AN - OK, I'm ill and bored so I have written two chapters and posted them
both! Hope you all like them.
Before the sun rose that morning Yami and a small army had already left, heading towards the market place where Lara had last been seen. They arrived in the deserted down just as the sun crested the horizon, bathing them in a warm, reddish glow.
Immediately Yami's guards spread out, knocking on doors to awaken the residents to ask whether or not they had seen Lara. After an hour of searching Yami was beginning to get despondent. They had no clue where Lara had been definitely seen last, and they had no idea where she could be now. Yami was about to call off the search when he felt a presence behind him. Turning around he saw an extremely tall figure, dressed from head to toe in purple and holding a long, green staff.
Yami blinked, the figure looked like his favourite shadow game monster, the dark magician. Yami looked around, realising that he was the only person who could see the figure. Quietly and as inconspicuously as possible, Yami walked over to a side alley with the man before speaking.
"You are he, aren't you?" Yami said. The magician nodded, without speaking.
"Can you help us?" Asked Yami. The magician again nodded.
"Where is Lara?" Asked Yami. The magician did not answer.
"Why won't you speak to me?" Said Yami, annoyed. "Can you speak?" The magician shook his head.
"OK then. I have to ask the questions then. Can you show me where Lara was last, when she was here?" The magician nodded and pointed with his staff to the building behind them. With a calculating glance at the figure, Yami rushed over to the heavy oak door and pushed it with all his might. But it was locked. Yami was about to call his guards when he felt the magician gently pull him back. The magician placed his staff against the door and Yami had to shield his eyes as a flash of brightness almost blinded him. When he looked up against the door hung limply on its hinges and he saw the magician standing inside, by a round table. As Yami heard his guards approaching he whispered his thanks to the mage, who retreated to the corner of the room, stilling watching his master.
"We heard a noise sire!" Panted Joey as he stopped at Yami's side. Yami said nothing, but he walked into the dimly lit room, to the table. He picked up a small, black pouch from the table.
"Lara's purse!" He exclaimed. "So she was here. But who was she with?"
"Maybe this boy can answer sire." Said Joey as another guard brought a ten- year-old boy into the room. "He said that he knows something about this place."
Yami looked at the boy, who was obviously nervous but wanted to help his king.
"What is your name?" Asked Yami.
"Mark, sir!" Said the little boy, trembling.
"There is no need to be afraid Mark, I do not wish to hurt you." Said Yami, beckoning the little boy to come closer. "I was wondering if you could help me. My friend disappeared yesterday and she was last seen in here. Could you tell me who she might have been with?"
"Yes sir. My father rented this room out for the market day to a strange man. He claimed to be a seer with immense powers. I was watching from my bedroom window, opposite this house, when I saw this man come in here with a pretty lady. I watched for them to come out, but then my mother called me to come and have dinner. When I returned the man must have left, because I couldn't see movement in the room."
"Do you know who this man was?" Asked Yami urgently.
"Yes sir. I was with my father when the man hired the room for the day. He said his named was Mr. Aki!" Said the boy. "He gave my father some money to be able to use the room for the day. But he never paid my father up front. Instead he said that the money would be forwarded on from his address."
"Do you have this address?" Asked Yami.
"Yes sir." Said the boy, producing a slip of paper from his pocket, which he handed to Yami. Yami noted the address solemnly then spoke to Joey.
"Gather the men together. We will go to this place. Lara is there."
"How do you know Yami?" Asked Joey. "This Mr. Aki may have nothing to do with Lara's disappearance."
"I am sure that he does Joey." Said Yami, picking up a piece of chalk from the stone floor and crossing to the wall. He wrote the name 'Mr. Aki' on the wall in big letters. "Lets rearrange this, shall we?" He said, writing underneath 'Marik'. "It is an anagram of his name. He has Lara because he wants to get at me. She is the person most dear to me now. Just as I believe that he had a hand in my parents' deaths, I believe he wished to do something similar with Lara. But this time he won't succeed."
Joey nodded and he and the guards left the room to round up the other guards. Yami thanked Mark, who smiled before running back to the safety of his house. Grimly, Yami returned to where Joey and the others were waiting. By now more guards had joined them, along with Seto, Tristan, Ryou and Yami. The army had formed.
"To Dark Rock!" Shouted Yami, as they headed for the place where Marik lived.
"Ah, they are coming!" Said Marik sinisterly, gazing into his crystal ball that showed Yami and his army galloping into the distance. The ball glowed once before going black. "I knew that he would have to follow you!" He sneered, looking at a heap on the floor.
"You will never get away with this!" Said the heap. It was Lara. She was chained by the wrists to the dark stonewall. Dried blood caked on side of her bruised and battered face and her white robes were torn and dirty.
"But I already have." Mocked Marik. "I fooled you into coming into that hut with me."
"But you didn't trick me with your little story about Yami and my parents." Spat Lara.
"Ah, yes. That was unfortunate." Said Marik.
Flashback to hut
"Here." The man said, handing her a curved, silver knife. The blade glinted malevolently in the darkness. "Blood for blood. Kill Yami with this knife, and the spirits will return you parents to you."
"No!" Lara cried. "I could never do that, it is murder!"
"The needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many, Lara." Said the man. "Two lives in exchange for one, the spirits are being more than fair. You know that Yami would say the same. He will feel no pain. Don't you think he feels guilty that your parents died because of him? He wants you to be happy Lara. He wants to get out of this world of pain and misery. It is mercy killing Lara. He will feel no pain and your parents will be returned." He placed the knife into Lara's hands. "I am a seer. I see that if he had the chance to kill in return for the lives of his parents, he would kill you!"
Lara stared at the curved knife. Tears pricked the back of her eyes and she turned the blade over and over in her hands.
The man, Marik, closed her fingers over the knife hilt. "One slash Lara. A few drops of blood and your parents will be returned to you."
"Liar!" Cried Lara, throwing the knife aside. It clattered along the ground, coming to rest near a shadowy corner. "Nothing can bring my parents back. It was not Yami's fault that they died. I know the truth. They were chased into the canyon by bandits, and I have a feeling that you were one of them! Yami would never hurt me!"
"Do you believe that?" Cackled Marik. "Then you are more stupid then I thought. You trust anyone, just like your parents did. They trusted me to escort them home, and look what happened to them. The fools!"
"Don't talk about my parents like that!" Screamed Lara, she lunged at Marik, scratching his face with her nails.
"Bitch!" He cursed, as he felt blood flow from the four, cat like scratches. "Shame though." He continued sinisterly. "I could use someone with your rage on my side. Don't fret pretty one, I have another plan. You will be on my side. Or rather, YOU won't be able to be on Yami's side."
Lara backed away into the shadows where the knife had fallen. As she bent to pick it up she felt arms encircle her. Behind her, holding her in a vice like grip stood a man.
"Nice work Bakura!" Congratulated Marik, picking up the knife on the floor. He walked over to Lara and stood in front of her, wielding the knife. "There is just one more thing you can do for me Lara!" He said, raising the knife.
Lara prepared to feel the cold blade penetrate her flesh, but nothing happened. Instead Marik lowered the knife until it was level with her neck.
"I just need your help with something." He whispered menacingly as he lowered the knife further, making a shallow cut along from her shoulder to above her heart. Lara winced at the pain. Marik turned the knife and drew another, thin cut down Lara's right arm, another down her cheek and a final one across her stomach. Blood slowly dripped from the shallow, and not fatal cuts and tears ran down Lara's face as she tried to bear the pain.
Marik then took a piece of shimmering black rock from his pocket and allowed a drop of blood to fall on it. The rock began to fizz wildly and Marik hurled it to the floor. A puff of black smoke erupted from the spot and Lara blinked as she stood, face to face, with an exact replica of herself. Except she could see blackness in her double's eyes that was not present in her own.
"Ah, my minion." Sighed Marik, running his hand along the double. "You will go to the palace and work your charm on King Yami. He will not be able to resist you."
"He can not resist me." Said the creation in Lara's voice.
"You will spend the night with him." Continued Marik. "After you have had you fun, kill him!" He said, placing the knife under the creation's clothing.
"I will kill him master." Said the creation.
"GO!" Ordered Marik and Lara watched as the image of herself left the room to take Lara's place.
"There is no hope Lara." Marik said, turning to her. With the little strength that Lara had left she spat in Marik's eye.
"Curse you!" Cried Marik, rubbing his eye furiously. "Deal with her Bakura!"
Lara felt Bakura's grip on her loosen, and then felt a sharp pain to her head. As she sank to the ground and blacked out Bakura stood over her, holding the rock that he had hit her over the head with in his hand.
"Hurry Marik." He said as they gathered their things together, wrapping Lara in a sack and heaving her onto his shoulder. "We must go before we attract suspicion."
The two hurried out of the building as a figure dressed in purple emerged from the shadows, having seen the whole thing.
End flashback
"That was unfortunate." Continued Marik as Lara struggled to keep consciousness. "However I should have known that you wouldn't be so easy to fool. Yami is much more predictable. You shall soon see, and then you will be reunited." He promised. Kneeling close to Lara he whispered, "You two will die together!" Before he got up and walked away, locking the door behind him and leaving Lara alone.
"Yami!" Lara whispered in desperation before blacking out again, weakened from her battle with Bakura and no food or water.
AN - Bit depressing that one, wasn't it? The end draws nearer. I will try to be quicker getting the next chapter out! Keep reviewing guys!
Before the sun rose that morning Yami and a small army had already left, heading towards the market place where Lara had last been seen. They arrived in the deserted down just as the sun crested the horizon, bathing them in a warm, reddish glow.
Immediately Yami's guards spread out, knocking on doors to awaken the residents to ask whether or not they had seen Lara. After an hour of searching Yami was beginning to get despondent. They had no clue where Lara had been definitely seen last, and they had no idea where she could be now. Yami was about to call off the search when he felt a presence behind him. Turning around he saw an extremely tall figure, dressed from head to toe in purple and holding a long, green staff.
Yami blinked, the figure looked like his favourite shadow game monster, the dark magician. Yami looked around, realising that he was the only person who could see the figure. Quietly and as inconspicuously as possible, Yami walked over to a side alley with the man before speaking.
"You are he, aren't you?" Yami said. The magician nodded, without speaking.
"Can you help us?" Asked Yami. The magician again nodded.
"Where is Lara?" Asked Yami. The magician did not answer.
"Why won't you speak to me?" Said Yami, annoyed. "Can you speak?" The magician shook his head.
"OK then. I have to ask the questions then. Can you show me where Lara was last, when she was here?" The magician nodded and pointed with his staff to the building behind them. With a calculating glance at the figure, Yami rushed over to the heavy oak door and pushed it with all his might. But it was locked. Yami was about to call his guards when he felt the magician gently pull him back. The magician placed his staff against the door and Yami had to shield his eyes as a flash of brightness almost blinded him. When he looked up against the door hung limply on its hinges and he saw the magician standing inside, by a round table. As Yami heard his guards approaching he whispered his thanks to the mage, who retreated to the corner of the room, stilling watching his master.
"We heard a noise sire!" Panted Joey as he stopped at Yami's side. Yami said nothing, but he walked into the dimly lit room, to the table. He picked up a small, black pouch from the table.
"Lara's purse!" He exclaimed. "So she was here. But who was she with?"
"Maybe this boy can answer sire." Said Joey as another guard brought a ten- year-old boy into the room. "He said that he knows something about this place."
Yami looked at the boy, who was obviously nervous but wanted to help his king.
"What is your name?" Asked Yami.
"Mark, sir!" Said the little boy, trembling.
"There is no need to be afraid Mark, I do not wish to hurt you." Said Yami, beckoning the little boy to come closer. "I was wondering if you could help me. My friend disappeared yesterday and she was last seen in here. Could you tell me who she might have been with?"
"Yes sir. My father rented this room out for the market day to a strange man. He claimed to be a seer with immense powers. I was watching from my bedroom window, opposite this house, when I saw this man come in here with a pretty lady. I watched for them to come out, but then my mother called me to come and have dinner. When I returned the man must have left, because I couldn't see movement in the room."
"Do you know who this man was?" Asked Yami urgently.
"Yes sir. I was with my father when the man hired the room for the day. He said his named was Mr. Aki!" Said the boy. "He gave my father some money to be able to use the room for the day. But he never paid my father up front. Instead he said that the money would be forwarded on from his address."
"Do you have this address?" Asked Yami.
"Yes sir." Said the boy, producing a slip of paper from his pocket, which he handed to Yami. Yami noted the address solemnly then spoke to Joey.
"Gather the men together. We will go to this place. Lara is there."
"How do you know Yami?" Asked Joey. "This Mr. Aki may have nothing to do with Lara's disappearance."
"I am sure that he does Joey." Said Yami, picking up a piece of chalk from the stone floor and crossing to the wall. He wrote the name 'Mr. Aki' on the wall in big letters. "Lets rearrange this, shall we?" He said, writing underneath 'Marik'. "It is an anagram of his name. He has Lara because he wants to get at me. She is the person most dear to me now. Just as I believe that he had a hand in my parents' deaths, I believe he wished to do something similar with Lara. But this time he won't succeed."
Joey nodded and he and the guards left the room to round up the other guards. Yami thanked Mark, who smiled before running back to the safety of his house. Grimly, Yami returned to where Joey and the others were waiting. By now more guards had joined them, along with Seto, Tristan, Ryou and Yami. The army had formed.
"To Dark Rock!" Shouted Yami, as they headed for the place where Marik lived.
"Ah, they are coming!" Said Marik sinisterly, gazing into his crystal ball that showed Yami and his army galloping into the distance. The ball glowed once before going black. "I knew that he would have to follow you!" He sneered, looking at a heap on the floor.
"You will never get away with this!" Said the heap. It was Lara. She was chained by the wrists to the dark stonewall. Dried blood caked on side of her bruised and battered face and her white robes were torn and dirty.
"But I already have." Mocked Marik. "I fooled you into coming into that hut with me."
"But you didn't trick me with your little story about Yami and my parents." Spat Lara.
"Ah, yes. That was unfortunate." Said Marik.
Flashback to hut
"Here." The man said, handing her a curved, silver knife. The blade glinted malevolently in the darkness. "Blood for blood. Kill Yami with this knife, and the spirits will return you parents to you."
"No!" Lara cried. "I could never do that, it is murder!"
"The needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many, Lara." Said the man. "Two lives in exchange for one, the spirits are being more than fair. You know that Yami would say the same. He will feel no pain. Don't you think he feels guilty that your parents died because of him? He wants you to be happy Lara. He wants to get out of this world of pain and misery. It is mercy killing Lara. He will feel no pain and your parents will be returned." He placed the knife into Lara's hands. "I am a seer. I see that if he had the chance to kill in return for the lives of his parents, he would kill you!"
Lara stared at the curved knife. Tears pricked the back of her eyes and she turned the blade over and over in her hands.
The man, Marik, closed her fingers over the knife hilt. "One slash Lara. A few drops of blood and your parents will be returned to you."
"Liar!" Cried Lara, throwing the knife aside. It clattered along the ground, coming to rest near a shadowy corner. "Nothing can bring my parents back. It was not Yami's fault that they died. I know the truth. They were chased into the canyon by bandits, and I have a feeling that you were one of them! Yami would never hurt me!"
"Do you believe that?" Cackled Marik. "Then you are more stupid then I thought. You trust anyone, just like your parents did. They trusted me to escort them home, and look what happened to them. The fools!"
"Don't talk about my parents like that!" Screamed Lara, she lunged at Marik, scratching his face with her nails.
"Bitch!" He cursed, as he felt blood flow from the four, cat like scratches. "Shame though." He continued sinisterly. "I could use someone with your rage on my side. Don't fret pretty one, I have another plan. You will be on my side. Or rather, YOU won't be able to be on Yami's side."
Lara backed away into the shadows where the knife had fallen. As she bent to pick it up she felt arms encircle her. Behind her, holding her in a vice like grip stood a man.
"Nice work Bakura!" Congratulated Marik, picking up the knife on the floor. He walked over to Lara and stood in front of her, wielding the knife. "There is just one more thing you can do for me Lara!" He said, raising the knife.
Lara prepared to feel the cold blade penetrate her flesh, but nothing happened. Instead Marik lowered the knife until it was level with her neck.
"I just need your help with something." He whispered menacingly as he lowered the knife further, making a shallow cut along from her shoulder to above her heart. Lara winced at the pain. Marik turned the knife and drew another, thin cut down Lara's right arm, another down her cheek and a final one across her stomach. Blood slowly dripped from the shallow, and not fatal cuts and tears ran down Lara's face as she tried to bear the pain.
Marik then took a piece of shimmering black rock from his pocket and allowed a drop of blood to fall on it. The rock began to fizz wildly and Marik hurled it to the floor. A puff of black smoke erupted from the spot and Lara blinked as she stood, face to face, with an exact replica of herself. Except she could see blackness in her double's eyes that was not present in her own.
"Ah, my minion." Sighed Marik, running his hand along the double. "You will go to the palace and work your charm on King Yami. He will not be able to resist you."
"He can not resist me." Said the creation in Lara's voice.
"You will spend the night with him." Continued Marik. "After you have had you fun, kill him!" He said, placing the knife under the creation's clothing.
"I will kill him master." Said the creation.
"GO!" Ordered Marik and Lara watched as the image of herself left the room to take Lara's place.
"There is no hope Lara." Marik said, turning to her. With the little strength that Lara had left she spat in Marik's eye.
"Curse you!" Cried Marik, rubbing his eye furiously. "Deal with her Bakura!"
Lara felt Bakura's grip on her loosen, and then felt a sharp pain to her head. As she sank to the ground and blacked out Bakura stood over her, holding the rock that he had hit her over the head with in his hand.
"Hurry Marik." He said as they gathered their things together, wrapping Lara in a sack and heaving her onto his shoulder. "We must go before we attract suspicion."
The two hurried out of the building as a figure dressed in purple emerged from the shadows, having seen the whole thing.
End flashback
"That was unfortunate." Continued Marik as Lara struggled to keep consciousness. "However I should have known that you wouldn't be so easy to fool. Yami is much more predictable. You shall soon see, and then you will be reunited." He promised. Kneeling close to Lara he whispered, "You two will die together!" Before he got up and walked away, locking the door behind him and leaving Lara alone.
"Yami!" Lara whispered in desperation before blacking out again, weakened from her battle with Bakura and no food or water.
AN - Bit depressing that one, wasn't it? The end draws nearer. I will try to be quicker getting the next chapter out! Keep reviewing guys!