Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Tearing Down the Sky ❯ The Light ( Chapter 23 )

Tearing Down the Sky

Hato chiisai

YAOI WARNING

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.

This fic is dedicated to Mally-chan! ^_^

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 23

The Light

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mikado, Ahmose, Yami, Yugi, Malik and Marik stood before the Gates of Araboth, staring.

"W-what will happen to them?" Yami gasped.

"I don't know." Mikado said, and turned to look behind him, looking to Pegasus, who still held Keith captive.

"I don't know." Pegasus said with a shrug. "No one has ever dared to enter Araboth… And returned" Keith was looking around at the statues of the fourteen Angels of Araboth, looking stunned.

"We may never see them again…" Yugi whimpered, his eyes filling with tears.

"But Ryou is Raphael's favorite." Malik argued.

"But Bakura is a demon. And he entered Araboth." Mikado said, flatly.

"All we can do is wait." Ahmose said, and crossed his arms over his chest. And silently, they waited.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bakura clutched Ryou to his chest, feeling the angel's life leaving him. He squinted in the blinding light in the path to Araboth, trying to find the only one who could save Ryou.

"B-ba... kura…" Ryou moaned, and coughed, splattering blood on the white angel tunic that the demon was wearing.

"I'm here, Ryou. Hold on. Don't leave me. Don't you DARE leave me."

"I'm so tired…"

"NO!! Stay awake. Open your eyes."

"…… Too briiiiight." Ryou whined.

"It's the Light of Araboth, Ryou." Bakura said.

"….. Araboth?"

"We're going to find Raphael. He'll save you." Bakura explained, but felt the tears slipping down his cheeks and falling onto Ryou's face.

"You're crying."

"I love you." Bakura gasped. "I love you. Please don't leave me."

"I, I'm sorry……" Ryou whispered, and closed his eyes. "I love you too."

"Stay awake, Ryou!! In Dante's name, stay awake!!!"

"HALT!!!!" Ryou jerked and Bakura froze and looked up, staring. A tall Angel of Araboth stood before him with piercing blue eyes and red-blonde hair. He brandished a large golden scythe in his hand.

"M-my Lord…." Bakura choked out. "Please! I must find Raphael!!"

"HOW DO YOU, A DEMON, DARE TO ENTER ARABOTH!?!" The Angel demanded.

"Sariel?" A voice called, and a second Angel appeared. "What's all the commotion?"

"That!" Sariel snapped, jabbing his spear at Bakura. "A demon has entered our realm, Astaroth."

"Cassiel is the Ruler of Araboth." Astaroth said. "He will deal with him how he sees fit."

"If Michael allows it. He and Uriel may want to deal with this villain." Sariel said.

"PLEASE!!" Bakura screamed, and dropped to his knees. "HE'S DYING!! I MUST GET HIM TO RAPHAEL!!!" Astaroth blinked.

"Follow me, demon." He said, and Bakura followed him past the glaring Sariel. He followed Astaroth down a broad corridor, seeing many many Angels that were not the Angels he had seen before. He did, however, recognize the twins, Metatron and Sandalphon as they poked their head into the hall, curious about the demon, and Azrael nearly tripped over his robe. Cassiel was in conference with Zachiel when Astaroth found him.

"Forgive the interruption, Cassiel, but…." He trailed off and shrugged. The platinum blonde Cassiel stared at Bakura, clutching Ryou tightly. "The angel is dying. The demon is seeking Raphael."

"Is he?" Cassiel asked. "The Four are in conference right now…"

"I DON'T CARE!!" Bakura sobbed, getting desperate. He could feel Ryou's pulse slowly dying, and could see his breathing beginning to shallow. "He's dying!! I have to save him! Please!!" Cassiel blinked, startled by the outburst. He sighed, and nodded.

"Then come." He said, and turned, leading Bakura along another corridor.

"Please hurry!" Bakura whimpered, as Ryou went completely limp in his arms. Cassiel led him to a pair of double doors, with a brown haired angel on either side.

"Raguel, Anahel, open the doors." Cassiel said, and the Angels did so. When Cassiel strode in, Michael, Uriel, Gabriel and Raphael looked up.

"Cassiel!" Uriel barked. "What is the meaning of this?!" Cassiel looked back at Bakura who suddenly rushed forwards. The Four's eyes widened at the sight of the demon in their Araboth Meeting Room. The demon ran to Raphael and dropped to his knees before him, laying Ryou down at the ArchAngel's feet. This done, he bowed to the floor, pressing his forehead to the cool marble and letting his wings fall limply to the ground. He lay prostrate before the ArchAngel of Araboth.

"Please…." He begged. "He's dying. Please save him. I'll do anything." Raphael stared down at Ryou, with a look of shock on his face. After a moment he shook himself and left his throne, dropping to his knees before the still form of his student. Gabriel, alarmed at Ryou's condition, did the same. While Raphael stripped Ryou of his clothes, Gabriel pulled Bakura up to face him.

"What happened, demon?"

"The, the angels are fighting the demons."

"We know this." Uriel snapped.

"The demon, Keith, dragged Ryou to Earth after Ryou had been wounded by a Hell Hound." Gabriel nodded, taking in everything as Bakura told all that had happened.

"Raphael will save him." Gabriel assured the sobbing demon, and held Bakura to his chest, trying to give him comfort as Raphael worked to save Ryou, for not even an ArchAngel of Araboth could bring someone back from the dead. Bakura watched as Raphael's brow furrowed, and he stood, holding Ryou in his arms. He shot a worried glance at Michael, and then ran to a large pair of golden doors, desperation clear in his eyes.

"WAIT!!" Bakura cried as Raphael disappeared through the doors. Bakura shielded his eyes at a white light on the other side of the doors, far more intense than the light of Araboth, and thunder rumbled as the doors closed. "RYOU!!!"

"Shhh……" Gabriel crooned, soothing the trembling demon. "Raphael will take care of him."

For ten minutes, Gabriel knelt on the floor, comforting Bakura and trying to keep him from getting hysterical. Michael and Uriel talked quietly, looking at Bakura every now and then. There was a knock on the door, and Sandalphon came in and spoke briefly with Michael and Uriel, and the three turned and looked at Bakura for a moment, before talking again. Sandalphon nodded and left, glancing at Bakura as he did. When the doors that Raphael had left through opened, they all turned and looked, squinting in the white light, which Gabriel's wing shielded Bakura from. The doors closed, blocking the light, and Raphael stood calmly, with a small smile on his face, his hand on Ryou's shoulder. Bakura stood and stared. Ryou looked quiet and serene, his eyes a golden color, as were his wings. Raphael had healed all of his wounds, and dressed him in a white tunic with a green sash, like before. But Ryou was surrounded by a golden aura, much like the ArchAngels themselves.

"Ryou!!" Bakura gasped, and ran forwards.

"He is well." Raphael said with a smile. Bakura reached out to hold Ryou, but screamed and jumped back, stumbling to the floor. He looked down at his hand; upon contact with the golden aura, it had been charred and distorted. Ryou stared at Bakura's hand in horror, and Raphael chuckled. He knelt and stroked Bakura's hand gently, restoring it.

"I would not try that again until the Light fades." He advised.

"What happened to him?!" Bakura gasped.

"The Light surrounding him is the Light of Araboth. It is what saved him." Raphael said.

"When he leaves Araboth, the Light will fade. From there, you will care for him, as your mate." Gabriel said with a smile. "Your place is with him. Go with my blessings, Son of Lucifer." And the ArchAngel knelt, and placed a gentle kiss on Bakura's forehead. "Now go. And remember this…." Bakura blinked at the mischievous sparkle in Gabriel's crystal blue eyes. "He is yours, but you are not mates until you become his." Bakura blinked again, and Raphael snickered.

"Come. We shall escort you. We have business with the invading demon armies." He said, and curled one wing around Ryou, and one around Bakura, and, with the other three ArchAngels, led them from the meeting room, and out of Araboth.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The group at the Gates of Araboth whirled.

"No…." Pegasus gasped, watching a cloud of demons swarm into Heaven and begin to destroy everything they saw. "How did they get in?!" The angels dropped to their knees, watching the swarms of demons begin to ransack their home, and the demons stared in shame.

"It's over…." Mikado whimpered. "It's all over. They've won."

"Don't be too sure." A voice said from behind them, and they turned and stared as Michael threw open the Gates of Araboth, drawing his sword. The Fourteen Angels of Araboth strode out and looked around, followed by around fifty more golden angels that the group had never seen before; the Army of Araboth.

"Michael!" Mikado gasped, and Keith, still held by Pegasus, paled at the twelve foot tall ArchAngels of Araboth. Michael threw open his wings and took to the sky, followed closely by Uriel, Sariel, Metatron, and Azrael. The five streaked towards the hordes of demons, which froze at the sight of the Golden Angels, then whirled and fled in a panic. But the Angels of Araboth quickly overtook them. They didn't have to raise a finger; as soon as they got near them, the demons were incinerated by the Light of Araboth that shone in them.

The group by the Gates of Araboth watched, and then, the other Angels of Araboth followed in the attack, eradicating the demons from Heaven. Only Gabriel and Raphael stayed with the stunned angels and demons by the Gates of Araboth. Raphael had a hand on Ryou and Bakura's shoulders, and Gabriel stood guard, destroying what ever demon that had escaped the attack of the Angels of Araboth and came after the group. Bakura glanced at Ryou, and saw the Light of Araboth already fading from his lover, and smiled slightly. Ryou watched the massacre of demons in an emotionless silence. Finally, Heaven seemed empty. Until a massive roaring was heard as the triumphant Angelic Armies followed Michael and Uriel back into Heaven, the other Angels of Araboth trailing behind to see that no demons dared to follow. The Gates of Heaven were closed, and the Angels headed back to the Gates of Araboth and returned to their home, their job finished, leaving only the Four behind.

"So, what are the plans with this one?" Uriel asked, looking at Keith.

"Who is he?" Gabriel asked.

"This is the demon Keith." Ahmose said, and Raphael's eyes flashed in anger.

"He is the one who hurt Ryou?" He asked, gripping Ryou's shoulder. Ryou nodded slowly, and Raphael advanced on Keith, who was so terrified that no matter how hard he tried not too, he wet his pants. Seeing this, Gabriel had to turn away and muffle his snorts of laughter. Raphael drew his blade, eyes on fire as he advanced on the demon who was seconds from screaming for mommy.

"Raphael." Michael said sternly, and Raphael stopped. "He is not yours to kill." Raphael hesitated, then lowered his blade and nodded. He turned and looked at Ryou, reaching out a wing and using it to bring Ryou close.

"You were raped and tortured by his hand, Ryou." Raphael said. "Now he shall die by yours." He plucked the knife from Yami's belt, and handed it to Ryou, who blinked and stared at the blade in his hand. He looked up, and Pegasus forced Keith to his knees and jerked his head back, exposing his throat for Ryou. Ryou raised the knife and advanced on the demon, raising the blade to his neck. And he stood there, staring at the metal gleaming against the flesh. After a moment, he moved away, and shook his head.

"No."

"What?!" Bakura gasped, finding his voice.

"I'm a Healer. Not a killer." Ryou said, and turned and looked at Marik. "He is yours." And he offered Marik the knife. Marik blinked at the knife, then at Ryou, then at Keith. Slowly, he took the blade, and advanced on Keith.

"I've waited too long for this…" Marik snarled at Keith, and then buried the blade into his chest. Keith made a choking noise, and fell forwards, determined to die with dignity. Marik kicked him over onto his back, grabbed the blade and twisted it before ripping it out. Keith screamed.

"I'm only sorry that I didn't do this sooner." Marik said, his voice cracking as tears streamed down his face. "Maybe if I had, Ryuuji would still be alive." He watched as Keith's breathing stopped, and the light faded from his eyes. Then, Marik slowly slumped to his knees, weeping bitterly. Ryou knelt and pulled Marik into his arms, wrapping his wings around him. Marik's weeping became harsh sobs, and he clung to Ryou, accepting the offered comfort.

"Before Ryuuji died, I was able to offer him some peace." Ryou whispered. "If you let me, I will do this for you." Marik sniffled and nodded, and Ryou pressed his forehead to Marik's, and placed his hands on the demon's head. Raphael quickly moved to their side and knelt, placing a hand on Ryou's back.

"Slowly, Ryou. Gently." He instructed, and the group watched in silence as a red misty glow began to swirl around Marik's head, before moving to sink into Ryou's. The angel was making a grimace as he absorbed all of Marik's mental anguish into his own mind. When Ryou began to tremble and sob as well, Raphael pulled him back.

"Enough." He said, and Ryou turned and clung to the ArchAngel's tunic, while Gabriel knelt beside Marik.

"Come. We're done." Michael said, and Uriel and Gabriel nodded and followed him through the Gates. Raphael watched them go, and then lifted Ryou into his arms, before turning, and passing him to Bakura.

"He will hibernate for two days." He said, and placed his hand on Bakura's head briefly, then smiled and left. And the Gates closed. The group was silent, looking away from the Gates, to Ryou, to Keith's body, to Marik. Yami and Ahmose both knelt, and helped Marik up. Pegasus moved to dispose of the demon's body, and the group turned, and headed home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Next chapter: The Change