Touch The Stars

Touch the Stars

Hato chiisai

Disclaimer: No own.

YAOI WARNING

Pharaoh- Marik- telekinetic

Emperor- Bakura- telepath

King- Yami- teleporter

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Chapter 11

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Marik entered his room an hour after he had left Ryou to talk to his brother alone. The screen was blank, and Ryou was sitting on the floor, his arms folded on the chair before the console, his head resting on his arms. Marik smiled and pulled a blanket from the Nest and covered the boy before moving to his own bed and turning in early.

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Two of the seven moons shown into the room, gracing the King of the Planet and the Prince of his enemies in a soft silver light. Everything was silent save for the breathing of the little prince and the slight snores of the Pharaoh. Nothing moved. But wait…. A slight twitch in the leaves of the newest planter brought in that afternoon… Then, a long gleaming body slid out of the leaves, dropping silently to the floor. The lithe serpent looked around, its tongue flicking out to taste the air, and its beady eyes glittering in the moonlight. The night was cold. Far too cold for the cold blooded reptile. It craved warmth. The pits under its eyes sensed two pulses of heat; one up out of its reach, but the other… the other was on the ground. The snake turned and slithered across the room. It reached the source of the heat; a soft body curled up on the floor, warm under a blanket. The snake delighted in the warmth and slithered under the blanket, coiling up next to the warm body.

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Ryou made a face as the light of the first sun to rise shone directly into his face.

“Uhhhg……” He groaned, and opened one eye, lifting a hand to block the light. Groaning, he sat up, then froze. Something was moving against his inner thigh. Eyes wide and heart pounding, Ryou slowly pulled the blanket from his body. He stared and his mouth opened with a slight squeak of fear as he stared and the serpent curled up between his legs. Slowly, the serpent lifted its head a foot off of the ground and it’s neck flattened out into a hood. Ryou stared at the cobra, and began to shake. (yes, I know I said heat sensing pits, which are characteristic of the pit vipers, which the cobra is not, but hey, this is an alien world. It’s a pit cobra, dammit!!!!)

“M-Marik…..?” He squeaked. The Pharaoh made no move. “Marik?” Ryou called again, and Marik grunted and shifted. Ryou whimpered, and Marik groaned and rolled over.

“C’mon…..” He slurred. “ ‘suns’re berlyup. Y’cn’t be hungy ‘lready……”

“Marik, p-please…….” Ryou whimpered. “Please, help me!!!” At that, Marik’s eyes snapped open and he sat straight up, turning to see what had Ryou frightened. He froze, and his eyes widened.

“Ryou….. don’t move……” Marik hissed. Suddenly, the tapestry against one wall was brushed aside, and Malik entered. “FREEZE!!” Marik barked, and Malik froze. He blinked, then saw the cobra between Ryou’s legs.

“Oh, no….” Malik whimpered, and Marik slowly slid out of bed.

“Ryou, look at Malik…. Don’t look at the snake. Don’t move.” Marik murmured as he began to inch closer. Ryou whimpered and fixed terrified eyes on Malik, who slowly dropped to his knees, staring anxiously back at Ryou. Marik continued to slide across the floor, until he was behind Ryou.

“Malik….” He hissed, and Malik began to inch closer. Finally, Malik was next to Ryou’s feet. Marik hooked his hands under Ryou’s arms, and Malik reached out. He poked the snake’s tail, and the serpent let out a hiss and whirled. Malik looked the snake straight in the eye and began to sway his head from side to side, moving just enough to keep the snake’s attention on him. Marik then began to pull Ryou back, slowly. The snake lifted itself higher and began to slither towards Malik, who began to speak softly to it, encouraging it to keep its attention focused on him.

“Malik…..” Ryou gasped, eyes wide.

“Shhhh….. Egyptonians are immune to the cobra’s venom. YOU are not…..” Marik whispered to Ryou, who gulped and nodded. Marik continued pulling Ryou, inch by inch. Suddenly, the snake hissed and lunged for Malik, who leapt back. Ryou jumped and screamed, startled. Automatically, the snake whirled, and at Ryou’s jerk, it lunged and sunk it’s fangs into Ryou’s thigh. Ryou shrieked, and Marik let out a roar. Malik leapt forwards and grabbed the snake by the tail, pulling, as the snake was still injecting its venom into Ryou. The snake whirled and sunk it’s fangs into Malik’s shoulder. Malik grunted and winced, before grabbing its head and crushing it in his hand. He then hurled the serpent across the room where it lay twitching.

“Malik! My knife!” Marik ordered, and Malik ran over to the wall, pulling down one of the display knives. He gave it to Marik, who had jerked Ryou’s pants down. Ryou squeaked, then screamed as Marik lowered the knife. Malik pounced and pinned Ryou down.

“Ryou, listen to me.” Malik said. “You must stay very, VERY still!!!” Ryou nodded, and winced when he felt the bite of the blade. Malik nodded, then looked up.

“GUARDS!!!” He shouted, and the doors flew open. “Get a stretcher in here and get the infirmary ready with Cobra Anti-venom, NOW!”

“Yes sir.” They said, and ran out. Marik in the meantime had bent over. Ryou whimpered and couldn’t help but blush as he felt Marik’s lips on his inner thigh. But then he winced and clung tightly to Malik as Marik began to suck. After a moment, he turned away and spat out blood and venom, then went back to suck more from the wound.

Malik bit his lower lip as he felt Ryou’s body beginning to shake and shiver, the muscles twitching. He was relieved when the guards ran in with a stretcher. Marik nodded and they lifted the Assyrian Prince onto the stretcher, and lifted him up. Marik tossed the blanket that he had covered Ryou with the night before over the boy, covering his nudity from the waist down, then keyed in a code at the computer to deactivate the collar that the prince wore. Then, they all ran down the halls and to the infirmary. Malik slammed the door open and looked at Rishido, and Ishizu, who were waiting with the medic.

“Put him here.” The medic said, and the guards did so. Ryou whimpered, and Marik stared down at him, worried. The Assyrian was trembling and twitching, and was flushed and sweating. The Pharaoh, still in his pajamas, gently smoothed Ryou’s bangs from his hot sweaty forehead. Ryou tried to fix his blurred gaze onto Marik.

“M-Marik….” He whimpered, and cried out as a guard slapped him harshly.

“You will address him as Pharaoh!!” The guard snapped, then yelped as Marik backhanded him to the ground.

“He will call me by whatever name he chooses! And you will not lay a hand on him! Now get out of my sight!!!” Marik thundered, and the guard fled. “Will he be okay?”

“We’ll see.” The medic said as he injected Ryou with some of the anti-venom, then turned and asked Malik for the details of the biting while he cleaned the two puncture wounds that the snake had left the Egyptonian Prince with. Marik didn’t listen; he pulled up a chair and took the Assyrian’s hand, holding it tightly. Ryou whimpered again and slowly turned his head so he could see Marik. Marik gave Ryou a small smile. Ryou returned it and gave Marik’s hand a little squeeze.

“Save your strength, your highness.” Marik said softly. “You’re in for a rough ride.”

“Am… am I gonna die?” Ryou asked softly, and Marik winced.

“I will see to it that everything possible is done to keep you alive.” He said, and Ryou nodded slightly.

“So that’s a maybe, right?” Ryou asked with a small smile and laugh, and Marik laughed slightly.

“Don’t you dare die on me, Ryou.” Marik said. “You…. Your brother would have my head mounted on his wall.”

“Marik.” Ishizu said, coming over and petting Ryou’s hair soothingly as the medic lifted the blanket to check the bite. “How did a cobra get into your room?”

“I don’t know.” Marik said, and Rishido cleared his throat.

“I have sent some guards to investigate that.” He said, and Marik nodded his thanks. After that, Rishido, Malik and Ishizu all sat around Ryou as he fell deeper into the effects of the venom. The boy was no longer showing any signs of knowing that they were by him. The medic injected Ryou with more of the anti-venom as his muscles began twitching and going into violent spasms.

Marik gently pet Ryou’s hair as the medic fixed an oxygen mask over the boy’s nose and mouth and slid an IV into his arm to replenish the fluids that he was losing through his sweating. His pupils were heavily dilated when the medic checked, and then, he cut Ryou’s shirt off and slapped some sensors on his chest. Marik and Malik both winced, alarmed at how Ryou’s body was reacting to the venom of the cobra.

“Well, I’ve given him the anti-venom. I’ll give him another dose in a few hours. All we can do now is wait.” The medic said.

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Ryou moaned in his fevered delirium. He was awake, but could barely open his eyes, and when he could, everything was a blur. The voices around him were a dull roar in his ears; he couldn’t make sense of a single sound. He could only feel the heat and pain in his body, and every now and then, he could feel a drop of sweat rolling down his face. Or were they tears? He didn’t know. He was hurt and scared. The only comfort he had was the strong hand clutching onto his own small hand. Marik had not left him. And this made Ryou feel better. He was still afraid, but he felt comforted knowing that the Pharaoh was close by watching over him. He thought it strange that he wasn’t longing more for his brother. True, he wished with all his heart that Bakura could be there with him, to hold him and tell him that he would be fine, but he wouldn’t trade Marik’s presence for Bakura’s. Ryou’s head twitched to the side as he thought this over.

“He seems to be getting better…..” Malik murmured to Marik, watching Ryou’s muscle spasms continue, but they were less violent that they had been. Ryou had been restrained with rubber straps to keep him from hurting himself. The medic was mopping up blood that was flowing constantly from Ryou’s nose.

“Is he getting better?” Marik asked the medic, who glance at the Pharaoh with a small smile.

“I believe so. It’s been two hours since his last dose of anti-venom. I’ll administer another dose in a few minutes. But he is getting better. He isn’t twitching as much, and I think the bleeding is stopping. He should get three more doses of the anti-venom, and then I think he can be taken back to your chambers, my lord.” Marik nodded and stroked the skin on Ryou’s hand, wincing at the swelling of Ryou’s thigh as the medic checked it.

“The swelling has gone down, my Pharaoh.” The medic said with a soft smile. “He is getting better.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. You have to get worse before you can get better with this serpent. The worst is over.”

“Good…..” Marik said.

“Marik… you need to go have something to eat.” Malik said, looking out the window. “You’ve been here all day. The sun is setting.”

“All day?” Marik said, looking up. “Heh… felt like a month…..” And he wearily lowered his head.

“Brother, please….” Malik said, and Marik shook his head, waving Malik off.

“I’m not hungry.” He said, and stroked Ryou’s hair.

“Should… should we tell his brother?”

“No.” Marik said. “Not until we find out how that snake got into my chamber. Something tells me that it wasn’t an accident; I think that snake was placed their deliberately.”

“To… kill Ryou?” Malik asked, and Marik nodded.

“Well, certainly not to kill us.” The Pharaoh said, letting his tired eyes fall closed.

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there, two updates for Mally-chan. The semester is over so I might not be able to update for a while. Please have patience.