A/N: Please note that this is of course Fan Fiction, therefore the events described would be slightly deviated from the orginal telling.
And nope, I in fact do not own Yugioh or anything else I write about.
Chapter 25
Diem waited anxiously for Marik to return. As usual when he was gone the time in her world seemed to slow down dramatically. The burning hot days and bitterly cold nights became a welcome relief to the restlessness of her spirit. With no way to contact the outside world she simply resigned herself to wait. Truly for the first time in her life, she waited. Worry was constant, something seemed so off about him before he left. Something that his last smile did nothing to ease.
Finally, four days later, Marik returned. Diem was still half asleep on her right side in the early morning hours as he crept into the darkened room. Marik tried hard not to wake her, but as always, she woke up as he slid into bed.
"I didn't know if were coming back," Diem said softly.
"What makes you think that?" responded Marik in a familiar tired voice.
"Just a bad feeling," Diem said as she rolled over onto him and gripped his arm.
"You need more faith in me," Marik said.
"All the faith in the world wouldn't stop anything bad from happening to you," said Diem.
"You would be surprised," Marik said.
Diem's hands began to wander, but for the first time, Marik stopped her.
"What's wrong?" Diem asked.
"Nothing," Marik said. "Just lay next to me, savor the time we have."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Diem asked as she rose up slightly.
"Shhh, it is nothing to worry about," Marik said.
"Should I be worried?" asked Diem.
"No, trust me and relax," Marik said calmly.
"It's just when you say ominous stuff like that it really gets under my skin," Diem said as she settled down on top of Marik again.
"Well, there is plenty of time for more of that," chuckled Marik.
Waking up a few hours later to the gentle, yet ardent nudges from Marik. Her eyes opened to see him standing over her, already dressed in his velvet robe of deep purple.
"Get up," Marik said. "We need to talk."
Diem hesitated after hearing his words. Her mind began racing as she quickly got up, slid on her cloak and followed Marik out through the one exit to his office. She kept following quietly behind Marik as they walked out of his office and down through the lower levels of the complex. Rare Hunters rushed past more frantically than usual, slowing down only to bow quickly to Marik as they kept walking. Finally they reached their destination in one of the lowest levels. Marik inserted a key into a metal door and grabbed hold of a burning torch from the wall as they walked into a pitch black room.
Once inside, Marik illuminated several battery powered lights that lined the walls. He set the torch onto a wall mount as the room slowly lit up with fluorescent light. Steel shelves nearly encapsulated the room from floor to ceiling that were heavily laden with perhaps thousands of files and documents. Marik searched around near the end of the room, pulling several folders out that were stuffed with papers.
"What is all this?" Diem asked.
"Our records department," Marik said in a distracted tone as he beckoned her over.
A simple wooden table stood near the center of the room. Marik set the folders down, opened a few and took out a few photographs of people who Diem did not recongize.
"There is a mission that I must have you do," Marik said.
Diem's spine straightened up slightly as their eyes locked, she nodded.
"There is going to be a duel monsters tournament in Japan beginning in two days. You have already been entered under an alias. But I need you to do more than just duel for me," Marik said.
"Two days?! And what do you mean by that?" asked Diem suspiciously.
Marik fanned out the photos across the table. Diem leaned in a bit closer. Many photos showed them in groups of three or four, obviously shot by someone in an alleyway or rooftop. They all appeared to be around her age.
"You are to befriend and earn the trust of these people," said Marik. "All of their names and information are within these files."
"And why do you need me to do all this to win a tournament?" asked DIem.
"Because this is the reason why," Marik said forcefully as he laid his finger down on a small boy in the photograph.
"The smallest one with the weirdest hair?" Diem asked with a bemused expression.
"There is much more than meets the eye. He is the winner of Duelist Kingdom, and for my plans to succeed, he must be defeated," Marik said. "They are aware of the Rare Hunters, you must place as much distance as possible from me in their eyes."
"You mean you're entering?" Diem asked, completely suprised.
"Of course, I don't believe that any of my Rare Hunters have what it takes to win," said Marik.
Diem's eyes narrowed a bit at the insult, but she said nothing.
"This tornament is going to be unlike any other. The winner will take the loser's most valuable card as a prize for each victory. It was designed to lure all the god cards to one place for a winner take all. The last god card has been confirmed to rest within the deck of Seto Kaiba after all," said Marik.
"Seto Kaiba? What does he have to do with all of this?" Diem asked.
"This is his tornament, his rules. It is meant to be a trap for us, there is no doubt that my sister, with all her nonsense, has played a large part in this," said Marik. "There is not much time, you have to be on a plane in Cairo in less than four hours."
"Why didn't you give me some warning about this?" Diem asked, slightly panicking.
"Your piece on the puzzle board was just recently placed," Marik said.
"Will you stop saying things like that!" Diem's hands flew up in exclamation.
"Look," Marik said, coming forward and placing his hands on both sides of her face. "I have faith in you. This is what I have been working towards all these years and I must have you be at your best."
Marik paused for a moment. "Now are you at your best?"
"I am," said Diem.
"You didn't sound like that when you dueled against me," Marik said.
"I am!" Diem said again, this time dangerously and with much more vigour.
"Perfect," Marik said as he kissed her forehead. "Come on, you must prepare."
End of Chapter 25