Hello everyone and happy July! Forgive me for the very late update. I know it's been almost three months, but writer's block, lack of inspiration and a busy schedule can do that to you, you know?

Thank you Ataahua, LadyKeren, UsagiAngelRabbit, presea221 and AlphaSarahsaPack for reviewing!

Also a thank you to ChbiOtaku95, yugioh27, Jessikins1, KowlaQueen, Naiira Harlow, meijosui and Zexiroth15 for following/favoring the story!

60 reviews and over 5,500 views? You all make me so happy! Thank you again for your support! I really means a lot! :)

I'm happy that I finally got this done and I hope that you all will like this chapter! Enjoy this new chapter of Kizuna and please review when you're finished.

Chapter warning: Language and more emotional woes as usual.

Chapter 13

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

After Yami's army of monsters threw Ra into the gigantic magic circle, Marik felt his soul transition through a dimensional plane and back into his body. Switching places had taken a toll on his body; he felt like his soul was stitched back into his body with a very large and sharp needle. He panted as he tried to keep his balance, but the transition made him want to collapse, but he knew that he couldn't allow himself to fall. Readjusting to being corporeal was more difficult than he thought, but he knew that he had work to do. Slowly, the aches and pain started to disappear. He was elated; he could finally feel himself returning to normal. He ripped his dark side's beloved cape from his body and heavily tossed it aside. It was like a weight had been lifted from him. He managed a small smile before giving a serious look to his opponent and newly acquired ally.

"There's one more thing that the two of us have to complete. I still have one life point left."

Beside him, Yami Marik's eye had appeared. The last thing he remembered was being thrown into the Dark Magician duos magic circle and losing control of everything. His soul was thrown about in a dark vortex. He lost the feeling of being corporeal and returned to that familiar feeling of being in the shadows. Everything quickly slowed down and he came to a halt. After regaining his vision and his confusion leaving him, he panicked once he realized what was going on; he had switched places with his good half and Marik could feel his fear. Marik smirked evilly at him; for once in what seemed like an eternity to him, he had the upper hand. "Look who's switched places!" he said sarcastically.

As much as he wanted to cuss Marik out, he knew he no longer had control over his situation. The only thing that he could do was to watch his words or they would get him killed. He had to convince Marik to not kill him.

"M-m-marik! D-do you know w-what is h-happening?!"

"Yes, I know exactly what's happening." he replied calmly.

He began to panic. Then it turned to rage. 'How could this happen?! I was in control! I had the power!' he thought. He didn't want his short lived life to end, especially by Marik's hand.

"You can't have this life! I'll bury you with my own hands!"

Marik quickly glared at him. "Shut up! The only one who will be burying someone is me! I can't wait to get rid of you, especially after seeing what you did to everyone!"

Yami Marik continued to yell at him, but Marik ignored him and looked towards Yami again. Marik apologized to everyone for all of his transgressions. He knew that he didn't have the best life, but he focused on the positive things, like his siblings. They fought tooth and nail for his well being and he couldn't feel more blessed than he was at that moment. He quickly flashed a warm smile at Ishizu and Odion, who were relieved to see the old Marik was here to stay. He also apologized for rejecting his familial duty and turning his back on Yami and decided to start over for the better.

Marik turned to face Yami again. "My family has waited three thousand years for your return, and now I must fulfill my destiny by helping you fulfill yours."

Marik closed his eyes and slowly raised his hand above his duel disk. He thought back to his past and the crimes he had committed. 'It's almost over…' he thought. Then visions of a new future filled his mind. He wanted to live a normal life and be happy with his family and Mimiki by his side. He smiled softly as he thought about her. 'Mimi...I can't wait to see you soon. We can finally start over and be happy.'

His hand hovered above his deck. It was finally time for him to step into his bright and shiny future.

Yami Marik started to panic again. "No, stop!" he pleaded. "You still need me! Don't do this! You'll regret it! I'll make you regret it!"

Marik didn't even bother turning to his self-created monster. "Ha! That's amusing! You're in no position to bargain or threaten me!" he scoffed. "I regret nothing about this! I'm moving on without you!"

Rage filled his dark half once more. 'You will pay for this!' he thought. 'I will make sure of it! You will NOT have a bright future when I'm through with you! If I can't be happy, you won't be either!'

Yami Marik stayed silent as Marik rested his hand over his deck, surrendering the duel. Yami Marik screamed as the final remnant of his soul disappeared and the last of his dark magic gone with him. The shadows receded as the sunlight broke through. Yugi's spirit was restored and floated down to the ground, relieved to see himself in one piece again. He even did a happy dance.

Roland cleared his throat. "The winner of the Battle City tournament is Yugi Mutou!"

The platform lowered itself and everyone ran up to Yami, yelling and cheering in excitement. The storm had passed and everyone was going to be alright.

Ishizu and Odion ran up to their brother, who was happy to see the sun again as the bright and welcoming rays kissed his tan skin and the breeze embraced his body. He gave them a look of regret and apologized again for everything he had done. They threw everything in the past and hugged one another. The two older Ishtars were just happy that their small family was whole again.

Ishizu then instructed Marik to complete his familial duty. He handed Ra over to Yami, then he revealed the carvings on his back to Yami and the gang, receiving ogling eyes from Kakayu and Tea. He didn't have to turn around to see the two girls drilling holes into his muscular back. Marik laughed mentally, thinking how Mimiki would react at the fact that her cousin and friend had a chance to see him shirtless before she did. Afterwards, he handed the rod and Ra over to Yami.

"All of my evil side's victims will return very soon." he said happily.

Everyone cheered at the happy news. "Yea! Mai, Mims and Bakura are back!"

Yami smiled and nodded. "Thank you. We'll be happy to see them and I know that you and Mimiki will be very happy to see each other again."

Marik nodded in return with a big smile. "That I am. I can't wait to see her!"

After all was said and done, Marik gave Yami the millennium ring and quickly put his shirt back on.

Kaiba quickly declared the tournament over and announced that he was going to blow up the island. Everyone quickly heeded his words and ran for the elevator. As it descended, Marik was anxious to get to the bottom. He could already see her bright blue eyes and wide smile.

'Here I come, Mimi!'

The elevator quickly reached the bottom and everyone eagerly ran to the ship. Joey ran into Mai's room while Kakayu and Marik ran for Mimiki's room.

Mimiki was still stuffed away in her bed, sleeping her day away.

"Mimi!" the two called in unison.

They walked up to her bed and hovered over her. "Mimi, you lazy bum! Wake up! I know that you like sleeping, but geez girl!" Kakayu said before she let out a nervous laugh. They grew worried that she still wasn't awake after another five minutes had passed, but Kakayu tried to keep hope alive. The room was quiet until Marik decided to speak up.

"Mimiki...wake up, please…" he said.

After a minute, his heart started to sink. "Mimiki...come on now...wake up!" he commanded, but with a cracked voice. "If this is a joke, it isn't funny!"

With no signs of a change, Marik's heart felt like it stopped for a moment. "Mimiki…?"

The same damning feeling started to creep into Kakayu's heart. She quickly ran out of the room to get the others and the doctor.

Back in Mai's room, everyone was celebrating Mai's recovery. Mai had woken up and was in good spirits, so good that she prolonged her dark magic induced sleep when Joey arrived. Serenity played along and enjoyed seeing how much her brother truly cared about Mai, even though he wasn't quick to admit his feelings. Everyone laughed as the two blondes playfully argued with one another. Now that everything was over, it truly felt like old times.

"So, now that Mai's awake, then Mimiki should be awake too, right?" Tea asked.

Her question was quickly answered when Kakayu quickly ran into the room with panic in her eyes. "Guys! It's Mimiki!"

Everyone quickly left the room and walked inside Mimiki's room to find Marik hovering over Mimiki. After another five minutes, she had yet to wake up.

"Mimiki! Mimiki!" he called out. "Wake up! Open your eyes! Please!" he pleaded.

She still didn't respond to his voice. Out of panic, Marik tried to shake her awake. Mimiki still didn't respond, no movement whatsoever. Marik's heart dropped when he bent over to hear if she was breathing. Those awful memories in the desert years ago flooded his mind.

"MIMIKI!" he screamed. She was barely breathing.

It was just like deja vu. A young Marik was hovering over his best friend's body, who he found buried in the desert sand.

It was the day before her birthday. The Ishtars decided to give her a birthday party and Marik had planned on telling her how he felt about her. Everything was going well until Marik had ruined the sweet moment between them. With a mix of uncertainty and shyness, Marik had started a fight with her while he gave her his gift.

"How do I look?"

Mimiki had just walked into the room adorned with a dress and jewelry that Ishizu had given her. It was a white dress that she could no longer fit, so Ishizu had made some alterations and added an intricate floral design in gold around the huge sleeves and the bottom hem. She had also given her some gold earrings and a simple headdress with a polished rose quartz jewel in the middle. She was smiling ear to ear as she twirled around, watching the dress swish from side to side.

Marik gasped at her radiance and blushed. Everything had fit her perfectly and she looked like a princess. Ishizu and Odion had complimented her appearance while Marik kept staring at her.

"Well Marik? How do you think I look?" she asked blushing. Ishizu and Odion took this opportunity to leave the room unnoticed, hoping that he would confess his feelings to her.

He felt like his voice was stolen until he finally found the words he wanted to say. "You're beautiful."

The two teenagers blushed and Mimiki looked down a bit, scuffing her foot on the floor with slight embarrassment from his compliment. Silence grew between them as she locked eyes with him again. Fidgeting and nervous about what was to come, Marik quickly handed her another small box.

"This is for you Mimi. I hope that you like it."

She smiled as she took the box and opened it. Inside laid lapis lazuli, peridot and carnelian triple beaded bracelets, three in all. They all had three fire blown colored clay flowers on them; one being white water lilies, pink lotus flowers, and lastly cornflowers. Each flower had a corresponding jewel in them; the water lilies had lapis lazuli, the lotus had peridots and the cornflowers had carnelians.

Mimiki's eyes widened as she looked at them. "Marik! These are beautiful!" she exclaimed. "But I can't accept these! This is too much! Why did you spend so much money on me? You didn't have to do that."

Marik looked up towards the ceiling, still blushing. "Well, I made them myself. The jewels weren't hard to come by. I had some help from Ishizu and Odion. My mother had taught them various skills before she died. Jewel making and mining are one of the ways our family has earned income over the years, so it's okay. Besides, you're my best friend. You deserve the best!" he said as he slipped the lotus bracelet onto her tiny wrist. His heart jumped as he held her hand. He stared at the bracelet as it wrapped around her slender wrist, making her seem more beautiful in his eyes. "See? Fits perfectly!" he said with a sheepish grin.

Mimiki quickly hugged him tightly, catching him off guard. "Thank you Marik! I don't deserve such a good friend like you! You're too kind...sometimes." she added jokingly as she let a out a small laugh.

"But really, I appreciate this. This is the best birthday ever. Thank you." He blushed again as she released him from her hug, but he quickly grabbed her arms and they locked eyes again. Their faces were less than a foot away from each other and Marik could feel himself getting hotter. The tension between them grew and Marik couldn't handle it anymore. He had to distract them both; it was the only way to defuse the situation, in his boyish opinion.

"Well I'm only kind sometimes? I guess you're beautiful...sometimes." he replied, grinning mischievously. Mimiki puffed up her cheeks like always, which he thought was cute.

"Hey! I was joking! You're so ruining our nice moment, Marik! Don't be a jerk on my birthday!" She spat before sticking her tongue out.

He sighed mentally. 'It's working already! Gotta keep it going!'

"It's not your birthday yet, Mimi. It's tomorrow, remember?" he said, still sporting his grin.

"Don't treat me like that! This party was not my idea! You asked me to come over, remember?"

Marik smirked at her attitude. This was the perfect diversion from his feelings. Now that the mood was gone, he didn't have to tell her how he felt. 'Mission accomplished!'

"Yeah, yeah." He replied. Mimiki groaned. "You can be such a jerk sometimes!"

He replied with the same "yeah, yeah" response to make her more angry.

"Marik, why are you trying to ruin my party?! It was going nice until you had to open your mouth!" As she kept complaining, Marik grew irritated and turned to her. Although he started her on her ranting rampage, he wished that she'd shut up.

"Mimiki!" he yelled.

"WHAT?!" she yelled back.

"Would you please shut up?!" he asked as he grabbed her by her waist with one arm and cupped her cheek with his other hand and closed the gap between them; their lips finally connecting as Mimiki's eyes grew as big as dinner plates. It felt like an eternity before Marik broke the kiss. His lips tingled greatly as he blushed and looked away to try to recover from the bold move he just made. It felt way better than he imagined. Mimiki on the other hand, was as red as a tomato and still in shock, her mouth slightly agape, reeling from what just happened.

He had stolen Mimiki's first kiss.

Marik snickered then made the horrible decision to open his mouth again. "I knew that you were cute when you were quiet, but I didn't know that you'd be this beautiful when you're in shock and awe! You don't have to thank me, just forget about the whole thing."

Mimiki quickly snapped out of her shock, hurt at what he had said.

"What do you mean "forget about the whole thing?" That was my first kiss! You stole it from me and you want me to forget about it?!"

He turned and looked at her and immediately felt awful about was he said when he saw the pain and sadness in her eyes. He had never seen her like this before. Mimiki clenched her fists tightly, fighting back her tears. Anger exploded as she landed a hard slap on his cheek, tears staining her face.

"I can't stand you sometimes, you-you stupid...boy! I'm leaving!" She quickly ran out of the room and left the tomb.

Minutes later, she was trapped in a sand storm. She tried her best to find shelter and hid under a half dome rock enclosure that wasn't too far away from their home.

It was difficult to breathe and to add insult to injury, she'd suffered a horrible snake bite. Struggling with survival and fear, Mimiki started succumbing to death's touch. After getting quite the tongue lashing from Ishizu, Marik left home to search for her. When he found her buried in hot, dry sand and not breathing, his world had crashed. His best friend was dead and it was his fault. He remembered it like it was yesterday; that damning memory of him crying her name, begging her to come back, him apologizing and wishing that it was all a horrible nightmare.

"Mimiki...I'm so sorry!" he said between sobs. "I didn't mean for this...to happen!" he could hear his younger self say.

He now found himself back in that same nightmare. Something was terribly wrong with the love of his life; and he blamed himself once more. He could barely breathe himself, it was like time had stopped. He embraced her in his strong arms, her head resting in his hand as he cried over her. Everyone stood away from them in confusion while Joey tried to console Kakayu through her tears.

"What's going on? What's wrong with Mimiki?" Tea asked.

Ishizu shuffled through the crowd. She placed her hand over the millennium necklace once more, praying that it would lend her its powers again.

"Marik, lay Mimiki back down on her bed, please."

Marik gripped her tighter than before. He felt like if he let her go, he'd lose her for good this time. Everyone could sense his fear and desperation. Ishizu began to rub his back, hoping to calm him down. "Marik. I know that you're afraid, but if you don't let her go, I won't be able to assist you."

Her warm hand gave him a sense of peace, but he still worried about Mimiki and held on to her. After what seemed like forever, Marik reluctantly listened to his sister and gently placed Mimiki back onto her bed. His gloomy gaze never left her while she laid there, looking like a lifeless doll. He desperately wanted her to open her eyes.

Ishizu gave his shoulder a soft squeeze before trying to focus her mind in order to call on the powers of the necklace. She felt the familiar energy run through her body and it traveled from her core to the tips of her fingers. She tapped the area above Mimiki once more. The same shadow barrier swirled around her momentarily before it disappeared, earning a gasp from everyone.

"She's still infected by shadow magic. I'm not sure what dark magic Marik's evil side used on her, but I'm sure that in due time, it will leave her be now that he has been defeated. I believe that this usage of dark magic in her case was stronger than the magic that was used against his other victims. Although she played a shadow game with him, it was very different from the others."

"Well, how long is 'in due time'?" Kakayu asked, sniffling.

"That, I' am not sure of, but in the meantime we should call for the doctor to continue to monitor her condition until she wakes up."

Kakayu wiped some tears from her eyes. "I'm going to call the hospital and then we can leave."

Before Kakayu could lift a finger to do so, Roland had entered the room. "Ah Miss Hikami, I've found you. We're ready to depart soon whenever you and Mr. Kaiba are ready."

"I have to make a phone call to the hospital first. Then we can leave whenever he's ready."

"Actually, I was hoping if you knew about Mr. Kaiba's whereabouts. Both of them, actually. We can't find them anywhere. I was hoping that you could assist me."

Kakayu glared at him in confusion. "What do you mean you can't find them?! They were just at the Duel Tower with us twenty minutes ago!"

"We've tried to contact them, but we're not receiving a response."

Kakayu sighed in frustration. 'Just when I thought I was being too hard on him, he goes off and pulls a disappearing act! And during such a crucial time, at that! I can't believe that boy!'

She whipped out her cell phone and glanced at the clock. "We have thirty-five minutes until the island explodes. I'm going to go look for him before it's too late."

"We'll help you." Yami offered. Everyone nodded.

"Thanks everyone." she replied before turning to the Ishtars. "Marik, Ishizu, Odion. Please look after Mimiki while we're gone. If something changes, have Roland or Ben give me a call."

They all nodded in response. "Good luck with your search, Miss Hikami." Odion said.

"Thank you, Odion." she replied with a smile before focusing her attention back on everyone. "Give yourselves twenty minutes and not a minute longer. Then come back!"

Everyone nodded in compliance and ran out of the room.

Simultaneously, Kaiba and Mokuba were stashed away in a hidden control room in the Duel Tower. Kaiba stood behind Mokuba with his arms crossed, still slightly irritated over the results of his tournament. He lost his chance at being Duel King once again and winning his own tournament. In the dueling aspect, he even lost a duel to Joey of all people! The one person who he thought was beneath him, actually beat him in a duel, and by dumb luck at that! That loss was enough to make him boil over, but when he calmed down and thought about it, he knew that he deserved it. He ended up being a total jackass and hurt Mokuba and...her.

'Kakayu…'

He also lost a really good friend in her. He clenched his arm tighter at the thought of Kakayu's betrayed face. He wanted to make things right with her, but he was certain that she'd send a tsunami of cut throat comments his way if he tried. He sighed while he rubbed his temple.

"Activate the detonators, Mokuba." he commanded dryly.

"Alrighty, bro!" he replied.

Mokuba quickly started to enter the needed commands at the consoles. "Are you sure that an hour is enough time?"

Kaiba nodded. "That's more than enough time. The ship should be leaving very soon." he replied coolly.

Mokuba looked over his shoulder and couldn't help but notice the shielded tone and lost look in his brother's eyes. As much as he tried to hide it, Mokuba could see right through him. "Are you sure that you're okay with this? I'm on your side regardless, but I just want to know if you're okay."

Kaiba managed to crack a smile. For once, it was a warm one, but he didn't look Mokuba eye to eye. "I'll be okay, Mokuba. This is just a necessary road that I need to walk down in order to move on."

Mokuba remained silent for a moment to ponder his brother's words. He knew that there was more to his demeanor than what he let off. Mokuba returned his attention to the console and continued to enter the last code needed for detonation. A red warning sign flashed on the screen and Mokuba turned to his brother once more. His heart was heavy.

"Are you really going to let this go and not say goodbye to Kai? You're not going to make up with her?" he asked sadly.

Kaiba's heart skipped a beat at hearing her name. His emotions were all thrown into another crashing roller coaster. He pushed it aside and placed his thumb on a fingerprint scanner, signaling that he was squashing the subject.

'I guess that's a no…'

Mokuba sighed and placed his thumb on an adjacent scanner. Once their fingerprints were accepted, they both inserted their duel monster card shaped lockets into a key card reader.

"The detonation countdown has started." the computer said. The screen's display had changed to a countdown timer that displayed 59:57:11.

Mokuba grabbed his locket, stuffed it in his pocket and made his way to the elevator while Kaiba stared absentmindedly at the timer.

"Aren't you coming, Seto?" he called out.

"Are you really going to let this go and not say goodbye to Kai? You're not going to make up with her?"

Hearing Mokuba's voice snapped him out of his daze. Kaiba let out another sigh, this one heavier than the one before. "Go ahead, Mokuba. I'll be there soon."

Mokuba's mouth opened in surprise. "Are you sure? I can come with you."

"No, you stay. I need to do one more thing before we leave. It shouldn't take too long. Just be ready to leave as soon as I return."

Mokuba obeyed and descended to another floor in the tower. Kaiba waited anxiously for it to return. He just hoped that he wasn't too late.

Everyone scrambled outside the Duel Tower. They were all irritated that Kaiba actually programed the island to explode and then suddenly go MIA.

"What the hell, Kaiba?!" Joey screamed. "Stop being childish and come out now!"

Tea groaned. "Joey! Stop it with the taunts! You going off at the mouth probably makes him want to stay hidden! I'm not trying to die today, so zip it!" she scolded.

"Fine, fine! My bad! Sorry mom!" he teased. Tea glared at him and hit him in his head. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! For real this time!"

Tea rolled her eyes and growled before turning back to find Kaiba. "Boys!" she muttered.

Kakayu wandered off a little farther away from the others. The area was quiet and devoid of life. All she had to keep her company was sound of rolling waves. She growled. It had been a little over ten minutes since they all started searching for the missing Kaiba brothers and there was not even one clue that gave them wind of their whereabouts. She knew that they didn't have much time left and she was starting to panic. Could he really be that depressed? Enough to be borderline suicidal and drag everyone with him? Kakayu wanted to wring his neck.

'I could slug his ass right now! He makes me so angry I could chew bricks!'

She angrily stomped around to continue her search. A minute later, she saw the familiar white trench coat moving behind a tall mound of scrap metal. She sighed in relief, but she still wanted to kill him.

"There you are!" she yelled. She quickly caught up to the tall CEO who turned around to face her. He was surprised that he actually ran into her. He was happy to see her, even though she was drilling holes into him at the moment.

"Where the hell were you?! We've been looking all over for you! You had me worried! Mimiki didn't wake up so we have to rush her to the hospital! Let's find Mokuba and let's go!"

Kaiba was surprised that Mimiki didn't wake up and even more surprised that she was worried about him. "You were worried about me?"

Kakayu rolled her eyes. "Of course I was! Why wouldn't I be?! You rigged the island to blow sky high and we have less than thirty minutes to leave now! I had to find you! Also, I mean if the authorities find you dead, they're going to investigate everyone else here and I'm quite sure nobody wants that problem. Some of us have had enough shit to deal with!"

Kaiba, ignoring that last sharply pointed comment, was touched by her concern for him, especially after all that had happened. "I thought that you hated me." he replied.

Kakayu looked off to the side for a moment with balled fists filled with a whirlwind of emotions. "I...don't hate you…" she replied. "I—"

Kaiba shook his head and cut her off. "There's no need to explain. After everything I've done, I don't deserve any kind words from anyone, especially from you. I'm sorry for everything."

Kakayu turned to him in confusion. "...what?"

Kaiba smirked. "I know that's not a word that you'd normally hear me say, but I really mean it. I was a total ass to you."

"To say the least," she huffed, crossing her arms.

Kaiba couldn't help but smirk. Her feisty attitude was one of the many things that he adored. She was full of a strong, admirable fire. "I know...and I deserve everything that happened to me, even if it meant losing my own tournament."

Kakayu rolled her eyes again, this time even more annoyed than before. "This stupid tournament...is that all you care about?!"

"No." he replied. He quickly walked up to her and grabbed her hand in a loving manner. His touch sent a shock up her arm, which made her heart feel like she had butterflies. She tried her best to keep her feelings in check. She was still mad at him, after all.

"I care about you too...a lot." he admitted. "I know that there's probably nothing I can say right now to make things right between us, but please believe me and know that I do care about you. You didn't deserve any of the things I've slighted you with. I was wrong. You mean a lot to me."

Kakayu thought back to all that had happened since she was injured. Those emotions rushed at her, making her tear up a little and it didn't go unnoticed by Kaiba. She could barely look him in the eye.

He pulled her hand gently, throwing her off guard and embraced her in a soft hug. "I'm sorry." he said again. "I hope that someday you will find it in your heart to forgive me."

She blushed at his sudden action. With everything that had happened between them over the last couple of days, she never thought that she'd be in his arms, resting against his toned chest. Her emotions hit her hard and the levy had broken; she wanted to cry. Then Kaiba quickly cupped her face in his big hand, moving some strands away from her face with his thumb. She suddenly found her lips pressed against his as he kissed her softly. Kakayu's eyes went as big as dinner plates. She felt like time had stopped. Kaiba released her from his embrace and smiled at her dumbfounded gaze.

"You don't have much time. You need to get back to the ship. Don't worry about Mokuba and I. We'll be fine, I promise."

Before she could register everything that had just happened, Kaiba was gone. She quickly snapped out of it.

"Wait…!"

She lightly grazed her lips with her slender fingers, tingling pleasantly from the warmth of his. Kakayu tried to wrap her head around Kaiba's words and actions, but everything had her mind trapped in a whirlwind of lost time and heavy emotions.

"There you are, Kakayu." a familiar voice said.

Kakayu gasped and quickly turned to meet Yami. "Everyone was worried about you. Our time is almost up and everyone has returned to the ship. Did you have any success in finding Kaiba?" he inquired. "We were unable to locate him."

Kakayu quickly blinked and shook her head. "No…" she lied. She felt bad for lying, but it wasn't a complete lie. 'The Kaiba that I found isn't the Kaiba that everyone knows and loves...I'm still trying to wrap my head around this!'

Yami wasn't convinced by her words as he could see a light blush on her tan skin, but he decided that he would let it go for now. "Well our time is up. We should head back to the ship now."

Kakayu nodded in agreement. "Right."

Yami and Kakayu quickly made their way back to the ship. Kakayu made her way to the control room to speak with Roland about Kaiba while Yami left to join the others.

"Ah, Miss Hikami, perfect timing! I was just about to contact you." Roland said moments after she entered the room.

"Is something wrong, Roland?"

"No, not at all. Everything is fine, actually. Mr. Kaiba had came by while you all were out. He just left moments before you arrived, actually. He had informed us that he and his brother will be leaving the island shortly by their own means. He informed me that we can depart now."

Kaiba's words quickly came back to her. "Don't worry about Mokuba and I. We'll be fine, I promise."

"Oh? Is that so?" she asked.

"Yes. Also, he has informed me that he's called for an ambulance to escort Ms. Minami to the hospital. We will return to Domino City quickly by using the turbo engines, per Mr. Kaiba's orders. He assured that they will be at our landing site when we arrive."

Kakayu blinked in confusion. "He called for an ambulance...?"

Roland nodded. "Yes, he called for one while he was here. I'm going to execute a headcount of all of the duelists and their guests and we'll be on our way as soon as possible. We don't have much time." he replied.

"No, I'll do it. Prepare for take-off." she commanded.

Roland nodded and Ben issued commands into the computer, starting with the deflation of the blimp and the extension of its hidden wings. Kakayu did a quick run through, checking to see if everyone was accounted for. She even found Bakura, who was happily munching away on some fruit in his room. After giving them the all clear, Ben closed the door and the blimp transformed into an airplane started to ascend into the air. Mostly everyone had gathered in the control room, taking one last look at Alcatraz. Although Kaiba told her not to worry about him and Mokuba and even Roland confirmed the same, Kakayu couldn't help but worry about them. She stood with crossed arms and tapped her finger nervously, which didn't go unnoticed by Yami. When they ascended to almost six thousand feet into the air, the island had exploded several times. While everyone stared in amazement and worry, Kakayu was full of worry. She quickly covered her mouth to silence her whimpers.

"So no one never found moneybags out there?" Joey asked. "Where the hell did he go?"

'That's what I want to know! He claimed that they would be okay, but he just disappeared! Where did they go?!'

The Duel Tower began to crumble as more smoke covered the island. Suddenly from the smoke, a Blue Eyes White Dragon emerged and rushed rather quickly towards them. Everyone screamed, Joey being the loudest. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" he yelled.

Everyone quickly calmed down once they heard Kaiba's laugh roar across the intercom. He and Mokuba were alright, safely tucked away in the dragon shaped airplane with Kaiba at the controls.

"Ah, how I love the sound of panic in the afternoon." Kaiba said.

Everyone sighed in relief, with a bit of annoyance. Joey balled his fists hard and slammed it against the window repeatedly. While him and Kaiba had another fighting match, Kakayu was relieved to see them both. Kakayu could feel a pair of eyes on her. She looked over to Kaiba and they locked eyes. He gave her one last smile before saluting goodbye. It was the same smile he had given her earlier, which reminded her of their first kiss. A small smile crawled on her face and she subtly waved goodbye.

Kaiba quickly pushed the throttle forward and the two Kaiba brothers and their plane were soon out of sight. The plane started making its way back to Domino City after doubling its altitude.

Battle City was finally over and it was time to move on.

After parting ways with the Kaiba brothers, Kakayu and the others made their way back to Mimiki's room. Marik was still by her side, watching her closely. He hadn't noticed the gang enter the room, but Ishizu had jumped up to greet them while Odion was rubbing his head. Unfortunately, the dull pain from the lightning strike still remained.

"How's Mimiki doing?" Kakayu asked.

Ishizu glanced over to the young couple. "No change yet, I'm afraid. Marik hasn't left her side for a moment. He's really worried about her." she replied.

They all looked over to him. He seemed to be lost in thought, but he still kept his eyes on her.

'Who would've thought that the Marik that hunted down and tortured everyone had such a vulnerable side of himself?' Kakayu thought.

Kakayu sighed and left the group to talk to Marik. When she gently placed a hand on his shoulder, he jumped and looked up at her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, no, you're fine. I was so focused on Mimi that I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. I should pay more attention."

She gave him a weak smile. "I understand. I just wanted to let you know that we'll be back in the city in an hour and a half. Kaiba called for an ambulance to take Mimiki to the hospital, so don't worry, okay?"

Marik sighed. "Okay, great! Thank you for letting me know that. I'll make sure she's comfortable and taken care of until then."

Kakayu nodded. "Yes, please do that and don't forget to gather your things before we disembark."

Marik nodded. "Yes, of course." he replied quickly before returning his attention back to Mimiki. All he could imagine was seeing her big blue eyes open again, her giving him a loving smile and hearing her voice again. It was all that he wanted. Minutes later, the doctor had returned to check her vials once more. Marik watched him carefully as he tended to her. After the doctor finished, Marik made sure that she was comfortable. He reached under the covers and gently embraced her hand. He calmed down momentarily feeling the warmth of her hand and gently drew circles with his thumb around the top of her hand for a moment. He then pulled her hand from under the covers and planted a tender kiss. Right now, he was in his own world, unaware of the shocked looks he was receiving from everyone minus his family. Everyone knew that Mimiki loved Marik, especially after she almost had ripped Joey and Duke apart the night before, but just like Kakayu, they never thought that they'd see such a vulnerable side to the man that made their lives hell over the last week.

Yugi, who stood in spirit form next to Yami, gave the couple an empathetic look.

"He really does love her, doesn't he?" the young teen commented.

Yami nodded. "Yes, yes he does. All we can do now is to pray that she recovers soon. I'm curious to know what exactly is preventing her from awakening."

Yugi nodded in reply. "Yes, I'm curious too. For now I'll just pray for them and their happiness."

Everyone decided to leave them be and exited the room to prepare to arrive back home.

After having a quick lunch, everyone had returned to their respective rooms. Kakayu pulled out her key card and swiped it as usual to enter her room. She let out a yawn before climbing back into her bed, where she decided that a quick nap was in order. She had no trouble falling asleep, for most of the day's events and trials were now off of her shoulders. Only two things, or people, rather had crossed her mind before she fell asleep; Mimiki and Kaiba.

Thirty-five minutes later, Kakayu was awakened by the familiar ring of the intercom.

"Attention all duelists and guests! We'll be landing in fifteen minutes. Please prepare for landing." Roland announced.

She jumped up and yawned once more before looking at the clock on her smartphone. 'That was a quick thirty-five minutes...I could've had another twenty-five minutes or so…' she thought.

She quickly cast her feelings aside. 'But that'll have to wait. Mimiki's well being is my first priority.'

She quickly jumped out of bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up. 'If she happens to stay in the hospital overnight or longer, how the hell am I going to explain this to uncle Masahiro and auntie Sumie? I can't tell them that she was cursed by dark ancient Egyptian magic which we don't have a cure for! They'll even be more skeptical about this than Kaiba!'

She groaned after thinking about her dilemma. She exited the bathroom and started to scan the room for personal belongings. Her eyes landed on the table, more so what was on top of the table. She quickly walked up to the table, which had a small grey satin box with a silky red ribbon wrapped around it. Beneath the box was a white envelope. Curious of what it was, she quickly reached for the envelope that had her name written on it in rushed yet elegant handwriting, which she instantly recognized. Her heartbeat quickened as she looked back at the box and her mind wandered back to the kiss they shared only hours ago. She quickly found herself caught in another whirlwind of emotions as she tentatively opened the envelope.

Kakayu,

I meant what I said. Like I said, I hope that you'll find it in your heart to forgive me one day. Please accept this gift. I'll be contacting you soon.

S.K.

Kakayu quickly grabbed the small box and unwrapped it. Her eyes widened when it revealed an eight carat heart cut tanzanite ring surrounded by a small diamonds set in a white gold band. She was in awe for a moment. She had always admired the rare, beautiful gemstone. Her eyes lit up as she slipped the ring onto her right ring finger, the rich blues and purples it reflected dancing in the light of the dusky sun through her window; a kaleidoscope of cool colors gracing the back of her hand. It fit perfectly on her long, slender finger. Overwhelmed with emotions, tears fell down her cheeks as she held her hand close to her heart.

"Rare and beautiful. Much like someone I know."

"Seto…"

The blimp had stopped and started its descent into the unfinished Kaiba Corp stadium. After finishing its ten minute descent, the doors quickly opened and the EMS team quickly rushed in with a stretcher to escort Mimiki to the hospital. After loading her onto the stretcher, Marik grabbed her things and climbed into the back on the ambulance with her and Kakayu. Before they left, everyone had said their goodbyes.

"Thank you again pharaoh for saving my brother." Ishizu said before bowing. Overhearing his sister, Marik quickly climbed out of the ambulance and bowed as well. "Yes, I can't thank you enough. If you didn't help me, my evil side surely would've won."

Yami sported his usual strong and confident smile. "No, thank you. Thanks to everyone, the world is safe and I'm one step closer to recovering my lost memories."

Then he took a look at Mimiki from afar. "But enough about me. Mimiki needs your help right now. Go and tend to her."

Marik looked over to her and nodded. "I will take care of her. I promise."

Marik quickly hopped back into the ambulance while the others gathered around. "I called for some cars to take you all home. I'll keep you updated on Mimi's condition. Thanks for all of your help." Kakayu said.

Everyone nodded. "You guys take real good care of Mims!" Joey said.

"Of course! See you all soon!" Kakayu replied.

The EMS driver quickly closed the doors and hopped back into his seat, making a mad dash to the hospital.

Mimiki was finally admitted into Domino Sinai Hospital, the same hospital that Bakura was admitted to. With Kaiba's influence, she was given one of the best rooms in the hospital, surprising Marik and Kakayu. She had her own private room and had a private medical team attending to her. After her examination, the doctors inserted another IV into her arm and propped her up in her bed. Kakayu and Marik were finally allowed to visit her. The doctor, a man who appeared to be in his mid forties, was jotting down some last minute notes on his tablet.

"So, how is she?" Marik asked.

"Are you a relative?" the doctor asked.

"No, I'm not."

"Well I'm not at liberty to discuss that at the moment if you're not related to her."

Kakayu quickly stood ahead of him. "Don't worry, you can inform him of your diagnosis. He's her boyfriend, so he might as well be apart of our family."

Marik quickly blushed at being called Mimiki's boyfriend. 'Boyfriend? That actually sounds nice…' he thought.

"Her parents will not be able to arrive any time soon, so you can inform us instead. I'm Kakayu Hikami, her cousin."

The doctor blinked. "Oh, Ms. Hikami! Mr. Kaiba told me all about you! Please forgive me for not recognizing you earlier."

Kakayu inwardly smiled. 'So this is how it feels to have influence and power...no wonder Seto likes to wield and show it off and be an ass about it!' she thought. 'I have to remind myself to thank him for all of her elite accommodations later…this is not a cheap room!'

"It's not a problem, doctor. I understand. So how's Mimiki?"

The doctor turned to the sleeping teen. "Well, after running an in depth examination, nothing is physically wrong with her. It appears that she's in a comatose state, but we can't find the cause of her condition. She's not ill or injured. It's quite a mystery, actually."

Marik and Kakayu looked at each other grimly. 'It's the dark magic from the rod…' they thought.

"For now, we'll keep her overnight for observation."

"I see. Thank you doctor." Kakayu replied.

"Yes, of course Ms. Hikami and Mr…" he said while glanced at Marik.

"Ishtar. Marik Ishtar." he replied.

"Mr. Ishtar! I'll remember your name for next time. Ms. Minami is very blessed to have such a nice young man to look after her! I hope that my daughter will find such a young man as yourself!"

Marik bashfully smiled at the compliment. "Thank you sir, but I'm the blessed one. She means the world to me." he said as he smiled at her.

"I can see that you share a strong bond with Ms. Minami. It's nice to see such a pure love from today's youth." he replied with a smile. "But please remember that visiting hours are over at 8 P.M. and will start again at 9 A.M. tomorrow. My team and I will be observing her condition. If she happens to awaken during the night, would you like for me to contact you, Ms. Hikami?"

"Yes, please."

"Alright. I'll be taking my leave now."

The two bowed as he exited the room. Marik took a look at the wall clock. "It's only 7 P.M. I'm going to stay here until visiting hours are over."

Marik grabbed a nearby chair and sat beside Mimiki's bed. Kakayu yawned and nodded simultaneously, covering her mouth in consideration. "I'll join you."

She also grabbed another chair and sat next to Marik. "In the meantime, I'll brainstorm whatever lie I can tell to my aunt and uncle about her condition. I'm pretty sure that saying that she was infected by dark ancient Egyptian magic won't be a permissible answer, if you catch my drift."

Marik let out a low chuckle. "Yeah, I understand."

Then his small smile transformed back into solemn frown. "This is all my fault. If I didn't force Odion to use that fake god card and lose control, she'd be okay…" he said as he buried his face in his hands.

"Hey...we all make mistakes…" Kakayu replied.

"Yeah but I bet that your mistakes aren't nearly as bad as mine…" he mumbled. He sat up and looked at his sleeping beauty solemnly. "This is like deja vu to me…sitting here and hoping for her recover as soon as possible..."

"Deja vu?" she asked.

Marik nodded. "Yeah…"

Marik didn't know if he should've felt anger or hope. The last time, she was on the road to recovery. This time, no one really knew what was wrong with her.

"When I found her buried and…" he paused grimly. "Dead in the sand...I never felt that kind of despair before…" he started.

"It was my fault she ended up like that...I took what was precious to her and threw it away as if it was nothing...and she was furious with me. After I got scolded by my sister, I went out to find her, but...she was already trapped that sandstorm…"

Marik's stomach sank again as he thought about how scared and helpless Mimiki could've felt in that storm. He began to tell Kakayu about what he experienced during that short, horrific moment of his life.

"It was the worst time of my life because I thought that I had killed my best friend...my one and only friend…"

Marik's platinum blonde hair hid his guilt-ridden lavender eyes away from Kakayu's shocked gaze. She teared up a bit, his guilt and sorrow was palpable. 'She never told me...and I can see why…'

"And now she's hurt again because of me…" he muttered while he balled his tan fists in frustration. His body shook a bit and Kakayu reached for his shoulder.

"Hey...everyone makes mistakes...as long as you're sorry and try your best to correct them, it's okay…" she replied quietly. "It's not too late to start over."

Marik's body stopped shaking as he listened to her words. They brought him some comfort as he could feel the almost same wave forgiveness from Kakayu as he did from Mimiki when last talked to her before she was silenced by his dark side's shadow game. He could see how they were related.

"Mimi really loves you, you know? When she came back home, she would tell me about you two and all of your adventures together. Her eyes always lit up whenever she talked about you, but it would leave as quickly as it came because she thought that she would never see you again. I hated seeing her so sad…" she explained.

Marik sat up slowly and glanced at Kakayu. "She talked about me?"

Kakayu nodded. "Yeah...she even has a picture in a lavender frame on her nightstand of you two from her birthday party in Egypt. You always had a special place in her heart."

Marik's heart started to feel a little warmer and he smiled softly. "I have that same picture…" he admitted. "So much had happened the day before...while I watched over her while she was recovering, I knew at that moment that I was in love her. Seeing her awake and back to her normal self and getting to celebrate with her brought peace back into my world. I never wanted it to end...I never wanted to let her go..."

Kakayu's heart softened after hearing him speak about Mimiki. She then looked over to her sleeping cousin. 'You're one lucky sumabitch, Mimi! You better get well soon so you two can be together again!'

"I know that she felt the same way. You should've seen her face light up when I told her that I met your sister right before the tournament started. She was so happy at the chance to finally see you again. It was the happiest I had seen her in so long!" she said.

Marik grinned. "You have no idea how happy I was when I found out that she was in Domino and when I finally got to see her and hug her again...it was so surreal…"

Kakayu smiled before turning back to him. His love for her was really starting to show. "Thanks for taking care of her while she was gone. I'm glad that she had you."

"I'm more grateful that I had her."

Silence fell between them and the sounds of the beeping medical equipment took its place as they both gazed at her.

"Mimiki fought for you because she loves you." she said. "Now you need to fight for her because you love her. We can't give up hope. We have to keep praying for her...that's all we can do right now."

Marik didn't look to her, but nodded in agreement. Suddenly a nurse came into the room ready to check Mimiki's status.

"Oh! I wasn't aware that Ms. Minami still had visitors!" she exclaimed. "Visiting hours are almost over."

The two teens looked at the clock. "Wow...it's 7:55 already? That was fast…" Marik said.

"I apologize if it seems like I'm kicking you two out." she said.

Kakayu shook her head. "No, it's fine. We understand. There's always tomorrow."

The nurse nodded. "Yep!"

Marik didn't want to leave her, but he knew that he had to. He reluctantly moved their chairs back to where they originally were and gave her one last glance before they left the room. 'I'll be back tomorrow, Mimi...I promise.'

From that point on, Marik and Kakayu visited Mimiki everyday. It had been two days since she was hospitalized. Kakayu was elated that she had caught a break in explaining why Mimiki was in the hospital. By a stroke of pure luck, she found out that Mimiki's father had been suddenly called away for business, leaving her mother and siblings behind to visit family across town. With telling them that the gang had been "gifted" with an after tournament celebration trip courtesy of Kaiba, it was easy to sweep her hospitalization under the rug in case if it had ran longer than they had hoped. When asked in the beginning where Mimiki was, Kakayu had lied and said that Mimiki was tired out from the fun and had fallen asleep. To keep said big lie alive, Kakayu had informed everyone of her lie and stayed over Tea's house for the time being.

Everyday, Marik managed to always beat Kakayu to the hospital every morning and stayed with her from sun up to sundown. He was always by her side, making sure that she was comfortable and praying for her constantly. His fatigue was evident on his face; he had barely eaten, let alone slept since he first left her. Even the gang came to see her and it was no surprise to them that Marik was always there. Their reservations of him and his past sins were slowly chipped away as they saw his dedication to Mimiki and of course, the girls found it heartwarming, hoping that along with her quick recovery, they could find a man that loved them so deeply and intensely one day. Ishizu and Odion also came to visit to check up on the both of them, giving their brother their love and support.

The next morning, Marik was once again in the hospital, walking down the hall towards Mimiki's room. This time, he had a bouquet of stargazer lilies in hand to add to her growing mini flower garden in her room. He walked in to see her still sleeping as the beeping medical once again graced his eardrums, not making his mood any better. The bright sunlight peaked through the white hospital blinds. Marik sat the flowers down and proceeded to open the blinds, making the room instantly brighter. For some reason, it lifted his mood more than he expected, but it didn't prevent him from yawning.

"Good morning, Marik." a familiar voice said.

Kakayu had walked in with a blue duffel bag in tow, along with an iced mocha and a small smile. He turned to greet her.

"Good morning, Kakayu."

"You're early as always." she noted.

"Of course. I want to be here when she wakes up."

"I know, I know. Me too." she replied.

Marik eyed her duffel suspiciously. "What with the bag? Are you sure that you've been spending the night with Tea? Or maybe you've really been trying to spend the night with Kaiba." he teased.

Kakayu blushed and looked away. 'He did not just say that!'

"I can see how you and Mimi are related. Devious and naughty behavior must run in the family!" he said as he thought back to when Mimiki had hid him away in her bathroom right before the finals. Ironically, she was hiding him from Kakayu at the time.

It took all of her restraint to prevent her from smashing her plastic cup of frozen caffeine. "You're lucky that I really love this iced mocha with extra chocolate syrup and that I need caffeine right now. Otherwise I'd throw it at your smart ass!" she replied.

Marik couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry, but there was an opportunity, so I had to seize the moment. You know that I'm joking."

"Peh! For your information, this is a spare change of clothes for Mimi. I snuck over to her house and got them for when she wakes up."

"That was a good idea. I'm sure that she'll appreciate getting into some fresh clothes when she wakes up."

Kakayu nodded. "Yep! I just have a good feeling about today, you know? I feel like she might really wake up today!"

"You really think so?" Marik asked hopefully.

Kakayu nodded again with a smile. "Yes...I just hope that this happy feeling will manifest itself into her actually waking up, you know?"

Marik nodded while releasing a big nod. Then his stomach growled loudly, embarrassing the young Egyptian. "I know that sleeping nor eating hasn't really been your top priorities over the last couple of days. Why don't you go downstairs and getting something to eat? The food is really good!" she said while waving her drink lightly. "And it's not too expensive."

Before he could respond, Marik's stomach growled again in protest, along with another yawn. 'She's right...I haven't slept a wink nor eaten much since Mimi's been in the hospital...I'm eventually going to pay dearly for neglecting my body...I'll be joining her if I end up hospitalized for malnutrition…'

"I just might take you up on that. I'll be back."

"Okay, see you when you get back!"

Marik finally dragged his feet down to the cafeteria. The smell of breakfast, freshly brewed coffee and orange juice quickly filled his nose. His stomach growled loudly once again. He quickly scanned the menu and opted for a toasted bagel and a cup of coffee. After receiving his things, Marik quickly returned to her room, nibbling his breakfast along the way. Before he stepped into the room, he heard two laughs of a feminine nature. One voice was instantly recognizable, which made his heart race with excitement. He started to pick up his pace, but quickly stopped when some of his hot coffee spilled on his hand. He cursed at his carelessness, but he quickly tossed his burning pain aside and walked into the room.

"Mimi?" he called out hopefully.

The two teens turned to him. "Oh, Marik! You're back!" Kakayu exclaimed. "Look who's finally decided to join us!"

Mimiki rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Kai."

Marik's eyes teared up as he placed his food on the table to look at his beloved. There she was—finally awake and appearing to be doing well. She looked at him with her big, blue eyes. Just locking eyes with her made it feel like time had stopped for a moment. All was right in his world now and nothing could turn it dark again.

"Mimi! You're okay! You're really okay!" he exclaimed.

Marik quickly hugged her, but she tensed up in his embrace. "I was so worried about you! How are you—"

Mimiki pushed him back with as much strength as she could muster and quickly shot him a confused look. Then she uttered three heart stopping words that made his world crumble.

"Who are you?"