Chapter Fourteen:

Nice to Know You

The boardwalk was crowed. Not frustratingly so, but just enough to make Ryou feel more comfortable in case this "meeting" went to hell. So far, he and Malik had just wondered around the area, the latter's arms still around the former's shoulders like he was a stuffed animal.

When the pair had walked the entire length of the boardwalk, Bakura thought it high time to prod his hikari into action. ((Kid, make a move already! I think I've seen children's shows more intriguing!))

Ryou raised an eyebrow, leaning against the wooden railing to stare out over the ocean. (Give me time, yami. This isn't easy, you know.)

((...You're kidding?))

Ryou smothered his face with his hands, blowing out an impatient breath. (I have to do this without tipping not only Malik, but his yami off. If I do, there's no telling what could happen.)

((Good point. But still, do something before I die of boredom,)) Bakura huffed.

"Hey, Earth to Ryou," Malik muttered, waving his hand in front of Ryou's face.

The Brit blinked, looking over at the older Egyptian somewhat sheepishly. "Sorry. I have a rebellion going on in my jewelry."

Malik chuckled, shaking his head. "Which one?"

Ryou scowled at an off-handed comment from Bakura, rattling the Puzzle. "Mine." The sixteen-year-old shrugged nonchalantly. "He's being a drama queen."

"Better a drama queen then a raging lunatic," Malik stated lightly.

"I'm... um, sure he's not that bad," Ryou tried with a half-smile.

Malik's face went deadpan. "You were at Battle City, Ryou. You can't possibly tell me Marik isn't 'that bad' and mean it," he grumbled.

The clipped tone of the other teenager's voice threw Ryou off some. What's wrong with him tonight? The Ring holder turned back towards the ocean, watching the incoming waves. I wonder if he's still mad about earlier on?

A terse sort of silence descended over the two Item holders, neither knowing what had to be done but with no idea just how they were going achieve this end.

Finally, Malik turned so his back was to the water, his unwavering lilac gaze set on Ryou intently. "I was thinking," he stated.

Ryou titled his head somewhat, brushing an annoying bolt of yellow out of his eyes. "Yeah?"

"Well, if you're going to be stalking me like an obsessive girl, then I think we should at least get to know each other a little better." Malik rested his elbows against the weathered wood. "That way, we'd at least have something to talk about."

Ryou shrugged. "I guess that'd be okay."

((Finally, some action. Hey Ryou, ask him if he's still a-))

{Don't pay attention to him, Ryou,} Yugi broke in. {Yami's ignoring him, so he's bored as sin now.}

Ryou rolled his eyes. (Yami, go play with Fluffy again. Yugi's bored and I think it'd be nice if you got to know him a little better.) The Brit eyed Malik. (We could be stuck here for a while.)

((I love the way you think, hikari.)) There was a cackle before Bakura successfully blocked all Ryou's communications to the Puzzle.

Ryou sighed and asked, "So, what do you want to know?"

Malik thought for a second, one hand idly toying with the end of the Millennium Rod held his his belt loops. "When's your birthday?"

"September second. You?"

"December twenty-third."

Ryou bit his tongue, trying not to turn in a puddle of cooing ooze. "Almost a Christmas baby," he noted, proud that he didn't sound like a love struck girl.

"I hear that a lot." Malik brushed his bangs out of his face, just to have them fall back into place. "I never got the point of Christmas."

Ryou chuckled. "If this chase drags out that long, maybe I can show you the point of Christmas." And mistletoe, he added with an inward grin. "What's your favorite food?"

"Koshari!" Malik smirked when he saw the flash of confusion dance in Ryou's eyes. "Think of western-style chili without the meat. What's yours?"

Ryou's sighed happily. "Creampuffs. Fresh from the bakery and slightly warm. Not to sugary, but not to doughy. With a cup of warm tea... Heaven!"

I swear you're having a love affair with a foodstuff," Malik noted coyly.

"I am not! They're just really good. Fattening, but delicious nonetheless," Ryou shot back. "You should try them sometime."

"And loose my girlish figure? No way!"

"Oh yes. Rue the day when you can't wear the cute little tank top with the chains anymore," Ryou teased with a wide smile. "Least favorite food?"

"Meat of any type." Malik made a face.

Ryou laughed. "Bakura would be up in arms over that!" he chuckled. "I have to admit, the both of us are... fond of rare steak. Though, I blame that on him."

Malik shuttered. "Now thanking the gods my dark side has the same tastes as me," he murmured. "What's your least favorite food?"

Ryou twitched. "Raw urchin. Nasty, nasty little demon!" he spat. "Blech... Just do you and your stomach a favor and never eat it."

"I'll take your word for it. Favorite color?"

"Gold." Kinda like your hair in the setting sunlight, Ryou added with a small smile. I'm getting really bad. "Yours?"

"Hmm... I'm partial to black and purple."

"That explains the tank top."

Malik rolled his eyes. "Will you stop harping on my poor shirt?" The Egyptian huffed, crossing his arms.

Ryou smiled and nodded. "Fine, fine."

"Who was the first person you kissed?" Malik suddenly asked with a wolfish grin. Obviously, it was get back for the constant assaults to his beloved tank top.

Ryou's eyes widened slightly and a cute blush colored his cheeks with a light red hue. "Um..." Articulate, Ry. A real prize-winning answer. "R-Remember the Battle Ship?"

Malik smothered a girlish giggle. I was the first person he kissed, he crowed happily. "Hell yeah. It's not every day I have someone sit on me." His grin turned sly with the hidden innuendo.

Ryou's blush darkened considerably. "Well yeah, you're the first person I kissed. Happy?"

Malik nodded. "Very happy." He ruffled Ryou's hair affectionately. "If it makes you feel better, you're the first person I've kissed." First person I've kissed and been able to enjoy it, he added with a fierce mental scowl.

"So, what's the stupidest thing you've ever done?" Ryou quizzed, resting his cheek on his fist.

"Give me a date and I'll give you one of three stupid events," Malik lamented. "I swear, if a single day goes by that I don't screw something up, the world will come to a screeching halt."

Ryou chuckled. "I'm sure you're not that bad. If so, have you broken any mirrors lately?"

"Very funny," Malik grumbled. "What about you? I'm sure you're not perfect."

"That's easy. I accepted accursed jewelry from my eccentric father." Ryou glared down at the Puzzle. "And I made friends with a Pharaoh reincarnate." And I fell for a psychotic fellow bent on world domination.

Malik laughed at his companion and asked, "What's the one thing you don't regret ever doing?"

"Meeting you," Ryou replied honestly.

"Aw! I'm loved!" Malik grinned lopsidedly. "I'd have to agree with you on that."

That damned blush came back with a vengeance. "Um... thanks," Ryou murmured.

"Welcome." Malik licked his lips, playing with one of his earrings out of bored habit. "Yami problems. What's the worst thing that's happened to you?"

Ryou gulped, going pale around the blush fading from his cheeks. Dear God, what brought that question on? Somehow, the Brit sensed Marik had something to do with the question.

"I mean, you don't have to answer. I was just curious," Malik added in a rush. [Gods be damned, you idiot! This isn't going to work!]

[[Be patient, little one. Ryou is honest and he needs someone to talk to. Someone who has known his pain and shared it through the impossible,]] Marik replied smoothly. [[He will talk and when he does, I will know just what Bakura is capable of.]]

Malik rubbed the back of his neck, wincing at the stiffness in his shoulder. "I shouldn't have asked, really."

Ryou shrugged, turning a kind eye towards the scowling Egyptian. "You need to know what we're able to do. What fun with a chase be if you didn't know your opponent's strengths and weaknesses?"

Malik grumbled a barely coherent 'whatever' as he glared at the ground. [Bastard,] he hissed.

[[Don't push me, dearest hikari. I don't want to hurt you because you're being stubborn. Just go with the plan and no one gets hurt...]] Marik chuckled. [[...Too badly.]]

"At the hands of another yami, I'd have to say uncertain death," Ryou spoke up, forcing a thin-lipped smile. "By my own yami... God, I don't know. He did a lot of little things that amounted to a lot in the end. He'd play these vicious mind games with me, making me feel safe one moment then yank the rug out from underneath me the next."

Malik snorted. "I can attest to that one."

"A lot of the physical scars show on my skin, but I think it was more of a release for Bakura."

"What makes you think that? How can you be so calm and forgiving about it?" Malik gushed, the stinging of his infantile wounds grating on his nerves.

"He'd only do it when he was frustrated. His first encounter with Yami no Yugi, he stabbed his hand when things weren't looking up. He'd stick the spears of the Ring into my chest when he was angry, but wouldn't come out."

"Then how do you explain his little stunt with the knife?" Malik asked intrigued. How in the hells can he talk about that like it's nothing?

Ryou chuckled. "You frustrated him because you wouldn't give him what he wanted as soon as he asked for it. That and I think he wanted to prove to you who the tougher man was."

"A lot of good that did. It just wound you up in the hospital or a hospital wing more times then there were duels," Malik growled. He turned his now anger-dark eyes to meet Ryou's. "How can you forgive him for that? It's obvious that it still effects you; how can you-"

"He has his reasons," Ryou interrupted softly. "I can't change the past by hating him in the present, the same way I can't change my fate by seeking revenge on you."

That line of thinking settled hard on Malik's shoulders. "You don't feel a scrap of hate for what people have done to you in the past?" For some reason, the Brit's philosophy on life just wasn't right to the seventeen-year-old and he was struggling to put it together.

"I do get angry over the things I've been through, I am human after all," Ryou replied with a small smile. "But, I don't really see a need to punish someone for something that occurred in the past."

"What if it just happened?" Malik pushed.

Ryou started laughing, laying a hand on Malik's arm. "I don't expect you to understand my reasons for not holding a grudge, Malik. I just don't see a need for it in a life filled with much more important things."

Sighing, Malik looked down at the pale hand resting on his forearm. "That's all my life's been, one giant get-back for something I did."

"For what?" Ryou asked softly.

Malik brushed the subject aside with a sweep of his free hand. "It's not important." His exotic gaze lifted and a small grin twitched his lips up. "No use pining over what's already done, right Ry?"

"Yeah." Ryou stood up straight, jamming his hands in his pockets. He stretched some, swearing he saw a brief image of Bakura ramming his head against a wall and Yami making gagging motions. He couldn't stifle the snicker that escaped his lips when he realized the impression was all too true.

"What's wrong?"

"I think we're killing the dead guys again with our heart-to-heart," Ryou replied.

Malik grinned. "So, all it takes it profound words to kill them? Had I known that, I would have been Pharaoh a long time ago."

Ryou snickered when Yami passed him an interesting bit of information. "You know, to truly be Pharoah, you'd have to marry your sister."

Malik's face went oddly deadpan. "Inbreeding causes insanity."

Ryou's eyes widened when he caught the subtle jibe. "Malik Ishtar! You... you... Ugh!" The Brit smacked the older teenager's head somewhat hard. "That's disgusting."

Malik grinned brightly, his spirits lifting to see the younger teenager happier then before. "So, I'm hungry. You wanna introduce me to some of the local food?"

"There's a bakery around here! I must introduce you to the glory of creampuffs!" Ryou replied, eyes alight with a far-off, starry look.

"Well, my strange little friend, lead the way!" Malik yelped when Ryou started dragging him across the boardwalk like a bat out of Hell.

* * * *

Quite some time later found Malik staring, nonplused, at the sweet smelling pastry he had held up to his eyes. "This is a creampuff?"

Ryou looked up from his own impromptu dinner with a wide grin. "Yep. Take a bite! They're really good today!" That said, the eager Brit started on his 'puff again.

Malik look a hesitant lick of the fluffy white cream, making a face. He broke off a bit of the dough and swiped it in the cream, chewing on it thoughtfully. Again, he took a lick of the cream; the Egyptian seemed to come to a conclusion as he started hastily devouring the sizeable pastry.

Ryou chuckled, holding his own creampuff like it would break if he so much as twitched. He watched in muted surprise as Malik polished off his first pastry and dove into the box for another. "Like them?" he asked with a wry grin, biting into his dinner.

Malik nodded, licking his lips clean before diving back into the glory that was known as a creampuff. "Berry good!" he replied around a mouthful.

The next few minutes were spent in silence, broken only when Malik and Ryou dived for the last pastry at the same time.

"Mine!" Malik growled.

"I bought them," Ryou argued.

"I'm older."

"It's my favorite food."

"I'm cuter."

"No argument there."

Ryou ducked his head, his blush bright enough to make a tomato look pale. Damn it, Malik! Stop making this so hard for me! the teenager lamented.

Seeing Ryou was distracted, Malik nabbed the creampuff from him with a victorious laugh.

"Hey!" Ryou's head jerked up and he reached for his coveted pastry, only to have it pulled away. "Give it here!" He got to his feet, trying to reach the creampuff, growling when it was yanked away from his grasp again. "It's mine!"

Malik smirked and broke it in half, taking a glance at the two pieces before giving the larger of the two to Ryou. "It's called sharing."

"Um, thanks." Ryou watched as Malik inhaled his part of the creampuff in muted fascination before nibbling on his own.

"You're still cute when you blush like that," the Egyptian noted after a beat of silence. Of course, it looks better with the whole pale skin and white hair complex."

Ryou finished off his dinner, licking his fingers clean idly. "Yeah, well, I would simply love to rectify that problem, but I can't."

Malik sat back, arms crossed. "Why not?"

Let's see, none of us has any clue how we're going to reanimate a dead body. You think that could be the reason? Ryou quipped. "I have my reasons."

"You don't want the Ring back?" Malik asked, drawing the Item up from under his shirt. "I thought that was the reason you were here?"

Ryou scowled. "It's mine to begin with! I won it in our last duel!"

"No. Yugi did. It was a modified version of his deck and his body that dueled me." Malik shrugged somewhat helplessly. "According to the ancient customs, Yugi won the Ring back and I refuse to give the Ring to him."

"Why?" Ryou demanded, his tone growing frustrated. At this point, he would be content to know why in the Hell Malik was being so stubborn.

"You have your reasons, I have mine," the exotic teenager replied.

((Isn't he an ass?)) Bakura suddenly noted.

(I'm starting to agree with that,) Ryou replied tersely. "Look, my hands are tied, Malik. I can't say or do anything without putting myself and my friends in trouble."

"Maybe I'm facing the same problem," Malik pointed out calmly. He leaned forward, throwing up a temporary barrier to shut Marik out of the conversation that he had been so kindly listening in on the whole time. "If I screw up, someone will die because of it."

Ryou gulped, knowing that threat was pointed directly at himself and Bakura. "Unfortunately, our dilemmas are one in the same." He got to his feet, looking down at Malik with a somewhat sad stare.

((Oh, that's comforting. Ryou, we're not getting anywhere fast with him. I say we just pack up and go home,)) Bakura all but growled. ((We're going to have to rethink our strategy.))

(But yami! There's more at stake-)

{{That's his point, Ryou,}} Yami broke in. {{Every moment spent here in idle talk is a chance for Marik to strike. We must think this plan over more carefully now.}}

Ryou sighed, knowing the two Spirits were right. "If you can't give me the Ring back, then I'm going to have to leave." He steeled his resolve when he saw the shock and hurt flash through Malik's eyes. "You know where I am."

Malik watched in muted surprise as Ryou started to walk off, swallowing hard. He'd seen the hurt in Ryou's eyes as he dismissed himself. No way. He is not getting away that easily! The Egyptian got to his feet, determined not to let his 'meeting' end on such a sour note.

[[What are you doing?]] Marik demanded, exasperated.

[You want him to just walk away like that? C'mon, where's your hunting spirit?] Malik replied, stalking forward. [I don't care if I have to tackle him down, he's not getting away.]

[[Very well. Just don't do anything stupid, like break the Puzzle or drown your brat.]]

Malik rolled his eyes, falling in step behind Ryou, the noise from the surrounding elements covering his movements. A glance to his left showed the railing separating solid ground from a short drop into the water. Nothing deadly and it would keep Ryou from running off. The Egyptian smiled widely and wove through the small groups of people, staying out of Ryou's line of sight until he saw the perfect opening.

Unfortunately, when the seventeen-year-old pounced, he felt a hand grab his shirt and yank him over the railing as well. Spitting and sputtering, Malik paddled to the surface to see Ryou glaring at him with all the ferocity of a drowned cat.

"What in the Hell was that for?!" Ryou exploded, pushing the mop of tri-colored hair out of his blazing eyes.

Malik shrugged, grinning sheepishly. "Um... I wanted to say good bye?"

"By trying to drown me?"

"...Yes?"

"Ugh!" Ryou pushed Malik back under water, scowl deepening when he heard Bakura's laugh tickle the back of his mind. (Cork it, yami, or I'll let you take a swim.)

((You wouldn't' dare?))

(Push me and we'll see just what I dare to do,) Ryou shot back, moving away from Malik to let him surface again. A small air bubble pushed to the surface, but no Egyptian followed. "Malik?" The Brit started to panic a little. "Malik! This isn't funny!" Striped eyes searched the water for any sign of the older teenager. Shit, I didn't know if he could even swim! What if-

Before the thought could be finish, the Brit felt something slimy and decidedly cold slither down -or was it up?- his shirt. "Gah! Shit, cold, gross!" He started wriggling around, trying to free whatever it was from the confines of his shirt. But the more he squirmed, the more of the alien slime slithered up his shirt.

Finally, Ryou stripped his jacket and shirt off, throwing the items of clothing as far away from him as possible. Shuttering, he paddled over to the discarded, soaking shirt and looked at it, face falling when he saw a nice collection of seaweed sitting inside.

There was a catcall. "Take it off! Take it off!"

Ryou spun around, seeing Malik nearly doubled over in hysterics. "Why you- MEH!" The Brit realized something was attached to his back and frantically reached around to get rid of it. He missed on the first two grabs, but the third one rewarded him with a handful of slimy, sticky... squid?! "Malik Ishtar, you jerk!"

Malik was too busy trying to stay afloat and laugh to reply. As such, he didn't see the hapless squid flying at him before it was fastly stuck to his face. Now he was the one in a panic and Ryou was in hysterics.

Once the squid was freed, it flew back at the giggling Brit, only this time he ducked it and returned fire with a shirtful of seaweed.

Malik 'eeped' and dived underwater, going down lower and swimming over to Ryou. With a bright grin, the Egyptian tugged at the younger teenager's feet, dragging him underwater as well.

Before Malik could surface though, Ryou stepped on his shoulders, putting his head just above water. Quickly, the Brit grabbed some rogue seaweed and pushed off Malik.

"You brat!" the Egyptian sputtered after he surfaced. "GAH!" He barely had time to avoid the seaweed that was thrown at his head. "Okay! Okay, I give up!"

SMAT! Once more, Malik found that squid attached to his face.

Ryou broke down in hysterics as the poor creature was pried from the seventeen-year-old's face and hurled as far away from the pair as humanly possible. Snickering around now chattering teeth, Ryou wriggled into his shirt and grabbed his jacket before paddling for shore.

"Wait up, you little brat!" Malik called, powering after the Ring holder with surprising grace.

"Race ya!" Ryou replied before taking off as fast as possible.

Oh no you don't! Malik swam faster, quickly catching up with and overtaking Ryou, making it to shore a good handful of seconds before the Brit. "I win."

Ryou glared half-heartedly, trudging over to the sun warmed rocks and taking a seat. "That wasn't funny, I'll have you know."

"You seemed to enjoy it when I had that mutant sucking my face off," Malik pouted, laying across a rock by the other teen.

"Okay, that was funny."

Malik whacked Ryou's arm. "It's always the quiet ones."

Ryou shrugged and lay back, trying not to shiver. "Sun's starting to go down." He looked over at the Rod holder. "We should get home before we catch cold."

"Hmm... I guess." Malik looked over and saw the shutter running through Ryou's body. So maybe that wasn't my best idea ever. "C'mon, Ry. I'll walk you home."

"W-What?" Ryou sat up.

"You're shaking from head to toe and it's getting late." Malik smiled as he got to his feet. "I don't want you getting sick or walking home alone."

"S'okay," Ryou replied, getting up. "I'm used to it."

Malik wrapped an arm around the sixteen-year-old's slender shoulders. "Let me walk you home, Ryou. I'm sure it's not that far from here."

Ryou sighed, unconsciously snuggling close to Malik's slightly warmer body. "Fine. You win."

"Again."

Ryou smacked the Egyptian's arm. "Let's go, Ishtar."

Malik smiled, grabbing his companion's jacket and throwing it over his arm. "Thanks."

"Sure."

* * * * *

The walk home went by in a comfortable silence, both Malik and Ryou shivering by time they reached the Game Shop.

"C'mon in and I'll get you something warm to wear home," Ryou invited, shaking hand unlocking and opening the front door.

"Yugi, is that you?"

"Shit! Malik, upstairs quick! Second room on the left," Ryou hissed, giving Malik a shove towards the stairs seconds before Solomon appeared.

The old man's eyes narrow some. "Yugi, you're soaking. What happened?"

Ryou didn't have to act the least bit sheepish. "Joey was a jerk and decided I need to take a dip in the water," he explained through chattering teeth.

Solomon shook his head, a warm smile crossing his face. "Typical Joey. You look like a Popsicle, so go upstairs and get changed."

"You sure you don't need any help?" Ryou asked, trying to pull off Yugi's usual concern. "I can't w-wait to change."

"No, no, Yugi. Get upstairs and get warmed up." Solomon shooed Ryou towards the stairs. "You have school tomorrow anyway, so I want you to get right to bed."

"Yes Grandpa." Ryou trudged up the stairs, grinning slightly at his award winning performance. He headed for Yugi's room, opening the door and closing it lightly behind him. "Hey, Malik! You in here?"

"Right here," Malik replied, practically buried in the closet. He pulled a sweatshirt and pair of jeans out of the closet, tossing them onto a nearby chair.

"You sure they'll fit?" Ryou asked skeptically, turning around when Malik stripped his soaking shirt off.

"I really don't care right now, as long as they're dry and warm," Malik replied, scouting around for a towel. "Got anything I can dry myself off with?"

Ryou looked around and spotted the hamper, going over to it and digging out a towel from the bottom. Still not turning around, the Brit tossed it over his shoulder.

"Thanks. You know, you can turn around," Malik muttered.

"I-um, nah," Ryou spluttered, blushing for what felt like the millionth time that night. "When you leave, you'll have to leave through the window or Yugi's grandfather will see you." Ryou hugged himself, trying to ward off the chill and resolute not to change until Malik was gone. "And that is one thing I do not feel like explaining."

Malik chuckled, quickly drying himself and slipping into his chance of clothes. The sweatshirt fit, but the jeans looked more like capris and were a bit too tight. "I'm decent."

Ryou finally turned around, biting back a chuckle. "Those jeans would look simply stunning with your pretty little tank top," he snickered.

Malik glared, tossing the towel at the other teenager. "I'll return them later," he sighed, running his fingers through his semi-wet hair, shaking the platinum mass out in a spray of water. He turned to face Ryou, a smile dawning his lips. "Thanks for the good time, Ry. Who knows, maybe we'll try again sometime."

Ryou nodded, grinning. "With you holding my Ring still, you better believe it." The Brit crossed the room and opened the window, shuttering at the cool breeze that floated in. "Now, get out before you get caught."

"Aw, romantic to the last drop," Malik joked, tossing his wet shoes on and joining Ryou at the window. "See you later."

"Yep."

Malik looked out the window, seeing a rope mounted to the side of the house. A pale eyebrow arched. "Dare I ask about this?"

Ryou shrugged. "I guess Yugi's a fan of midnight get-aways," he replied.

Malik chuckled and grabbed the rope, swinging the rest of his body out of the window. "Good night, Ryou."

"Night, Malik." The Brit's lips quirked up in a half-smile as he leaned out the window, a thought crossing his mind. "You have a computer?"

Malik's eyebrows knit together. "What... Oh! Yeah, Ishizu does. Why?"

"Ask her to show you how to use E-mail," Ryou instructed.

Malik shook his head as he shimmied down the rope. "Sweet dreams, creampuff!" he called with a devilish grin.

Ryou's eyes widened. "'Creampuff'?!"

Malik just smiled wider and started off at a leisurely stroll down the sidewalk, tossing a wave over his shoulder before his disappeared around a corner.

Ryou huffed as he closed the window, sighing. Sometimes, he just didn't get that Egyptian, nor did he want to. But, there was one thing he was now dying to know.

Why in the hells did Malik call him a creampuff?

* * * * *

Marik growled as he paced his soul room floor, destroying anything that he felt like to blow off the frustration of today's inevitable defeat. Dusty lilac eyes narrowed as their owner dusted a nearby pillar with a near roar of pent up rage.

The Rod guardian had high expectations for this meeting, striving to ascertain just what the Puzzle and Ring Spirits were capable of so he could gauge his own attacks properly in the future. But, Malik had failed to achieve even that simple task, instead doting over and mentally cooing at every gods forsaken move Ryou made.

Utterly destroying an entire wall, Marik finally came to a halt, a hand resting on the phantom Ring that lay on his chest, the free one sweeping away a staircase. His second goal had been to make the idea of reanimation more appealing to Ryou, not cause him to clam up.

Though, it seemed apparent to the Spirit, by what he had seen, that maybe those trapped in the Puzzle didn't know how to reanimate Ryou. This thought caused Marik to give pause and mull over the concept, anger melting into simple glee as he focused his powers on the Ring, causing the phantom around his chest to glow and become solid.

"Maybe I should... give them a hand," the unstable Egyptian muttered, looking at the Millennium Ring with a catty smirk. Just point them all in the right direction.

Marik nodded, experimentally tapping into the Ring's power, noting with delight that he had full use of its capabilities. Yes, this will be quite useful to me. The Rod Spirit growled. I can easily accomplish my own tasks decades before my Malik makes a move.

Dipping into the Ring's energy, Marik sought out the correct power, drawing from the Rod's own energy at the same time, taking the two and twining them together with an unbreakable strength. We had a bond in life. I hope it still holds true in death.

Slowly, in an untouched corner of the soul room, a door started to fabricate itself, humming with dark red energy as Marik tied the two powers together in a final 'knot'. The ancient nodded to himself, doing over to the dark door, twisting the knob and opening it.

When no traps presented themselves, a smug smirk spread over Marik's face as he passed into the next room. He closed his door and warded it with his own power so only he could enter and exit. Look around, the Egyptian sneered at the fog-coated floors, watching for any sort of trap to present itself.

But with no occupants, the area's defenses were dead. Pleased, Marik easily found another door, this one a gilded gold with veins of black and the eye of Horus on it. "Excellent," he murmured, passing through this door to find himself standing into a room full of ancient tablets. Upon closer inspection, Marik found them to be the Duel Monster carvings.

Now, all I have to do it wait, Marik reminded himself, sealing off the door he had just come from. He looked around, seeing a perch atop the carving of Ra. Perfect. The blond Spirit claimed his spot, laying down on the tablet with a content sigh.

He could feel the others' presence, especially his. Marik smiled, latching onto the dark energy he had longed to feel. Come and find me, protector of mine. Find me and let me help you. Closing his eyes, Marik allowed his smile to turn feral. Search me out, mighty King of Thieves.

It wasn't long after that the hallway started to grow bitter and ominous, red and black fog rolling over the floor, the Puzzle's soul room morphing to reflect the new, dark presence. One thought, one simple commandment ringing throughout the walls.

Find me, Bakura.

Gomen ne, minna-san! [bows repeatedly] For some damn, dumb reason, I couldn't get this date to come out right! First Ryou was OOC, then Malik, then both of them, then I screwed up the dialogue, and ARG! I honestly need to know what you guys think so I can improve the next 'meeting'. Domo arigatou! And, the next few chapters should come easy 'cause I've been waiting to get to this part of the book for quite a while now! ^)^

-_______-U FF.N won't give me my reviews for chapter VII, so I'll have to make a general kudos to all those who reviewed! I promise I'll give a more proper reply when FF.N stops being such an ass.

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Chapter Fifteen Trailer:

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What happened to you? You used to be so loving to that poor, pathetic Priest. Helped him in his time of need and every time thereafter. A shin'yaku-" Marik's insistent fingers still played with Bakura's hair. "-To protect that lowly Priest." He leaned close to Bakura's ear. "What happened to that promise, tomb robber?"

Bakura jerked away with a glare fit to murder. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about." He pointed an angry finger at the sealed door. "Get out of the Pharaoh's Item."

Marik sighed and shook his head, pulling back some. "Your one downfall. The mighty Pharaoh. Possibly both our mortal downfalls, hmm? Separated in life, enemies in death. I never wanted this." Dusty eyes narrowed. "Maybe I shouldn't tell you."

"Tell me what?" Bakura demanded.

"How to bring Ryou back. He is your own reincarnation, so what's to say that he won't devastate my beloved Malik?"

What is that nutcase talking about?! "Marik, make some goddamned sense for once."

The Rod's guardian merely faced Bakura, trailing his hands down the thief's face. "Ryou and Malik promised to protect each other, from each other, no less. That miserable Priest and his spiteful thief made the same promise and look what's happened." Marik leaned in so he was nose-to-nose with Bakura. "Malik is very dear to me. I would hate to have to kill Ryou again."

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