Yay, another chapter, because the first few chapters are so boring and fruitless I have to get them out of the way. Soon there's going to be some more plot, and Ryou's going to have to discover what he's feeling...but who will come back to tear it away, hmn?

yeah, there's more to this. There's also going to be a sequel to this too, and it takes place in Ancient Egypt! Yayness!!

Bleh, updated because you guys so wanted me to. But I have work and school, so...please don't expect as fast updates in the future. I have so many other stories to work on and I have to bring up my grades and I think i might be banned from the computer...

so yay, more lime!

Who wants a Phantom of the Opera / Yu-Gi-Oh slight AU story with Yaoi? XD I have a great idea for it, but you guys will have to wait if you want to read that one too.


Chapter Three

The duel ended quickly.

Ryou had managed to hack into the system files, making sure he didn't accidently set off the ones in the private rooms, and watched the duel with eager anticipation. Who had ever knew that Isis Ishtar was Malik's older sister?

But as soon as the duel ended, Ryou's heart sank. Now Marik was going to come back, his only accquaintance that knew he was alive. How much longer did he have to remain prisoner? Though he knew it had only been a day since he had seen Yami Marik, he felt...a bit more...at ease, with the Egyptian Darkness, rather than with Bakura. He had taken quite a few months getting used to Bakura, actually, what with the blackouts and the verbal abuse. But still...a murderer...a cold-blooded, point-blank, murderer.

Far too fast, the chamber room door slid open. Ryou bit his lip, trying to supress his shoulders from shaking.

Yami Marik seemed far more pleased than when he banished Mai. Ryou frowned. Why was that so? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

Marik was in a very good mood. He had walked right up to Ryou, who had his back determinedly faced to the Egyptian Darkness. In one swift movement, Marik had shifted all of Ryou's hair onto one shoulder, and was nuzzling the back of Ryou's neck. Ryou squeaked, jumping, and tried to twist away, but Marik had grabbed both his wrists from behind and pinned them by his side. Ryou jumped again as he felt Marik's tongue lick his neck, biting back a whimper. He felt Marik smile into his neck.

"Good day, Ryou," Marik smirked. "Missed me?"

"Missed you?" Ryou stammered, heart thumping in his chest."Er..."

"I missed you," snickered Marik seductively, teasing, kissing Ryou's neck. Ryou gulped, his breathing becoming once again laboured.

Marik had released his grips and Ryou's wrist, but now had slithered them around Ryou's torso, carressing Ryou's chest and abdominals in massaging, firm circles.

"Come..." murmured Marik into Ryou's neck.

Ryou bit his lip again, quite aware that now it was bleeding. "Come...where?"

He felt Marik close his eyes and smirked. In one swift movement, he had Ryou on his feet, his palms on Ryou's hips, guiding them in a swaying, sensual dance. Marik chuckled over Ryou's shoulder. "I'm feeling rather pleased tonight...I wish that you can celebrate with me."

"Why are you so happy?" asked Ryou, his head racing, trying to find a way to subtly cease the swaying of his hips, but the nuzzling Yami Marik was doing into his neck was distracting him.

Marik chuckled, his breath sweeping across Ryou's throat, tickling him slightly. Gently, Marik kissed his neck again, now his own hip swaying in tune with Ryou's. "Well...let's just say...you're not the only Light that's been sent to the Shadow Realm."

Ryou was barely aware of exactly how much blood had appeared in his mouth from biting his lip too much. Gasping, he elbowed Yami Marik, breaking the close embrace, and whirled around.

"You...sent Malik to the Shadow Realm?" he whispered, eyes widening in horror and anger. Marik merely gave him a casual look, and swiftly managed to capture Ryou against the desk, one arm on each side, so that Ryou was trapped. Those dark amethyst eyes were now glinting with some sort of mischevious malevolence that Ryou was beginning to fear. He wanted to turn away, to close his eyes, but Yami Marik's face was so close that his bronze, narrow nose was now nuzzling against Ryou's porcelain one. Ryou's breath was caught in his throat again. Everytime those lavender eyes gazed upon him, Ryou felt immobilized, unable to move, captivated.

"Well," smiled Marik, his half-lidded gaze a amused once again, "just think of it...as...a burden being lifted." He smirked, and grapsed Ryou's chin with his hand, and promptly planted a kiss on the corner of Ryou's lips. Whimpering, Ryou released a silent gasp, and no sooner than his lips had parted, Marik seized the chance and thrusted his tongue between the gap between, and slowly trailed his tongue across the hikari's.

He thrusted his chest into Ryou's, forcing the smaller teen back, as the duelling of tongues commenced. Wrapping his arms around Ryou's torso, Marik drew them together, feeling Ryou's limp frame against his, as he gently nipped at the hikari's bottom lip. A small whimper escaped from Ryou's lips again, but this time, Marik had decided to drag his tongue across the bottom lip, licking up the blood that Ryou had created from biting too hard. He smiled, smirking to himself, as he began to run his hands up and down Ryou's spine.

Slowly, Marik broke apart, staring into Ryou's terrified eyes. He shook his head, still smirking to himself, and slithered his hands to Ryou's. Gripping them in his own, he pulled the rather bleary Ryou away from the desk and towards him, one arm wrapped protectively around his torso, and the other hand holding onto Ryou's firmly.

He led Ryou into a smooth, slow dance, every one in a while, kissing his sweet, honeyed lips.Ryou didn't do much to stop him. His head was obviously thick with dim, vague thoughts, that prevented him from doing anymore than just obliging to Marik's will.

"Why did you do it?" whispered Ryou sadly, his eyes gazing off to the side. "Why did you hurt Malik?"

Marik rolled his eyes, turning Ryou swiftly around, before swirling the hikari back into his arms. "Admit it, Ryou. If you had the chance, would you have sent Bakura to the Shadow Realm?"

"But...Malik..." Ryou looked down, trying to wiggle out of Marik's grasp, but he was just too strong. "...Malik...he..." Well, Malik did do a lot of things wrong true, but...still...

"Oh..." Malik said softly, when Ryou opened his eyes.

"Who are you?" asked Ryou, shaking his head wearily, and almost fainting again at the sight of the IV in his arm.

Malik shrugged, a miscehvious smirk on his lips. "Has Bakura told you about me yet?"

"Bakura?" repeated Ryou, frowning. "Bakura...oh! You're...Malik, aren't you?"

"In a matter of speaking, yes," laughed Malik, sitting down next to Ryou. "If you can use the word, you can call me Bakura's friend, partner...aibou?"

Malik laughed, a cold laugh that slightly annoyed Ryou. He wasn't an easy person to annoy, but it was hard not to when you had a yami like Bakura who was constantly very so sarcastic.

"But.." said Ryou suddenly. "I guess you really are. I guess Bakura really cares a lot for you."

Malik stopped, and regarded Ryou with a raised eyebrow. "And what makes you think that, Ryou?"

"Bakura doesn't care about anyone," said Ryou simply, smiling as he slid upwards in the hospital bed.

"He sure doesn't," agreed Malik. "We're just partners, Ryou. Nothing else."

"I don't think so," smiled Ryou, shaking his head. "I actually think Bakura might care for you."

There was a silence until Malik broke it.

"Better not let him hear you say that."

Ryou shrugged. "I don't care what he thinks," he said simply. "If he can't face the truth, then there's no hope for him." However, Ryou raised his head, eyes glittering with sheer joy. "Maybe you can bring some good in him."

"Good...in him?" repeated Malik. "Ryou, do you know exactly how deranged that is? Considering who I am?"

Ryou shrugged again. "But...at least he cares for you. I know that. I can feel it. He likes you, and that's saying something. He hasn't liked anyone at all for...three to five thousand years, really. I just hope...maybe..." Ryou looked up again. "Yeah...I hope maybe Bakura'll be happier with you...than he is with me."

Malik blinked a moment, before giving Ryou a confused smile.

"Er...what do they have you on? Morphine?"

Ryou smiled good-naturedly. "No, I'm perfectly normal." He reached out his hand. "And any friend of Bakura's a friend of mine."

Ryou had saw the good in Malik. He a tendancy to do that with strangers, and immediately he knew that Malik, though capable of pure evil, had some good left in him. It sparkled in his large, lavender eyes, and played themselves occasionally on his lips. Ryou knew. Malik was good at heart. Deep down. Really deep down.

And what confirmed it, was when Malik took his hand, smiling.

"I suppose so."

Sighing sadly, Ryou mustered up enough strength to pull away from Marik, looking away. Every time Marik visited someone else was sent to the Shadows...how many more would have to suffer, and how many more would he have to see them suffer? And just to stand here, in this room, without helping them, was unthinkable! He had to help them...

But how?

Silently, Ryou leaked tears down his cheeks. He walked away towards his bed, closing his eyes mournfully, and buried his head into his pillow.

He felt a soft movement next to him, and, without looking up, knew Marik had sat down next to him.

"Isn't this sweet?" laughed Marik. "You cared for my Light, didn't you?"

Ryou squeezed his eyes shut in his sheets.

"I thought so."

Ryou felt fingers run through his hair, and a hand grip his wrist again. He wanted to be left alone. The prospect of Malik's fate had beaten him down one more notch...after all, Malik was...a pretty good friend to him. He was the one who stayed the longest with Ryou, other than Yugi. Of course, he had only stayed for Bakura, but there were times when Bakura wasn't occupying his body, and he and Malik had shared some pretty good times in the hospital. Especially when Malik was pretending to be Namu.

"Ryou," said Marik suddenly. "What's that on your back?"

"My back?" repeated Ryou, stunned. What was on his back?

Without any other further warning, Marik had slipped the top of Ryou's shirt down a bit to examine whatever that was so seemingly interesting. Ryou gasped at the cold air against the bare spot underneath the base of his neck. He heard Yami Marik draw in a seething breath also.

"What's on my back?" asked Ryou.

"Bruises," muttered Marik. "Bruises, Ryou. Where did you get them?"

Bruises? Where DID he get bruises on his back? Oh...right...

"They're nothing," sighed Ryou, flopping back onto the pillow.

He felt Marik grip his shoulder tightly. When the Darkness spoke, his voice was low and menacing.

"Who gave them to you?"

Ryou winced, but replied truthfully. "Bakura."

Marik let out a growl of rage as he sufficiently turned Ryou over, so that Ryou was on his back. He stared deep into Ryou's eyes.

"Where else has he hurt you?" he demanded.

"They're nothing," assured Ryou. It was the truth. They were small things, when Bakura got mad, or when Ryou didn't grant him permission to use his body. Marik gripped his arm tightly, pulling it towards him, so that Ryou was pulled closer to him.

"WHERE?" demanded the Egyptian lowly.

"Ow!" protested Ryou. He wrestled his arm away from Marik's grip, and only then, when Marik uncurled his fingers from the slender limb, did he notice that Ryou had small, barely visible green bruises on his arm, thin, slender finger marks adjacent to the bruises. Marik did not have hands that slender.

Growling, Marik frowned at the limb, as though threatening them to appear again. Ryou bit his lip and tried to pull his arm back, but it was futile. Shaking his head, Marik then shifted his eyes to Ryou's figure.

"Is this it?" he asked.

"It's nothing, really," assured Ryou hastily. "Those---" he pointed to the bruises on his limb, "--are when Bakura got mad...like, really mad, and that's not even that bad, if you think about what he CAN do...and these," he pointed to his shoulder, indicating the bruises behind it, "he gave me when he wanted control over my body, but I didn't let him. A pinch, that's it, and then I'd black out. They're nothing, really."

"Nothing?" repeated Marik, shaking his head. "Nothing, Ryou? They're not NOTHING, Ryou. Did you know that if Bakura pinched you that many times near your neck, you could suffer from being paralyzed for life?" Ryou blinked, at which Marik gave him a glare. "It's a move used by many to knock someone unconcious, but when they hold it there too long, the person can actually DIE."

"But...Bakura wouldn't kill me," stuttered Ryou. "I'm his host, he can't live without me."

"Then what do you think he's going to do," asked Marik softly, "when he discovers a way to get his own body, in the future?"

Ryou grimaced, knowing full well what Bakura could do if he didn't need Ryou any longer. Marik frowned even deeper.

"Thought so. You are too naive for your own good, Ryou Bakura." He looked back down at the wrist, where the bruises were fading. It had been a long time since Bakura had hurt Ryou anyways. Small things like that were always unnoticable, even to the hikari. His wrist didn't even hurt anymore.

Staring coldly at the Light, Marik analyzed him, lavender eyes flashing down Ryou's lithe body.

"Take your shirt off."

Ryou blinked, then his eyes grew. "What?"

"Take your shirt off," snapped Marik impatiently. "I need to see exactly how badly you're hurt."

"I'm not hurt at all, really!" exclaimed Ryou, slightly nervous, jerking his arm from Marik's grasp and hugging himself. "Really, there's no need.."

"Ryou, I'm not a very patient person," stated Marik with a deadly glare. "Now stop being an idiot and take your shirt off."

Stepping back, Ryou still hugged himself, shaking his head timidly. "No, really, it's fine, there's nothing wrong with me...really."

"I'm not asking you how fine you are," snapped Marik. "I'm asking you to take off your shirt so I can find that fact out for myself. Now come here!"

Again, Ryou shook his head. He backed against the wall, "No, really, Marik...it's fine...you don't have to..."

Rolling his eyes and sighing exasperately, Marik proved himself to be not a patient man. He swiftly grabbed Ryou's arm and pulled him down onto his knees, so that Ryou was sitting on the floor, his back towards him. Nonchalantly, the Darkness then transferred all of Ryou's hair to one side, and tugged pointedly at the shirt.

"If you're not going to take it off then I will," stated Marik simply. Swallowing, Ryou slowly tugged at his sleeves, then slipped the entire thing off his head. Shuddering, he closed his eyes, having no idea what Marik was going to do, but knowing it wasn't going to be good.

He heard Marik growl behind him, and distinctly even heard "Damned tomb robber..." before strong hands suddenly gripped onto his shoulder. Ryou made the smallest of whimpers before the hands began to knead his shoulder blades firmly, Marik's fingers pressing firmly in soothing dances across his breastbone and down his chest. Despite that it was being down by a spiky-haired-Egyptian-murderer, it actually felt...

...pretty good?

"You're so pale," said Marik from behind him. "Exactly how much do you eat?"

"A lot," responded Ryou, smiling slightly, blinking and looking back. Marik was analyzing his body with a raised eyebrow as his hands worked their way on Ryou's bruises.

"You sure don't look like it," said Marik flatly. He increased the pressure on Ryou's shoulder-blades, causing the small teen to arch his back slightly, his head leaned back. Not sure exactly to react to such a touch, Ryou simply closed his eyes, wondering when this will end.

"Does it hurt?" asked Marik behind him.

"No..." said Ryou softly. "No..., not at all...it's fine, you don't have to do anymore..."

Marik snorted and simply continued.

Oddly enough...Ryou didn't feel very anxious at all. His head felt strangely serene, and the hands on his shoulders weren't bad either. But...still...

He looked back, and saw that Marik was frowning at his bruises. Knitting together his own eyebrows, he blinked a few times, and swiftly turned back. Marik didn't look like as if he was going to do anything wrong...if anything, he looked like as if he was concentrating on something.

"Umm...Marik?" he asked tentatively. "Why are you doing this?"

Marik gave him a raised glare, but merely shrugged and returned to his current activity. "Well, Ryou, isn't it better than being knocked unconcious by your yami?"

Ryou flushed, but nodded. "Bakura's....okay."

Marik snorted again.

"You're really too innocent, Ryou," he said bluntly. "Has anyone ever told you that you're too nice for your own good?"

At this, Ryou couldn't help but smile sadly. Marik gave him a cyinical but amused look as he continued, once in a while sending shivers up Ryou's spine and sharp gasps from Ryou's mouth. "Feeling better now?"

Ryou nodded.

Smiling with a casual satisfaction, Marik stood up, pulling Ryou up with him. He picked up the discarded shirt from the floor and handed it to Ryou. Ryou took it in his own, blinking.

"It's going to be cold tonight," said Marik, smirking.

Ryou couldn't help but smile. Smile? What? What was he smiling at? Marik's joke? Oh, but he couldn't help it. Marik could be charming when he wanted to, but still...

Gods, Ryou's brain was so confused, he simply stood there, staring at his striped shirt in his hand stupidly.

"I'd put that on if I were you," said Marik's voice sardonically, "unless you have other things in mind."

"No," said Ryou hastily, snapping out of his reverie. Despite how 'innocent' he was, he didn't need a lesson to know what Marik was hinting it. He hastily stuffed his shirt over him.

When he had finally gotten his shirt on properly, Marik was already at the door.

"Wait," said Ryou. "Why are you going?"

What? What the heck was he talking about?

Marik seemed to be thinking the same thing. With an elevated eyebrow, he slowly waited for the door to open. "Well, I'm not quite sure..."

"Do you...have to?" asked Ryou. Gods, what was he saying? Ryou, what are you thinking? he thought to himself. He's a murderer, darn it! Why are you still asking him to stay?

Why are you still asking him to stay?

"Umn..." Ryou was about to say, "it's lonely here" but thought better of it. He shook his head and hesitantly stepped away. "Nothing. Nothing. I'm sure you have something better to do."

Marik smirked. "That's all in a matter of opinion. But, I daresay that sleep is an important factor, isn't it? Though not a darling like yourself," he laughed at his own little sarcasm, "I do daresay it's just as good...and needed." Ryou blushed.

"Okay," he said softly. "Bye..."

With one final smirk, Marik left the room, his cloak flickering sharply.


Lying on his bed, Ryou sighed. Why was he acting like this? Gods, this person had just banished two people, two people whom he'd cared about, and now he was actually wishing the man was here next to him? Why was thinking like this?

Wow I must be desperate for company, he sighed to himself, standing up. Well...maybe...Marik wasn't so bad? What? What was he thinking...AGAIN? Of course Marik was bad, bad bad bad, all the way, evil, despiteful, despicable, malevolent...!

...but...he had saved him, and then he had taken care of his bleeding wound, and then the bruises on his back...but WHY? Why was Marik so keen to have him alive, and healthy, for that matter?

Sighing again, Ryou clicked on the computer. The security cameras had been downloaded onto his desktop, so that he could see everything happening at once, even from the distance he was at. He watched sadly as Kaiba and Mokuba walked past underneath the camera, and as Yugi and Joey were exchanging high-fives. Oh, how he wanted to be there too, laughing, smiling, congratulating Yugi for his success so far. But he couldn't..

...why was he obeying Marik's orders, anyway? If he could just RUN to Yami Yugi then..

...there'd be more trouble. And Ryou didn't want that, despite how much he wanted some freedom.

But there was something odd about Marik, and it intrigued Ryou's curiosity. Something was just different about this Darkness than the ones he knew so far, but what? What was so peculiar about Marik that made him this way? He wasn't as easily irritated as Bakura was, and Bakura was...well, Bakura did have a rough past, but Ryou wasn't sure what that past was. So what was Marik's reason for being who he was?

And then maybe there was a weakness to it also?

Something caught Ryou's eye. Malik's sister had entered one of the rooms, where everyone was gathering, mourning over the unconciousness of Mai. Their eager voices floated echoingly in Ryou's chamber, catching his interest.

"Isis!" cried Anzu. "You're here!"

"Isis," piped up Yugi's voice. "Could you please...tell us....why Marik wants to kill me?"

Ryou got up and ran over to the desk. At least Yugi was all right...but...maybe this was the big break. Maybe something here could tell Ryou Marik's weakness.

"Please," begged Shizuka. "When I had opened my eyes, Isis-sama, I thought I could only see beauty in the world. But this isn't what I wanted to see! First our friend Ryou, then Mai..." Shizuka broke down crying, Anzu seemed to have a few tears in her eyes too, though she didn't shed them; Joey and Honda and Otogi were trying to comfort her, Yugi looked so sad...

Ryou felt his heart wrench at their despair. I'm alive! he wanted to scream. Please don't cry! I'm alive! Don't worry about me!!

"Please?" asked Yugi, looking up at the Egyptian girl before him. "Please, Isis. We need to know what we're up against."

There was a short silence that seemed to last eternity

"Please Isis," whispered Ryou to the screen. "Tell me what I'm up against."


oooh, slight cliffhanger. (smiles) yay, Marik x Ryou ness!