"Ah…ah…AAAAAAAAAAAAACHOOOO!" Marik sneezed loudly, curling up into a ball on the couch. "Ze hell's Buzz or Zelia whe-AH-when ya-AH, oh god-AACHOO!" he groaned, hating the fact that Selia and Zug were out of the house and he was stuck alone. What made it worse was the fact that a certain Irishman had sent him back his own virus back when he was 'evil'. Sure, he had managed to slow it down, but the virus came back at full force. "T'at least Krytus can't use his Sarks either," he muttered, sorta glad that no one had tried to come over to check on him.

Ding-Dong.

"Scratch that," Zemerik grumbled as he got up and went to the door. "Yeah?" he asked, opening the front door to see Sage. He blinked, "wha?"

"Selia asked someone to check up on you and the others were busy with their jobs, so I thought it would be good to come by and-" she explained, Zemerik starting to push her out. "Hey!"

"I'm fine, you can-" Marik said, soon sneezing and giving a groan. "I'm fine."

Sage shook her head, pushing him back and towards the couch. "As Stanford once said, that is a load of bull; you need rest," she stated, Zemerik protesting as he was pushed to the couch. "I heard that having some chicken soup would be appropriate for a cold, though you may have the flu. You just rest while I make some, okay?" Sage asked, in the tone that Zemerik definitely wanted to melt to if he didn't feel horrible at the moment.

He gave a grunt as he curled back up on the couch, pulling the blanket over his head as Sage wandered into the kitchen. He barely heard Sage messing around as he drifted to sleep.

-Zemerik's POV-

"Stop!"

"Defend yourself!"

"I do not wish to attack you. Logic dictates that I should destroy you, Organic, but a greater logic dictates that we need to work together."

Why didn't I try telling them? That this world was not only the place that the Vandals had taken over, but was the best and only place to revive Krytus, of all people?

"This tyrant plotted the destruction of my people!"

"Your people? The diads are deceitful, untrustworthy slaves."

I should have explained how I knew that. Explain how I knew that hateful diad…and what I did to his master…our previous master. That what the diad had said was nothing but lies! How it was his fault that Krytus tested my loyalty by asking me to kill his only sister! Why didn't I try warning them to keep an eye on that traitorous Praxion?

Unfortunately…I do not.

"I will make you suffer!"

"I deal with the suffering, not you!"

Because I was programmed to.

If I had a heart at that moment, it would've 'freaking froze' from seeing Krytus appear for the whole Blue Sentient World to see.

-3rd person POV-

"How I have waited for this moment," Krytus grinned evilly, stopping Zemerik in midstride to the shock of everyone. Zemerik glared down at him, struggling in his grasp.

Marik?

When did this version look more demonic? Zemerik wondered. Everything in his dream fading or looking demonic(er) than what he actually remembered.

"I thought we were close, where you would do my every bidding…and then you betrayed me!" Krytus roared, Zemerik feeling himself freezing up in the dream.

Marik?

What was wrong with him? He know that he struggled more at the time. He knows that he said something to Krytus involving his 'betrayal'. Zemerik was thrown against one of the floating-glass monitors, the Sark soon scrambling up and seeing himself as a human.

"What's the matter?" Krytus asked, Zemerik feeling his body panicking somewhere. "Afraid to tell my sweet sister your feelings? That stupid feeling that you think you have?" he continued, making every step towards the Sark-Human slow and deliberate. "It doesn't exist and you know it."

"N…not true…" he muttered in a soft voice. This isn't happening. This COULDN'T be happening.

"You can feel anger, just like you can feel the terror that's slowly taking over your body right now at the sight of me…but that happy feeling…that shred of happiness that you think you feel when you're with her…" Krytus said, somehow appearing right in front of Zemerik. "It's not real," he stated, thrusting his blade into Zemerik's chest. Zemerik could've sworn that he heard Sage's voice mixed in. "None of it is real."

"S…Sage?" he muttered, a small blue sentient appearing next to him.

"Yes, just wake up."

"No…I…can't…"he said, watching Krytus' eyes slowly move from his form to the blue sentient.

Sage's voice was persistent, "Yes you can! Fight it!" Krytus pulled the blade out of Zemerik, pulling it back to strike blue being.

Zemerik's eyes widen stammering while trying to move his body to stop Krytus, "No…I…Sage…he's-!"

"Marik!" Sage said, Marik gasping for air as he woke up in a jolt. She sighed in relief and gently placed a cool washcloth she had gotten on his face, Marik jerking away in surprised. "It's ok…" she said, wiping the sweat from his face. "It was just a dream."

"Nightmare's more like it," he muttered, glad that he was forced awake before Krytus could strike Sage. Speaking of which…he turned to her and pulled her into a hug. "Thanks. You don't know how much that meant to me," Zemerik said.

Sage smiled, hugging him back, "What are friends for, Marik?"

Zemerik gave a flicker of a smile, recalling what he said and what he left unsaid when Krytus had spoke of his betrayal, that seemed to fit to what just happened moments ago: "Because my eyes had been open…thanks to her."