Finally glad to be finished with this one. It gave me a bit of trouble. Hopefully Chapter 8 won't take quite as long.

Edit: Also I know I haven't really mentioned it in chapters past, but feedback is greatly appreciated. I get a lot of views for this story but hardly any comments. I want to know what you guys think!

Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi

"Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real."

― Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses

Chapter 7: Angel of Music

The office was mostly quiet. A clock was ticking faintly somewhere in the room as he sat there. Occasionally, a set of footsteps would file past the door, but no one entered. Marik sighed and rested his head on the armrest of his chair. Hassan said he had to go get some extra batteries for his recorder and that he'd be back in a few minutes, but those minutes were beginning to drag. The more he was left to stew in his thoughts, the more he felt himself tensing up. He just wanted to get this over with now that he had agreed to it.

This is a waste of your time…

Marik flinched at the nagging voice,"This will work. It's got to! I feel like I'm getting worse!"

That is because you're not following my instructions. I'm not the enemy here, Marik, the voice hissed in his ear. I have already given you proof of that.

Marik swiped at his ear, feeling like an insect was buzzing around it. He looked around a moment before replying, "Yeah? And look at all the other times you 'helped' me."

You haven't always needed me. Only at your weakest moments, have I extended my hand to you. And I'm willing to extend it to you once more to show you the path you need-

"Leave me alone! I don't want-" Marik quieted himself quickly when the door opened and Hassan stepped through.

"Sorry for the wait. You would think we'd have more batteries lying around here," he muttered, popping the back off the recorder.

Marik nodded in silence as the voice spoke to him one last time.

Very well…continue on with your games with Doctor Bat Shit. But don't forget what I've told you. He cannot open the door for you. Neither can I for that matter. I am simply the one who guards it. Everything else depends on you…

"Marik?"

The boy jumped a bit, his attention coming back to Hassan, "Huh? Did you say something?"

"I asked if you are ready to get started."

"Y-yeah…let's get this over with."

Doctor Bakura nodded, glancing over his notes once more before he settled on a starting point, "Alright Marik," he began, clicking his pen, "I want you to describe in as much detail as you can, what this Atem looks like. I want to know exactly what you've been dealing with. Don't leave any small detail out, alright?"

"Do I have to?" The boy asked nervously.

Hassan seemed to be trying not to roll his eyes, "No, I suppose you don't have to. But it would make things a lot easier on both of us if you did."

"Sorry," Marik sighed, rubbing his fatigued eyes, "I'll try my best."

Marik took a deep breath and began. He talked about how tall Atem was, what clothing he'd first seen him in, and the color of his skin. From there he described how the man began to deteriorate, slowly becoming a more hideous monster as time passed. But there was one detail Marik couldn't bring himself to mention. And much to his dismay, Doctor Bakura took notice of it.

"Marik, does this Atem have hair? You've yet to mention-"

"Yeah, he has hair. Why?" Marik asked a little too quickly.

"I told you not to leave any detail out when we began. Now tell me, what does it look like?"

Swallowing hard, Marik glanced down at his hands folded in his lap. He tried to tell himself that lying would only lengthen his hospital stay, but the nagging feeling in his mind also told him that telling Hassan might do the same thing. He took a deep breath and sighed outwards.

"Okay, I know this will sound crazy, but…"

"Marik, you don't need to worry if it sounds absurd or not. Just tell me."

"Right…okay," Marik swallowed again, his nervousness making his voice pitch up an octave, "His hair looks almost identical to Doctor Mutou. The same colors, the same shape."

"Are you sure it's not because you saw Doctor Mutou?"

"Yes I'm sure! I started having nightmares when I first got here. I didn't see Doctor Mutou until a few days later. But I have seen pictures of Atem before."

Hassan quirked an eyebrow, "You have?" He asked.

Marik nodded, "He's in my history book at home. He was a Pharaoh that ruled about…five thousand years ago? Maybe three thousand, I can't remember. But he wasn't in power for very long."

"I see…what else was there about him in this book?"

Marik rubbed his head as he tried to remember, feeling a bit of a headache coming on, "It said he had a court of magicians who could conjure up powerful creatures."

"And what would they do with these monsters?"

"I…"

Marik stopped suddenly, his head pounding all of a sudden. He whined and rubbed at his temples with the palms of his hands.

"I don't know…my head hurts really bad…"

"It's alright Marik," Hassan soothed, "Let's talk about something else then, alright? Why don't you tell me a little bit about when you started seeing this apparition?"

Marik nodded, head still pounding. He sighed, taking a moment to collect his thoughts on the subject at hand.

"I started off floating in a river…no, the Nile. And I came to rest on the bank…"

"For the last time, Rebecca, I have no more room on my walls for another of your drawings."

"Please Ryou! You've got to have some place to put it…"

"I told you no already! Just give the drawing to someone else, okay?"

Marik frowned as he observed the two from across the room. Hassan had let him go early when discussing the nightmares was becoming too much. He said they would talk more in their next session. For the moment, Marik just wanted some peace of mind, maybe talk or play a game with Ryou. But he seemed to have his own issues at the moment. He sighed and debated going to do something else until the white-haired teen made tracks to the nearest corner away from Rebecca. The girl looked a bit dejected, until she saw Marik looking at her from across the room. She smiled and hurried over to him, much to the boy's mild annoyance.

"Marik, do you want my drawing? Ryou said he doesn't have room for it…"

She held out the crayon drawing for him to take. It was of a little girl in a white dress with hair a dark shade of blue. The look on her small, petite face was serene and calm. But what struck Marik the most about the simple drawing were the large, white wings that stretched out from her back. He didn't know much about other religious beliefs, but his sister had told him about angels. And the girl in the image certainly looked the part. He hesitated to take it until he saw the pleading look in Rebecca's eyes, and he gave in.

She grinned wide when he accepted her offer before skipping off to another part of the room. He looked over the picture for another moment before tucking it away inside the pocket on his shirt. He set about scouring for Ryou once more, and found the other boy had moved to sit in one of the windows. He quietly made his way over, tapping Ryou's arm to get the other's attention. He seemed to have been zoned out, for the small touch caused him to jump a bit. Ryou turned to look at Marik and sighed.

"What is it?"

"Just…wanted to talk, I guess," Marik answered quietly.

"About what?"

Marik shrugged and plopped down on the other end of the window ledge, "Not really sure. Anything is fine for me as long as I don't have to talk about my dreams anymore today…"

Ryou gave a frown at the comment but didn't press it and instead went back to looking out the window. Marik decided to take the initiative to start.

"So uh…have you been okay today?"

Ryou snorted, "Is my Uncle rubbing off on you, or something?" he grumbled, looking at the boy.

"No, I was just wondering."

Shrugging, Ryou turned back to the window, smirking a little, "How are any of us here really okay? I think that's a bit rhetorical, don't you?"

"You might be right…" Marik sighed in agreement.

"Hey, don't take it that way."

"It's true though, at least, in my case it is. Everything in my head is so messed up right now. I just want it to stop."

Ryou was quiet a moment before replying, "Yeah…mine too."

Marik looked at the other boy expectantly, waiting for him to elaborate. But Ryou remained silent as per usual. The two boys sat there a moment, simply looking out the window. The afternoon sun shone through the blinds, casting banded shadows across him and Ryou. It felt comfortably warm, and he wished he could feel it with the slight breeze that was going on outside. He imagined himself lifting off the ground. A pair of large, tawny wings stretching out from his back. The wind rushed through his hair as he rose higher. The brisk air smelled sweet, like freshly blooming flowers in the spring.

Marik sighed and opened his eyes. He was still on the windowsill with Ryou; still inside. His face fell a bit, and he hugged his knees to his chest. The crinkle of the drawing in his pocket reminded him that he still had it, and the boy removed the folded piece of paper. The blue-haired angel smiled back at him. He lightly ran his fingers of the feathers over her white wings. The crayon left them feeling slightly waxy in return. Marik envied the serenity she seemed to hold, and longed for it to be his own. He held the drawing to his chest as if trying to draw the happiness of the little girl into himself. Then maybe he could go home.

"What are you doing?"

Marik jumped when Ryou suddenly spoke to him and looked over at the older boy, "I…well, nothing, I suppose."

Ryou stared at him a moment before turning back to the window again. He was silent for a long time, his eyes becoming slightly glassy before he finally talked once more.

"Truth is…I have plenty of room for that drawing. Most of the stuff that girl draws for me I just pitch in the trash."

Marik blinked and frowned a bit, "That's kind of mean."

Ryou simply shrugged at the comment, "She doesn't know I do it."

"So why not take this one?" Marik asked.

"It's…complicated."

"You can tell me."

"I've told it enough to my Uncle. I really don't feel like reiterating it to some kid."

Sighing, Marik looked away. He pondered something Rebecca told him the first time they had met. He gazed at drawing once more and something seemed to click in his head, "It reminds you of your sister, doesn't it?" He blurted out.

Ryou visibly stiffened at the remark. Marik saw his hands clench tightly in his lap.

"Who told you about her?" Ryou hissed.

Marik shrunk back a bit, "I…Rebecca mentioned it in passing once. I don't really know anything about her. But…she's dead isn't she?"

The other boy's jaw was set into a small frown, "Yes…" he replied.

Marik glanced away, "I'm sorry," He said quietly.

"Sorry doesn't bring anyone back, so why say it?" Ryou growled, standing up. He turned to leave until he felt Marik grab hold of his arm.

"Let go of me," he snarled.

"Ryou, I…I didn't mean to upset you."

"Well you did. So just leave me alone. I'm tired of you and my uncle patronizing me!"

"I'm not patronizing you," Marik frowned, letting go of Ryou's arm, "I just…"

"Just what?"

"Wanted a friend."

Marik looked down at the floor, his throat feeling tight as he tried not to get himself anymore upset. But the constriction only got worse, and he felt tears welling at the corners of his eyes, "I just…never had a real friend before," he sniffed, rubbing his eyes, "I've always been home schooled. Not many kids live near our house."

"I don't have any friends either, and you don't see me crying about it," Ryou huffed, "Amane was the so called social butterfly of the family, not me."

"Amane?"

"My sister."

"Oh…"

Ryou was silent a moment before he spoke again, "Look this…I don't want to talk about it right now," he muttered as he turned away from the other boy.

"Don't we all have to talk about stuff we don't want to here?"

The white-haired teen glanced back at him, expression unreadable, "And just what is it you don't want to talk about? Your nightmares?"

Now it was Marik's turn to be silent. Faintly in the deep recesses of his mind he though he heard the faintest of screams. But he shook his head, dismissing the noise. He looked back to Ryou, who was still waiting on his reply, "I…I'm not really sure."

"You're not sure?" He snorted, "You want me to tell you my skeletons, but when I ask you, 'you don't know'," He laughed bitterly, "Some friend…"

"Look I…"

"Save it. We're done here," He snapped at Marik before he started to walk away.

Marik's heart leapt. He wanted Ryou to stay, at least for a little longer. And before he could really stop himself, he blurted the words out.

"Your Uncle said that…I'm the reason my father is dead."

Ryou stopped and looked back at him, his expression still unreadable. But Ryou wasn't the only one that was looking. A few of the other patients must have overheard because they had glanced his direction. The presence of their gazes was beginning to burn, and he didn't feel like staying in the room anymore. Standing, Marik made tracks for the door. He thought he heard Ryou tell him to wait, but he pushed forward. If Ryou made attempts to follow it was short lived; Marik next found himself near the front lobby with no trace of his Doctor's nephew in sight.

There were a few other patients moving in between the corridors along with a passing nurse or two. To his right behind a set of thick, glass doors, there were some benches and chairs. A few people not dressed in hospital attire were dispersed on them. They must have been family of someone who was here. And the thought made him ache for his own. Marik quietly retreated from the door into the middle of the hexagonal lobby that branched off into the different wings of the hospital. He was about to head for the dining hall to see if there was anything he might eat, when a door off to his left caught his attention. Frowning, the boy walked closer, and saw there were letters on the glass of the door that read 'Patients Belongings'.

Just like the door in my dream.

Heart beat pounding in his ear drums, Marik marched forward. His lips felt dry, and he instinctively licked them as he walked closer. His mind was a whirr with thoughts. Some fleeting that he soon forgot. But there was one that kept coming to the forefront of his mind.

Behind the door lies the truth. And I'm the only one who can open it…

He had reached the doorknob, his hand starting to shake. Could the answers he was looking for really be in this room? He had to know for sure. Marik tugged and twisted the knob, but the door was locked shut. No, it couldn't be shut. He needed to get in here. He pulled on the knob again, forcing his weight against the door as he did so, trying to get the lock to release. And although the door shuddered, it held strong. Growling with frustration, Marik was about to slam his hand into the glass, when someone grabbed his arm from behind.

Surprised, Marik smacked into the door with a thud. He turned to look and saw that one of the doctors had him by the wrist.

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

"I need to get in this room. Can you let me in?" Marik asked, still a bit winded from hitting the door.

"Patients aren't allowed in this room…Marik," He said, looking at the boy's wrist band, "If there's something in there that is yours, then its being held until your release or until it is safe to give it to you."

"But what if it's something that can help me leave?"

The doctor gave him an incredulous look and started escorting Marik back into the lobby proper, "Then I suggest you talk to whoever your assigned consultant is. They can go check on your behalf. You try getting in here again and you'll be getting more than a mild verbal reprimand. Understood?"

Marik sighed and nodded. The Doctor returned the nod, and let go of his arm, "On your way then."

The sheets on his bed rustled as he turned over on his side. Hassan had told him to at least try to sleep, but his mind was racing too fast. His doctor had said he would check in the morning if Marik had any effects stored in the room, but he wanted to know now. If it meant getting to go home then why did he have to wait for it? Sighing, he rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. The boy shut his eyes trying to relax enough to fall asleep, when he heard what sounded like someone tapping on glass. Turning his head towards the door to his room, Marik opened one eye to see what was making the noise. He sat up suddenly when he saw Ryou's face in the small viewing window.

Ryou glanced around the hall before beckoning him to come closer. Curious, Marik got up and approached the window. He frowned, quirking an eyebrow at the teen as if he were asking why the white-haired boy was there. Ryou checked the hall once more before his muffled reply filtered through the glass.

"Was looking for you earlier, but you weren't around."

Looking for him? Marik eyed him incredulously; feeling like something seemed a little different about the other boy. At least from what little he knew about Ryou. If he'd been looking for him, then why hadn't he come after him earlier?

"Why come and talk to me now? Don't we have some sort of curfew?"

"Well, I needed some time to think about what I wanted to say."

A prickle of unease ran through him and he turned away slightly. Part of him wanted to hear what it was the other boy had to say, yet he wondered if it would only be teasing and ridicule for what he had done. The minutes ticked by as Ryou gathered his thoughts, the silence starting to make him twitch. Finally, Ryou spoke.

"What you said before, about your dad…"

"What about it?"

"My sister, Amane, I'm the reason she's dead."

"You…you killed your sister?" Marik half stuttered, eyes getting a bit wide.

"I might as well have," Ryou murmured, resting his head against the door, "She wouldn't have killed herself if it wasn't for me…"

Marik felt his hands shaking a bit as he moved closer to the glass, "What did you do to her?"

"It's not what I did to her…it's what I said to her," he chuckled.

Marik felt his stomach twist at the sound. The laugh was so cold; so empty. He swallowed and asked Ryou what he had said. When he remained silent, Marik thought he hadn't heard the question.

"Ryou?"

Ryou still didn't reply, sliding down to sit on the floor. Marik tapped on the window, trying to get a response from him, but Ryou just sat there looking dejected. Frowning, Marik looked around for some way to get his attention when Ryou finally spoke.

"Hey Marik?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think…Amane is in heaven? Watching me right now?"

Heaven…wasn't that place like the Afterlife? Marik wondered to himself. He didn't know much other then there were supposedly angels there, like the one in the drawing Rebecca had given to him. He took the drawing out from his shirt pocket and looked at it.

"I…she could be. I don't know too much about heaven."

"I wonder if she forgives me at all," Ryou continued as if he hadn't heard him, "Or if she's waiting for me there."

"I'm sure she is," he replied looking at the drawing. He looked at the open slot in the door that the nurses put food trays through and slipped the folded drawing through it.

The paper landed lightly on the floor next to Ryou, catching the boy's attention. He picked it up, unfurling the drawing and looking at it for a long while.

"I think you should keep it Ryou. I mean, it was meant for you originally anyway."

"Yeah, I guess," Ryou murmured as he stood up, "I'll…see you later or something. Night."

Marik nodded and returned the goodnight, feeling very uneasy about how empty Ryou's eyes had looked as he turned to leave. He quietly returned to his bed and settled down under the covers, closed his eyes, and attempted to rest once more.

Marik was woken by Nurse Mazaki the following morning, much to his surprise. As he rubbed the crusted remains of what little sleep he got from his eyes, he asked her where Hassan was.

"Doctor Hassan is busy this morning. He's also not going to be able to see you this afternoon."

"Why not?" He asked with a hard frown.

"It's confidential Marik, I'm sorry."

The boy snorted and crawled out of the bed, "Everything here is. Did Doctor Hassan find anything of mine in the Patient's Belongings room?"

Nurse Mazaki shook her head, "He hasn't had the time yet."

"Great…so what am I supposed to do now then?"

"I can take you to the day room if you'd like?"

Marik sighed, "I'd rather go to the library, actually. I haven't read in a long time."

"Of course," she replied.

Marik shivered a bit, feeling the nurse's eyes on him as he combed through the spines of the books. When he found one that piqued his interest, he pulled it down and brought it over to the table. Nurse Mazaki remained where she was by the door, keeping a silent vigil on the boy until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Doctor Bakura standing there. His face was distraught looking.

"Have you seen any sign of him yet?" He asked quietly.

"No…I was going to make sure Marik was situated before going to look some more," Anzu replied in the same muted tone.

At the sound of the familiar voice, Marik glanced up from the pages of the book at the two staff members by the library entrance. He was surprised to see Hassan there considering he was supposed to be busy. The doctor sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Alright…I'm going to check the kitchen again. I've got staff looking for him in the other ward halls. Page me if you find anything at all. I don't care what it is."

The boy frowned the longer he listened. What were the doctors and nurses looking for?

Nurse Mazaki nodded, "I will. Don't worry sir, we'll find him."

"I know. I know," Hassan sighed, "I just…it's only been a year since I lost my niece. I can't lose Ryou too…"

Anzu lightly patted his shoulder, "Come on, we'll go search for him together."

Doctor Bakura nodded and the pair left the room. As they left, Marik felt his heart skip a beat. They were looking for Ryou. Ryou was missing and they couldn't find him in the hospital. What if something had happened to him? The image of Ryou's empty eyes resurfaced, and a hard lump started forming in his throat. Book forgotten, Marik quietly slipped from the room. He had to know if Ryou was alright. He had to find his friend.