Chapter 4 - Changes In Our Lives

A/N:I'm glad those of you who have read it likes it ^___^ and i'm sorry for slow updates... I'm really a busy person.



Of Angels and Demons[/u]
Chapter 4: Changes In Our Lives
By: Nadako-Mika


Splish. Splash.

Splish. Splash.

Ryou raced his way away from Kame Game Shop. He had no idea where he was going, or where he wanted to go. He gave his trust to his rapidly moving legs. He didn't pay any attention to where he was being led, or anything around him. He was only aware of himself, and what he felt. His senses had pricked up.

Splish. Splash.

He stomped through the large puddles of rain water on the concrete ground. The freezing water caught onto the pants he wore, gluing them to his fridged legs. The heavy rain pounded against his crown, dampening his white hair. His vision was blurred by the strands of hair hanging limply. The water was ice cold, cutting into his already numb skin. A loud rumbling filled his ears, followed by a sudden flash of light illuminating the cloudy gray sky.

Thunder and Lightning.

Maybe he should head for cover. He shouldn't be out in the rain, let alone be in a storm. He ran towards the park again, but this time, he headed for thick bush of trees to the right. The park forest. He would be able to find shelter there.

The flooded grass flatted before his feet. Loose dirt and mud splashing upon the clothes he wore. He didn't notice it. he just kept running deeper and deeper into the thick forest. He didn't notice the soggy ground below him become harder and dryer with each step. He didn't notice the raindrops lightening to a stop. Nor did he notice the air in the atmosphere grow thicker, and the light grow dimmer. By the time that he did stop, his surroundings seemed unfamiliar.

'I must be in the center of the forest.' he thought. The trees were unusually tall, their wide tree tops blocking out the rain. Every once in a while, a single drop of rain would fall onto Ryou's semi dry clothes.

There was a large willow tree nearby. Ryou made his way slowly towards it, still trying to catch his breath. He brushed aside the lightly hanging leaves and sat upon a low branch. He leaned back and closed his eyes, waiting for his heartbeat to die down. One of his eyes opened when he heard a loud, painful chirp of a bird. On an upper branch, higher than he was, were two doves. He sat quietly and watched the two animals.

'Doves?' he wondered, 'What are Doves doing here in the city?'

He gasped as he saw the larger, darker dove peck at the more fragile one. The little one cried out, trying to push the older one away. The dove gave one last hard peck at the other and watched as it fell off the branch. It floated gracefully towards Ryou. He held out his hands as the small white dove fell upon him. It withered under his touch. Ryou frowned as he saw the bird's clipped wing.

'Poor thing...'

The little dove eventually stood up on Ryou's palm. It nipped at it's wings a bit before stretching it out. It tended to it's wounds, oblivious to Ryou's presence. The bird ruffled its feathers for the last time, then turned to look into the boy's eyes. It then turned to look at the other dove, who ruffling it's feathers arrogantly, and cooed softly.

"You've been driven out of your home too, huh?" Ryou asked softly, not expecting an answer. "I know how you feel..."

The dove hopped off Ryou's hand with some effort. It wobbled off and jumped onto a tree, sure to avoid the other dove. The bird perched there contently, ignoring the fact that the other dove was drawing closer to it.

Ryou got up from his resting place, he had an inkling as to what may happen next between the two birds. He decided to leave; not wanting to watch what would happen, and not wanting to interfere.

'Where am I to go now?' he pondered as he took slow steps into the pouring rain. 'Should I even consider going back home?...Back to..him?' His heart ached for the site of Bakura. It had only been a few hours, but he longed to see him. His mind told him to go back, but his body objected.

Why?

A gentle whisper of a voice drifted across the air.

After all he's done to you...Why?

'After all he's done to me?' Ryou stared into the open, quite confused.

Why?... Why go back to him?... After all he's done to you...

A sudden wave of pain hit Ryou with such force, that he was thrown onto the damp concrete ground. He lay deadly still, unable to move his limbs. He felt numb. His nerves were shut down, and his mind was slowly drifting into unconciousnes. His head ached as past memories of Bakura's beatings flashed back at him. He didn't want to see it all again. Each time he would shut his eyes, a new scene was played before him.

'Why?... Why is all this happening to me?'

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Bakura paced around the house. Where could his hikari have gone? He knew Ryou had gone to the pharaoh, but then had run off again. Now where could he be? Questions concerning his hikari's where abouts flooded his mind.

...Where is he?
...Is he alright?... What happened to him?
...Did someone take him?... Will I ever see him again?
...Why would he leave?

...Why do I even care?

That last question resounded in his mind. Why DID he care? It was Ryou after all. If anything had happened to him, it was his own fault. He knows enough not to go out into the rain. And of course, if anything WERE to happen, Ryou would have contacted Bakura through the Sennen Ring. There was nothing to worry about. And besides, He didn't care.

...Should I care?

Guilt hung heavily on Bakura's heart. It was his hikari that was out there. His other half, his other soul. Wasn't it his job to protect his other half? Why should he? Yami and Mariku do, but..why not him? Should he start taking better care of Ryou? What would happen if he didn't?

...Ryou would end up dead.

Dead? Ryou dead? Just like that dream. But that was ONLY a dream, couldn't have been a real message...could it?

Bakura sat himself on the couch and sighed in frustration. So many things were going in his life, so many changes. Things were different than way back in ancient Egypt. There were many dangers in life now, it wasn't so simple anymore. New diseases, political problems, wars, nuclear chemicals and weapons. The world had turned to Hell. Ryou was stuck out in the world right now...

...It's my job.

He would change. He would change for Ryou. It wasn't something Bakura would like to do, but his hikari's very existence depended on it. He would try his best not to hurt the little one. Why did he hurt him in the first place? He didn't know. It was just...a reaction. A reflex. He did it without even knowing it.

Where should he start? Maybe finding Ryou and bringing him into the saftey of the house would be a good start. Yes. He'll do that. He would march out into the rain, coat or no coat. He would search all day and night for his hikari. Bakura knew very well that Ryou couldn't fend for himself out on the streets.

He stalked out of the house, ignoring the icy sheets of rain coming down upon him. The cold wasn't important right now, Ryou was. Ryou's well being was important. It was his responsibility to take care of Ryou now. His hikari had no family left; his mother and sister were dead. He hadn't heard from his father in nearly five months, and he had no living relatives to this day. Bakura didn't know why he felt the way he did. He didn't recognize the feeling.

The park. Bakura had a feeling that Ryou would be at the park. He walked through the damp grasses, eyes wide open in search of his hikari. As he neared the forest edge, he was sure Ryou was near. He could feel the boy's agony, though he didn't want to.

'Why the pain, Ryou?' he recieved no answer.

Bakura came upon a figure drenched with rain, his snowy white hair fell over his face, covering his features. Bakura was sure it was Ryou, he recognized his presence anywhere. The spirit quickly ran to his hikari's side, checking to see if he was alright. Bakura shook the boy slightly, but recieved no response. He shook a little harder, still nothing. What was wrong?

"R-Ryou? Wake up," Bakura checked for a pulse, it was still there. 'He's sleeping. Just sleeping.'

He picked up the boy with little effort. He was awfully light. Bakura watched sadly as Ryou's closed eyes darted around in his sleep. What was he dreaming about? Walking slowly home, Bakura sometimes stopped when Ryou would mutter something inaudible. He was obviously in some sort of discomfort or pain. Bakura wished he could cure that, but there was nothing he could do at the moment.

Hours had passed and Ryou still showed no sign of waking. The boy still seemed to be resting peacefully, with the occasional twist or turn in his sleep. Bakura sat with Ryou on his lap, gently rocking the other boy in his sleep. The old spirit sang something to his hikari in a language now lost to the world. He watched Ryou anxiously, hoping he would wake up soon. He's only asleep. Bakura told himself. Just asleep...

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A/N: T_____T Comments? Reviews?

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