*~*DISCLAIMER!!!!*~* Yadda, yadda, yadda...you know what goes here LOL. Anyway, This chappie goes a bit in-depth of Marita's history so there's one REALLY LONG Flashback in here. so if you get confused, I understand. Also since my spell checker is STILL BEING A DUMBASS don't fault me for spelling errors or grammar ones. I have to correct grammar by hand and everyone knows doing everything by hand's a pain in the ass . so... anyway, here I go!!!!!!
*Hang on Ian!* Those same 3 words were repeated over and over again in Marita's mind, terrified of losing her best friend. *Hold on Ian, I don't want to lose you!* Running through the corridors of the hospital, she searched frantically for the room the doctors had wheeled him into. Up and down the halls she went, looking at room numbers as she ran along. *100, 102, 104...* The list went on and on the farther and farther she went. Her rhythmatic footfalls pounded in the empty hallways, so loud it took her awhile to notice that there was other footsteps adding to hers.
"Marita! Wait up!" Glancing over her shoulder, the raven haired young duelist saw a flash of bright gold and fiery red running after her. Distracted, she didn't watch where she was going and ran smack dab into a hospital cleaning cart.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Water splashed everywhere, its soapy suds tracking little bubbly clouds all along the floor. "Oh NOOOOOOOOO......" her shirt soaked through and through, her new athletic pants sopping wet, Marita clutched her elbow, which hit the funny bone on the floor. Yugi's footsteps kept coming, approaching nearer and nearer. Surveying the damage she'd done with wide eyes, a warning arose from her parched throat, "YUGI! LOOK OUT!!!!"
The notice was 3 seconds too late. Slipping and sliding on the sudsy floor, unable to keep his balance, the King of Games tumbled to the floor, landing right in Marita's lap. "OUCH!" The force of the fall knocked his female companion backward, hitting her head on the janitor's mop bucket.
It didn't take long for Marita to burst out laughing, peals of laughter erupting from her mouth, finding the ensuing insanity completely hilarious. Tears coming from her eyes, she drew many scowls and rude expressions from the fellow hospital workers, but she didn't care. Clutching her burning sides, she barely managed to get control of herself when she said, "Yugi, are you OK?"
Yugi, his blonde bangs plastered to the sides of his beet red face, smiled and laughed right along with her, his Violet eyes sparkling with merriment. "Yeah, I'm alright, but what about you?"
"I'm alright!!!! Now let's try and stop laughing so we can find Ian together, OK?"
Sliding a bit still, the spiky haired duelist struggled to stand, regaining his balance and planting his feet to the floor. Holding out an outstretched hand to her. "Here, take my hand. I'll help you up."
Marita blushed crimson red, and grasped his left hand with her right. The touch between the two was electric, as he helped her to her feet; wobbly, she held on hard to his soft, gentle hands, and wrapped her left arm around his shoulders and neck. For several minutes, they stayed locked in that position, with Yugi's arm around her waist, and Marita's across his neck.
After awhile, Yugi spoke softly. "Marita... Ian..."
"OH! OH YEAH!" she shrieked, slightly annoyed as they broke their embrace. She wiped her feet on the floor so she wouldn't slip, and discovered that she was still grasping her 'boyfriend's' hand; or rather, they bother weren't letting go. They smiled at each other in agreement, and began to run, hand in hand, down the corridors to find Ian's room.
*~~~~~*~~~~~*
*~*Room 657*~*
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnnn......... UUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNN..." He lay there in the hospital bed, the white sheets pulled up under his arms. HE laid there so still, as if he was sleeping, with only low, guttural moans arising from his lips. His spiky hair had mostly flattened, his chocolate brown eyes shut tight and flickering back and forth underneath his eyelids.
Her baby blue eyes wide with worry, Marita turned to Dr. Kosibana, the white haired grandfatherly figure shaking his head from side to side. "There hasn't been much change since you and your friends brought him in here. His REM's are off the charts, like he's locked in a battle with his own nightmares..."
"REM'S?"
"Rapid Eye Movements."
"Ohhhhh..." She continued her attentive gaze, never leaving Ian's face for a minute. Clutching Yugi's hand, she gripped it harder, a sign of her worry for her friend. Speaking again, she asked, "Do you know what causes all this to happen?"
"Not yet, but I would bet my medical license that it has to do with something psychological." He smiled kindly, his older eyes crinkling with sympathy. "You may visit him if you wish." With that he finished checking Ian's status, and strolled away from the room.
The darker haired duelist sunk into the chair next to her best friend, her eyes brimming with tears. Softly, she addressed Yugi, "Please Yugi, wait for me outside... I need to be alone with him."
He nodded, slightly envious, turned and left the room, but stood attentive outside. *she must really care for him so much if she wants to stay by his side.* He sighed, leaning against the doorframe. *She's fantastic... and regardless of what's going on between us, she will always be at his side, always be his...*
*~~~~~*~~~~~*
"This is all my fault, Ian..." she began, tears rolling down her cheeks as she held his hand in both of hers. "This is all my fault... if I hadn't asked you to come along, if I didn't leave... if... if..." she sobbed, gazing at his still face. Pains in her heart overwhelmed her, retching her feelings from grief for Ian, and anger at herself for not being there for him. She clenched her left fist, and pounded on an empty space on Ian's bed, sending a shower of golden sparks around the room from the metallic surface of her armlet.
*The armlet...* Scowling, she slammed it against the bed again, cursing it loudly. "It's all because of YOU, you idiot piece of scrap metal!!!! YOU are the cause of this!!!!!!!" Trying to pry it off her arm, Marita spent a couple minutes scratching at the sides of it, pulling, yanking and trying to pry her wrist from its metallic grasp. For ten minutes, Marita wrestled with her armlet, wrenching and trying to tear it off with her hands, but to no avail. The band of Egyptian gold looked just at it had been, its raised pyramid and Egyptian Eye still untouched and unscathed. Glittering gold, it still clung to her arm, just as it had been those fourteen months ago...
*Fourteen years ago, and everything feel apart for me... all because of what happened at that backyard...*
*~*~*~*~*1989 BC, At a Mutual Friend's House*~*~*~*~*
"MISSER SNUGGLES!!!!! MISSER SNUGGLES!!!!!!" called out lil Marita, her black pigtails flapping with the breeze. "Misser Snuggles where are you????" The cute little tot toddled from left to right, in search of her favorite stuffed animal. "MISSER SNUGGLES!!!!!" *I bet Seto stole my Misser Snuggles!* Little Marita gasped, clasping her open mouth with a tiny, chubby hand. "He stole Misser Snuggles! Hesa gonna pay!" Suddenly, she caught a flash of pastel pink, a large, floppy ear hanging out of one of the fern bushes. "Misser Snuggles!" she cried, rushing over to her beloved stuffed bunny, crawling through the tangles as she went along. "Misser Snuggles, I'm coming!!!!"
Wiggling and squirming around, the dark hair made her way through the brambles and brush, grasping hold of her bunny and holding him tight. "Misser Snuggles, don't you EVER run away again, you hear me? You been a bad bunny!" She scolded, hitting the toy on its rump.
The sound of laughter interrupted Mister Snuggles' scolding, as Marita looked through the branches of the bushes to see a long, brown haired girl pumping herself on the swing. Delighted, her deep blue eyes were wide and sparkling, as laughter complemented her happy face. "OOOOOOOh, Dawnie's on da swing!" Cooed the tiny child in the bushes, wide eyed. "I wanna swing too!" But before she made a move, another figure appeared in her vision that made her stop. The boy was older than she was, and even older than Dawn, with mousy brown hair and compelling blue eyes. He walked close to Dawn, smiling warmly at her. Returning his smile, it looked like she knew him well, and invited him to swing.
"OOOOOOOOH dat Seto! He took my swing!" squealed lil Marita, puckering her face in disgust. "I wanted to swing and he took id!" She rustled the tree branches slightly, trying to crawl free of the bushes. However, it didn't do any good to move the branches: she had gotten her skirt caught on a bramble. "OOOOOOOOH stoopid branchie! You caught me!" she cried, trying to tear her skirt free, but failed. the Tiny tot moaned, and kept struggling with it when she heard a scream.
Distracted, she stared over at the swing set, horrified about what she saw. Seto stared down at a fallen Dawn, yelling at her to "get away". *Awwww poor Dawnie!!!!! She's hurt!!!!!* thought Marita, her eyes wide at the fallen Dawn. Pushed off the swing, Dawn's head was growing quite a big bump, the side of the house doing nothing but damage to her skull. There were tears welling up in her eyes as she brushed herself off and ran away, never making a sound.
RIIIIIIPPPP!!!!!! The skirt had finally given way, as Marita tugged and tore her beautiful black school skirt. her bright white blouse smudged with dirt and her skirt torn, the little toddler brushed herself off, and wiggled back the way she came. "OOOOOOOOOOh dat Seto Kaiba is MEAN!!!" She exclaimed, grasping her beloved light pink bunny. "I hate him! He was so mean to Dawnie!!!! I'll never forgive him! NEVER! NEVER!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Present Time, at the Hospital*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*And that was the start of it all.* Marita sighed, holding her head in her hands. *I never wanted to see that, or remember what had happened next...*
As she looked around, the hospital room began to dim and fade, as the images of her memory began to play across her line of vision. *How would I know that my life would fall apart after I was called back home...*
She could see a young little girl with raven hair go running back to her house, her new school skirt ripped and her blouse all muddied. As she reached the porch steps, she tripped and fell on her knees, crying as the door opened and a plump, roundish old woman rushed out. Catching the small child, the nanny said some hushed, soft words to the little girl, and hugged her tight.
*Nona always did take care of me and Alex,* thought Marita, wiping her tears from her eyes. *Nona was there when she told me... that Daddy and Momma weren't coming home...Their plane had crashed somewhere off the coast of India, and they were never found alive again.* The raven haired woman scowled, reliving what had happened next. *That same woman, when presented with the welfare for both me and my baby brother Alex, decided to take us both to the doctor's office for a checkup. Little did we know that the only checking she was interested in was checking OUT.* She growled slightly, clenching both hands into fists. *Nona didn't care for us as well as we thought she had. As soon as she had the money in her greedy little hands, she took off, and we never saw her again. After the police reports and things, both me and Alex were able to have one thing of our father's, one thing that would change my life forever...*
Running her hand over her armlet, the cool, smooth gold was all she needed to remember the day she received her gift. *When I was placed in my foster home, the Social Services gave me this very same armlet, saying it was what my father wanted me to have. Like an idiot, before I knew what events it was going to cause, I put it on to see how it looked... and never got it off again.* Marita sighed, shaking her thoughts and memories from her mind.
Returning to the present, she gazed at Ian's face, still innocent, still... emotionless and asleep in his coma. "I'm glad you were there for me when Max entrusted you with my safety, and gave me a place to stay..." Trailing off, she held his hand again, kissing each finger in the process. "I wish you could hear me..."
*~~~~~*~~~~~*
Yugi turned away, disgusted with himself. *I can't believe I'm watching this...* He sighed, banging his head on the side of the wall as he leaned against it. *I shouldn't be watching this... not with it being her...*
His thoughts were heard by the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, who called out to him, ~Yugi... I've never seen you like this before...~
Yugi scowled, annoyed with himself and Yami's bluntness. ~Frankly, I've never felt like this myself.~ He shook his head. ~This is something completely new to me...~
~It may shock you to know this, Yugi, but... I've... felt something for this girl as you have.~
~WHAT?~
~There is something that draws me to her... something... spectacular about her that I cannot ignore or deny...~
Wide eyed, Yugi slumped to the floor, sliding along the wall like he was on wheels. Depressed, he blocked his conversation with Yami, to drown in his misery. He couldn't be with the one who he cared so much about because her heart belonged to another... and the only friend he had left was one who felt the exact same way as he did. *Yami... loves Marita... and I'm in third place...*
*Hang on Ian!* Those same 3 words were repeated over and over again in Marita's mind, terrified of losing her best friend. *Hold on Ian, I don't want to lose you!* Running through the corridors of the hospital, she searched frantically for the room the doctors had wheeled him into. Up and down the halls she went, looking at room numbers as she ran along. *100, 102, 104...* The list went on and on the farther and farther she went. Her rhythmatic footfalls pounded in the empty hallways, so loud it took her awhile to notice that there was other footsteps adding to hers.
"Marita! Wait up!" Glancing over her shoulder, the raven haired young duelist saw a flash of bright gold and fiery red running after her. Distracted, she didn't watch where she was going and ran smack dab into a hospital cleaning cart.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Water splashed everywhere, its soapy suds tracking little bubbly clouds all along the floor. "Oh NOOOOOOOOO......" her shirt soaked through and through, her new athletic pants sopping wet, Marita clutched her elbow, which hit the funny bone on the floor. Yugi's footsteps kept coming, approaching nearer and nearer. Surveying the damage she'd done with wide eyes, a warning arose from her parched throat, "YUGI! LOOK OUT!!!!"
The notice was 3 seconds too late. Slipping and sliding on the sudsy floor, unable to keep his balance, the King of Games tumbled to the floor, landing right in Marita's lap. "OUCH!" The force of the fall knocked his female companion backward, hitting her head on the janitor's mop bucket.
It didn't take long for Marita to burst out laughing, peals of laughter erupting from her mouth, finding the ensuing insanity completely hilarious. Tears coming from her eyes, she drew many scowls and rude expressions from the fellow hospital workers, but she didn't care. Clutching her burning sides, she barely managed to get control of herself when she said, "Yugi, are you OK?"
Yugi, his blonde bangs plastered to the sides of his beet red face, smiled and laughed right along with her, his Violet eyes sparkling with merriment. "Yeah, I'm alright, but what about you?"
"I'm alright!!!! Now let's try and stop laughing so we can find Ian together, OK?"
Sliding a bit still, the spiky haired duelist struggled to stand, regaining his balance and planting his feet to the floor. Holding out an outstretched hand to her. "Here, take my hand. I'll help you up."
Marita blushed crimson red, and grasped his left hand with her right. The touch between the two was electric, as he helped her to her feet; wobbly, she held on hard to his soft, gentle hands, and wrapped her left arm around his shoulders and neck. For several minutes, they stayed locked in that position, with Yugi's arm around her waist, and Marita's across his neck.
After awhile, Yugi spoke softly. "Marita... Ian..."
"OH! OH YEAH!" she shrieked, slightly annoyed as they broke their embrace. She wiped her feet on the floor so she wouldn't slip, and discovered that she was still grasping her 'boyfriend's' hand; or rather, they bother weren't letting go. They smiled at each other in agreement, and began to run, hand in hand, down the corridors to find Ian's room.
*~~~~~*~~~~~*
*~*Room 657*~*
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnnn......... UUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNN..." He lay there in the hospital bed, the white sheets pulled up under his arms. HE laid there so still, as if he was sleeping, with only low, guttural moans arising from his lips. His spiky hair had mostly flattened, his chocolate brown eyes shut tight and flickering back and forth underneath his eyelids.
Her baby blue eyes wide with worry, Marita turned to Dr. Kosibana, the white haired grandfatherly figure shaking his head from side to side. "There hasn't been much change since you and your friends brought him in here. His REM's are off the charts, like he's locked in a battle with his own nightmares..."
"REM'S?"
"Rapid Eye Movements."
"Ohhhhh..." She continued her attentive gaze, never leaving Ian's face for a minute. Clutching Yugi's hand, she gripped it harder, a sign of her worry for her friend. Speaking again, she asked, "Do you know what causes all this to happen?"
"Not yet, but I would bet my medical license that it has to do with something psychological." He smiled kindly, his older eyes crinkling with sympathy. "You may visit him if you wish." With that he finished checking Ian's status, and strolled away from the room.
The darker haired duelist sunk into the chair next to her best friend, her eyes brimming with tears. Softly, she addressed Yugi, "Please Yugi, wait for me outside... I need to be alone with him."
He nodded, slightly envious, turned and left the room, but stood attentive outside. *she must really care for him so much if she wants to stay by his side.* He sighed, leaning against the doorframe. *She's fantastic... and regardless of what's going on between us, she will always be at his side, always be his...*
*~~~~~*~~~~~*
"This is all my fault, Ian..." she began, tears rolling down her cheeks as she held his hand in both of hers. "This is all my fault... if I hadn't asked you to come along, if I didn't leave... if... if..." she sobbed, gazing at his still face. Pains in her heart overwhelmed her, retching her feelings from grief for Ian, and anger at herself for not being there for him. She clenched her left fist, and pounded on an empty space on Ian's bed, sending a shower of golden sparks around the room from the metallic surface of her armlet.
*The armlet...* Scowling, she slammed it against the bed again, cursing it loudly. "It's all because of YOU, you idiot piece of scrap metal!!!! YOU are the cause of this!!!!!!!" Trying to pry it off her arm, Marita spent a couple minutes scratching at the sides of it, pulling, yanking and trying to pry her wrist from its metallic grasp. For ten minutes, Marita wrestled with her armlet, wrenching and trying to tear it off with her hands, but to no avail. The band of Egyptian gold looked just at it had been, its raised pyramid and Egyptian Eye still untouched and unscathed. Glittering gold, it still clung to her arm, just as it had been those fourteen months ago...
*Fourteen years ago, and everything feel apart for me... all because of what happened at that backyard...*
*~*~*~*~*1989 BC, At a Mutual Friend's House*~*~*~*~*
"MISSER SNUGGLES!!!!! MISSER SNUGGLES!!!!!!" called out lil Marita, her black pigtails flapping with the breeze. "Misser Snuggles where are you????" The cute little tot toddled from left to right, in search of her favorite stuffed animal. "MISSER SNUGGLES!!!!!" *I bet Seto stole my Misser Snuggles!* Little Marita gasped, clasping her open mouth with a tiny, chubby hand. "He stole Misser Snuggles! Hesa gonna pay!" Suddenly, she caught a flash of pastel pink, a large, floppy ear hanging out of one of the fern bushes. "Misser Snuggles!" she cried, rushing over to her beloved stuffed bunny, crawling through the tangles as she went along. "Misser Snuggles, I'm coming!!!!"
Wiggling and squirming around, the dark hair made her way through the brambles and brush, grasping hold of her bunny and holding him tight. "Misser Snuggles, don't you EVER run away again, you hear me? You been a bad bunny!" She scolded, hitting the toy on its rump.
The sound of laughter interrupted Mister Snuggles' scolding, as Marita looked through the branches of the bushes to see a long, brown haired girl pumping herself on the swing. Delighted, her deep blue eyes were wide and sparkling, as laughter complemented her happy face. "OOOOOOOh, Dawnie's on da swing!" Cooed the tiny child in the bushes, wide eyed. "I wanna swing too!" But before she made a move, another figure appeared in her vision that made her stop. The boy was older than she was, and even older than Dawn, with mousy brown hair and compelling blue eyes. He walked close to Dawn, smiling warmly at her. Returning his smile, it looked like she knew him well, and invited him to swing.
"OOOOOOOOH dat Seto! He took my swing!" squealed lil Marita, puckering her face in disgust. "I wanted to swing and he took id!" She rustled the tree branches slightly, trying to crawl free of the bushes. However, it didn't do any good to move the branches: she had gotten her skirt caught on a bramble. "OOOOOOOOH stoopid branchie! You caught me!" she cried, trying to tear her skirt free, but failed. the Tiny tot moaned, and kept struggling with it when she heard a scream.
Distracted, she stared over at the swing set, horrified about what she saw. Seto stared down at a fallen Dawn, yelling at her to "get away". *Awwww poor Dawnie!!!!! She's hurt!!!!!* thought Marita, her eyes wide at the fallen Dawn. Pushed off the swing, Dawn's head was growing quite a big bump, the side of the house doing nothing but damage to her skull. There were tears welling up in her eyes as she brushed herself off and ran away, never making a sound.
RIIIIIIPPPP!!!!!! The skirt had finally given way, as Marita tugged and tore her beautiful black school skirt. her bright white blouse smudged with dirt and her skirt torn, the little toddler brushed herself off, and wiggled back the way she came. "OOOOOOOOOOh dat Seto Kaiba is MEAN!!!" She exclaimed, grasping her beloved light pink bunny. "I hate him! He was so mean to Dawnie!!!! I'll never forgive him! NEVER! NEVER!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Present Time, at the Hospital*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*And that was the start of it all.* Marita sighed, holding her head in her hands. *I never wanted to see that, or remember what had happened next...*
As she looked around, the hospital room began to dim and fade, as the images of her memory began to play across her line of vision. *How would I know that my life would fall apart after I was called back home...*
She could see a young little girl with raven hair go running back to her house, her new school skirt ripped and her blouse all muddied. As she reached the porch steps, she tripped and fell on her knees, crying as the door opened and a plump, roundish old woman rushed out. Catching the small child, the nanny said some hushed, soft words to the little girl, and hugged her tight.
*Nona always did take care of me and Alex,* thought Marita, wiping her tears from her eyes. *Nona was there when she told me... that Daddy and Momma weren't coming home...Their plane had crashed somewhere off the coast of India, and they were never found alive again.* The raven haired woman scowled, reliving what had happened next. *That same woman, when presented with the welfare for both me and my baby brother Alex, decided to take us both to the doctor's office for a checkup. Little did we know that the only checking she was interested in was checking OUT.* She growled slightly, clenching both hands into fists. *Nona didn't care for us as well as we thought she had. As soon as she had the money in her greedy little hands, she took off, and we never saw her again. After the police reports and things, both me and Alex were able to have one thing of our father's, one thing that would change my life forever...*
Running her hand over her armlet, the cool, smooth gold was all she needed to remember the day she received her gift. *When I was placed in my foster home, the Social Services gave me this very same armlet, saying it was what my father wanted me to have. Like an idiot, before I knew what events it was going to cause, I put it on to see how it looked... and never got it off again.* Marita sighed, shaking her thoughts and memories from her mind.
Returning to the present, she gazed at Ian's face, still innocent, still... emotionless and asleep in his coma. "I'm glad you were there for me when Max entrusted you with my safety, and gave me a place to stay..." Trailing off, she held his hand again, kissing each finger in the process. "I wish you could hear me..."
*~~~~~*~~~~~*
Yugi turned away, disgusted with himself. *I can't believe I'm watching this...* He sighed, banging his head on the side of the wall as he leaned against it. *I shouldn't be watching this... not with it being her...*
His thoughts were heard by the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, who called out to him, ~Yugi... I've never seen you like this before...~
Yugi scowled, annoyed with himself and Yami's bluntness. ~Frankly, I've never felt like this myself.~ He shook his head. ~This is something completely new to me...~
~It may shock you to know this, Yugi, but... I've... felt something for this girl as you have.~
~WHAT?~
~There is something that draws me to her... something... spectacular about her that I cannot ignore or deny...~
Wide eyed, Yugi slumped to the floor, sliding along the wall like he was on wheels. Depressed, he blocked his conversation with Yami, to drown in his misery. He couldn't be with the one who he cared so much about because her heart belonged to another... and the only friend he had left was one who felt the exact same way as he did. *Yami... loves Marita... and I'm in third place...*