CROSSOVERS

Chapter 28: Mai's New Look

I had a vague idea of what was happening around me. My body was moving, people were speaking to me, and I seemed to be smiling and responding naturally. Malik was a good actor.

What's going on? I asked him. Has the duel started yet?

"It's starting," Malik whispered "However, I will have to wait for Marik to activate the Millennium Rod before I can form the connection."

I nodded and sunk back farther into the dark corners of my mind. There was no way I was going to distract Malik now. This was not going to fail because of me.

"And the Shadow Game begins," Malik said softly. "Here it goes."

At first all was quiet. Events happened around me in a dull buzz. Seconds passed, followed by minutes and hours. A day - a hundred days - could have passed. Time had no meaning to me. Curled up in a small ball, I waited for Malik to return with warming news of victory and triumph.

It was then that I felt something spliter. Like the straining of wood under pressure, I felt Malik throwing himself, his mind, into a blinding white connection of magic. Thoughts from both ends hit me like a brick. I tumbled through a sea of emotion and determination. Marik was a being born of anger, but he was tired - weakened from the dueling. The fight was on, and Marik was losing.

It was surging and pulsing - pure energy and power was flowing through me.

And then Malik cracked.

NO! I cried, I can't let this happen!

All around me the light was fading, receding, disappearing, discentragating. A loud sucking noise was in my mind, and I could hear Malik crying out in agony. Marik's anger was too strong!

I did the only thing I could do. I threw myself into the connection. Using my mind and my soul as a strengthening tie, I emptied all my strenght and all my might into Malik. The light grew and I could feel Malik's renewed strenght pulsing once again. Together we could stop his evil!

---------------------------

The Winged Dragon of Ra loomed above the field. Even Kaiba gasped in awe as the great beast spread it's wings and gave a cry that hadn't been heard in a thousand years.

"Stop this madness!" Yami shouted, his voice almost drowned out by the dragon's roar.

Marik leered across the dueling arena at Mai, "The madness has just begun." Mai groaned, her head only raising slightly as she hung cuffed to the Sacred Stone of Ota.

"STOP THE DUEL!" Joey shouted, "Your grudge is with me, Marik! Leave her alone!"

"Quite right, Wheeler," Marik laughed and licked his lips, "But I'm just having a bit of - "

Marik suddenly stopped, his eyes widening in surprise, as he lurched forward in pain. For a moment he stumbled, only managing to right himself when he grabbed the railing behind him.

Then Ra, the greatest of all the Egyptian Gods, began to waver and fade. The golden luster surrounding the beast started to vanish - like it was being drained. Flickering in and out of existence, Ra raised its head in a loud screech that pierced the night air.

All those watching the duel threw their hands over their ears, wincing as the noise threatened to overwhelm them.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" Joey shouted, hands clamped around his ears. The sound was so intense it was physically hurting them. It sounded like screaming.

---------------------------

BANG!

In one huge explosion I was flung out of the connection and back into the dark confines of my mind. I was drained - exhausted, but had it worked?

BANG!The lightness vanished, replaced by glimmering shadows and large eyes. Marik had called upon the power of his Millennium Item.

MALIK! I screamed as I felt another BANG slam into my mind. Though our minds were seperate, I could feel him withering. Suddenly Malik was there - back in my mind. He stumbled and then fell into my arms.

"Malik!" I cried in horror. Blood was running from his nose and foaming on his lips. His skin was like alabaster, almost translucent. I shook him, "Malik! Wake up! Talk to me!" I shook him harder. "What happened out there! Malik!"

Malik coughed, "You shouldn't have..." His voice shuttered, then died. His head slowly slumped forward onto my chest and I groaned.

Shouldn't have what? Was this my fault?

Then I felt someone slam into my physical body, bringing me back to my conscience state. I took control of my body in a panic - there was nothing I could do for Malik, but Mai...

I blinked, disoriented. "Wha?" I had opened my eyes just in time to see a mop of blonde hair fly past my face.

Joey. He had jumped up onto the dueling arena and was now pulling at Mai, shackled to some sort of tablet. Ra was rearing up behind Malik - preparing to attack.

"No!" I groaned. "Mai!"

"Stop this Marik!" Yami shouted next to me. Then he too darted forward, throwing himself over the railing and then standing with arms wide.

As I realized what he was about to do I shouted, "No Yami - don't!" I raced forward and made it halfway up the railing when Ra attacked.

"Argh!" The blast picked me up and threw me back - hard. My vision exploded with white stars as I was flung onto the metal floor. When the light cleared, I was too dazed to get up.

"I should have you all disqualified!" Seto was growling, but no one seemed to be paying attention.

"Yami!" I gasped, climbing to my feet. On the arena, Joey looked torn. There was Mai on his right and Yami on his left. My stomach turned when I saw Mai. If her chest hadn't been moving I would have thought she was dead. It was like looking at Malik, only there wasn't any blood.

"Yugi!" Téa cried, and soon all the friends were on the arena, crowding around their fallen companions. I shuffled up the stairs, my ears still ringing. Marik was laughing in Joey's face. "Look at your pathetic little friend - I should send him to the Shadows right now!"

Joey growled, "You'll pay for this, Marik!" Then in one fast movement he lunged at the Rod wielding Egyptian.

"No!" Tristin shouted, grabbing Joey back by the back of his shirt. Duke grabbed the blonde's arm as he struggled to get free. I said quickly, "Joey, if Marik sends your mind to the Shadow Realm it won't help Mai or Yugi! Calm down!"

Truth be told, I felt like attacking Marik too. I could still feel Malik groaning inside of me and Mai was staring blankly towards the stars with empty eyes. Joey sent Marik one last glare, then shook off Duke and Tristin.

"Now she's lost in the Shadows forever," Marik grinned, but this time he looked directly at me. "With every second that passes they devour her."

It was the closest I had ever been to Malik's evil counterpart. He wore all black, and a dark purple cape was gathered around his shoulders, flapping in the wind. Like the eyes of Shadi, Marik's contained no pupils. They were dark blue, it was looking into a deep pool of still water. And underneath that still water was a beast that fed on pain and fear.

I looked down at Mai and Yami and then turned my eyes back to Marik. "I never liked them anyway."

Marik chuckled as he also looked down at them. "Your feigned indifference does not fool me, my dear. Your friend's mind has been eradicated, and the Pharaoh's will follow."

"Not if I 'eradicate' your mind first," I said.

Marik turned his blue eyes onto me. "Don't be so eager to share their fate, little girl. Your time will come."

I heard Serenity and Téa gasp softly behind me. Marik laughed at their expressions and then he started to leave, his cape snapping behind him. But, as I turned back to Yugi and Mai, he froze. His back stiffened, it seemed like he was sensing something. The gang behind me exchanged glances, but I was so scared I couldn't move. Suddenly, Marik turned back around and his blue eyes locked on me. My breath caught in my throat... he knows!

Marik's eyes narrowed, not in anger, but in confusion.

"You," he said the word so softly it came out as a hiss. He will be drawn to you, but he will not know why... Malik's words came back to haunt me.

I held Marik's gaze, and forced myself to look calm. If Marik ever discovered that Malik was inside me, I'd be toast!

"Are you ever going to get off the arena, or are you too busy having a staring contest?" Seto said dryly from the sidelines. Marik, thankfully turning his eyes from me, faced Seto, chuckled, and then left.

?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?
Well, that didn't work too well...
Yay, I updated on time! All should bow before my awesome updating powers! But anyways...

anorethunbound, plutobaby494, Primevera Took, Atem's Queen of The Nile, Lady Nicky, and panmotto: Thanks for the reviews! Yes, you should all pity me because I'm in school and have 5 billion assignments. But I promise to keep updating :)

HakuTenshi: -eyes rifle and backs away slowly-

person: 'Meh'? What is this 'meh'? And just so you know, Malik is always up to something. Yes, I will probably have Elaine beat the pulp out of the Pharaoh, but that won't be for a long, long, long time... (in the galaxy far away, where little prunie green men fight with glow sticks)

teenyugiohpotterphantom: I love long reviews – they make me feel warm and fuzzy inside! No fanfiction or TV on the weekdays? That stinks... I never watch TV anymore... I didn't even see the 3rd season of Yu-Gi-Oh...

i love writing: An 8/10? What can I do better to get the extra two points? More action? More dialogue? Less dialogue? Less subplots? Different word choice? More humor? Any suggestions would be immensely helpful.
?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?