A/N: Hi, everybody! here's my fic, I had really much fun writing this, even though I had to write part of it twice, because it disappeared, like Poof! *makes a magical sound* So yeah, hope you enjoy.
Of course AUish, and fantasy, I love writing fantasy, maybe you've noticed? And I've always wanted to write a fic like this. XDD My first time writing Mai, hope I did it well, she was fun to write.
Warnings: Violence... Yeah violence.
Deal With The Devil
Would you make a deal with the Devil?
How much are you willing to pay?
…for his life?
...for yours?
Woman knelt besides her husband, running her fingers through the wet hair.
The man was pale and cold. His empty eyes stared at the ceiling. He was dead. So cold, so dead. The woman fought back the tears as she gently closed his eyes.
"I would pay anything to get you back," she whispered and placed a kiss on the cold lips.
'Anything?' asked an amused voice inside her head.
The woman stood up and said:
"Anything."
Mai Kujaku was her name. She had long blonde hair and purple eyes. To put it simply she was a gorgeous woman. She was 24 and already a widow. No woman should be widowed at her age. Her husband died at illness. He was 29.
She had loved him, she really had, just as much as one human can love another.
And she would give anything to get him back.
Luckily someone heard her pleads.
Mai was in a dream. She was sure of it, even though she felt everything as clear as if she were awake. The air was hot and damp. It was hard to breath. It was dark, but not completely dark, because Mai could register that she was in some kind of a cave. She was led forward by someone, who held her hand in a tight grip.
Mai didn't even want to start thinking, what kind of a thing was leading her. She could see its figure. It looked like something small and inhumane. But it didn't really matter, it was all a dream.
Suddenly the creature let go of her hand and disappeared. Mai was left alone in the dark. She sighed. One of those dreams again.
She heard laughter. Mai felt unusually curious and started walking towards the noise, carefully so she wouldn't trip on the rocks on the ground.
The small tunnel, turned into a huge lit-up cavern. The reddish stone walls were covered, from floor to the faraway ceiling, with jars. Inside the jars were dark lumps, but form this distance Mai couldn't tell what exactly were those lumps. She was about to get closer when she heard the laughter again.
There! The laughter was coming from behind that rock, so there must someone there. Mai crept closer, trying to be as silent as she could, because she wasn't really invited here. She was intruder, and she didn't want to get caught.
But laughter couldn't be bad, right? They, whoever they were, were obviously having fun. And that couldn't be a bad thing, unless they had fun killing people. But how likely would that be?
Mai peeked form behind the rock.
There was a throne, made out of same reddish stone as the walls. On the throne sat a tanned man with blonde spiky hair and purple eyes. Because of the warmth he was dressed only in purple cape and black pants.
On his right, on the ground sat another tanned blonde man with purple eyes. He was smaller than the man on the throne. He was dressed in black robe, and he was holding a black large book on his lap.
On the left side of the throne was another man, this time a pale one with wild white hair, and brown eyes. That man had a dog collar around his neck, and he was chained to the throne. There were dark wings coming out of his back, and there were huge sharp claws in both his feet and hands. He was wearing only black ripped pants.
All three things had horns on their head. The one in the middle had the largest ones. These three were definitely not human, they were demons of some sort.
Suddenly the white-haired ones head snapped to Mai's direction. A snarl escaped his throat, and Mai could see sharp pointed teeth in his mouth. He took a few steps closer to Mai, and Mai hoped that the chain would be so short that the demon wouldn't reach her.
She didn't have to worry about that, because the one on the throne grabbed the white-haired one's collar and pulled him back to his original place, next to the throne.
"What now, Bakura?" he asked.
Bakura growled, but didn't say anything. The man on the right pointed at Mai and said;
"Over there."
The man in the middle seemed finally notice Mai, some kind of a mad grin spread to his face, as she studied the woman. He had pointy teeth too.
"Looks like we have a visitor, " he stated the obvious. "It has been a while. Come here, girl."
Mai was about to oppose, being called a girl, when she suddenly noticed, that against her will, her legs had started leading her to the throne. The man, not even bothering to stand up, grabbed her chin, pulled her closer and gave her a critical eye. The man licked hid lips.
"Not bad, not bad at all," he admitted. "What's your name?"
"Mai Kujaku," Mai answered.
The man snapped his fingers.
"Malik! Mai Kujaku!"
The man on the right, apparently Malik started flipping the pages of his huge book. All was silent while Malik searched for Mai, because that he was obviously doing, from his book. Marik just stared at Mai, still licking his lips. Bakura growled at her.
Finally Malik got to the end of the book; he lifted his gaze and said:
"Marik, she's still alive."
"Alive?" Marik asked, pushing Mai away from the throne as he stood up and walked to read the book over Malik's shoulder.
Mai looked at each man, confused. Marik and Malik ignored her, and Bakura has turned his back on her.
Finally Marik straightened and said:
"You are still alive." A low chuckle escaped his throat. "What do you want woman?"
Without even thinking for a second Mai answered:
"I want my husband back."
All three demons bursted out to laughter.
"You come here to ask your husband back, from the Devil himself?" Marik asked, amused, spreading her arms into a wondering gesture.
Mai shook her head.
"You're not the Devil, and I'm not even here. This is all a dream."
"A dream?" Marik asked. "No, dear Mai, no,"
The man walked to her, and wrapped his arms around her from behind, whispered to her ear:
"This is no dream, Mai Kujaku. I am the Devil and I can bring him back. What are you willing to pay?"'
Mai felt his breath hot against her neck as she answered coolly:
"Anything."
And then the breath was gone. Marik walked past Mai, back to his throne.
"Anything?" He repeated. "Fine. We make a deal Mai Kujaku. You'll get your husband back. And I'll get your soul when you die," Marik grinned. "His life for your soul. What do you say, Mai Kujaku?"
Marik offered his hand. Mai took it.
"Deal."
Mai opened her eyes, it was morning. It had all been a dream, right? Deal with the Devil, Mai laughed. Like that could ever happen. There was no Devil. And if there were his name would definitely not be Marik.
"What's so funny, darling?"
Mai's head darted up. Her mouth opened in confusion.
Alive.
There, in the doorway stood her husband, smiling at her. Alive.
Mai rolled off the bed and approached him.
"Who are you?" she asked, warily.
Her husband laughed and said:
"I'm me."
'Your soul for his life. What do you say, Mai Kujaku?'
'Deal'
That one word ringed in her ears. Deal, deal, deal. She had made a deal with the Devil. She had traded her own soul for him.
Her husband wrapped his arms around her. Mai should enjoy this, as long as they both were still alive, as long as she still had her soul.
And she enjoyed it. As the week passed, she stopped believing in the Deal. All she knew was that her husband was alive, alive, alive. Had he ever died? Was the whole thing been a dream? A bad one. Yes it had all been a dream. Mai was sure of it as she walked to her husband, and placed a kiss on his cheek. Her husband wrapped his arms around her and smiled.
Mai smiled too and looked into her husband's eyes. For a moment she felt happy. Then the happiness, as the feeling of security faded away. Her husband's eyes, they used to be green. Now they were violet, violet as Marik's.
The man's smile turned into a feral grin and his nails dug into Mai's flesh.
"Let go!" Mai pleaded. "You're hurting me!"
'I have come for your soul, Mai Kujaku', said Marik's voice from her husband's mouth.
Mai screamed and slapped the man. Immediately, when the man's grip loosened, Mai took few steps backwards.
"Wha-? What just happened?" her husband asked, holding his cheek.
"N-nothing," Mai answered, trying to contain her shaking. "I just thought you were someone else."
Apparently her husband bought the excuse. He smiled and said:
"Don't be silly Mai, I'm always me."
But his eyes were still violet.
It was night, Mai laid next to her husband, unable to sleep.
She could hear them. The voices, coming to get her.
'Come with us, Mai Kujaku, our master wants you,' they pleaded, and no matter what Mai tried she couldn't block the voices. Burying her head into her pillow didn't help. They were ringing in her ears
She could see them. Shadows, coming to get her. They tried to reach for her, take her away.
'Come with us, Mai Kujaku, our master needs you,' they pleaded, and no matter what Mai tried she couldn't make them go away. Closing her eyes wouldn't help, they were burned to her vision.
She could feel him. His finger burned on her skin, his breath hot against her neck.
'Come with me, Mai Kujaku, I want your soul,' he whispered, and no matter what Mai tried he wouldn't go away. He was burned on Mai's skin, and he wouldn't leave, never.
Mai didn't sleep.
Mai stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around her. She felt now a lot better. Last night was becoming just a bad memory. Sure she was tired and scared, but it didn't feel so bad anymore.
Humming to herself, she started combing her hair.
But when she looked into the mirror, her good day was ruined. Those eyes. Violet. Those were not her eyes. They were his.
Mai felt how her lips curved into a smirk.
She forced herself to spin away from the mirror.
On the small windowsill sat Marik humming the same song Mai had been humming a moment ago. He stopped, when he noticed Mai. He just smiled at her, licking his lips and asked:
'Mai Kujaku, what a lovely surprise! Are you here to give me your soul?'
"NO!" Mai screamed. "I'm not dead yet!"
And she ran out of the room. Marik shrugged to himself, and smiled to Mai's direction.
"Oh, but you'd be better dead."
Mai slumped to her bed. What was going on? What the hell was going on? Marik was hunting her. He wanted his payment. But the deal had been that Marik would get it after Mai's death.
Mai tried to calm herself down. She walked to the chair in front of the window and sat there.
Mai had always liked where her house had been located. It was in the middle of fields, and only one small path lead to it. There was a large, old oak tree outside, and that was Mai now staring at.
She loved the tree, it was calming. And slowly, Mai felt her heart becoming lighter, her worrying go somewhere. She leaned her chin against her hand and studied the familiar tree.
Suddenly a pack of birds flew away, scared. They were used to humans, and it would take a lot more than just human walking by to scare them. Mai lifted her chin and saw how a dark figure dropped out of the tree and landed on four feet. Mai didn't recognize him, because the man stood in the tree's shadow, breathing in the cool morning air.
Mai was about to yell at the figure, tell him to go away, when he turned around and took a step to the light, so Mai could see him.
White hair, wings, a dog collar. Bakura!
Bakura grinned at Mai. Mai slumped back to the chair, covered her mouth with her hand, and stared at Bakura. What should she do? Marik had sent his guard dog after her too.
Bakura winked at Mai and ran away on four feet.
Mai just sat there, staring at the old oak tree, until her husband came to get her, but she felt no calmness. That feeling was gone forever.
Marik wouldn't leave her alone. She would see him everywhere. And Bakura too. The beast would wait for her in the shadows. But he never did anything; he just stared at her, that stupid grin on its face. Mai guessed that Marik was keeping him on a leash; otherwise, he would surely kill her. Now he just stared.
And everywhere Mai looked she saw Marik or Bakura.
She couldn't sleep at night, because of the shadows, coming to get her.
Finally Mai fell ill. She struggled to stay alive, for weeks. But one day the voices were just too loud, and the shadows too large. She died. The last thing she saw was Marik grinning at her with her husband's mouth, violet eyes staring at her from her husband's face. The last thing Mai did was curse that horrible beast.
Her husband smiled at her and said:
"Don't worry, darling, you'll be alright."
But Mai knew she wouldn't be alright, she wouldn't. They had come for her soul. Her heart stopped beating.
And once again Mai found herself in the cave, which walls were covered with jars. And on the throne sat that horrible, horrible man, Marik, Bakura was nowhere to be seen, the beast had probably ran off to torture someone else. Malik, of course sat besides Marik, writing something to the big black book. He lifted his head when Mai entered and smiled a knowing smile, but Mai ignored it. She glared at Marik, as hard as she could knowing that the man was the Devil himself.
"Mai Kujaku, how wonderful that you have joined us," Marik said, "Perhaps you have come to give me your soul?"
"You cheated!" Mai screamed. "You killed me, you and that horrible beast!"'
"Cheated?" Marik quirked one blonde eyebrow. "But our contract said nothing about how or when you would die. If I remember correctly, "Marik stood up from his chair and walked to the woman. "Our contract said: 'your soul for his life'. See, I, or we did not cheat," Marik grabbed Mai's chin and pulled her close to his face. His violet eyes gleamed dangerously. "The stronger ones make the rule. You don't dare to say I cheated, you stupid weak woman."
Mai crossed her arms across her chest.
"Fine. Let's make another deal."
Marik raised his eyebrows,
"Another deal?" He laughed. "What could you possible have to offer?"
Mai spread her arms.
"Anything. Take anything."
"Anything?" Marik asked, amused.
"Anything, for my life, "Mai said, "You can have my soul when I die, again."
Marik looked at Malik and raised his eyebrows, Malik shrugged, twirling the pencil in his hands.
"It can be arranged," Malik said,
"Anything can be arranged," Marik answered. "I'm the Devil!"
"So take what you want!!" Mai screamed. "Give me my life back!"
"What I want?" Marik tilted his head. "Fine, Mai Kujaku, we have a deal. You get your life back. And I get..." Marik placed his hand on top of Mai's left breast. Slowly the skin under the hand started melting away. "...I get this." Marik hand lay now on Mai's heart. The Devil wrapped his fingers around it and ripped it off. Marik tossed the bloody heart up and down on his hand.
"Your life, for your heart. It's a deal, Mai Kujaku. Welcome back to life."
Mai opened her eyes, screaming.
"What's wrong, darling?"
Mai's eyes rolled in their pits, as she tried to get herself to calm down. Who was it laying next to her? She couldn't look, she couldn't look. She was alive, alive, and alive. What had happened?
A trade.
'Your life...' For what? What did she give to him? What more did she give to him? He already owned her soul, and now, now what? What did she give him?
"Is everything alright?"
It was her husband, yes she recognized that voice. Mai rolled to her side and murmured:
"Juts a bad dream."
Bad dream, yes. It was all a bad dream. Her husband never died, she never died. They were all alive, happy. Nobody owned her soul expect she herself.
Her husband wrapped his arms around her and asked:
"You want to talk about it?"
Mai shook her head.
"No, let's just go back to sleep."
She rolled on top of him, and lied on his chest. That's how they used to spend their days, when they were still both alive. Just laying there, peacefully asleep. Listening to the sound of two heartbeats, very calming. Mai sighed contently and closed her eyes. '
Thumb, thumb. She heard the heartbeat. Wait, a heartbeat? Wasn't there supposed to be tow heartbeats? And most importantly, which one was missing?
Quickly Mai put her fingers on her husband's neck.
"Mai?! What are you doing?! It tickles!" the man opposed.
"Checking the pulse, don't move!" Mai snapped. Her husband stopped struggling.
Mai closed her eyes. 'Where is it? Where is the pulse' Then she felt it, the pulse under her fingers, blood running through veins, heart beating, alive, alive.
So where was Mai's heartbeat?
Desperate, the woman out her fingers to her neck, then to her wrist, trying to find the pulse, nothing, absolutely nothing. Afraid of what she might find, she slowly put her hand where her heart was... had been.
"What's wrong? Mai?! Mai?!" Her husband's voice seemed to come somewhere far away.
Mai just stared. There, where her heart was supposed to be, was nothing, nothing at all. Just emptiness.
She had given her heart. Her heart, for her life. But what was left of her, when she died? Marik would take her soul too.
Mai started screaming.
Take the heart and the soul, leave nothing but a shell.