Chapter Twelve:

Calm Before the Storm

"Rishid! Ishizu! Hello?!" Malik called as he ran into the house, laying down on the coffee table, as it was the nearest object to rest on. "RISHID! ISHIZU!"

"Ishizu is at the museum," Rishid finally answered, appearing from the back part of the apartment. "What's wrong? You look pale."

Malik looked at his older brother, a partial grin lighting up his eyes. "I've gotta date!" he crowed before he could think about what he was saying.

"Really now? With who?" Rishid asked, sitting on the couch.

Ooohhh shit. Way to go, Malik. The blond sighed, knowing the other Egyptian wouldn't back down until he was told every tiny detail. "Um... you know him."

Amber eyes narrowed and a chuckle escaped Rishid's lips. "You wouldn't be moving in on the duelist you vehemently disowned last night, would you?"

"Huh? What?! How do you know about Ryou?" Malik asked.

"I heard you and Ishizu talking earlier on and she was kind enough to fill me in on the situation." Rishid leaned back, crossing his arms. "But, she couldn't explain your motives. Would you mind filling me in?"

"Not really," Malik replied slowly. "I mean, there's nothing to explain," he added.

"Then why do you want to give the Ring back? As per the ancient customs, you did win it fairly in a duel. Why would you want to give back what's rightfully yours?"

Malik scrambled for a comeback. When none came to mind, he sighed. Rishid knows anyway? At this point, you're just making yourself look stupid. "It's the..." The teenager's voice dropped to a mumble.

"Speak up, Malik."

"It's the only way I can think of to apologize to Ryou for my dark side's actions," Malik repeated in a clipped tone. "Besides, this'll be the only time I get to spend time with him."

"Why's that?" Rishid asked.

"I know he doesn't blame me, but if I stay around him too long, he'll be hurt worse. So, this is just a short and sweet good bye before I give the Ring back," Malik responded.

Rishid hated to be underhanded, but he knew it would do his younger brother good to get his feelings out in the open. "You sound resentful about that."

"Well, you would too," Malik shot back sourly, folding his good arm behind his head as a makeshift pillow. "My whole life's been one big mess. And right when I get a chance to have something I want, something takes it away from me."

"There's nothing saying that's true," Rishid said thoughtfully. "You haven't even tried yet."

"I don't need to try to know. Call it an instinct," Malik grated out, trying to make it painfully clear to his sibling that the threat he was talking about was Marik.

Fortunately, the Egyptian caught on and nodded sagely. "Nevertheless, Malik, you may have a chance to capture what you want."

"He's not a freaking bird, Rishid. But, Ryou's just as elusive." The seventeen-year-old sighed wistfully, pulling the Millennium Ring from around his head, studying it in the dying sunlight.

"Well, little brother, I believe you've proven yourself to be the master of capturing the elusive." Rishid smirked lightly. "I do not believe your ego would let you do anything less."

"I'm inclined... That was low, even for you," Malik deadpanned, catching the subtle attack on his pride in time. Lilac orbs rolled over to glare at the older Egyptian. "You're not funny."

"Nor do I pretend to be. It's a natural talent," Rishid answered serenely, though it was clear that he was quite enjoying teasing the little brother.

Malik shook his head sadly. "You're incorrigibly annoying," he muttered, sitting up. He snuck a glance at the clock and stretched, careful not to aggravate his shoulder. "Before you completely deflate my poor ego, I'm going to head down to the museum to see how Ishizu's doing and then head down to the boardwalk."

"Have fun, brother." Rishid chuckled. "This is your first date, so please no unnecessary touching or otherwise crude ations," he joked.

Malik growled and made to swat his elder upside the head. "If I didn't owe you my ass, I'd have your head," he mock threatened as he headed for the door. "Tell Ishizu to save me a bit of dinner."

"I will. Be careful."

"I always am, Rishid!" Before the Egyptian left, Malik called, "And it's not a date!" before slamming the door.

* * * * *

Yami and Bakura carefully set Duke and Tristan down on the couch before the latter flopped down onto another, unoccupied chair.

"Your hikari needs to learn the values of a good workout," Bakura panted. "Not even Ryou's this bad!"

"Leave Yugi alone, thief," Yami replied lightly, allowing himself to fall onto the tomb robber's lap bonelessly. "You need to learn how not to complain so much."

Bakura shrugged, fighting the blush trying to rise to his cheeks tooth and nail. Damn it. This isn't fair. I don't want the Pharaoh off me, but... "Why are you sitting on me?" he asked weakly.

"There's no where else to sit and you're rather comfortable." Well, aren't I the brazen one? Yami smirked when he saw Bakura studying his nails in the world's most vain attempt to hide his discomfort. I could die happy now.

"Well, would you kindly get off of me, Yami? Light as you may be, you're still crushing Yugi's legs," Bakura grumbled under his breath.

Yami's amethyst eyes glittered mischievously as he snuggled closer to the now beet red thief. "Why, you look like a tomato."

"I do not!" Bakura protested vehemently. "You're seeing things." Damn the Pharaoh to hell. He's doing this on purpose.

"No, dear tomb robber, I'm just fine." Yami smiled charmingly and rested an arm around the other Egyptian's shoulder. "I think a tomato looks pale in comparison to you, tomb robber."

Bakura ducked his head before realizing an absence of his hikari's fall of snow hair to hide his face. "Dammit. I miss my old body, I miss my Millennium Item, and I miss whatever semblance of normalcy I possessed before that bastard tried to tear Ryou apart."

Yami smiled sadly, playing with a wisp of the other Spirit's hair. "If Malik is true to his word-"

"Which I doubt," Bakura growled.

"Then you and Ryou can be back to normal as soon as tomorrow," Yami finished. His amethyst eyes grew dark with worry. "Though, it will be interesting to explain to everyone how Ryou's mysteriously come back to life."

Bakura shrugged, slowly warming up to the idea of having the Pharaoh sitting on him. "Nothing says when we go back, Ryou has to return to his old life."

"But, I thought-"

"My hikari's old enough. We can enroll in his stupid school under a different name, get a job, find an apartment." Bakura met Yami's stare. "We'd be safer that way, too."

"But still, Ryou is, no offence, not the easiest person to conceal. Between his hair and the Ring, you two would be recognized in no time."

"I've thought of that." Bakura smirked. "At that point, you just kill whoever recognizes you."

Yami's shoulders slumped. "And here I thought you were a reformed psychotic Spirit." The former Pharaoh shook his head. "Some people never learn."

"Learn what?"

Bakura and Yami turned around to see Duke slowly sitting up, rubbing his head with a nasty grimace. "How are you feeling?" the latter asked, getting off the former to sit on the coffee table.

"I feel like someone dropped a weight on my head," the sable haired teen replied. His emerald eyes focused on Bakura suspiciously for a moment before moving over to meet Yami. "What happened?"

"What do you remember?"

"You and Yugi fighting at the arcade and then Malik showing up and starting an even bigger fight." Duke curled a finger around an errant strand of hair. "Not much more then that, I'm afraid."

Bakura got up to take a seat next to Yami. "That's pretty much all that happened," he supplied helpfully. "Malik's still hanging around to try and get my Puzzle."

Yami was about to correct the thief when he remembered that the holders of the Ring were supposed to be dead. "Indeed. That does seem to be the case."

"I remember hearing something about Ryou and his yami. Any idea what that was about?" Duke questioned, eyes narrowing when he caught the slightest hint of shock in ancients' eyes.

"Malik was discrediting Ryou's skills as a duelist and an Item holder," Yami replied, catching himself before the facade fell through.

Duke opened his mouth to reply, but seemed to think better of it and shut up. He leaned back, arms crossed. "Where's Joey?"

"He helped us back here and said he had to split. Something about important matters to attend to," Bakura answered calmly, thanking the gods above he and Yami didn't screw up.

Duke nodded and rested his head against the back of the couch. He knew something was wrong, that the supposed yami and hikari sitting in front of him were hiding something. And once Tristan came around, Duke was going to find out.

* * * * *

It was decided by Joey that the second he decided to go back to the Kaiba mansion, his dear sweet koi would be shredded limb from degrading limb with a butter knife for his earlier act. Damn that stupid baka. Act all you want. But don't really treat me like a dog!

Sighing in frustration, the American looked around the area, his eyebrow arching when he noticed his feet had unconsciously taken him to the Museum of Doom, as Mokuba had so aptly named it. He was about to walk away when a mocking chuckle floated past his ears. Joey turned his attention to the stairs where a smirking blond sat staring at him.

"Hello Wheeler," Malik called, somewhat enjoying the look of complete terror ebbing into Joey's features. "What brings you here?"

"W-walking home," the seventeen-year-old replied, trying to steady his voice when he saw the Millennium Rod in Malik's loose grip.

Malik got to his feet then, approaching the other blond with grace akin to a hunting lion. "You wouldn't be here by chance of my sister's summons, would you?" he asked lightly.

Joey shook his head. "Nope. I was just wandering around when I realized where I was wandering exactly." Coffee eyes met lilac, narrowing with a small burst of anger when a random thought broad sided him. "Why in the hell do you have the Rod still? I watched you give it to Yugi!"

Malik shrugged. "Why should I hand over what's rightfully mine?" A chilling smirk smothered his lips. "Maybe I took it back with an intention of pursuing my goals further?"

Joey took a deep breath to steel his nerves. "You've failed once. Stop embarrassing yourself and go home," he shot back.

Malik ran a curved blade over the American's cheek. "What if I want you to help me overcome the Pharaoh again?"

"MALIK ISHTAR!"

Joey's gaze jerked up towards the entrance to see Ishizu descending the steps with hellfire flashing in her azure eyes. Realizing Malik was just was distracted, the teenager sent a vicious right hook at the Egyptian's face before running as fast as his feet would carry him, one thought dominating all: Must warn Yugi.

* * * * *

"Hey Ishizu. You're looking well this evening. How was your day?" Malik grinned charmingly, hiding the Millennium Rod behind his back.

"What in the seven hells were you doing?" Ishizu all but growled.

"Talking with the dog," Malik replied innocently.

Ishizu grabbed the Rod from behind her brother's back and whacked his head hard with it, her anger bright eyes cutting into Malik's relentlessly. "Scaring him sounds better. Why?"

"He's a idiot with a canine complex and the IQ of a camel?" Malik ducked the second blow Ishizu tried to deliver to his head. "That thing's sharp! Watch it!"

"You didn't seem to care a second ago."

"I wasn't being assaulted with my own Item a second ago!" Malik retorted, seizing Ishizu's wrist and taking back the Rod. "I was just playing around with him. I wouldn't hurt him." Too badly, he added to himself. While it was true Malik had reformed, it didn't mean he had erased his dislike for the Pharaoh's cheerleaders; Ryou excluded, of course.

Ishizu growled and cuffed the younger Ishtar soundly. "You're the one with a camel's intelligence," she grumbled before sneezing. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I did come here to see how you were doing, but the guard mysteriously wouldn't let me in," Malik answered. "So I decided to sit around I had to go or you left, whatever came first."

"Where do you have to go?"

Tired of dancing around the painfully obvious, Malik replied, "The boardwalk. I told Ryou to meet me there by seven." The Egyptian held the Ring up in explanation.

Ishizu nodded, a tiny smirk lifting the corners of her mouth. "What? No harrowing duels or death threats?" she teased.

Malik clapped a hand over her mouth. "Shut up! You know who could be listening!" he hissed, truly afraid Marik would decide to implement his sister's taunts.

Ishizu pulled back. "Sorry." Sniffling some, the older Egyptian ruffled her brother's hair. "You're better get going. It's already six thirty."

"Oh, for the love of Ra! Gotta go! Bye sister!" Malik rambled before starting off down the street at something close to a dead run.

"At that pace, he'll get to the boardwalk in a few minutes," Ishizu snickered, shaking her head at her little brother's incorrigible childishness.

* * * * *

After seeing a highly disoriented Duke and Tristan off, Yami and Bakura decided it was time to head down to the boardwalk, much to Ryou's adamant protesting. He had been ecstatic about Malik's proposal at first, but the implications slowly started to filter in, making the Brit increasingly more nervous about the meeting.

So, he took to pacing around his temporary soul room, feeling Yugi and Bakura boring a hole in his head as he did so. "Stop staring at me," he finally murmured.

"I once saw that on a shirt Joey has," Yugi replied introspectively.

"Seriously, Yugi. It's unnerving."

"Which is exactly why we're doing it," Bakura replied from his perch on a random doorframe.

Ryou picked up a shard of brick from his rampage earlier and threw it at his dark side, smacking him square in the head. He smiled when the thief fell to the ground in an unceremonious heap. "Like shooting the broad side of a barn."

"Since when did you acquire such a good aim? You could hit me for love nor money a while ago," Bakura taunted, stretching out on the floor.

"Who said I was trying to hit you," Ryou asked with a hint of sadistic glee.

"If he isn't your reincarnation, I'll take a flying leap off a building," Yugi muttered.

"Sayonara," Ryou returned with a wide smile, continuing his pacing again. "Throw that brick at me and I'll make sure the rest of your afterlife is hell on earth," he warned, seeing Bakura ready to pitch a brick at his head.

Bakura muttered something unpleasant in Egyptian as he tossed the brick aside. "Who shoved a stick up your ass?" he asked after a beat of silence.

Ryou's deadpan glare only made the ancient thief snigger. "I'm slowly realizing that I'm going to be left alone with the same person that wound me up in my grave a few decades too early!"

"You're not going to be alone," Yugi replied, trying to be helpful. "You have the three of us watching your back."

"Like I said, I'm all alone," Ryou quipped, suddenly stopping and sitting down with a heavy sigh. "What possessed me to go in the first place?" he mumbled.

Bakura smirked, being the only one present that knew the full implications of his hikari's severely sour attitude. "That's the power of love."

Yugi looked at the thief, amethyst eyes wider then previously thought possible. "Power of what?" he squeaked incredulously.

Ryou glared icy daggers at Bakura before turning to Yugi. "Pay no attention to him," the Brit growled, hands clenching into fists. "He's gone insane."

"'Going'? I'm already there," Bakura muttered.

Yugi looked between the two Ring holders, trying to make heads or tails out of the strange dialogue. Judging by the dusty flush staining Ryou's cheeks and the unbridled smirk on Bakura's face, he could tell there was a great deal of importance about the former's meeting with Malik, aside from getting the Ring back. "Um, what's he talking about?"

Before Ryou could reply, he realized Yugi wasn't focused on himself or Bakura anymore; talking to Yami, no doubt. He waited, arms crossed, for the small teenager to come back to reality.

When he did, Yugi didn't look happy. "Yami wants you to take over, Ryou," he announced. "He says it's important."

"Why not just tell me himself," Ryou grumbled, heading out of the soul room and into the more normal looking corridors of the shared mind. At the end, he saw the Pharaoh. "What's wrong?"

Yami just moved forward and shoved Ryou into control of Yugi's body without a single bat of an eyelash.

The hells.... Ryou looked around and immediately realized he was on the ground with a smarting ass and an uncomfortable weight on his chest. A moment later, he registered the start of a raging migraine, a probable ramification of his head hitting the ground. Last thing to hit him was what -or more specifically who- was on his chest. "....Joey? Malik?"

Indeed, the two teenagers had formed a three-man dog pile for a reason yet to be revealed to Ryou. The Brit groaned when Joey shoved Malik off his person before climbing to his feet. A breath later, the American was all over the Egyptian.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Ryou cried, scrambling to grab Joey's flailing arms. "Stop it!" he grunted, finally taking hold of one errant fist. "Joey, calm down!"

"Yug', this sonva bitch wants to kill you!" Joey snarled, lashing out with his free arm to catch the side of Malik's head soundly.

"Lying bastard," Malik rumbled, reaching around for the Millennium Rod. His fingers curled around the gilded gold, prepared to pull the Item's dagger from its sheath and introduce the weapon to Joey's heart.

"Joey!" Ryou trilled, finally capturing Joey's other arm. "Bloody hell, Joey! Calm down!" The Brit twisted the American's arms in a painful lock, almost stopping his attempts to knock Malik's head off. Amethyst and brown eyes posted Malik with a look fit to brutally murder. "And you, get your hands off that fucking stick before I use it on you."

"Let go of me! He's out to get the Puzzle again, Yug'! He'll kill you like he did Ryou!"

Said sixteen-year-old yelped when Joey suddenly threw him backwards. He saw Malik start to pull the dagger clear of his back and Joey ready to snap the Egyptian's neck. Damn it all to hell! Not wanting anyone to wind up in the ground with him, he jumped at Joey in a flying tackle, successfully dragging Malik down with them.

"Yugi, why are you defending him!" Joey croaked, winded by the elbow Malik jabbed into his gut. "He wants to kill you!"

Ryou cuffed the older teenager. "We had an arrangement, Joey. Unless I've been tricked," He set his smoldering eyes on Malik. "You're overreacting."

"He said-"

"I was freaking kidding, Wheeler!" Malik spat, shoving said teenager and Ryou off his chest. His lilac eyes remained locked with Ryou's, as were his words. "I gave that game up after Battle City. Now's my time to repent."

Joey growled, "We'll see, Ishtar. I don't trust you as far as I can throw you. I know you murdered Ryou for the Ring. Only God knows what you'll do for the Puzzle."

Ryou saw the hurt flash through the depths of Malik's eyes and his chest tightened in anger. "Shut up, Joey. I can take care of myself," he snapped with a ferocity he didn't know he could manage otherwise.

"But Yug'-"

"But nothing." Ryou broke away from Malik to glare at Joey, the fires of Hell flashing in his eyes. "You have your reasons to hate Malik and I respect that. But don't you dare try to down him if you don't have solid evidence."

Joey looked more stunned then angry now. "Yugi...?"

Dear God, I'm am really this angry because Malik was hurt... Ryou sighed deeply. "I'm sorry. Look, I will not make the same mistakes that Ryou did." Talking about myself like I really am dead. Next thing to happen is I'll be crying over my own grave, mourning over my passing. "Just go home and don't worry."

Malik suddenly seemed to snap out of a trance, his impassive mask falling into a sneer. "Yeah, Wheeler, run home to your comfy master," he quipped.

Joey jerked back as if he had been stung. "Screw you, Ishtar. Yug', watch you back," he warned before pushing his way past the other two. What just happened, exactly? Yugi is not acting himself lately. The American pushed his hair out of his eyes. I've gotta talk to Tristan and Duke. Maybe they'll know.

* * * * *

"Rishid-" Ishizu sneezed. "I'm home!" The slender Egyptian took a moment to shuck her coat off before falling onto the couch bonelessly.

Rishid appeared, as usual, out of thin air, amber eyes trained on his sister worriedly. "You look horrible. How do you feel?"

"A little worse then I look," Ishizu replied around a yawn. She looked over at the eldest Ishtar as he sat down next to her. "Did Malik come back here after I left?"

Rishid nodded affirmatively, a smile drawing up the corners of his mouth. "He's arranged a meeting with the Ring holder that he's ardently claiming is strictly business."

"You think it's something more?"

"Indeed, I do. He refuses to admit it, but I believe this meeting is more of an impromptu date then anything."

If Ishizu wasn't paying attention before, she was now. "A 'date'? Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked at length.

Rishid could only chuckled. "Yes, I am saying that our little brother has fallen for the Ring holder," he replied serenely. "Had you not been so busy pulling Kaiba's strings, you would have seen it."

Ishizu flushed slightly. "I-I never realized-" A new thought dawned on her. "That's why he wants to give the Ring back."

Rishid nodded. "Exactly the reason." This smile turned into a thoughtful frown. "Though, I'm praying that he does not hold out any hope that the boy can be returned to life."

"Why's that?" Ishizu asked.

"Such an event will only end in more heartbreak and pain, for our brother and the Ring holder." Rishid sighed, amber eyes searching the ground aimlessly. "If such a feat is even possible."

"Unfortunately, it is possible for the Pharaoh to reanimate Ryou's body."

Rishid looked up at his step-sister, slightly alarmed. "How do you know this?" he demanded.

"You do remember the tablet that was recovered last week, correct?" Ishizu waited for an affirmative nod before continuing. "There's good news and bad news on it."

"Don't tell me it concerns the end of the world."

"Not exactly," Ishizu replied. "However, I've come to find that it contains which side won the battle three thousand years ago."

Rishid leaned forward, interest written all over his face. Unbeknownst to Ishizu, he and Malik had made a bet a while ago on which person -the Nameless Pharaoh or the High Priest- had won the duel that smothered the Shadow Games millennia ago. "Do you know who?"

"No. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to translate to that point. But, interestingly enough, there's mention of three bandits who called themselves the Thousand Year Thieves and a renegade Priest."

"I thought you said-"

"I never said the Pharaoh's opponent was a renegade, Rishid," Ishizu corrected. "From what I can gather thus far, the Pharaoh and Priest's duel was interrupted by this renegade." She sighed. "I didn't feel well, so I decided to come home before I could translate the rest of the script."

Rishid leaned back, eyes distant with a thoughtful look. "So, you're saying that there's a direct threat to the Pharaoh lurking around?"

Ishizu smiled. Her step-brother always had been good at filling in the blanks. "That's exactly what I'm saying. I believe that this threat extends not only to the Pharaoh, but those close to him as well."

"Doesn't it always?"

"No. This time, it's is a replay of history, and not 'in the wrong place at the wrong time'," Ishizu replied sullenly, azure eyes lifting up to meet Rishid's amber.

"You know who the threat is, don't you?" Rishid accused softly.

Ishizu nodded, burying her head in her delicate hands. "I have a sneaking suspicion." She shook her head and sighed. "And it all makes sense."

"What? What makes sense?"

"Nothing." Ishizu looked up at Rishid. "I'm not going to take shots in the dark until I can fully translate the passages," she replied. "Don't worry yourself about it."

Rishid rose to his feet with his typical grace, casting the younger Ishtar with a slightly dark glare. "I'm not stupid, sister." His eyes darkened. "Malik will face the Pharaoh a third time, I know that."

Ishizu nodded sadly. And I can't promise he'll survive this time. "We'll have to see how this all unfolds, brother. Until it does, all we can do it wait."

"……I HATE GECKOS! I hate them, hate them, hate them! [starts stomping and throwing a fit] Damned, stupid, fucking, rotten, God forsaken, fly eating gecko! That thing should be shot, murdered, mutilated, desecrated, fed to the Heartless, and then brought back for a second round… I'm fine. Really."

This is my friend, Sani, whilst playing 'Kingdom Hearts'. [snickers] Obviously, she must fight a gecko boss and she's not too fond of it. ^)^U You may all laugh uproariously now. (Does it show I don't have any real author's notes to jot down?)

Akuro: You have no idea how lucky you are to have a brother that can't read. [sighs] Anyway, Mokuba is incredibly fun to write. ^)^ So are Malik and Ryou. [grin] Especially when they're in denial. ^)^

Dawnshadow: Squee! 'Nother Malik/Ryou fan! [gives Dawnshadow a Pixie Stick] But, 'Kokoro no Naka' roughly translates to 'Inside the Spirit'. (Actually, 'naka' translates to heart, mind, or spirit.') [shrug] I thought it sounded nice. ^)^U

Blu chocobo: Hee hee! Much trouble, denial, and comments from the Puzzle's peanut gallery will ensue once the 'meeting' gets underway. [grin]

Animegirl: Unfortunately, I do believe ecchi genes to run in the Kaiba family. But hey, it makes for some interesting scenes! ^)^ But, I'm gonna have fun with Malik and Ryou's date. There's promises of awkwardness, Twenty Questions, and seaweed!

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Chapter Thirteen Trailer:

"Nothing happened! I killed you, you killed me, we were damned to the Items. End of story," Yami replied quickly.

"But, you said the conversation was friendly!" Bakura insisted.

"It wasn't, for the love of Ra! You wished my non-existent offspring to have camels and I told you to screw a hippo," Yami lied, trying not to laugh. The argument he was thinking of was actually a drunken dialogue he remembered being a part of for some inane reason.

Yugi, on the other hand, was in stitches.

Bakura looked up at the Pharaoh with a raised eyebrow. "Did you know," he said conversationally, "that you suck a lying?"

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