
“I need you to do me a big favor. Do you think you can help me?”
“What do you need?”
“You will be able to read some tomes down here that I can’t. I need you to help me find a way to take my family back to our timeline. We do not have much time left.”
Little Marik’s smile faded. “Are you leaving me because you don’t like me? Don’t leave me, please! You’re my friend.”
“Little Bakura is your friend.  I know it’s hard for you to understand, Marik, but me, my family, we don’t belong in your time. We belong five thousand years in the future.”
“What’s it like in the future?”
Bakura leaned against the wall. “People will ride in horseless carriages.  Soldiers will have sticks that shoot balls of metal when they are trying to arrest you. Homes are very big and there are many thousands of people living in one city.  There’s so much food and riches to be had.  Glowing boxes will talk to you and will respond to your voice!”
Marik gasped. “Glowing boxes?”
“They’re called televisions.  You can even talk to a small communicator device called a phone. You can talk to someone from across the world.”
The child giggled. “You’re making this up!”
“Afraid not.  My family belongs in the future, Marik. You and Bakura have your whole lives ahead of you. Besides, we have to return home within two months or....” Bakura stopped and thought. “We have to return home within two months or my baby will be in danger.”
“How so?”
Bakura took the boy’s hand. “We can’t delay any longer, Ishtar. We have to find your study.”
“I can take you there. Follow me.”
Bakura lead the child to the bottom of the steps. Little Marik lead Bakura through the labyrinth.  Yami Bakura held the torch as he searched through shelves of books, papyrus, and bound scrolls.  Little Marik unfurled the scroll he had been copying for Yami Marik. Yami Bakura lit the candles on the desk so the boy could read.
Bakura placed the torch inside the holder on the wall. He grabbed a book bound with animal hide and a leather strap. Bakura opened the book and squinted to read the Noble heiroglyphics.  There are subtle differences between my Common Tongue and Ishtar’s Noble Tongue.  For us to get home, I have to......to.....
Yami Bakura lowered his head. He slowly sunk into a chair in front of the desk where he was trying to focus on the reading. Honestly.....I wish I never had him...then he wouldn’t suffer in the streets. Yami Bakura closed his eyes and shook his head. How could she say that about her own boy?  I would rather fall upon my own sword, stab myself in the heart and twist the blade than to say that to my own daughter or my son. Mother.....why?
Little Marik turned to see Yami Bakura gripping his spiky, white hair. “Are you alright, Big Bakura?”
“Yes, son,” Yami Bakura said sadly. “Keep searching your text for a way to get us home.”
/Baby, are you alright? Yami, did you hear that?/
//Yes, Ry.....I heard it through my younger self’s ears.//
/......Bakura, I don’t agree with her./
//Are you sure?//
/Yes. I love you and you the most important person in my life...umm....afterlife./
Yami Bakura couldn’t help but crack a small grin at Ryou’s admission.
/He just ran! Bakura, your younger self just ran away!/
Yami Bakura wiped his teary eyes. //Don’t lose him, Ry.// “Little Marik, we don’t have alot of time. Your friend just ran away from Ryou."
The seven-year-old boy abandoned his scroll and grabbed another scroll on the bottom shelf of the bookcase. He returned to his table and continued to read.
Yami Bakura traced the heiroglyphics with his finger and continued to read the ancient script. He flipped over the page and sighed. “This is a book of mythology. I don’t think this would work." Bakura grabbed another book.  He sighed as he sat down on the chair again. A wave of anger and fear flooded his mindlink from Ryou. Bakura looked down and saw his hands trembling as they tried to turn the page.
//Ry, what’s going on, baby? Why are my hands shaking?//
/Your father’s here!/
Yami Bakura gasped. //Get out of there right now!//
“Sweet Osiris....”
Little Marik turned his head. “Are you alright?”
Bakura held his breath. //Ryou, just get out of there!// The yami felt pressure around his throat. //Ry, what the fuck is going on?// A moment later the pressure around his neck disappeared.
/I’ll be alright, baby! Find a way for us to get back home, Bakura!/
//Ryou!// Yami Bakura turned his head quickly and saw Little Marik looking up at him with concern.
“Are you alright?”
Bakura looked at the scrolls and books that he and Marik had to peruse. We have to find a way home! Yami Bakura looked down at Little Marik. “Grab as many scrolls as you can, boy!” Bakura grabbed an armful of scrolls and tucked them under the boy’s arms.
“Why do I have to carry all these?”
“We’re going to take them to the city. You and Aten can go over them together. My Ryou is in trouble.”
Bakura grabbed several books and lead the boy back to the entrance of the tomb.  Little Marik breathed heavily as he followed Bakura back to the horse with his burden.