Okay people, here's the deal. I was out of town last weekend, so that provided a bit of a problem in the posting department, as this is fifteen pages long and I had to spend extra time to obsess over the angsty parts. You know how it goes. I finished this yesterday, but the stupid site wouldn't let me log in. Some crap about the page being unable to load because the server was overloaded or the URL did not exist. Anyway, it seems to be okay now, so I'm really, really sorry for the lateness, and here's the last chapter. Adieu!
The Purpose of a Heart
Chapter Twenty-Three
Bakura skidded to a stop on the moped and glanced from side to side. There were three police cars now, one on both sides and one behind. Their lights were flashing, the night around him diced into blue and red explosions, and Bakura was aware that the engines in those cars were far superior to his hijacked scooter.
The moment he stopped, the police cars came to a stop as well. The door started to open and Bakura raised his gun. The door stopped opening and a voice came over the loudspeaker,
"You're surrounded. Drop your weapon, or we'll shoot."
Bakura merely placed his finger over the trigger with a familiar quirk of a smile on the side of his lips.
"I repeat, drop your weapon or we will shoot you."
"Yeah, you always say the same thing, but you never follow it up!" Bakura shouted back. "You guys are too damned nice! How about you drop your weapons? Or I'll shoot you!"
He heard gunshots from all directions and dropped to a crouch beside the moped; shielding one side of his body, pulling the trigger of the Uzi at the same time, his eye adjusting for distance in an instance. Bakura had a personal motto, to never fire unless he was pretty sure he'd hit the target. Bullets could be expensive and it wasn't worth it if they didn't hit what he wanted them to. He'd used this particular gun for about a year, and knew everything about it he needed to know, including how to compensate for the difficult aim that machine guns were afforded. It was one of the things he liked the best about its semi-automatic quality. Only one bullet at a time to worry about; unlike the automatics, which made a mess of everything except what you were aiming for. He heard with satisfaction the sound of glass breaking and the shouts of the officers as they dropped their guns, most of them with bullet wounds now.
It's your own fault, I gave you fair warning.
The street was deadly silent now in the wake of the gunfire, everyone seemed to be waiting for someone else to make the first move. Bakura, (who, in a situation even half as serious as this, would ordinarily have ever particle of his being concentrating on the moment), found himself thinking, instead, of Yami. Was he okay? Had he made it to the bunker yet? What if he hadn't been able to lure all the police away, could Yami have been arrested, or even shot? He might be a world-famous duelist, but to the police he was still a suspected cop-killer who was definitely resisting arrest, and that counted for plenty.
It was the first time he'd ever let something distract him, mainly because up till now he'd never had anything to worry about except himself. But his single moment of distraction was all the nearest police officer needed. Bakura heard the gunshot and was able to turn just enough so that the bullet nicked his shoulder instead of hitting his chest. He saw it exit his body out of the corner of his eye, and the slug bounced along the ground, blood sticking to it. Suddenly the pain hit him as if someone had just set his shoulder on fire and he had to force himself to keep both his hands on his gun as he fired back, the recoil causing his wound to open further. Behind the nearest police car, Bakura saw more police arriving. He was surrounded, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and definitely no way to escape without being noticed now. He wasn't entirely sure how many bullets he had left, surely not very many given how many times he'd fired.
How will I get out of this?
"Excuse me." The woman turned around to see Yami standing behind her, a Tonfa Blaster in each hand. She froze. "I need your car." He said, almost apologetically. "Just for a little while."
This was the strangest hijacking she had ever heard of. Despite having some type of weaponry pointed at her, the stranger looked rather friendly. He also looked familiar. You didn't forget hair like that."My-my car?"
"Yes, your car. Just give me the keys." He advanced, the Tonfa Blasters pointed threateningly at her.
She held them out and shrank back from the guns. Yami sighed with relief. The last thing he would have needed would have been a hard-headed chick with pepper spray or a gun of her own. He might have looked as if he knew what he was doing, but in reality Yami knew very little about firearms, especially the newly-marketed Tonfa Blasters, and the information Bakura had given him had been fairly useless. "Automatic" was what Bakura had said. "Like miniature machine guns", he'd said. The terms were lost on Yami, and he hadn't had time to ask for clarification.
Gratefully holstering the guns, Yami leapt inside, selected the key with the brand name of the car on it, (the most likely to be the correct key), and started the engine up. With a squeal of tires he backed out and took off down the road.
The woman turned with her cart and returned to the store. "I need to use your phone, my car's just been hijacked." She said to the manager, looking very puzzled. "Well…if you could actually call it a 'hijacking'."
Awright Bakura, I'm on my way. Yami gunned the engine down the highway, left the city limits, and parked the car some ways down a gravel road into the woods, taking the time to cover it with branches so it wasn't too conspicuous and wiping away some of the tracks; trekking on foot to the bunker. His heart was pounding with nervousness. Why am I so worried? Bakura's probably already here, he'll be waiting, he'll demand to know why I'm so late in that rude way of his…
"I'm here Bakura!" he announced, lifting the hatch and lowering himself into the dark hole, dropping it shut behind him and groping for a flashlight. Flicking it on, he located some candles and a lighter and lit a few of them for extra light. A tiny air vent, the sort that most bomb shelters had, was situated beside the hatch so he didn't have to worry about the smoke. "Bakura? It's just me, I'm here!" He walked into the second room, even though by now he knew that Bakura wasn't there.
Trying to calm his heart-now racing again-he sat down and checked his watch. It wasn't even nine o'clock yet. Bakura would be along soon, there was a long time till midnight, and he was probably just spending the time covering his tracks too. Yami yawned and rolled out one of the stored sleeping bags in the corner. A quick nap would do him good while he waited…probably Bakura would arrive before he even woke up. He fell asleep quickly, this thought calming him.
I'm officially screwed. Bakura thought, looking around warily. There were flashing blue and red lights coming from all directions, gun muzzles pointed at him from all angles, and only a few bullets of his own left. Adding to that the pain in his shoulder and his leg, and he thought they ought to write up his death certificate now.
If worst comes to worst, I'll shoot my own head off right here. He thought to himself. Anything's better than letting them shoot me, or going to jail.
"I offer you a last chance, surrender your firearm and raise your hands, now!" the nearest officer barked into his megaphone, not daring to come any closer. They were no fools, they knew the power that Bakura's gun was packing, and they did not know how many bullets he had remaining. "Surrender now, or we will shoot!"
Bakura lifted the Uzi and pointed the barrel at his own head. Not much else left…I'll go down in the history books if nothing else…and I did tell Yami that it might come to this.
The officers all seemed to start in surprise at his action. "Put the gun down!" the one on the megaphone shouted.
At least this'll all be over with.
Bakura's finger tightened against the trigger.
I'm sorry Yami, looks like I won't be able to help you out anymore. So you'd better shape up and stop doing such stupid things.
He saw Yami's face in his mind and sighed. I wonder if he'll miss me.
Bakura glanced to his right and saw, there, the door to a police car, half-open. He stared. It was too perfect, too set-up. The car wasn't running, but the key was in the ignition. The road in front of it was fairly clear, there was one car in front of it, but it could be driven around. The officer that had been driving it wasn't nearby, he had leapt out and forgotten to take the key, obviously a newbie. Though he'd tried to close the door, it hadn't shut all the way. Bakura's eyes narrowed. No fate, come on, don't do this to me.
He moved his eyes the slightest bit. No one was near it. The police all had their eyes on him, wondering if he was really going to shoot himself. His eyes returned to the car. He knew the moment he tried to run the police would fire and that could be the end right there. He could easily be killed just trying to open the door in time. He might not be able to get the car started, or maybe he wouldn't be able to squeeze around the police cruiser in front. It would be awfully risky to try to run.
He'd been telling himself the whole evening that he'd shoot himself before he'd let those other guys take him down. Death, all things considered, wouldn't be that big of a deal seeing that he'd be dead, after all, and wouldn't exactly have to worry about it. But now…one last chance…what was more important, his pride, or taking the risk that might, just might, let him escape and maybe see Yami again? His pride, of course that was more important than anything. His pride was all he had in the long run, and it was the reason he'd always kept moving on. But at the same time…there was something in his chest that wanted to see those deep purple eyes one more time. His head was telling him to go out in a blaze of glory by his own hand, but his heart was speaking up for the first time and saying something quite different, it wanted to take a chance for something else, something nameless, but more important than pride, more important than glory…
"Dammit Yami, you're going to owe me for this!" he shouted, getting to his feet and twirling around, letting loose with a final spray of bullets. The officers all fired back, an equally powerful return assault. The noise itself was deafening, but it didn't matter to Bakura, as he poured all his energy left into a final lunge toward the vehicle before him.
Yami awoke some time later with a start in the bunker. He wasn't entirely sure what had woken him up. Perhaps a dream, or maybe just nerves. Getting to his knees, he felt about for the flashlight and turned it on, shining it on his wristwatch.
12:46 am.
He shook his head and blinked, and looked closer. The time remained the same. Getting up, he looked around wildly. "Bakura? Bakura, are you here?" He didn't know why he bothered to call, he could feel the emptiness of the bunker in the air, he knew there was nobody else inside.
If I'm not there by midnight…then something's happened and I won't be coming…You've got to leave without me…
Bakura's final words echoed in his mind. Yami grit his teeth. No, Bakura's the best there is when it comes to guns. Maybe he's only owned the Uzi for a year, but he knows that gun like the back of his hand, it's practically a part of his body, there's no way the police could have out-shot him. But what else could have happened? He's so stubborn, if there was any way for him to get here, he'd be here. So where is he? He must be on his way, that's it, he's still on his way.
Yami drew his knees up to his chest, suddenly realizing how cold it was down inside the bomb shelter. Shivering, he stared blankly into the shadows around him, refusing to accept what seemed like the truth: that something had happened to Bakura and he would never appear no matter how much time passed. But Yami sat and waited, every minute gone by killing a few more of his hopes. Finally, at 2:00 in the morning, he gave up and wrapped his arms around his legs, leaning against the cool concrete wall, thinking sadly as he squeezed his eyes shut: He's not coming after all.
He knew that he ought to be making plans, if Bakura was gone then he was on his own now. He was still wanted by the police, and he couldn't remain in the bunker for too long. Once the car was found, it would be possible for search dogs to track his scent from the car to here. If he had enough money, he might have been able to get a plane ride to Egypt, he was pretty sure Mariku would help him out. After he'd gotten over his grudge, Mariku had turned out to be a friendly person and had also offered to help Yami if he ever needed. Of course, since all he had in the way of money was a mere 7000 yen, getting to Egypt would be a problem. And given that Japan was an island, he certainly couldn't just swim there. So he ought to have been going over his other choices for what to do.
But instead he remained, huddled against the wall in part disbelief and yes…even part anguish. He was really going to miss Bakura. Sure, so the white-haired thief was one of the rudest people he'd ever met and could be very irritating at times and maybe he walked a thin line between 'good' and 'bad', but there was another side to him, there had been a shy side, Yami'd only seen it emerge once or twice, but he could have sworn there was a kind part of Bakura that was trying-slowly, but still trying-to come out of where it had remained hidden for years. He'd come to really like that person…maybe more than he could comprehend. And now, trying to come to grips with the fact that Bakura was either in jail or dead, and that either way he would never see him again, it was next to impossible for him to do. After everything, after all they'd faced, and before he'd ever had a chance to explain to Bakura why he'd done what he'd done…this was how it ended? How stupid. It was a stupid ending and he hated it. Hiding his face in his knees, he angrily bit back tears, not sure whether to curse Bakura out for being such an idiot, World War II for being the reason the whole mess started, Iyoku Issei for turning Bakura into his assassin, or to find someone else to blame. As far as plans…they suddenly didn't matter. The idea of running alone for the rest of his life was a miserable one. He was starting to consider just getting up and turning himself into the police. Maybe he could plead insanity, Kami-sama knew that he'd been put through enough recently to make himself lose it.
And then, from someplace that sounded far away to his clogged senses, Yami heard the sound of clanking, and a loud, yet dull, thud.
"I thought…I told you to only stay down here till midnight! And look at you…crying like a little girl…What the hell's wrong now?"
Yami raised his head so fast it made him dizzy. By the light of the candles he saw Bakura, kneeling down on the floor, his clothes shining with a dark red liquid. The Uzi slid from his arm and clattered to theground as he leaned back against the wall with a sigh, clutching his left shoulder.
"Bakura…" Yami stared in disbelief for a moment then scrambled to his knees and practically launched himself across the floor toward him. "Bakura, where were you? It's 2:00 in the morning, you said you'd be here by midnight!"
"Something came up." Bakura replied, no trace of apology in his voice. "I didn't tell you to wait."
Yami, his emotions now bounding between worry, extreme anger and exhausting relief, found himself shouting,
"What the hell do you mean, something came up? Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? I thought you were dead! I thought maybe you'd been shot, or you went and killed yourself, or you'd been arrested! I thought I was never going to see you again, but you even have the decency to say a simple, "I'm sorry"? No, you have the gall to come in here and just tell me that SOMETHING CAME UP?"
"Geez man, take a pill, would you? You have no idea what I had to go through to get here!" Bakura shouted back. "I got shot in this same stupid shoulder, like, five times, I had to steal a police car, thank god I had the element of surprise or they'd have caught up with me in a second. I had to ditch the police car before they tracked it down and run, run in this condition, to a parking lot and break into and hotwire another car, I had to drive the thing, which was a piece of crap, through the woods to hide it, and then I had to walk two goddamn miles just to get here! It's a damn miracle I even made it! How dare you start getting on my case for being late?" he reached down to unsnap the brace on his leg and then looked up, scowling, "Besides, if it weren't for you, none of this would have happened!"
"OH, SO IT'S MY FAULT YOU GOT SHOT?" Yami's voice rose.
"DAMN RIGHT IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Bakura bellowed. "If you hadn't had to go and be some sort of action-movie vigilante and shoot that officer, I never would have had to come save your sorry ass!"
"Funny, I never remember asking you to come help me! And maybe I never should have bothered to try to save you and then you wouldn't have to worry about me or my sorry ass! MAYBE NEXT TIME I'LL JUST LET YOU GO TO JAIL IF THIS IS THE THANKS I GET!"
"FINE BY ME, AND NEXT TIME I'LL JUST LET YOU GET ARRESTED! It'd be a hell of a lot better than being shouted at for being a stupid two hours late! I never TOLD you to stay down here and wait for me! I told you to leave at midnight!"
"Well LA-DE-DA, IT'S ALL CRAP TO BAKURA, ISN'T IT? Just because you don't care about anyone except yourself, I guess you can't comprehend the fact that there are other people that worry about you! I don't suppose you know what it was like sitting down here alone, thinking you were DEAD?"
"Oh would you GIVE IT A REST ALREADY?" Bakura shouted, picking up the flashlight beside him with his good hand and throwing it at Yami. "Fine, I was late! I was shot, chased, and forced to walk for two freakin' miles with this blasted screwed up leg, and, GOD FORGIVE ME, I was late!"
"You just can't do something half-way, can you?" Yami yelled in return, ducking the flashlight. "Do you take some sort of perverse pleasure in getting into the most dangerous spots imaginable and scaring me out of my mind?"
"Yes, as a matter of a fact, I get all hot and excited just thinking about it!" Bakura snapped.
Yami shook his head in frustration, wanting to strangle Bakura, yet also now fighting off laughter at how pointless the fight had become. "Grrr…you're so impossible!"
"You're not exactly 'easy' yourself." Bakura put in, ever one to get the last word. They sat in silence for a moment, catching their breaths. Then: "So, are we going to stand here and yell and attract the attention of anyone in the country, or are you going to help me get my shoulder patched up?"
"You should die." Yami grumbled, but picked up the flashlight and went to locate a first aid kit anyway. If nothing else, the bunker was well stocked. "You've got an awful lot of energy for someone that got shot. How come that's all they hit?"
"Wasn't for lack of trying." Bakura explained. "I just kept turning and making them hit me in that place. Figured one big hole was probably better than a bunch of little ones. It wasn't too hard. I'm an erratic sort of person. It's incredibly hard to shoot a running person, you know."
"Are any of the bullets still in you?"
"How the hell am I supposed to know? I had better things to do than sit around examining to see if the stupid things came out or not."
"Well, let's just hope there's none and that no infection sets in. Hold out your arm." Yami commanded, brandishing the roll of gauze and a bottle of alcohol.
"I can't hold it up, it hurts!" Bakura complained.
"What did you expect?" Yami demanded. "Now stop whining and just hold your arm out for a second."
"No, it hurts! And it's going to hurt worse when you put that alcohol on it!"
"Don't give me that, now stop squirming-" Seeing as the thief was particularly weak, Yami quickly won the scuffle.
"Do we really have to do this in this position?" Bakura asked uncomfortably, wincing and scowling as Yami scrubbed out his wounds. He was practically sitting in Yami's lap. His shirt, which was formerly Yami's, was too destroyed to be of any help, and had been discarded to a corner of the bunker.
"Yes, you'll never hold still otherwise." Yami muttered through his hair. "And don't be doing this again, or I'll have a real heart attack and die next time and no one'll help you and you'll bleed to death."
"Sounds cheerful." Bakura made no hurry to get up as Yami taped the gauze in place, fashioned a make-shift sling for him from an extra length of it, and forced some antibiotics and painkillers down his throat.
Yami, though he too had made no attempt to move, finally asked, "So are you going to get up?"
"No, I'm in too much pain, I think I'll just stay right here." For good measure, Bakura leaned his full weight against Yami and moaned, "I'm too weak to get up."
"My leg's going to sleep."
"At least it doesn't hurt like mine does."
"Now it does, it's going all pins and needles."
"Tough."
"Don't you have any compassion?"
"Nope."
Yami was silent for a long time. "Then why did you run away to come find me? You could have avoided all this crap and just let me get arrested."
"No I couldn't. That would be sort of dumb, I mean, I went and became a murderer to protect you, so letting you get arrested sort of defeats my purpose. Besides, I was going to jail anyway."
"Oh, I see. A self-appointed duty, eh?"
"You could say that."
"Bakura…if you thought that I wouldn't be here, why did you try so hard to make it here?"
"Huh?"
"You told me to leave at midnight. Yet you fought so hard just to make it here to meet me, even after the deadline. Why? How'd you know I'd stay behind?"
"I just…I just had a feeling." Bakura replied quietly, looking stubbornly away. "That you'd…wait for me. I don't know. I just…knew that the chance was worth it. I just…wanted to see you again."
They sat in silence a bit longer. Then Bakura asked, to change the subject, "Any trouble getting here?"
"No, everything went well." Yami replied, using his thumbnail to flake bits of dried blood out of Bakura's hair. "I stole a car to get here, so until they find the car, they won't be able to track me. Boy, they shot you up good, didn't they? You've got blood all in your hair…ugh…"
"That would be an understatement. Well, it's good you didn't have any trouble. Then we can probably stay here till morning."
"Yeah, but longer than that'll be pushing it. And since I'm sure by tomorrow there'll be wanted posters up all over town, what do you suggest we do?"
Bakura shrugged. "First, tell me what's up with all this "we" stuff? You keep talking like we'll stay together.
Yami looked confused. "Well, aren't we going to be together?"
"I don't know."
Yami was starting to feel very worried. "Bakura, what are you trying to say? Why won't we be together? I assumed that we escaped together so we'd stick with each other. Is there something you're not telling me?"
"No, it's just…" Bakura shook his head. "Forget it."
"But-"
"Well, I'd say the first thing we should do is find a safer place to crash." Bakura began loudly, signaling a clear end to the discussion. "Maybe out of the country."
Yami blinked, puzzled, but decided to let the matter drop for a few moments. "Sounds like a plan. I was thinking, what if we went to Egypt? Mariku could probably help us out."
"That might be nice." Bakura mused. "I probably have enough money to get us plane tickets someplace, but we'll have to disguise ourselves really well, it would be difficult, and I've got no clothes now that aren't covered with blood…"
"You have money?" Yami asked.
"Yeah. I guess I ought to have explained. Issei paid me to be his assassin. I actually managed to earn a pretty nice amount near the end. He put it in a bank account under a fakeidentity for me, so I can use the funds in it, and usethat identity,without the police knowing. I think there's enough for plane tickets, maybe enough to set us up with a cheap place to live, but that would be it."
"Yes, you'd look awfully suspicious running around covered in blood. Tomorrow I'm going to have to go out and buy us some clothes to disguise ourselves. I figure my apartment will probably be surrounded. I've got enough money for a fewclothes. Then we'll see about the plane."
"Guess you're right. Go buy some more first aid stuff too, I'll give you my ATM number.We won't be able to visit any hospitals and risk registering our names."
Seeing that Bakura was now using "we" as well, Yami began to relax again. Maybe that comment about not staying together had just been a mistake on Bakura's part. "Well, being fugitives never came easy. But I like your plan. Can't see how we'll be able to get on the plane though, even if you bought the tickets with a fake name. There'll be police at allthe airports by tomorrow, and we can't afford expensive disguises.Maybe we should try hiding in the country someplace for awhile. I bet our friends would help us out, but it would be dangerous to contact them, so we shouldn't unless it's an emergency. Phone calls can be traced. But if we stay here, we can save our money."
"We'll think of something." Bakura replied. "I'm sure of it."
"You sound awfully optimistic." Yami noted, surprised.
"Well, when you come right down to it, is there anyplace for us to go but up right now? Tell me, what is there left that could be worse? We're wanted by the police, the rest of our lives will be spent running or hiding, we don't have much money…when you come down to it, we've got nothing left…just a step above being dead…maybe a step below, since when you're dead, you don't have problems like these." Bakura became distracted. "Check it out, I bet these potato chips are still good." He stood up and limped over to retrieve a bag off the self. "Not even opened yet." He said in satisfaction, pulling it open and plopping back onto Yami's lap. "Still crunchy even. Want some?"
"But we're together." Yami said. "Doesn't that count for anything? We could be alone. But we're not. We have each other, right? We've got that left."
Bakura said nothing to that at first as he crunched chips. Then, very quietly: "I guess you're right."
"Hey, you were the one that said you'd done everything because you loved me." Yami said with a smile as he grabbed a handful of chips over Bakura's shoulder.
"'Love' is a very flexible word." Bakura defended snappishly. "Don't read so much into it."
"I dunno, that day in the hospital you sure weren't acting flexible about it. I think you meant it. I mean really meant it."
"What's the big deal if I did? Am I not allowed to love someone?" Bakura demanded. "Are you all freaked out because I'm a guy too?"
"No, of course you're allowed. And don't take me for a backwoods redneck, I don't care if we're both guys. Love is love. I'm just glad."
"Glad?"
"Glad that it was true." Yami replied. "Because that makes things much easier on me. Let's face it, it's always easier to say something if someone else says it first."
"And what are you saying, exactly?" Bakura asked, shifting himself around to face Yami.
"I'm saying what I didn't get a chance to say before. The reason I did all that stuff you asked me about. Helped you out, gave you a second chance, didn't turn you in to the police…it's because as crazy as it sounds, and as unexplainable as it is, I love you too, Bakura. I'm sorry it's taken this long to tell you, but…I never had a chance to before."
Bakura blinked. "You-you do?"
Yami nodded. "Why else did I stick by you? Why do you think I'm here right now?"
Bakura glanced down at his feet. "I dunno, maybe because you're just an overly nice person or something. I always thought you hated me, because I failed. Because I couldn't change. I never figured out how to become a good person."
"Bakura…"
"Don't deny it Yami, you and I used to be mortal enemies. I tried to kill you! I don't know why you decided to give me another chance, maybe you felt sorry for me or something, it really doesn't matter. And as for changing…well, I told you, I just never figured it out…"
"Bakura, there's no way to 'figure out' how to become a good person." Yami replied, smiling. "It just happens, and whether you believe it or not, I think you've become one. I think you've always been one, and you've just been…off-track."
"Don't lie."
"I'm not lying! I mean it. A truly bad person has nothing to live for and nothing to care about. You said that you did. You said that you had me. If you were a bad person, you would have let me die when I was poisoned, but instead you not only saved me, you also saved the world from witnessing what might have become a terrible war, and you also saved a lot of people over in America from being fried by that laser, even if it meant putting yourself at risk. That's true bravery, now tell me if a bad person would have done all that."
"I don't suppose one would. It's just that…oh, forget it."
"What? Tell me!"
"No, it's not a big deal."
"C'mon, tell me, please?"
"I said no, dammit! Arragh, you're the impossible one!" Bakura howled in protest. "You drive me insane!"
"That's funny, I thought you were always insane."
"Okay, dude, now that is the oldest joke in the book and it isn't funny."
"Whatever you say." Yami selected another potato chip. "So, back on topic, we need some kind of plan for what to do-"
"Yami…about that…I really don't know about us staying together."
Worried again, Yami defended quickly, "Well, you kept talking like we'd be together too, getting plane tickets and all-"
Bakura looked down at his feet. "Yeah, about that…see, I meant…plane tickets to separate places. I was thinking it might be best if we went our separate ways."
"What? Why?"
"It's just that…well, two people are easier to track than one, and also, this way we could never betray each other if we don't know where each other are, right? Besides, it'd be easier to travel alone, and you know, my crimes are worse than yours, and if you were caught with me, you'd get extra charges tacked on, so you'd be best by yourself-" Bakura was saying all this very fast.
"But, Bakura…you can't possibly go off by yourself with your leg being what it is and your shoulder all shot up. If you ever had to go out in public, you'd draw too much attention. If we were together, I could be the one that went out with a disguise while you stayed in hiding, at least until you healed. And what if you got hurt worse by yourself? With no one to help you, you could be in serious danger. I can't let that happen."
"I could manage just fine, I had worse injuries than this back in Egypt."
"Now you're being stubborn. Yes, you got hurt in Egypt, but it wasn't anything like this. Look at yourself! What if you get an infection? Even a simple cold could take you out right now if you didn't have help. Then again," he added, his voicelaced withirritation, "Idiots can't catch colds, so I guess you don't have anything to worry about in that department."
Bakura glanced at him and coolly raised an eyebrow.
Thoroughly annoyed by Bakura's emotionless reactions, Yami went on, "You need someone to take care of you, I don't care HOW do-it-yourself you are-"
"I don't need babysitting!" Bakura objected, his voice rising again. "Stop worrying about me and think about yourself for once. Concern for me got you into this mess, do you want to end up in deeper shit?"
Yami frowned. "Why is it I'm getting the feeling that's not the main reason why you want us to go separate ways?"
Bakura glanced around the room and stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth, shrugging.
Yami watched this, looking more and more suspicious. "Okay, now I know you're hiding something. Spill it Bakura, what's the real reason?"
"You wouldn't understand."
"How do you know I wouldn't understand? Bakura, stop holding back for once and just tell me what is bothering you so much. I love you and I know you care about me, so why are you suggesting we go on our own?"
"Because I think it's too late for love to do anything for us." Bakura finally muttered morosely. "I say I love you and you say you love me but Yami…it's too late."
"What do you mean, 'too late'?"
"Think about it Yami, just think about it…there's no such thing as love that lasts. It's all an illusion and it'll fade. Think about all the things I did to you. I know why you tried to hurt me, because I attacked you first, but there is still NO excuse for what I did to you and your friends. At one time you wanted to kill me, you hated me more than anything else. There is no way you can forget all that stuff, Yami. You say you love me, but…those memories are still going to be there in your mind. If you had it in your heart to hate me once, that hate is still there." He shook his head. "There's too much between us. We know too much about each other. Maybe if things had been different, if Akunadin had picked a different village to sacrifice, if a different person had been pharaoh, if something in our pasts was changed…maybe then we'd have a chance at some sort of relationship. But no way Yami, it's just too late. Love won't take us off the "Wanted" list. Love won't give us back the normal lives that we lost. That sappy myth about love being able to solve anything gets real old real fast. Give it a week and we'll be biting each other's heads off and trying to turn each other in to the police. It will just never work out. It's too late to change what's happened, you know it and I know it. So let's get some sleep, and go our separate ways tomorrow."
"You really think that?" Yami asked. "You really think it's too late?"
"Duh. I just told you what I thought."
"Bakura, I know we've had a weird past…to say the least. I know we were enemies, and that basically fate just pitted us against each other. But despite all of that, somehow we both ended up here, together."
"It's all a fluke or something. We're not meant to be together, Yami." Bakura snapped. "I told you. It doesn't matter if it's in three days or in thirty years, one day our past will come back to haunt us, and the hatred you always had for me will always be there. It'll never work out. It doesn't matter if we ended up here, it'll still never work out. Two people cannot live on love alone. It sounds real pretty and all, but it's not realistic."
"But I know why you did what you did, and it was nothing I could blame you for now. And anyway, you know the way you reacted was wrong, and you're sorry for what you've done-"
"What if I told you I wasn't sorry?" Bakura suddenly asked.
"Huh?"
"What if I told you I wasn't sorry for all the stuff I put you guys through?" He repeated. "What if I told you that if I could go back, I wouldn't change anything, I'd do it all over again. I'd put you guys through hell again if I could. Because that's how I felt about it. And all those people I killed for Issei? I don't have any remorse for them either. I don't have a heart Yami, I never did and never will, and even if I did have one, I wouldn't know what to do with it. Your saving my life and giving me a second chance doesn't mean I owe you, Yami. Like it or not, you didn't change me."
"I never expected you to owe me any-" Yami began, but not before Bakura cut him off.
"Nothing's changed. Nothing will change, because all of this cannot last. You know full well that under whatever you're saying now, you still remember all the terrible things I did to you. You just said you loved me. Can you still say it to me now that you know the truth?"
Yami said nothing, just glanced down toward the floor. Bakura rolled out of his lap onto the second sleeping bag and lay down, his back to Yami. "Think about it tonight. I'm going to sleep, and all things considered, I really think it would be best if you clear out. You can take the Tonfa Blasters if you want, they're upgraded and you might need some weapons. You'd do better on your own. Forget me, forget what I said about loving you, forget what you said about loving me, just forget all of this, and run for yourself."
"Bakura…"
He got no reply, and didn't bother to try to say anything else. Instead he got up, put away the food and first aid kit, and blew out the candles, plunging the bunker into darkness.
Maybe Bakura had a point.
When Bakura woke up, he couldn't think of much else besides the pain in his shoulder. It was only after he crawled over to the first aid kit to fetch a painkiller, poured himself some water out of the large tank, and returned to sit on the sleeping bag that he was able to think about the events of the night. The room was fairly well lit now that it was morning, he must not have closed the trap door properly the night before, as light was shining in around the edges. The good news, he supposed, was that the police weren't busting into the bunker, so they clearly hadn't found it yet. He'd hidden the car he'd stolen quite well so that no one could use search dogs to follow his scent from it, and it seemed that Yami had hidden his car just as well. Thinking of this reminded him of their conversation, and he glanced over to where Yami had put his sleeping bag.
That was when Bakura realized that Yami was gone. The sleeping bag was folded in a neat square, and Bakura's bloody shirt was folded just as neatly beside it, but there was no trace of Yami to be found. His shoes were gone, his jacket was gone, even the Tonfa Blasters were missing. There was a bucket turned upside down under the trap door, probably he'd used it as a step to hoist himself up.
He really…he really left. Bakura thought numbly. I can't believe it. Suddenly feeling dizzy, he put his good hand down to steady himself. His palm didn't hit the floor, however, instead it came to rest on the barrel of the Uzi. He lifted it in surprise. The night before, Bakura recalled having set it down, still spattered with blood, over by the door. But now it lay beside his sleeping bag, all clean and shiny again. A towel decorated with streaks of blood lay nearby. Yami must have cleaned it off at some point and moved it over beside him. Maybe this was hisidea of a farewell gift. Bakura blinked, somewhat sadly. Sure, he'd been serious the night before, but he hadn't actually expected to wake up and find that Yami had, for once, listened to him. And now that he had…Bakura wished he could take it all back.
Yami…I didn't really want you to leave… Bakura thought in despair, squeezing his eyes shut. I didn't think you'd really go…if I'd known you were really going to be such a smartass about it and take me at my word, I wouldn't have said those things! I'm sorry, I wish I could take it back, Yami. I wish you were still here…
Quite suddenly, he heard the sound of the trap door opening and falling shut, and then, like a dream, Yami's voice:
"Oh, you're awake! Good morning Bakura. Did you sleep well?"
Bakura's eyes shot open and he looked up to see Yami standing before him, wiping his hands on a handkerchief, the Tonfa Blasters around his waist, his missing shoes on his feet. He stowed the kerchief in his pocket and shrugged out of his jacket. "It's still pretty early. Kind of chilly out, actually. I'll be sure to buy you a jacket when I go to the store later." His eyes fell on the Uzi. "Oh, I cleaned the Uzi off for you too, did you notice? I know I probably didn't do as good a job as you would have, but I woke up early and was bored." He smiled. "It'll warm up more in an hour or so. You can go down to one of the beaches on the coast and wash that blood off. There probably won't be any people to see you. The police are likely looking for us in the city. There's a small stream nearby if you wanted to splash your face, but what you really need is a good bath." He observed Bakura for a moment. "How does your shoulder feel? And your leg? I know you did a lot of running last night."
Bakura was having a hard time making himself think. One minute he was sure Yami had left him and they'd never meet again, and now here Yami was after all, clearly in a good mood given his chattiness, not acting at all like a man with a broken heart who'd been running away. Why was he here? Had he changed his mind and come back?
"Yami…you're actually here." They were the only words he could come up with.
"Of course I'm here." Yami said, sounding puzzled. "I'm sorry if I woke you up when I went outside, I had to go to the bathroom. Issei apparently didn't get to finish the utilities on this place, but no matter." He kicked his shoes off and placed them side-by-side against the wall. "If you need to go out at all, be sure to put your boots on, there's some bur plants around here that would really hurt if you stepped on them." He warned as he unsnapped the holster belt. "Oh, and I took the Tonfa Blasters, in case I saw any police or anything and had to keep them quiet." He patted the weapons. "But I didn't, so no worries, it seems like we're still in the clear. I'll go shopping as soon as the stores open, and we can pack up whatever we need from here, and then go find ourselves a better hiding place. Further up in the mountains there are caves, those would be dry if it rained. I wonder though if they would be too obvious…"
"So-you were just outside. To use the bathroom." Bakura repeated.
"Yeah." Yami sounded even more puzzled and gave Bakura an odd look. "It's perfectly normal. You're acting very strange Bakura. Do you feel alright? Maybe I gave you too big a dose of antibiotics last night…"
"And that was all, I mean, you weren't…there was no other reason…" Bakura continued.
"No, I just had to-" Yami suddenly understood and grinned broadly. "You thought I'd left, didn't you?"
"No." Bakura said quickly, then hesitated. "Well-it might have crossed my mind…"
"That's why you looked so upset when I came back, you thought I'd really taken you at your word and left." He was almost laughing. "Gosh Bakura, don't give yourself so much credit! You really thought I was going to fall for all that "it's too late" stuff? You're so melodramatic."
Bakura looked down at the floor, very quiet now. Yami suddenly felt guilty and knelt down.
"Oh no…Bakura, I'm sorry-I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
Bakura shook his head wildly. "No, no, I mean, if you'd left, it wouldn't have bothered me-but-" He was clearly struggling to take everything in. "But-I just-I said those things to you-I thought-"
"Don't you worry about that. I'm not going to leave you."
"But what about what I said last night?"
"Yeah, I thought about that for awhile, like you told me to." Yami replied. Bakura fell silent and looked up at him. "And I thought of an answer."
"And that is…?"
"The answer is that now I know I can't leave."
"I don't understand."
"Look Bakura, if you can be that honest with me, then I want to be honest with you. And that's that I can't explain this anymore than you could. I can't explain why I feel the way I do, I can't explain why my feelings changed. I never gave you a second thought until you disappeared, and suddenly…everything was different. But…if you didn't really love me, or if you really hadn't changed, you would have lied. You would have told me something else. But you told me the truth. The truth is all I want, and you gave it to me. And because of that…I know you really care about me."
Bakura wasn't sure he understood the logic, but something else was bothering him more anyway. "…But the way I feel doesn't matter, Yami. I told you, it won't work out."
"Yes it does. Because I love you no matter what stupid things you've done." Impulsively, he reached out and embraced Bakura, bandages, blood-encrusted hair, and all. "And you can't talk your way out of it. I'm here, and I'm going to stay here. I think we'll make a great team if we work together. I think we can make it. We can stay in hiding, we can find a way to disappear, and our past isn't going to ruin what we've spent so much time protecting. You've got a heart, Bakura. I know you do, and you have a future. I want to share that future with you. And your heart too, if you'll let me."
Bakura slowly raised his head to eye level with Yami. "You mean it?"
"You think I'd say it if I didn't?"
"I don't know, this is all just too weird-"
Bakura cut himself off as he realized just how close Yami's eyes suddenly seemed. For the first time, he was able to study those irises up close and it wasn't till this moment that he realized there were flecks of pink and red and even a little bit of blue buried inside the purple. He vaguely wondered why Yami's eyes were so close when he remembered that he'd been sitting on the floor and Yami had knelt down to hug him. It made sense their faces would be close together. Or maybe it was his imagination. Quite suddenly his mind wasn't working anyway, it seemed to have frozen up without warning, and he couldn't think logically.
And in the middle of all that, as if his mind wasn't muddled up enough, Yami chose to kiss him.
Bakura's first instinct was to jerk away with a startled, "Eh?", but before he could he realized that those emotions he'd been having were back, and that was when he discovered he was enjoying the moment. Everything was silent around him, and peaceful too; his pain was far away, and his nagging worries had vanished. He'd never have guessed that being kissed felt this nice. And, oddly enough, he felt a red blushing spread over his nose and cheeks when he thought of it.
"Yami…I-"
Yami had a gentle sort of look about his face, and although he felt incredibly shocked by his daring, it looked like the chance had been worth it. "Is this enough proof for you? I don't care how many police are after us, I don't care how much danger we're in, I'm not going to let you run on your own anymore."
Bakura could think of nothing, absolutely nothing to say to that. Perhaps it was still the shock of being kissed, but for some reason everything he'd been thinking about was all blurred together in his mind and he wasn't entirely sure he could think of a coherent sentence. He wasn't sure he wanted to think of a coherent sentence. Or what he would say if he did. Should he say thank you? I'm sorry? Make up some type of cynical insult to avoid saying anything dumb? He couldn't think of a single thing. But when he heard Yami's words, it didn't matter, because suddenly-without even thinking-he smiled.
Yami could hardly believe it. He had never seen Bakura smile like this before. It wasn't a sneer or a smirk or even his trademark evil grin. It was a real smile, the sort a person doesn't even have to think about to create. The sort that reaches even into the deepest depths of someone's eyes and lights them up, makes them sparkle even. It felt even stranger to Bakura. But instead of rejecting the new feeling, he welcomed it. It was like he'd found something he'd lost; something that he'd used to cherish a long time ago but had never regained until now, hadn't even realized he was missing till this moment.
Without having to say anything, they embraced again and met in another kiss. The room was silent, but it wasn't eerie at all. The silence was welcome too. They didn't need any words.
Even though Issei hadn't been able to finish the utilities on the bunker, (Yami was quick to point out a lack of trash disposal as well), it had its good points. It was stocked well with all the sorts of supplies that two run-away convicts would need. So that afternoon while Bakura and Yami rested, (Bakura had just returned from sneaking to a beach to wash the blood off, and the latter had simultaneously snuck into town in a make-shift disguise to buy clothes and various medical supplies), Bakura made a proposal.
"You know, instead of staying in Japan just long enough to find a way to leave, maybe we should stay in the country after all. The police probably won't expect us to hang around. We could just go find a nice, lesser populated prefecture, out in farm country or the mountains or something, and build ourselves someplace to live out there. We could see about making some alternate identities, and maybe eventually could contact your friends for some help. It would be nice, no one around to bug me…"
"You think so?"
"It's an idea. Not all of this country is cities, I'm sure there's a small town someplace that'd welcome us in without asking too many questions. Maybe down south, it'd be warmer down there too. We'd have to disguise ourselves and make up fake names and stuff, but with some luck and some sneakiness, of which I have enough for both of us, we could make it."
"It sounds nice." Yami mused. "That sounds peaceful. I like it. Besides, that sure beats trying to leave the country without getting caught." He smiled. "You sure have some peaceful ideals for a sociopath."
"Would you stop it with the sociopath jabs?" Bakura demanded. "I'm just trying to be productive here."
"I'm sorry. But really, I like your idea."
"Serious?"
"Of course. If I hated it, I would have said so. Just because you're my boyfriend, that doesn't mean I have to lie. If your plan sucks, I'll tell you. We aren't in the position to have shitty plans right now, in case you haven't noticed."
"Boyfriend?" Bakura asked.
Yami raised an eyebrow. "Do you not like that word? Would you prefer something else more endearing? That isn't like you."
"No, no…I like it." Bakura replied quickly.
Yami gave him an odd look, but continued anyway, "Well, I think your plan's a good one. We should certainly try it first. As long as you haven't changed your mind again, and aren't going to start on with trying to convince me to leave." Daringly, he put his arm around Bakura's good shoulder and added, "Because you ought to know by now that it won't work."
Bakura leaned into Yami's side with a grin. "Not a problem here. Besides, I've got the Uzi if you decide to become a pain."
"I've got the Tonfa Blasters."
"Don't make me laugh, I could so out-shoot you."
"Except that you're out of bullets."
"I could call Jared and fix that! I don't suppose gun shops sell to wanted felons…but I bet Jar would order me some. Besides, you couldn't aim those Blasters to save your life." He added haughtily.
"Then maybe you ought to teach me. I like them. We could practice out in the mountains. If we're going to be on the run, I'd better know how something about guns. And you can explain to me what 'automatic' means."
"Really?" Bakura brightened at the idea of a student. "Hey, that's great, I think I've been a good influence on you."
Yami looked uncertain. "Either that, or a horrible one…"
"Don't be starting that again…!"
As they teased each other it occurred to Bakura that, despite the fact that he was running from the police and would spend the rest of his life this way, that somehow it didn't matter so much. He just had the feeling that somehow, someway, they could make it. Sure, he was a bit leery about how strange it was, a small part of his mind still wondered if a relationship between two mortal enemies was possible. But he brushed aside the doubts this time. The future seemed so irrelevant. All that mattered now was living for the day, the week at the most. There was no time for panicking.
And he realized something now that he'd never considered before, but was the answer to a question hehad often wondered about.How he couldlook over to his side and see Yami sitting there with him, and how when Yami smiled he would find himself smiling back, and how much less things hurt when he had someone to comfort him…that he'd really found something more important than pride and more important than glory, that he'd found love and it felt unlike anything he could ever remember…
Maybe, just being able to feel all this and being able to finally return those feelings; maybe this was the true purpose of having a heart.
The End
Author's Notes:
7000 yen is about 66 dollars. Not nearly enough to live on. Those guys need to think of a plan to make some money. But Bakura does have his bank account…there is that.
Where the hell I got 'Mariku' from: I often use 'Mariku' for light Marik's name, since that's how his name, (in katakana anyway), is spelled in the manga, plus that's how my friend Hezaa-kun spells it, and I learned the Japanese terms from her. Basically, it's just my way of differentiating between him and the evil guy. In this case, Yami was talking about the good one.
"Idiots can't catch colds"- Obviously Yami was using the moment to call Bakura an idiot, and I add that Yami had every right to do so, but also there's a Japanese saying that idiots don't catch colds, and since this is set in Japan, it seemed appropriate. Thank the Gravitation DVDs and the linear notes for this bit of info!
I'd also like to make note of something that the fic was leading up to. Recall how throughout the fic, Bakura continuously insisted that Yami was not his 'boyfriend'? The reason for this was revealed here. He said such things because, however much he loved Yami, he never dreamed a relationship would work out for them, and so therefore Yami could never be his 'boyfriend'. His crush maybe, but nothing more. That's why he'd get upset if someone said 'boyfriend'. But, now that his fears have been cleared up, and that Yami has accepted him and loves him just as he is…well, Bakura doesn't have that aversion anymore. You probably picked up his change of heart, (pun intended), about the word, but I wanted to explain why, here.
Enough of the technical stuff. Kyaaaaaaaa! I can't believe this is the end of the fic! Twenty-three chapters. This is the longest fic I have ever written, and it underwent a lot of changing. The original was sorta like a tragedy, (Bakura died to save Yami); the second had too happy of an ending, (it was too typical, it ended in the hospital like my last three fics did, I wasn't going to use the same ending AGAIN.), and this is the final product…I think it's the best of the three. Although, 'tis true, I enjoy a good tragedy. But this fic went through too much to just kill off Bakura and possibly Yami too, (I thought about him committing suicide after Bakura died…but that was just too brutal), at the end. That'd have been sorta pointless. 'Worst Ending' Hall of Fame and such, since it wasn't even leading up to that and no one wanted to see them die.
I was thinking of trying to find a way to make this go on and on…maybe detail Yami and Bakura's subsequent adventures on their journey to find a safe place to live, and they would have had to leave each other for some reason of course, for the angst factor, and then some other stuff would have happened and they would have ended up finding each other again, (of course), and then something else could happen…there'd be lots of twist ideas, I was toying with all sorts of things…so yeah, it could have been made longer, much longer. I was truly, truly tempted. If this was to go on and on though, I'd need to bring in a new villain to keep the mystery element. (Which, I had an idea for, to my credit.) Either that, or make a war start after all, but I don't know how to write for the Japanese military, (or any military for that matter, though I might be able to employ my friend Chris-chan on the matter, as he is studying for the Navy…), and I didn't want to blunder it up. And anyway, I'm really not sure if you guys could take much more of Bakura and Yami, cute as they are. Maybe a sequel someday. There's a serious lack of decent, ('decent' meaning an sl BESIDES them just having sex in every chapter), Darkshipping fics at this site, so I'd like to bring this couple back and give them another fic all to themselves one day. And this ended at a place that could easily be expanded upon, so hey, a sequel is very likely, someplace in the future.
ANYWAY, I hope you liked the end, as well as the fic in general and all its good and bad times. It garnered less reviews that I'd expected, given its length, but I think that's because Bakura-Yami is a very uncommon pair, and with few supporters. But it's quality of reviewers and reviews that counts, not quantity. As long as those that did read this enjoyed it, that's all I need to be happy. This was the usual overly-long last chapter. :niko: Gotta love 'em. It's a little bit different than other last chapters…others I tend to tie up all the loose ends nice and pretty because Kami-sama knows how annoying it is when you've got hanging sls. But this one I purposely left a bit open-ended, because for one thing, it's a mystery, and everyone knows good mysteries should end with some of the mystery still left. For another reason, it's merely more fun. It leaves an unknown, wild future open for Bakura and Yami, and I didn't want to chain them back in any way.
So yeah, it's been fun. I like the way this ended. It came out better than I'd hoped for, to be honest, so I'm hoping that you've all enjoyed it, and that you liked it. :smile: Awrighty, send me the final reviews!
And, on the subject of them, here are the last replies of the fic:
Fear of Falling: Eeek…indeed, where did I come up with all that sickening ramble? You don't really want to know. xD Aw, but sickening ramble IS rather fun…Oh, and thanks for reviewing Road Trip for me! O.o no way! xD Now you can read Chain Letter II and see it in a whole new light. I've got an updated copy of Road Trip that I'm planning to post, maybe today if there's time, so if you'd like to read it as well…yeah, it'll be there too. Uzis RULE! I'm glad you liked my review for Constants. I know how the plot bunny bites…always in the middle of the night. ALWAYS. Or else in a place when one's computer is inaccessible. 'Tis insane. But really, I think you've got mad skills going on with that. Awwww…I feel special now! Thanks!
Hershey-Kiss: O.o Sounds…colourful. At least that's mildly interesting, though I doubt the sprained ankle is really much fun. Ah, Series 0! You got it? Yeah, it's very cool indeed…I based Reia loosely on the nurse Miyuki from episode 16, actually. I'm glad you liked her…she was one of my lucky OCs. She didn't die! xD Bakura wearing Yami's pants is fairly amusing…especially since they would probably be too short, which provokes a very amusing mental image, actually. It'd make a good fanart, or perhaps a doujinshi. Yeah, that, or an AC/DC shirt. This kid at school has one that'd fit him perfectly. Bakura would do well in an AC/DC shirt. Any sort of heavy metal, really.
You Know Us: Yeah, Bakura was getting fairly bored in there…he's having much more fun now, I'm sure. xD No longer need I fear Michelle-chan coming after me, because Yami and Bakura are safe, (in a general sense of the word), and are together, so she's happy, yes? And you too, yes? Good! Yami…steal a car? Yeah, and at gunpoint too! I always knew he was crafty…sneaky lil' bugger…maybe Bakura is corrupting him. Tsk tsk. Love makes us all crazy. Now PLEASE tell me Michelle isn't going to get jealous of Bakura since he got the kiss. Then again…she doesn't have a crush on Yami, so that really shouldn't be a problem…right? Besides…Bakura deserved to at least get a kiss after all that. I mean really.
I hope you all have a great summer, and to see you the next fic around! I don't have one actually planned yet, but I'm sure eventually I'll come up with something and I'll get it posted. For now I might just concentrate on the Family Reunion remake. (It's a YugixYami, or as they call it, a "Puzzleshipping", fic.) Since it's already written, all I have to do is change the parts I want changed, and then repost it. Plus, it's only eight chapters long. It'd be like a little side project while I considered the next major project. As an added bonus, I'm in the mood to write something for those two. But you never know. I'm more in the mood to write like, a thirty-chapter long, angst-romance fic, soap-opera style, (ei: throwing every possible hardship into the mix), for them. But I've also got a few people prodding me to write the final installment of the UCL-BCD series and to bring back Sorcha and Shane, someone else that wants to see a fic that involves all the charrahs, a third person looking for another humour fic of some type, and I've had various other requests for certain pairings or main characters. To my credit, I have written out summaries for each of these ideas, and they are under review, waiting for inspiration to strike. Or, maybe I'll be lazy and write another songfic, those are always fun. Or maybe I'll be really lazy and take the summer off. xD Anyhoo, whatever it ends up being, I hope this fic won't be the last time I hear from you all. :smile:
Anyway everyone, once again; have a great summer, stay safe and I'll see you around!
Mata!
Chey (Fated-Shadows)
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The Purpose of a Heart Thanks:
Takahashi Kazuki: Without him, we wouldn't have Yugioh! And besides, he's nice enough to let fanwriters do unspeakable things to his charrahs, and twist up their personalities. (I'm so guilty of this…) I mean, some authors specifically request that their charrahs not be used in fanwriting. Takahashi-sama was nice enough not to do that.
Carl Hiaasen, Maki Murakami, Yozaburo Kanari and Fumiya Sato: The masters of mystery, satire, crazy characters, and all-around mayhem. If I ever become half as good a writer as any of them, I'd be forever happy. A little bit of each of their style snuck into this story as it was getting on with, and they also have inspired a few of my characters. Among them: Blair was created from Pedro Luz from Hiaasen, Louis is a combination of a Murakami and Kanari-Sato-like character, (he reminds me a bit of Shuichi, actually…), Bakura's personality is much like K's from Murakami, (I ADORE K!), the name of "Issei" was inspired by Himuro Issei from Sato-Kanari, the scene where Bakura has to sit in Yami's lap so that Yami can patch him up is adapted from a scene in Gravitation where Shuichi had to sit in a similarly embarrassing position, the laser idea was also inspired by Murakami when K blew up the N-G building with one…(now THAT was freakin' cool…)
Hiro Mashima: He was the original creator of the Tonfa Blaster as I know it. Well, anyway, I got the idea for the handheld firearms from him. They're sleek, simple, and very Bakura-esque. I even designed my own brand and style of Tonfa Blasters especially for this fic. I made them a cute little logo and everything. :niko: I suggest reading his manga, "Rave Master", as it is really funny and sweet and everything in-between the two. Watch the anime too! 'Tis very good. Keep an eye out for Elie, cause she'll be the one carrying the Tonfas.
And of course, most of all, everyone that ever reviewed! The loyal fans that followed this fic through are what kept it alive and going. You guys are the best. :watery shoujo eyes: I love you all!