Gods, I'm so terribly sorry about not updating so long! What an authoress am I, leaving my readers with suspense so damn long. . . cries Forgive me! Evil school made me do it!! Anyways...enjoy.

Anzu stared at the two men standing in front of her, just a few meters away. Impossible. No. Way. Bakura didn't just shoot an energy arrow at Mariku. Did he?

Obviously, he did. Evenly hard breathing, the white-haired one stared back at Anzu, not quite getting what he just did, while Yami lowered his eyes onto Mariku, who was half-laying on the ground, clutching his shoulder. He actually bled, Yami noticed. So the body couldn't be the one of a zombie. It was a living, breathing, reacting body. Like his, or Bakura's, or Anzu's. . .

The girl raised her arms and slowly backed away, until she was at Mariku's side, and kneeled down. The supposed-to-be-dead man looked rather confused, at his shoulder, at Bakura, at Yami, and at Anzu at last, his eyes softening slightly, unnoticed by everyone. Bakura raised the particularly powerful weapon again as the blonde raised his hand and brushed a strand of soft brown hair behind Anzu's ear while she was observing his shoulder.

"If I wouldn't know better. . . ", Yami started in a whisper, "I would say Mariku's still in love with her."

"There's no way he can be.", Bakura muttered back, seemingly annoyed. "He's dead, for Ra's sake! He can't love!"

Both of them watched the scene, which actually was quite cute if you didn't mention the fact that the man was a thief, a killer, and all in once an awful person, and the girl an assassin and just had had a breakdown. Still Mariku was trailing his tanned fingers over Anzu's pale cheek softly, causing her to smile and lean into the touch; and causing Bakura to snarl angrily and shoot again. This time, Mariku dodged it, diving to the left, taking Anzu with him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!", the girl all but roared at the albino, cerulean eyes blazing with an unearthly fire.

"I could ask you the same thing!", Bakura roared right back. The two other males both stared at them as if they were dangerous, what, truth to be told, they were. Anzu was on her feet again, standing up against the taller man, glaring. A similar glare answered her. Yami was taken aback; he almost could see the sparks flying, threatening to start a fire that could devour them all and burn them to ashes; just because Bakura and Anzu were glaring daggers at each other.

"I have no idea what you are talking about!"

"So, don't you? Stupid moron!"

"Stop it this instant!"

"Make me!"

"Watch me!!"

"Guys. . . "

"WHAT?!", both of them snapped at the tri-colour haired man, who eeped very un-Yami-like and backed away a bit.

"Err. . . just wanted to make sure, that. . you know, Mariku's gone."

"WHAAAAA-?!"

"I can't believe it! That's ALL your fault!", Anzu screamed at Bakura, who looked dumbfound, and lowered the weapon he was clutching.

"Anzu, I. . "

"Stop it! I don't want to hear it! Just leave me alone!", she snapped, tears threatening to fall.

"I really didn't want to. . "

"Shut up!"

The brunette cried by now, and pushed past him to storm into the mansion again, while Bakura could do nothing but to watch her leave.

"Well, can you feel the love tonight."

"Shut the hell up, Yami."

Isis, who had been staying at Yuugi's side, was confused. The brown-haired girl had just stormed into the room, crying again, and collapsed onto her knees. The older woman slowly stood, careful not to wake up the slumbering boy on the bed, and made her way over to her, dropping onto her knees as well and wrapping her arms around Anzu.

"What's wrong?"

Anzu continued crying, into Isis' shoulder now. The older female felt a vision coming; a tingling sensation in the back of her mind, telling her that Anuket had something to show. . but she couldn't let her guards down in front of Anzu, could she? Isis sighed, rocking the crying one back and forth gently, humming a soft tune as she did so. Anzu sniffed and raised her head, smiling sadly.

"You would be a much better mother than me."

"Don't fool yourself. The gods wouldn't have granted you this gift if you weren't ready for it."

"I saw him earlier, Isis. . . "

"Isn't that something to celebrate rather than to cry about?", Isis asked softly.

"Bakura shot him."

". . . oh."

The dry, surprised comment caused Anzu to giggle lightly. "Yep. But still, I saw him."

"You know, Anzu-chan. . . ", Isis said, lifting the younger one's chin and smiling at her slightly, "If I know my brother, and I do, he'll be a wonderful father. . . but I'm not quite sure if that person is my brother."

The girl blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Anuket-sama granted me a vision of the coming events. . . and I can tell you,. Mariku is going to kill you rather than let you give birth to his child."

Anzu's eyes went wide. "So you. . . you don't want me to be happy as well. . . you're just like Bakura!"

"No, Anzu, please wait. . . damn it."

And that was the first time for years that Isis allowed herself to cuss.

Somewhere else, said blonde cussed as well, clutching his shoulder that just didn't want to stop bleeding. Large lavender eyes watched him.

"You pace again, 'Nii-sama. Something the matter? What's going on?"

"Stop bugging me."

Malik sniffed. "I'll go home if you don't want me here!"

At that, Mariku turned and approached his younger brother, kneeling down in front of him as the smaller was sitting on the large bed.

"I'm sorry, Malik-chan."

Said boy smiled brightly. "It's okay! So, did you go to see Anzu-chan today?"

"Yes."

"Is she alright? How is Ryou? And Isis?"

Mariku sighed, shaking his head; he hadn't managed to tell his younger brother the truth by now. Despite his denial, he really did care.

"Ryou is. . well. . . diseased."

"What?!"

"See. . . he's being poisoned." "Who would do such a thing?", Malik cried hysterically, jumping up and pacing himself now. "He's so pure. . he's too innocent! How did he deserve something like this?"

A sharp pain jolted through Mariku's heart. Malik was right, Ryou had nothing to do with his revenge. . why did he want revenge anyway. . ? Everything seemed to hazy. Truth to be told, he really hadn't had a reason. . .

Another pain floated through him, being sent from the back of his neck, jolting through his head like voltage into his forehead, causing him to nearly black out. Then, reason weren't needed anymore. . . all what mattered, was his master's wish. .

". . and anyways, Ryou. . . "

"Shut up already!"

Malik looked up, startled, only to be met with a hard slap that threw his head to the side. All the boy could do was stare at his older brother in shock, an angry red mark forming beneath his covering hand on the soft cheek of his. . .

Mariku left the room.

All Malik heard before the world went black around him, was a key that was turned.

He was locked in.