Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Soul Of The Night ❯ Fragile Shell of Reality ( Chapter 21 )

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

Fragile Shell of Reality
Robbie bit his lip by the time the soldiers and Tombkeepers arrived at the palace. His bad foot began to drag behind him as he limped. The teenager was holding back sounds of pain as he limped ahead of the army.
Aten turned his head to Anubis. “Someone has to help him walk or let him ride a horse.”
“What manner of demon twisted your foot?” Anubis growled at the teen.
“Somebody help him!”
General Anubis yanked on the rope connected to Aten’s metal collar. “Be quiet and keep walking!”
Robbie grit his teeth and continued to limp towards the palace. [I’ll be alright, Aten.]
[[I love you, Robbie.]]
The teen with the curly, black hair smiled in the night at Aten. [I love you, too.]
When they arrived at the palace, Anubis lead Robbie and Aten to the throne room. Snefru carried Little Bakura under his arm. Ausaira cuddled Heaven who was sleeping against her.
“What a strange child,” Ausaira said. “That one has a deformed foot and this girl has no right leg. Tell me, did you and Pretty Boy there make this child?”
Aten groaned. “How in the hell are we going to create a child? We’re both boys, you dumb little bitch.”
Anubis yanked on Aten’s rope, making the teen gag. “Show some respect.”
“Your mother is a male. And, if I’m not mistaken, he’s carrying our little nephew now. I know he has the same bait and tackle you do, so-.”
Aten turned his head. “What did you do to my mother? If you hurt him, I will-!”
Anubis kicked Aten’s leg angrily. “Hold your tongue!”
“We took her into our home and adopted her,” Robbie said. “We didn’t sleep with any girl. We don’t do that.”
“Pity,” Ausaira said, looking at Aten and licking her lips seductively.
Aten felt his stomach turn. “This is becoming increasingly uncomfortable.”
“Yeah, you’re not the only one feeling unsettled,” Robbie said feeling awkward and sickened.
The group arrived in the throne room where Aria’s arms were being restrained by two guards. “I tried to find you an escape route!" Yami Marik was sitting on the pharaoh’s throne with Malik sitting on his lap. Aten watched the two Ishtars make out, kissing each other warmly and touching each other lightly.
“My pharaohs, we have brought your son and his family.”
Yami Marik reluctantly broke his kiss with Malik. His hand continued to rest between Malik’s legs. “Well, if it isn’t the prodigal son! Hello, my boy! I knew we’d catch you sooner or later.”
“Father, tell this little puppet of yours to remove this collar and set us free.”
Yami Marik chuckled. “Set you free? You are where you belong, Ankhenaten. Why would I set you free?”
“Because you, me, our family, we don’t belong here. We need to return to the present!”
Yami Marik grinned and pat Malik lightly between the legs twice. Malik rose to his feet. “Why return to the present, Aten? We are finally king.”
“We don’t belong here. We need to go back home.”
“You’re beginning to sound like your mother." Yami Marik approached his teenaged son. “I have finally taken my place as pharaoh. A lifetime, centuries of waiting, my dreams have been fulfilled. All of the sufferings of the Ishtar family have been forgotten.”
“Can you truly forget what happened during those centuries, father?” Aten asked calmly. “They are written on your back. Just as Malik was mutilated during the Tombkeepers’ initiation, so has my back been scarred. Can you truly forget that night?” Aten’s bottom lip trembled. “That horrible night?”
Yami Marik straightened his back. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I am king now.”
“You are a false king,” Aten said. “You used to be my father, but now you are a stranger. You kidnap my mother, you hold him against his will, you capture me, but I do not see you moving swiftly to set me free or untie the ropes binding my wrists behind my back. You allow Father Bakura’s brother and sister to corrupt you.”
Yami Marik grabbed Aten’s jaw. “You speak lies.”
“Then help us get home!”
“I will not let you take the throne of Egypt from my grasp.”
Aten swallowed anxiously. “You would choose the throne over your own flesh and blood?”
Yami Marik looked Aten in the brown and purple eyes. “What could you possibly offer me in return?”
“I....I’m your son,” Aten responded quietly. “I’m your only son.”
“Who should have remained dead and buried where I left you,” Marik snarled as he grabbed Aten’s jaw.
“Father?" Aten’s heart sank as his father released his jaw. Yami Marik backslapped his son, sending him to the ground.
“Aten!” Robbie and Aria exclaimed.
Snefru stood over Aten’s body. “Do you wish to join your father or do you still swear allegiance to your family?”
“My family, my husband, they never wished me dead.”
Malik approached Ausaira with Heaven. “Look, Marik, it seems we have a new little daughter.”
Robbie gasped. “Heaven Raine! Get your hands off of her!” Robbie exclaimed, trying to run to her side, but his foot buckled under him. He fell to the ground, cursing in German.
“Put her in with Ry. It will be a nice way for him to keep his mothering skills sharp. In the meantime, Aria, I think you should spend some time with your brother. You have alot of catching up to do. Think about where your loyalties lie, my son.”
“What shall we do with this?” Snefru asked as he held Little Bakura.
Yami Marik grinned. “Well, if it isn’t Baby Itemri? Take him to the dungeon, too. Bakura will not waste any time in coming to find his lover, family, as well as his younger self. The bait is set and the trap is ready to spring.”
General Anubis lead Aten and Robbie to the dungeon. Snefru carried Little Bakura. Ausaira shoved Aria into the prison cell first. “You can cool off down here, naughty girl.”
The others were thrown into the jail cell after their bonds were cut. Anubis closed the door and locked it firmly. “You little canaries sit tight. If we remember, you might get breakfast tomorrow.”
“Ausaira, get back here you little bitch!” Aria screamed as she raced to the bars.  
 Aten wrapped his arms around Robbie and kissed his husband on the lips. “Are you alright?”
Robbie rubbed his ankle and his twisted foot. “I wish I had something for the pain. It’s killing me.”
Aria turned and saw Aten sitting on the ground. She went to her little brother and hugged him tightly. “I was so worried about you! I didn’t think I would ever see you again!”
Aten returned the tight embrace. “So much has happened, sister.”
Aria nodded. “I know.”
Little Bakura walked to the jail cell door and reached his little arm through. “Hello?” the frightened child asked timidly. “Can someone let me out?”The boy paused when nobody outside the cell responded. “Hello? Anyone?”
“Hey, Bakura, come here,” Robbie said. Robbie opened his arms and found Little Bakura sitting in his lap and rocking himself anxiously. The teen hugged the scared boy as he looked around at the cold, dark prison. “So this is where Bakura died?”
Aria shivered as a cold draft permeated through the air. “I’m not sure in which cell father died.”
Aten looked up at the small barred window towards the top of the cell.  “At least Heaven can’t get sick here. Mother will take care of her.”
***********************
***Ryou’s Dream***
Ryou ran through the streets of Domino.  He looked over his shoulder as he turned the corner. “Where are you, boy?” Steven’s voice bellowed.
Ryou gasped and heard the roar of a dragon.  The ground shook with an earthquake.  The skeletal familiar dragon appeared in front of him. Ryou stopped running and gazed in horror at the giant beast ahead of him. Ryou turned and saw Steven behind him holding a pistol.
“There’s nowhere left to run, boy.”
“Dad, don’t do this! I didn’t do anything to you!” Ryou backed away from his father, his heart racing.
Steven grinned. “It’s time for you to pay for your sins with your life.”
Ryou heard the gun discharge and he fell to the ground.When his body hit the ground, the ground shattered and he fell into a pit of nothingness. His hands held his left side which burned as if the bullet hit its mark. After what seemed like an eternity, he felt himself laying on something soft.
The sound of a crackling fire nearby made him open his eyes. Another figure was sitting by the fire in a red robe and spiky, white hair.  The figure turned his head and quickly put down a loaf of bread. “No, no, don’t move.”
Bakura rushed over to Ryou and kneeled beside him. He tucked a lock of hair behind Ryou’s ear. “You were hurt pretty badly, stranger.”
Ryou looked up at Bakura. “Stranger? Bakura, is that you?”
Ryou slowly reached to caress Bakura’s face, but the thief put his arm on the ground.
“Don’t move. You could aggravate your wound.”
“Where was I?”
“In the desert. I thought you were dead,” Bakura said.
Ryou looked into Bakura’s eyes. “I was running from my father. He shot me in the right side and...” Ryou’s hand went to his stomach and felt it flat. Ryou gasped. “What happened to the baby?”
Bakura shook his head and placed a cold towel on Ryou’s forehead. “There’s no baby around here. It was all an illusion.”
Ryou took a deep breath and felt a tear creep down his cheek. “It can’t be an illusion. Bakura, we were so close.”
“How-? How do you know my name?”
“Bakura? I’m your husband.”
“I’m not engaged to anyone, friend. You are mistaken.”
Ryou covered his eyes. “This isn’t real.”
“You’re right,” Bakura whispered. “None of this is real. You crashed through the fragile shell of reality. It was there and not there. You saw reality and was so close you could touch it. You need to find the mirror to break free from the illusion.”
Ryou looked up at Bakura and took his hand lightly. “Illusion? Baby, how do we get home?”
“You must return home.”
“I know. I just asked you how we go home.”
Bakura smiled. “You must return to the illusion of your home.”
Ryou squeezed Bakura’s hand. “Illusion? Are you talking about--?”
***End Dream***
“Ryou, wake up!”
Ryou felt the bed jolt under him. He opened his eyes quickly and saw Malik standing above him holding Heaven. “Oh my god, Heaven!” Ryou sat up quickly and reached out for the crying baby. “Guess who we found hiding away in Bakura’s old whorehouse? Your son, Robbie, and Bakura’s little self,” Malik grinned. “We found this, too. Feed it.”
Ryou took Heaven in his arms and cuddled her. “What did you do with them, Malik?” Ryou cuddled Heaven against him.
“They’re experiencing firsthand how Bakura survived in the dungeons.”
Ryou swallowed nervously. “Malik, I’m begging you, pleading. Please don’t harm them.”
Malik stepped up to Ryou.  “What will you do to me if I promise not to let them rot in jail?”
Ryou looked at Heaven. “You know I would do anything to save my children, Malik. I have proven that time and again.”
“I will consider my demands, Ryou. In the meantime, feed it and take care of it.”
Ryou watched Malik leave and lock the door behind him. Ryou looked down at Heaven and kissed the baby girl’s forehead. “Hello, baby girl, are you alright?” Ryou checked the baby’s arms, legs, and skin for any evidence of mishandling. Much to Ryou’s relief, she appeared unharmed.
Heaven began sucking on her fist. Ryou rested and leaned back in bed with her on top of his chest. Ryou felt the baby shift under Heaven. “Your father’s still out there, Issa.  We still have a chance.”
****************************
Little Marik ran out of the house at dawn. He found Yami Bakura hidden in the bushes. “The celebration is tonight. We leave just before dusk.”
“Good work, little one. I will be hiding under the chariot. Just try to act normal.”
Little Marik shifted on his feet. “Do you know where your friend is in the palace?”
“No, but I will find out. I have to return to Khalfani’s to check on Aten and make sure they’re still alright.  I will rush back,” Bakura kneeled and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I appreciate all your help. You’re a brave boy, Marik.”
The child smiled. “I have to return to my studies.”
“I will return before sundown,” Bakura said, walking away from the home. The thief kept a vigilant eye around him as he walked toward the city. He sneaked through the shadows, avoiding the patrolling guards.  When he arrived at the brothel, he stepped inside. Bakura swallowed nervously at the empty parlor. “It’s too quiet.” The yami rushed up the stairs and opened the door to his bedroom. The bed was flipped on its side and the scrolls were scattered around the floor.  “Bakura! Aten! Robbie!” Yami Bakura screamed as he checked the other rooms. His heart leaped into his throat when he saw Robbie’s walking stick laying on the ground. “Robert....” A search of the brothel turned up no sign of his family. Bakura rushed down the stairs and turn to Khalfani’s office. The thief burst through the office door and growled at the absence of Khalfani.  He walked to Khalfani’s desk and looked at the desk. “What’s this?”
Khalfani, I will pay you 1,000 gold pieces to keep us informed as to the activities of Aten Ishtar and the thief, Bakura Osiris Itemri.  Enclosed is the 500 gold pieces for each one released into our custody. -Pharaoh Marik Jibade Ishtar.
“He sold us out to Marik,” Bakura sighed. “Son of a bitch. He won’t get away with this.”
“What are you doing here?” Khalfani asked as he stepped into his office. “Get out of my office!”
“Where is my family? Aten? The children? Robbie?"
Khalfani narrowed his eyes. “The pharaoh’s men came and took them away."
Bakura drew his dagger. “You sold my family out to the pharaoh for gold!” The thief advanced on the corpulent brothel owner.
Khalfani turned his back to run, but Bakura used the dagger to stab the man in the back of the throat. The thief closed his eyes as blood sprayed from the back of his neck. Khalfani landed on the floor dead.
“I guess I’ll have to find another owner for the brothel a little early,” Bakura said, kicking the corpse. He grabbed the dead man’s legs and pulled him into the office. “I’m going to get a hernia dragging your heavy ass around.” Bakura closed the door to the office.
The thief stepped out of the room and closed the door. Bakura scratched his head. The new owner had not yet established himself as a bordello owner. I can’t let these girls to fend for themselves. Unless...... Bakura left the bordello and walked down the street keeping a vigilant eye ready to spot Marik’s guards. A group of guards marched towards him as he ducked into an alley. Bakura held his breath as he watched the guards march past him.  This is turning out to be a huge pain in the ass. //Ryou, how are you holding up?//
/Bakura? Are you alright? They brought Heaven into my room. They captured the boys./
//Mother of hell and son of a bitch!// Bakura grumbled through the mindlink. //I’m busting into the palace tonight, Ry. I’ll get you and the others out of there, but I need your help.//
Ryou was silent across the mindlink. /How do you plan to break into the palace?/
//Little Marik is going to help me get in. I’m going to sneak into the palace.//
/Bakura, what if you get caught?/
//It’s going to be worth it if I give it a try. Ry, we have to get out of here. Leaving you there is not going to accomplish that.//
/I wish you were here, baby. I miss you. I want your arms around me. I want to cuddle beside you in bed and never let you go./
//I know, angel. Tonight. I need you to get a distraction set up for me. I don’t care what it is. I need you to find a way to distract the palace guards. Get Rich Boy or Puppy t--.//
/Seto has to attend Marik and Malik’s celebration.  I don’t know if the Ishtars will want me in the room or sitting beside them. I will find some way to get the guards’ attention./
//Good boy. The Ishtars have the streets crawling with soldiers. I have to get the bordello a new owner.//
/What happened to Khalfani?/
//He accidentally tripped and fell on my dagger repeatedly. He sold us out to Marik for coin. He was one of Marik’s spies, so I taught him a valuable lesson about fucking with my family. Asshole won’t make that mistake again.//
/I’ll see what I can do about creating a distraction./
//I love you, Ry. Don’t do anything that’s going to risk our little soccer player.//
Ryou chuckled through the mindlink. /Either he’s running out of bouncing room or space is getting tighter in there./
//It’s twins.....again, isn't it?//
/Well, that would certainly be a surprise./
//Hold on tight, angel. Stay safe.//
Bakura walked down the alley and down the road to another bordello.  He opened the door and found a man named Madu sitting with a woman on his lap. “Madu, I need to ask a favor.”
“Do I know you, stranger?” the thief asked.
“Not yet, but you will,” Bakura grinned. “Khalfani has just met a very unfortunate end at my hands. His women need attention now and I would like to put them in your charge. With them under your wing, you will become a very rich man.”
The man spat on the ground. “Khalfani is dead? He was nothing more than a monster to those girls. I have heard stories from them. These girls work hard here so they do not need to be transferred to his slave home.”
“The girls are yours, Madu. Treat them well, or I will hear of it for certain,” Bakura said, turning his back on the thief.
“Wait, stranger,” Madu exclaimed, standing up. “Who are you?”
Bakura rolled up his sleeve and revealed his tattoo of Osiris on his upper arm.  “My name is Bakura Osiris Itemri. I will also make a personal request. Please take a young boy under your wing. He has hair like mine. He is alone on the street and has been rejected by his own family. Be his teacher. Show him our trade. Teach him how to survive on his own for I fear that if he does not learn, he will die.”
“How do you know my name?”
“You will be a good friend of mine, Madu,” the thief whispered with a smile. “If you care and protect that child, I promise you that I will put a good word with Osiris, the God of the Dead.  I will owe you more gratitude than any man in this world.”
Madu crossed his arms. “Why should I take care of Khalfani’s women and the boy? I don’t know you at all.”
“You’re right,” Bakura said calmly. “You have no reason to trust me now. Believe me, though. If you save that boy’s life and teach him how to survive, he will bring you lots and lots...of many pretty little things. Your reward shall be great.”
“Where is this child of whom you speak?”
Bakura narrowed his eyes. “In the hands of a monster. I shall bring him back.”
Bakura left the brothel and looked at the sand below his feet. “High sun. Time is growing short.”
*********************
Ryou banged on the doors desperately. “Guards! Guards! Help!” The hikari was grateful to see the door slightly open. He held his stomach and leaned against the door. “I need High Priest Seto!” Ryou breathed heavily as he held his stomach. “It’s the baby! I need Seto!”
One of the guards dashed down the hall. “Go lay in bed. We will find him.”
Ryou grinned when the door shut. He walked to the bed and laid down with a sigh. At least they believed me.  Ryou’s eyes closed as he felt his back throbbing. My back is killing me. The hikari’s eyes went to the door.  If he didn’t keep up appearances, the guards wouldn’t take him seriously. Ryou put his hands on his stomach and bent his knees. “Seto, where are you?” The hikari whimpered in pain as he tried to mimic the sounds he had made 19 years before.  Within what seemed like moments, Seto and Glenn burst through the room with two guards.
“Ryou, what’s wrong?”
“Seto, I think something is happening with the baby,” Ryou breathed heavily and grabbed the bedsheets.
Seto turned to the guards. “You stay outside. You don’t need to witness this.”
The guards quickly left the room. Ryou relaxed on the bed with a content smile. “I’m surprised they believed me.”
“What’s going on, Ry?” Glenn asked.
Ryou sat up in bed. “Bakura is planning to sneak into the palace and rescue us, but we need to set up a distraction.”
“I was worried sick about you,” Seto said.
“How else was I to get the guards’ attention? OH the pain! Nobody is allowed to see me alone and I know the guards don’t want to be here to see me examined.”
Glenn crossed his arms and leaned against the bed post. “This place is going to be heavily guarded. How are we all going to leave? Marik and Malik are not going to say, 'You know what, just bugger off.’  Certainly Snefru and Ausaira will have something to say about it.”
“I have to go to the celebration. To my knowledge, you are remaining locked in your room."
Seto looked down when he felt a hand on his leg. He looked down and saw Heaven patting his leg. “Oh!” The CEO reached down and picked Heaven up. “Where did she come from?”
“Robbie, Aten, and Little Bakura are in the dungeon. The soldiers captured them. Seto, could you please check on them and let me know if they are alright?”
Glenn caressed Heaven’s head. “She looks healthy. Hello, pretty girl.”
Heaven turned her head to Glenn and began sucking on her fist.
“So we not only have to get you out of here, we have to rescue those in the dungeon,” Seto said. “This is becoming dangerous.”
Glenn looked down at Ryou. “I know Joey is still working on the wall mural. Perhaps he can stall one of the guards in the hall.”
“We’ll need to get the keys to the dungeon and the Millennium Puzzle.”
“Are we releasing Yami?” Glenn asked.
Ryou nodded. “We need every hand we can get.”
Glenn rolled his eyes. “That bastard won’t help us. Why would he voluntarily lend his aid? I took his boyfriend away from him!”
Seto sat beside Ryou. “We can do what we can, Ry.  I believe I found something in the ancient tomes which talked about another plane of existence which can be accessed by walking through an illusion. I don’t know if I’m reading it right, though.”
Ryou’s eyes widened. “Seto! When Bakura, Aten, Robbie, and I were trapped in Yami’s father’s tomb, we found a wall which depicted KaibaCorp. A woman was holding an onyx necklace.”
Seto snapped his fingers. “Ausaira sometimes wears an onyx necklace.”
“Do you think that could help us find our way home?”
Seto handed Heaven to Glenn. “I don’t know, but they have to travel through time somehow.”
Glenn placed the yawning baby girl in her basket. “I’m going to check on the guys in the dungeon.” Glenn left the room.
Ryou laid back on the bed and rested his hands against his chest. “I wonder if that necklace can take us home.”
The brunet reached down and caressed Ryou’s hair tenderly. “I don’t know, angel. Anything is worth an attempt now.” Seto took Ryou’s hand. “You really had me worried. I thought something was legitimately wrong with you.”
“I’m sorry, Seto. They would not have retrieved you any other way.”
The High Priest leaned over and kissed Ryou gently on the lips.  The white-haired hikari sighed pleasantly into the kiss as he buried his fingers in Seto’s brown hair. Seto caressed Ryou’s belly, making the hikari sigh with pleasure.
“You’re so beautiful, Ryou,” Seto whispered.
Ryou laughed. “Thanks for the compliment, Seto, but I’m surprised this bed can hold me right now. I’m huge.”
“Well, nobody expects you to maintain your boyish figure during pregnancy.”
The hikari nodded. “Yes, that’s not happening. How are we going to obtain the onyx necklace? I can’t leave here. Aria could probably break into Ausaira’s room since she learned many tricks of the trade from her father.”
“If Bakura comes here, he can sniff out her room, no problem.”
“You have to keep them distracted during the coronation, Seto.”
Seto nodded. “I will do my best. In the meantime, I want you to lay down and relax.” Seto rubbed Ryou’s belly. “And you behave for your mother.”
“He does.” Ryou’s eyes widened as he gasped. “Unless he does that!” Ryou jumped out of the bed and ran into the other room.
“Are you alright?” Seto asked quickly.
“Yes!” Ryou called from the other room. “He enjoys jumping on my bladder. I can’t seem to get out of the loo long enough before I’m back in.”
“Hopefully that won’t last for much longer.”
Ryou sighed. “Until we get home, Seto, I have to pray that this lasts.”
“I have to prepare for the celebration tonight," Seto said when Ryou emerged from the room. “Take care of yourself, Ry. If you and Bakura find a way to get you and the others home, take it. Don't worry about Joey and I."
Ryou looked up into Seto's icy-blue eyes. “I can't leave you behind, Seto."
“I want you and the others to find a way home and take it. Mokuba can run KaibaCorp."
Ryou hugged Seto tightly. “If we leave, we leave together."
Seto caressed Ryou's white hair. “Alright. Stay strong, Ry. We'll get out of this mess."
Ryou watched Seto leave. /'Kura?/
//Hi, Ry, are you ready for tonight?//
/Seto believes he may have found something important. He found in the ancient tomes about an alternate plane of existence which can be accessed by walking through an illusion./
//What kind of cryptic bullshit nonsense is that? What did he mean?//
/Remember the wall in the tomb depicting KaibaCorp and that onyx necklace?/
//Yeah?//
/Apparently, your sister sometimes wears that necklace that looks the same in the mural./
//Holy hell!  I have to get my hands on that necklace somehow.//
/Bakura, please be careful./
//I will, Ry.  Tell me where everyone is so I know where to go.//
/Aten, Robbie, Aria, and your younger self are in the dungeon.  Glenn, Yugi, and Joey are in Seto's harem with the ladies. I have Heaven with me./
The yami was silent for a moment over the mindlink. //This is going to be incredibly dangerous.//
/I know. We also have to find Ausaira's room./
//Kaemwaset just left his house with Marik! I'm on my way, Ry. Sit tight.//