Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh :mumblemumble:

MidnightBallad's Notes: Holy crud on a stick. It's been a long time, hasn't it? Well, I've finally updated, so yes. It's a little short, but I'm warming myself up again, if you get it. You might find that my writing style has changed, too.

P.S: Seriously thinking about re-writing this story, but it's up to you guys...

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Chapter XI:

Love or Lust?

Tory couldn't remember much of the warp. Everything just seemed so hazy, and she didn't know why.

But slowly, she began to realise why.

There were figures walking around her, blurred at first, and then they became sharper. The wind whistled like a harp string being plucked carefully, and very suddenly, things changed –

The grave robber had been dressed all in black, and had been digging for at least an hour, but finally he had come to his prize. And after he'd come to his prize, he'd cranked open the sarcophagus and taken the cold stone for himself.

Unearthing the lifeless body of Akunriou hadn't had much effect on Bakura. He merely looked upon it as payback. He would be able to fuse together his own magic and create another darkened, twin Millennium Item, just as he had before with the Essence Rod.

And now that he had Akunriou's Crest of Evergiving, he didn't care much about cleaning up her tomb. He left it open to the air and to other grave robbers – the only thing he did do was close the young woman's sarcophagus. Then he made a run for it.

A large black stallion had been tied up just outside the opened tomb, waiting for Bakura to arrive. Even the horse seemed to smell the death on its mater's hands when he reached out for it. Something seemed to whisper through the night, as if nagging at Bakura for what he'd done.

As he rode, Bakura laughed to himself. He had only a few Essence Items to create before he had an entire set. And he had plans for each and every one of them, but in particular, a very personal power for Akunriou's Crest. And the thought of it being put to work, creating misery for whoever wore it, made Bakura laugh even more.

The power that was going to be put into the Crest – eventually to become the Essence Tauk – wasn't one that would hurt the wearer physically. It was much more of a mental pain.

Lust was a very powerful emotion, after all. But the Tauk would not cause the wearer to yearn for something: it would be the other way around. The power would cause others to yearn for the wearer, so much that it would hurt.

Bakura couldn't believe his genius. A fragment of his own self would go into the Tauk, for indeed, he once yearned for Akunriou to be with him. Of course, his greed had almost sent his soul to the Underworld, but being a thief, Bakura knew he was just about as slippery as a wet fish.

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'Tory? Are you still with us?'

Tory opened her eyes. She was lying on a prickly bed in some sort of hotel. It was decorated with tacky, fake Egyptian artefacts. Downtown trash, perhaps. However, to her delight, it was lit by many candles, a fetish of Tory's.

Tory noticed Ishizu and Yami sitting on the end of her bed. Ishizu did not look very happy, but Yami appeared calm. Perhaps asking him for an explanation would be the best option.

Yami spoke before Tory could: 'The warp may have gotten to you after a while. I'm not surprised – our bodies must have lost track of time by now. You must have just shut down. Still, Ishizu booked us into this hotel. You should have seen the receptionist's face.'

Tory nodded. She was wondering about the vision she'd just had. No one had been speaking in it, only moving. Within the vision, Tory saw a face, knew that face. Bakura just seemed to be everywhere nowadays.

'Are you alright?' Ishizu asked kindly. 'You look flushed.'

'Tired...' Tory mumbled, before asking, 'Where'd Marik go?'

'He has been very quiet ever since I arrived.'

'Why?'

'I gave him a warning, and perhaps he has taken it to heart – he seemed very worried.'

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Marik had taken his sister's warning to heart... "Do not forget about the Essence Tauk and Tory. Remember, you must not be too close to her. To do so would be painful for the two of you". Marik knew Ishizu was quite out of the ordinary, but still, it was a strange thing to say.

Marik was on the rooftop of their hotel – The City Ibis – and had been all afternoon. Twilight had descended on Cairo by now, and the sounds and smells of the city wafted up even to where Marik sat.

He wasn't surprised that Tory had just keeled over after the warp. But he was worried what would happen to her: in Egypt, there was definitely something here that would spark a thought or vision of the past.

A door behind him opened, the one that led up onto the rooftop. There wasn't much up here to do, so he couldn't see why anyone would want to bother him. If they did, it was a long way to the ground, too.

Marik was surprised that it was Tory, not Ishizu, who came walking through the door. His eyes immediately fell on the Essence Tauk around her neck; it seemed brighter than usual.

'Hi...' Tory said in a strange tone. It was almost timid to Marik.

Marik didn't reply. Instead, he turned back to look out over Cairo.

'I want to ask you something about my Tauk – Crest.' Tory said, quickly correcting herself.

Marik rolled his eyes and turned back to her. 'What?'

Tory walked slowly toward him, standing next to the pile of crates he sat on, and cleared her throat. 'There's good magic in the Crest, I know; Bakura said so. But you know as well as I that there's also bad magic. Black magic.' She tried to look Marik in the eye, but she never liked it, just as she never did anyone else. 'So, what is it?'

Marik raised an eyebrow. 'How should I know?'

'Well...you're here, aren't you? You're helping Yami and I, when you used to hate him.'

Marik almost smiled. 'I was possessed.'

'Right. But that doesn't explain why you're helping us. Do I dare say you're "protecting us", Marik?'

Marik nearly fell off the roof. 'Give me one good reason why I'd protect that scrawny excuse for a duellist!'

'Because,' Tory sighed. 'He saved you, didn't he? Wasn't he the one who kicked the evil spirit from within you?'

Laughing under his breath, Marik replied, 'Maybe. That's none of your business. It's all in the past now, Tory.'

Tory was careful about what she said next. 'So is Akunriou. But those memories are still with me. They always will be. I can't let go.'

'Learn to.'

'Bite me.'

Marik grinned. Tory was serious when she said it.

'All I want to know is,' Tory began again. 'What is in my Tauk that I should be so worried about?'

Marik didn't want to tell her what Bakura had told him. One, it was embarrassing for her, two, he didn't want to admit to what his sister had said.

'... Don't know.' Marik answered.

Tory frowned. 'Please, just tell me.'

'No way.'

'Marik! Damn it, it's my Tauk, I should know what it'll do to me!'

'You're selfish if you think that. Besides, what you don't know won't hurt you.' Marik replied hotly.

Tory chewed her lip. 'What do I have to do to get you to tell me?'

Marik pointed at the railing of the hotel's roof. 'Jump.'

'Come off it.'

'Seriously? No...I'd have to get you to tell Yami to get out of here. Then you'd have to kill Akogi and Seto Kaiba. And when that's done, you'd have to get rid of me.' Marik said darkly. It was if the shadows reacted to his words: everything became cold quite suddenly. Tory then realised it was windy.

Tory gritted her teeth. 'Why?'

'Cause,' Marik said. 'There's a little bit of Bakura in that Tauk.'

Tory seemed startled. 'Come again?'

'Don't you remember...? That night, three thousand years ago, when your mother was killed?' Marik asked quietly.

The words flashed across Tory's mind like a whip –

It's no use, Akunriou! Give into me, now!

'I still don't understand,' Tory said, voice now shaky. 'Why would Bakura...keep that in there?'

'Ever wonder why Yami was naturally drawn to you? Ever wonder why Bakura wanted you after that storm? Ever wonder why Akogi hit on you so suddenly?' Marik said, now very into the conversation.

Tory shook her head. 'Yami was just looking at the past, Bakura wanted my power. And Akogi's just a sick individual...'

'No,' Marik muttered. 'Bakura's feelings from ancient times reflected onto others. Yami, Bakura, Akogi...all of them were drawn to you because of the Tauk. It's cursed, Tory.'

Tory didn't know why, but she could feel tears running down her face. So what if none of those guys really liked her? But then again, Yami had been someone special.

Marik was now on his feet. He almost looked relieved that he'd let out that secret to Tory.

'That's why you're here?' Tory whispered. 'To make sure that no one would...attack me like Bakura?'

'That and the fact that the entire world is in trouble.' Marik answered flatly.

Tory finally looked back at him, teary-eyed. 'Thank you, Marik. I guess I finally know.'

Marik nodded. He didn't say anything. Eventually he went to leave, when he called back, 'Oh, Tory: Akogi's in town. You better keep your distance.'

Tory said something, but Marik didn't really hear it. She was crying real tears by now.

-End Chapter XI-

MidnightBallad: Sorry that was kind of short – and pointless. But hey, you found out about Tory's Tauk (woohoo...). Time to go now, bye-bye!