Me: No one reviewed but I thought I might as well update anyway.

Marik: HAHAHAHA! I have taken your Water Balloon Bazooka hostage!

Me: GIVE IT BACK YOU BAKA SARU!

Marik: Stupid monkey?

Ryou: Hey now, you're an all ALL STAR!

Me and Marik: ...-;;;

The days were long. Marik was given bread and water to last him throughout the day at noon. Ryou came whenever he could. One day, the call was given.

"Land ho!" Two pirates came down to Marik's cell and dragged him up to the deck. Malik gave him a curt nod and a sinister smile as he passed. Marik's hands were bound in front of him, and he was pulled down the gangplank to the shore. He was brought before Malik and Iddan.

"Now, Iddan, we have your son with us. Shall we go?" Iddan stood his ground, and drew his sword.

"Did you think we would just lead you to the Stone without a fight?" All of the sailors drew swords. Marik would have cheered, had there not suddenly been a very sharp knife at his throat. Iddan growled.

"Let my son go, now." Malik laughed. He took Marik and the knife from Burk.

"You are so immature, Iddan, to think that I was not ready for this. Look around you. I have twenty arrows trained on all of you, plus a knife at your son's throat. Think about it." Iddan growled again. He put away his sword. Marik was given back to Burk, and the knife was put away.

"Let's go." Malik ordered. Iddan looked straight into the pirate Captain's eyes.

"Untie my son, at least. Please don't make me watch him be dragged along bound," he asked softly. Malik smirked at the resigned plea, and signaled at Burk, who untied Marik's hands. The procession began. Marik was flanked on three sides by pirates. Looking behind him, Marik saw Ryou walking beside Bakura. The small slave smiled slightly. After what seemed like hours, they all took a break. Ryou ran to and fro among the pirates, giving out drinks. The sailors had canteens. Marik accepted a drink from Ryou, who then sat beside him. The boys did not talk, as they did not want to be suspicious. Ryou had told Marik that a slave was forbidden to speak with prisoners. Most of the pirates lay down to sleep then. Only a couple of pirates stayed awake to watch the sailors and Marik. Ryou went off to refill the water canteens for the pirates. Marik sighed and lay back. He could feel his father's eyes on him. Ryou came back shortly and lay beside Marik.

"Marik," he whispered.

"Hey," Marik whispered back.

"Listen. If we are going to go, now is a good time."

"Go? Go where?"

"Leave, rescue you, run away."

"What about my father?" Ryou smiled.

"From the small time I have spent with him, I think he would be proud if you left." The boys slowly, deliberately, got up and crawled out of the camp. The pirates were too busy watching the sailors to notice. The boys had almost made it into the cover of the woods when one turned around. He started yelling.

"Prisoner and slave escaping! They're escaping...aaah!" Marik looked in gratitude at his father, who had picked up a rock and thrown it, hitting the pirate. Iddan smiled at Marik.

"Go, son!" The sailors began attacking the pirates. Unfortunately, when arrows were trained on them, they were forced to stop. Most of the pirates took off after Marik and Ryou. The pair ran faster than either had ever run before.

"Why're you coming with me?" panted Marik.

"Because you are the first real friend I have ever had!" Ryou replied. He was getting tired. Marik stopped, and pulled the boy onto his back. Ryou clung to him. A pirate caught up to Marik and grabbed Ryou's leg. Marik stumbled and fell. Ryou couldn't pull his leg free.

"Go!" he said to Marik, but Marik shook his head. Before he could do anything, though, an arrow took the pirate's life. Ryou pulled his leg free with a cry of terror. A girl leaped down from the high branches of a tree. She was the most beautiful girl Marik had ever seen: Long blonde hair, dark green eyes, and a tan body. She wore a rather short shirt and knee length pants, to allow her body almost completely unrestrained movement. She had a quiver and a bow with her. She stood in front of Marik and Ryou, an arrow notched onto the string of the bow. The pirates stopped. Bakura was in the front.

"There's only one! Rush her!" The girl let the arrow fly. Bakura ducked, and it hit the pirate behind him. Bakura grinned at her.

"Spunky," he said. The pirates ran at the trio. Suddenly the girl grabbed Ryou and indicated that Marik start running. Marik realized that the girl was keeping pace with him while carrying Ryou. Ryou looked at Marik in amazement. Then the girl shoved Ryou into a tree.

"Climb!" she called. Then she started climbing. Marik followed, and soon the three hid in the top branches. The girl grabbed a cloak, made out of leaves, from a nook in the tree, and wrapped it around them. They were completely hidden from view. They heard the pirates milling around below them.

"Where'd they go?"

"That ain't fair, that girl showin' up!"

"She's probly got 'em somewheres now." Finally the noise subsided, and the pirates left. Marik let out his breath and heard Ryou do the same.

"You could've breathed, ya know," the girl said, jumping from the tree. Marik and Ryou got down more slowly.

"Um, yeah. Who are you?"

"Name's Akara. You?"

"I'm Marik, and this is Ryou."

"Nice. Come on. I'll take you to our camp." Marik and Ryou looked at each other. Our?

Me: Ryou, shut up!

Ryou: That song is stuck in my head! Hey now, you're a ROCK STAR!

Marik: Can I shoot him with this Water Balloon Bazooka?

Me: If you do I'll shoot you with my Water Balloon Rocket Launcher!

Marik: Review please or she'll kill me!