Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ We'll Be There ❯ Part II ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: (See previous chapter)

I'd also like to thank all my reviewers from the previous chapter: Misura, Ryou's Kitty, Rowan Girl, Sirithiliel, Mina-chan AMD, and Dark Magician Girl / Hikaru. I appreciate your support and encouragement.

Anyways, this is the second part of this piece. I hope all that reads enjoys.

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We'll Be There

~*~

Part II

~*~

Dedicated to: Audrey [aka xox PunKin oxo]

~*~

"Keep going."

"What?" Ryou inquired, finally snapping out of his daze.

"Hit me again," Bakura instructed.

"I can't." Ryou held his head abate.

"Of course you can. It's in your blood. I can feel your blood boiling this very minute," Bakura hissed. "Now, hit me with everything you've got, you pathetic mortal!"

"No."

Bakura smirked. "Try not to disgrace the human race with your feeble pleas."

Ryou clenched his teeth, which only made Bakura's smirk grow wider and more malicious. "I'm not a disgrace," he retorted.

"Yes, you are," his darker half insisted. "You're weak and pathetic; you haven't even got the balls to hit me like a man."

"I did, just before."

"Then prove to me it wasn't a fluke."

Ryou didn't budge. He was completely drained from his previous workout. I guess now I know what it's like to be a dead battery, he thought.

"See? You're just standing there, staring hopelessly at the floor."

"Why can't you just leave me alone…?" Ryou murmured under his breath.

"Leave you alone?" he repeated incredulously. "I'll leave you alone tonight if you beat me in a fight."

You're not exactly forcing me to stay here, Bakura…I may as well leave…

As Ryou turned to exit, he felt a cold hand grasp his shoulder. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" Bakura demanded.

Déjà vu.

"Contrary to your previous thoughts, you are not leaving here until you beat me."

"I won't fight you, Bakura."

"Luke [1], you have much to learn about the true power of human nature."

What a waste time--trying to figure out the most efficient way of hurting someone.

"It's not a waste of time," Bakura stated firmly, reading Ryou's thoughts. He walked around Ryou's figure, speaking barely above a whisper. "People in this world will do anything to take advantage of you. You have to be the one to strike first, before someone else hurts you."

"Isn't that a tad paranoid, Bakura?"

"No," he hissed. Bakura stopped in front of Ryou, staring directly into his chocolate orbs. He bent close to Ryou's ear before speaking. "If you learn one thing from me, Ryou, learn that you can trust no one. Everyone is after something. Everything comes with a price."

Ryou snorted. "That's completely absurd. Not everyone is like that."

"Everyone has a dark side, Ryou. They just keep it hidden from the world, until the time comes that they unleash its wrath, destroying any spirit that obstructs its path towards its ultimate goal."

In Ryou's mind, that statement sounded utterly ridiculous. But he didn't dare laugh out loud.

"You foolish, naïve, boy. I suppose you'll have to learn about this cruel world the hard way."

Ryou was tempted to argue, but was halted by Bakura's ceaseless ranting.

"Do you know what's going to happen to you? One day, you're going to get your spirit crushed by some power-hungry bastard. You're going to be trampled on, taken advantage of. You'll be left in a sorrier condition than ever. You're going to be in so much pain you'll just want to die."

Ryou stared at his yami, completely dumbfounded by his outburst.

"You're a foolish mortal boy. You'll never get anywhere in life." Suddenly, Bakura lifted Ryou by the shirt collar and threw him against the wall. As Ryou's head collided with the thick barrier, his vision went fuzzy. Bakura calmly walked towards Ryou's crouching form, and began to mercilessly kick his hikari. Ryou cried out in anguish every time he felt his Yami's stiff foot sink into his soft, pale skin. His vision blackened further; he couldn't hold on any longer…

Finally, the attacks ceased. "Get up," ordered the cold voice.

Ryou moaned in agony, his body refusing to move.

"Get up!" the voice was sharper this time, more frantic.

Slowly, Ryou gained his footing, feeling himself lean heavily against the wall. For once, he was grateful that the wall was there, to support him.

"I'm giving you one more chance, mortal. Fight me."

Ryou felt another surge of adrenaline, urging him to release it. He charged blindly towards the blurry object, feeling his fists fly everywhere. A cold, satisfying smash sounded as he made contact. His opponent doubled over, and fell to floor after Ryou's fist connected with the body once more. Ryou unloaded all his strength into his next few strikes, kicking the indistinct target with as much force as possible. Ryou wanted him to hurt, wanted him to suffer--to suffer as much as he did all these years. Ryou wanted his victim to despise his very existence…

The figure was now on all fours, coughing blood, which splattered onto the concrete floor. At last, the blurred form came into Ryou's clear view, revealing Bakura's trembling frame. Blood soaked Bakura's silvery hair, and sweat matted it to his head.

"Bakura?"

Ryou got no response. The only sound to be heard was Bakura's ragged respiration.

He glanced around the room. There was blood everywhere. Most of it was pooled beneath his yami's body, but it appeared to have splashed all over the room. Ryou observed the scene in complete shock.

I couldn't have done this. There's no way!

Without warning, Bakura collapsed onto the floor. His eyes were closed, and there was a pained expression on his face.

"Bakura? Bakura? Answer me!" he screamed.

Bakura's eyes slowly slid open, revealing his clouded gaze. "…Ryou…?"

"Are you all right? Please tell me you're okay…"

His eyes slipped shut again. "…Please…help me…"

It would have been so easy for Ryou to let go. It would have been so easy for him to simply let Bakura die. He could die in pain…that would be revenge enough for everything he'd done to Ryou.

But he couldn't. He could not let Bakura die.

He loved him. Ryou loved Bakura like the brother he'd never had. He loved Bakura, even though Bakura had been cruel to him.

"I'll call the ambulance," Ryou announced, swiftly standing.

"No…" Bakura objected. "Get…Ring…"

Ryou nodded curtly, sprinting upstairs to obtain the Millennium Ring. Within seconds he was back at Bakura's side, clutching the Ring in his hand.

~*~

~Turn around

And we'll be there~

~*~

Bakura held out a wavering hand, and Ryou handed the Ring to his yami. As the golden artifact made contact with Bakura's hand, a blinding light flashed, filling the entire room with its luminosity.

Moments later, Bakura was standing again, but Ryou was still on his knees, weeping. Bakura pulled his sobbing hikari to his feet.

~*~

~Always by your side~

~*~

"Why are you crying?" he asked his light side gently. The usual harshness in his voice was gone. Bakura's tone was quiet, timid…almost fearful. Normally, Bakura's voice was strong and confident.

"I'm not crying," Ryou sniffed, turning away. "Crying is a sign of weakness." With that, he stormed upstairs and into his bedroom, locking himself in his inside.

* * *

When Ryou woke up the next morning, he immediately sensed that something was wrong. Very wrong.

/Bakura?/ he called through his mind-link.

There was no response.

That's odd, he realized. Bakura always answers when I speak to him through our mind-link…

Ryou stepped out of his bedroom, and tried getting Bakura's attention through the "mortal" method of communication.

"Bakura??"

Ryou made his way down the hallway, finally halting in front of Bakura's bedroom door.

"Bakura, are you in there?" he shouted, pounding on the door.

Ryou heard a nervous whimper escape through the door. He forced his way into Bakura's bedroom, and stood at the doorway, his posture erect.

"Bakura, what's going on?"

Ryou's yami was in the corner, curled in a fetal position.

"Bakura, what's wrong?" Ryou asked tentatively, reaching out towards his darker half's shoulder.

Bakura flinched at Ryou's touch. "Don't touch me!"

Ryou's eyes widened. "Bakura…??"

"Don't touch me…"

"Bakura, snap out of it! I'm not going to hurt you!"

The Tomb Robber covered his ears with his hands. "Stop yelling at me! Just stop! Leave me alone!!"

~*~

[1] My pathetic attempt at some humour. I was making an allusion to Star Wars, how Luke kept refusing to battle his father, Darth Vader.

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This fic is being very uncooperative. I have to end this part here. I know I said it would be two parts, but I may need another part or two to finish it properly. T_T I don't get why I am having such big issues doing this….Anyway, Please tell me if you think there is anything I can do to make it better. I will consider all possibilities. I originally had most of this chapter finished ages ago, but didn't post it. ^^;;

I really need to write more Bakura or Ryou centric fics. I've become too attached to Seto. I'm having trouble portraying the personality of Ryou and Bakura. They're so different from Seto.

Anyway, I'm already working on Part III, and I'm doing my best to get it out quickly, but without rushing it. I've been incredibly busy lately…

Also, I have two fics that people who like this may be interested in:

Anything But Ordinary (*one-shot* coming soon to fanfiction.net, adultfanfiction.net, and mediaminer.org): Bakura had finally acquired a body of his own; he can now live his life however he wishes. Being a unique individual, he intends to stretch his limits to the extreme and reach his full potential. He is bent on achieving something extraordinary, at any cost.

This fic is my friend Kamilah's (Light Spirit Sage on f/f.net):

If You Still Believe: [MarikxBakura shounen-ai]: They all had the perfect life, the perfect relationship. Yugi, Anzu, Honda, Ryou, Jou, and Shizuka were the best of friends, bound by loyalty and trust. But everything changes when Ryou makes a decision that will change all of their lives forever...

This is the link to "If You Still Believe": (just take the spaces out ^^;;)

http:// www. fanfiction.net /read.php? storyid=1747659