Chapter ten: Rules of the Dark Side
Tamara woke up with the sun rays shining right through the sky light and onto the wall, and she quickly sat up, looking around to the now bright room.
What time was it? Had anyone come to check on here and found Melvin here?
Melvin. She quickly turned her head next to her, to find an asleep Melvin, and she shook him awake.
"Melvin...Wake up...Melvin!" He sighed, and reluctantly opened his eyes, raise his eyebrows with a questionable look.
"Hmm?" He sat up, looking around. He found nothing to be alarmed with and laid his head back down.
"Melvin! Someone could have come in!"
"They didn't and they won't."
"How do you know?" Tamara spat, looking at him with a crazy look.
"Because they aren't here. They're all out with Isis..."He mumbled, yawning.
"What...?"
"Yeah, she said she'd take them.." Tamara still sat up, and looked around.
"So we're the only one's here?"
"Yes." Melvin sighed, and opened his eyes. He wasn't going to get anymore sleep this morning, but almost as if it was a sad happiness, he was okay with that as long as he got to spend it with her.
"Oh..."
Melvin looked up to Tamara, and put his hand on hers.
"So, what are you doing?" He asked, chuckling slightly.
"I don't know...I'm not tired anymore..."
"Probably the Phoenix...It enjoys the day, but with how late you stay up, I'm surprised you're not sleeping like the dead." He kissed her palm, and she smiled.
"I'm surprised you haven't actually told me what weird things I do in my sleep."
"What?" Melvin looked up.
"Yeah, when I was younger, I used to talk, I'm a blanket hog, and sometimes I'll sit up and walk around my room. But that was when I was younger I guess."
"That's adorable." Melvin laughed, and Tamara sighed, taking her hand back.
"It's a bit embarrassing."
"Sorry, I don't mean to laugh...Tell me more." Melvin felt this was what his sister meant, but he didn't even mention an ounce of his past and she was already giving tiny bits.
"No...I'm not ready to talk about it..."She said, and turned her head away from him.
"Well, how about I start with a certain someone's past..?"
"Who's?"
"Someones..."
"Yours?" Tamara asked, and Melvin bit his tongue, shaking his head.
"Maybe, I haven't decided yet..." Melvin breathed, she would know about Kyrah, if he mentioned anything about his past, she'd get the groups, Akefia's and his own all in one. She wasn't ready to know all that yet, but he knew one day, she'd know.
"Melvin? Come on I told you something embarrassing about me...You go." She nudged his arm and he laughed, smiling at her.
"Alright, fine." I'll say something embarrassing from when I was a child."
"What?"
"I used to collect insects..." Melvin said quietly, and Tamara looked at him in surprise, a smile coming to her face.
"I don't believe that..."
"It's true...I used to be meek and shy..." Melvin said, a smile coming to his lips as he he looked at her face.
"You're lying. You're too cool to have been like that." She laughed and he shook his head.
"I'll prove it to you.." Melvin got up, taking Tamara's hand and leading her through the quiet house to the room where the door to his room was.
"Before I show this to you...I want you to promise me that you'll never tell anyone."
"As long as you tell no one about mine, we're fair and square." She smiled up to him, and he laughed, turning to open the door, but held up a finger to her.
"One minute, I'll be right back."
"I can't come in?" Tamara looked a little confused at first, but sighed, and shook her head.
He came back out with something behind his back in his hands and smiled, looking into her eyes through his own half shut eyes.
"I want you...to look at the last one I have of my past..."He revealed a little box that had insects glued to the inside, kept in as good condition as it could be.
"Aw...it's adorable."Tamara smiled, gently touching the butterfly wings, but then moving her hands away.
"It was my first one, and the only one I keep in my closet now." Melvin looked away form her, and she nodded, letting him go put it back. When he returned, she smiled.
He put his arms around her, and smiled down at her.
"Are you hungry?" He asked, ignoring the fact he was starving himself.
"A little, are you?"
"Kind of..."Melvin put his forehead to hers, and his hands moved to her waist. He didn't breathe for a minute, worried she'd reject him or back away. When she didn't and put her arms around his neck, he breathed, and smiled.
"Let's go eat then..."
"Well, I'm not sure if Akefia bought food..."Melvin looked to the kitchen doorway, and sighed.
"We should go see." She slid her arms down his arms, and released his hold on her, causing Melvin to sigh still holding her hand. He knew he shouldn't push it too far too fast, but he just wanted to hold her inside him, buried in his soul.
Which he shook from his head because he feared it sounded creepy.
She walked to the kitchen and he walked behind her, looking around in the cupboards as she looked in the freezer and fridge.
"Anything in there?"Melvin asked, and Tamara shook her head.
"No, what about in there?" She asked and he shook his head.
"Nope, but it's alright. We'll get something later.."
"But I'm hungry now..."She whined and Melvin's shoulders sank.
"We can't go out, because they're out and I'm not sure where..." Melvin looked out the window and tried to think of what to do.
"Well, I can wait..."Tamara sighed, padding out of the kitchen. Melvin followed after her, and once she reached her room, he stopped.
"I'll...I'm going to the roof." Melvin run up the stairs, threw open the door, and turned and breathed as he reached the sun's rays. The wind blew through his hair, and he listened to the sounds of the morning. The suns rays felt like Tamara', and he smiled at the thought, looking down to the edge of the building, when he heard the door open to reveal Tamara dressed for the day.
"Hey, are we going...?" She asked, and seemed eager to go to the woods. Melvin shook his head, and turned to her.
"No where, we have to be here when they get back..."
"Then what are we going to do?"
"Stay here until they get back." Melvin sighed, hating to know he disappointed her, but this time Isis wasn't here to save him from Akefia. He knew better then to do anything else. His luck would be the moment they leave, the others came back, or even worse that they'd run into them.
Tamara looked almost hurt as she turned away, but then looked back to find Melvin looking at her.
"Not how things work huh?" She asked, and Melvin nodded once, tilting to his head to the side as his face showed an understanding emotion.
"Nothing seems to work at all in this twisted world." Tamara said, sourly turning away and slamming the door behind her. Melvin sighed, knowing exactly what she was doing, but fell to her trap anyways.
"What did the door do to you?" He asked, his tone not light, but not upset. Questionable, in his normal calm tone.
"It was there." She spat back, almost like a cat that lost it's toy.
"So I suppose if I were the door you'd slam me against a wall?" He raised an eyebrow.
Tamara looked to him with eyes that struck his vacant soul, pierced through his heart and reached every inch of his brain. His lungs stopped working for a minute and the world seemed to stop spinning, even for just a moment.
"I suppose that depends."
"On what?" He questioned, the world spinning again, and his body back in control. Which was little next to nothing compared to all the control he lost of his mind and soul.
"On who pissed me off."
"So what you're saying is, that if it were someone else who'd pissed you off, you'd slam me into a wall?"
"Well, no, if you directly pissed me off, and you just so happened to be a door, Sure I'd slam you right into that well ten times without thinking twice." Tamara shrugged, and Melvin's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Without remorse?" He asked, his voice almost nonexistent.
"I'd feel bad afterward...Go check if everything was okay."
"I'm surprised after an act like that, that you'd care about my physical health, considering I am much more strongly built then you." Melvin gave a smirk, playing around with her, and she smiled back.
"I wouldn't check on you, oh no, I'd go see if I broke that poor wall." She laughed and walked off as Melvin sighed, a ghost of a smile on his face.
"But it'd of been my fault the wall broke, considering it was my body that came in contact with it."
"But weren't you a door? Doors have poorly built bodies." She laughed again, and Melvin laughed along with her. When she was like this, he was more relaxed.
Which honestly did more harm than good.
"Well, I'm not a door. But would you still slam me into a wall?"
"Alright, you're not a door. What kind of question is that?"
"You answered it without fail before..."
"WE WERE PRETENDING YOU WERE A DOOR!" She threw her arms in the air, looking at him with a look of questionable sanity.
"Well, it's serious question now." He fought off laughter, and she sighed, her shoulders sinking.
"What reason would I have to? Besides, before I could even touch you, you'd have me pinned against a wall." She looked at him through lowered eyelids, and he smiled.
"You're right. I would."
"Okay, serious question for you as well."
"What?" Melvin asked, and smiled, in a good mood.
"Where do we stand in your eyes?" The good and light mood fell into something denser, and she had him by surprise, as Melvin blinked a few times to get his brain back on track.
"In my eyes? We're wherever I want us to stand. On a mountain, here in the hallway." He shrugged, playing it off. It was answer. Not the one she was looking for, but an answer to her question.
"Relationship wise Melvin..."
"My turn for a question." He wagged a finger, a smirk on his lips.
"When did we begin playing twenty questions?" She complained, but Melvin laughed lightly, deciding on a question more about her.
"What's your favorite color?" He asked, and she sighed again, looking up to his eyes.
"Green. What's yours?" She figured he was ignoring it for a reason and would get her answer later.
"Hmm...Yours is green? I wonder why, but it's my turn to answer, isn't it? I'd have to say purple."
"Purple?" Tamara raised an eyebrow, and he nodded.
"Why is yours green?"
"Because, ivy used to grow up the brick walls of my house when I was a kid, and it covered my window completely, so it's inspired me bit by bit. Most would get sick of it, but back then, that was a promise, a thing that I knew would always be there." She shrugged, and Melvin nodded.
"Touching and deep."
"Hardly, but why is yours purple?"
"Just is. Lilac to be exact, it just...Calls to my fancy." He smiled, and she nodded.
"Won't you tell me about your past, Tamara?" Melvin asked, looking ahead and away from her almost entirely.
"Why should I? That's all people seem to want around here...Isn't it enough to be someone without your past? Must I be judged because what I can't control? What happened so long ago?" She questioned, almost spitefully.
"It was just a question. You should know by now, I'm not like the others."
"Everyone says that when they want something for another reason. And for once I was really thinking something might to be so messed up about this world." Tamara threw him one last acid glance, and sped off down the hall, slamming her room door.
Melvin sighed, he should have known better. She was defensive and careful about where she let people in. They weren't close enough yet, but he couldn't help but be just a bit curious how she came to be. How she developed into something that almost reached into what little of a soul he had left.
He also felt bad for slightly lying to her...But it wasn't really a lie. In a way, him and Marik were connected, but secretly, nothing like Bakura and Ryou, they were clones.
Melvin and Marik however, were not. They only happened to look like each other, thanks to Melvin's blood saving Marik.
Speaking of the very boy Melvin was thinking of, Marik approached him, tapping lightly on his shoulder. In a vacant form, spirit form.
"Melvin."
"Marik, hello." Melvin said, turning. Marik nodded, and looked down from Melvin.
"I wish to tell her...I know I haven't been in the best position to due such, but I can not find anything without getting closer to her, and she has not seen me fight..Fully."
"What you do is your choice, why come to me?"
"Because you are four times my elder. It would be wise-"
"Wise doesn't really matter in this situation, now does it?"
"Not much, no." Marik looked up to him, and Melvin nodded, stepping aside.
"Fair warning, she's upset."
"Upset?"
"You know how she gets. Exactly like a fire would. Dim and bright."
"Explosive, Melvin?"
"Briefly."
"I should wait then. Alright, I'm going back to the group." Marik nodded, and left Melvin's presence.
Melvin slowly walked to Tamara's room and knocked on the door lightly.
"Mara? May I come in?" He asked, his voice flowing like water into Tamara's ears, pouring into her veins and calming her very blood. She didn't feel angry anymore, she only felt happy and energized around Melvin, calm.
"No." She replied, but he came in anyways.
She didn't look to him as he entered the room, and continued staring at the ceiling.
"Tamara...Look at me..." He coaxed, and she fought back looking in his direction.
"Fine, don't look at me. But I know you're listening...I didn't mean it like that. A person isn't judged on their past, and me of all people should know that. I just want to know how..." Melvin stopped, he was just babbling now, and almost said the wrong thing. He almost let his thoughts fall out of his mouth.
"Know how what?" Tamara asked, only slightly glaring at him.
"Nothing."
"No, you were saying something, now go ahead and say it." She demanded, and Melvin sighed, walking over to her bed, and looking down at her.
"Do I have a choice?"
"Yes, and that's to tell me, or get out." Tamara said and Melvin fought a smile, debating to look at the door. Tamara say his eyes flicker towards it, and spoke quickly.
"If you leave I won't ever talk to you again. I'll hate you-"
"Tamara don't be so childish. I was kidding."Melvin sighed, and she calmed down, trying hard to fight the feeling of wanting to pull him down to have his arms wrapped around her. She ignored it, and waited.
"I wanted to know how you came to be this...This woman that grabs a hold of my heart, body and soul, by force, and holds me close to her. Draws my skin to ache for her touch, my ears yearn for her voice, my eyes practically beg for her to be in their sight. Tamara, I want to know how you became so mesmerizing to me..." Melvin whispered, his hand finding hers and intertwining their fingers.
"Why? My past will only ruin who I am for you, besides, its a past that's worthwhile if it's ignored and unheard."
"I don't care what your past is or has been. It doesn't change who you are now, nor who you will be...What matters now, is that you're here..."He kissed her palm and forehead, running his fingertips through her hair gently, and down her jaw line.
Tamara thought for a moment, and as her heart beat slowed down immensely, beating into his skin.
His face lingered towards hers, almost as if he felt her heartbeat slow down, in sync with his own.
"Mara...Are you still mad at me?" He smiled, his eyes softer.
His teeth felt hollow with an aching, a longing, and he ignored it, not wanting to waste a minute away from her when he had such few minutes until they came back. He didn't want to have to go away from her, he liked being by her, it made him have this feeling...A new feeling of rebirth, acceptance, like he could finally let his guard and wall down and just be himself around her.
And he more then anything wanted to be able to have the option to just get up and run away. He knew he should, he knew this road all too well, but he didn't think it would end the same way, and he already put it in Isis' eyesight, if he changed his path at all now, she would say something.
But she didn't want him hurt, and walking away would hurt, more then ever. Having her walk away would make his world fall apart, because now he had something to form it off of, around it. Before he had felt he was missing all the pieces, threw it all away because he was missing one, but it was too early to say such.
"I should go..." He said, realizing his truth, and going back to his calm slate.
"Why?" Tamara asked, and her eyes pleaded into his. He turned his head away, standing up and starting towards the door.
"Don't you hate that word?" He asked, turning his head, but avoiding her as he looked to the wall.
"Sometimes it slips...It's unavoidable..." She sat up, looking to Melvin's figure with a sad feeling.
"And now you don't hate it so much?" He asked, and Tamara thought for a minute.
When it had to do with him, why he was leaving, it hurt more then she hated it. It was a stabbing pain in her heart, which she felt was nonexistent. Being with Melvin confused her, but calmed her and made her understand almost everything. She wasn't sure to trust it, but found herself craving his company in contrast. Melvin was safety, something familiar and nice, someone she could fall apart and unravel with and not be so strong like the rest.
But doing so, she found herself an idiot. She'd been her before, she needed to stop being stupid and get her head out of the clouds.
She shook her head, and sighed.
"Leave." Her voice sounded angry, but she tried for indifferent. The way she should it was him just being a one time thing. The game should be staying away. But she knew the moment she thought that, that she wouldn't be able to. Too many things she had accepted, and one of those things was him. It was already happening again, it all being her stupid fault.
She hadn't realized she had started panting and looking off into space, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. Melvin only debated a moment, and he took a stride towards her, putting a hand on her head.
"Tamara." He said, and she looked up, angry, sad and a little scared. Last time something like this happened...Last time she trusted...No, she wouldn't think of him again. That stupid boy, she wouldn't grant him any part in her mind body or soul, nothing for him.
"What?" She spat, smacking his hand away. He sighed.
"Don't be that way...Quit leaving me out."Melvin closed his eyes, his eyebrows knitting together slightly.
"Out of what?"
"Out of your life. Tamara, I have no idea what you've been through, you've never told me your past. How can I know what I'm doing or right? I HAVE NO IDEA. But I'm going to do my best on not hurting you. Got that? Whatever happened to you, won't happen again." Melvin's words poured out, and he found himself saying more then he'd like. It seemed to work though, and she hugged him around his waist, something she didn't do at all, considering she wasn't big on touching.
Melvin hugged her back, and lifted her chin up to look at him.
He smiled, and as he heard the others come in through the front door, he sighed. His time was up, but at least the dust was settled some.
"I'll see you later, I've got to go greet them. Would you like to come with?"
"Sure..." She said, letting go and going to the door first.
She was silent as she watched the rest of her team come home, crossing her arms across her chest, an indifferent look on her face.
"Tamara. You're awake."
"Why wouldn't I be? With you making all that noise." She sighed, looking away from Akefia. He chuckled, patting her head.
"Glad to see you're still your cranky self."
"You were only gone a few hours, why would I be different?"
"Because you change from hot to cold, you merciless Phoenix." He laughed, and she rolled her eyes.
"Tamara, I need you outside." Melvin said, his voice a bit more calm and husky. A leaders voice, and Tamara's shoulders arched upon hearing it.
"For what?" She turned around and Melvin looked at her, raising an eyebrow.
"For something important." He pointed towards the door.
Tamara walked out to find Bakura, Ryou, and Marik.
"Training? Again?" She whined, and Melvin sighed, walking over to them.
"No, but I think it's time you knew a little bit about us. It's a team exercise."
"Oh, goody." She said sarcastic and Melvin shot her a look.
"Behave."
"I can only imagine how you two kept this house clean. She must have been a pain to deal with." Bakura smiled, playing.
"Bakura, I honestly don't need this. Both of you stop. We are here for something serious."
"And what's that?" Ryou asked, looking to Melvin. Melvin looked to Marik, and waved his hand out towards everyone.
"You have the floor Marik."
"I didn't think I'd have to say it in such a public manor."
"They already know, and it's show-and-tell." Melvin smiled to himself, but kept a calm face.
Marik stepped forward, and looked directly to Tamara.
"I've lied." He said, his eyes almost looking into the Phoenix's soul, which Tamara believed was the only soul there.
"Really now, what did you lie about? Being male?" She spat, and Melvin sighed, lightly placing his palm on her head, and leaning his head down to whisper in her ear.
"Apologize, this is serious and he is not your enemy, but your ally."
Tamara grumbled, but looked up to Marik.
"Sorry...Go on." Marik nodded, and continued.
"Me and Melvin aren't clones. Actually, we're only similar because he has my blood." Tamara whipped around to face Melvin, who only shrugged.
"What? You drank from him?" Melvin's eyes widened, and he looked to her with a crazy look.
"NO!Let him explain..." Tamara turned back to Marik, and spoke up.
"What do you mean?"
"Let me finish the whole story..No it goes with all of our back stories...If you're ready to hear them."
"As long as I don't have to say mine, I'm fine."
"You know we could just go back to that damn village you lived in and ask what your problem was, right?" Bakura chuckled and Melvin glared.
"As I was saying, Melvin and I aren't clones, and only look similar because he took a lot of my blood one day..."
"Well don't give me details." Tamara's sarcasm reached his ears, and Marik sighed.
"I fear I don't have time for details, another mission is tonight."
"Well, don't spare them and keep talking."
"Fine. One day, when we were attacked, Melvin was almost killed, and had about half his body torn off and away. He was just a human soldier, who had only been here a few weeks, not long enough to have testing, we didn't have enough DNA for that. But Gremlins were the main force then, and it was an injured one who got Melvin. Akefia had to put in demon's blood and Gargoyle's just to keep his heart beating, and his blood wasn't enough, so he gave him a lot of mine..."
"Human blood would have healed him?"
"No, Tamara, that's what I've been meaning to tell you...I'm a fallen angel..." As Marik said the words, black fathered wings spread from his back and a dark purple and black hue came around his image. A few pieces to a broken halo formed above his head, as long as a shield and long sword that filed his arms. His hair went from blonde to black, and his eyes shown a bright green. He looked to Tamara, and held his breath waiting.
"What does your blood do?" Tamara asked after studying him.
"Angels blood heals anything...And a long time ago, I was assigned to Melvin as his guardian angel. When he came here, I became a fallen angel. Light had burned out in my world, thus in Melvin's world. We are connected, and I consider him my brother."
"What about Isis?"
"Melvin's sister, but welcomes me as a brother as well." Marik said, and Tamara thought about all that had been said.
"Alright then. That's it?" She looked up, and smiled up at him. He smiled back, and looked to Ryou and Bakura.
"Yeah, but on the other hand, they are clones." Ryou looked to Bakura just as Bakura looked to Ryou, and Bakura spoke up.
"I got the good genes though." He laughed and Melvin sighed.
"Alright, story time is over for you Marik. Now-" Melvin began speaking but was cut off by Akefia coming outside.
"Melvin. I need you a minute." He waved Melvin in, and Melvin walked over.
Bakura came next to Tamara, putting a hand on the side of her face and moving her head to look up at him.
"See you later doll face." He winked, and walked away laughed. Tamara scuffed, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Whatever."
"Miss Tamara, I bid you a fair evening." Ryou bowed, a bright smile on his face, and followed after Bakura, leaving her with Marik.
"So fallen angel huh?"
"Phoenix huh?" He half smiled, tilting his head, and She laughed.
"Yeah. Except you know how I got mine, I don't even have to tell you." She laughed lightly, and Marik put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't stress it. You just needed to know our past. I hope you don't hate me still."
"I have a little more of an understand with you, can't say I hate you." She looked at him sideways.
"How would you like to take a trip on the town tonight, with me and Bakura?"
"Seriously?" She sighed, and Marik nodded.
"It'll be fun, come on. I don't think things will get too weird...Just a karaoke bar." He smiled, and Tamara laughed.
"You're kidding. Because you two are such big bad men. Sure why not?" Tamara agreed, and walked inside.
An: this chapter was actually cut in half. I mean it already is long enough here, but the second half that was cut off, still needs work I'll get there, but for now, here :)
DON'T FORGET TO R&R
I OWN THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, TAMARA, AND THIS story. I DO NOT OWN THE YU-GI-OH CHARACTERS, AND ALL RIGHTS TO THE YU-GI-OH CHARATERS GO TO THE CREATORS.
I DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE USAGE OF ANYTHING I OWN.