Disclaimer:
I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Author's Note: Wow… it's been a long time since I've even looked at this story. Well, sorry for the long delay, for those guys who care. Well, I've been screwed over and over again by homework and procrastination, but I figured I had enough time to start this story again.
APART
Chapter Two: Bereft
By: UNKNOWN
A bright and cloudless sunny day greeted Malik Ishtar as he rose from his small bed. Fumbling his hair away from his eyes, he sat up and hopped off the bouncy mattress. Malik opened the room to his door and found Rishido sitting at a table, while Ishizu was apparently cooking.
"Good morning Master Malik… did you sleep well?"
Malik looked down at his scarred companion. "Yeah… don't call me master. You're not my slave or anything"
"I was your father's servant and therefore I serve you," Rishido replied, his eyes drooping down to the newspaper in his hands.
Malik shrugged. "Fine… whatever you want."
Malik's senses were awakened by a sweet aroma of breakfast as Ishizu plopped it down on the table.
"Looks great sis."
Ishizu smiled. "Yeah, especially for my first time making breakfast."
The trio ate quietly and the only sounds breaking the dead silence was an occasional chirping of a bird.
"So…" Malik said, raising his head from his plate, "where's Marik?"
Ishizu shrugged. "When I woke up this morning he was gone and he left a nasty surprise in the living room."
Malik gulped down the rest of his breakfast and entered the living room behind him. Rishido followed his gaze as he entered the room as well. Apparently, something had upset Marik and he had thrown his Millennium Rod at the television stick. Shattered glass marked the point of impact.
Malik gulped. "I've got to convince him to stop destroying things! I've got to destroy the fence that bounds his evil… mind."
Ishizu sighed. "Do what you wish Malik, but I'm afraid school starts for you today."
Malik gaped. "W-what? School…school?"
Rishido smiled. "Ishizu signed you up yesterday at night. The attendance office had no paperwork to do and they processed your transcript quite quickly!"
"Damn!"
"Now, now Malik, school is a privilege you must not take for granted. Take the backpack over there- it already has your lunch and school supplies in it."
Malik walked over to the backpack slowly. "And where exactly is this school?"
Ishizu grinned. "That's the beauty of it all- the school is only two block away so you can walk there!"
"Shit!"
A flying slipper hit Malik in the head and forced him out of the apartment building.
"Yugi! Yugi!"
"…"
"Yami! Yami!"
"…"
"Get up you two lazy mules and come down for breakfast!" Solomon shouted.
"I'm up Grandpa!" Yugi replied sleepily.
The sound of footsteps running down the stairs filled Yugi's ears as he was about to take his first bite of oatmeal. Turning so he could see the stairs, Yami's figure appeared from the shadows, wearing clothes obviously made for an elf.
"Yugi," Yami started, "these clothes are constricting my ability to inhale oxygen!"
"Just take off the shirt then. Besides, I've got to be going to school now. Bye Grandpa!"
Solomon waved goodbye as he watched Yugi's shadow disappear into the distance. Turning around, he saw Yami reappear from the stairway with the same clothes Yugi was wearing… only bigger.
"Well… Yugi's at school… what will you do?"
Yami thought for a while. "Perhaps I will look around this area, as I am unfamiliar with many of the places. But first, let's talk Duel Monster cards."
Solomon sighed and shook his head. "Always with the Duel Monsters."
BRIING!
"Ah, Yugi! That's the bell!" Joey commented, once again stating the obvious.
"Yeah. We should be getting to class now," Tristan agreed, supporting his dimwitted friend.
"'K," Yugi replied.
As they entered the classroom, their ears were met with the sudden blast of loud chatting and yelling. Students were still studying for the upcoming quiz and others were just fooling around.
"Quiet now children!" the teacher yelled.
No one listened and a paper airplane smacked him in the face.
"I said quiet!"
The chatting continued and the teacher looked pissed.
"SHUT UP!"
The chatting instantly died down and every student took their seats. The teacher smiled in satisfaction and began to pace back and forth down the rows. The look of pleasure on his face could only scratch the surface of the feeling he got from managing to control his class.
"Today," he began, "we have a quiz."
Many of the students groaned.
"But, we also have a new student! Everyone please welcome Malik Ishtar."
Everyone turned to the door where a heavily tanned boy stepped into the room, draped with blond white hair drooping down his ears, and a pair of piercing violet eyes.
"Because of our unexpected guest, we will have to postpone the test until a later date-"
The class broke into a cheer but the teacher silenced them.
"So instead, we will have a quiz on Egypt, where our lively friend has arrived from!"
"What the hell!?"
"Silence! You have learned this material before! It is only natural that you be tested again on it to refresh your goldfish- like memories!"
"So… are you satisfied with your set of cards now, Yami?"
Yami looked down at his new deck and grinned. "Yes… I feel so… powerful."
Solomon rubbed his forehead. "I thought you would never finish."
Yami glanced at the clock above the card racks. "I should be visiting the town now. There is so much I wish to see."
"Yes, please do. I need some rest."
"But before I do, I must take the procedure Yugi calls 'showering'! I believe it makes the body more pleasant smelling and clean."
Solomon groaned as he watched Yami run up the stairs once again.
"Ha ha ha!"
Marik gloated as he watched his opponent sink to the floor.
"Fool. And he was so confident about his deck."
Marik reached down and grabbed his opponent's duel disk and inspected the cards in the deck.
"Crap…crap…crap…boy, crap just keeps on coming. Screw it."
Tossing the useless cards into the gutter, Marik kicked the lifeless body once and left it to rot.
"Ah so this is the place my counterpart calls America… the land of the free." Marik grinned. "It should be land of the weak for all I've seen. Ha ha ha ha!"
Marik walked off into the horizon, his cape fluttering aimlessly behind him.
BRIING!
Joey leaned back in his chair and yawned. "Boy that was one hell of a test, huh Yugi?"
Yugi nodded and checked his answers once more before turning it in.
Malik walked over to the trio and looked down at them.
"I hope you guys aren't mad at me… I didn't realize that my appearance here would give you guys such a hard time."
Tristan winked. "Ah, it's okay Malik. That test was pure bullshit anyway. Want to come hang with us in the mall?"
Malik began to nod, but stopped himself short as he remembered his oath to stop Marik.
"Sorry Tristan, but I'm busy. How is Yami coming along, Yugi?"
"Oh, he's a little weird but I think he's getting accustomed to the real world now."
Just then, Téa popped up from behind Joey and smiled happily.
"Come on guys! Let's get going!"
Joey nodded in agreement. "All right, let me pick up Shizuka first, and I'll meet up with you guys."
"I'll call Duke and maybe Mai, too."
Téa was about to leave when she noticed Malik looking glum, staring at the feet of his peers. "Are you coming, Malik?" Téa asked with her sweetest tone.
Malik looked taken aback, then his expression softened as he replied, "I'd love to but I've got to set Marik straight."
"Oh…" Téa stated in a concerned tone. "I guess… if that's what you want to do."
Malik nodded, then watched as his peers exited out of the door and out of sight.
"Hey punk."
"?"
"Yeah, you. Egyptian boy- I'm talking to you."
Malik turned. What was it now? He hadn't even left school grounds yet and someone was asking for trouble.
"Yes?" Malik asked in a quiet voice.
"I think some of us would like to have a few words with you, concerning a little quiz we took today."
Malik looked around and gulped. Four massive giants, each towering over Malik and glaring down at him with laughter in their eyes. Malik grabbed for his Millennium Rod in his back pocket, but his hands closed on nothing. Fuck! I left my Millennium Rod somewhere near my bed!
Backing away from the four bullies who were now cracking their knuckles, Malik was in for a pain he had not felt in a long while.
"What's that quiz to you anyway?" Malik stammered, hoping to buy himself some time.
One of the giants replied. "Well you see, I'm on the football team and failing this quiz will make me ineligible for playing- and I'm one of the starters!"
How boring this place can be… no where to go, nothing to do. Marik stopped short as a large building came into view. A large structure with children… and what appear to be instructors… a school? Marik stepped onto the cool green grass of the school lawn and began crossing its path. About halfway, he spotted a circle of students huddled around another group of kids. Apparently, a fight was starting.
Marik smiled. American kids fighting…?
Marik forced his way through the crowd and ended up in the front row of the fight. Upon viewing the combatants, he barked out laughing.
"Ha ha ha!"
The crowd diverted their attention to the demented spirit, while Malik backed away slowly.
"Malik? In a fight? Ha ha ha!" Marik crowed.
"The hell…? These two guys look exactly the same…except their eyes…"
Marik's laughing stopped shortly. "I'm glad to see that you have the ability to notice differences."
The bully seemed taken aback. His slow brain worked hard to process the insult being passed to him. When he finally interpreted the message, his face flushed red with anger.
"All right punk. We'll jump your ass first, since your so cocky."
Marik cocked his head to the side and grinned deviously. "Cocky? Me? Ha ha ha ha!"
All four giants lunged at him, their fists flying forth. Marik whipped out his Millennium Rod, the Eye pointed forth. Instantly, the four students were lifted off their feet and hurled to the school wall, restrained by an invisible aura.
"Ugh," one commented. "My chest…my heart… I can't move!"
Marik laughed. "Idiots! Should I unscramble you all like a jigsaw puzzle or simply sacrifice you to the Dark?"
Another bully grunted. "Screw you… we'll kick your ass when we… get out of these bindings!"
Marik's grin quickly became a frown. Narrowing his eyes, he lashed out with his Millennium Rod once again.
"Go to Hell!" he yelled.
Instantly, the four students began to scream in pain. As their bodies twisted and contorted itself, the bodies finally collapsed onto the floor in a heap of steam.
"Ha ha ha!" Marik jeered, surveying the carnage. "How boring…"
Turning around, he began to walk away from the scene, only to find Malik following him.
"What do you want?"
"I…I just wanted to tell you thanks for standing up for me."
"You? I acted upon my own free will and killed them by my own decision. Don't you usually cry when these things happen?"
Malik smiled. "Not today."
Grabbing Marik around the neck, Marik's eyes rolled with disgust as he tried to pull his weak counterpart away from him.
"All right, I get your point. I'll be good if you promise to never do that again," Marik declared.
Police sirens were heard in the distance and the sounds blotted out the soft reply that Malik gave. Marik sighed as Malik hugged him tighter.
"Fuck…"
Yami twisted and turned his head as he looked in bewilderment at the new sights he saw. Ice cream parlors, ice cream trucks, candy shops, book stores, bowling alleys, fast food restaurants…
Yami stopped his walking and stared up at the sign. It read: Burger King. Burger King? Yami thought to himself. If Burger King is the name of this shop, then it must indeed be the king of burger making! I think I shall try one out for my own enjoyment.
Entering the Burger King, Yami looked around the area. Most seats were empty and napkins lay strewn across the floor. A lady in a red hat looked at him expectantly, so Yami walked up to her and cleared his throat.
"Ahem! * cough * I'd like to order a burger."
The lady stared at him. "And…?"
Yami seemed taken aback. "And? What do you mean? Make me my burger!"
The cashier turned and pointed at the menu. "See, we have many different types of- "
"Make me my burger!" Yami yelled. Without Yugi, it was getting really hard to control his own temper.
The cashier reappeared a few seconds later with a small round package, then handed it to him. "That'll be $2.75"
Yami took the burger and unwrapped it. He began to eat it, then slowly began to walk out of the restaurant, savoring the flavor.
The cashier yelled, "Hey come back! I said 'that'll be $2.75!"
"I'm eating a $2.75?"
"If you don't have the money to pay for that I suggest you stop eating! Security!"
As the cashier approached Yami, another taller, stronger figure walked with her. On a silver plate attached to his chest, it read: Security
Yami stood his ground as he thought of Yugi's memories. Apparently, security guards were used to uphold order in smaller areas.
What did I do wrong? Yami thought as he took another bite of his mouth watering $2.75 burger.
Ha, well I thought that was a funny ending to this story. In the next chapter, Yami visits the rest of the town. See how he gets out of this mess and how he gets into many more! Well, please review!
