It was sunset. Egypt's best hour of the day…when the sun was setting behind the Nile giving those flaming colors to the sky and the sand…and the wonderful river of the light and calmness…Nile the wonderful river…. Life was still all around as people in the market were yelling to be heard in order to sell their products. People that wanted to buy on the other hand were also yelling different prices trying to make the products cheaper. There, on the market were walking two people, a man and a woman. The tall man had blonde hair in the color of wet sand and his tanned skin was bronze betraying that he was Egyptian. His eyes were violet, staring around to the people of the market. He had his hands in his pockets while walking next to the woman beside him. The woman was tall but shorter than him. She had long, raven hair shining in the evening sun that was about to set. She was wearing a white dress that was pointing out her bronze skin while her calm, deep blue eyes were looking around as well at the life all around her. She had passed a small basket around her arm that was full with all the goods they had bought. The young man looked at her for a second.

"Sister, are we alright?"

The woman smiled a little and nodded.

"Yes. I think we bought everything we needed. Now we only need some bread and then we can head back. Rishid might be waiting for us."

The man smiled too.

"Yeah…it appears that he wants to finish making dinner while we are shopping. Ra! He is really trying to remain alone these days."

The woman smiled a little and then turned serious again.

"I don't think so. I think that he wants us to spend some time together, in order to fill in the days we couldn't!"

The man turned serious again.

"Ishizu…do you think we can become like we used to be?"

"No, Marik" she said, "I believe that the past can't come back. However…"

Then a bright smile appeared to her lips.

"…I am sure that we can be much better now! Now that you are released by our family's cursed fate and now that we can live to the surface like common people."

They kept walking in silence. Marik Ishtar was Ishizu's young brother. He had faced many difficult situations in his life and he lived away from his family and his adopted brother. His family members were Grave keepers. They had to live underground till the Nameless Pharaoh's return. The boys had to bare the scars on their backs since the day they were 10. Marik too. His other personality had committed crimes Marik was not proud of! But thanks to pharaoh Atem he was now free to live his life! And he was grateful to his older sister Ishizu and his adopted older brother Rishid. And speaking about Ishizu…Marik turned towards his sister seeing her walking. She had grown up, he noticed. She was a beautiful woman now! He raven-colored, silk hair, her bronze skin, her well-shaped body…everything on her had surely grown up! She looked really beautiful! Marik bit his lip. He was thinking about it again! He noticed that ever since they returned back home from Japan and Battle City, he had those feelings about her. He had an interest for her much different from simply brotherly love. He had realized why. Perhaps it was just his age but still…he had a strange desire to see more of her…touch her…taste her… He shook his head.

"Marik?" he heard her voice from some meters away.

He raised his head to see her.

"Are you alright?"

"Huh? Yes! I am fine."

He walked to her. Damn! He thought. It was reality that he wanted her. He blamed his previous lifestyle for this. His parents were also close siblings. His family used to live underground for more than 3.000 years, obeying to the will of their pharaohs' lifestyle. The kings tended to use incest in order to keep their blood pure. Fathers were marrying their daughters, brothers were marrying their sisters…even god Osiris was married to his sister Isis and their other two brother and sister, Nephthys and Seth were also married with each other. Therefore it was natural for them to get married to their siblings. After all they didn't have much of a choice didn't they? They lived isolated from people and surface so they hadn't other choice. Marik was watching his sister buying the bread from the market. What indeed bothered him was the fact that he had seen other women as well but indeed no other woman interested him the way Ishizu did! Not only was she beautiful, she also was the only one who could really understand him. The only one that had lived under the same conditions he did and the only one that was really close to him! So…was it so wrong to love her? He had heard while he was living in the outside world he had heard that such thing was a "taboo" meaning that it would be sinful, however Marik Ishtar didn't get it! Why was it sinful to desire her? It was more than a simple desire for her flesh. It was more of a need of his soul. As if she was his other half. They were siblings after all. Meanwhile Ishizu paid for the bread and returned to him.

"Alright. Let's go brother."

Marik nodded.

"Yes…Rishid might be worried…" he mumbled as they started to leave.

He was fighting himself while walking towards home. Should he tell her? After all they grew up under the same roof. It was certain that their father had arrange their marriage by the very first minute he was born, and now he was sure that it wasn't just some kind of idea he had! However he didn't know how to tell her! He didn't even know what to tell her!

"Hmm…Ishizu…"

"Yes, Marik?"

"Do you…I mean…do you love me?"

Ishizu looked at him surprised.

"Of course I love you Marik. You are my brother and my only family besides Rishid. Why wouldn't I love you?"

"So…just brother?" Marik thought.

And then he said.

"Of course. I mean… Never mind…"

They walked at their home. Marik unlocked the door and let his sister come in first.

"Rishid! We're home!" Ishizu said to their adopted brother as they came in.

Marik was all spaced out and he didn't pay real attention to any other conversation since they returned till the evening came. Rishid and Marik got up and were ready to take the dishes in but then Ishizu said,

"I'll take them with Marik Rishid. You better get some rest."

Rishid protested but Marik didn't say a thing! One part of him really wanted her to come but the other part wasn't sure what was going to happen! For a man that wasn't loyal to his religion he was rather confused! Ishizu followed him in the kitchen and she started washing the dishes. He was always helping her with that but it had become really difficult.

"Sister…what do you think of…" no! This wasn't right either!

She looked at him a bit worried.

"Marik? What's wrong? You were acting really weirdly this evening. Are you feeling alright?"

She gently touched his forehead to see if he had the fever or anything. Her hand was so warm and gentle…her touch was always like a mother and sister to him! And now…how much he desired her touch! Those gentle hands of hers…and…her beautiful full lips on his skin would be…

"Si-Sister…" he mumbled.

His hands cupped her cheeks and he leaned forward their lips were inches apart but then something made him stop and pulled back before their lips touch. He stepped back from his confused sister and turned his back to her.

"Marik? What's happening to you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…" he mumbled.

He was so close! So close that he could feel her breath on his lips! He wanted that! He was sure he did!

"Marik…?"

"I need some fresh air!" he finally said and he left in a haste grabbing his jacket.

"Marik! Marik wait!" his sister called him but he was already out…

The last rays of the sun had painted all the land in a crimson color and it appeared as if the sand was made of gold! Marik was walking with his hands in his pockets. He was going to that place. He had promised to himself that he would never go there again but right now he just needed to! He walked some hundred meters more and he finally reached the entrance of that basement, the basement that once upon a time he called home. He dusted some sand it had fallen to the entrance and unlocked the door. It was there! The long stairway that leaded down…down to the darkness that was covering him for so many years. He went down and then he saw the long hallway. It was dark but he knew every single step of it! He found the torch and turned it on. The purple fire came out and illuminated the tomb-like place.

"I was buried alive by the day I was born!" he mumbled sarcastically with a sarcastic smile on his face.

He started walking in the hallway switching the torches on. The place was now illuminated again. He stayed there watching the wall paintings for a little and then moved in…he saw the beds and the small library…and then he saw the bed on which his mother gave birth on him…and where she had died…

"I had a feeling I would find you here"

He snapped around to see Ishizu looking at him with her sharp, blue eyes.

"Sister…"

"Marik…"

Marik was sure that he couldn't take it anymore! He just needed her! He stepped forward. In the torches' light she appeared like a goddess! Goddess Isis herself that had come on Earth! Right now he knew that he would love no other woman! He cupped her cheek softly and looked deeply into her eyes. The next thing he knew was that he had leaned down and their lips met. He finally tasted the flavor of her lips! He pulled back and looked down at her. His sister didn't seem that surprised now.

"How long have you wanted to do this?" she asked him

"From gods know how long! You belong with me Ishizu! We belong to each other since we were kids! Sister…"

He let the last one run on his tongue cause now it was more than just sister! In ancient Egypt this word when said from a man to a woman it meant "beloved" it meant "soul mate" it meant "lover". Ishizu looked at him and when he leaned forward again she placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

"No, Marik!" she told him.

"Why not? Why not sister? You know that we were meant to be together! When Father told you that you didn't protest!"

"That was in the past, Marik! Now things have changed!"

"What is the thing that changed? What is the problem Ishizu?"

"The world Marik. We can't be together! Not this way! Up here in this world is forbidden! It's a taboo Marik!"

"Nonsense! We have grown up differently! Remember that Mother and Father were also siblings! We were supposed to get married! Why now then?"

"Because back then we lived underground Marik! We were isolated from everyone but now we live in the world among other people. We live in the surface now, and this world has some rules that we must obey!"

"Rules! Rules! I got tired of them! Who cares if this is called a taboo! I love you sister and I need you! I know you feel the same! I know you do! Please sister!"

He was furious now! And also he was desperate! He needed her but all the rules… Ishizu leaned her head on his chest.

"Oh, Marik please don't torture yourself! No matter what life we lived in here…it is left behind! Our life will be taboo up there…"

"But sister…here we're back home again…there is no other person here…"

They looked at each other.

"This is our gods' territory…"

He pulled her closer and their lips met again. He felt her responding! He wrapped his arms around her and she was resting hers over his. The kiss became more heated as he licked her bottom lip begging for entrance. She opened her mouth to him allowing him to enter her mouth. Marik moaned in his sister's mouth as the pleasure was taking over his senses. He lowered her dress to reveal more of her flesh while he was also working on with his own clothes. They pulled back by the need of air.

"Marik…" she whispered, "you're…you are taking it too far…"

"I need you sister! The "king" must find his goddess!"

Ishizu knew then that his name meaning, "king", and her own name Ishizu that connected her with the goddess Isis was not a coincidence. She was a woman that didn't believe in coincidences.

"Alright Marik…" whispered as she leaned forward to kiss him again.

Her hands were going up and down on his back as she was removing his shirt. The fabric material fell on the floor. Marik's scars seemed to be glowing in the torches' light. Like two Royal Cobras they were kissing each other in a tight embrace under the never-sleeping eye of Ra. Under there it was their territory! No modern taboo seemed to be reaching them! Her hands were caressing his marked back…Marik let out a sigh and then he moved to her caramel neck planting hot kisses on it making her lean her head back in pure bliss and pleasure. Her heart was bounding in her chest while Marik's moves on her body made he feel like the old days. Swinging with each other they walked towards the bed…they fell on it. She was on it on her back and Marik was over her. He was kissing her long neck. Their bodies seemed like two bronze masses that were ready to become one while the fire around them was illuminating the place. The kisses…the sighs…the whispers…the sound of the material leaving the body…soon they were both kissing each other under the linen sheets. They were kissing on that bed that their mother had found death they were now celebrating life! They were dancing and swinging around each other like two cobras in the middle of the desert while the sun was sinking behind the desert…over the sand of the Red Land…and the full moon appeared on the sky, painting the sand with its silver color and decorating the sky with millions of stars.

Meanwhile in the underground temple Marik was lieing on his back with Ishizu resting her head on his bare chest…they were there again. Brother and sister... The linen sheet was covering their naked bodies. Ishizu's raven hair was flowing like a silk waterfall over his chest and side. He had his arm wrapped around her waist.

"Ishizu…" he whispered.

"Yes, brother?"

"I'm sorry…I involved you into this…"

"You shouldn't be apologizing brother. I wanted that as well. It was my own decision too."

"But still…I was the one who started it."

Marik sat up on the one side of bed resting his hands on his knees. He sighed deeply.

"I dragged you into something terrible again. And we both committed the biggest taboo of all. Now we truly broke the rules again."

"Oh, Marik…" she whispered.

She got up to her knees and walked on her knees behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, embracing him from behind and rested her head on his shoulder.

"That might be true…that we committed a taboo for the facts of the world we live now…but Marik…"

She gave him a kiss on his neck tenderly.

"…Here we are alone. There is no one of the above to tell us that! We are back to our old house, Marik! Here…we are in our gods' territory…"

His muscles that were tensed, relaxed. He turned around to see her bronze face. He caressed her cheek. She was beautiful…so beautiful… He leaned forward and kissed her lips and she kissed him back, leaning both back on the bed. Indeed they were soul mates now…their sinful night was there acceptable. They were in their gods' territory. Man and woman. Flesh on the flesh. Spirit on spirit! They were real! Right on the bed where their mother had found death, they were performing act of life! Act of love…

"Sister…"

"Brother…"

And that…to their language meant… "Beloved"…

This one-shot is about my second favourite pairing with Ishizu! Mythshipping. I know is incest. I kinda like it!

You might think that I am crazy but...the reason I like this pairing is because...it makes sence! The Ishtar family used to live according to the Ancient Egyptian beliefs! In ancient Egypt, the pharaohs usually used to marry siblings with each other to keep their blood pure and their heirs "pure". I thought that the Ishtars would probably follow that! Plus they lived underground on their own so...they didn't have the chance to meet other women, plus since the boys were the only ones that took the ritual then...this made me wonder "why didn't they simply kill the girls instead of rasing them?"...so here is the conclusion I came to. They used them to reproduce heirs. Meaning that the sisters should sleep with their brothers or even the mothers with their sons and the daughters with their fathers. Moreover the two Ishtars were really close and they understand each other so...yeah! I liked this pairing!

Text by me. Because there are not many Mythshipping fanfics on this site! Please review!