Wounded Hearts
Chapter 18: NOT a happy ending?
Ishizu sighed as she saw Marik sitting on the shore, little waved lapping at his bare legs, in the exact same spot as yesterday and all the days that had passed ... eight days. It had been eight days and no sign of Bakura. Eight days and the dread in Marik's heart grew. Eight days and he was beginning to believe what his sister told him at every sunset when she came to insist he come inside. For eight days Marik hadn't slept of ate and Isis was beginning to grow worried.
She sighed again and she went to sit next to him. She looked at the setting sun, "I don't know why you still wait for him, Marik. He's not coming back."
Marik, already irritated from lack of sleep snapped at her, "Shut up! You don't know him! He promised he'd be at Alkajairo and here WE are so I'm going to wait for him until he appears!"
Isis sighed as she stood up, "If he appears."
Marik glared at her as she left him alone again.
'He WILL come! He WILL! He promised ...'
Marik lied down on the still warm sand and looked up at the few stars in the sky.
'Nuit ... bring him back to me safely ...'
Marik awoke to Ra blaring down on him. He grumbled as he sat up. It had been a good dream too! Bakura had been calling him ...
"Marik! MARIK! Dammit look up will you!"
Marik froze. It wasn't a dream ...
He looked out to the sea and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.
There were two ships anchored near the shore and Bakura was walking through the waves to him.
Marik felt his heart stop. Only when he saw Bakura extend his arms did Marik come to his senses and ran through the high waves to Bakura. His Bakura with his laughing eyes. His Bkura who hugged him tightly as Marik cried. His Bakura who kissed away the tears and held him up in the deep water. His Bakura, alive!
"Thanks Nuit you're alive!" Marik chiked through his tears.
Bakura coughed loudly and smiled, but Marik saw a few tears fall down his cheeks, "Marik ... I'm here now."
"But, how did you make it out alive!"
Bakura grinned, "I'll tell you SOME day, when people aren't here to listen to my secrets ..."
Marik giggled as Bakura looked at Shadi, Isis, and Set, "The ship on the right is yours! It goes to Britannia ... you'll be safe there."
Marik frowned, "And the one on the left?"
But Bakura was already tugging him to that ship. He grabbed the rope ladder and hoisted Marik up onto it. Isis, Shadi, and Set were puzzled. Bakura just grinned and climbed on board as well. Once on deck Marik asked him, "Where are they going?"
"Engeleonde probably ..."
"And us?" Marik watched Set help Isis up the ladder.
"Here, there, anywhere!" Bakura put his arms around Marik's waist and pulled him close, "It doesn't matter where we go as long as I'm with you."
Marik pulled away brifly to wave at Isis and Set who waved back. Their ship soon disappeared from view.
Marik looked at Bakura, "Will I ever see my family again?"
Bakura thought a second, "Eventually we'll go to Engeleonde ... but first we'll travel the world! See all the traders? This is a merchant ship! We'll go to Syria and Punt and Nubia and Arabia! And maybe Rome and Greece and all the countries of the world!"
Marik grinned and hugged Bakura, "Oh WOW! How exciting!"
"And most educational," said a familiar voice with a thick Egyptian accent.
Marik gasped, "SHADI! What are you doing here!"
Shadi's eyes widened, "Me! Go with Set on the same ship! That's INSANE! You KNOW I despise him! No, I prefer traveling the world and writing a book than watch an asshole slobber over my sister!"
Marik shrugged as Bakura pulled him close again and they leaned over for a kiss.
Shadi looked at the sun, "Maybe I should just swim back to shore ..."
But his words fell on deaf ears. Marik was pressed against Bakura and they were kissing passionately.
Shadi almost ran to a safer 'action-less' side of the ship. He looked at the spor in the distance that was Egypt, growing smallerand smaller as his long hair billowed wildly in the wind.
'Yes ...' Shadi thought. ' ... this is going to be a long trip ...'
As for Marik and Bakura this wasn't a happy ending, no ... this was their perfect beginning.
The End
