Look In My Eyes, You'll See, A Million Tears Had Gone By. And Still They Not Dry…
Daphne watched as the intense duel continued, knowing that there was nothing she could do but watch.
"Darn these shackles." She gave a silent hoarse whisper as she tried desperately to yank her wrist out. She winced as she felt a warm liquid running down her arms. She looked up to find her crimson blood seeping from her raw flesh.
"Ra forbid." She bit her lips and willed herself not to cry. It wasn't the sight of her blood that overwhelmed her, but the sight of the three duelists battling for the stakes of life and death.
"Marik!" She heard the Egyptian pharaoh's baritone thunder. She recognized the seething anger in his voice. "Listen to me carefully…I will win!"
"Just try, pharaoh," Marik's voice sneered back. "You don't even know how to master the true powers of your item. Soon, your Millennium Puzzle and Daphne will both be mine! "
"My cousin is of Kaiba blood," Kaiba sounded disgusted with the Ishtar. "What makes you think I will allow myself to loose her to you?"
"Believe me," Marik shouted. "When this is over, both you and the pharaoh will be in the Shadow Realm for eternality!"
"Stop it!" Daphne finally begged. "Please stop it!"
The three guys paid no attention to her, continuing on their harassment to each other. Daphne felt the tears of frustration build up behind her lashes when she felt a warm presence appearing beside her.
"Shhh…" Seto's voice gently coached. "Relax, princess, you're bleeding. Just relax and calm yourself down."
"Why is this happening, Seto?" She whispered through tears. "Why must there be fighting going on all the time? Haven't we been through this before?"
"Sometimes," Seto answered grimly. "We must fight, to protect the ones we love."
"But—"
"Keep quiet for a second," the high priest instructed as he entwined his fingers with hers and began a low, soft chanting. After a moment, he stopped and Daphne looked up to see that the blood from her wrist had stopped and the raw and cutted flesh had healed itself.
"Why did you back out of the duel, Seto?" She raised her eyes up to meet his.
"How can I disappoint you again?" Was the soft reply. "Haven't I already hurt you once? Now, let me amend my wrongs."
"So you and Yami—"
"I've never hated your father, Delphinium. I've never hated you either. It was simply a mistake. The regret of life and now I've got to pay. And trust me, with all my life, I am truly sorry for what I have done." Daphne breathed in sharply when she heard his deep, throaty voice, so like her own cousin's, begin to recite a short sweet piece of poetry:
"The dead lay to rest
The flesh turns to sand, to dust
Even gold, even sword
Wrapped in the sheath of time
The deceased pharaoh's name is lost
Time is the battlefield of the souls
We cry out the song of battle
The song of friendship
Guide us
To the distant place of soul's crossing."
Seto stopped. A light shower of blush sprinkled over his face. "Never mind that." He muttered.
"What was it?" Daphne tilted her head sideways. "It sounded sweet and…sad…"
"It was a poem about me and the pharaoh. It was composed after our duel." Seto's voice was no more than a whisper.
"Oh." Daphne fixed her steady eyes at Seto. "Seto, what's wrong? Your eyes…they're betraying the sign of guilt."
"W-what?" Seto stammered as he broke eye contact and looked away. Daphne studied him for a long time. Then she said softly,
"There's something that you're not telling me. Something between you and me and…Marik?" She frowned at the sound of all three names together.
Seto didn't say anything.
"Seto…? You don't to tell me, but I can see it's bothering you deeply." She turned away, but she could see from the corner of her eyes that Seto was heavily disturbed.
"You're right," he finally muttered. "There's something I'm not telling you. It's one of the reasons that Marik and I didn't get along very well."
"What happened?"
"He made me do something…that I didn't want to do. And in the end, an innocent person was hurt."
"Who did you hurt?" Daphne seemed genuinely concerned. "Is the person okay? I'm sure you didn't hurt them that bad, Seto." She cajoled.
"You." The scratchy voice was no louder than a whisper. "He made me hurt you." He saw the truth dawn onto the princess's expression and she shrank back with shock.
"No." Her face converted to colorless.
"It was an accident!" Seto desperately needed to explain. "At first, he wanted me to use my powers to send you to the Shadow Realm because you were in his way of getting to the pharaoh. I'll admit, I did agree with him and was going to do exactly what he said, but when he brought me to your time and I saw you, I…couldn't do it. I couldn't possibly do it. As soon as I laid my eyes on you, I remembered when you were small, I remember what had happened. But when I refused to do it, he was enraged. He tried to bring both of us back to Ancient Egypt with the dark powers but during the process, I managed to toss you back to your time.
"I never realized how much you were hurt during the passing time periods until Marik came back one day and rubbed it in my face about not doing my duties correctly. He told me that I have killed you. That I almost led you to your death. But it never happened, you've got to believe me! The reason I have never told you until now was because I'd sent someone to gather the research, information, and conclusion that the doctors had filed. After some analyzing, it was determined that the doctor was totally off the charts. You were not what he said happened at all. But still, you were hurt and I didn't want to mention…it again."
"I-I…don't know quite what to say." Her expressions were pained.
"Don't say anything, then. You were misled. I'm sure the pharaoh would be pleased to hear that."
"My Egyptian God card shall destroy all of you!!" Marik's voice echoed through the courtroom.
"Just try it, Marik." Kaiba threatened, his voice to the maximum. "Just try it."
"You're insane, Marik," Yami sounded disgusted. "You and your sick mind!" Their voices became louder as the duel heated.
Daphne's voice became small. "Seto, I'm…"
"What?" Seto looked over at her sharply. He studied her face. It was pale and her usual dark gentle eyes looked miserable. "You look pale, are you alright?" He looked at the lock that held her firmly in place. "I've got to think of someway to get you out of this. He should have done this, you're a princess for goodness sake. Are you feeling lightheaded?"
"Well, no," she admitted. "I'm just…well, kind of…nervous." She finally settled.
"Nervous, anyone would be nervous…" Seto's muttered when his expression all of a sudden lit up. "Hey, wait a minute, how about if I call out an old friend? He could probably help you."
"What?" The Egyptian princess looked confused. "Who?"
"Remember your old friend? Prepare to meet the one and only—Dark Magician."
"Alright!" Kaiba finally snapped. "It's time to end this pathetic duel! I play Exchange, which allows me to receive a card from another player's hand." He flicked his slender digit. "Yami, let me see your hand. If you have what I need, we have this duel nailed." Yami curiously shuffled over and showed his hand, eager to have what Kaiba needed.
"Let's see, Dark Magician Girl," Kaiba muttered. "Defusion, Monster Reborn…yes!" Kaiba triumphantly plucked out a card from between Yami's fingertips. "Multiply!"
"What would that do?" Yami looked and felt more discouraged than he'd ever felt.
"Watch and learn, Yami," Kaiba's cocky tone and expression came back to life. "First," he announced with a crooked smile. "I'll sacrifice my three Blue-Eyes for the master beast of destruction! Prepare to face…Obelisk the Tormenter!"
"I see you've also called out your Egyptian God monster." Marik's eyebrows twitched as he watched the gigantic beast form in front of him.
"Obelisk the Tormentor has 4000 attack points, but from his special effect, he gains extra points from every monster sacrificed!"
"So?" Marik obviously wasn't joyed to hear that, but it overall didn't bother his that much.
"Take it easy, Egyptian boy, and watch," Kaiba's smug smile was contagious. Yami was encouraged that Kaiba had something good in his hands. "First, I'll activate a magic card, Last Will. It allows me to summon an extra monster below 1500 if a monster of mine has been sent from the field to the graveyard during this turn. And now, I summon—Steel Scorpion!"
"Steel Scopion?" Yami's eyes widened and he wrinkled his nose. "Even Kuribo is stronger than that." He mumbled to himself.
"You wasted a turn calling out a monster with the attack points of 250 against my Egyptian monster?!" Marik laughed. "Kaiba, you really must be loosing your mind. My Winged Dragon of Ra will burn your Scorpion to a crisp!"
"Too bad you'll never get a chance," Kaiba said dryly, not amused. "I now activate the magic card that I got from Yami—Multiply!"
Marik's eyes widened. "No!"
"Yes!" Kaiba looked wicked. "And guess what I'll be doing next Marik? Can't guess? Well, let me inform you then, I shall be multiplying the amount of my scorpions and sacrificing them as well, powering up my Obelisk to infinity!"
"You can't attack," Marik looked distraught as he glowered at his opponents. "At least, not this turn. Don't gloat so soon, Kaiba, you shall see, victory will be mine!"
"Well, I guess it's my turn, then," Yami called out. His face also gloating with thrill. "And I shall also activate a magic card, one you know very well, I might add. Go, Monster Reborn! Reborn my Slifer the Sky Dragon!"
"But-but—" Marik sputtered. "How can you—"
"It was send to the grave when Kaiba played Card Destruction on Seto, but I played it into my advantage instead." Yami's lips curled up to a smile. "Looks like you're not the only one with an Egyptian God card in play anymore. All three God cards are on the field. Now, we shall see who is the strongest and who has the best strategy."
"This is such a joke!" Marik gave a sharp bark of laughter. "Of course it's me. Only I shall win this duel!"
Yami smirked and looked at him with bemused disbelief. "The joke's on you, Marik. The odds are against you, or can you not see?"
/This can't be happening./ Marik was drenched with cold sweat. /I'm going to loose./
//You'd better not.// The dark voice growled.
/I don't feel so good./
//Wimp! You'll always be a wimp! Why can't you stand up and fight for what's rightfully yours?!//
/You're right./
//I'm always right.//
"Oh, I can see alright…I can see that you're about to loose!" Marik managed to spat out.
/Can't give up, must concentrate. Think, Marik, think!/ Sweat formed on his brows as the Ishtar thought with his might.
//No use, you're going to loose.// The voice was disgusted.
/I can't!/
//You are.//
/We can't!/
//I'm not…YOU are.//
/You mean…/
//You're on your own, Marik. I despise losers. So don't mind me if I just leave you to your duel now.//
/So you're just…leaving me?/
//…//
Left alone and couldn't accept the idea of actually loosing to the pharaoh and his partner, Marik was dizzy with shock. He was filled with hate and loath and his cold eyes blazed with flames.
"I might have lost, pharaoh, but you're finished as well!" He finally screamed. Using an ancient spell and the dark energy, Marik ordered blindly, "Go, my Ra, attack the pharaoh and Kaiba!!!"
"What?!" The Egyptian prince and the CEO whirled around. Having known that they won the game, they had already stripped off their duel disks and were heading for Daphne.
"No!" Yami's eyes widened.
"You must be kidding!" Kaiba's jaws dropped.
"Believe me…I'm not!" Marik looked furious and his tanned skin grew red as his body literally flamed with hatred.
"But—you can't!" Kaiba protested.
"This is ancient Egypt, Kaiba, anything can happen. I am perfectly capable of activating the powers locked within."
With that said, Ra opened his tremendous jaws and under the lookers shocked gazes, it fired a stream of fire straight at Kaiba and Yami.
"Go! Dark Magician!" A voice rang out. Then a dark shadow was in front of the two duelists, between them and the attack.
"But he won't last!" Yami shouted above the roaring of the dragon. "Dark Magician is too weak!"
But the Dark Magician didn't back down, it simply stayed in his position, staring steadily into the enemy's eyes. To Yami's dumbfounded surprise, the Dark Magician promptly blocked Ra's attack, causing a blinding light to illuminate the room.
And when the light died down, Ra was gone and the Dark Magician was standing. He half turned around and gave the two a tiny crooked smile before retreating back to the side of his princess protectively.
Kaiba was shocked to the very bone marrow of his body. He never knew the Dark Magician's power was that impenetrable. "What…just happened?" His voice was scratchy and hoarse from the fright he had had. "How did the Dark Magician get such a powerful defense?"
"Daddy!" Daphne ran off the steps of the throne proscenium and threw herself into Yami's waiting arms. "I was so scared," she murmured, burying herself into his clothes. "So scared that you or Seto…"
"It's okay, now, baby," Yami murmured back, stroking her hair and tucking her under his chin. "It's alright…"
"What just happened?" Kaiba repeated as he saw Seto coming down the steps.
"Dark Magician was Yami's most loyal companion." The high priest explained to Kaiba as he picked up Marik's Millennium Rod. "Right before Mahado fused himself with the monster, his last words were 'Pharaoh, my soul will serve you forever.' And now, after we summoned him back, he's out to carry out his vow. He has drawn the strength and power from his courage and loyalty."
"But how can that be?" Kaiba looked skeptical. Seto gave him a shove and a wink.
"Hey, but never forget, Dark Magician was a high priest before. And you know high priest always has something prepared. He didn't forget his powers totally, you know. He probably remembered a few spells. Don't you?" He turned to the Dark Magician. The Dark Magician didn't say anything but only gave them a mysterious, secretive smile.
"See, there you go, then." Seto looked satisfied. Kaiba frowned as the Dark Magician relocated himself next to the pharaoh and his daughter. But as he passed a certain white-haired tomb robber, he scowled. Daphne caught sight of the slight scowl and giggled. Mahado hated Bakura and from the looks of things, he still does.
Meanwhile, Marik had slowly stood up from the ground, to which the vibration of Dark Magician's defense had brought him. Everyone noticed him at the same time and turned to him. The sixteen-year-old's eyes lingered at the Dark Magician and stopped at the fifteen-year-old princess. As soon as his eyes stopped on her, he became unbelievably outraged.
"Canis!" He spat, glaring at Daphne. "This is all your fault! I should have sealed you in the Shadow Realm when I had a chance to!" Daphne went pale from the word. But Yami's features turned white from rage. He bolted to his feet and his fist slammed against the Ishtar's jaws. A crunching sound could be heard.
Yami glared down at the boy rubbing his jaws. "Nothus!" He spit back. "Watch your language, Marik, I'm warning you."
"Get up off your feet, Marik," Bakura appeared, his fists clutched by his side. "It's time we settled this and I don't hit a man that's down."
"Wait, Bakura." Yami ordered after watching the boy struggle to his feet. Marik was a sorry sight. The King of Games watched as the Ishtar grimaced and wiped the blood away from his lips, wincing from pain as he done so. The pharaoh's heart softened.
Why, he's just a kid. Like Yugi, and Joey, and Ryou, and Daphne…How can we bear even laying a hand on him? How could I even have hit him?
He set Daphne aside and walked toward the teen. "What do you have to say for yourself, Marik?" His tone all of a sudden a lot more gentle to the listeners' ears.
"Nothing!" Marik growled stubbornly. "I didn't do anything wrong in the beginning!" His face was red and to the onlookers, he almost looked like a boy throwing a tantrum.
"Facio haud esse eius modi unus improbus puer, Marik." Yami scolded, wagging a finger. (Do not be such a naughty boy, Marik.)
"I'm not being a naughty boy!" Marik protested, his eyes stunned and he drew back from Yami's stern fatherly tone. The others saw that the result of Yami's lecturing tone had transferred the maniacal teen who had wanted to take over the world back to an original sixteen-year-old, like the rest of them. Now, instead of the capable, invincible antagonist as he was, Marik looked like a teen that had just broken a rule and now being punished for it. "And I refuse to be good, darn it!"
But the others were confused as well. Why was the pharaoh acting this way to their enemy? But Daphne understood what Yami was doing. Marik needed help, and that's what her father was going to provide.
As for Marik, he'd almost choked when Yami chided him. Why should Yami be scolding him? He should be killing him or sending him to the Shadow Realm. He had the power to, but why didn't he? Instead, Yami had admonished him of his behavior and of his manners. It was almost as if…as if he was hearing his own father talk to him once again. He swallowed hard and his mind persistently pushed away his longing.
"Eius modi lingua!" (Such language!) Yami shook his head and folded his arms, regarding him grimly with the power that no one, besides Seto, had ever seen him possess. Seto smiled as he remembered the manners Yami had regained once again from when he was bringing the young princess up.
"Proficisor aufero!" (Go away!) He was stubbornly being pushed away.
"Non, minime." (No, I won't.) Was Yami's cool, firm reply.
"Leave me alone!"
"Cut out the lecturing, Yami." Bakura interrupted. "For this shall all be over soon. He won't live to do what you have advised him to do."
"Bakura, he is merely a boy." Yami replied quietly.
"So what? Who cares?" Bakura turned to Yami, enraged. "Yami, have you forgotten who this is we're discussing about? Have you forgotten what he has done?!"
"No, I have not forgotten." Then more to himself than Bakura, "Marik is a lost boy. He doesn't recognize the way to righteousness. He needs help, and if the hard way with the duel couldn't soften him and point him to the right direction, then we'll try the strategy of care and love. I can spare him some from what I have nurtured Daphnia with." He gave himself a wry smile. He had a hell of a time raising a little girl up correctly and properly, but a boy?
How bad can it get? He grinned despite of himself. But he learned the answer pretty soon: pretty bad. Marik absolutely refused to listen to anyone and went on screaming his insanity.
"Who do you think you are, you stupid pharaoh? My father?" Marik's face was red and he was glaring at Yami. Kaiba thought Yami would have blown up at this accusation for sure, but was filled with admiration for Yami's patience when Yami only laughed.
"Heck, no. But Ra knows it, you need one desperately!"
"And you think you're qualified?! What makes you think I'd listen to you?"
"Because you care about yourself and you need me to guide you. Without your sister, you're lost and alone."
"Don't mention my sister to me!!!!"
"Why? Are you ashamed in her presence? Do you think you're not worthy of her love? Do you think after what you've done, she won't care for you anymore?"
"SHUT UP!!" Marik exploded.
"She loves you still, Marik," Yami continue as if he'd never heard him. "And she desperately wants you back. The real you."
"I said—shut up!" With that, Marik hauled off and his fist contacted with Yami's jaws. Bakura, Kaiba, and Seto gasped as Daphne gave a cry. Yami landed hard on the floor and Daphne's usual sweet temper broke. She was usually sweet natured and pleasant, but when it comes to the pharaoh, her father, she was as protective as anyone could be. She turned to Marik with blazing eyes.
"You-you—" She lifted a hand and if he hadn't been for Kaiba and the High Priest's quickness, she would have slapped him—hard. Seto grabbed her wrist and Kaiba hauled her back with his arm around her waist. She almost kicked her cousin in the groins but fortunately remembered whom she was dealing with.
But Yami only said vigilantly, "Let it go, Daphnia," as he rubbed his jaws gingerly and got up off the ground. His eyes caught something as he was getting up, something far back across the room.
"You don't believe me, Marik?" He inquired quietly, fixing his eyes on the something behind Marik. "You don't believe anything I've said is true? Then, by the name of Ra's, hear it for yourself!"
"Brother." A soft, low, smooth female voice came from behind the group, where Yami's eyes had been. Ishizu walked away from the shadows of the room.
"Ishizu." Marik swallowed again as he refused to meet his older sister's eyes.
"What has happened to you? Once, you have agreed with our family's 'foolishness' of protecting the pharaoh's tomb. You were compassionate with the people of this world. Now, you're behaving like a spoiled child."
"Go away, Ishizu, leave me alone." He replied sullenly as he eyed his Milliennium Rod, now in Seto's possession.
"Once, you had a good heart, Marik." She insisted, not backing down, but walking closer to her brother. "Where has that Marik gone?"
"Leave me alone!"
"I don't believe that Marik is gone. I believe it's within you somewhere. Somewhere within yourself that you must discover on your own. But first, you must make peace with your heart."
"You lie! There is no goodness in me."
"I pity you, Marik," Ishizu shook her head sadly as she turned half away from the bleached-blond Egyptian boy. "You're so lost that you don't even know who you really are. Instead, you let your hatred and darkness rule and control you."
"I can't change what has happened to me, sister!" Marik growled. "I can't change the past. I can't change me." How easy was life when Ishizu was by his side. When she taught him his lesson and governed over him while they were doing their chores. But now, everything seemed so complicated without her.
"You must change to save yourself or you'll be destroyed by your darkness, Marik!"
"Don't you understand!? I can't save myself!" He made a helpless gesture.
"I can save you." he heard her say softly as she drew near to him. "I can save you with my believe in you, with my care in you, and most important of all…my love for you."
"You…you would do that?" Marik looked at his sister for the first time. "You would do that? For me?"
"Oh, Marik," her eyes were glittering with unshed tears. "Of course I would do this for you. Have you so little faith in your own sister? I would never abandon you. You'll forever be in my heart as my little brother."
From where Kaiba was standing he could swear he saw tears in those use-to-be menacing lavender orbs. "I love you, Ishizu, you are so good to me, even after what I've done."
"No, Marik," Ishizu replied, wrapping her arms around him. "Don't love me because I'm good to you. Love me because I love you."