Chapter Four-Victoria Tells All

"This is for you own good, Victoria." Her mother told her, as the ten-year-old was led off down a corrdidor.

"But I'm not crazy! Yami Marik did do it! And more!" She shrieked in vain. But her convincing pleas fell on deaf ears.

"She'll be in good hands. She's much too old for imaginary playmates, and whats more,she talks as if they are real." The doctor told Mrs. Johnson.

"I should say so. It's not good for our family name." The mother replied. "Get rid of those notions!"

"We'll do what we can."

"Let go of me! I'm not crazy! Ask Johanna Watson! She'll tell you! Yami Bakura exists too!"

"Yami Bakura, eh? Sounds like someone's seen too much Yu gi oh. That we must end first."

"NO! You can't! The finals!" Victoria was in hysterics. She'd been dying to see the finals in Battle City,and now she never would. "Please!"

"I'm sorry. This is part of treatment." They led her down the hall, and into a room. "This is your room." They proceeded to prepare her for treatment then,as she cried out in frustration for the real Marik, who would not come…..

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Ishizu came home a while later to find her brothers in the living room, looking concerned. "What has happened?" She asked Rishid.

"Victoria has arrived in our dimension, Sister. It's the work of Marik's yami." Rishid told her.

"Oh! Is she alright?"

"She seems to be on the outside, but on the inside….she must feel so confused right now." Marik replied. "She is resting right now." He added.

"Alright." Ishizu nodded. "Has she told you anything at all?"

"Not much. She says she will though." Marik informed her. "I would like to know why he has brought her here."

"That is a good question." Rishid agreed. "Its answer will no doubt be discovered in time. " He looked towards the stairs. "Her family will be so worried."

"I know. It cannot be helped though." Ishizu pointed out. "Hopefully she will not have to be away from them long."

"Let us hope not." Rishid replied. He went to help his sister start dinner.

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Minutes later, Marik knocked gently on Victoria's door, then opened it. His friend was sitting cross-legged on the bed, studying her deck. "Dinner's almost ready, if you want to come down and get some."

"I'll be down soon." The girl replied in a monotone. "I missed my first tournament, Marik…"

"I'm sorry, Victoria." Marik said sincerely. It was obvious to him this tournament had meant a great deal to Victoria. He stepped into the room, and walked over to his friend. "That's a rather large deck."

"The bigger the deck, the better." Victoria remarked. "This is my Ishtar deck." She sifted through it, then held up her trademark Revival Jam. "This guy saved me in many duels."

"I see…" Marik smiled weakly at the familiar card. "I hope you are using it more wisely than I did."

"I am." Victoria confirmed. Then her eyes lit up. "Is that greenbean casserole I smell? Mmm!" She set aside her cards, and headed downstairs.

Marik smiled, and followed, singing the praises for Ishizu's cooking.

"It is so good to see you, Victoria." Ishizu greeted with a smile.

"And you too, Ishizu. It's great to be with all of you again." I just wish it was under different circumstances. She added silently.

"How is your family, Victoria?" Ishizu asked, as she served her family, then herself.

"They're great. Really great…." She wanted so badly to tell Marik about the time they'd had her committed to pyschiatric hospital. It was his yami's doing, she was sure of it. Because even under the medication, she could still see and hear him, though he could take over her mind anymore.She started,suddenly, remembering the pills in her pocket. She'd need them now,more than ever before. She took them out, without a second thought, and took two with her iced tea.

Marik observed this, and looked at his siblings in concern. Then he smiled, and asked,"How's your health, Victoria?"

"My….oh, it's perfect. I just had a full check up last week." She smiled at him. "And you guys look great. Just like I remember you."

"It seems time moves differently here than it does there." Ishizu remarked.

Rishid nodded silently watching his brother with their young friend. He did not want him to deal with his yami again, but he knew Marik would do what he must to protect Victoria.

"If you don't mind my asking…What are those pills for?" The young Egyptian boy stared at her in concern.

"Pills….oh these?" She held up the bottle. "They're more for my sanity, than anything else." She knew she'd have to come clean with Marik eventually, but she just wasn't ready to do it.

"Sanity?" Marik questioned, then a thought occurred to him. If she kept talking about us, and the Johnsons had no memory of us, they probably thought she was a bit crazy. "Well,hopefully, you won't need those here." He continued with a smile. "What would you like to do tonight?"

"Hmm…I don't know. I still have homework to do…."

"Perhaps it would be best left undone for the time being. You don't know how long you're going to be here." Ishizu advised. She worried the child might not even make it home.

Marik was about to suggest something to her, when the phone rang. "I'll be right back." He went into the phone table,and answered. "Hello?"

"Marik! Oh good. I'm glad you're home. I'm stuck on my math homework." Mokuba Kaiba's voice greeted him.

Marik chuckled and helped him with the problem. "Mokuba..would it be alright if I brought a friend over tomorrow?"

"Who,Marik?" Mokuba asked curiously.

"My friend Victoria is visiting out of town for a while." Marik decided on the closest thing to the truth. "She's most anxious to meet you."

"I see. Sure thing, Marik. I'd be glad to meet her." Mokuba then excused himself to finish his homework, and hung up.

Marik returned to the table, and grinned at Victoria. "We're going to visit my friend Mokuba tomorrow."

"Mokuba…..Kaiba?" The thought hadn't even occurred to her that she would more than likely run into every character from the cartoon here.

Marik nodded, laughing softly. "It's alright. He doesn't bite."

"Wow…" Victoria smiled widely. "I can't wait!"

"Well, you're going to have to." Marik replied.

"Marik? I really need to talk to you….alone." It wasb't that she didn't want his siblings in on everything, but she wanted him to know first.

"Alright. Go on upstairs, and I'll be there in a few minutes,okay?" The Egyptian boy knew what she was going to tell him was bad. He wanted to give her time to think about it all carefully, so he helped Ishizu clear the table.

"Don't push her too much, Marik. I feel much turmoil and pain from her." Ishizu advised. "That poor girl is as insecure as they come."

"I hope I can bring an end to it." Marik told his siblings, as he headed upstairs to talk to her.

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Marik found her gazing out at the clear night. "Victoria?"

"He really hurt me, Marik. In a lot of ways." Victoria began, feeling slightly sick, just thinking about it all.

"Come and tell me." Marik replied gently, patting the bed beside him.

So, late into the night, the friends talked of the things Victoria had endured. The young girl felt safer with Marik than she'd felt in the last few months. "I don't want to go back, unless I know he's gone,Marik."

"That's what I intend to do then. Get rid of him." Marik told her, as he helped her into bed.

"Good night, Marik…." Victoria hugged him tightly.

"Good night, Victoria." He left, keeping the door cracked open,in case she should need him in the night.