Originally planned for Season 8.5, Tier 4 of the YGO Fanfiction Contest, but got swapped out for something a little less time-intensive—over a year later it's finally completed xD; The Challenge pairing was Wallshipping: Shizuka x Rishid, with hints of Cheer and Ardent. Takes place during Battle City, with the events of canon altered in one particular way.
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Bright Like Juliet
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"There's iron, they say, in all our blood,
And a grain or two perhaps is good;
But his, he makes me harshly feel,
Has got a little too much of steel."
-Chapter 11, First Impressions, North & South
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ACT I
The hospital was busy; at midday the number of visitors and the wishes of the patients were so great that no one paid any attention to the man walking down the hallway. It wasn't that he blended in, it was rather the opposite—Rishid was tall, and his expression was not one that invited any sort of friendly discussion. He had been given an order, and even though he had left his dark cape behind, the words were always in his mind.
"A true defeat means that we take the most important things from our opponents. For Yugi, that means his friends. I have a plan to test that friendship, and I'm sending you to accomplish a similar end. What these fools won't sacrifice for the sake of a friend," Marik sneered, the Millennium Rod in his hand glowing brightly.
The deception would be easy enough. Rishid sought out the particular room, marked simply by a name on a printed card beside the door. She had undergone the operation only the previous day—it would be some time before her bandages could come off safely. There was no danger of her recognizing his face.
The girl on the bed turned her head towards the door as Rishid opened it. "I'm a friend of your brother's," he said. "My name is Hiroto Honda."
The cautious smile on her face widened into something more enthusiastic. "You know my brother?"
He nodded, the grunted "Yes" following a second later.
"Come in! Thank you for visiting me, with everything so busy. Jounouchi told me yesterday how his strongest card was taken by one of the Rare Hunters, but I still believe in him," she said as he came into the room, taking a seat in the chair beside her bed. There was a glass of water on the table beside the bed—none of the personal items, flowers or stuffed animals he was expecting. "What do you think?"
"I think your brother duels best when the odds are stacked against him," Rishid replied, giving an honest answer despite himself. There was more he could say—that compared to the rare cards Rishid himself had access to, it was nearly impossible for Jounouchi to have done so much with such a weak deck. "I've never known someone so lucky in dueling."
"Just lucky?" A flash of sisterly pride roused her into action. "He duels for his friends and family. That's honorable."
"Then also lucky in his friends." Rishid frowned, unused to being challenged so flippantly, let alone being laughed at. Shizuka was giggling, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry! You just sound so serious. I can't help it." She leaned back against the pillows, sighing. "Do you have any siblings, Honda?"
He was quiet for a moment. "I do. A younger sister and brother."
"Then you must know all about what drives Jounouchi. No wonder you're such good friends."
"I do think I understand him…not like you do," he paused, "but as a brother, we're more alike than you'd think. I'd do anything for my brother." It surprised him to be talking so much, but she seemed to understand him, nodding and smiling encouragingly at the mention of his brother. He'd said more in this single conversation than in the entire time he'd been in Domino. She seemed quite happy to have someone to talk to.
"Have you had many visitors?"
She sighed, straightening the sleeve of her shirt. "Just my brother yesterday, and my mother—she's working now, and I'm not expecting him to come all this way again when he still has so many more duels to win. He knows I'm supporting him from here."
"I can come back tomorrow, and we can watch your brother duel. I can be your eyes for now, and tell you how he's doing."
"You'd do that? You're so kind!" Shizuka smiled at him. It felt selfish to admit that it was a little boring, stuck here when Jounouchi and Yugi had such exciting matches ahead of them. The stress and emotions leading up to her operation had left her drained and in need of some distraction. "I'm looking forward to it. Thank you, Honda."
Rishid left the room frowning; he hadn't minded Marik's order, especially when Marik was also planning a similar trick with her brother. It was just that hearing the name was jarring; it irritated him. He didn't like being reminded of his dishonesty, but there was nothing to be done about it. He'd suffered worse.
Rishid had won several matches that evening, his deck of rare cards easily defeating his opponents'. Marik required enough locator cards for the two of them to advance to the finals, and there were plenty of duelists to choose from.
Shizuka had started up at every new sound, every time the door to her room opened. She tried not to appear too disappointed at the nurses coming and going, bringing her lunch and taking it away. There was something about the surprise of the first visit and the anticipation of the second that made her feel quite important. She was worth the trouble—of course she was.
"Shizuka."
He secretly found her grin pretty funny; she couldn't quite disguise how pleased she was at his promised return. "Honda! You're late;" she said with an exaggerated pout, "too busy visiting someone else?"
Rishid didn't quite know how to respond to her, so he settled for opening up the computer he had bought and setting up to view the duel that had only just begun. "Jounouchi's opponent is Esper Roba—he's won his last two duels. Claims to be a psychic."
She caught the derision in his voice at the end. "You don't think it's possible? That he's a psychic like he says? Can he see into my brother's mind?"
The chair from yesterday was gone; at her suggestion and with nowhere else to sit he moved hesitatingly to the edge of the bed, Shizuka's legs swinging out to sit beside him, her bare feet tapping against the floor. The laptop rested on the bedside table.
"I'm not saying it's not possible," he said, his thoughts of Marik and the Rare Hunters. "Besides, it's not difficult to tell what your brother's thinking of."
"You're right," she said, her head tilting towards him as he spoke. "Most of the time you don't even have to guess, he'll just tell you what he's thinking." She felt the mattress shift, Rishid tensing beside her. "What's happening? You'd tell me if he's losing."
"It doesn't look good," he admitted, aware for the first time that she was dressed in a pajama set—light pink with a notched collar. He tried to shift farther down the bed when Shizuka reached down, her hand gripping his tightly.
"If he loses this duel, he's out of the tournament." She hardly seemed to be aware of what she was doing; her thoughts were entirely for her brother. "How is he doing now?"
"It's still the same turn."
"…Right." The turns of the duel directly matched Shizuka's mood, and how focused she was on Rishid's account of each moment. For a moment he considered exaggerating a little—seeing her support of Jounouchi in practice through the rough times struck him on a personal level, and he found a stinging sort of pleasure in how much of her attention was also focused on him. Beyond his own reasons for wanting Jounouchi to lose, comforting Shizuka versus celebrating with her—as Honda, but still—it appealed to him in some strange way.
"He's bet everything on this one move," Rishid said, keeping his voice calm and even. "It's a gamble—whether he wins or loses is up to chance."
"Oh, Jounouchi…" She always thought that it showed such a trust in his cards, to let things go down to chance the way he often did. There was nothing more to be done. Shizuka was certain her heart was hammering so loudly in her chest that they both could hear it.
"He's done it."
"Yes!" Shizuka's arms went up to punch the air, swinging wildly and accidentally clipping Rishid in the jaw. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I…I didn't see you—" Her hands searched again for his shoulders, then up to his jaw, gingerly touching the skin near the spot she had hit him just seconds before. "…Is it okay?"
He swallowed, his throat too dry to speak. Rishid stayed completely still as her hands traced one side of his jawline, then the other. She murmured, the outlines of a face beginning to match up to the voice. He wasn't quite what she expected.
Rishid had closed his eyes as her fingers skimmed the top of his left cheekbone, but when her right hand went up to mirror it he suddenly jerked away, all too aware that the scars on that part of his face were not something he wanted to explain to her. She drew her hand back immediately. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have anything to apologize for."
Closing the computer screen, he paused for a moment to look at her. Earlier he would not have hesitated to look inside her mind, to know for certain what she was thinking. Now he wanted to know more than ever, but he wouldn't be satisfied unless she told him herself.
ACT II
"You came back."
"You thought I wouldn't?" It was strange—Rishid didn't think he'd ever teased anyone before. Before Battle City he'd also never feigned support of his enemy or seen a woman in her pajamas. Shizuka's were a light blue today.
"I can trust in my friends too, you know," she replied playfully, but it didn't seem to draw out the reaction from him that she'd hoped for. "You just missed the doctor—he says that tomorrow I'll be able to remove my bandages."
"Then you'll be able to see your brother duel in the finals. He won his last match just earlier today."
"That's exactly the first thing I want to see," Shizuka said.
"So you're determined to go to the finals with your brother…Shizuka, it will be dangerous. The Rare Hunters are very strong, and if Yugi should lose—"
"What are you talking about?" She couldn't believe her ears. "Don't say things like that. I'll be fine. Besides, you'll be there. Right?"
"…Yes." Rishid had won his final locator cards that morning as well.
"See? You have nothing to be worried about."
"I think maybe I do." He rubbed at his temples. Tomorrow would be the start to a dangerous game—it would put all of them to the test.
Shizuka had drawn up her knees to her chest. "Is it really so dangerous? Jounouchi's only told me a little of Duelist Kingdom—but that was Yugi in danger at the end, not him—"
"It is not safe," Rishid said, moving across the room to her side. "Shizuka, your brother could die—"
"Then I'll die!" she answered fiercely, fired up from the hesitation that was so unlike what she had come to expect from him. "They would have to go through me to get to him."
The grim look on his face became an outright scowl. "I don't want to see you get hurt," he began, knowing as soon as he had said it; it was the wrong thing to say.
"Then stand with me. Honda, you're my friend—" he turned away at the sound of that other man's name— "and if it was your family, your brother, you wouldn't betray them. I know you wouldn't."
"You're right. I wouldn't." He wanted to look at her but seeing how she trusted him, trusted Honda, just irritated him; still, he continued to watch her, bitterly aware that she'd hate him soon enough and that it would be entirely his fault.
"Jounouchi was taken to a separate room. His friend and the younger Kaiba brother are locked inside the storage area."
"Pay him a visit, and with the power of my Millennium Rod he'll easily come to our side," Marik said, grinning confidently. Then the others would fall under his control. Rishid nodded and left quickly—his loyalty never for a moment in question. Rishid was the one person Marik would never have to control.
Jounouchi was tied to a chair, only just waking up as Rishid opened the door. Even with his hair in disarray and the makings of a bruise on his face from the fight earlier, Rishid could see the resemblance between the siblings. This was the first time they had met. Rishid wasn't impressed.
"What's the deal with this?" Jounouchi struggled against the rope, his voice loud.
"You'll learn what we have planned soon enough, now you are to keep quiet and do what you're told."
"Or what?" He continued to rock in his chair, looking Rishid in the eyes. "I know you're using me to get to Yugi, but he'll never let you win, and neither will I. You Rare Hunters think you're so tough—untie me from this chair and I'll show you what being tough is all about!"
Rishid could feel the power of the Millennium Item as Jounouchi's eyes started to drop. Lifeless and dark, there was no sign of the fight and spirit he had shown only moments before. His mission finished, Rishid turned to leave him alone once again, his mouth set in a thin line.
Shizuka waited patiently at the hospital, ready to go. She had spoken with Jounouchi for only a few moments that morning—he had borrowed a friend's phone, and made his message quickly—that several of his friends were meeting her at the hospital, and then they would go to Domino together. Someone had been injured, and they were rushing him up to the hospital to get his arm checked out first. She was hoping to meet her familiar friend once more, but was looking forward to meeting every friend of her brother's.
She heard their voices from the hallway before they even got to her door.
"See? That's the room, it says so right next to the door!"
"To these old eyes, every hallway looks the same—"
She counted three sets of footsteps as they all came into the room. "You must be Shizuka. I'm Yugi's grandfather. This is Hiroto Honda and Ryuuji Otogi, two of your brother's friends."
She caught the dissonance in their voices immediately as they introduced themselves. This wasn't the Hiroto Honda she recognized. "Otogi…Honda…?" She hesitated, one hand on the edge of the hospital bed. Her fingers curled and uncurled nervously. Was it some trick? Or was it something she imagined?
"Have we ever met before?"
"No." This was the impostor-Honda speaking now. "I asked Jounouchi about you, but he said he'd throttle me if he caught me alone with his sister."
That wasn't exactly encouraging, but it sounded like something her brother would say. She stuck out one hand towards him. "Nice to meet you, Honda." If their voices were different, their hands were even more so. Honda's was less broad, with callouses in different places.
Shizuka racked her brain, trying to think of everything Jounouchi had told her about his friends. She had nothing to test them with, and she was in no condition to run. "I'm going to stay behind and take care of Bakura," she heard the grandfather say. "You'll be in excellent hands."
"Come on," Honda said, picking up the duffel bag that she had packed. "Don't be nervous. The doctors said you can take the bandages off any time, right?"
She was nervous for an entirely different reason, but Shizuka left with them, trying her best to keep calm. She didn't have any other option and Rare Hunters or not, they would still lead her to her brother.
"Kill him… kill him…"
Immersed into Jounouchi's mind, Marik pulled back for a moment as Rishid came up to him. "Jounouchi's sister has arrived in Domino City," he said, keeping his voice even and calm. "I have several Rare Hunters following them."
"She will be another useful pawn to control," Marik answered, far more interested in the ongoing duel. "Go and bring her to me immediately."
"I just tried calling him and Anzu, but neither of them are picking up their phones," Honda said, shrugging apologetically. "We forgot to plan for a place to meet up."
"Typical," Otogi scoffed.
They had just gotten off the train into Domino. Shizuka had been distant towards them, playing off any nerves as something relating to her operation. Everything she had heard so far, from the way they both talked about her when they thought she couldn't hear, to the lack of planning a meeting place, only made her feel more uneasy. She wanted to see her brother.
"Let's keep going," Shizuka suggested—at the very least, she was happy to be back in Domino again. "Jounouchi has to be in Battle City somewhere, right?"
"Good idea. Lead the way, Honda!" Otogi followed behind at a leisurely pace. "I've only just come back to Domino myself. Have you ever heard of Dungeon Dice Monsters?"
The crowded train station faded away to only the occasional group of duelists; the buildings here were larger, mostly warehouses and various businesses. Just as Honda was reassuring them that they'd taken a shortcut, four men in dark hooded capes stepped out into the street.
"What do you Rare Hunters want with us?" Ryuuji challenged them, his fists up. "We don't have any rare cards."
"If you can hold them off, I'll take Shizuka and run," Honda said, one hand on Shizuka's arm. "There are too many of them. We can't fight them and protect her at the same time." At Ryuuji's slight nod they ran down a cross-street as Ryuuji headed towards the group of men.
They ducked into an alley, Shizuka following Honda as he pulled her along when suddenly, their connection broke. She froze, hearing someone tumbling to the ground—Honda had been pulled aside by another group of Hunters, and one had thrown him across the alley. Then, she felt another hand grip her shoulder, and before she could scream she had been pulled away from the fighting.
"Shizuka!"
She recognized that voice.
"Shizuka, I have to get you away from here—I can't let any of the other Hunters see me, or else he will too."
The hand on her shoulder became two, and she leaned into him, so relieved she could cry. "…Honda?" she asked tentatively, knowing the answer when she felt his body tense up. "But that's not right, is it? Who are you really?"
"My name is Rishid," he said. She wrestled away from him and he let her. "No matter what else you may hear me called, that is my name. I won't lie to you again."
"I don't understand." What an understatement; she was glad to be near him again, angry that he had lied to her, uncertain why he had found her in the middle of this fight. If the Rare Hunters were after them all, then they could also be after her brother. Jounouchi could be in more trouble than she was! "Rishid, tell me what's going on. Do you know anything about my brother?"
"The Rare Hunters have him. He's at the Domino Pier, but time is running out." He could clearly see in his mind the scene at the Pier just as clearly as he could predict the outcome. Only one of them was going to survive. "Shizuka, you will never forgive me."
"Stop! Don't move!"
Rishid looked at Honda and Otogi, the unshakeable mask giving way to show a hint of surprise. He had not thought they would manage to get away. They were each looking at him with a horrified expression. "Don't you dare touch her, you Rare Hunter creep!"
Shizuka lifted her face up towards him; he could feel her shoulders trembling underneath his hands. "Is that true?"
There was no sound of a pursuit; his comrades must have been sorely beaten. Rishid bent forwards a little to whisper into her ear. She could just barely hear the rustle of a cape as he moved. "Yes. I am a Rare Hunter."
"You betrayed me. You spent all that time, gaining my trust, and just as I—" Shizuka grew silent, and despite how much Rishid wanted her to continue talking, he knew his time was running out. Nearly every piece of his cobbled-together plan had failed.
"If I had told you to leave them and follow me, would you have gone?" His voice was quiet and resolute.
"I—I don't know." She had hesitated too long; she was afraid to say 'yes.'
"That's why."
He turned her around until her body faced Honda and Ryuuji. They were too far away to hear what she had said, and the hood of his cape obscured most of his face. The only one who could give him away in the days to come was standing right beside him. Slowly he lifted his hands up, letting go of Shizuka and then ran away, disappearing from view a moment later.
"He was outnumbered and he knew it; we trashed those other Rare Hunters," Honda said. As soon as they were alone they had ran to her and made sure she wasn't hurt. "Now we just need to find Jounouchi."
"The pier. That's where we need to go, and quickly." The alley rejoined a main city road, and Honda ran out to get the attention of a passing car—he recognized the driver, and the sportscar she was driving would definitely get them there as soon as possible. Mai Kujaku was a friend, and right now, it sounded like Jounouchi needed every friend he could get.
The sun was in her eyes. Shizuka blinked a few times, the skin around her eyes feeling fresh air for the first time in days. Around her, it was chaos—working quickly, the Kaiba brothers had managed to free Anzu, and it was the detonation of the explosives over the water that had prompted her to finally unwind the bandages and throw them into the air behind her. If she didn't have to work quickly herself, she would have stopped to admire just how beautiful the sunset was.
She saw her brother, swinging wildly on a chain across the pier, his own duel disk left on the dock behind him. "You idiot!" he screamed as he reached Yugi, scrabbling for a small metal key in a box at their feet. "How can I leave you here?" Both of them were crying.
"Y-You have to get your key too," Yugi answered, sliding the duel disk from his arm with an exhausted sigh. "Twenty seconds left."
"I'll think of something." Jounouchi was smiling as the anchor dropped, the connecting chains causing them both to slip into the sea. A moment later, Yugi's body breached the water's surface, gasping for air. Honda reached down to pull him out of the water.
"Jounouchi's key…" he pointed a dripping-wet hand to the key-box across the pier. "Somebody…"
Mokuba started up to run for it, but Shizuka had already gotten the key and before anyone else could react, she dived into the water. Jounouchi had been so brave—she had seen it—and she could be brave as well. As quickly as she could she unlocked the cuff around his ankle and pulled him up to the surface.
Jounouchi whipped his hair back, water droplets flying into the air as he coughed. Blinking the water out of his own eyes, he noticed for the first time just who had rescued him. "Shizuka!" Treading water, he wrapped his arms around her in the biggest hug he could manage. "How did you get here?" Under Marik's mind-control, he had been completely unaware of the world outside his duel.
"Honda, Ryuuji, and Mai brought me here," she answered, smiling as she studied her brother. She had been so worried—about her vision, about her safety, about her brother—and now, just being with him made her so happy she could barely believe it. Shizuka playfully splashed him a little. "You're lucky we found you in time."
ACT III
"By seizing the Millennium Puzzle and all three Egyptian God Cards, I will become the Pharaoh," Marik said, his posture confident and certain. "The former Pharaoh will take my place in the darkness forever. Rishid, this is where I need your help."
Rishid nodded curtly. The Battle City finalists were to be gathered at this stadium; the field lights were dim, giving them the perfect vantage point from their place in the stands. "You must hide your identity, and let everyone think that you are Marik. Everyone has been waiting for so long to meet you." There was lightness in his voice, as if he found something privately funny. "They already recognize me as Namu, and as their friend I can continue to gain their trust—even though our most recent gambit failed in that regard. Two players in the finals means that we won't fail again."
"Look… here they come." With a final grin, Marik got up from his seat and left Rishid to watch them alone. He saw his brother walk up to the group, Jounouchi and Anzu welcoming him in cheerfully as the friend they recognized. Rishid saw the owner of the Millennium Ring walk in only a minute later, his arm still bandaged. The two seemingly most improbable finalists already introduced meant it was his turn to make an appearance.
The group on the field was chatting away, interrogating Bakura about how he had managed to find time to duel with his injury. Modestly shrugging off the attention, he pointed across the field to the approaching figure. "It's the seventh finalist!"
Rishid took his time walking up to them, his dark cape billowing out in the air behind him. Deliberately, he pulled the fabric of his cloak aside, the replica Millennium Rod visible for only a moment, but that was all they needed to believe. His gaze drifted dispassionately from duelist to duelist, trying not to favor any one person in particular, before resting on Yugi.
"My name is Marik," he said as he presented his locator cards to the Kaiba Corporation employee who welcomed him into the finals of the tournament. He heard Anzu gasp, and it was with a little bit of satisfaction that he noticed Shizuka had reacted—eyes wide, lips moving to form the letters of his newest alias. She was staring at him intently, questioningly, as if she could attempt to see into his mind.
"I recognize you!" Jounouchi barged in front of his friends, glaring up at Rishid. "You were the one who captured and brainwashed me! You've got a line of people just waiting to take you down…"
"Jounouchi, calm down." Shizuka gently touched his arm, risking a glance up at Rishid herself. "You'll have your chance."
Rishid wondered mildly if his voice matched up to his face in her mind, but it hardly mattered now. She was angry, he could tell. Let her look at him. Above the green field of the stadium, a massive airship came into view, descending at the other end of the field. Seto Kaiba began walking towards it, looking extremely pleased with himself. "This is the true location of the Battle City finals!" The stadium lights flickered on, showcasing the airship's large KC logo.
Rishid walked towards the ship, the others following at a distance. As he boarded, his brother walking up behind him, he vaguely heard a set of voices, Shizuka's among them, attempting to talk their way on board without a tournament ID.
"I don't have one either, and I'm going," Mokuba said, cheerily waving them in. Kaiba sighed, doing his best to ignore the group as they made their way onto the airship. "This thing is huge! There's plenty of room for everyone."
The gangway was nearly empty as the final duelist made her way onboard. "Ishizu," Kaiba said, nodding curtly. "You're late. We were going to leave without you." A moment later, the ship was ready to fly, leaving the lights and buildings of Domino behind, exchanging them for thick clouds and the occasional star.
There was an observation lounge in the center of the blimp, with chairs and large windows on both sides. Jounouchi was looking out of one of the windows, and Shizuka joined him, an excited smile on her face to match his. They seemed to forget everything else as the airship sped through the sky, their breaths fogging the window as they leaned closer and closer. "I've said it a lot, but thank you," she whispered, "For bringing me here, and for the operation that made it possible to see it. This is like a dream."
"I couldn't have gotten anywhere without you to help me." Jounouchi wiped his face on his sleeve, sniffling a little in an exaggerated way. Shizuka grinned, pushing at his arm. She'd never known him to give any less than his best.
As Jounouchi went away to check out his room, she was alone for barely a minute before Honda came up to her, sensing an opportunity. "The view from here is so romantic, don't you think?"
Otogi was there in an instant, on her other side. He peered into the glass. "It's dark now. How can the view be romantic if you can't see anything?"
They continued to discuss it until Shizuka requested their opinion of the view on the opposite side of the blimp, finding a chair and a reprieve. She couldn't help it; she had been comparing Honda and Rishid ever since the day at the Pier, when she had thought them to be the same person. Without her eyes, her imagination had risen to make up the deficit, and while it may be arrogant to think she understood both of them after such a short time, it felt even sillier to admit that she preferred the company of the first. The real thing was a bit of a disappointment by comparison.
Shizuka had barely a moment to herself to go over everything that had happened to her recently. It was nothing, she supposed, to the stress the duelists were experiencing. What were her troubles when someone's life or the very world was on the line? There was more to figure out, of Rishid's plan, and how Shizuka herself fit into it—or disrupted it—and if anything she could learn could help her friends succeed, she was willing to seek out those answers for all of their sakes.
She was only just beginning her lunch the next day when Jounouchi came charging into the room, Anzu and the finalist he introduced as 'his friend Namu' close behind him. "They just announced the first match of the finals! Bakura and Yugi are going to start their duel any minute now…to tell you the truth, I'm a little worried about Bakura. He only just gotten out of the hospital, and now he's got to duel on the roof of the blimp! I'm just glad I don't have to duel him, that guy makes me nervous," Jounouchi said as he slid into the seat next to her.
"Is everyone going up to watch the duel?" Jounouchi nodded, stealing a sip of her drink. "I'll meet you all up there as soon as I'm done with lunch."
She waved them off, waiting until she had the room to herself again before getting up. If everyone was watching the duel, Shizuka figured that she would be free to seek out Rishid and talk to him without anyone noticing. Finishing the last of her food, she started for the corridor that housed each finalist's room, counting the numbers on each door. Rishid was the seventh finalist, and at the seventh door she paused before knocking twice, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one else was there.
Rishid opened the door a fraction; he had been expecting her to try something, but not to be so bold. "What do you want?"
"Let me in before anyone sees me!" He held the door open and she slipped inside, ducking underneath his arm. Every room on the blimp was identical save Kaiba's, she assumed—tidy and efficient. It amused her to see his cape hung up in the room's tiny closet.
"If you get caught I can just say I mind-controlled you," he said on a whim, feeling uncharacteristically awkward now that it was her who had come to visit him. He couldn't just leave his own room if he wanted to escape, the way he had done before at the hospital.
"Rishid…"
"Yes?"
"Not Marik." She crossed her arms, still trying to figure him out. She hadn't forgotten what he had told her the last time they had met.
He sighed; just thinking of each layer of deception was starting to make his head hurt. "Marik is my brother."
Rishid didn't want her pity and he didn't get it; she thought deeply about it for a moment before coming up towards him. They were an arms-length apart, and he didn't step away from her. "You are devoted to him."
He nodded, noticing how she studied the marks on his face. He wasn't ashamed of them, or self-conscious; they were important. It was one more way to show his devotion. Shizuka continued, "You would have them all hate you for a lie."
"Not all of them," he solemnly replied; then, slowly, "Do you hate me?"
"Not anymore." If he had promised not to lie to her then she should give him the same courtesy. "I hated you yesterday, I think." She tried to put a light spin on her words but it struck her that he was serious; that it mattered to him what she thought. "But if Marik hurts my brother I will never forgive you."
Shizuka didn't quite know what else to say. She had to trust in whatever kind of regard he had for her, that it would be enough to get through to him if necessary. She wasn't thinking about herself at all—only of her brother, the duelist, and of Yugi. She didn't have any rare cards; there was nothing Marik could want with her. Rishid knew, and thought of the hold his brother still had over Anzu. He worried that if Marik should try to control Shizuka, he would not be able to intervene. And if they should win and the world should end, she might choose him, willingly or to plead for her friend's sakes. It was exhausting, to worry so much over so many people. He didn't know how she did it.
"You should go," he forced himself to say, his thoughts starting to run away from him; "your friends will be missing you." He went to make sure the hallway outside the door was empty before motioning for her to pass. Shizuka brushed by him, her hand briefly touching his as she turned to close the door behind her. She left in search of a way to the rooftop platform. The duel must be past its initial stages by now.
As she stepped out of the safety of the alcove, joining her friends, Shizuka was struck by how unusually dark and windy it was outside. Despite the hour, heavy, roiling clouds surrounded them on all sides. It took determination just to be out there, let alone duel in such conditions.
"What's going on?" she asked, standing a little behind her brother.
"Yugi's in trouble,"Jounouchi answered, looking tense. "There's only one card that will save him." She didn't need to ask; the same words hovered on the edge of everyone's lips. The sky dragon.
The loud crackle of lightning made them all jump; the arena became so bright she had to look away. The dragon seemed to form out of the sky and clouds themselves, its body and massive tail wrapping around the airship. At first she thought that a thunderstorm was locked onto the arena, but it was the roar of the monster that they heard, again and again.
Shizuka had meant it when she told Rishid she wasn't afraid, but seeing this power frightened her. It overwhelmed even her wildest imaginations about the power of these cards. A small part of her thought that to face such a monster was to face their own death.
"There's nothing he can do, and Bakura knows it," Jounouchi said, punching the air. Just before he began his attack, Yugi paused—they all watched as Rishid made an appearance, standing alone on the other side of the arena.
"Marik," Yugi said, gritting his teeth. The dragon growled, flexing its claws menacingly.
"Think carefully before attacking with Slifer," he said, his cape flowing out in the strong winds, showing the golden Millennium Item at his side. "Bakura is now under the control of the Millennium Rod—I will release him from the control of the Spirit of the Ring." Rishid's eyes rested briefly on his brother, standing behind the rest of his supposed friends. A grin was on his face; he nodded slightly.
The air itself around Bakura seemed to change; the confident posture of the duelist gave way as Bakura fell to the ground, clutching the bandage wrapped around his injured arm. He seemed to hardly notice his surroundings, or even that he was a participant in a duel at all.
"Slifer's attack could do your friend real damage," Rishid said, the protests of the other side hardly registering to him. He keenly felt the power that they believed he had; he even enjoyed it a little. "It's up to you," he continued, allowing himself a small, victorious smirk. "Think about it."
"That's a cheap trick!" Jounouchi shouted as Rishid began to leave the arena. "You coward!"
Ahead of her Shizuka could hear the referee firmly insisting the duel continue. No one was allowed to go to Bakura and help him, and Yugi must continue or forfeit. Jounouchi and Honda kept trying to argue with the referee; even Kaiba urged Yugi to resume his attack. Across the stand, she saw Bakura's expression flicker, changing from pain and confusion to an almost serene, decisive smile.
They were all so distracted they hardly noticed Bakura standing up, the original swagger returning to his demeanor. He spread his arms out, inviting the attack. "Do it," he commanded Yugi, "I won't let my host die."
The sharp-toothed grin became laughter as he took the attack. The screech of the dragon was so loud and its attack so bright Shizuka had to look away. The dragon's form began to disappear, merging back into the sky and clouds. They ran to Bakura, and Shizuka followed them.
Jounouchi led the crowd right up to Kaiba's door, knocking with both fists and refusing to let up until Kaiba opened the door. Mokuba poked his head into view, a little flustered at the group crowding the hallway. "Bakura needs a doctor! You must land the blimp!" Jounouchi demanded, refusing to budge as Kaiba glared at him. Farther down the hallway, doors cracked open to watch—Rishid, Mai, and Yugi apparently had the same thoughts as to the disturbance in the hallway.
"It's his own fault," Kaiba said. "If he was so hurt he should not have left the hospital to come here. We don't have time for unscheduled stops—it's not possible."
"Show some compassion!"
Shizuka had pushed her way past Otogi and Honda to stand directly in front of Kaiba. "You must be able to help him! I know you can!"
"Listen to her!"
"Yeah!"
"Listen or I'll make you listen!" Jounouchi shouted, shaking his fists.
"Please help Bakura… there must be something you can do," Shizuka pleaded.
With a long-suffering sigh, Kaiba pressed a button on the intercom system built into the wall of his room. "Send a medical team to the finalist Bakura's room." To the group at his door, he said, "There is no need to land this airship—the medical staff on board is quite capable of treating your friend. Now leave me alone."
He shut the door in their faces. Ryuuji turned to Shizuka, boldly taking her hands and holding them up in his own. "I'm so impressed—you were able to get through to Kaiba. Jounouchi was getting nowhere."
"You're amazing," Honda said, before sheepishly looking away. Jounouchi stood behind them, a bewildered expression on his face.
Shizuka blushed, embarrassed. "I'm not so great," she said. The admiration and compliments only made her more aware of her own secrets and shortcomings. "I would have done the same for anyone here."
She suddenly looked up, past Ryuuji, and saw the doors still open along the corridor. Mai was still watching them all, and Rishid in the room beyond her. Shizuka's cheeks flushed red, painfully aware that Otogi was still holding her hands. She chanced another look at Rishid; he looked irritated, and closed the door to his own room a moment later.
"We have to find the Millennium Ring," Jounouchi reminded them, motioning for Honda and Otogi to follow him. "It's somewhere on this ship—you two need to help me look for it before the next round starts."
Shizuka was left alone once more. Each of the eight doors was closed, but then the farthest one opened—the door marked with a large number 8—and Shizuka saw that duelist for the first time. A woman in a long flowing dress beckoned Shizuka towards her. "Will you come in?"
Shizuka noticed the golden choker around her neck, the now-familiar stylized eye at its center. She followed her inside her room and closed the door behind them.
"My name is Ishizu Ishtar," she said after Shizuka introduced herself politely. "Under normal circumstances, I would not share information about my family to a stranger. But I know you are not a stranger to my brother."
Shizuka's eyes widened, understanding a little more of the intricate web that had been hidden from the other competitors. She searched Ishizu's expression, looking for some sign of approval or dislike, but found neither. They studied each other.
"They are both in danger—your brother and mine. I have entered the tournament to try and stop Marik, but I'm afraid that only the Pharaoh will be able to put an end to this. Every Millennium Item is present in this place," she continued, "and a horrible fate awaits the ones who succumb to the darkness that threatens us."
"I believe that Rishid will duel honorably," Shizuka said, speaking carefully, "but he also won't betray Marik. I don't know what to do."
"Go to him. You won't have another chance." Ishizu looked up, catching the time on a clock set into the wall by the door. "They will be announcing the next match soon."
"If you need anything… I'd like to help you," Shizuka trailed off, a shy smile on her face. Ishizu nodded at her as she left, the ship-wide intercom instructing the finalists to gather for the start of the next match.
ACT IV
The lottery machine spun, the lights of the model dragon flashing blue and white as the remaining numbers tumbled together inside the machine. Shizuka was just coming into the room when the first number flashed up onto the screen above them: 2, Katsuya Jounouchi. She waited with the others for the next number to be revealed.
"Number 7, Marik Ishtar!" Rishid tensed as his number was called, realizing that everyone was staring at him. They were all waiting to see what he would do, how Marik Ishtar would duel. He could only look grimly back at Jounouchi, who was already beginning to boast, fired up for his chance at last. Shizuka appeared stunned, unsure of what to do as the group started to disperse, Yugi and Jounouchi whispering intently to each other as they headed for the roof.
She caught up to Rishid in the stairwell just as he was about to step outside. "Please wait!" Taking the rest of the steps two at a time, Shizuka ran up to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind, her face brushing against his cloak.
"Be careful," she pleaded. "I'm worried about what could happen. Ishizu told me that people are only going to keep getting hurt. I don't want anyone else to get hurt."
He turned around, one eyebrow arched. "Ishizu is here?"
She could almost laugh at it; she knew something he didn't. "Just promise me you won't do anything dangerous." Rishid said nothing, but took her hand and squeezed it tightly.
Jounouchi and Rishid stood on opposing sides of the platform; the wind picked up around the airship, ruffling her brother's hair and throwing Rishid's hood back away from his face. "I'm gonna make you wish you never tried to mind-control me!" he shouted. "You may have rare cards, but my strategy will take you down!"
"Strategy?" Shizuka stood in the center of the crowd, her friends in a cluster to the side of the arena.
Honda shrugged. "With Jounouchi, you just don't ask."
"This is the first time you're here to cheer for him," Yugi said, happy to have so many of them here to support Jounouchi. Nobody there wanted Marik to win—Kaiba, he supposed, wanted to see the third Egyptian God Card in battle, but had no real stakes in the outcome of the match the way the rest of them did. "There's no way he'd lose. Jounouchi likes to talk tough, but he's taking this fight seriously, I can tell."
Yugi gasped as Rishid revealed the first of several trap cards he had set up, and one by one Jounouchi's monsters vanished, half of their total attack points deducted from his life points. It was a harsh blow—and Jounouchi had fallen right into the trap. "That's not only a result of a rare deck," Yugi continued, studying the field carefully, "trap cards bring a new twist into the game. They can make you afraid to play as you normally would, and if you're not careful, you could lose."
Jounouchi couldn't hide his frustration—his monster cards were the strongest part of his deck, and with the trap cards he was facing down, there was no choice but to play it safe. It wasn't like him, and he would have to attack eventually to have any hope of winning. He'd better lay a trap of his own.
Another turn gone, another barrage of traps. Jounouchi's life points were dangerously low, and he hadn't even managed to land any damage of his own! He gritted his teeth—even with his opponent playing fairly, he was just too strong.
"You can do it!" Shizuka shouted, seeing her brother's confidence starting to waver. "You taught me to be brave, and never give up, so I know you can still do it!"
"Yeah, you're right!" He drew a card from his deck, scoffing at his opponent a moment later. "Marik, I bet you never had anyone who cared for you like that."
Rishid hadn't been paying attention to Jounouchi, instead staring in surprise at the card he had just drawn into his hand. Inside his mind, Marik urged him to play the card—his card—and use it to win. Rishid continued to stare at the winged dragon, hesitating. The immense power in that card was never meant for him. The others on the rooftop were beginning to notice that something had changed.
"Why would you place that card in my deck?"
"What else will convince them all beyond any doubt? Don't be so hasty, it's only a copy—I'd never risk losing such a card, but it is an exact duplicate. The Rare Hunters tested the card, and it is powerful. Not everyone can control such power." Marik's voice continued on in Rishid's mind, laughing cruelly. "But I don't doubt you can do it."
"I will win this duel without taking that chance." Rishid directed his monster card, Selket, to eat Jounouchi's monsters, one by one. Unnoticed by each other, each side was trying to buy more time—Rishid to find a different way to finish the duel, Jounouchi to come up with any way to stop him.
One by one, Jounouchi watched his monsters fall. "Hey you," he said, gesturing to Rishid, "you know what? I won't ever forget how Marik controlled my mind, forcing me to face Yugi like a coward instead of battling himself."
"I'm battling you now," Rishid answered. "I'm beating you now."
"See, that's what I don't get." The wind picked up around the rooftop again and Jounouchi rubbed at his head, combing his hair back into place. "It's weird, but you don't feel like the same guy that took over my mind. You played a fair game—you're a true duelist. You're not Marik."
"Only the real Marik can wield the Millennium Rod," Rishid answered, making sure their attention was focused on the Item as he held it out in one hand. He moved to order his monster to attack, to finish off his opponent for good, when something made him stop.
"I beg you; let me finish this duel now. It's too dangerous to play that card."
"This is your chance to become a true tomb-keeper," Marik said to him, "by showing your command of that card. Summon it now."
Rishid raised the replica Millennium Rod into the air, sacrificing his monster and summoning the Winged Dragon of Ra. Out of the clouds emerged huge claws, the dragon itself shining more brightly than any card he had ever seen. The crowd gasped, only Kaiba refused to look away.
"Come and get me, Marik!" Jounouchi shouted, the bluster not entirely gone from him. Nodding grimly, Rishid ordered the beast to attack, repeating his words once more as the dragon continued to hover on the field, flexing its claws and waiting. Yugi was the first one to react, glancing down at his Puzzle as if it had shocked him.
Clouds had been continuing to gather around the airship; darkening into a black, stormy sky. The first rumbles of thunder precipitated a flash of lightning, then another.
"What's going on?" Jounouchi flinched as the crackle of lightning burst into the arena, then again and again, striking closer each time. He could feel the electricity in the air; looking wide-eyed across the arena at his opponent, Rishid stood completely still, making no attempt to dodge the storm.
"Get down from there!" Shizuka screamed, ducking instinctively as flashes of lightning arced all around them.
A huge bolt of lightning raced down from the sky, striking Rishid with a terrible crackling sound. The Millennium Rod in his hand shattered from the impact, breaking down into dust in his hand. With nothing left, Rishid fell to the ground.
Shizuka looked on, horrified, as lightning crashed to the ground all around Jounouchi. He was struck and fell, the storm continuing to build around them.
"We can't go to them yet," Kaiba said, urgently discussing the duel with the referee. "The duel isn't over—they're tied, so let the first duelist to rise to his feet be the winner; otherwise both of them will be disqualified." The group around him was shouting to match the storm, yelling at Jounouchi as Rishid awoke and began to struggle to his knees, his entire body shaking. He collapsed a moment later, too weak to stand.
As if in a trance, Jounouchi got to his feet, hardly knowing where he was until he heard everyone shouting for him. "I won?" The duel ended, Honda leapt up onto the platform to get to his friend, Shizuka not far behind him. "Wait…" Noticing Rishid still on the ground, he began to make his way across the field.
He helped Rishid to sit up, one hand under his arm to keep him upright. "I'm so sorry," Rishid said, fighting to stay awake. "It was an honor to duel you."
"Hey, hey… me too, buddy. Who are you, really?" Jounouchi slipped the duel disk off of his arm, handing it to Shizuka, who had crouched down next to them. On his other side, Shizuka and Jounouchi helped him to stand.
"Rishid," he said, breathing heavily. "I am a servant of the real Marik."
From the other side of the arena they heard a sharp cry of pain, only to see Marik—the true Marik, the façade of Namu no longer upon him—clutching his head, his Millennium Rod in one hand visible to them all. Yugi's own Puzzle began to glow.
"I am the real Marik," he said, his eyes wild. A muscle at his temple twitched as he staggered towards them, losing his balance as the airship swayed from the storm. He gestured carelessly in the air. "I will succeed where he so utterly failed."
"I'm sorry," Rishid apologized again, falling forwards as his legs gave out. Shizuka and Jounouchi caught him; his eyes flickered weakly as he looked from one to the other. "I cannot contain the evil within him any longer. Forgive me…"
He closed his eyes and slipped into unconsciousness.
ACT V
They all rushed into his room as soon as the doctors were finished, crowding around Rishid's bed much as they had done with Bakura only a short while before. "How is he?" Shizuka asked.
"Physically he's fine," the doctor said, "but the stress he has been under has been immense—let him rest and heal."
"So many people have been hurt in this tournament," Jounouchi said, clenching his fist, "And what does he have to gain for it! Loyal to Marik, and that psycho doesn't even care. It really makes me mad!" The intercom announced the start to the third round, causing Jounouchi to start up another series of complaints, these mostly directed towards their host, Kaiba.
The last to leave, Shizuka turned the lights off and closed the door behind her. They weren't leaving him in darkness, rather letting him get some much-needed sleep.
She leapt out of her chair as the door opened, embarrassed to be caught sitting by Rishid's bedside when she herself should be sleeping. "Oh! I… Ishizu, it's you." Laughing nervously, she smoothed out the fabric of her shirt. "Thank you for lending me that book, I'm almost done with it."
Ishizu touched the bare skin of her throat as if by habit, the familiar necklace no longer there. "I need your help—Dark Marik intends to harm Rishid, and I want to secretly move him to a vacant room. I…I cannot lift him by myself," she said, a touch of awkwardness coloring her usually so certain way of speaking.
"Sure." She was glad it was so late. Although neither of them were aware of the activity on the rooftop arena—the duel taking place, and the two spectators watching—they had the corridors of the ship to themselves, and in no time had gotten Rishid settled in a vacant room across the hallway from Ishizu's.
Leaving her alone with him to confront Marik, Shizuka moved a chair over beside the bed and tried to read, putting the book down after a moment. "Mai dueled Marik today, and got hurt too," she said, feeling a little bit silly for talking to him when he was still asleep. But she had kept everything in for long enough, and had to say something. "Everyone's falling, one by one. I'm scared that soon there won't be anyone left."
It felt inevitable, like a massive wave preparing to break upon the shore. She didn't feel strong enough to withstand it. There was nothing to do except wait, and hope. "You said that I would never forgive what you've done," she said, blinking back tears, "but I do forgive you! Marik was the one who brainwashed my brother, who forced you into this position. I—I would have followed you right to him if you'd asked me to go with you."
"For the longest time I thought I was in the darkness," Shizuka continued, her voice wavering, "but I never knew! I'm still the smallest, flickering candle—you deserve more than that." Wiping the tears from her eyes, she leant down over him and kissed him on the cheek. Around the scar tissue the skin felt tight but warm.
"I'll do what I can. And I'll be right here when you wake up, so don't keep me waiting for too long." Suppressing a yawn, and realizing she was sleepier than she thought, Shizuka rested her head on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes.
The End.
A/N:
1. I've been searching for Shakespeare-referencing titles for about as long as I've been planning this story, and grabbed the title from a blog post xD Sleepandwater rescued my story, what can I say xD;;
2. While my intention has been to stick closely to canon barring the initial Rishid-Honda swap, I stretched out the time between duels so things happen over the course of several days instead of a single day.
3. I'm up to my ears in Regency romances, so a lot of that feeling probably crept in to their chemistry (but sad sad no dancing :D) The epigraph in this story is from the novel North & South where it is an epigraph itself—the poem is attributed to 'anonymous' in the novel.
4. Many thanks to my beta, My Misguided Fairytale. Thank you Jess!
5. Thank you for reading and please review, I value and treasure each one.