The Jungle

The Jungle

Mally-chan and Hato Chiisai

Disclaimer: We own nothing within this fic.

YAOI WARNING

Pegasus/Ryou, Marik/Ryou, Bakura/Malik, Seto/Yami

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Chapter 28

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Ryou looked at Marik longingly. It was later than any bunny should be awake, but he knew the only way to hide Marik's mistake... their reuniting... was to do this. He sighed sadly and gave Marik's sleeping face a soft lick. "I'm so sorry Marik...” he whispered, ears drooping. He hated to leave, but he had to give Pegasus a believable story.

Ryou climbed out of the bed silently, stripped and put on the bunny suit once more. "Don't forget to visit me...” he whispered, straightening the bow and tucking the small bunny toy in bed with Marik, after rubbing it in his hair for a moment. "Try your hardest..." he added, quietly creeping from the room.

Marik purred gently in his sleep and cuddled the bunny to his chest, snuffling it softly, then smiling slightly and purring louder, moving over and nuzzling his face into Ryou's pillow before falling quiet once more.

Ryou silently crept out of the Kaiba mansion, and looked back only once, before hurrying off into the night, determined to put as much distance between himself and it as possible, before he was inevitably found. If he managed to get far enough, Pegasus would have no reason to suspect that he'd been there at all.

"It was just a big dog..." Ryou said softly. "I was just attacked by a big dog..."

As if some sadistic higher power were watching Ryou, and heard him, his words came true. There was a deep growl, and Ryou turned, his ears straight up in the air, and found himself facing a large dog with its teeth bared and hackles raised. The dog let out a ferocious bark and charged.

Ryou gasped and darted away quickly, looking around desperately for someplace to hide. "HELP!” he wailed loudly, scrambling to get further from the dog. "HELP!"

The German Shepherd picked up speed, quickly gaining on Ryou, chasing him down the street. There was more barking, and before Ryou knew it, he was also being chased by an Irish Setter, a Mastiff, and a group of toy dogs; four teacup poodles (one white, one apricot and two black), a pair of pugs, a maltese, a boston terrier and three yorkies, all of who were small enough to get out of the yards of their wealthy owners, and all of who were looking ready to enter the Westminster Dog Show.

Ryou whimpered, darting as fast as he could down the street, calling for help as loudly as he could. "PLEASE HELP!” he wailed, managing to crawl under a fence and unthinkingly dart into some stranger's house, through a dog door that was actually just a bit too small for him, and ended up scratching his sides even worse, and slightly ripping his bunny suit.

The pack of toy dogs followed, yapping and barking in their excitement, but they stopped at the dog door. And Ryou soon discovered why. He was in a closed up room, and he froze at a low growl. A large but thin dog got to his feet and stared at Ryou, then barked. The boxer charged.

Ryou gasped and looked at the dog door, seeing the numerous toy dogs outside, and looked back to the big dog inside. His ears fell back and he swallowed hard, looking for an escape route. "HELP!” he wailed, cornered and frightened, shaking like a leaf.

The boxer barked angrily and tackled Ryou, slamming him into the wall and knocking him to the floor, his teeth sinking into Ryou's shoulder, mingling with the wounds that Marik had left. The eleven toy dogs outside all ran away from the door, but only a few yards before turning back and yapping.

Ryou froze, as most smaller animals did when bitten, and whimpered softly, wincing and not daring to move, afraid he'd evoke more punishment from the angry hound. His heart was racing, and his breathing was frightened pants. He hoped some owner would come and save him, so he wouldn't become this dog's lunch...

The dog growled and shook Ryou viciously, and a light came on, shining under the door. A moment later, the door flew open and a man ran in with a shotgun.

"Samson! LOOSE!!" The dog growled and let Ryou go. "Heel!" The dog moved to the man and sat by his side. The lights flicked on and Ryou found himself staring down the barrel of a shot gun.

Ryou gasped softly, curling up tightly beneath the gun. "P-please don’t hurt me!” he whimpered shaking his head. "I-I'm a good bunny!” he peered open an eye and swallowed hard, whimpering louder. Maybe he wouldn't get to see Marik again... that gun looked awfully menacing.

The man glared down at Ryou. "Hybrid freak!! YOU'RE makin all this noise?! Go on! Get out of here!” he gestured towards the door. "Get out of here before I blow that tail right off your ass! I won't have you upsetting my dog and digging up my gardens! Get off of my property you filthy stray!!" And he cocked the shotgun, daring Ryou to argue.

Ryou whimpered softly, nodding and struggling to his feet, before squeezing back through the doggy door and scampering off. Hours later, when he decided that he was far enough away from all dogs, and people with shotguns, he looked around. "L-lost...” he breathed, looking around the unfamiliar territory. He was far from Seto's house, but nowhere near anyplace he'd ever been.

It was most likely the dock areas, near the outskirts of the city. He panted softly, whimpering. It was the scariest place of all at night, and his father had warned him numerous times to not go near the docks, day or night...

A cold wind was blowing in off of the sea, and for the most part, the docks were quiet. But after hopping along a bit, Ryou started to hear noises. Men were talking. He followed the sounds, now feeling weak and was desperate for help. He rounded a corner and found a group of men unloading crates from a large truck.

Ryou whimpered softly, hopping closer to the men, though his hop had gradually turned into a limping hop. He looked at them pathetically. "I... please help me....” he whimpered, ears drooping and giving them the most pathetic look he could manage, his bunny suit stained with blood and his appearance that of a poor beaten bunny. "I don’t feel well...” he added, slumping to the ground and panting softly, the pain immense.

Several of the men stopped and stared.

"Is... is that a hybrid?" One gasped. Another nodded and slowly approached Ryou.

"Yeah... looks like a rabbit, to me... and he's hurt!!" The man knelt by Ryou, taking off his jacket and covering the boy with it. "Poor thing... looks like something got him pretty bad...” he slowly reached out and pet Ryou's head. "Hey little guy... what's your name?" He asked, as several other curious men crept over.

Ryou leaned into the petting, whimpering softly. "Ryou...” he mumbled struggling to stand back up, and managing to do so, on shaking legs. "I'm lost..."

The man smiled and nodded. "Take it easy, little fella...” he said. "You've got a nasty bite there... Do you have an owner? You don't look like a stray..."

Ryou nodded, offering the man a soft smile. "Y-yes... m-my master is Pegasus.” he said softly, flopping back to the ground, his shoulder throbbing, his sides stinging. "D-Do you know him?"

The men blinked. "Pegasus... J. Crawford?" One gasped, eyes huge.

Ryou nodded. "Y-yes...Pegasus.” he replied looking at them helplessly. "Do you know him?"

"Everyone knows of him! He's one of the richest guys in the city!" Another man gasped. The first one smiled and carefully gathered Ryou into his arms.

"Well, little guy... let's get you someplace where you can get some help...” he said, then turned and headed away, taking Ryou over to a small car. He set Ryou in the passenger seat, then climbed into the driver's seat and turned on the motor.

Ryou curled up, trembling slightly. "Where are we going?” he asked fearfully. He wasn't sure if he should trust the man or not, not that he had a choice at the moment. His body ached and he was tired from running.

The man looked down at Ryou, smiling. "An emergency animal hospital that stays open all night.” he said, then chuckled. "Had to take my daughter's cat there one night after the damn thing swallowed her house key... God, I hate that cat...” he looked down at Ryou. "So what happened to you? How'd you end up out here?"

Ryou smiled slightly. "My friend... he's sick... and I wanted to find him and Pegasus...” he said softly. "I got lost... and a lot of dogs chased me, and I got bit and scratched, and a man aimed a gun at me!” he said shaking his head, relaxing slightly. This man seemed nice enough.

"A gun?! What on earth for?! You poor thing... You were looking for your friend and master?” he asked, requesting clarification. He stopped at a stop light and looked over at Ryou.

Ryou nodded. "he took me to the pet shop, so the lady could watch me... b-but the coyote was scaring me... and I wanted to make sure Malik was ok...” he said softly, laying his head down. "I'm a bad bunny..."

The man blinked, then chuckled and stepped on the gas as the light turned green. "It doesn't sound like you're bad to me...” he said, reaching out and ruffling Ryou's hair. "Sounds to me like you just missed your master and were worried over your friend. Here we are." And he slowly parked. He got out of the car, walked around to the other side and opened the door, gently picking Ryou up. He carried him inside and went up to the counter. "I found this hybrid down by the docks. It seems a dog attacked him.” he said, and the woman looked up.

The woman nodded and smiled. "I see. I'll have the doctor get to you right away." She said calmly filling out some papers. "If you could take him to this room, We'll check him for ownership and take care of the paperwork, and contacting the owner." She added, handing him a few papers that requested more information on the incident, and the room number he was to go to.

The man smiled and nodded. "He claims to be owned by Pegasus J. Crawford.” he said.

"Is he microchipped?" The woman asked.

"Uddnuh." the man said with a shrug.

Ryou whined softly. "Yes...” he mumbled. "I want my master....” he added sniffling.

The woman nodded. "The doctor can check that in the examination room." She said calmly. "Please take him back and I'll contact Mr. Crawford."

The man nodded and obeyed, carrying Ryou back to the room. He set the bunny down on the exam table and took his jacket off of him, getting a look at his wound in the light.

"Oh, wow... that's awful! What kind of dog did that?!” he asked, petting Ryou.

"The big kind..." Ryou mumbled, curling up and shivering, having residual fears of the vet. "The mean big kind..."

It wasn’t long before a woman came in and scanned the area where Ryou's microchip was, taking a quick note. "The doctor will be here shortly." She said calmly. "If you could get him undressed." she added before leaving to give the information to the secretary.

It didn't take long for the secretary to call Pegasus, via contact information imbedded in the microchip. "Mr. Crawford?" she asked carefully.

"Speaking." Pegasus muttered into the phone, irritated at having been woken up. "And this had better damn well be important..."

"Yes sir, I'm calling from the animal hospital. We have a man here, who found a hybrid of yours." She said calmly.

Pegasus froze. "Excuse me? I only have two. One is right beside me and the other is in a local pet store for safe keeping...” he frowned. "Just what hybrid are you talking about?"

"A rabbit. He was found by a man by the docks, apparently he'd been attacked by a large dog." she explained.

Pegasus's eyes widened. "Ryou?! Attacked?! What was he doing on the docks?!” he leapt to his feet and headed for the door.

"From the information we've gathered, he was lost and just happened across a large dog." The woman explained further. "He's being cared for right now, he's got serious wounds to his shoulder, from what I could see." She said softly. "If you could come and take care of some paperwork we'll be happy to release him to you."

Pegasus ran out the door. "I'm on my way!"

Back in the exam room, the man was trying to undress Ryou, but the bunny wasn't quite co-operating.

"C'mon, little guy... you have to get undressed so the vet can look you over!!!"

"I won’t!" Ryou said, ears bristling slightly. "Don’t! Only Pegasus! No one Else!” he hissed slightly, backing up on the exam table. "No one can touch me!"

The man sighed in frustration and threw up his hands, dropping into a chair.

"Okay, okay.... have it your way...” he said as the vet walked in.

Ryou squeaked and hunched down as the doctor neared him.

"Hello little guy... how are you feeling?" The doctor said softly, reaching forward and patting his head. "Your master's on the way... can you be a good boy and take off your clothes for me?” he asked smiling.

Ryou blinked and hunched down. "No...” he said pouting. The doctor only smiled. "Don’t you want to look pretty and safe for your master?" Ryou nodded slowly, and after a moment, stripped.

The examination took place finally, the doctor disinfecting the wounds, much to Ryou's pain, before wrapping them carefully, stitching those wounds that needed them.

Pegasus was half frantic when he ran into the Emergency Animal Clinic, and nearly strangled the woman at the desk before finally rushing back to the room Ryou was in. He flung open the door, looking around.

"Ryou?!"

Ryou jumped and his ears shot straight up from fright. "Master Pegasus!” he squealed, trying to scamper away from the vet, who was still wrapping his sides.

"Hold still Ryou I'm not finished!" the vet said laughing slightly.

Pegasus ran over, almost knocking the vet to the floor, and hugged Ryou tightly, petting him and kissing his face.

"Ryou! What on earth happened?! Why aren't you in your cage at the store?! How did you get out?! Does Rem know you're gone?! What happened to you?!” he gasped, rapid firing questions at his bunny.

Ryou sniffled and clung to Pegasus. "Rex was frightening me... I wanted to be with you and Malik...” he said, soft tears rolling down his cheeks. "I snuck out and went to find you... b-but I got lost.... I got chased by dogs, and bitten and a man aimed a gun at me!"

Pegasus' eyes widened. "A gun?! Who?! What dogs?! Ryou, you KNOW better than to just run off!!!" And he hugged the bunny again. "You could have been killed, what were you thinking?!"

Ryou whimpered softly and nuzzled him. "I'm sorry... I know I shouldn't have... b-but I wanted to help with Malik... and be with you! Rex was scaring me... I'm a good bunny!"

Pegasus sighed and let Ryou go, petting him, then moved aside for the vet to get back to work. After a moment, he stepped out into the hall to talk with the man who had brought Ryou in.

While Pegasus was gone, the vet happily finished tending to Ryou's wounds. "You're such a sweet little bunny." He said patting Ryou's head and offering him a piece of cucumber.

Ryou hopped off the table and limped to Pegasus, still quite sore. "Master... my bunny suit is ruined! It's covered in tears and rips and blood... " he pouted sniffling. "My ribbon is dirty and... I'm sorry...” he mumbled looking down.

The vet smiled. "You're lucky you had given him all his shots, he could have gotten rabies or any other manner of diseases, especially since we don’t know if the dog had an owner, and how up to date the creature was on it's shots, plus any manner of things could have gotten into the wound."

Pegasus nodded and knelt, quickly scooping up Ryou in his arms. "Thank God he was found.” he said, and the man who had found Ryou smiled and reached out, petting Ryou.

"See ya round, little guy.” he said. "Good luck!"

"Thank you again." Pegasus said, and the man nodded.

"My pleasure, sir. Bye Ryou."

Ryou smiled and waved at the man. "Bye bye! Thank you!” he called nuzzling Pegasus. "Master... I'm so sleepy...” he mumbled, though he showed no signs of sleepiness. "I'm sorry I ran off... I wanted to find you..."

Pegasus sighed and nodded, thanking the doctor and going out front, paying the bill. Then, he took Ryou outside and into the back of his limo.

"Ryou, I can't believe that you ran away like that!” he scolded. "You know better! I was coming to get you tomorrow night! You just couldn't wait?!"

Ryou hunched down and whimpered softly. "Rex was going to get me... I... I just wanted to help...” he stammered looking away and sniffling. "I'm so sorry master..."

Pegasus sighed and shook his head, hugging and rocking Ryou. "I'm just glad that you're safe, Ryou...” he said, kissing his cheek. "Don't worry about your suit, or your ribbon... I'm just glad that you're here safe..."

Ryou sniffled softly. "But you love my bunny suit... and my ribbon...” he mumbled wincing and curling up in Pegasus' arms. "I'm sorry... I just wanted you..."

Pegasus smiled and continued cuddling and rocking Ryou. "My poor baby... it's okay. I can get you a new suit... don't worry. I don't care about the suit, I care about you, Ryou..." And he pet his bunny soothingly.

Ryou trembled slightly in Pegasus' arms. "Is... Malik better now?” he asked softly. "He's... healthy now right? He's not sick anymore?"

Pegasus sighed. "He's still sick, baby... but he's doing better...” he kissed Ryou's forehead.

"But… he'll come home tomorrow?" Ryou asked, ears drooping. "I'll take good care of him, he'll be healthy again!"

"I sure hope so..." Pegasus murmured, yawning and laying his head down on Ryou's hair.

Ryou nuzzled Pegasus, yawning. "Master... can we go home? I... I want my soft bedding....” he mumbled curling up in Pegasus' lap starting to doze off.

Pegasus looked down at Ryou with a smile. "I thought you would want to stay with Malik.” he said, stroking Ryou's back.

Ryou nodded sleepily. "I'm happy... if you are happy. Anywhere."

Pegasus smiled and nodded, relaxing as he continued to stroke Ryou. Soon enough the car stopped, and Pegasus sighed wearily, getting out of the car and carrying Ryou into the labs.

"We're here...” he said, and Ryou lifted his head as they entered a room. Pegasus laid Ryou down in the nest next to Malik. The fox had a tube in his mouth and was hooked up to a ventilator, while needles fed much needed fluids and nutrients into his blood stream, and the poor hybrid also had to endure a catheter.

"Be careful, Ryou..." Pegasus said, petting his bunny, knowing that Malik looked much worse hooked up to all that stuff.

Ryou nodded and hopped close to Malik, licking his cheek. "Malik...” he whispered softly. "Malik?” he cooed, hoping that his friend would respond.

"Shhh... Let him sleep, baby... he's very weak, and needs his rest." Pegasus said, petting Ryou's hair. "I'm sure he'll be glad to have you near him..."

Ryou nodded and curled up next to Malik and closed his eyes, utterly exhausted.

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The sun peeked in through the tiny gap in the curtains, falling across Marik's face. The lion groaned and wrinkled his nose in displeasure, then yawned. And slowly, he cracked his eyes open. He blinked and stared at the empty bed next to him. He frowned and lifted his head.

"Ryou?” he called, softly. He looked around, but all he saw was his little plushy. He leapt out of bed. "Ryou?!" There was no answer. The lion ran out into the hall, his eyes wide and frantic. "RYOU?!"

Yami peered out of Seto's room, having already woken the CEO in the traditional manner. "What's wrong Marik?” he asked chuckling at the string of curses that were still being slung at him.

Marik whirled. "Yami!!! Ryou! He's gone!!!" The lion shouted, his eyes wide in terror and worry. Bakura appeared on the other side of the hall, Tuc and Nod scampering out of his room and across into Marik’s, searching for Ryou.

Yami blinked. "did he leave a note or anything?” he asked stepping out into the hallway, wearing his pajamas. "chances are he left so you wouldn't get busted.” he added thoughtfully.

Marik shook his head. "No... nothing! He's just... gone... Yami, this is NOT good! Where would he have gone?!" The lion's hands were shaking.

"Simple Marik. He went back to Pegasus." Yami said shaking his head. "We couldn't think of a way to hide what happened. So he obviously did... and ran away to get it taken care of, so you'd be safe."

Marik shook his head. "But Yami... does he know the way? Gods, if he was out on the streets at night... Yami, he's... he's helpless!!! He could have been attacked... hurt... KILLED!!! OH GODS!!! RYOUUU!!!" And the lion turned and ran down the hall towards the stairs in the nude.

"Gods..." Bakura groaned, rubbing his eyes.

Yami sighed. "MARIK! He's LONG gone!” he called running after him. "You're running around naked, and he's been gone for hours probably! Calm down!"

But Marik didn't stop. At the stairs, he dropped to all fours and raced down, throwing the front door open and streaking down the front drive towards the gate, calling Ryou's name. Bakura sighed and knocked on Seto's door, walking in to explain what had happened.

"RYOU!!!" Marik roared, trying to squirm between bars of the gate, but his hips were too wide; he got stuck half way through. The lion clawed at the ground and struggled, rubbing his skin raw as he continued to call Ryou.

Yami sighed sadly and patted Marik's back consolingly. "Marik... he's gone....” he said soothingly. "He's not coming back... until he's back for good.” he added gently pulling Marik back through the bars.

"Calm down... you'll hurt yourself. You'll scare Tuc and Nod."

Marik simply shook his head, then closed his eyes and hid his face in Yami's chest.

"N-No... it... it wasn't enough time!!" Marik cried. "How could he?! He... he didn't say goodbye... he didn't even say goodbye..."

Yami sighed and rubbed Marik's back. "Marik... his goodbye was making sure no one ever found out he'd been here. His goodbye was making sure he'd be able to see you again someday."

Yami knew it wasn't the best consolence, but it's all he could offer. "Besides, you wouldn't have let him leave... you would have wanted him to stay as badly as he wanted to stay."

Marik shook his head, letting out a high pitched whine, then suddenly turned and bolted back up to the house as fast as Yami had ever seen him move. He burst into the front hall and tried to change direction, skidding across the marble floor and sending poor Mokuba and his pop tart flying. Then he flew up the stairs, knocking Seto down, and into his room. He pulled on his old pair of denim shorts, seized his bunny plushy in his teeth, then charged out again, this time mowing down Bakura AND Seto, before charging down the stairs and out the front door, nearly hitting Mokuba again and then coming close to breaking Yami in half.

"GODDAMN THAT LION!!!" Seto was howling upstairs. Yami only had time to watch in shock as Marik blazed across the lawn, leapt into a tree and climbed up before leaping over the wall. He hit the ground running and in moments... Marik was gone.

Yami blinked, taking a few moments to register what happened. "MARIK!” he squawked suddenly. "Seto, Marik just left!” he howled running into the house. "Seto, Marik just went berserk and climbed over the gate!" Yami panted softly, wings quivering. "We need to get him before he does something stupid!"

Seto and Bakura were still on the floor, Seto cursing with Bakura lying across his stomach, dazed and confused. Tuc and Nod were licking his face, trying to get him to snap out of it. Seto sat up, unable to shift the skunk for the time being.

"What?!” he yelped.

Yami's feathers were bristling, as he was unable to prevent himself from panicking, the bird in him thoroughly upset by the whole thing. "He just ran off! Down the street!” he said unable to stop himself from suddenly attacking his own wings in a flurry of plucking. "Oh Ra he's going to get himself killed, Ryou will be heartbroken! He'll get us all caught!” he began on a massive list of pessimistic endings.

Seto's eyes widened and he heaved Bakura off of him, then ran to Yami, grabbing his hands and holding them.

"Yami. Yami, no! Shhh..... Shhhh... It's okay...” he hugged him and rocked him and stroked his wings. "Shhh... Calm down... Calm down for me, love... Relax... Close your eyes, and breath. Deep and slow, Yami... relax..."

Yami twitched, struggling for a few moments, before finally starting to calm down. "Ra... I'm sorry...” he mumbled still trembling from anxiety. "I'll be fine... we need to get Marik before he does something he'll regret." He said, using a forced calm voice.

"Shhhh..." Seto crooned. "It's okay. Marik isn't stupid... Just calm down. Let's go call Rem, okay?" Seto asked, petting Yami's face and smiling at him, lovingly. "It will all be okay.” he stepped back, but then yelped and fell over Bakura, landing on his ass. He grumbled. "Bakura, get your ass off of the floor.” he snapped, standing.

Yami plucked a few more feathers out of stress. "Alright...” he mumbled letting them fall to the floor, looking around the room for something to busy his hands, instead of feathers.

Seto sighed and quickly moved across the room, picking up the phone and dialing the Pet Shop.

Rem answered the phone quickly while trying to keep a firm hold on the newest guest to the pet shop, a cute little furry Sugar glider. "Hello?"

"Hello, Rem? This is Seto Kaiba." Seto said. "Umm... we have a bit of a... problem..."

"What's happened?" She asked trying to pin the poor creature so she could give it a bath. "I'm a little busy, so make if fast." She added, grunting irritably.

Seto sighed. "Okay. In a nutshell. Ryou and Marik got frisky last night, then got down and dirty. Marik's lion side took over and he bit Ryou on the shoulder. Ryou was afraid that Pegasus would find out the truth, so he ran away in the middle of the night. Marik just woke up, panicked, and now he has run away, too." Seto summed it all up quickly.

Rem gasped, letting go of the sugar glider, who chittered happily, scampering away and climbing up on top of some nearby shelves. "What?! Do you know where they are?! If Pegasus finds out it will be my head!"

Seto sighed and shook his head. "I don't know...” he said. "I know this is bad, Rem, but-- YAMI! STOP PLUCKING OR I'M PUTTING YOU INTO A FUCKIN STRAIGHT JACKET!!! Rem... I will take full responsibility for this. I am SO sorry... I never should have let those two... get intimate..."

Rem opened her mouth to answer, but at that moment she heard a beep, signaling that she had a call on the other line. When she checked caller ID, her heart nearly stopped. "Crawford, Pegasus J."

Rem swallowed hard. "I'll have to call you back." She said, quickly hanging up on Seto to answer the call. "Hello?"

"Good morning, Miss Rem." Pegasus said, cheerfully. "I wanted to get in touch with you as soon as possible, I know you must be frantic about Ryou going missing. I just wanted to let you know that I have him." Pegasus waited for a reply, but Rem was stunned into silence. "It seems that he is a bit more... loyal and determined than I thought. He apparently got out last night to try and find me. I got a call in the middle of the night from the Emergency Animal Hospital. He was picked up by a gentlemen working the night shift down at the docks and brought him in. Poor Ryou was attacked by a large dog. But I wanted to let you know that he's safe and I have him. You might want to discover how he got out, though..."

Rem quickly recovered from her shock. "Yes of course. I'm so sorry he got out. I thought he was secure. I will investigate possible exits from that enclosure right away. " She said firmly.

Pegasus nodded. "Alright. Ryou was very concerned that his little stunt would get you into trouble. But I know that these things happen. I'm just glad Ryou is okay. And Malik is getting better, so I will be taking home this afternoon."

"That's wonderful news. I'm glad Malik's getting better, he's a very good little fellow." she said smiling. "I'm also glad to hear Ryou was found and got back to you."

"Yes, thank you. I must go, Ryou is whining about something." And in the back ground Rem could indeed hear Ryou whining. "I will be in touch." And then the man hung up.

Rem laughed softly and called Seto back. "Hello? Seto? I just got a call from Pegasus. Ryou's plan must have worked. He was lost and attacked by a dog, or so he said. Someone found him and returned him to Pegasus, who just called to let me know I wasn't in any trouble for him getting loose."

Seto grinned and dropped into his chair. "Thank God... I'm glad. That little guy is more clever than I thought. I'm glad you aren't in trouble Rem... But I know that there are always possibilities in the future. You have been a great help, and I want you to know that should you ever find yourself in trouble and lacking in the employment department, I would gladly hire you on.” he sighed. "But now we have to find Marik..."

"I would search the areas near your home, and near Pegasus' home." She said calmly. "He either got very far, or very close... that's how it is with animals, he's either seeking out his mate, or lost around your home." She explained. "He's a smart lion, so you might want to catch him quickly.”

Seto nodded. "Thanks... I think I'll send Yami to do a fly over, if he thinks his wings can handle that... And Bakura sniffed him out once, I'll see if he can do it again." The CEO said. "I'll call you if we find anything."

Yami grumbled as Seto hung up the phone. "Of COURSE my wings can handle it! I'm not some fat roasting bird.” he grumbled once again, plucking another feather from his wing.

Seto chuckled. "I know that. But you did some major flying yesterday, so I thought that your wings might be a bit sore. And stop plucking." Seto said, standing and heading towards the door.

Yami glared at him for a moment, HATING the fact that he plucked without thinking, and Seto's ability to catch him every time....

He walked to the balcony and with a few mighty flaps, took to the air, and began searching for Marik.

He circled the house a few times, just to get the hang of the air currents, and saw Seto leaving the house on foot, Bakura before him. Bakura was on all fours and in his harness, Seto holding his leash. They left the grounds and Bakura led Seto down the street to the point where Marik had leapt the wall. Then, the skunk's tail shot up, and nose to the ground, he took off running, dragging Seto behind him as he followed Marik's scent.

Yami saw this, and followed in the air, keeping his focus on the ground, determined to find the lion before something bad happened.

Seto bitched under his breath as he was dragged along behind Bakura. After about half an hour, they got to a concrete river that was part of the neighborhood's drainage system, and there, Bakura stopped. The skunk frowned.

"He went down there. Let go." Bakura announced, and Seto let go of the leash. The skunk in black shorts made his way to the bottom, and leapt over the water, then climbed the other side. There, he began to sniff again.

Seto watched as Bakura frowned. The skunk looked back and forth, then trotted up stream about a hundred yards, sniffing. He looked around again, then ran back downstream to where he had started, then sniffed a hundred yards down stream. He looked around. Then he covered the two hundred yards on either side of his starting point on the side of the stream that Seto was on. Then he returned to Seto.

"... It's gone. I've lost the scent. He went down there, but didn't come out again..." The skunk reported. "I can't find him. Who knows which way he went, or how far before leaving the water. I can't track him through the water..." Seto sighed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ryou gently licked Malik's cheek. "Malik... ?” he asked softly, nuzzling his friend. "Are you awake yet?” he said, curling around him and trying his best to keep him warm, although he was feeling a little hot from the heat lamps.

Malik seemed to curl up tighter before slowly uncurling, his eyes opening. He flicking an ear and looked around. Pegasus smiled.

"I'll go get Dai.” he said, petting Ryou, and then Malik before leaving the room. Malik blinked slowly.

Ryou smiled slightly. "Do... you feel better?” he asked softly, gently beginning to groom Malik's ears.

Malik twitched slightly, then moaned. He couldn't speak due to the tube in his mouth that kept him breathing. But when Ryou groomed his ears, his tail wagged, weakly.

Daisuke walked in moments later and gently scratched Malik's ears. "You've stabilized little fella, so you can go home with your master.” he said, carefully beginning to remove the various IVs and finally, the feeding tube.

Malik gagged and made a face as he was released from the feeding tube and the ventilator, and he howled and snapped at Dai's hands when the catheter was removed.

"I can take him home now?" Pegasus asked, watching Malik wearily lower his head back onto the blankets.

Daisuke nodded. "Yes of course. Make sure he has plenty to eat and drink, but don’t overfeed him... he's still very weak.” he said calmly.

Ryou nuzzled Malik and tugged his ear. "You scared me... Master and I were right here with you all night.” he cooed.

Malik opened his eyes again and smiled at Ryou, his tail thumping under the blankets again. Pegasus smiled and lifted Ryou out of the nest and set him on the floor, before wrapping Malik up tightly and picking him up.

"Time to go home, boys...” he said. "Thank you, Dai. I will of course pay you for your expert care of my fennec."

Ryou hopped for joy, eagerly following Pegasus out, after the two men had said their goodbyes.

"Master Pegasus, can Malik stay in my cage until he's all the way better?" Ryou asked softly, giving him the bunny-eyes.

Pegasus blinked and looked down at Ryou. "If you want, baby.” he said, smiling. Malik opened his eyes and looked down at Ryou, also smiling. They got to the car and Pegasus set Malik down on the seat where the fennec curled up, trying to stay warm.

Ryou nuzzled Malik and curled up around him once more. "Poor Malik... I'll use my blankets and make you a soft warm place to sleep when we get home.” he cooed. He had a few blankets in his cage, mostly for playing in and chewing, but they were warm, more than enough to keep Malik warm.

Malik smiled and lifted his head weakly, licking Ryou's cheek. Suddenly, he stopped. He pulled away and stared at Ryou with wide eyes, nose quivering. And then his look of disbelief turned into a smile, and he lowered his head and hid his face in his blankets. There was a familiar scent on Ryou… a scent of sun, sand, and sandlewood…

Ryou grinned and nuzzled him more. "I ran out of the pet store to find you and master... I was so worried.” he added, though his eyes clearly said he had stories to tell.

Malik lifted his face and smiled again, nuzzling into Ryou, licking his cheek. Pegasus smiled as he watched the pair, and by the time they had gotten home, the two little hybrids were napping, curled up together. He sighed and got out of the car. "Ryou, wake up.” he said, as he picked up Malik. "We're home."

Ryou jumped slightly, and looked around confused. It took him a moment, but once he realized where he was, he pranced out of the limo and into the mansion gleefully. "My bedding! My home!” he cheered, darting into his room and diving into his cage, playing in the bedding eagerly, before wincing at moving himself too much.

Pegasus laughed as he walked into the room. Ryou was completely buried; all he could see was his little tail. And when he laughed, an ear burst out of the wood shavings, which made Pegasus laugh harder. Malik even smiled a bit. The man walked over and Ryou's little head poked out of the bedding as his master lay the bundle of blankets down inside of his nesting box.

"There you go, Ryou. You take good care of Malik, now. I'm going to go see some food brought up for you both. Make sure he eats it!" And he pet Ryou.

Ryou nodded and grinned once Pegasus left. "I bet you can guess where I was...” he cooed grooming Malik's ears slowly. "Bakura misses you."

Malik's ears shot up. "Marik!” he gasped in a raspy voice. "I can smell him on you! You've been with him! You... he...” Malik giggled. "You fucked! I can smell it!!!" But he winced as his giggle turned to rough coughs.

Ryou blushed slightly. "Well... um... thanks for noticing?” he said embarrassed. "Take it easy...” he cooed, grooming his friend. "I was at Seto's house... I saw everyone. Marik is very handsome in clothes... and Bakura too... He really missed you."

Malik grinned and slowly let his head drop again, already tired from holding it up. "I miss him too...” he sighed, softly. "I'm so glad you saw Marik... What happened to your shoulder?"

"Marik." Ryou said wrinkling his nose. "He bit me... kinky thing.” he said, giggling loudly. "Apparently lions do that."

Malik's eyes widened. "He bit you?! Oh gods... how did you hide it from Pegasus, Ryou?!” he gasped.

Ryou grinned. "I was attacked by a dog.” he said sounding rather proud. "I really was too."

Malik's eyes widened. "Really? Oh Ryou... Are you okay?!"

Ryou nodded. "I told Marik about the tunnels in the back yard... he and Bakura will visit us!” he said excitedly. "I'm going to make the den inside much bigger for them, but at night we can sneak out and see them in the tunnels and no one will know!"

Malik's eyes widened. "Ryou... are... are you sure that's a good idea? I mean... we could get caught! THEY could get caught! If Pegasus found out, oh, man...”

"If I found out what?" Pegasus asked, walking into the room. Malik's ears shot up, then tilted back, his eyes wide in fear. Pegasus looked down at the pair, a bowl in each hand.

Ryou blushed. "... I was telling Malik that I...” he blushed darker. "I... think you're absolutely gorgeous as a mate...” he cooed, covering his face with his paws, looking away, his ears drooping down to cover his face as well.

Malik's eyes widened, amazed, then he shook his head and giggled. Pegasus quirked an eyebrow and knelt outside of the nesting box. He set one bowl full of Ryou's favorite fruits before the bunny.

"Oh really now?” he asked, amused. "Malik, lift your head." Malik slowly obeyed, and Pegasus set a bowl of warm vitamin enriched beef broth down before him. "Drink that, Malik.” he said, stroking Malik's hair. Malik sniffed, then slowly began to lap at the broth. "Good boy...”

Ryou nuzzled Pegasus lovingly, blushing darkly. "I'm sorry.” he said softly, looking mortified Pegasus had 'found out'.

Pegasus chuckled. "For what?” he asked, glancing at Ryou as he placed a hand under Malik's chin, helping the boy keep his head up.

Ryou looked away, blushing darker. "Saying that about you to Malik...” he mumbled, mortified.

Pegasus grinned. "There's nothing wrong with that, baby. Now. Are you going to take good care of Malik for me?” he asked. "He's going to need a lot of care."

Ryou nodded. "Can you leave my cage unlocked tonight? I want to be able to get vegetables from the garden if Malik gets hungry... or if... I want a midnight snack...” he said sheepishly.

Pegasus laughed. "No, Ryou. Malik can't have vegetables right now. His stomach is too weak. I want you to stay with him. Once Malik is stronger, I will." And he pet Ryou. "Good boy, Malik.” he said, looking down to see that Malik had finished his broth. He pet the fennec and removed the bowl. "Ryou, you will help him to the litter box when he needs it, won't you?"

Ryou nodded. "Of course! I don’t want him going just ANYWHERE.” he said indignantly.

Pegasus laughed and ruffled Ryou's hair. "That's my good boy.” he said. "I know I can trust you." And he stood. "Eat your lunch, too Ryou."

Ryou nodded and grinned. "Leave the cage unlocked just the same?” he asked, chewing a bit of celery happily. "I've been eager to try those turnips...” he said softly, picking up a carrot stick and holding it with his paws, nibbling like a gerbil.

Pegasus laughed. "Not tonight, Ryou.” he said. "I know you want to explore your new back yard, but I want you with Malik all night... Keep an eye on him." And he closed the cage and locked it. "I have to go to the office. You be good. And remember to pull the cord if you need anything.” he said, pointing to a cord next to the giant hamster wheel that would ring up the maid.

Ryou nodded and laid down in the bedding after bidding his master goodbye. "Why'd you do that Malik?” he asked softly, once Pegasus had left. "You could have died...”

Malik sighed and turned his head to look at Ryou, cocking an ear. "I... I dunno... I just... I didn't want to live...” he mumbled.

Ryou sighed softly. "It would have killed Bakura...” he whispered before sitting up and beginning to gather the various cotton blankets that he had in his cage, tucking them around Malik tenderly.

"He asked me to teach you to behave, so you wouldn't end up this way...” he said smiling. "And... f-for you to teach me to be who I was again...”

Malik blinked, and his eyes widened. "W-What?” he gasped, his ears perking.

Ryou nodded slightly. "Th-they bought that club... it's redecorated... but I didn't get to see it... because Marik tore me up… I had to come up with something to blame other than him...” he said softly, ears drooping. "And... Marik really does still love me... still wants me... and I will try as hard as he will...”

Malik smiled, his eyes sparkling. And a moment later, they filled with tears. "Oh, Ryou... That's so great! I'm so glad you got to see him!! He's missed you so much! How are they? Him and Bakura both... Is Seto taking care of them?! How is Yami?" The fennec asked eagerly.

Ryou laughed and nodded. "Yami's ok, he can fly now, he and Seto are... a lot like a married couple...” he said giggling softly. "Bakura's so proud of himself... he's... a lot better than Marik at walking and everything... Marik's so goofy...”

Malik smiled. "Odd. Marik was the one who started walking first. But yeah... he's had a lot of trouble all the way around... But he tries so hard... You know, he wants to be human again... but he wants to keep being a lion in some ways...” Malik smiled and shook his head. "I don't think he'll ever stop that purring and nuzzling when he's happy and near someone he cares about, but... I kinda don't want him to stop doing that, y'know?"

Ryou giggled. "I want him to stop being afraid of people... he's a lion... he's supposed to be king of all the beasts... and he was like a frightened kitten when Seto got mad at us for... well... yeah...”

Malik blinked, then laughed. "Hey, I'M scared of Seto when he gets mad!!! But yeah... Marik does get upset when people are mad at him, but... you know. He looks for approval, Ryou. He's been taught that he must please humans. So he gets upset when someone's upset with him.” he sighed and rested his chin on his folded arms.

"I hope he gets untaught soon...” Ryou said laying down. "It makes him look bad... to be such a large man, and cower like that...” he grinned slightly. "He's freakishly tall... well not really. But he called me short!"

Malik laughed. "You ARE short, Ryou!!! Not freakishly short, like your friend Yugi, but... you are very short!" And he giggled, the blankets wiggling around as his tail wagged.

Ryou smiled and nuzzled Malik. "Bakura said you were going to be a waiter at the club... I bet you'll make the job interesting...” he said thoughtfully, before frowning. "I don’t know what I'd do...”

Malik grinned and giggled. "Oh, I'll be shakin' my tail right and left to tease whoever looks!" Malik announced, proudly. "But Bakura's the only one who will EVER be allowed to get UNDER my tail, if you get my drift." And he gave Ryou a mischievous wink.

Ryou blinked. "Um... exactly why I won’t be a waiter...” he stammered shaking his head.

Malik laughed. "So... you want to learn to be human again, huh?"

Ryou nodded. "Yes... if you're still... willing to teach me...” he said looking down. "I'm such a miserable whore...” he mumbled shaking his head.

Malik smiled and reached out, grabbing Ryou's hand and pulling him closer. Once close enough, he began to groom Ryou's ears. "Of course I am...” he said. "And you're not a whore, Ryou... I'm sorry I ever called you that...”

Ryou sighed softly. "Even if it was said in anger, you wouldn't have said it unless it had some truth to it...” he mumbled nuzzling Malik. "I'm just thankful Marik still wants me...”

Malik smiled and squirmed around in his blankets, making a space among them for Ryou, then held them up in a silent invitation. "He loves you.” he said. "How is Bakura? Is Seto taking care of him, too? What did you all do when you went with them?"

Ryou snuggled into the blankets and smiled. "Well… the obvious... I walked around... they made fun of my tail...” he mumbled yawning. "A mud fight. Poor Yami was covered in goo..."

Malik giggled. "Your tail is cute. And a mud fight?! Whose idea was THAT?! Oh, Seto must have been FURIOUS!!!"

Ryou grinned. "It was my idea... I haven't gotten to have any fun since I came here... Pegasus never lets me get dirty, or do bad things...”

Malik blinked, then burst out laughing. "YOUR idea?! Oh, man! That's GREAT!!! And I can see those two rolling around in the mud, oh gods!!! How on EARTH are you still alive?! I would think that Seto would have KILLED YOU!!!"

Ryou grinned. "He was just irritated... he's really mellow now." he yawned and nuzzled into the bedding.

Malik blinked. "Mellow? SETO KAIBA?! HAH!!! That's about as likely as BAKURA being mellow!!!" The fennec howled.

After a bit he calmed down and snuggled close to Ryou, who had made himself comfortable in the blankets. He sighed. "I really miss them...”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The lion sighed as he made his way upstream in the concrete river that ran through this part of the town. He entered one of the tunnels that ran under a road and splashed his way through. When he exited, he paused and sniffled, wiping his teary eyes on the back of his arm. Then he continued on his way. The exercise felt good, but Marik hardly noticed. His mind was focused on Ryou.

The bunny plushy he carried in his mouth let Ryou's light scent waft up into his nose, preventing Marik from thinking of anything but Ryou. He didn't know where the bunny had gone, and he didn't know where he himself was going... but at the moment he really didn't care. All that mattered was that he kept moving.

Some kids on their bikes stopped and stared, amazed as the lion hybrid trotted under them as he entered another tunnel. The kids rode across the street and watched the lion emerge again, then began to follow him from up on the road. After about half an hour they stopped and turned back, having gone too far for their parents' tastes. But Marik continued.

He had gone miles over the last three hours, and finally, he climbed out of the creek and looked around. There was a junior high school on one side of the road, and a grocery store on the other. The lion sighed, and headed across the athletic field of the junior high school and towards and park on the other side. The park was nice and peaceful, and children played on the playground. Marik went to watch, but nervous parents chased him away. The lion headed down the street, heading in the direction of Down Town…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yami landed on the balcony, panting softly, his wings drooping. He'd flown all over the city looking for Marik, his wings were killing him, cramping up badly from flying too long. He groaned painfully and walked into the office, his wings dragging the floor. "Seto?"

Seto immediately stood and ran to him. "Yami! Hey, are you okay?” he asked, stroking his wings. "Any luck? After you left, Bakura went a mile in both directions up and down the creek, but never picked up Marik's scent... He's not happy right now, he's sulking...” he began to massage Yami's back.

Yami sighed. "I couldn't find hi- ah ahh!” he yelped squirming to get away, his back had several tight knots and Seto found the most tender one.

Seto jerked his hands back for a moment, and then sighed. "Come on... lie down.” he said, guiding Yami to the bedroom. "No luck, huh? Damn... where would Marik go?"

Yami groaned and flopped down onto the bed glad to be off his feet, and resting his wings, which hung over either side of the bed slightly. "Ra... I flew and flew… I must have checked every road and side street in down...”

Seto sighed and began to knead Yami's back muscles. "You shouldn't have over exerted yourself, Yami. You should have come back when your wings started to get tired...” he said.

"Well?" A voice said from the doorway, and Seto turned and looked at Bakura, Tuc and Nod in his arms. "Did you find him?"

Yami sighed. "I couldn't find him... I'm sorry Bakura... I tried my best...” Yami groaned before once again yelping in pain and trying to squirm away from Seto; yet another tender knot had been touched.

Seto sighed and pinned Yami, getting to work on that knot. Bakura's ears and tail drooped and he lowered his eyes to the floor with a big sigh.

"Oh...” he mumbled, then set Tuc and Nod down, dropped to all fours and slunk away, the bunnies following him.

"Yami...” Seto said. "Can you think of ANY where he would go?"

"I honestly have no clue Seto... the only place I could think of is Ryou... but I looked around Pegasus' mansion, there was no sign of him...” he mumbled squirming beneath Seto. "I just don’t know where he could b- Ahh dammit!” he yelped squirming frantically once more. "Ra forsaken wings!"

"shhhh...” Seto crooned, stroking Yami's hair and wings, then gently kissed the base of his neck. "Easy... relax.” he said, then turned and got off of the bed and went into the bathroom. He returned a moment later and sat on the edge of the bed, holding out two pills and a glass of water to Yami. "Here. Take these...”

Yami sighed and sat up painfully, taking the pills from Seto and swallowing them with the water. He handed the glass back, offering a smile of thanks, before flopping back down onto the bed and closing his eyes. "Ra... I don’t know where he went... I feel so useless...” he mumbled shaking his head. "We're slowly losing everyone... next thing we know Bakura will run off too...”

Seto frowned. "Don't say that...” he said, beginning to massage Yami's back again, though he knew that Yami was right... he sighed. "Bakura would leave to find Marik. Or Malik. God... whatever the case, it all leads back to Pegasus...”

Yami growled softly. "Where would he have even met Ryou? During that whole tournament Ryou was nowhere to be seen, but for perhaps ten minutes.” he mumbled, remembering the last tournament held. "He didn't seem that infatuated with him then either. He was too busy reading those stupid comic books and drinking wine, Ra I hate rich people...” he grumbled.

Seto chuckled. "And eating his smelly aged cheese and-- HEY!!! Wait a minute!!!" Seto howled.

Yami blinked, then chuckled. "Whoops, forgot you're in the room.” he said shaking his head amusedly.

"You ass...” Seto snapped, but he was grinning. "I'm the ONLY person in the room. I'm only the guy sitting on you massaging your back for Christ's sake...”

Yami chuckled. "I'm sorry Seto, I hate blatantly rich people. Better? At least you don’t go rubbing people's noses in it."

Seto rolled his eyes. "You are such an ass...” he mumbled. "Feel better? Is there another area bothering you?"

Yami folded his wings slowly, wincing slightly at the soreness that still resided in his muscles. "I'll be fine.” he said after a moment. "I just don’t understand why he would have picked Ryou... he didn't spend more than ten minutes in the same room with him. I still would be in this mess, but poor Ryou... he has the worst luck...”

Seto nodded and lay down beside Yami. "Yeah... but what about poor Marik and Bakura? I mean... They were just picked up at random, right? I wonder exactly HOW they were picked up...”

"I was high and drunk off my ass...” Bakura mumbled, shuffling into the room. Seto blinked and sat up, Yami raising his head. Bakura made his way over to the side of the bed and looked up at the pair. "I... I'm lonely...” he said softly, almost in a whisper.

Yami grinned slightly, feeling badly for him. "Hop on up... you can talk with us.” he said moving his wings slightly so there was more room on the bed for Bakura.

Bakura smiled slightly and did so, hopping up onto the bed and curling up, wrapping his long bushy tail around himself and laying his head on it like a pillow.

"Go on, Bakura. How did this happen to you?" Seto said, looking at the skunk who had lifted his head to watch Tuc and Nod leap onto the bed and nestle down in his tail. After they were settled, Bakura sighed.

"I was a fuckin' junkie.” he said with a shrug. "I was doing nearly every drug known to man... shooting up, snorting, smoking... you name it, I did it...”

"But how did they get you? Were you just so stoned you didn't notice or something?" Yami asked curiously. "I know drugs are bad, I drilled it into Yugi's head... but I didn't think ANYONE could get that wasted...”

Bakura snorted. "Are you kidding me? I'm surprised that shit didn't kill me... no way I should have lived long enough to have been grabbed by those guys... But tell me this, Yami... What was it like, those two weeks when your physical transformation was taking place in those bloody labs?" Bakura asked, and Seto looked at Yami. He was curious to hear Yami's answer, he had never asked his lover about how... BECOMING a hybrid... felt...

Yami blinked. "Uh...” he mumbled. Somehow the question really embarrassed him. "Why?"

"Did it hurt?" Seto asked, suddenly, beginning to stroke Yami's wings. "Could you feel your wings growing? What... what was it like?"

Yami sighed softly, closing his eyes. "I was walking home that night... I had been out asking some friends to keep an eye out for Ryou. Yugi was so upset he'd gone missing, I told him to stay home and play cards with his friends while I went out to look for Ryou." Yami began. "I was just near main street, when two men confronted me. They were saying things about how I'd been ordered to be somewhere. Ra I wish the psychos would have just left me alone... I was cursed at birth I swear...”

Bakura nodded. "Yes, but what about after they had given you the injection? Tell us about that." The skunk said, staring intensely at Yami.

Yami nodded. "They had no clue what they were doing... flat out told me so, before they started. I was just another 'test'. I was put into a cold room, with the only warmth from a tattered old blanket. I was supposed to have passed out for days... but it didn't happen that way.” he mumbled softly. "I was awake almost the whole time, it was immensely painful. My skin burned, it felt like every bone in my body was breaking, healing, then breaking again... I could hardly move." Yami sighed. "The first thing I had back was my vision, much to their dismay... but I couldn't see very well... my eyes burned badly... I was sure I was going to go blind...”

Seto frowned and wrapped an arm around, Yami, pulling him closer and hugging him. Bakura smiled at Yami. Not smirked, actually smiled.

"I know what you mean...” he said. "I had drugged myself up enough that the injection didn't knock me out as long as it was supposed to. I felt like my body was being burned away... Now... remember how the metamorphosis felt, Yami. And then add heavy withdrawal symptoms from about half a dozen different addictive illegal narcotics. Welcome to my hell." Seto's eyes widened as Bakura sighed and closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Those two weeks were the worst two weeks of my life... I thought I was going to die... and... I wanted to...”

"My God...” Seto breathed.

Yami sighed. "It bothers me... that one person is able to do that to another. “They knew it had to be hellish... and to think poor Ryou was ordered...” he closed his eyes. "Ordered to be Pegasus' play-thing. He never harmed a fly. I can pawn my own misfortune on karma, I've done my share of things I shouldn't have... but Ryou...”

Seto sighed and kissed Yami's cheek. "Or you can pawn yours of to my stupidity...” he mumbled. "Sounds like Bakura's was a case of karma...” Bakura snorted and smirked, then turned and began to gently groom Tuc and Nod. Seto sighed. "So what about Marik?" Bakura looked up.

"Marik? It saved his life.” he said, and Seto and Yami looked at Bakura. "His mom ditched him when he was baby, and he was put into foster care, but it didn't work out. When he was three, his foster parents, who had actually been abusive, died in a car crash. Drunk Driving... Marik was passed around in foster care, but, well... he was a destructive little son of a bitch. When he was twelve, and with his twenty seventh family, he ran away and lived on the streets. But the life was a bit too harsh for him. He was skinny, starving most of the time, freezing in the winter...

"When he was nineteen, he finally collapsed from hunger. He was literally lying in the gutter, dying when those guys found him. They took him to the labs where they treated him for hypothermia, fed him, and got him into good health. Then they injected him and he became a lion." Bakura shrugged, and went back to grooming the bunnies, who snuggled down happily into his tail.

"Rem was the only caregiver that Marik ever really... liked." Bakura added, then smiled. "I think she's the only one Marik would ever consider really calling 'mom'. That's what she is to him... his mom...”

Yami shook his head. "Poor Marik... no wonder he loves Ryou so much... he must have been the best thing to happen to him in a long time.” he said thoughtfully. "Though... Ryou has that effect on people...” he added chuckling slightly. "So... was becoming a skunk something good for you?" Yami asked for a moment.

Bakura sighed and thought a bit, then smiled and rested his head on his tail again.

"Yeah... I guess it was. I mean, look at me. I'm alive. I'm clean and sober... you can look at the inside of my arms and there's no bruising and track marks... This was like... rehab, in a way." And he laughed slightly at that idea. "I made a real friend for the first time in my life, and then I fell in love. I never would have met Malik, or Marik if this hadn't happened. And I would still be living a dead end existence as a fuckin' stoner... IF I were even still alive... So yeah. Becoming a skunk was a good thing... though I kinda wish I weren't a skunk... developing that fuckin' stink gland shit only to have it surgically removed really sucked...” And he made a face.

Yami snickered slightly. "Well, you did get the ass end of the animal kingdom.” he said chuckling.

Bakura glared and growled.

"Wouldn't that be the dung beetle?" Seto asked, trying to keep the pair from fighting. Bakura blinked, then chuckled.

Yami rolled his eyes. "Bugs aren't in the animal kingdom."

"ARE TOO!!!" Bakura howled, and the bunnies began to thump their feet in agitation. "Sorry...” Bakura crooned softly, and began to groom them again. Seto sighed.

"Yami, be nice.” he said.

Yami grumbled slightly. "Yeah yeah...” he said, rolling his eyes. "So... what are you going to do once you get Malik back?” he asked curiously.

Bakura sighed. "What do you think?” he asked. "I'm going to hold him... kiss him... And never let go of him...” he said, softly.

"No, I mean your life goals. What are you going to do with the rest of your lives?” he specified.

Bakura blinked. "Heh... I have no fuckin clue...” he snickered. "Whatever we want to, I guess... I... I never really thought about it... But as long as Malik is happy, I'll be happy...”


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Please review!!! PLEASE!!!