Ok, I refuse to apologize anymore for my lack of update or else I'll be doing it for every chapter, so let me just say sorry now, and let that apply to all of my future shortcomings. Gomen nasai! Ok, back to business here. This is a long chapter and it has a lot of juicy stuff in it, so enjoy. Oh yea.... I WENT TO THE EVANESCENCE CONCERT! It was on Saturday night at Meriwether Post Pavilion. Let me just say that they kick ass live. Amy's voice is so amazing. They opened with my favorite song Haunted, (which I believe is in a fanfic by Froz flame ) Anyway, enjoy this chapter because I won't be able to update for a while because I'll be in Austin Texas for the National Fin Arts Festival. Wish me luck! Crosses fingers  

                                                     Family Reunion

   She was alone tonight, like she was every night. But the sister of the Pharaoh had her reasons for being on the back of a camel, riding her way across the Sahara.

   Isis turned her head and glanced up at the moonless night as she slowed her camel down. By dawn she will have reached her destination, the city of Goshen on the Sinai Peninsula. Goshen; where the Hebrew slaves were held in bitter bondage until their God delivered them some hundred and fifty years ago under the reign of Ramses the Great; was nothing more than a desolate ghost town now days, home to criminals, tomb robbers, and fugitives, all who had one thing in common; they were hiding from the wrath of Pharaoh. It was certainly no place for a woman of Isis's stature to be heading to. However, she had a purpose for going to the barren, not to mention, dangerous city. It had come recently to her in a vision, a clue given to her by the Sennen necklace. The key to freeing Malik from his self imprisonment lie in the city of Goshen, and not just with anyone, but with someone that Isis knew quite well. In fact, it was someone whom Malik was familiar with also...

  Unsure at first, she set off from Thebes almost immediately. There was no time to waste. Even though she knew that this person would never be willing to save Malik, she also knew that her visions were never wrong, and therefore, she had no choice. It was either convincing this person to save Malik, or allow Malik to continue on his path of self destruction until he was ultimately the means of his own downfall ...and she preferred that it not be the latter. Although, she wouldn't be surprised if this person refused to help her, after all, Malik had done something to him that was simply unforgivable.

   "Come on, let's go." She urged the camel on before giving him a slight kick in the ribs; time was not a luxury for her at this moment.

   "Make sure you tie him tight. The Pharaoh was very precise on his orders for this one. It seems as though we have an escape artist on our hands." The burly guard spoke as he watched his companion drop the unconscious tomb robber to the ground. "And hurry up will you? This place reeks." He added placing his hand over his nose and mouth. The smell of effluvium lingered in the air; vapors from decaying bone.

   "I don't think he'll be going too far." The other replied, kicking Bakura in the ribs indicating that the boy was out like a light.

   "Yea, but he's bound to-" He stopped mid sentence and turned toward his comrade as suddenly a haunting sound reached their ears. It was faint like it was coming from the other side of the desert, yet it seemed to fill the entire space around them. A low mournful howl filled the vast emptiness that was shrouded in darkness; not even the moon was shining tonight. Their only light was the faint glow of the city, which was ever dimming since it was even time for the night owls to call it a day.

   "C'mon, hurry up. I don't want to be here when them jackals come around." He spoke hurriedly. The other guard nodded his head in agreement as they placed Bakura in a sitting position and propped him up against a ten foot cedar pole. While one held him up, the other pulled a long rope out of the bag they had brought along with them and began to wind it around the unconscious boy.

   "That should do it." He said as he knotted the rope firmly, making sure to pull on it so tight that when Bakura did wake up (if he was still alive) it would cause him the most amount of pain possible.

   Then, just to take extra precautions, with great effort they managed to get Bakura's arms into such a position that his hands could be tied together behind the stake so that there was no chance of his escape.

   "Alright, let's get out of here; this place always gives me the creeps."

   "Hold on, the Pharaoh told me to make sure he had fresh wounds so that the vultures would find him faster." The man spoke as he knelt down in front of Bakura and pulled out his sword, cutting a deep gash across the boy's bare chest, for his shirt had been previously removed on the orders of Malik.

   Bakura's face contorted vaguely and a slight moan escaped his lips as his head rolled to one side, but he still did not wake up.

  Once his task had been completed, the guard quickly picked up the bag and hurried as fast as he could out of this valley of the dead, followed closely by the other sentinel.

   There was a reason why this place was referred to as the valley of the dead; for there wasn't just one stake out here on the outside of town...there were dozens. And after years of Malik sending countless unfortunate souls out here to die the place began to reek with the rancid smell of rotting flesh. Death had won its victory and claimed this land for its own. None wished to even go near this place for fear of catching some sort of illness, because there were many lurking around, just waiting to add another human soul to their hellish kingdom.  Once in a great while, when the smell would be so unbearable that the people in the city started to complain, someone would be sent down here for the unpleasant job of taking some of the rotten, disease ridden bodies and dumping them in the Nile for the crocks to feast on. Other than those few and far between times, whenever a new stake was needed, the previous victim (or what was left of him after the animals had had their fill) was simply untied and thrown into a wide, but shallow pit, commonly known amongst the people as the pit of lost souls.

   If there was anything that scared the Egyptians more than being sent to the stakes, it's what they knew would happen to their bodies once they had died. For them to gain access to the Field of Reeds...for them to live forever, their bodies had to be somewhat recognizable in order for their Ka to return every night. If the Ka didn't recognize its own body it would wander around aimlessly until it just ceased to be. No one in a million years ever thought that a Pharaoh could be so cruel as to deny people their afterlife. Even former Pharaohs never dreamed of doing such a thing. They believed that punishing a criminal in this life was enough; there was no need to punish him for all eternity.

   Not this Pharaoh, not Malik. He took pleasure in knowing that the people that he made suffer in life were still suffering after their death. And he took even more pleasure in knowing that he was the cause of their eternal suffering.

    Such an evil one has never been known to man until now. 

   The Sun God's chariot was on its way out of the underworld by the time Isis began descending the last mountain on her long overnight journey. Goshen was just visible at the base, nestled in a valley between two other colossal mountains. Overall, the city was well hidden, and well fortified for that matter. The enormous stone wall that had been built around it a hundred and fifty years ago to keep the slaves in, now served as a defense to keep the Pharaoh's soldiers out.

    Isis took in a deep breath as she gazed down upon the city which looked completely empty. But she knew better. The outlaws that lived there were smart enough to know not to come out during the daylight hours.

    Her heart gave a jolt when she thought about the person that she was seeking out. She had not seen or heard from him since the day she had sent him to this city, and she doubted that he would even recognize her when she showed up at his door; which was a chilling thought because those who were not familiar in this city, were killed. None could risk having their whereabouts exposed because they let an invader leave their city alive.     

   Giving the camel and extra kick, she grabbed onto the reigns tighter as the beast sped down the dirt path that led right into the city.

   The sun was higher in the sky, and the day had become far hotter before she had fully descended the mountain and come to the gates of Goshen. Upon her arrival, where she expected to find at least one man guarding the entrance to the city, she found no one. Not a soul was in sight, and even stranger was the fact that the massive gates were open just wide enough for her to slip through.

   Grabbing the reigns in her left hand she hopped off the camel and led him to the side where she undid the tack and smacked him on the rear, sending him bounding back up the mountain path with a grunt.

   "Might as well let you go, you can't come in with me." She spoke softly as she watched him round the corner and disappear out of sight. Right now, her means of getting back to Thebes was the last thing on her mind, Right now; her only concern was finding this person; the only person that could save Malik before it was too late.

   Looking up towards the heavens she gave a huge sigh before she turned around and made her way to the open gate. She had no idea what she was getting herself into. It was so unlike her to be this tentative about something. Isis usually prided herself in being on top of a situation. Normally she was calm and collected, but not this time. This was her last chance; she didn't fear for her own life, she feared for the life of her brother. If she failed...if her necklace was wrong...if this plan didn't work, there would be no hope in Hades of saving Malik.

   The gates were open just wide enough for her to squeeze through, so she quietly slid in and had a long look around the empty, decrepit ghost town before slowly moving on. Now that she thought about it, her necklace didn't exactly show her where this person was staying, only that he could be found in the city of Goshen. And Goshen was no small place; she could wander around here all day and still not find him.

   "By the tits of Hathor, this is such a load of bullshit." She grumbled, still continuing to walk down the main road. She passed building after horribly dilapidated building finding it a miracle that any of them were still standing, let alone having men live in them. She peered through windows and gazed down alleyways only to find the same thing every time...nothing. Not an animal, not another human being, and not the man that she was looking for. Where could they all be?

   As if to answer her question, there was a sudden rustle behind her and before she knew it a strong, sweaty hand wrapped around her mouth and pulled her back. The outlaw drug her into an empty alleyway and then spun her around and pinned her against the wall.

   Isis glared at him nastily, she wasn't scared, she was pissed off. This man was only slowing her down and keeping her from finding the man she was looking for.

   "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked maliciously, smacking his hand away from her face.

   He grinned a toothless grin and chuckled softly to her.

   "I was just about to ask you the same." He reached for her veil with the intentions of taking it off, and when Isis realized what he was trying to do, she quickly moved her head to the side.

   "I wouldn't do that if I were you." She warned. But the man seemed set on taking her veil off. Isis just wouldn't have that... "I warned you." And with that she lifted her knee up swiftly until it made harsh contact with his groin. The man doubled over as he whined in sheer agony. He seemed to have forgotten about Isis for that moment, because she stepped past him and started walking away, but before she reached the end of the alley he came after her, walking with great difficulty and still whining slightly.

   "You little wench!" He growled lifting his hand up to strike.

Isis didn't want to resort to magick, but she found that she had no other options left. Closing her eyes, she began a spell. But before it was even finished a cloaked man stepped into the threshold and held out his hand. Isis heard him mutter a few words...words that no one but her own family knew...Her aggressor suddenly went rigid and fell over to the ground with a loud thud.

   Ok, that was the last straw; Isis was beyond pissed; now she had to deal with someone who obviously knew a lot of magick, and not just any magick, no, it was the magick that was taught to the sacred ones... However, one question was on her mind. Why the hell did that guy attack the man from Goshen instead of her?

   Turning around, she glared at the cloaked figure that was standing at the entrance to the alley; he was dressed in nothing but black, with his hood up so that she couldn't see his face.

   "What the hell did you do that for?! I had it under control!" She snapped, expecting the man to answer, but he said nothing. "Look, you're really starting to piss me off." She walked towards him and the man stood steadfast, still not saying a word. "I don't want anymore trouble, so if you'll just let me go I'll be on my way and we won't have any problems." She made to walk past him, but in the blink of an eye, he had shifted his position and grabbed hold of her wrists, jerking her back.

   "Yara ta ickh aiya? I'm afraid I can't do that, Isis." He spoke calmly, turning his head toward her.

Isis narrowed her eyes and tried to see the face that was under the hood, with no luck.

   "Excuse me?" She questioned awkwardly. He knew her name? And more than that, he knew the language of the ancients... But that was impossible, no one in here even knew who she was...well, no one except...

   "Mariku?"

   Midday had fallen upon the city of Thebes. This was a time when most would sit in the shade, or go indoors. The heat was unbearable at this time of  day, and none wanted to be caught out in it. But there was one man who didn't have a choice in the matter.

   Bakura hissed as a soft breeze blew sand into the open wound across his chest. Again he tried to wriggle his way free, but the ropes were tied too tight, so tight in fact, that it made it difficult for him to breathe. He wished that he was still unconscious; at least then he could die without feeling any pain. But pain was an understatement compared to how he felt. See, pain is something you go through when there is nothing but physical harm to your body. Bakura was going through much more than that. The one thing that hurt worse than his entire aching body was his heart. He knew he was going to die out here, and he accepted that fate...but he could not take the fact that, even after all these attempts, Ryou was still with that bastard. And who knew what Malik would do to Ryou now? Bakura's only prayer was that Ryou could find some way to escape on his own. Even though he hoped that could happen, he knew that it would never come to pass. There was no way that a little boy like Ryou would ever escape Malik.

   Bakura closed his eyes and grit his teeth in pain, he couldn't remember exactly what happened before he went unconscious, but he most certainly didn't remember being slashed across the chest, and last he knew, his shirt was on. No doubt that Malik had something to do with this...

   He could feel his sweat pouring down his face like water, only; it was nothing like water when it mingled with the deep gashes that were on his arm and chest. That stung like hell. Glancing down he noticed a small patch of dried blood on the sand next to him. He stared at it trying to figure out a way to cover it up, because he knew that the smell of his blood would attract some unwanted attention.

   But that was too much for him to think about at the moment, the scorching heat had already caused his lips to crack, and his mouth to run dry.

   "Gods, it is so fucking hot out here." He said to himself; his voice growing hoarse. He coughed a little, which only made the pressure on his ribs from the ropes become stronger. It was all he could do to keep his head up. Between the loss of blood, and the tremendous heat, he was becoming quite dizzy, and he felt as if he could be sick again.

   But it was no big deal, he was tough, and just because some pussy-assed Pharaoh was too much of a prick to kill him himself, Bakura was stuck out here tied to a big fucking pole, with rotting bodies in front, next to, and behind him. Still Bakura could handle it; after all, these people were the most friendly he had ever come across. He looked and smelled like shit, and yet, they didn't complain.

   "Yea, well, let me just tell you that you don't look all that great either." He snorted, glancing to his right at a woman who was so worn away with decay that her skull was just visible under some skin and muscle. Her tattered, sun rotted clothing rustled slightly in the breeze, giving off the impression of life.

   He managed to chuckle slightly, man; this heat really was getting to him. Now he was talking to dead people... oh well, he had nothing better to do with the time he had left, might as well make small talk with people who wouldn't interrupt him...

   "So uh...well, I can't really remember my name, oh fuck, who cares, you can call me Tutankhamun." He smiled lightly as he continued to hold a conversation with the dead woman. What a pitiful sight it was. The once proud and mighty Bakura was reduced to nothing more than a helpless boy tied to a pole and talking to someone who had long since departed form this world. He couldn't even remember who he was anymore.

   But this is exactly what Malik wanted. From day one this is how he wanted to see Bakura end up. He didn't want to kill him right away, he wanted to break him. He wanted to break that vivacious spirit that was in him, and that was precisely what was happening. As the day slowly crawled by Bakura's memory slowly seeped out. His sanity withered away with each passing moment.

   The longer he was out there, the more he began to forget. He forgot who he was, he forgot who Malik was, and his memory of Ryou was starting to fade away as well. But for some reason, he could not completely forget about him. As he lapsed into silence, he slowly closed his eyes and let his thoughts linger on that boy. He had long since forgotten what it felt like to hold the boy, and he couldn't remember how much he used to enjoy kissing him, but one thing he couldn't forget was how much he knew he loved him. Even his mental picture of the boy was diminishing, but he would not let himself forget that feeling; it was the one last human emotion that he had left, the one thing that was sustaining him.

   His eyes began to droop lower and lower, as his thoughts started to slip away. Everything was becoming blurred and he could feel his entire body go numb. Was this what dying felt like? If so, it wasn't all that bad...however, that boy, that boy that he loved, he wished that that boy was the last thing he saw before he died...

   And, as if the Gods were granting him his dying wish, Ryou suddenly appeared, right in front of him. Bakura's eyes opened wide and he blinked a few times just to make sure that he wasn't seeing a mirage, but the boy still stood there, clear as day. Immediately everything that he had forgotten about the boy rushed upon him like a wave. It was quite a calming sensation. He could almost feel Ryou's soft skin...

   Ryou stood a few feet in front of him, with a small, almost content smile on his face. Bakura looked at him in awe; the boy seemed to radiate with the light from the sun itself, much like the moon did. Ryou didn't appear to be of this world, but almost as if he was a manifestation of a God. He wore pure white robes and a single gold bracelet around his upper arm. Wait...Bakura recognized that bracelet...'I got him that.' He thought, with a slight smile.

   He continued to look at Ryou, felling almost unworthy of being in his presence. But to his utter shock the boy took a step towards him and knelt down.

   "Bakura, the Gods have blessed you, and they will not forget their servant." He said, his voice echoing throughout the valley of the dead, banishing all the principalities and powers that darkness had in that place. Bakura always knew that Ryou was a shining beacon of light...his light.

   "Ry-" Bakura began, but he could not get the full name out before his hacking cough took hold of his body, again causing the ropes to become tighter. He saw Ryou look at him with pity. That look almost made his heart break, he didn't want Ryou to look at him like that, he didn't want Ryou to be feeling any pain.

   The young boy reached out to Bakura's face, and Bakura closed his eyes when he felt the boy's soft hand on his cheek. Ryou lifted his face up and put his lips on Bakura's.

   Bakura's entire body suddenly felt cold, like water just shot through his veins. It was so satisfying after spending an entire day out in the blistering heat. He could feel Ryou's soft lips on his own dry and cracked ones, but to his amazement, moisture was coming back to his lips, and his mouth was no longer parched. Ryou was not just quenching his thirst, but his soul.

   He pushed into the kiss, never wanting this feeling to end, he didn't want to be alone again, Ryou couldn't possibly leave him, but just as he was about to deepen the kiss he felt a cool vapor wash over his entire body, and suddenly, he was leaning into nothing but the dry desert air. 'No...'

   The hooded man walked silently down the side streets of Goshen while Isis followed closely behind. She thought it best not to say anything because this was quite an awkward moment indeed. She didn't expect to run into her brother this soon, and she was sure that he had some pretty harsh feelings towards her seeing as how she still stood up for Malik, even after all he did.

   The rest of their short trek to his house was one that Isis wished could have been avoided because she could tell that he was wondering why she was following him, even though he didn't say anything.

   He opened the battered wooden door to his house with a huff and made to shut it in her face but Isis stepped in quickly behind him. Mariku only grunted his disapproval as he took off his cloak to reveal a tanned, muscular body, with much the same build as Malik, minus the scars. In almost every aspect he looked like Malik, except he had a more sinister aura, a darker appeal. It's hard to imagine someone looking or being more sinister than Malik, Isis thought, but her mind was made up that Mariku's life had in no way shape or form been as easy as Malik's, even though Malik did have to partake in that horrendous ritual. Mariku's eyes were the key to understanding his thought pattern, they always had been. And Isis was usually the only one who could interpret them. But not anymore, his eyes had turned into a stone cold grey, with only the slightest hint of his true color shining through. His clothes were worn and tattered but he still had a sort of regal air about him, like he had never forgotten his short life as the prince of Egypt. Yes, all the technicalities were still there, and so were the memories, ones that he had done well to forget, that is, until his good for nothing sister came along.

   "I see you've remembered the magick I taught you." She said as she glanced his way, but she quickly turned her attention to something else when she saw the look on his face.

   "I've become much better than I think you would have preferred." He replied nastily as he reached for a water pouch that was hanging on the wall. He took a long swig and didn't even as much as offer Isis a drop. But she knew that he would be like this, so it didn't faze her.

   "Why the hell have you come here?" He asked, finally sick of all the quietness. "By now you should have realized that I want nothing to do with my family anymore, and that includes you, sister." He glanced up at her before he flopped down onto the huge cushion that was on the floor. She looked down at him and gazed into the same pair of violet orbs that she was so used to seeing in her other brother. Save for the fact that the color had nearly vanished from his eyes.

   "You've been nothing but an ass ever since you stepped into that alleyway. Is that anyway to treat the one who saved your life?" She snapped as she glanced down to where he was sitting only to find a half shocked, half bitter expression on his face, almost as if he didn't know how he wanted to feel towards her. "Don't tell me that you've forgotten already. Shall I remind you then?"

   "There's no need." He said, raising his hand as if to stop her before the words came out. There was no need to remind him that she saved his life. She saved him from his brother Malik after he had ordered his death. It was that night so many moons ago, when he was wandering around the palace out of sheer boredom, so that meant that it was time for him to get into a little mischief. He was just aimlessly walking around the palace when he happened to come across a hallway that he had never seen before. Being the curious boy that he was, Mariku followed it to the end, where he found a door that stood slightly ajar. Again, curiosity getting the best of him, Mariku quietly opened the door and peered beyond it. He was certainly unprepared for the sight that greeted him. It was a lush, green environment, with every color under the sun. Rich, floral scents filled his nose as he took another step into the world that was as far from his own as dark was from light. This place; no, this sanctuary was such a welcomed change to the dank and depressing corridors of the hallway. Malik kept the place as an outward representation of his heart; cold and barren. Hell, if Malik ever found out about this place Mariku was certain that he would have it burned to the ground. But who built it? It couldn't have been their father, he was just as insipid as Malik when it came to interior decorating.

   He continued inching his way into the garden, while still taking in all the sights and smells around him. After a while, he became so caught up in this place that he did not notice a young tan boy sitting at the water's edge until he was nearly on top of him.

   "Holy shit." He muttered to himself when he realized who was sitting in front of him. His brother turned around with a horrified expression on his face, one that Mariku was not used to seeing. Malik never looked scared, he always looked mad, like he had a stick up his ass, but that didn't mean that he didn't love his brother. Hell, they were brothers, and Mariku would love him, regardless of how heartless the Gods had made him.

   "What the hell are you doing here?!" Malik yelled as he stood up. "How did you find this place? Who told you that you could come in here?!?!" Malik kept bombarding him with questions as he advanced on his younger brother with the look of murder in his eyes.

   "I...I'm s-sorry, I didn't-" Mariku stammered as he quickly backed away from his menacing older brother. He didn't see what was behind him and he tripped over a tree root. Mariku went flying to the ground, but Malik was still coming towards him. Mariku pushed away with his feet, but he didn't manage to get very far before Malik caught up with him, grabbed hold of his arm and yanked him up off the ground. He pulled his brother in close and glared at him. Malik's chest was heaving, and he was using every last ounce of self control he had to keep himself from exterminating his brother right there on the spot. It would have been an easy task...but, it was his brother for Ra's sake...he couldn't kill him...well, HE couldn't, but somebody could...this secret couldn't get out, no matter what it took, his brother would not open his mouth to a soul...

   Mariku was still staring at him in fear, but Malik put on a soft smile, and punched his brother in the arm.

   "Go on, get out of here you little squirt." He said playfully. Mariku took this opportunity to turn on his heels and walk as fast as he could without seeming scared.

   "Mariku!" Malik called after him.

Grimacing, Mariku turned around to face the Pharaoh, putting on a fake smile. "Yes, brother?"

   "I still love you." He said softly, reassuring his overly worried sibling.

   "I love you too Malik." Mariku called back before turning around and leaving Malik alone in his private sanctuary.

   As soon as his brother was out of sight, and evil grin crept across Malik's face. "Sleep well little brother."

   Next thing Mariku remembered was that he was rudely awoken in the middle of the night by his sister. It was very strange, because, once his eyes grew accustomed to the dark, he noticed that she looked extremely worried, which was unusual for her, and that she had a jar of red liquid in her possession.

   "Mariku, you have to leave for a while." She spoke hastily as she pulled him up out of bed. Still rather confused, he just stood there as she put a cloak around him and handed him three days rations of bread and water.

   "There's a camel waiting in the stables for you, but you mustn't go out the front gate." She instructed with urgency in her voice.

   "Isis, what's that?" He asked, pointing to the jar of red liquid as he rubbed his eyes. Was this some sort of joke? If so, he wasn't laughing. But suddenly he heard the clank of swords, and the rustle of soldier's feet coming down the hallway. 'That's odd.' He thought. But his thoughts were put on hold when Isis suddenly grabbed him and threw him out the door.

   "Go that way." She whispered, pointing down the hallway that led to the door where the servants entered and exited the palace. Well, he wasn't just going to leave like that, he wanted to know what the hell was going on. So he lingered nearby, behind some purple drapery, where he could not be seen, but where he could see all. He saw Isis take that jar and dump its contents all over his bed. 'Oh gods what is she doing?!? I have to sleep in that!!'

   But that wasn't all she did. He saw her take out a dagger and tear up his sheets. 'Has she gone mad?'

   Then she knocked over his nightstand and threw a couple of his books around the room.

   'What the...' But he quickly retracted into his hiding place when the guards appeared at his room.

   "Where is he?" He heard them ask. "We have been sent here by the orders of the great Pharaoh to kill a tyrant."

   Isis stepped right up to them and looked at each of them in the eye with unwavering nerve.

   "He has already left, and I suggest that if you want to keep your jobs...as well as your heads; you'll tell the Pharaoh that you accomplished your mission. I have taken care of everything. My brother will never suspect a thing." She spoke, making her word the final word, no matter what they said.

   "Yes princess but-"

   She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "But?" She repeated, making sure that they had no rebuttals.

   "A-As you wish my Lady." With a low bow, the guards left and ran right past Mariku.

   'T-That's impossible...' Tears started pouring down his face as he sunk lower against the wall behind the curtain. 'He's my brother...he said he loved me!'

   The reality of what just happened hit him like a ton of limestone blocks. His brother didn't love him...his brother would never love him...his brother wanted him dead! But for what?

   "Malik..." He stammered, but he saw Isis come out of the room and look both ways. Coming out from his hiding place, he ran to her and buried his face in her neck.

Isis could feel her brother's cool tears hit her skin. 'Why did you stay to hear that?' She thought as a knife twisted in her heart. After her mother died, she promised that she would do all in her power to keep this family together, and now everything that she had worked so hard on was falling apart. It pained her heart to see two young boys that she practically raised end up like this. She knew that neither of their lives would be worth living after this point. Mariku would be forced into exile, and Malik would have to live with the haunting memory that he "killed" his brother.

   Yes, her heart ached for both of them. But even her sennen necklace was unable to tell her how much more her heart would ache in the coming years...

   She pulled his head from her and wiped away his tears.

   "Shh...Please don't cry, everything's going to be ok." She assured him with a gentle smile. "We have to get you to Goshen."

   His eyes went wide as he shook his head in disbelief. He didn't want to go there...she couldn't be serious.

   "N-no, I don't want to leave you!" He cried. But Isis pretended that she couldn't hear his pleas, because if she had listened to him, if she looked at his tears and seen the pain in his eyes, she wouldn't have been able to send him away, and it was for his own safety. If he stayed here, then he'd most likely be dead in the morning.

   She led him down the hallway and out the side entrance to where a man was waiting for them with a camel.

   Mariku had stopped crying, because he now had bitter tears. The sudden revelation had just set off an alarm in his head. Why on earth wouldn't he want to leave? His own brother just sent men out to kill him! Why would he want to stay in a place where he wasn't wanted?

   With a more determined face, he mounted the camel and gave his sister one last glance before the man tugged on the harness and the camel was led off into the desert...

   Ryou's mind was at ease. For the first time in days he felt as if he could breathe, although, he wasn't really sure where he was. His mind lingered on a precipice, with two options. Stand or fall. Bakura or Malik. Well, even in this state of mind there was an obvious answer. Turning to glance behind his shoulder, there he was. The mighty tomb robber stood there, with open arms and a gentle smile on his face. The sun was high in the sky and Ryou could see in the distance his home, their home. Karnak stood mighty and proud on the horizon, inviting him back in with open arms just like Bakura, granting him all the simplicity and safety it had to offer.

   He longed to return to that life. A life of lazy days when the most pressing matter on his mind was simply how he was going to stay cool during the midday heat. Tempting though it was, seeing Bakura standing there waiting for him, Ryou hesitated. His feet were ready to defy him and start running to the older boy at any moment, but, something held him back. He stood there, teetering on the edge. With his eyes still fixated on the glorious scene, a scream suddenly erupted from behind him, seeming to come from the bowels of the earth itself.

   Ryou's head snapped back and he peered down over the ledge. And there he was...Malik, the Pharaoh, the evil one, whatever you wish to call him. It seemed as though he was struggling against something, what it was Ryou could not see, but what he could see made his face contort into a look of utter disbelief. He saw Malik, at the bottom of the chasm, writhing in pain as deep slashes were crawling across his chest, like some invisible monster was raking its claws across the boy. Crimson blood oozed out of the wounds and flowed onto the earth.

   Again, the sound of Malik's screams echoed off the walls of the gorge. And suddenly, Ryou felt the earth begin to tremble under his feet. He crouched down low so that he would not topple over the edge, but still remained high enough to see what was going on below, and to his absolute horror, the earth began to crack. Slowly, as the earth moaned and groaned beneath him, it split in two, right down the center of the deep canyon, leaving Malik lying at the edge of the flaming abyss. Again he screamed, and Ryou listened to the horrified pleas.

   "Please! Don't take me!" He shouted. Ryou wondered who he was shouting to, but his question was quickly answered when he saw the most hideous creatures immerging from the crevice. Great scaly beasts with enormous wings shot out of what Ryou had assumed was the gateway to the underworld. 'These are demons.' He thought with a shudder as he suddenly wished that he was wearing an ankh.

   He watched on as the demons latched on to the injured Malik and began dragging him under, into the fiery pit. Malik clawed at the ground, and resisted with all of his might, but he was no match for these devilish fiends who had dug their claws into his tanned flesh.

   Now his emotions were torn. 'If I go with Bakura...then, Malik will die...' He thought with a sudden surge of anger. 'Well he deserves to die!' He argued with himself. It was then that Ryou remembered the vow that he had sworn he would stick to. '"One of these day's you'll get what's coming to you...and you'll see...there will be no one there to help you...and I mean that with every fiber of my being Malik Ishtar, you worthless piece of shit."'

   Those words rung in his head, taunting him with the reality of it. He didn't want to help Malik, he wanted to sit there and watch those demons pull him into hell. Ryou shut his eyes and shook his head. 'No...I could never be that heartless!'

   With one last glance at Bakura, whose smile had faded, Ryou stepped up to the ledge and outstretched his arms like a bird getting ready to take flight. 'I know I'm going to regret this.'

   "You have made your decision then." A voice echoed throughout the darkness.

    And with that, he felt his feat leaving the ground and sailing off into the emptiness.

   As had been customary for the last few days, the Pharaoh sat alone and piqued on his golden throne. Now that he had spilled innocent blood, he longed for another chance to use his bow, though this time, the blood that he wanted to spill wasn't so innocent, it was his own. Ah, yes, here it came... the oh so cliché ending to a drama king's life. How easy, and melodramatic it would be when one of his servants would walk in here only to find him dead, lying beneath the black granite statue of Neith that stood watch over his throne. She was the mother of Sobek, she was the goddess of war and hunting, two of Malik's favorite things. How fitting it would be for him to lie at the base of her great statue and shove an arrow through his chest. Ah, the obvious symbolism in it was simply stunning.

   Or better yet, also located in this mammoth throne room was a statue of Apophis, the great adversary to the sun god Ra. God of darkness and dissolution. If Malik could get his hands on an Egyptian asp, and find that statue, which he knew existed somewhere in this room; probably in an abandoned niche, he could lift that asp up to his chest and entice it to give him a fatal bite. That was certainly more creative, and it had some wonderful symbolism in it as well.

   But enough of all that horse shit. Although he fantasized about it, Malik had no intention on killing himself, not yet anyway. There were still things that he wanted to do before he died, and one of the most important was to make sure that Bakura had died...a most horrible death. He was not going anywhere until his guards brought back the dead and mangled body of that stupid peasant boy. Malik wanted to see it with his own eyes. He wanted to see that Bakura had been through a great deal of pain before he died. Maybe then Malik's soul would be at ease...although; something deep down inside of him told him that no amount of suffering inflicted of Bakura would ever bring his soul peace.

   There was still one other person that Malik wanted dead. The one person that throughout this whole ordeal seemed only to be worsening the situation; and that was his pitiful cousin...Yami.

   Engulfed in a sudden flame of rage when he thought about Yami, he stood from his throne and with a brooding expression crossed the length of the room and walked out through the Roman inspired archway, to where he knew Yami would be.

   This wasn't going to be like the last time; there would be no sudden intervention that would save Yami's life. No Litho, no Ryou, and no Bakura to hinder him on his way to satisfy the carnal desire that flowed through his veins. Something about killing gave him a wonderful feeling, that which he couldn't really describe even if he wanted to.

   Rounding the corner that lead down the long hallway to where Yami stayed, Malik let his imagination run riot with the ways that he could end his cousin's life. But in spite of all his creative ideas, there was one way that stuck out in his mind, and it was the way that he had always preferred to kill somebody. With his bare hands...well, that and his bow, but he was in such a rush to kill Yami, that he didn't even feel like making a pit stop at his room to retrieve his weapon of choice.

   Coming closer to Yami's chamber doors, Malik slowed his pace slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck. What a delicious reward he was in for tonight. After all the shit that he had put up with, he was about to end it all. This was surely something that he wanted to take his time with, after he had suffered his entire life from all of Yami's stupid antics, it was time for Yami to pay. And by simply ending his life right there on the spot...well, Malik thought that did him some serious injustice.

   Taking in a calming breath and allowing his mind to clear, as was his pre killing ritual, Malik opened the door to find Yami sitting by his bed in a chair reading a papyrus scroll in the candlelight.

   When he heard the door open, Yami peered over his paper and put a small, amused grin on his face.

   "You look like shit." He said to Malik as the boy stepped closer to him.

Malik simply narrowed his eyes slightly, not intending to let that make him snap. Two can play at this game.

   "Since when did you start to read?" Malik asked as he motioned to the papyrus, which Yami had set down on his nightstand.

   "Oh that? It's just a bit of late night reading, you 't sleep." He eyed Malik cynically. "I see that you have the same problem." Yami slid lower in his chair and relaxed, closing his eyes.

   "Yea, I guess you're right."

Yami opened one eye and smiled at his cousin. "So tell me, how does it feel now that you've finally killed that handsome looking peasant boy?"

   Malik glared at him. This was not what he came here to talk about. He really didn't feel like having his cousin play the guilt trip on him. If that's what he was really trying to do. At this point, Malik couldn't figure out what the hell Yami's motives were....if he had any at all that is. But Malik still intended to be the winner at this game they were playing with each other. It was a game that had ensued for almost seventeen years. Snide comment after snide comment until one had finally run out of theatrical things to say. This time, it would be Malik who had the last word. He wanted one final victory before he sent Yami to the grave.

   "It feels great." He said with a sigh as he stretched out his neck, twisting it from one side to the other. Yami nodded his head slightly as he thought of something else that might irk the Pharaoh...it seemed as though nothing was making him mad, and this slightly disappointed Yami. There was nothing he enjoyed more than pissing off his bastard of a cousin.

   "That's good. I'm glad to see that there's something that makes you happy." Yami sat up slightly and crossed his arms, looking into the dancing flame of the candlelight. "I knew from the beginning that that boy...Ryou is his name I think? I knew that he would only serve as a temporary distraction, a mere drop of rain in your endless sea of sacrifices." Yami smiled inwardly, he could see that his words were finally getting to Malik. This little game that he liked to play served two purposes for Yami tonight. One was to annoy Malik beyond belief, but the other was to see if he truly did care about the boy like the rumors had said. And slowly but surely, Malik's true colors were showing.

   "What are you talking about? You're not making any sense."  Malik sneered, trying his hardest not to lose his cool and explode.

   "Malik, Malik, Malik," Yami tisked as he shook his head disapprovingly, "You really aught to keep up with the gossip, you being Pharaoh...well, most of it's about you. Don't you want to know what everyone's saying about you?" Lazily Yami stood up and walked over to his cousin, circling him like a bird of prey about to make its final strike.

   "You should know by now that the people don't think the same of you as they did before those boys came into your life...that's obvious because I've already told you that. They know that you have lost your nerve, and if you think killing that little girl proves anything...well, then you're dumber than I thought my dear, confused cousin. Besides, it's not like any of them really know that you did it anyway, so that was really just a waist of an arrow."

   By now, Malik was fuming, and Yami could tell, but he wasn't done yet, he didn't just want to make Malik fume, he wanted him to blaze with ardent fire. Malik's breath was unsteady now, coming in at different points in time, whenever he remembered to breathe. He was so angry now that he could just kill Yami in a heartbeat. 'No...Stick to your plan, you don't want Yami to die remembering that he had you beat at your own game!' And that was all it took to calm him down enough to listen to Yami's cruel, however true words.

   "You really thought that you were in love with that boy didn't you?"

Yami's sudden question completely caught Malik off guard. 'How did he know that? He wasn't supposed to know that!!' Malik felt his breath catch in his throat, and it rendered him unable to speak. This was the last person on earth whom he expected to figure that out. Not to mention the last person that he wanted to know about that.

   "You are speaking nonsense Yami. Nothing you have said tonight carries any relevance with me. I could care less what the people think. For your information, I didn't waist my arrow; in fact, I found that to be a most exhilarating experience, and for the last time I most certainly do not love that boy." He said, though his voice faltered slightly as he thought about how much of a liar he was.

   "Is that so?" It was as if Yami was a kid in a candy store...the perfect moment had befallen him, and he knew just what to say. Narrowing his eyes, and lowering his voice to a sinister growl he made his point. "Then kill him."

   Malik felt his heart stop. How did he know that it would come to this? Yami always wanted him to prove something, and by killing Ryou, well that would sure as hell prove that he didn't love him...and then he could get his reputation back. Yes...if Yami witnessed him, murdering Ryou...then Yami would know that he didn't love the boy, and all his problems would be gone. Yami wouldn't taunt him, and the news would spread that he had killed his favorite bed slave after all this time. Things would finally go back to normal.

   "Ok fine Yami. You want me to kill him, then I will. On my own time, and where I choose. You can stand there and watch, even hand me my arrow if you so choose. But after that I want you gone, out of my sight, out of my kingdom. If I ever see you again, I'll be the last thing that you'll ever see. Do I make myself clear?"

   "Clear as day." Yami whispered with a smile before departing from Malik's presence.

Once Malik was sure that Yami was well out of earshot, he collapsed into the chair, because his knees gave way. "Dammit!" Malik growled as he slammed his fist on the table, causing the parchment to fall off and slowly sink to the floor. This was just great, not only had he just promised Yami the life of the one he secretly loved, but he had also let that bastard escape death yet again. This was most assuredly not the outcome he had hoped for.

Ok, there was an exceptionally long chapter for you. I hope you liked it. I threw a couple of curves at you just to spice things up. Wooo! Mariku is back! (For all you Y. Malik fans out there)

Malik: I'm his number one fan.

But a couple of weeks ago he tried to cut your face --u is confused

Malik: Yea, I know, but with somebody that good looking, it's hard not to forgive him

What about Ryou?

Malik: What about him?

Holy Hapi would you just make up your mind?!?!

Malik: What's there to make up?

Is it gunna be your yami, Ryou or Bakura?!

Malik: Thinks as a devilish grin appears on his face Well...I don't really have to make a decision seeing as it was all three of them last night...smirks and folds arms

Geesh...someone's been a little busy...

Malik: You betcha wink wink

Ok, well goodbye everyone...see you when I get back from Texas! Runs away from Malik who is looking a little to happy