This is a Yu-Gi-Oh, fic. Yay! o.o It takes place after Battle City, but I've decided to pretend everything after that never happened, at least not yet. Hey, I needed a place to stick the setting, alright? Kazuki Takahashi owns Yu-Gi-Oh, and all of its characters. I take no claim over them. For future reference: Yami Marik is Marik, Marik is Malik, and Yami Yugi is Yami.

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As Yami and Joey moved side by side, the rest of their friends struggled still with the vines binding their ankles and now their wrists. Bakura on the other hand had his own problem. He stared down the Darkfire Dragon in front of him, "Worthless beast!" His millenium ring shone brightly as he attempted to seal the monster's soul within the confines of the ring. Domestique watched with much entertainment in his features. He did indeed have something planned for Marik, but his struggle would be more mental than physical.

Bakura's eyes widened slightly, "Blasted ring, why won't you work?!" He took the ring into his hand and shook it. It wasn't sealing the dragon's soul. Of course! The thought came to Bakura like a ton of bricks, the monster had no soul. The Darkfire Dragon hissed and began to curl around Bakura, coiling its body about him completely so that Bakura was trapped on all sides. The flames of its body came dangerously close to Bakura's face and he stepped back, only to be potentially burned by another section of the dragon. Malik struggled with his shackles, "Bakura!"

Marik smiled, "Do you feel helpless, Hikari? Savor the moment!" He emitted a laugh. Joey looked at Yami and gave instructions, "Let's do this! You go that way and I'll go this way." They both nodded and bolted to opposite sides of the Reaper of the Cards. The monster drifted toward where Joey and Yami had stood moments before, slashing its scythe at empty air. Tea screamed to Yami, "Be careful!!!" Joey grabbed hold of the monster's cloak as it passed by. Yami did the same. Both of them tugged hard, causing the monster to be jerked back harshly. Turning around, the monster gave them a haunting glare.

Bakura cried out as the Darkfire Dragon ran the tip of its flaming tongue across his face. Instantly, a red burn appeared, running from one side of his face to the other. "Marik! Don't just stand there!!!" Bakura shrieked. Malik became so very angered. He saw his Yami just standing there while Bakura was in pain. He had a special place in his heart for Bakura and this made him so terribly hurt that he wanted to scream, "Help him you useless fuck!" Marik glanced up to Malik, about to retort something witty but suddenly his facial features told a different story.

Marik clutched at his heart. What was going on? The throbbing pain from before intensified to a point where he couldn't think straight. Malik saw this and wondered what was going on as well. Marik growled under his breath, "Useless Hikari, what have you done..." At this point he decided to assist Bakura, perhaps that's why he was hurting. Not very logical, but it was the best idea he could come up with. Bakura was prepared for another burn as the Darkfire Dragon leaned down again. Marik rushed the dragon, passing through the wall of flames which was its body. He tackled Bakura out of its grips. Bakura was protected by Marik's body and therefore didn't catch fire. Marik however slapped out a small flame on his shirt. Apparently the short contact with the fire wasn't enough to cause severe damage.

The pain in Marik's chest eased, leaving Marik confused. His Hikari didn't know shadow magic like this did he? Even so, he didn't have his millenium item. Marik grunted slightly, putting the fire on his person to rest. He stood up, leaving a shocked Bakura on the ground. "I can't believe you just..." Bakura couldn't seem to find proper words for the moment. He was snapped back to reality when he saw the Darkfire Dragon coming at them both. Scrambling to his feet, he looked about for something he could use to defend himself.

"Baka, your deck!" Marik snorted at Bakura's stupidity. Bakura glared daggers, "I know! Shut up, you!" Bakura roughly reached into his pocket and brought out his card deck. He fished through it with amazing speed, producing a suitable card. With his deck in one hand and a single card in the other, he activated the power of his millenium ring, "Umiiruka!" A large wave erupted from the face of the card, colliding with the Darkfire Dragon. In mere moments, its flames were extinguished. Bakura shuffled the card back into his deck and turned to Domestique, "Now you will wander the realm of shadows forever. How dare you assault me..."

Domestique ignored Bakura which made him even angrier. Domestique walked over to the right side of the guillotine and bent slightly to take a hatchet into his hands. The Reaper of the Cards raised its scythe. "Quick, Joey, this way!" Yami hollered. He still held tight to the cloak of the duel monster, running back to where they had started. Joey did the same. This threw the monster off balance and its scythe slipped from its bony hands. Both duelists released the now dizzied monster and Joey took up the scythe. He took a swing at the monster who moaned in pain before dissolving in thin air, the scythe going as well.

"Way to go, Joey!" Serenity yelled. She smiled brightly despite her situation. Duke smiled slightly at her optimistic attitude. Tristan grinned, "Yeah, Yugi! You did it!" Mai went misty eyed as Joey took out the duel monster, "My hero." She mumbled quietly. Bakura sneered at the group of friends and curiously glanced back at Marik who appeared to be in pain yet again, "What's wrong with you?" Bakura snapped back at the blonde spirit. "Shut up, I don't know!" he replied. Malik's hopes rose again, but they fell just as fast when he noticed Domestique, "Ahhh! Hey, wait! Pharaoh! Hurry!" Malik struggled despite the fact that he couldn't possibly escape.

Marik began to vocalize his condition, "Ah. What the hell is wrong with me?!" Bakura arched a brow, wondering the same. Marik managed to look up at Domestique and see what he was about to do ~ Hurting my Hikari?! Only I may do that! His death will be mine to carry out! ~ Yami was shaken from his brief sense of victory. He saw Domestique beside the guillotine with a hatchet in his hands. He was going to execute Malik! "Unfortunately, friends, the time has come for the main point of entertainment to be carried out!" Domestique explained with a grin on his face, "Goodbye, prisoner Malik Ishtar. May god save your soul." Domestique nodded as he drew back his hatchet and struck the rope which held up the angled blade above Malik.

Tea, Mai, and Serenity shrieked and screamed their protests and Duke and Tristan were shocked to silence. Yami could only stand where he was, going wide-eyed. Bakura smiled but was rudely shoved aside by Marik who ran past him. Malik closed his eyes tightly and said his goodbyes quickly in his mind. He heard things moving in slow motion, this included the screeching of the blade above him. In his last moments of consciousness, Malik thought he heard someone running up the stairs of the guillotine platform...