The Path of Vengeance

A/N: Sorry, this took a little longer than expected to post. Originally my plan was to include this as part of chapter 27 but it would just have been way too long. Also I thought that the seperate tellings were important in their own right and deserved solo attention. The same rules apply to this chapter as the last. Ammon is Bakura's younger brother, blah blah blah

Chapter 28

“That’ll be eighteen bucks, kid.”

Ryou tore his eyes from the prison complex that housed his dark. “Of course,” he replied. He paid the cab driver and stepped out into the warm afternoon air. The trip to Tokyo had been uneventful but for the constant torrent of emotions barreling through him.

As he walked across the courtyard toward the ominous looking entryway he tried to remember just how long it had been since his life had taken this horrid turn. It seemed like so long ago.

His steps slowed as he walked through the heavy doors. He knew for a fact that he would not be permitted to visit Bakura without persuasion. He could only pray that his use of the Shadow Powers could be kept to a minimum.

Even though he had not contacted his dark to tell him he’d arrived he knew that Bakura was already quite aware of it. The closer he got to his yami the brighter the Millennium Ring’s soft glow became.

“May I help you?” a middle aged man asked from his station behind a caged desk asked.

Ryou took a deep breath. This was it. He offered a prayer to whoever would listen before approaching the desk. “I am here to visit my brother,” he said.

“You know visiting hours started at eight this morning?”

Ryou nodded, keeping his demeanor as friendly and apologetic as possible. “My flight was delayed,” he lied. “I got here a quickly as I could.”

“What is your brother’s name?”

“Yoshiro Tanaka,” he said smoothly. It was the name of his homeroom teacher.

The guard bent over his computer and began opening programs. “It’ll be a minute,” he replied. “I shut it down a couple hours ago.”

“Take your time,” Ryou replied. He glanced nonchalantly around the room, noticing all of the cameras it contained. Muttering an oath, he closed his eyes and held his hands over the Ring, channeling its energy. With much regret, he banished the guard and the solid bolt that held the inner door shut. He was only a little surprised when no alarms went off.

Taking a deep breath he pushed through the door and stepped inside. Down a long corridor in front of him he could hear a cacophony of voices coming from the prisoners and their visitors. To the left was the door leading to the office where the first guard had been and to the right was another solid door.

He could see officers through the windows of the visitation room but none in the hallway where he stood. Moving as quietly as possible he did away with that lock as well and crept inside.

Another hallway. This time there were two possible exits. After a moment of intense concentration he was able to choose the one on the right, sensing his dark’s essence. This door was only locked from the other side so he was able to push right through and found himself outside.

There was a large fenced area designated as the exercise yard and three more large buildings. He was able to determine fairly quickly which one housed his yami. He groaned inwardly. Of course it was the most heavily guarded. There was no way he was going to make it to Bakura without banishing a LOT of innocent people. It was impossible.

/Bakura?/

//I’m here, hikari. You can make it.//

/There’s no way. There are so many guards./

//Ryou you have to focus. What would draw the attention of the guards away from you?//

The teen paused for a moment before his eyes lit up. /I’ve got an idea,/ he said. /Hang on, I’m coming./ He did away with the lock on the door he’d just came through crept back into the hallway, scanning the walls. A smile formed on his face when he found his target. Feeling very much like he was back at school he crept to the fire alarm and pulled the handle down.

The siren blast was a lot louder than he’d expected. He peeked out the door, pleased to see that the guards were rounding up the prisoners and moving them into the exercise yard. Within just a few moments over half the guards of the prison were stationed around the exercise yard, ensuring that the prisoners were accounted for and breaking up any fights.

A chuckle sounded through their link. //Nice one, hikari.//

/Why thank you./ He pushed the door open just enough to squeeze through and pressed himself against the grey stone wall. He moved as fast as he dared until he reached the door to the three tier D-unit. With a heavy heart he banished the guard posted just inside the door. He could feel Bakura’s presence stronger than ever. /Where are you?/

//Keep walking. I’m in the last one on the bottom floor.//

Ryou swallowed hard. The other prisoners looked him over curiously but kept silent. It was at that moment that he knew he’d made the right choice. He couldn’t let Bakura spend any more time in here than necessary.

He peeked through the bars of Bakura’s cell to see his yami sitting on the poor excuse for a bed, his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms folded across them with his head bowed. “Bakura?”

The thief looked up. “Hey hikari.”

Ryou sent the locking mechanism to the Shadow Realm and slipped into the cell. “How are you holding up?”

Bakura chuckled. “Been worse. What’d you do to you hair?”

The teen ran his fingers through his raven locks self consciously. “Dyed it,” he said, glossing over his real reason.

“It looks good.”

“Thank you.” He held out as long as he could. Tears began to fall down his cheeks as he wrapped his arms around the ancient spirit. “I missed you, yami.”

Bakura actually smiled. “I missed you as well.” He patted his light on the back in what he hoped was a soothing gesture. “Can we go now please?”

Ryou shook his head. “Not yet.”

Bakura sighed. He’d known all along that this was going to happen. “What?”

The teen sat down next to his dark. “Tell me,” he said.

“Tell you what?”

“Tell me why you hurt Yugi.”

Bakura shook his head. “It’s really not something that you want to know.”

“If you want out of here you’ll tell me what I want to know,” Ryou said boldly.

The thief sighed. As much as he didn’t want to tell Ryou he knew he was stuck. Ryou had the Millennium Ring and right now it was his only hope at escape. He had to find Marik. “Fine,” he said. “But don’t expect a happy ending.”

Ryou nodded. “I won’t.”

Bakura took a deep breath and began speaking. He told Ryou the exact same story that Yami had revealed. Only one thing was different. As it turned out, that one thing was the one thing that had fueled his hate and fed his rage for all of those centuries.


~Flashback~
Bakura worked on the manacle that captured his right wrist through his barely contained rage. As soon as he found Ammon and assured his brother’s safety he would return to Rehan’s village and remain there. If he stayed in such a close distance to the palace he would likely ring the future pharaoh’s neck.

Clink. The shackle fell away. Now for his ankles.

He could not believe Atemu’s actions. More than that he could not believe his own. Usually he prided himself on being an excellent judge of character. How the prince had slipped through his filter was a mystery.

As hard as he tried he couldn’t imagine what Ammon was going through at the mercy of the future pharaoh. He couldn’t see Atemu hurting anyone but all the same he felt the need to hurry.

Finally he managed to free himself of his restraints. He stood and rushed up the stairs leading out of the dungeon. Over the next forty minutes he wandered the palace in search of Atemu’s chamber. He knew exactly where to find it but getting past the guards proved to be quite a challenge.

The sinking feeling in his stomach had intensified with every passing minute. He had to get to Ammon and he had to do it now. Finally he spied the entryway that bore the crest of the Royal Family. The very same one that would someday bear the mark of the Pharaoh.

He pressed his ear to the door and heard a faint gurgling cough. With a shaking hand he pushed it open and slipped inside, closing it behind him. He passed through the sitting room into the bedroom where he froze in his tracks. “Ammon…by the Gods…”

Collapsed amongst the ever growing pool of his own blood and vomit Ammon blinked rapidly. “B-ba…kura…?”

“Sweet mother Isis….” the thief whispered. He rushed to his brother’s side and dropped to his knees. “Ammon…what happened to you?”

“Atemu,” the young man whispered. His body convulsed and he coughed, sending splatters of blood over his brother’s tanned face. “Bakura…”

Tears of sorrow combined with white-hot rage poured over Bakura’s cheeks. “Shh,” he said. “Don’t try to talk.” His eyes traveled over the broken form of the one person he cared about more than anyone in the world. A steady trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Ammon’s mouth and the large gash on his head had swollen to the size of his fist.

“Can’t…feel…my legs…” Ammon managed, fear playing a dominant role behind his eyes.

He wasn’t going to live. Bakura closed his eyes briefly and ran his hands over his brother’s cheeks, carefully avoiding the many wounds. He could not imagine the pain that he felt. Making every attempt to harden his heart he leaned down and placed a small kiss on Ammon’s forehead. “I love you,” he whispered. His grip tightened on his brother’s face and he gave a violent twist, effectively snapping Ammon’s neck, killing him instantly.


The moon had risen over the desert when Bakura finally set out for Kuru Eruna. He had taken Ammon’s body from the palace and given him a proper burial. Well…as proper as a thief was able to manage. It was far less than his brother deserved but he hoped nonetheless that Ammon’s soul would find its way into the afterlife.

He rode slowly on one of the Pharaoh’s prized mounts, in no hurry to return to his brother’s home. When he finally reached the outskirts of the village he stopped and stared. What little remained of his childhood home after the militia had set it aflame was being chopped down and crushed by the soldiers.

Another sob escaped his throat and he turned away, riding hard for the oasis. Nothing would ever compare against the loss he faced this day. And nothing, not even death itself, would stop him from taking his revenge on Atemu and the Royal Family. Ammon would be avenged if it cost him his very soul.
~End Flashback~


“So now you know,” Bakura said, his head lowered.

The tears that poured form Ryou’s eyes matched those of his dark. “Bakura…oh gods, I’m so sorry.”

Bakura shook his head. “It’s over,” he stated. “I just want to let it go now. I’ve thought of nothing for the past three thousand years. Ammon was avenged so now I can move on.”

Ryou bit his lower lip. He was still reeling from the emotional telling of the horror his yami had been forced to live with for so long. “Come home,” he pleaded. “Just until Marik gets back.”

“I don’t think your boyfriend would appreciate that,” Bakura stated.

“I would appreciate it.”

The thief looked down at his hikari. “Fine,” he relented. “But only until Marik and Malik get back. Then Marik and I are gone.”

Ryou nodded. “Alright.”

Bakura took a deep breath. “Ryou…”

“Yeah?”

“I’m over telling you not to be with the pharaoh. You do what you want to do. But now that you know everything…just make sure he’s with you for who you are and not who you represent.” He tapped his own chest.

Ryou’s eyes widened. Could Yami’s interest in him stem from his connection with Bakura? He needed to talk to his boyfriend. “I will,” he promised. He lifted the Millennium Ring from around his neck and held it out to Bakura. “Here.”

The white haired man took the offering. “Thanks. Now let’s get the fuck out of here.”
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Again, another HARD chapter to write.
Don't worry, the rest of the gang will be back before you know it.
And thank a million to all of you guys who reviewed. I really didn't think that their past was going to go over as well as it has so I thank you.