Chapter Nine: On The Dark Side

They reached the house where Henry was, and immediately stepped in to action, Ryou and Marik knocking at the door first.

And they were let in.

"Now, we either wait for them to leave, or we wait for a signal." Akefia explained to Tamara.

"What's the signal?"Tamara asked.

"Someone leaving." Akefia smiled, and looked to the house, seeing someone run out of the back door, and jumping out of the tall trees they hid in, pouncing on the man.

And like the nap of finger's they were all back in the Dark Side.

"What-Who are you?" The man they were after started questioning rapidly, scared.

Tamara enjoyed it, and laughed to herself. Fear was something she enjoyed looking at other people struggling with. This man felt his life was in danger:

And it was.

He cowered in fear as Akefia circled him, bending down to face the man on his knees, eye to eye.

"What do you think we could do with him? Which procedures?" Akefia looked up to his group, and smiled.

"Why don't we let the newbie have some fun?"

"Perhaps, but that means she'll have to have an older member present."

"And why shall that be?" Isis said, looking to the two oldest members, Akefia and Melvin.

"I think..."Akefia started, but saw Isis' eyes, and looked to Melvin.

"Melvin, can you take it?"

"Akefia, are you sure?" Melvin was hesitant, and crossed his arms leaning against a tree.

"Yeah, why not?" Bakura dragged the prisoner to the interrogation chamber with a smile.

"Akefia, shall we try it?"

"Not yet, he doesn't need to return to that world. We'll see if he can last in ours."Akefia said, and him and Isis went to his office, for a quick chit chat of the next mission.

Or so he thought.

"Akefia, watch your evils. The balance must be kept." Isis warned, and Akefia sighed.

"Oh, Isis, being bad is what I do best."

"But being good brings good things."

"What good is in this world? Humans took that and killed it."

"Is that why you torture? With tests and 'experiments'?"

"Don't act like it didn't help."

"But now with the next project Akefia, you're pushing it a little too far...The balance-"

"Screw the balance Isis. This world is call the 'Dark Side' isn't it?"

"Just because it's called dark doesn't mean it has to be pitch black."

"What better darkness then one where you can cause nightmares?"

"The one where light is present to help!"

"And what light is that?" Akefia's hand caught her wrist, squeezing it.

"The world you used to live in..." She said, with tears in her eyes.

Akefia's mind flashed to when Tamara was crying, and he let go, turning towards his door.

"I'll be right back, you may leave." He exited the room, and Isis breathed, blinking a few times.

Tamara had changed more then she thought. Akefia would have screamed at her. He'd never hit her though, he was above that, in the least.

But could one girl change so much? It could be possible, but also considering what the crisis with Kyrah had done to both her brother and her friend, she sighed. They were cautiously changing themselves. Trying to prevent such a thing from happening again, but both leading right down that same road, a prettier path that looked safe. The pressure would be on Tamara, and this time, there would be no 'saving' of the girl. Nothing can go and help her, whisk her away to another simpler world.

A world Akefia was after. One he would destroy if he could, just for laughs and revenge. Being born the way he was, he should feel something towards that world. But nothing like this. Now he resented it more, could it be because Kyrah was there, and he wasn't?

Isis shook her head, and fell to her knees, another vision coming on.

One with Kyrah coming back.

Akefia knocked on the door, and once it open he quickly slipped in.

"I'll do the interrogation today, you two don't have to." Akefia quickly said to Melvin, who only nodded as Akefia left.

Melvin sighed, dropping his head a little bit. He looked out to the window, still daylight, and licked his lips. Tonight he would have to, being around her as much as he was lately, and with him like this, wasn't safe at all. For either of them.

He quickly walked out of his room, almost running down the hall, but still managed to look calm.

"Melvin?" He stopped dead in his tracks, knowing that voice only too well. Considering his ears searched for it anyways, he sighed, turning around to see Tamara.

"Yes?" His voice melted out of his mouth, on accident, but she seemed to ignore it.

"I...I was told not to do the interrogation tonight?"

"Yes, Akefia said he'd do it himself." Melvin nodded, and Tamara turned, leaving.

Melvin quickly looked around him, listening for anyone else nearby, and once he knew it was clear, he caught her arm, and as she turned, his lips came close to her ear.

"Tonight." He whispered, letting her go and disappearing from sight before she could blink.

Tamara looked at the spot where Melvin had stood before her, and blinked. He couldn't have known, could he? Had it been on his mind as well? Or did he just know?

Would this be their little secret?

She shook it from her brain, at least a little longer.

Later that night, she waited on the roof, and as she heard the door to the roof open, she turned.

Melvin looked at her with bright yellow eyes, piercing her soul, and walked closer to her.

"Usually I'm here first."

"Well I switched that up tonight."

"Taking control?"

"Maybe." She teased, and he half smiled, ruffling her hair.

"Well, are you ready?"

"Sure, can I fly this time too?"

"I don't see why not, but you need sleep."

"I'll sleep later, I want you to teach me." She smiled a slightly cocky smile, and he nodded, leading her to the pool of water again.

Once they were there and sitting by the pool of water, Melvin laid on his back, looking up to the sky.

"Is this going to become a regular thing?" Tamara asked, and Melvin raised his eyebrows.

"I'm not sure...It might."

"Hey Melvin...?"

"Hey Tamara?" He smiled up to the sky, but waited.

"What happened earlier? You looked like you were in a rush."

"Something Akefia wanted, that's all." Melvin hid, but suddenly realized he had forgotten what he went out for originally, and nearly slapped himself. Well, he'd have to deal for now.

Melvin's head lay near Tamara's feet, and he smiled, looking at her tiny feet. His hand reached out over his head, as he rolled onto his stomach, and grabbed her foot gently in his long fingers.

"Melvin?" Tamara asked, alert. Melvin smiled, not looking up to her.

"You have such small feet..." His voice sounded almost childish as he studied her foot, tracing the creases in the skin. She pulled her foot back, and as he looked up to Tamara's eyes, he sat up, leaning closer.

"I'm not allowed to touch you?"

"You...You never did before..."She stammered, and Melvin smiled, putting his fingers in locks of her hair, feeling the softness of it, and gently touching her jaw line as he moved his hand down to her shoulder. He smiled with his teeth, truly enjoying himself with this. He backed away, and sat down a little further from her.

"I'll stop then." Melvin looked to the water, wishing he could touch it, but didn't want to transform that far tonight. Not like this, and especially when he'd forgotten to do something as important as that...

Tamara's heart felt like crying. She was so confused, but all she knew she wanted now, was Melvin.

"How old are you?"Tamara changed the subject quickly, and Melvin seemed fine with it.

"Old."

"How old is that?" Melvin turned his head to look at her, and held her chin between his finger and thumb.

"Older then you." He smiled, and moved away.

"So you're grandpa old?" Tamara laughed, and he shook his head.

"I'm about Akefia's age..."

"And how old is that again?"

"Human years? Twenty three. Dark Side years? We don't count. We know our time passes much more slower then humans, but we keep our time tracked even just a little bit. So I'm humanly twenty three, but in this world, it won't be until another five years until I age to twenty four." He looked to her in a sideways glance, and she nodded.

"So humanly I'm seventeen years old?"

"Just about. But the being that your DNA is mixed with is older."

"So my Phoenix?"

"When it bonded with you, it became a new, so you're still a young Phoenix." Tamara nodded, and went on with her next question.

"How old is your being?" Melvin fell silent.

"They are many many many years older then what I know. They only know they've been alive since the time of darkness and light." Melvin sighed, and looked into the water as his reflection, only to look away as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned to Tamara, and put his forehead to hers.

"Thank you, but I'm not sad."

"You don't need to be."She replied.

"But you never touch me..."

"Doesn't mean I can't start now."

Melvin smiled back with an equal cheeky grin, satisfied that finally, he didn't have to be the second man here.

He leaned a little closer, gently grazing his lips on hers, and looked to her eyes, which were closed, before he continued.

But then that gave him a moment to think. This was bad, really really really bad. He should pull back, RUN BACK, away from here, away from this big mistake.

He couldn't. He didn't want to. This was feeling too right to go wrong, too perfect to be a mistake.

He put his mouth to hers, and let the reactions happen. People could judge and kill him later, right now, he felt happy, which was bad, but bad in a good way.

Tamara looked to the water, peering at her reflection as Melvin played with one of her hands.

"You don't mind that I play with your hands?"

"Not really."

"Interesting." Melvin said, smiling, and gently kissed her palm. She resisted the reaction to pull her hand away and told her that it was already too far to go back, and that this wouldn't be like that last one. She wouldn't allow that, and Melvin was different. SHE was different, and she had to remember, this whole world was different.

"So...Melvin..."She started talking so she would stop thinking.

"So Tammy." Melvin smiled, and she scrunched her face.

"Ew."

"You don't like being called Tammy?"

"No, it's something everyone used to try to call me as a child. It never grew on me."

"I'm sorry, what would you like me to call you then?"

"Just call me by my name." She said, shrugging.

"But I want to give you a nick name." Melvin said, and Tamara thought about it, shrugging when nothing came to mind. She'd always been called by her name, no one cared otherwise.

But Melvin wanted to give her a nickname, for his secret unknown reasons. And he took pride in why. It would mean he gave her something, a little small something, but he also loved her name. They way it came from the back of his throat at night, when he whispered it near this pool of water. He loved the way she would turn if called.

"Well, that's for later, I have a question..." She had kissed Akefia, and now kissed Melvin. She wanted to make sure of something, but wasn't exactly sure how to ask. She couldn't tell Melvin about Akefia, no, Akefia had said not to, but she didn't want this to be something even an inch close to last time...

"What?" Melvin looked up to her, seeing her worry, and frowned slightly, but played his face in a calm matter. No showing emotions just yet, neither of them were ready for that.

"Well...I...Melvin...What..." She struggled, and he rolled on his back, looking up at her, and gently touching his fingertips to her jaw line.

"Yes?" He smoothed out his voice, and looked her straight in the eye, seeing her worry.

"What is this?"

"This?" He looked around, raising an eyebrow.

"Us...What we're doing..."

"Right now we're sitting near a pool of water at night time, when you should be sleeping, in the middle of a sacred woods on a mountain in the moonlight far away from the society we live in on a world call The Dark Side of the Moon."

"No, that's not what I meant." She gently shoved him with her hand, playing. He smiled.

"Well, I suppose only you can answer that."

"How can only I? You're a part of it!"

"But I'm not in control of where this goes." He wasn't sure if it was a lie, but he knew it wasn't the truth. In a way, neither of them were in charge.

"Oh that's a lie! I can't be in control of this..." She looked down, gently leaning closer to the water bank.

"Be careful near there, and yes you are...Come on...Tell me what I'm allowed to do..."Melvin coaxed, and Tamara sighed, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Stop playing with me like that."

"Alright, rule number one." He smiled, and she rolled her eyes.

"Melvin, seriously...where do we stand?"

"Mara..."He whispered, and her shoulders sank.

"That's fine I guess. But I honestly want to know."

"Well I'm afraid that's an answer I don't have." Or didn't want to answer.

"Well we need to find out."

"Tamara, relax about it. It was..." Melvin stopped. If he continued the sentence, he would be lying. It wasn't just a kiss, it was something much more. Something much more deeper and meaningful. Something Melvin wanted to feel again. He couldn't say it was just a kiss, for one, he could see it would hurt both of them, and lastly, it wasn't. Sure, they may have kissed, but it meant more. And by meaning more, it wasn't just nothing...

"It was what?"

"It was something magical...Something...That meant something I'm not entirely sure what right now."

"Well that explains a whole hell of a lot." She snipped sarcastically, and Melvin sighed, moving away from her.

"If you're just going to be sassy, then I'm moving away from you and your sassy." He rolled onto his stomach, looking at the water. Tamara didn't say anything, but debated whether or not to jump into the water.

She jumped in, feet first, and opened her eyes, looking around her as she seemed to be pulled down lower. She couldn't see above the water, no shadows, nothing.

She began to feel the transformation, but as soon as it started, it stopped, dragging her down into the depths of the endless water, and she stretched her arms to the top reaching with all her might.

Seaweed grabbed around her ankles, and she heard the words whispered through bubbles into her ears.

"You're gonna die down here." The voice laughed, and the water started to turn into an underwater whirlpool, her in the middle.

She let out a scream as she tried to transform, but nothing worked, her whole body feeling as if it were clogged with the water.

She looked up on last time, but only say the whirlpool around her spinning faster, and let out the last breath she held in her body.

She would've cried a pool of waters if she wasn't stuck at the bottom of one already, and as her mind started fuzzing in and out, the fire unable to light due to lack of oxygen, she felt stupid. Melvin had warned her, and now she'd just gone and did what he told her not to do.

Her marks burned bright, leaving beams of light in the water, and her eyes slowly started drifting closed. Thoughts of everyone she'd ever met ran through her mind, one last time as she realized:

Akefia was right.

She had never lived.

She awoke in her room, and sat up quickly. Was it all a dream? Had she slept past the time she was supposed to meet Melvin? Had he come to check on her?

"You're an idiot." Melvin said, laying next to her. He didn't look happy, but actually quite annoyed.

"It wasn't a dream?"

"You're an idiot." He repeated, more angry.

"Well, yeah I know."

"Why did you do it? I know you hate that word, but why Tamara?" He whispered quietly, too quiet, and she bit her lip as he pulled her back down to look him in the eyes.

"Well, I wanted to see if I could do it myself!"

"You need to accept the fact that sometimes, it just doesn't work the way you wanted. Deal with it."

"Melvin, you can't be angry at me-"

"YOU ALMOST DIED!" He hissed, and she looked away form him.

"But I was trying to do something on my own-"

"TAMARA." He warned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

She fell quiet, and Melvin hugged her in his arms, whispering in her ear.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to yell...Just don't do that to me..."

"Well I didn't mean to-"

"I know..."He said, and let go of her, getting up.

"Where are you going?"

"To my own room..."He gave her a questionable look, raising an eyebrow.

"Why...Why don't you stay here?" She didn't want to be left alone. She didn't want to admit it, but she had scared herself with that stupid stunt. She wanted someone there, no, not someone, Melvin. She wanted Melvin there.

"Tamara, this isn't right. This isn't how things work out..."

"Please?"She's never said that. Not since she'd gotten here, and he was pretty sure that she never said please in her human life either.

"You're begging me?"He almost laughed and Tamara blushed a little in the darkness. Melvin knew that this would be bad, but sighed, laying back down.

He slid to the edge of the bed, letting her have to wall side, and shut his eyes.

She had almost died today. Almost out of his reach. Almost gone.

When he was sure she was asleep, he opened his eyes. He wasn't sure why, but she wanted him here. A monster, in her bed. He shook his head, having her so close, and his teeth came out a little.

He quickly pulled his head back, away from hers.

He couldn't, no, not this one. He only fed on those he didn't know.

He didn't want to transform the way he did in the water in front of her again, although she claimed it didn't scare her, he felt like a monster, something he didn't want to feel like if he was going to be with her.

He gently brought his face to hers, planting a gentle kiss on her lips as he looked to the sky light, finding it almost day time.

He leaned his head forward to her ear, and whispered.

"I'll see you later.."He whispered and slipped out of the room tiptoeing back to his own.

Isis was sitting on his bed.

"Brother...Did you have fun?" She looked up to him.

"With what?"

"I have a feeling it's you who can tell what."

"I don't understand sister." Melvin kept his face calm and plain, showing nothing, and ignoring everything that was running through his heart and brain.

"Melvin, I'm not angry with you..."She smiled widely, but Melvin didn't back down yet.

"What do you mean?"

"Melvin, you went with my advice, and you...What did you do? You smell like insane amounts of water Darkness." She raised her eyebrow, and he shrugged.

"Took a night swim."

"But I also smell fire Darkness."

"Well, maybe I flew a little too close to a chimney."

"Melvin, I know you. You never do this. Where did you go?"

"Outside."

"Melvin."

He stood his ground, and his sister sighed.

"I'm going to go check Tamara..."Melvin gulped once she looked to the door, and as she passed, he grabbed her arm.

"Don't."

"Why?" She glared, knowing something was up. He was never like this.

"I'll tell you if you stay here and tell NO ONE."

"Melvin, who am I going to tell?"

"Just don't tell anyone."

"Fine." He let go and she sat down, waiting.

"What do you want to know?"

"Where were you tonight?"

"In the mountains."

"With who?" She questioned, and Melvin knew this would be coming. He looked down, debating to tell her or not.

"Tamara." Isis raised her eyebrows in surprise, but she kind of knew he'd be with her. The real questions came next.

"What were you two doing?" She asked slowly, and Melvin's eye's composed a glare as he lowered his eyelids to slits.

"You know I wouldn't do anything."

"I wasn't speaking of such, but it's nice to know that nothing happened pertaining that. But what did you two do?"

"We sat and talked."

"Why do you smell like water Darkness!"

"Because...She accidentally fell into a pool of water..."

"In a sacred forest...?" Isis froze, and Melvin nodded once.

"Yeah..."

"Which one?" She asked cautiously, and Melvin looked down.

"The unknown one..."

"No...Oh Melvin...No no no no no no no! Please...Don't tell me..."

Melvin fell silent.

"YOU PUT HER IN DANGER MELVIN." Isis warned. Melvin nodded.

"But I figured this out, it's not bad, it just has a mind of its own...It sends transformations to a new point. It works with hybrids and blood born."

"Really?" Isis leaned forward.

"Yeah." Melvin nodded, and Isis continued.

"You'll have to show me one day...But Melvin you should know better...You took her to a sacred place..."

"It allowed her in, so I guess it's okay, isn't it?"

"Alright, for now I'll ignore it. But she fell in and you jumped in to save her?"

"Yeah."

"Which pool of water?"

"The center one."

"The unknown one as well? Oh Melvin..."

"I jumped in to save her, but she almost drowned. I had to reject the transformation before it would let me down to the bottom, which caused a whirlpool in the water..."

"Is the water still there?"

"Yes, all of it is."

"Good, alright. And the fire Darkness?"

"She almost transformed when the air hit her body."

"Did you get burned?"

"A little bit..."Melvin nodded, showing her his palms, which had the markings branded into them a little bit.

"Good, you didn't get the Phoenix mark branded."

"It would make it different?"

"The Phoenix would own you." Isis said, and Melvin chuckled a little bit.

"That's not funny Melvin, it's serious." Melvin ignored his sisters words, but knew she was right. The Phoenix would own him, not Tamara.

"Well, that's about it, and I took her home here..."

"You just left her in her room? SHE MUST THINK SHE HAD DIED!"

"No, I came back a long time ago..."

"Then...?"She asked, but then it clicked.

"You stayed there until she woke up?"

"The first time yeah, and I told she had done wrong, then tried to leave."

"And now you're here? She must be frightened..."

"No, she begged me to stay by her...So I did until I was certain she was asleep, and here I am."

"Melvin, you both need sleep..."

"I've told her this..."

"Well it can't be an every night thing...Does she know that?"

"I told her, yes."

"Doesn't mean she knows..."

"Isis, I'm trying. Alright? I'm trying really hard with her..."

"Did you at least tell her where you two stand?"

"She tried asking about that, but I wasn't sure what to say so I told her only she could say that, and she wouldn't because she said I was apart of it..."

"Well, she's got a point. You can't just dump that all on her."

"I wasn't. I'll tell her when I'm sure myself."

"How can you not be sure how you feel? She shows the same feelings Melvin..."

"Well, I'm not sure how far I want to take this with her...But it literally seems I'm not in control anymore...It's out of my hands and it's not in hers..." Melvin sighed, and Isis laughed.

"Then fate has taken matters into it's own hands. Melvin, can't you see? Fate has it all planned out..."

"And what of Akefia? He fancies her as well..."

"But she fancies you..."

"She looks unsure how she feels with him...Through he does upset her, she shivers at the very mention of his name."

"Because she seems to be scared of him. She is uncertain how she feels about him, yes, but if you look at her eyes when you're near, it seems everything is decided with her. Akefia may cause her to want to run, her blood jumping at the mention of his name, but it is yours that says everything is alright, yours that calms every cell in her body. Yours that is the voice of reason..."

"How can you prove this?" Melvin looked over his shoulder to his sister, and she smiled.

"I can, but you must stick with me tomorrow. No going off by yourself."

"That will be easy."

"But first,.."

"Yes?"

"Have you told her about you...?Everything?"

"Not anything but my age and the demon gargoyle's age."

"Melvin, you'll have to be honest with her."

"She hasn't told me her past-"

"How can you expect her to if you don't trust her with yours?" Isis shook her head, and Melvin sighed, nodding.

"You're right...I'll get on that...sometime soon..."

"Hold off on it...She'll respect you more if you have restraints. And she'll be dying to know." Isis smiled, and Melvin looked to the door.

"Should I go back to her? She'd be waking up without me there..."

"Brother you know what's right...Go to her." Isis encouraged.

"But if anyone, besides you, catches us...We're both dead."

"I'll keep them away...I'll take them to town. Make her breakfast." Isis opened the door for Melvin, and nodded.

"And if they come to wake us?"

"I'll say I saw you two training, and to leave you be." She shoved him to Tamara's door where he slipped in silently, to find Tamara awake, and looking at the sky light.

She sat up, surprised, but couldn't really see in the still dark room.

"Melvin?" His eyes looked to hers as he came into view, and she looked up innocently.

Melvin felt like a bit of a monster, looking at the tiny innocent Tamara.

"Sorry, I had to go do something..."

"But you whispered goodbye..."She frowned, and Melvin brought his hand to the side of her face, gently running his fingertips down her face, and putting his head close to hers, gently bumping their noses.

Eskimo kisses.

Tamara looked to Melvin, and he spoke up.

"Lay down, you need sleep."

"Are you going to stay?"

"Do you want me to stay?" She nodded, and Melvin crawled next to her, covering her in blankets.

"Melvin?"

"Tamara, go to sleep..."Melvin sighed, and silence came from Tamara, but she spoke up again.

"I just wanted to ask you a question..."
"After this question, you will go to sleep. Alright?" He looked to her, and felt bad as she looked a little bit hurt from him leaving and to hear a command.

"Well, are you going to stay?" She asked, and seemed a little sweet in Melvin's point of view. He smiled, and pulled her close, his arms coming around hers.

"Of course. Now, go to sleep..." His voice rang in her sleep, but she didn't find anything wrong with that.

Authors Note: This chapter, was alright...I enjoyed it, as I do enjoy writing! :D

Read and review or R&R :D please. But anyways, in this chapter, Tamra finally went on a mission with the Dark Side of the Moon group, and then after she jumped into that secret pool of water like an idiot and nearly killed herself! :D thank goodness Melvin was there.

And then Isis helping Melvin? Can it get any more secret savvy in the family? I'd think not!

I own Tamara and everything to do with the Dark Side of the Moon world, and the people who created the Yu-Gi-Oh characters, own them. I do not allow anyone to use my work whatsoever, no exceptions.