DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.
AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: Yes, this is also rated PG for suggestive dialogue ^_^
DEDICATION: This one's for my best friend, Cheryl, who helped me work out the best way to phrase the last two paragraphs so I could get this chapter out when I did. She's also given me quite a few ideas lately... ^_^
Part 3: Malik, Marik and Isis
By Shadow's Mirror
"Malik… Are you feeling all right? Perhaps you're coming down with something." Isis paused as she passed Malik's room and frowned in concern. Her younger brother and his yami had been racing around the apartment all morning, but now Malik was lying on his bed looking rather flushed while his yami sat on the bed beside him, happily going through their Duel Monster cards.
"I'm fine. Really! I'm just… hot. That's all." Malik smiled reassuringly at his sister.
"Yes. My light is very hot!" Marik piped up cheerfully, causing Malik to laugh. Isis shook her head.
"Maybe you two should do something quiet for a while then. Until Malik cools down." She suggested with a smile for them both.
"We will, Sister Isis!" Marik agreed with a bright smile.
"I know what we can play next…" Isis missed hearing Malik's suggestion as she walked away.
"So I put it in your mouth?" Isis was carrying a load of washing past Malik's room a few minutes later when she overheard Marik's question to Malik. She paused in surprise.
"Yes, but not for long 'cause it tastes funny." Malik's response made Isis frown slightly.
"Malik? Marik? What are you up to?" She stuck her head inside the room, then blinked. Malik was still lying on the bed with Marik sitting beside him, but now Marik was holding up a thermometer. Both boys blinked at the sudden interruption to their conversation, then Marik grinned.
"We're playing 'Doctor'! I'm the doctor and Malik's sick so I'm going to make my light all better! Want to play with us? You could be the nurse!" Marik looked at Isis hopefully as Malik laughed.
"Um… thank you but no. I think I'll just be the big sister who does the washing. Have fun!" Isis chuckled to herself as she continued down the hall. Honestly, what would those two think of next?
"Here my light. I put the whipped cream on myself, just for you!" When Isis passed Malik's room with more washing a few minutes later, Marik's comment again made her pause to look in on them.
"Um… Boys?" They were in the same positions, but this time Marik was holding something out to his light. It looked a little like one of the chocolate chip cookies that Isis had baked the day before, except that it was topped with whipped cream. Actually… there was more whipped cream than cookie. "What are you doing?" Isis somehow managed to get the question out without laughing.
"I wanted to give my light chicken soup. Like you gave to me that time I was sick. But Odion said it was too soon after lunch and that we should pretend this was chicken soup instead." Marik pouted at the object in question. "I still think it looks like a cookie… but at least it has whipped cream on it now!" He smiled brightly and held it out to Malik who bit into it with great enthusiasm.
"I see." Isis somehow managed to keep a straight face as she turned away, making a mental note to speak to Odion about keeping a closer eye on Marik when he was in the kitchen. At least it explained why they were continually running out of whipped cream… and why she kept finding whipped cream all over Malik's sheets.
"How do you do that?" When Isis passed the room again a few minutes later, she paused at the sound of Marik's voice. She smiled at the note of childish curiosity it held. Sometimes it was hard to believe that he had once been an evil yami intent on chaos, torture and stealing the Pharaoh's power and using it to take over the world.
"This? You just have to concentrate. It's not hard." Malik's voice made Isis smile. There had been a time when she had feared that she would never again hear him speak with such gentle patience.
"Yes it is!" Marik's response was immediate. Malik started to laugh and Isis smiled as she started to pass the room. It was good to hear them both so happy.
"How did you learn to rub it like that?" Malik's question made Isis jerk to a startled halt again.
"Like this?" Marik asked. Isis slowly turned towards the door, staring at it in shock.
"Yeah. Like that." Malik's voice sounded slightly huskier than normal, Isis noticed.
"I do it this way all the time!" Marik's cheerful comment was too much for Isis. She quickly moved to the door and looked into the room.
"Boys!" Her sudden appearance caused both boys to gasp and whip their heads towards the door, their eyes wide with surprise. Marik had his back to the door so he whirled around to face it, revealing the golden Rod he clutched in his hands. "Oh… You were talking about your Millennium Rods!" Isis sighed with relief and then felt very foolish as both boys blinked at her. "Um… I was just… I thought… Never mind." She made a quick retreat, deliberately closing the door on her way out. She'd embarrassed herself quite enough for one day!
Malik and Marik stared at the closed door in silence for a long moment. Marik looked down at the Rod in his hands and put it on the bed again, where it had been lying until Isis had startled them and he'd instinctively scooped it up. He turned to look at his light, frowning in confusion. "Malik? What did Sister Isis mean? We weren't talking about the Millennium Rods…"