Duality Chaos, Book Two of The Chaos Saga

Chapter 17: The Depths

     Ryou stood over the sleeping form.  Worried chocolate took in the pale complexion.  Suddenly, darkness enveloped Ryou's sight as arms encircled him.

     "Before you go blowing me to bloody fucking hell, it's me." A voice whispered huskily in his ear. 

     Ryou sighed.  "Really Bakky, you need to be more careful!  I could have destroyed you."  As the hands left, Ryou turned, giving a scolding look at Bakura.

     Backing off, hands upraised, Bakura chuckled.  "Heh, might be fun..."  waggling his eyebrows, he turned to the sleeping form.  "What's up with Sleeping Beauty?"

     Ryou sighed, taking in Ravyn's form.  "She has two souls in her.  When conscious, it drives her insane.  We are trying to figure out a way to either allow her to host the other soul without insanity, or separate the two.  Right now we have her in a magically induced sleep."

     Bakura looked at Ryou.  Shrugging he stated, "Why not do the Duality Ritual?"

     Gasping, Ryou looked at him, eyes wide.  "Bakky, we can't!  It's forbidden!"

     Raising an eyebrow, Bakura looked at Ryou.  "First, quit fucking calling me Bakky or Bakura.  Call me by my name, Akeifa.  Second, something is only forbidden as long as the end result is less desired than the fucking punishment is feared.  So which is it?"  Akeifa narrowed his eyes. "Do you want to save this girl more, or are you too afraid of the punishment?"

     Ryou looked down, ashamed and confused.  He always followed the rules.  That is what makes a good spellcaster.  Yet Bak...Akeifa  was making what seemed like a good point.  Ryou sighed.  "I don't know.  I need to think this through."

     Akeifa walked past.  At the door he stopped.  "I'll leave you with this.  If it was a choice between letting you die and using a forbidden anything, I'd go to the ends of fucking oblivion to save you."  With that, he walked out the door.  Ryou stood, a blush spreading and a warmth touching his heart...but with a very confused brain...

     ***************************

     Kurasha looked at Aeon.  "What are you doing?"  Aeon was rocking on her feet, looking like she wanted to jump out of her skin. 

     "C'mon, let's fly!"  Smiling she launched off the roof of The Pyramid, body reshaping, copper scales forming, sending off a colorful pattern as her scales reflected the light as she took to the sky in flight in her dragon form.

     Kurasha could do no more than laugh at the younger dragon as she too took to the air, royal blue scales appearing as her body changed and she chased after the wyrmling.

     ****************************

     "Wow!  Look at that!  Real dragons!  How cool!"  Naruto yelled from the counter where he and the other three ninjas were eating Ramen.

     All four looked up and watched the dragons fly off in the night.

     *****************************

     Knock,knock, knock,knock, knock...the knocking sound finally broke through Yami's despair.  Raising his head, he dejectedly announced, "Come."

     Seto walked in past Joey, much to Joey's annoyance.  Seto stopped still, taking in the scene...there was nothing left intact of the room except the bed and painting.  Any other furniture was shattered, splintered, and mangled beyond repair.  Seto raised an eyebrow.  "Angry?"

     Yami looked up.  At that moment, Seto shoved  Joey out of the room with such force that Joey landed against the other wall.  Seto slammed the door shut while yelling "Stay out, he's beyond control."

     Seto looked at Yami.  His fangs were the longest Seto had ever seen.  There was a primal look in his eyes...but it was those eyes that told him all he needed to know.  No longer were they crimson, but pure black, no white even showing. 

     Seto was slightly confused, but then realized that Yugi was nowhere to be found.  Looking at Yami, he stated, "Atem...it is I, your cousin. You are deep in the Depths.  You need to come out for Heba."

     At the mention of the name Heba, Yami launched himself at Seto, fangs bared, fingernails elongated into claws. Luckily, when in the Thirst, Depths, or Throes, Yami was slightly less fast than normal...which gave Seto an edge.  Seto dodged, grabbing Yami by the neck.  Slinging Yami against the wall with a bone shattering thud, he looked at Yami again.  "Whatever is going on, we will fix it, Cousin."

     Yami just growled and screamed in primal rage, launching at Seto again.  As Seto dodged, Yami flipped and was able to dig a claw in Seto's shoulder.  Stumbling, Seto cried out in pain.

     At that moment, Joey came through the door, splinters flying everywhere as the door imploded.  A look of pure rage on his face as he took on his wereleopard form.  "You will not hurt Seto!"
 
     "No!"  Seto yelled, as Joey sunk his fangs in Yami's shoulder.  Yami turned, grabbing Joey by the neck and threw him into the wall with the force of a semi truck.  Joey whimpered, trying to get up, the pain excruciating as he spit out the chunk of Yami's shoulder he had taken with him.

     At that moment, Seto's boot came down hard on Yami's throat, stopping any movement from Yami.  Cackling with rage or madness, Yami spat, "Go ahead, kill me.  I have nothing left."    

     At that comment Seto rolled his eyes, shaking his head and issued a swift kick to Yami's head, rendering Yami unconscious.

     Joey limped over to Seto, licking Seto's shoulder, whimperng.  Seto turned to Joey, concern showing through the cobalt.  "Damnit Mutt, what were you thinking?  He could have killed you while in the Depths!"

     Joey nuzzled Seto's face, saying nothing, but opening up his emotional link.  Seto's breath caught in his throat at the love pouring out.  Looking into honey, he put his forehead against Joey's.  "I love you too, Mutt."  He picked up Joey in one arm.  Looking at Yami, he grabbed Yami's arm with Seto's free arm and drug Yami back to Seto's room.  Looking to Rafael, "Clean this up, replace what was damaged."  Rafael nodded.

     After making sure Joey was comfortable, he secured Yami in a coffin, opening the top of it so he could see Yami's face when Yami awoke.  Pulling out an odd cobalt rope, he bound the coffin shut.

     Turning, he saw Joey's curious stares. "I'm binding him.  I don't know if he will be in the Depths when he wakes or not.  Now..."  seeing that Joey had returned to human form, "let's get you cleaned up."  Joey, too tired to resist, followed meekly into the bathroom and stepped into the hot shower Seto started for him.

     After finishing, Joey came out, crawling into bed.  Seto wrapped his arms around Joey, both slipping over the edge into a blissful sleep.