I am soooo sorry that I have not updated this story in so long. With my boyfriend being away, as well as other problems I'm facing, I just haven't had the will, inspiration, or energy to write lately. Again, I apologize. Once he comes back, I'll be much happier and I'll be able to update more often. Until then, please just bear with me. If I didn't have the support from my 'fans' right now, this story would be out of existence. Please continue to read and review... I need the encouragement.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters. I own my characters and my ideas. I also do not own the mystery guy. He belongs to that special someone in my life.... *sighs and gets lost in thought about him*

~~The Taste of Revenge~~

CHAPTER 8

Marik sighed heavily as he locked the door to his office. As he slid his ID card through the lock-latch to check out, poignant thoughts raced through his fatigued mind. The day at work had been boring, and for the most part unsuccessful. All day, since the time he had finished watching the duel, Marik had been busy translating Arabic-written documents to Kaiba Corporation into English, perfecting them and signing them, then sending them upstairs to Kaiba's office in the hands of a robot. Marik hated his job. At first, translating had been fun. On numerous occasions, he had deliberately translated a document incorrectly, getting the company who wrote it in huge trouble, then having had a good laugh after not being suspected.

...But all the good times were over. He stopped writing nonsense, realizing that sooner or later he'd get caught, fired, and embarrassed in front of Seto Kaiba himself. For sure, the CEO would have given him some form of cruel and unusual punishment, whether it be a few head-slams against Kaiba's desk or having to baby-sit Mokuba for an hour or two.

Marik sighed again, and walked towards the exit. The upsetting thoughts continued to plague his mind. In all aspects he knew he should be feeling exultant -- his "brother", Odion, had invited him over. After spending months of not seeing his best friend, the thought overjoyed him of being able to talk to a person he could fully trust.

Odion wasn't the reason he was feeling down, though. At work, Zalika had showed up late, and ignored him the whole day. During the lunch hour, she failed to come to his office to talk while they enjoyed their food. When he had gone to check on her, she sat in her chair, staring out the window and off into space. Her food remained untouched on the opposite side of her trash can, which was abnormally not overloaded with crumpled up papers and empty pens.

----[About 4 hours earlier]----

"Zalika, what's wrong? Aren't you going to come eat?" Marik walked over to his girlfriend, whose eyes were locked on a vacant parking lot through her window.

"...I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" He received no reply and became slightly annoyed. "You know, that parking lot down there isn't going to do too much. It's not too interesting... Just a mass of black asphalt with white and yellow lines drawn on it."

"Can't you leave me alone?"

"No."

"I figured as much. Now go to your office and eat by yourself."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Zalika stood up and shoved him, knocking over the empty trash can in the process. "I said nothing is wrong! Now get out of here! I have a lot on my mind, that's all!"

----[present]----

What had that been all about anyways? Marik looked down at his feet as he slowly stalked across the road from the Kaiba Corp. building. Hopefully, seeing his brother again would cheer up his evening.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The soft heat that the Dodge Ram gave off just didn't feel right. Zalika laid down across the front seats of her vehicle, exhausted from the day and from staying up nearly 48 long, harsh hours. She shivered, but not from the evening chill being slowly warmed by the higher temperature inside. Loneliness traveled through her blood vessels, slowly eating away at her already broken heart and weary brain.

No matter how much she wanted sleep to come... No matter how tired and hungry, and dead she felt, she found she could not stop thinking about him. Other than her father, the man who had brought her home last night was the only generous person she had ever met. Nobody else cared, no matter how much turmoil she was in.

I could be getting eaten alive from the inside out, having an allergic reaction, getting bitten by a rabid dog, having a heart attack, and having brain failure right in the middle of a road in China and nobody would notice. The man's kindness was for sure a change... one she hadn't been expecting.

What does it mean? Is it fate that made me meet him? It's not like I have anyone else, other than Marik and my father. What about Marik, though? Why don't I get that same feeling of comfort and protection around him? That guy from last night, whose name I don't even know, made me feel more at ease than I have been in a long time... Just what does this mean....?

Still, there were other things bothering her. While she was around him, she sensed an extremely strong power within him... the capability of mass destruction and chaos, yet inside there was the little ping of gentleness that he had showed her.

Is it possible that he is some maniac? What's with all those strong, powerful sensations I got? Looking into his eyes... That power... It just seemed, so... familiar. It's almost like the influence that people get when they use the Egyptian God Cards, but way stronger. What does this mean? And that battle I had with Osiris some... 500....?.... years ago... Similar to that. But still, it was stronger.... darker.... What the hell...? I'm crazy. He's just a guy with an unusually kind heart.... Or maybe.... Wait, no.... Not possible...

At last, Zalika forced the thoughts away, not wanting them to get out of hand. They stayed away for a few minutes, then began to leak back into her tired mind.

I wish I could see him again.... Zalika sighed as she thought about it. Not wanting to lose Marik, she decided to try and keep away from the thought. But no matter how much she tried to ignore it, it just kept running laps through her mind, stressing her out about it and making her long for him more and more.

What the hell is wrong with you?! Zalika literally slapped herself on the head. You can't be thinking like this! You have Marik! That other guy is just a... a guy! You knew him for a half hour and already you want to see him again. Get fucking real!

The mental, self-punishment was useless. Zalika sat up and drove her truck out of the lot, making her way up the deserted highway. The emotions continued to upset her. Soon she found herself taking a route that didn't lead her home. It was towards her father's mansion, some twenty miles away from where Marik lived. It would be good to see him again... To let out all her emotions before the only parent she knew in the mortal world, and possibly get some wise advice. After all, Maximillion Pegasus knew what undying love was. And she could think of no other who could give her the same guidance.

Zalika reached into her pocket and removed the Millennium Eye. Reaching a red traffic light, she admired the small container of unimaginable power; the one thing that had kept her father from giving up on his love.

I wish I could feel love like that.... Marik doesn't know what he's doing. He's as bad as Yugi at times! My father loved a dead person, and was willing to do anything to be with her, whether it be spiritually or physically. I wish I could have that bond with somebody.... I wish somebody would love me so much they'd be willing to die for me. But no, nobody does. Demons aren't loved by anybody, and what we do feel from others is just fake. You remember that. Remember Osiris' sayings... Nobody loves you, you were born to fight and nothing more.

As the light turned green, Zalika turned down an all too familiar road. She drove slowly past Téa Gardner's house. Inside, she could see the dead girl's father watching tv. Her mother's car was gone. The outside of the house was run-down and the garden was loaded with weeds and grass. The stone driveway was in dire need of pavement, something she knew the family could not afford any longer. Ever since that bitch's death, Téa's parents had been ruined.

That's the only thing that's made me smile all day... Knowing that her fucking family is overwhelmed by depression.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Is something wrong?"

Marik looked up, pulling his hands away from his tired eyes and placing them on the table. Odion walked over and placed a mug of steaming tea in front of his little brother. Pulling out a chair for himself, he sat down and sighed. Marik looked up, not seeming to hear what Odion had said.

"Marik... Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Marik looked up, a bit surprised. "Yeah I'm fine I guess. Had a hard day at work."

"I can tell," Odion replied. "You have horrible bags under your eyes."

"It's not just Kaiba though..." Marik took a sip of the tea, feeling himself begin to wake up a bit more. "It's just life in general. It sucks."

"You still with that demon girl?"

"I guess."

"You guess?"

"Something's wrong with her..." Marik fiddled with the Millennium Rod, stuttering slightly as he talked. "The past few weeks, she's been acting so weird. She won't eat right, she leaves abruptly, when she meditates she speaks in some Shadow language. And just last night she had a duel with Bakura, and after that she's been acting weirder than ever!"

Seeing Marik's frustration, Odion looked for a logical answer. "She's a demon, Marik. You can't trust demons. They are evil creatures from the underworld who only care about killing and ruining people's lives. She's no exception. For all you know, she could be cheating on you. Either that or she might just completely turn her back on you."

"Thanks, that was so reassuring."

"You forget that the demons were created to be warriors of the underworld. She's from one of the six elite families..." Odion said.

"What does that mean?" Marik asked.

"About 2,000 years ago, Anubis created twelve powerful beings. He turned on his father and trained them to be warriors. Zalika is descendent of two of those twelve."

"Explain further." Marik commanded. For some odd reason, the story sparked his interest.

"Anubis created six males and six females, and each pair created their own families. Over the years they evolved into different species, but they all resembled their creator in some way. When Anubis became angry with Osiris he unleashed these beings against him. They overwhelmed him, but Osiris kept his title as god of the underworld. It was for the most part a worthless battle, but nonetheless, Anubis keeps these demons still. What he uses them for, I do not know."

"Did Zalika fight in that war?"

"I don't know..." Odion took a sip of his tea and sighed. "I only know the basics. I don't even know which species she is."

"What am I to do then?" Marik asked. "I can't just go on loving a devil."

"No you can't. And whatever you do, don't mate with her. Osiris will kill you and her and eat your souls. He hates demon hybrids."

"I wasn't planning on it..."

"Good." Odion looked up at his little brother with a stern face. "What are you going to do, then?"

"I think I'll sleep on it..." Marik stood up and placed his empty cup into the sink. Sighing, he went into the guest bedroom, leaving Odion in the dining room alone with his thoughts.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Upon arriving at the Pegasus mansion, Zalika found that her father was not home. It was odd for him to be out, for old Maximillion refused to let anyone see his depressed, one-eyed self in public. But it was true, he was nowhere to be found. Guards stood at the gates to the driveway. They allowed her to pass, but informed her of her father's anomalous absence.

"Where is he?" she had questioned. As a reply, they gave her the excuse that he was on 'extended vacation'. Zalika knew it wasn't true... Her father would never leave without informing her first, or else he would offer to bring her along.

Zalika drove her black truck up to the front porch. She could see in the black night that several windows to the large house were boarded up; another peculiar occurrence. The door was also locked, bolted up with chains and bars.

She sighed. Could this moment get any worse? After driving nearly 25 miles to see her human father, he was missing, and before now no word had come to her relating to it. When she looked back at the entrance gate, the two guards were gone as well. She found herself wondering where they had disappeared to, and then if they had even been there to begin with. Sensing forces beyond the normal world, Zalika transformed into her true form as a demon. Walking down the steps, she disappeared into the shadows, returning to her realm.

* * *

Seconds later, Zalika found herself at the mouth of a river. The substance flowing softly inside was not water, but a silvery, metallic substance vital to the creatures of the Shadow Realm. She walked along side the river for several miles, continuing to be lost in thought as to where her Earthling father was. But before she got far, she heard a loud screech.

Turning around, Zalika found herself looking into the face of a small ghost. An eyeless face hovered before her. It appeared to be dissolving into the darkness, until Zalika remembered that these creatures were the darkness. They were neither living nor dead.

"Vasnyya Ynnivaak," the creature addressed her. On its face, there was only a mouth. Its head was a small ball of blackness, with a small tail behind it. "Lord Osiris himself has sent me to deliver a message to you."

(Author Note: Vasnyya Ynnivaak Isirian Der Anpu is Zalika's demon name, while Zalika is what she is known as in the mortal world.)

Zalika glared at the toothless figure. "What the hell does he want?"

"He has sent me to tell you..." The creature coughed in fear before the larger demon. "....That your father's soul has been eaten. I do apologize for the pain that this must bring upon you."

"What!?" Zalika exclaimed. "Sharqizi?!"

"No, Maximillion. Your human father."

"But..... Why?!!" Zalika grabbed the creature and attempted to choke it to death. "How dare that slobbering son of a bitch incest freak do that to him!!"

The little ball of darkness shrieked in a desperate attempt to talk. "Miss Ynnivaak... Your father.... He tried to enter this realm to.... resurrect his.... dear love..."

Zalika stammered, on the verge of rare tears. "How could he do something to a man who only wants to be with the one he loves?! How sick and twisted can a god get?!"

Before the black spirit could slur out anymore words, Zalika exhaled a dark red, acid flame right into its face. It screamed in pain, then turned and weakly fled back to its master's palace. Thankfully to her, Osiris was most likely on the other end of the realm.

Zalika forced back tears. She didn't understand why Osiris had been cruel enough to kill her own dad. After all, it was him that had sent her to live in the mortal realm as a punishment. One lifetime on Earth was too hard for her... And now coming back to her own home had made it even harder.

Zalika ran, beating herself with her tail as she pushed herself further and faster. She drew blood all over her body, continuing to whip herself until she fell over in the mud. Pain shot through her body as the new substance mingled with her silvery-black blood. She tried to stand up, but couldn't. She laid on her side, her face half in the water.

How could I have let this happen? Zalika couldn't help feeling responsible for her father's death. Still though, she forced her head up and began to drink from the clear, gentle river.

"So you have come back...."

Startled, Zalika looked up and into the water. Behind her she saw the reflection of a large, black, blue-eyed jackal. It watched her carefully, seeing her bleeding, tired body and injured spirit.

"Lord Anubis..." Zalika said softly, nodding her head to the reflection.

Behind her, the jackal morphed into its true form. His body was the same pitch black as hers was. His face remained that of the wild dog, with huge, pointy ears, a thin snout, and bright, blue eyes. The rest of him was near-human, with the exception of claws instead of hands and feet, a bushy tail, and the solid black fur covering him.

The deity sat down cross-legged beside his demon companion. Zalika kept her eyes on the river, refusing to look up and let him see her face.

"Something is the matter. I can sense it." Anubis' voice was deep but relaxing. Eventually, Zalika looked up to meet his gaze.

"Indeed, something is. Many things, actually."

"Do elaborate," he gently commanded.

"Why did you let it happen?" she asked, her voice an almost inaudible whisper.

"I beg your pardon?" Anubis looked her straight in the eye, confusion apparent in his voice.

"Your father ate my human father's soul," she stated darkly. "You are the god of death aren't you? You judge the fates of spirits. Why did you let him eat his soul? He did nothing to deserve that."

Anubis put his head down shamefully. "I did not know..."

Zalika felt a burst of anger and emotion coming on, but clenched her fist and held it back. "How could you not know?!"

"I am sorry." Anubis could think of nothing else to say, and for once in his life he felt like he had let somebody down.

"Your father is such a bastard!" All at once, Zalika could not hold it in any longer. She buried her muzzle and eyes into her clawed hands and cried.

"He is not my father. He is nothing. Just a twisted, demented, lifeless being who deserves to be killed for good." Anubis put his hand on the demon's shoulder and embraced her lightly. "I am sorry about this. It was wrong of him to not bring the soul before me."

Zalika sniffed. "I... feel such rage!!"

"I know."

"Can't you bring him back?"

"I cannot."

Upon hearing it, Zalika's sobs only increased. She knelt over, feeling sick from the tears which were foreign to her shaking body.

Anubis looked at his warrior and sighed. He took a cloth from his pocket and wiped the tears away, still keeping one hand on her shoulder.

"Stop crying now, you'll make yourself sick."

Zalika nodded and tried her best to stop. "Lord Anubis, may I ask you a few things?"

"Of course, as long as you know I might have the answers."

Zalika sniffed and looked out at the water, still gripping the soft cloth that the deity had handed to her. "Why... why do you treat my family so kindly?"

"You are the only ones who have not turned on me and went to Osiris, that's why." Anubis snarled, remembering the old war between him and his father.

Zalika sensed the honesty in his deep voice. Looking up at him, she thought she saw sadness in his face.

"How is it that you're so nice when Osiris is so mean-spirited?"

Anubis chuckled, but then he swallowed hard. He sighed heavily, keeping his thoughts of hatred towards the king of the underworld under control. "Like I said before, I am only physically related to him. Nothing more. He is nothing to me."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not like he cares anyway. He doesn't seem to find anything wrong with being married to his own sister."

"How can you stand it?"

"I can't... But after all these centuries, I've learned to deal with it. I don't feel that it's my fault that I'm a result of incest." The jackal-faced god looked back over at the dragon-like demon, who nodded sadly.

"I have one last question..." Zalika felt odd bringing it up before the deity that had personally trained her, teaching her nearly everything she knew.

"Ask away..." Anubis' voice returned to it's relaxing tone as he fiddled with the sand on the bank of the river.

"There's this guy on Earth that I thought I really liked," she began. "But... I don't know how I feel about him now. I--"

Anubis cut her off. "Do not fall for humans, Vasnyya. If Osiris sees you in the arms of another species he will for sure kill you."

"I don't care about Osiris."

"You aren't intimidated by him?"

"Not really..."

Anubis shrugged, a bit relieved. "Do continue your question..."

"...Well... I was wondering about him a lot. There is this guy I met the other day after I had duel with Bakura. He was really nice to me, he took me home, made me feel good about myself, gave me a nice gift... And I can't get him out of my thoughts. Why is this?"

"Who is this... man?" Anubis raised his eyebrows, acting surprised.

"I don't know."

"Exactly. You don't know him." Anubis began searching through his pockets and pulled out a small spray bottle. "Or do you...?"

"I don't think so."

Anubis unlocked the spray nozzle and gently squirted the clear liquid onto Zalika's wounds. In an instant, the blood and dirt washed away and her wounds healed. The fluid stung at first, but soon felt cool and calming to her tired muscles and seemed to soften her cracked skin.

"Tell me, Vasnyya, how do you feel about Marik Ishtar?"

"You know his name, Lord Anubis?"

"Of course I do. Do you think I don't watch over my warriors?"

Zalika smirked. "I should have known..."

Anubis put the bottle away after he finished healing the winged creature, waiting for her to continue speaking.

"Well I don't know how I feel about him." Anubis nodded as she answered his question. "But sir, I don't seem to care as much since I met the guy from last night."

"Follow your heart," Anubis advised. "I created you warriors to be strong both mentally and physically. And like I said, do not fall for humans. They are imperfect creatures. It would give others a bad image of you."

"But what of this other person who treated me with such respect? He saw my demon form... He knows that I am not truly a human."

"Only time will tell."

"What do you mean, Lord Anubis?"

"You will see in time. It is something I want you to experience on your own. Trust your instincts."

Zalika eyed the god curiously. "Do you have something planned?"

"Actually, no. Fate will decide what is to come for you. And fate will decide what will come for the Ishtar boy. Now please, come rest in my temple for the night. I will not allow you to return to that wretched place with no sleep."


_________________________

Once again... I'm up until 3 AM typing XD

Fuck that chapter was long. It was hard to write. I hope my boyfriend comes back soon to give me inspiration... _

~ Please Review! ~ Reviews do cheer me up. *forces a smile*