Triple-S: Yo, my faithful readers, it's been a wile hasn't it? Well not really considering how long it's take me to update some of my other stories, lol! But I would like you to please R&R no matter what you have to say!
Have you ever had one of those moments where you can't remember what you just did, no matter how hard you try? Well, after that ride with Sam it happened to me, in fact it was so bad that I couldn't remember going home after that, or cleaning up, yet when I woke up: everything was clean, Iris was safe at home, and we both somehow managed to hold onto our Millennium Items.
The next morning I decided to leave it alone, and go about my day, "what do I do on Sundays?" you ask? Well, Iris works on Sundays, so I eat breakfast, maybe watch a little TV (but what really comes on, on Sunday), and then I meditate. "Why do I meditate?" You ask? (And to that I say "shut-up, you ask too many questions!"). Well, it's because I have what you would call aggression issues: it keeps me level-headed, and perky.
I had an ability to go to some sort of menial sanctuary called a soul room, back then it was kind of morbid and I never knew exactly what it was going to look like, because I didn't have a defiant personality, I was still trying to figure out my life, but most recently it took the shape of an art studio in a place called Salado Texas, the art capital of Texas! My dad took me there when he had something bad to tell me, nun-the-less, it was a nice place that held a lot of good memories. (Trust me if you haven't been it is an A-Maze-Ing place!)
Although this time I was in for a bit of a shock, when I entered the depths of my psyche, I found two rooms, my little place in Salad, and something that looked like the Crypts of Egypt.
Well, I thought1, examining the other room, not realty wanting to enter, but curiosity was getting the best of me that explains the migraine! I reached out and with a great amount of force I managed to push the door open, warily stepping inside, like I said it was a Crypt of Egypt! Feeling a little more at ease now that I knew what was inside I explored a little.
"Hello?" I asked as if I expected someone else to be in my mind, I looked around, kind of chuckling to myself about my made up mental roommate. I spun around playfully on my heels ready to return to my own room, only to come face to face with a taller, more serious-looking, male version of me- that is to say, if I had played with light sockets when I was little (his hair was sticking practically straight up!). "What are you doing in my head?" I almost shrieked. Now that I was faced with him, the idea of a mental roommate was quite terrifying.
He gave me a somewhat evil laugh, "Foolish mortal child! Did you seriously claim position of the Millennium Rod without knowing what it was?" he asked.
"I didn't think it was anything more than an ancient artifact at the time…" I replied taking a couple steps backward to put a little distance between the two of us. What was I supposed to say 'no, I knew about this, I was just testing you'? I know when to roll over and expose my tender underbelly!
He gave me another laugh "Are you not a tomb keeper, like my past host?" he asked. "You have the Pharaoh's secrets carved onto your back."
"I come from a family of tomb keepers, yes," I replied, secretly roving my mind for what he might have mint by 'past host' and wondering if it was someone I knew. "Now who are you?"
"Ha, you have no manners, little girl!" he scolded, there was something wrong with this guy… I mean more so than just the obvious.
"Of course, where are my manners, why didn't I remember to introduce myself to the mind rapist in my head? My name is Mara-Marcella Ishtar, but I would prefer Mara, now, may I know your name, or would you prefer 'mind rapist'?" I scoffed.
He narrowed his eyes, and suddenly I realized this was not someone I didn't want to fuck with! "You can call me Marik," he replied, suddenly the room shook, I stumbled a bit.
"What was that?" I asked, thinking he did that.
"It appears someone is trying to get your attention," Marik replied. I turned to walk away. "One last thing, Mara" I turned and looked at him to show that he had my attention- he put a weird infancies on my name, as if it was supposed to be an insult "I hope you know, you were crossing a very dangerous line, don't push your luck!" he sneered.
"I understand," I replied with a nod.
I blinked a few times, trying to make sense of what had just happened Reino was shaking me not-all-to-gently which wasn't helping. I reached up and put my hand on his arm so he would stop.
"Hey, Mara!" he laughed giving me a friendly kiss on my cheek. He sounded like a happy little puppy. He was a hyper person, when he wanted to be!
"Hi…" I replied, still a little tired from whatever happened last night. "What's up?"
"Coffee?" he asked, "It's on me!" Although I knew he had already had about three and a half pots "That band you like is playing at the Bean House!"
I yawned, I half felt like telling him about what I just saw, the other half knew it would someday land me in the loony bin. "Sure!" I replied. I knew he wanted something, why else would he offer to pay for something? I just really needed some coffee "just let me get dressed!"
I got up, went to my room, and quickly got dressed in my favorite black v-neck t-shirt that had 'Fate of the Angles' written sideways across the chest in big red block letters, a faded purple hoody, a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a pair of black combat boots. I tied my hair in loose, low pony tail and grabbed my deck and duel disk of my night stand and went back in the living room.
"Look at you: being all proactive and stuff!" Reino giggled as I attached my duel disk to my wrist. I was the reigning Duel Monsters national champion of Egypt, ranked 2nd in Japan, and 4th in America, I had made quite a name for myself, and frankly, if I wasn't with Sam or Adam, everyone wanted a piece of me!
"Shut-up," I replied grabbing the spare helmet off the kitchen counter and dumping the useless knick-knacks into another bowl. I threw the helmet to Reino, hitting him in the chest, and knocking the air out of him. I laughed as he lied wheezing on the couch. "Come on!" I replied, "Let's go!"
"Even the best fall down some times,
Even the wrong words seem so right
Out of the dark that fills my mind,
I'll finally find, you and I Collide"
I sat in a soft arm chair, taping my feet to the rhythm of the song, and mouthing the words against the straw of my drink with a faint smile on my lips. I could hear two high school boys arguing at the table next to me, Reino nudged my leg, getting me to focus on what they were saying:
"Go ahead, ask her!" one of them whispered.
"No! It looks like she doesn't want to be disturbed!" the other argued. "She probably gets this all the time, what makes you think she'll say 'yes'?"
"What makes you think she'll say 'no'?"
I opened my eyes and struggled to make eye contact with one of them.
"Dude, she's looking this way!" one of them said.
Now that I knew I had his attention, I motioned for them to come join Reino and me at our table. I gave them a warm smile; making one of them blush. there was nothing I hated more than being treated like a God because I was good at a card game. "Now, what was it you wanted to ask me?" I asked.
"Uh… um… well… I was wondering-"
I hit Reino in the stomach, as he tried to stifle his laughter "She's not the president, for God's sake; she won't hurt anything but your pride!" I hit him again.
"Well, you're a really great duelist and all, and I was wondering: would you give me a few pointers?" he asked, his eyes wide with hope and anticipation.
I smiled, "what's your name?" I asked, wiggling around in my chair to get my deck out of my back pocket.
"Cameron!" he replied anxiously.
"And your friend?" I flipped through my deck, pulling out a few select cards.
"Uh- this is Ben!" Cameron replied, gesturing to the boy next to him.
"Alright, Ben, Cameron listen up, I don't repeat myself!" I replied, laying the cards down in front of them. There were 5 cards: 'Silver Fang', 'Anna Lee Angle of the Gods', 'The Fallen Angle Elizabeth', 'The Thief King's Apprentice', and 'The Thief King' himself "My number one rule: always trust your cards, the more you've been though with them, the better, to the point you can't stand to see them destroyed." I picked up 'Silver Fang' "for me, they're representations of my friends, and family members, and I'd do anything to protect my friends and family, thus I'd do anything to keep my monsters on the field!" I looked up; the two boys were hung on my every word, even Reino was still interested in what I had to say, and he had heard this a thousand times."But then comes a nasty revelation!" I put 'Silver Fang' back down on the table and picked 'Anna Lee' and 'Elizabeth' "sacrifice: how can you possibly throw a friend away?" I gave Reino his queue… nothing! I nudged his leg.
"Hu-Oh!" he replied, as I jolted him out of his haze "You have to trust that your friends will understand; if they don't then they're not your real friends!" he sounded a little too much like he was reading off a script, but Ben was too preoccupied with my cleavage, and Cameron was apparently a very oblivious child.
"Any questions?" I asked, pulling my shirt up, and sticking the cards back in my deck.
"Can I see your deck?" Cameron asked almost too quickly, Reino and I put the same expression of dread on our faces.
"Second rule: never let someone you just met handle your deck!2" Reino replied, "Slide of hand is a very easy thing to master, and those who are good actors are hard to spot!"
"It's not that we don't like you, it's just I've chased down way too many card thieves to just freely hand over my deck like that!" I told them.
"I understand!" Cameron replied. "Come on dude," he said hitting Ben in the arm, "We should go!"
I was feeling better, now that I was caffinated; the events of earlier that morning were pushed far to the back of my mind. I skipped down the sidewalk with Reino in tow, earning several strange glances from the passer-bys of Sunday-after town's people.
"Where are we going?" Reino asked.
I stopped and turned around, ogling at him "What are you talking about? We always lock-up for Mattie, so she can pick her little sister up from soccer practice- then we go have Sunday dinner with Adam and Iris!" I replied, "Are you okay, did you hit your head?"
"I-I'm fine," he replied, squinting threw his thick rimmed glasses.
"Do you need a new prescription?" I asked, he shook his head 'no', something was up, whether he wanted to admit it or not.
We got to the pet shop, and relived Mattie of her duties, "Get the register, I'll feed the stock and clean up a little" I replied, getting a bag of dog food, and a mettle cup out of the storage closet,
"Um-okay!" he replied, walking behind the counter, which is weird because most of the employees-including me and Reino-usually just jump…
I quickly and quietly unlocked the first cage, and feed the happy little speckled puppy inside. I kept an ever watchful eye on Reino as he fiddled with the register, touching it lightly like he was trying to break into it. "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked again.
He looked up at me, but at the staring straight threw me, as if I was some sort of a ghost "I'm fine!" he replied, in an angry tone.
Maybe we've been spending too much time around each other? I thought, still not taking my eyes off Reino. Suddenly I heard cynical laughter, I looked around quickly, but no one other than Reino was there.
"Are you okay?" Reino asked looking up for the cash register he still hadn't managed to crack.
"Fine!" I replied. He apparently hadn't heard the laughter. I'm losing it! I thought.
'No, Mara, in fact, I've never seen anyone more perceptive!' I knew exactly what was going on now.
"Marik?" I replied accidently. Reino gave me a skeptical look, I ignored it.
'Perceptive… but a lack of common sense, don't speak out loud, unless you want him to notice you!' Marik replied.
You mean Reino? I asked him, giving my friend a quick, cautious glance.
'If that's what you want to call him'
That's his name, why would I call him anything else?
'Because, although that's your little friend's body, he's not the one in control right now, and- trust me- he's not your friend right now!' there was more laughter, and then he was silent.
I examined Reino for a little while longer when I realized Marik was right: there was no way this was Reino! He was too quiet, too serious, and too clueless about a job he had had for two years!
"Who are you?" I asked casually, finishing with my first task and pulling the broom out of the supply closet, I began sweeping as though I had asked a question as casual as 'what are you doing next Friday?'.
"Pardon me?" he replied.
"Who are you?" I repeated a little louder this time.
"What are you talking about, Mara? It's me Reino, are you having an episode?" he replied in a manner that would have made anyone else believe he was Reino. He moved closer to me and put his hand on my forehead, "Do you need me to drive you to the doctor?"
"Get Away From Me!" I yelled, pushing his hand away, I glared at him.
"Hmm…" he replied, suddenly dropping his Reino-like demeanor all together, his eyes narrowed and he began to laugh. "I didn't count on you!" he laughed running a finger threw my hair, again I slapped it away. "Then again, I should have seen it coming, you know him better than anyone else"
"Then who are you?" I almost screamed.
He put a finger to my lip, "no need to be so loud!" he replied in a mockingly soothing tone.
I backed away, he pursued, until my back was flat against one of the many stacks of animal cages that covered three of the four walls. I was terrified of him to be honest, but I could exactly let him know that, now could I?
"Answer me!" I yelled, my 'not backing down' look on my face.
He rapped a slender hand around my throat "You not in a position to be asking questions, nor demanding answers!" he hissed, the hand around my neck slowly tightening with every word.
I knew I needed to fight back, but I knew if I fought too hard I would seriously hurt my best friend, and if didn't fight hard enough, it would just make him anger, and I would most likely die! Finally I made up my mind, digging the toe of my combat-boot into his shin, the surprise alone gave me enough time to flip the situation around on him, I grabbed a hand full of his hair, and the Millennium Rod from my back belt loop (though I still wasn't sure what exactly it was for).
"I don't know how to use this thing, but I know it's going to hurt if I hit you over the head with it!" I hissed, hoping he wouldn't call my bluff.
He gave me a sinister smile "Congratulations, Mara! You've won a battle, but let me assure you, you can't win this war without my help!" suddenly he collapsed, falling forward into my arms, I sank to my knees to accommodate the newly added weight "Mara…" Reino replied weakly. He was paler than usual.
Suddenly there was a dinging noise-the front door. I turned around to see the purple and blond paint explosion that was Adam Moto's hair. "Hey guys, Iris was getting worried about you, and she wanted me to-"
"Adam, call a doctor!" I replied, zipping my jacket to hide the purple hand print on my neck.
"What happened?" Adam asked.
"I don't know… we were cleaning up, and he collapsed!" I replied, not wanting to divulge the whole truth until I absolutely had to.
