---This story is making me feel like I'm a full time writer. I get up, do stuff around the apartment, write, nap, write some more, hang out with friends, write some more, chill and watch old Nick Toons on my computer (Rocko's Modern Life anyone?), edit what I wrote that day, go to bed, end up writing another PAGE AND HALF before actually falling asleep.

I even have the mismatched argyle socks! (fifty points to anyone who get that reference)---

Of You And Me:
Chapter Eight

Boy what a day. Isis Ishtar let out a loud sigh as she approached her home. It had been a Friday afternoon, practically the start of the weekend. The Domino Museum where she and her step-brother Rishid worked was busier then it had been all week. Rishid had been asked to stay over, the museum was still swamped with tourist and families out enjoying the cool weather while they can. Soon fall would be upon them full force, and it would only be a matter of time before they'd be facing the blistering winds of winter.

Reaching the front door, Isis reached into her purse to dig out her keys. It was in vain, however, because when Isis slid her key into the door knob she noticed that the door was already unlocked.

Strange, she thought to herself. They always kept the door locked, even when they were home. Just as a precaution, you know, to keep the crazy crack heads and stuff out. She figured her younger brother just forgot to lock it when he got home from school, he could be pretty spacey like that sometimes.

A thought that was erased from her mind when she opened the door.

Even without the Millennium Necklace she used during Battle City, Isis still had a heightened sense of psychic ability. She could read auras, and the air inside the home hung heavy. She could feel that something wasn't right.

Isis cautiously stepped over the threshold and into the living room. It seemed eerily dark. Granted, dusk had fallen and there were blinds covering the windows in the living space... but still, it was a lot dimmer then it should have been. Isis closed the door behind her. A deadly silence fell over the home. She dared herself to venture further in. What was this presences she felt? She thought that she had experienced it somewhere before.

"Malik?" Isis called.

The air around her seemed to grow darker with each step she took. Finally she reached her little brother's room. The door was open and the room inside was pitch black. There was definitely something wrong. It wasn't like her brother to have his room like that. He hated the dark, he always had a light on. The ominous feeling Isis had grew steadily worse.

She called again, "Malik!"

"Ah, welcome home, sister," a voice filtered from the room. It was her brother's voice... but it wasn't at the same time. His tone was sneering, sinister, and all too familiar to Isis's ears. Her stomach dropped when he appeared in the doorway. His lips curved into a twisted smirk, his platinum hair stood on end, a near miss for a rats nest. Her brother's once lavender eyes were now shaded a deep violet. No, not her brother's eyes... this wasn't her brother.

"Marik!" the name came out in a shuddered gasp.

His face spilt into a horrible grin, showing off his pointed teeth.

"I'm pleased you remember me, sister," Marik drawled, "I was so sad that my weaker half had all but forgotten about me. But don't fret, sister, it didn't take long to... remind him."

His hands twitched, Isis saw blood on them. Fingernails had dug harshly into the palms. Marik licked his lips.

"Oh yes," he continued, "He succumb very easily. Barely even put up a fight. Not like last time. Perhaps he learned who the better half was."

Isis was lost for words, or maybe her brain didn't want to process what the blonde psychopath was saying. Either way, the only thing she could breathe was, "I thought Pharaoh banished you."

"Did he?" Marik asked with the air of someone inquiring about the weather, "My dear sister, I am not a spirit. You cannot banish something that's a part of you."

He chuckled and leaned closer to Isis, "I am Malik."

"You are not my brother," Isis told him. Told herself.

Marik clicked his tongue, "It hurts so much to hear you say that, sister."

Isis hated the way he called her that. He made it sound like an insult every time.

"You are not my brother!" Isis shrieked.

Bloody hands grabbed her. She was slammed hard against the wall, framed art next to her crashed loudly to the floor. The noise seemed to echo through the quiet home. Isis couldn't help but let out a groan of pain as Marik held her tightly to the wall. He leaned in close.

"You're right, sister," Marik said, he seemed almost... serious, "Would your brother do this?"

Their lips met.

Isis's eyes widened further then they ever had in her life. As much as she wanted to tell herself differently, this still was her brother. Her stomach churned, oh Ra, she was going to be sick. Marik's long tongue slithered out and pried Isis's mouth open. As his tongue explored her mouth hungrily, Isis had a fleeting thought to bite him. She discarded the idea though, because this monster that had taken over her brother would probably enjoy it, it wouldn't stop him.

Finally Marik broke the kiss.

He leaned in further and whispered into Isis's ear, "Incest is best."

Isis's mind tensed, while her body went completely numb. She fell to her knees when Marik let go of her. Isis was now facing his crotch, his arousal was evident. She looked up into his face, horrified.

"D-don't!" she begged.

"Don't worry," Marik ran his fingers through her hair, "I want somebody else, or should I say... they want me."

The blonde chuckled to himself. This didn't seem to comfort Isis at all. Marik glanced down into her eyes, he almost took his words back. A grasp of her hair, a quick unzip. He might not have a Millennium Item anymore, but it was all to easy to control people and bend them to his will. Screw the Millennium Tinny Stick, he had a better rod. And right now Isis was in the perfect position to...

Marik shook his head. No, not now. He had bigger and better plans for his rod. He'd come back to break this trollop later.

"I'm going out now," Marik announced, his fingers left her hair as he swept over to the front door, "Don't wait up for me, sister."

---(--)---

Ryou walked slowly through the streets of Domino, relishing the beautiful night that was unfolding as the sun dipped down below the horizon. One of the very few things he shared with the spirit of the Millennium Ring was a love of the night. As beautiful as it was outside there was still something in the air that seemed... foreboding.

...it sure got dark fast...

The voice in the back of his mind commented.

"It's fall, Bakura," Ryou said out loud, ignoring the strange looks he was receiving from passer-byers. He was all to use to strange looks being thrown in his direction, "The days always get shorter in fall."

The voice said nothing.

Ryou looked up at the thick clouds that covered the sky. He pulled his uniform jacket tighter around his thin frame. It had gotten much colder while he was at Yugi's, he had not prepared for the sudden weather change.

The white haired teen thought back to what happened at the Game Shop earlier that day. After Malik had left an awkward silence fell over the group. Nobody knew what to say or what to do. And really, what could they do? Chase the blonde down and tackle him into some ally? That didn't seem very... nice.

Not for the ragtag group of friends at least. So the subject was ignored and other, happier, subjects took it's place.

Ryou couldn't let it go though.

"Do you think Malik is ok?" he wondered out loud.

...i don't know...

The voice answered solemnly.

"You don't think..." Ryou trailed off. He was met with a stoney silence from the spirit, "I mean... this is the first time he's acted... strange... right? So that can't possibly mean..."

...no...

The voice said simply.

"What?" Ryou asked.

...there was a time before, yandonushi, where I could tell that something was bothering him...

Ryou's gaze fell sadly to the ground. He watched his feet as he walked. He had grown used to the spirit withholding information from him, but they had been so open with each other lately. It hurt to know that the spirit would keep something like that from him. The spirit must have sensed this because the next thing he whispered through the hikari's mind was:

...I'm sorry I didn't tell you...

"It's ok," Ryou smiled. He couldn't help but smile, the spirit had been changing so much lately. Everything had been getting better for the white haired teen.

The smile faltered quickly, however, something still tugged on his heart.

"I'm worried about Malik," Ryou whispered.

...do you mind going to sleep early tonight?...

Ryou bit his lip.

"Bakura?"

...yes...

"Please keep Malik safe."

...I'll try, yandonushi, I'll try...

---I blame Ken for this chapter. And the Kaiba-cest we got going on xD---