Treska: *Glances in* Oh I wonder if I have any reviewers left?!
Reviewers: *Throwing fruit* Why haven't you updated?
Treska: *Ducks flying fruit* Sorry I've been really busy with guests and the holidays. But now I'm home and hopefully can get at least a chapter for each story up.
Yugi: *Picking up fruit* Hey we can make a salad with this.
Treska: Okay that was random.
Yugi: Ya, but you're the one that keeps on putting that in. Shouldn't you get on with the warnings?
Treska: Oh ya. Ah where did that thing go? *Rummages for remote* Ah here it is.
Announcer guy: *Beamed in with towel around waist.* Hey I was in the shower!!!
Treska: Uh . . . oops. Just do what you need to and I'll zap you back.
Announcer guy: Okay. Ahem. Treska SilverFlame does not own the Yu-Gi-Oh cast or the original plot line or associated ideas. However the Dragons, related characters and plot line however weak are her's. Please do not sue her she is very broke.
Treska: Grrrr. *Zaps Announcer guy to North Pole* He needs to chill out.
Entire cast: *Groans in pain.*
Symbols symbols everywhere, and soon I will confuse everyone.
/Aibou to yami/
//yami to aibou//
((Telepathy))
-emphasis/or anywhere you might need italics-
~(Scene change)~
'personal thoughts'
On with the story!!!!
* * * * * * * *
A crisp breeze trickled in the small room, sliding across the beige carpet and rustling the sheets that hung off the bed. Buttery sunlight draped itself over everything and made the golden rod laying on a nightstand by the bed wink with secrets. Soft breathes escaped from a sleeping form on the bed. Gently the sun touched the bruises marring the tanned skin, glided over the soar and hurt young man resting peacefully.
Slowly watery lavender eyes blinked open, not quite ready to face what new experiences the day would bring. Suddenly those eyes snapped open when realization seeped into a sleepy brain. Normally he couldn't tell whether it was night or day. His old prison had been in the depths of a forgotten tomb. Nervous eyes scanned the room noting the off white walls, a worn wooden desk against the far wall and the three figures huddled by the closed door.
"We are so dead." A red-headed teen was whispering.
"Ya think." An alto voice belonging to a blonde head answered.
"Tell me again why we're hiding in Malik's room?" A black haired boy asked.
"Because even Bear won't come into a room that has someone Blue is looking after in it. Because none of the others would think to look in here. And I'd rather face Blue than Bear." The red-head replied.
"You must be nuts!" The blonde hissed. "Blue's ten times worse than Bear if she thinks we're bothering her patient."
"Look as long as he doesn't wake up anytime soon we're safe. Besides we're only going to be in here for a few minutes more."
Malik shifted from his spot on the bed. The teen's conversation was starting to worry him, what type of place had he ended up in now? Why was the world out to see him suffer? He must have made a noise because the black haired speaker turned to look at him. Both young men froze as their eye's locked.
"And what should we do if Malik does wake up?" Black hair asked, his gaze not breaking from Malik's.
The other two teens whirled on the spot, looks of horror plastered on their faces. The red-head visibly gulped, Adam's Apple bobbing wildly in his throat. The girl's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.
"Oh man. Please say we didn't wake you." The girl's voice held a nervous quiver.
"No I woke up on my own." Malik replied watching as the teens visibly relaxed. He shifted again and winced in pain.
The girl was suddenly at his side. She bent down and started fiddling with something on the underside of the bed. "Hold on, let me adjust the bed. Blue had Curse drag this up from the med room so that you could have a room with a window." Something clicked and suddenly Malik found himself sitting up. The girl straightened, a small smile curving her lips. "There that should be better."
"Thank you. Where am I?"
"Oh this is the Rookery version 2.0." The red-head said off handedly as he kept watch on the door. He turned back to his friends and sighed. "We should probably get going. I don't want to explain to Blue why we're here."
"Why are you in here?" Malik asked.
"Oh, it's nothing real important." The blonde said, a slight blush crossing her cheeks.
"Then I guess you won't mind explaining anyway." A new voice joined the group.
All eyes quickly focused on the newcomer. A young woman with slightly angular features regarded them from the doorway. Her raven black hair was cut to her ear on the left side and about an inch away from her scalp on her right. Ice blue eyes glittered with slight irritation. The tattoo of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon held her left eye, its tail resting on her cheekbone. Lightly tanned skin rippled as muscles moved in the arm holding a tray full of food.
"Ah, well you see we kind of . . . umm made Bear mad." The red-head said, not looking at the woman.
Blue sighed. "I know. You three know the rules." She glanced at Malik. A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. "Get out of here before I decide to actually do something about it."
The three stared at her stunned, but quickly beat a hasty retreat out the door. Blue dodged out of the way just in time, a small chuckle escaping her. As soon as the three disappeared Blue quickly made her way across the room and deposited the tray over Malik's lap.
"Here. Eat this first. I'll be back as soon as I know that Bear won't tear the place down looking for those three."
Malik watched the girl leave and then regarded the food in front of him. There was a brief flash of light and then Marik was standing next to the bed. The spirit settled down, the sheets not moving under him. Hikari and yami regarded each other, one pair of eyes filled with sadness the other concern covered the anger smoldering in the background.
"You should eat; you've lost a lot of weight and need to regain your strength." Marik said his rough voice barely above a whisper.
Malik looked at the food and saw it for the first time. Quickly he grabbed his fork and started to eat, wolfing it down afraid that he might wake up to find it all a dream. "Is this a dream Marik? Are we still in that place?"
"No aibou we're not under -his- control anymore. Whoever or whatever these people are I don't think they mean to hurt you."
Malik glanced at his darkness. "That girl, Blue, that's the same name of the creature that helped me. But it can't be can it?"
Marik shrugged. "We'll just have to ask. But what I want to know is how they knew that you were in trouble?"
Malik swallowed a mouth full of eggs. "She said that Yugi sent them."
Marik snorted. "I highly doubt that. That pathetic Pharaoh won't let his precious vessel come anywhere near you or I."
"Actually I didn't give Yami a choice in the matter." Yugi said as he and Ryou entered the room. "Sorry if we're interrupting anything, but Blue said you were awake and we wanted to see how you were feeling."
Malik and Marik stared as the two other lights got chairs and pulled them up to the bedside. Malik was the first to break the silence. "What are you two doing here?"
"I thought I just answered that?" Yugi said smiling.
"But . . .you should hate me." Malik glanced between the two. "After all that I did. What I did to your friends and family."
"It's in the past now. Everyone deserves a second chance. Besides you haven't done anything that Bakura hasn't done already. I really could not, not forgive you if I forgave him for everything now could I?" Ryou said a soft smile gracing his features.
"I don't blame you for what you did Malik. It was hard for you to live your life, especially when you didn't want any of it. I may not agree with the way you did it, but everything turned out fine in the end." Yugi watched the other young man a he absently rubbed the tattoo on his left hand.
"Yugi what's that?" Malik pointed to the picture.
Everyone glanced at Yugi's hand and the smaller man blushed. On said hand was a perfectly detailed tattoo of Slither the Sky Dragon. The great god's body was wrapped around Yugi's wrist, twining between his fingers and finally the beast's head came to a rest in the center of the back of the hand. The creature's eyes seemed to glitter in contentment.
"Oh, this is a result of a very involved story." Yugi said looking at the marking with a small grimace. "Maybe I'll tell you about it later. Right now we have other things to talk about."
"I know." Malik looked down at the sheets. "It's just hard."
"We know, but if we're going to help you we need to know what's going on." Ryou said gentle eyes trying to reassure the troubled young man.
"It's Malik's father. He's returned." Marik started seeing that Malik didn't want to speak for a while.
Both hikari's turned to the once evil spirit. "What do you mean?"
Marik sighed. "You know how Malik was when you first met him. Very angry and dark. Almost like a yami."
"Yes but Ishizu said that a evil presence was inside of him. That it took over." Yugi said. "Wasn't that you?"
"Yes and no." Marik rubbed his neck trying to organize his thoughts. "I am the dark side of Malik, but I'm not actually evil. There's a very fine line between the two and yami's have to be careful of not turning evil. When Malik became so consumed by anger and jealousy I was brought out. But the feelings were so overwhelming that the evilness took over."
"You know how my family has always watched over the tomb of the Pharoah Yugi. We weren't allowed to ever visit the outside world." Malik interjected. "One day I begged my sister to let me go outside. Odion stayed behind to make sure my father didn't find out."
"Ishizu told you that it was the rite of the Tomb Keepers that brought me and the evilness out." Marik glared at the wall, anger at the past still riding his soul. "In truth it was that one time out. I saw what Malik was missing, what he could have and was denied all in the name of that pathetic Paharoh. It was then that I split from Malik's soul and we became two beings. It was then that the evilness was also born."
"So just seeing the outside brought you out?" Yugi asked.
"No, it just helped separate us into two beings. What brought us out and let me have control for the first time was what Malik's father did when we returned."
Malik sighed as he closed his eyes remembering that fateful day. "You see my father found out that we had left. When we returned we found Odion tied up and beaten on the floor. My father was furious that we had disobeyed him. He was going to send Odion away. I . . . I couldn't let that happen, but I didn't know what to do."
Marik shifted. "I did though. I took over and went and got the Millennium Rod. I sent his father to the Shadow Relm and then went after Odion."
"Odion came to at that point and I realized what was happening. I was able to push Marik away, but the damage was already done."
"What happened to your father?"
"I thought he was dead. When you banish a person physically to the Shadow Realm and they don't have any magic of their own to help them survive they die." Marik said. "I didn't think much about it after that and when Malik suppressed me to the back of his mind I completely forgot."
"But no he's back how?"
"We don't know." Marik watched as Malik refocused his attention on the sheets, face sad and mournful. "Somehow his spirit survived and it took possession of Ishizu. He then took control of the Rod."
"But you were trapped in the Rod after our battle. How come you weren't able to stop him?" Yugi asked surprised that someone could influence a yami like that.
"That's the thing, I wasn't aware of what was going on until it was to late. Before he actually used the Rod he cast a spell that blocked almost all of my Shadow Magic. I could materialize outside of the Rod but that was it."
"Is that spell still in effect?" Ryou asked as he got up and took the Rod in his hands.
"Yes and I don't know how to break it. Unlike Yami and Bakura I wasn't originally sealed in it. I only know some Shadow Magic through Malik's memories."
Ryou handed the Rod over to Yugi. The spiky haired teen took the item in his hands. Closing his eyes he reached out with his magical senses. Using Shadow Magic from the Millennium Puzzle and the magic of Slither he went over the Rod. He could sense the spell Malik's father used, but he had no idea how to remove it.
/Yami how good are you at removing spells?/ Yugi asked as he continued to look over the Rod.
//It depends on the spell aibou. Why?//
Yugi quickly explained about Marik's problem. /I want to get this spell off so that Marik can have his powers back./
//No.//
/Why not?/
//He is evil remember Yugi? He hurt Joey and your grandfather in his quest to control the Puzzle and the world. If he regains the power of the Rod he can easily start again.//
/He won't do that Yami. Both Malik and Marik have changed. I don't think either of them were truly evil. Marik said that there was an evil inside Malik that even he couldn't control./
//And what if he's lying, or that evil returns. He'll go after you Yugi. I won't risk your safety koi.//
Yugi sighed. /Yami I know what I'm doing. Marik's different I can tell. They've both changed. Do you want me to prove it?/
Yugi could feel Yami shake his head. //No, I trust you hikari. What do you want to do?//
/We need to go into the Spell Room. We need to get this spell off of the Rod./
//Okay, I'll meet you down there.//
((Yugi, if you're done talking with Malik and he's finished eating bring down the tray and tell him to get some more rest.)) Blue said catching the last part of the conversation.
((Okay.))
Malik watched as Yugi's eyes unglazed. "What does Yami say?"
"He's going to help me remove the spell that's on the Rod. Are you finished eating?"
Malik glanced at the tray and was startled to see all of the food gone. He hadn't realized that he had finished everything. "I don't remember eating all of it."
Ryou chuckled. "That happens when you haven't eaten in a while. You should probably get some more rest."
"But . . ."
"They're right aibou." Marik said. "You still need time. We're safe for now."
Malik wanted to protest, but his eyes were closing. "Okay. I just don't want to put anyone in danger."
At this both Yugi and Ryou grinned. "Trust us. Anyone who comes here looking to hurt you is in for a real surprise."
For the first time Malik smiled. As he watched the other two lights leave he settled back onto the bed. The lingering feeling of danger was still niggling at the back of his head, yet somehow he felt safe in this place. He still couldn't believe that Yugi and Ryou trusted him. Maybe the others would too.
Marik watched as his hikari drifted off to sleep, his face finally relaxed in sleep. The dark spirit didn't need the Rod to be close to Malik to stay out in spirit form. He hoped that Yugi would be able to remove the spell. Anger rose in him as he thought about all the pain Malik had gone through and his inability to help. Once he wouldn't have cared, but as he had watched from the Rod Marik had realized something. Malik was a very strong person, not the weakling he had originally thought. His light's spirit had never broken and he had never given up. Marik was determined to protect his light, whatever the cost.
* * * * * * *
Treska: *Jumps in* Hey what do you know another chapter finished.
Marik: *Stomps in* Okay, just why have I gone soft?
Treska: Well, I want you to for one. And you're not really soft. I still plan for you to be a pain in the ass. Plus you'll get to have some good fights.
Marik: Oh really?
Treska: Yup. You, Bakura and Red will have a nice bonding moment over a good fight.
Red: *Sticking head in* And a pint of beer.
Treska: To bad you don't drink.
Red: Oh.
Yugi: *Off stage* Hey umm . . . there's a giant box over here labeled 'Pink Bunny Costume' and it's addressed to Petit.
Treska: Oh ya. Bakura you might want to start running.
Bakura: Why?
Treska: Well in the epilogue of The Dragons Petit threatened to put you in the bunny suite remember?
Bakura: *Pales and runs off*
Treska: Okay review as always. My goal for this story is two hundred reviews.
Blue: Like that's ever going to happen.
Treska: *Bashes character over head and drags her off.*
Reviewers: *Throwing fruit* Why haven't you updated?
Treska: *Ducks flying fruit* Sorry I've been really busy with guests and the holidays. But now I'm home and hopefully can get at least a chapter for each story up.
Yugi: *Picking up fruit* Hey we can make a salad with this.
Treska: Okay that was random.
Yugi: Ya, but you're the one that keeps on putting that in. Shouldn't you get on with the warnings?
Treska: Oh ya. Ah where did that thing go? *Rummages for remote* Ah here it is.
Announcer guy: *Beamed in with towel around waist.* Hey I was in the shower!!!
Treska: Uh . . . oops. Just do what you need to and I'll zap you back.
Announcer guy: Okay. Ahem. Treska SilverFlame does not own the Yu-Gi-Oh cast or the original plot line or associated ideas. However the Dragons, related characters and plot line however weak are her's. Please do not sue her she is very broke.
Treska: Grrrr. *Zaps Announcer guy to North Pole* He needs to chill out.
Entire cast: *Groans in pain.*
Symbols symbols everywhere, and soon I will confuse everyone.
/Aibou to yami/
//yami to aibou//
((Telepathy))
-emphasis/or anywhere you might need italics-
~(Scene change)~
'personal thoughts'
On with the story!!!!
* * * * * * * *
A crisp breeze trickled in the small room, sliding across the beige carpet and rustling the sheets that hung off the bed. Buttery sunlight draped itself over everything and made the golden rod laying on a nightstand by the bed wink with secrets. Soft breathes escaped from a sleeping form on the bed. Gently the sun touched the bruises marring the tanned skin, glided over the soar and hurt young man resting peacefully.
Slowly watery lavender eyes blinked open, not quite ready to face what new experiences the day would bring. Suddenly those eyes snapped open when realization seeped into a sleepy brain. Normally he couldn't tell whether it was night or day. His old prison had been in the depths of a forgotten tomb. Nervous eyes scanned the room noting the off white walls, a worn wooden desk against the far wall and the three figures huddled by the closed door.
"We are so dead." A red-headed teen was whispering.
"Ya think." An alto voice belonging to a blonde head answered.
"Tell me again why we're hiding in Malik's room?" A black haired boy asked.
"Because even Bear won't come into a room that has someone Blue is looking after in it. Because none of the others would think to look in here. And I'd rather face Blue than Bear." The red-head replied.
"You must be nuts!" The blonde hissed. "Blue's ten times worse than Bear if she thinks we're bothering her patient."
"Look as long as he doesn't wake up anytime soon we're safe. Besides we're only going to be in here for a few minutes more."
Malik shifted from his spot on the bed. The teen's conversation was starting to worry him, what type of place had he ended up in now? Why was the world out to see him suffer? He must have made a noise because the black haired speaker turned to look at him. Both young men froze as their eye's locked.
"And what should we do if Malik does wake up?" Black hair asked, his gaze not breaking from Malik's.
The other two teens whirled on the spot, looks of horror plastered on their faces. The red-head visibly gulped, Adam's Apple bobbing wildly in his throat. The girl's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.
"Oh man. Please say we didn't wake you." The girl's voice held a nervous quiver.
"No I woke up on my own." Malik replied watching as the teens visibly relaxed. He shifted again and winced in pain.
The girl was suddenly at his side. She bent down and started fiddling with something on the underside of the bed. "Hold on, let me adjust the bed. Blue had Curse drag this up from the med room so that you could have a room with a window." Something clicked and suddenly Malik found himself sitting up. The girl straightened, a small smile curving her lips. "There that should be better."
"Thank you. Where am I?"
"Oh this is the Rookery version 2.0." The red-head said off handedly as he kept watch on the door. He turned back to his friends and sighed. "We should probably get going. I don't want to explain to Blue why we're here."
"Why are you in here?" Malik asked.
"Oh, it's nothing real important." The blonde said, a slight blush crossing her cheeks.
"Then I guess you won't mind explaining anyway." A new voice joined the group.
All eyes quickly focused on the newcomer. A young woman with slightly angular features regarded them from the doorway. Her raven black hair was cut to her ear on the left side and about an inch away from her scalp on her right. Ice blue eyes glittered with slight irritation. The tattoo of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon held her left eye, its tail resting on her cheekbone. Lightly tanned skin rippled as muscles moved in the arm holding a tray full of food.
"Ah, well you see we kind of . . . umm made Bear mad." The red-head said, not looking at the woman.
Blue sighed. "I know. You three know the rules." She glanced at Malik. A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. "Get out of here before I decide to actually do something about it."
The three stared at her stunned, but quickly beat a hasty retreat out the door. Blue dodged out of the way just in time, a small chuckle escaping her. As soon as the three disappeared Blue quickly made her way across the room and deposited the tray over Malik's lap.
"Here. Eat this first. I'll be back as soon as I know that Bear won't tear the place down looking for those three."
Malik watched the girl leave and then regarded the food in front of him. There was a brief flash of light and then Marik was standing next to the bed. The spirit settled down, the sheets not moving under him. Hikari and yami regarded each other, one pair of eyes filled with sadness the other concern covered the anger smoldering in the background.
"You should eat; you've lost a lot of weight and need to regain your strength." Marik said his rough voice barely above a whisper.
Malik looked at the food and saw it for the first time. Quickly he grabbed his fork and started to eat, wolfing it down afraid that he might wake up to find it all a dream. "Is this a dream Marik? Are we still in that place?"
"No aibou we're not under -his- control anymore. Whoever or whatever these people are I don't think they mean to hurt you."
Malik glanced at his darkness. "That girl, Blue, that's the same name of the creature that helped me. But it can't be can it?"
Marik shrugged. "We'll just have to ask. But what I want to know is how they knew that you were in trouble?"
Malik swallowed a mouth full of eggs. "She said that Yugi sent them."
Marik snorted. "I highly doubt that. That pathetic Pharaoh won't let his precious vessel come anywhere near you or I."
"Actually I didn't give Yami a choice in the matter." Yugi said as he and Ryou entered the room. "Sorry if we're interrupting anything, but Blue said you were awake and we wanted to see how you were feeling."
Malik and Marik stared as the two other lights got chairs and pulled them up to the bedside. Malik was the first to break the silence. "What are you two doing here?"
"I thought I just answered that?" Yugi said smiling.
"But . . .you should hate me." Malik glanced between the two. "After all that I did. What I did to your friends and family."
"It's in the past now. Everyone deserves a second chance. Besides you haven't done anything that Bakura hasn't done already. I really could not, not forgive you if I forgave him for everything now could I?" Ryou said a soft smile gracing his features.
"I don't blame you for what you did Malik. It was hard for you to live your life, especially when you didn't want any of it. I may not agree with the way you did it, but everything turned out fine in the end." Yugi watched the other young man a he absently rubbed the tattoo on his left hand.
"Yugi what's that?" Malik pointed to the picture.
Everyone glanced at Yugi's hand and the smaller man blushed. On said hand was a perfectly detailed tattoo of Slither the Sky Dragon. The great god's body was wrapped around Yugi's wrist, twining between his fingers and finally the beast's head came to a rest in the center of the back of the hand. The creature's eyes seemed to glitter in contentment.
"Oh, this is a result of a very involved story." Yugi said looking at the marking with a small grimace. "Maybe I'll tell you about it later. Right now we have other things to talk about."
"I know." Malik looked down at the sheets. "It's just hard."
"We know, but if we're going to help you we need to know what's going on." Ryou said gentle eyes trying to reassure the troubled young man.
"It's Malik's father. He's returned." Marik started seeing that Malik didn't want to speak for a while.
Both hikari's turned to the once evil spirit. "What do you mean?"
Marik sighed. "You know how Malik was when you first met him. Very angry and dark. Almost like a yami."
"Yes but Ishizu said that a evil presence was inside of him. That it took over." Yugi said. "Wasn't that you?"
"Yes and no." Marik rubbed his neck trying to organize his thoughts. "I am the dark side of Malik, but I'm not actually evil. There's a very fine line between the two and yami's have to be careful of not turning evil. When Malik became so consumed by anger and jealousy I was brought out. But the feelings were so overwhelming that the evilness took over."
"You know how my family has always watched over the tomb of the Pharoah Yugi. We weren't allowed to ever visit the outside world." Malik interjected. "One day I begged my sister to let me go outside. Odion stayed behind to make sure my father didn't find out."
"Ishizu told you that it was the rite of the Tomb Keepers that brought me and the evilness out." Marik glared at the wall, anger at the past still riding his soul. "In truth it was that one time out. I saw what Malik was missing, what he could have and was denied all in the name of that pathetic Paharoh. It was then that I split from Malik's soul and we became two beings. It was then that the evilness was also born."
"So just seeing the outside brought you out?" Yugi asked.
"No, it just helped separate us into two beings. What brought us out and let me have control for the first time was what Malik's father did when we returned."
Malik sighed as he closed his eyes remembering that fateful day. "You see my father found out that we had left. When we returned we found Odion tied up and beaten on the floor. My father was furious that we had disobeyed him. He was going to send Odion away. I . . . I couldn't let that happen, but I didn't know what to do."
Marik shifted. "I did though. I took over and went and got the Millennium Rod. I sent his father to the Shadow Relm and then went after Odion."
"Odion came to at that point and I realized what was happening. I was able to push Marik away, but the damage was already done."
"What happened to your father?"
"I thought he was dead. When you banish a person physically to the Shadow Realm and they don't have any magic of their own to help them survive they die." Marik said. "I didn't think much about it after that and when Malik suppressed me to the back of his mind I completely forgot."
"But no he's back how?"
"We don't know." Marik watched as Malik refocused his attention on the sheets, face sad and mournful. "Somehow his spirit survived and it took possession of Ishizu. He then took control of the Rod."
"But you were trapped in the Rod after our battle. How come you weren't able to stop him?" Yugi asked surprised that someone could influence a yami like that.
"That's the thing, I wasn't aware of what was going on until it was to late. Before he actually used the Rod he cast a spell that blocked almost all of my Shadow Magic. I could materialize outside of the Rod but that was it."
"Is that spell still in effect?" Ryou asked as he got up and took the Rod in his hands.
"Yes and I don't know how to break it. Unlike Yami and Bakura I wasn't originally sealed in it. I only know some Shadow Magic through Malik's memories."
Ryou handed the Rod over to Yugi. The spiky haired teen took the item in his hands. Closing his eyes he reached out with his magical senses. Using Shadow Magic from the Millennium Puzzle and the magic of Slither he went over the Rod. He could sense the spell Malik's father used, but he had no idea how to remove it.
/Yami how good are you at removing spells?/ Yugi asked as he continued to look over the Rod.
//It depends on the spell aibou. Why?//
Yugi quickly explained about Marik's problem. /I want to get this spell off so that Marik can have his powers back./
//No.//
/Why not?/
//He is evil remember Yugi? He hurt Joey and your grandfather in his quest to control the Puzzle and the world. If he regains the power of the Rod he can easily start again.//
/He won't do that Yami. Both Malik and Marik have changed. I don't think either of them were truly evil. Marik said that there was an evil inside Malik that even he couldn't control./
//And what if he's lying, or that evil returns. He'll go after you Yugi. I won't risk your safety koi.//
Yugi sighed. /Yami I know what I'm doing. Marik's different I can tell. They've both changed. Do you want me to prove it?/
Yugi could feel Yami shake his head. //No, I trust you hikari. What do you want to do?//
/We need to go into the Spell Room. We need to get this spell off of the Rod./
//Okay, I'll meet you down there.//
((Yugi, if you're done talking with Malik and he's finished eating bring down the tray and tell him to get some more rest.)) Blue said catching the last part of the conversation.
((Okay.))
Malik watched as Yugi's eyes unglazed. "What does Yami say?"
"He's going to help me remove the spell that's on the Rod. Are you finished eating?"
Malik glanced at the tray and was startled to see all of the food gone. He hadn't realized that he had finished everything. "I don't remember eating all of it."
Ryou chuckled. "That happens when you haven't eaten in a while. You should probably get some more rest."
"But . . ."
"They're right aibou." Marik said. "You still need time. We're safe for now."
Malik wanted to protest, but his eyes were closing. "Okay. I just don't want to put anyone in danger."
At this both Yugi and Ryou grinned. "Trust us. Anyone who comes here looking to hurt you is in for a real surprise."
For the first time Malik smiled. As he watched the other two lights leave he settled back onto the bed. The lingering feeling of danger was still niggling at the back of his head, yet somehow he felt safe in this place. He still couldn't believe that Yugi and Ryou trusted him. Maybe the others would too.
Marik watched as his hikari drifted off to sleep, his face finally relaxed in sleep. The dark spirit didn't need the Rod to be close to Malik to stay out in spirit form. He hoped that Yugi would be able to remove the spell. Anger rose in him as he thought about all the pain Malik had gone through and his inability to help. Once he wouldn't have cared, but as he had watched from the Rod Marik had realized something. Malik was a very strong person, not the weakling he had originally thought. His light's spirit had never broken and he had never given up. Marik was determined to protect his light, whatever the cost.
* * * * * * *
Treska: *Jumps in* Hey what do you know another chapter finished.
Marik: *Stomps in* Okay, just why have I gone soft?
Treska: Well, I want you to for one. And you're not really soft. I still plan for you to be a pain in the ass. Plus you'll get to have some good fights.
Marik: Oh really?
Treska: Yup. You, Bakura and Red will have a nice bonding moment over a good fight.
Red: *Sticking head in* And a pint of beer.
Treska: To bad you don't drink.
Red: Oh.
Yugi: *Off stage* Hey umm . . . there's a giant box over here labeled 'Pink Bunny Costume' and it's addressed to Petit.
Treska: Oh ya. Bakura you might want to start running.
Bakura: Why?
Treska: Well in the epilogue of The Dragons Petit threatened to put you in the bunny suite remember?
Bakura: *Pales and runs off*
Treska: Okay review as always. My goal for this story is two hundred reviews.
Blue: Like that's ever going to happen.
Treska: *Bashes character over head and drags her off.*