When I had written this chapter, I had intended to make Marik quite evil and mean, you know, like he is in the show and like he appeared in the first chapter. Actually, he is that way. Only... when he meets Ryou, he gets a bit… different.

Chapter 4: When Mean Demons Meet Nice Angels

Marik stood questioningly on the steps leading up to a church wondering HOW in Satan's name Bakura could've been anywhere in the current vacinity.

"I hate Earth," he sounded out slowly, baring his abnormally sharp canines. An oh, did he hate it.

In Hell, all he had to do was request a lowly soul to do work for him or get him what he needed. Marik didn't have to do zip. Marik liked it that way. How he stayed so well in shape was really unknown though but people were happy about that anyway. Now, on the blasted planet he had recently transported to, HE, not a servant, would have to drag Bakura's lazy ass back to Hell. There was a Bridge meeting they'd have to attend on the following day anyways.

Pulling his cloak up, he draped the hood over his head and promptly turned on his heels heading back down the steps muttering something like why the hell did I decide to do this and you try to land somewhere around where a stupid demon is and you land on the steps of a cursed church.

Like I said, Marik hated Earth.

Looking to the left and right, he mused on which way to go. People occasionally stopped and stared at him, maybe because he was so good-looking, he wasn't sure, but in any case, they stared. It probably had to do with the fact that he was wearing a large black cloak that trailed behind him with small bones tied into the ravlins, but it was his favorite cloak.

A small child ran by him and yelled "Gay outfit!" and Marik simply snapped his fingers and the kid tripped and fell into some thorny bushes. That atleast made him almost smile.

Sighing, he turned and, noticing someone up ahead, decided to ask for directions.

"Excuse me, worthless mortal," he began, his tone anything but pleasant, "I'm looking for a sexy guy, long hair, he acts dumb sometimes, brown eyes, actually he is dumb most of the time, never listens to me when I say don't go to earth moron!" He shrugged. "But yeah, have you seen him?"

The stranger turned around quickly, face quite confused, and asked "Are you talking to me?"

Quite incidentally, the stranger just happend to be Ryou, who had come to Earth as well to find Malik and bring him back before the Bridge meeting.

Suddenly it was like the same ends of two magnets were forced together and the two took a step away from one another.

"You're an angel?!" Marik stammered, wrinkling his nose slightly.

"And you're a demon!" Ryou said frightfully, eyes widening substantially.

Now, you should be wondering how Marik and Ryou know the true identities of one another when Malik and Bakura don't. Actually, Ryou and Marik came to earth on borrowed power and weren't planning on staying for a while like the other two. Picture borrowed power as being a battery that only has so much power before it runs out. It's very dangerous to use because as a result, a being's identity can be detected by another being with the same or similar power.

Ryou tore his eyes from the demon and turned, prepared to run, but Marik simply transported in front of him.

"Hold on," he said charismatically. "Where are you off to so fast?"

"Where am I off to?" Ryou repeated, "Away from you!" Again he tried to get past the tall cloaked guy, but he was once again cut off.

"Presistent I see," Marik muttered. "If you'd so prefer, I'll make you a hamster ball so you can run off your stress?"

Ryou's jaw dropped this time. "You're a barbarian! Why are you on Earth anyways? Tormenting souls, no doubt."

"Nah, only when I'm bored. As for my business, that's for me to know. How about you? Why are you here? Saving souls I suppose?"

"I will be when I return, but for now, my business is also my own. Now if you'll let me pass-"

"In a minute. I'm not done."

Ryou gave him a suspicious glance. "Done what?"

"Staring at you."

Ryou crossed his arms and shook his head. "And why is that?"

"Well," he thought about it, and then said satisfied, "You're very pretty."

"Oh…" he suppressed a blush, "W-Well, thank-" Covering his face he took a deep breath. "What is with you? I just need to pass, please."

Why he almost even considered saying "thank you" to a demon was beyond him.

"Not until you do one of two things: 1) Come with me to Hell and be my personal maid and bed slave, or 2) Give me a kiss."

"Those are my choices?" The angel almost wanted to laugh. "You are impossible."

"Actually, I'm Marik."

Now that caught Ryou's attention. Marik was supposedly the most ruthless demon there was, but why would he be masquerading in the streets on Earth? Surely the demon beneath the hooded-cloak was an imposter.

Marik must've sensed Ryou's doubt because he lowered his hood and smirked.

"Believe me now?" he asked smugly.

Thank God Ryou was already dead because after all the shock he had already suffered, he probably would've had a heart attack by now.

"You're Marik?" he asked fearfully. "The demon that's pulled more souls to Hell than any other? The demon that as a human made a deal with the devil? The demon who's heart is supposedly black as night?"

"That's me," Marik said proudly. "Actually, the last part is a lie, but don't leave that out next time you tell someone about me. It sounds devious and I like it. It can be our shared secret."

"I don't want to share anything with you." Ryou faced the ground. "Please let me go. I really have to find someone."

"You too?" Marik asked. Then he joked, "Man, I hope they're not together."

"Very funny. Actually my friend isn't that stupid."

"Well, you can either serve me, or kiss me. You choose."

"Neither!"

"Which would you rather then?"

"Well I'd never be your maid," he said quickly.

"Lip service then?"

Ryou flushed quickly. "Listen, I really have to go… now." Glaring, he turned quickly and disappeared, small glowing feathers fluttering to the ground where he had once stood.

Marik glanced at the strange objects with slight curiosity before he smirked and said, "Silly angel... Don't forget that we'll see each other tomorrow."

And he was still confident that he would get that kiss.

--

Bakura was dozing quite peacefully; he had actually dreamed- something that hadn't happened, well, ever. It was a strange dream too. Malik was in it and they had been together. Actually, they had been together as in they were a couple, but for some reason it felt strange- not the fact that they were with each other, but it seemed to be something that he couldn't quite put his finger on, and he knew it would annoy him for quite some time.

"Oh no!"

Bakura roused slightly to Malik's distraught cry, opening an eye to see what was the matter. Malik was currently walking in circles and biting his nails- a big change from his usually calm reverie.

"What's the matter?" Bakura asked tiredly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Sitting up, he faced the angel for an explanation.

"Oh. You're awake." Malik stopped pacing and put on a smile. "Nothing's wrong."

Ryou was going to kill him... again.

"You're lying." Bakura was now fully awake.

Malik sighed. "I wasn't lying... only joking." Tucking some loose golden strands of hair behind his ear, he carefully walked over to the window and watched quietly as the sun spread its beams everywhere. "I... shouldn't have stayed here."

"With me?"

"It's not that. It's just-"

"Holy hell!" Bakura exclaimed. "It's the next day!"

Marik was going to kill him... again.

"Bakura... Watch your language," Malik warned, only, more calmly this time. Gazing out the window, he watched the people that made their way around, the people that were supposed to be there, and he envied them. One person waved at him and he waved back, noticing idly that the person bore a strange resemblance to Ryou.

Actually, as the person came closer and closer, he realized that it was Ryou.

"Uh oh."

"What is it now?" wondered Bakura, but not really paying attention.

"In fact, I think I heard someone messing around in the bathroom."

Of course it was a lie but he had to keep Bakura preoccupied.

"The bathroom?" Bakura asked skeptically.

"Yes. Could you please check it out? What if someone's trying to break in?"

The demon rolled his eyes and stood up. "Fine. You can be suck a wuss sometimes."

As soon as Bakura was checking the room out, Malik quietly closed the door and then ran as fast as he could to the front door and opened it.

Ryou was already standing there, probably ready to start badgering him on why exactly he hadn't yet returned to Heaven, but Malik had other plans as he took ahold of his hand and pulled him straight into the bedroom, closing and locking the door behind him.

Finally, when Ryou felt it safe to speak, he narrowed his gaze and took a deep breath. "Please tell me, Malik, my dearest friend, why exactly you have yet to return to Heaven."

"Shh," Malik whispered. "You have to be quiet."

Ryou gave him a curious look. "Why would I have to be-"

"Malik," Bakura's voice sounded through the door. "Are you in there?"

Ryou's eyes went wide and he looked at the door.

"Yes. I'll be out in a moment," Malik said hurriedly.

"What are you doing in there?"

"Changing, if you don't mind."

"Pfft," Bakura suppressed a laugh. "You had no problem changing in front of me yesterday."

Ryou's mortified glance went back to Malik.

"Stop changing the subject!" Malik said angrily. "Just go! I'll be out soon."

Bakura let out a sigh. "Fine. And for your info, there was nothing in the bathroom."

His faint retreating footsteps could just barely be heard.

"Malik..." Ryou began calmly. "I'm sure that you have a perfect explanation for why you're living in an apartment with a human."

Malik rubbed the back on his neck. "Well, he did need a place to stay..."

Ryou's hardened face finally melted into a more innocent one that Malik was used to.

"You promised," he said sadly. "You said you'd come back in one day. Today is the second day."

"Aw Ryou, please don't make that face. I fell asleep and forgot."

"Well, I suppose you can come back now then and we'll just forget that this ever happened."

"Come back now?" Malik said quickly. "But..."

Ryou paused for a moment, an unreadable expression upon his face. "Malik, please don't tell me that you want to stay..."

"I don't," Malik said quickly. "I don't want to stay forever. It's just that here... I feel like I'm getting closer."

"Closer?"

"Yeah. You know, to finding out what I'm missing."

Ryou opened his mouth to say something, but instead sighed. "Malik... it's not good for you to be here. There are things you don't know-"

"Well, I am on Earth."

"I meant other things..." He trailed off there but tried his best to put on a smile. "Well, at least tell me about your friend."

"My friend? Oh, Bakura." He smiled. "It's actually a crazy story how we met..."

So as Malik explained that, Bakura waited impatiently on the couch, chin propped up on his palm. The doorbell rang and he lazily got up and walked over, opening the door and trying his best at a smile.

"Hello..." He paused, dark brown eyes narrowing. "Marik."

Marik sauntered in, draping his cloak casually over the couch, and looked around at the surroundings. "Cute place you got here. Planning on staying a while?"

"Who is it?" Malik's voice called through the door.

"Um, it was no one," Bakura answered, pushing himself and Marik into the bathroom and closing and locking the door. "What are you doing here?" he asked promptly, Marik still pushed up against the wall.

Marik shook Bakura's hands off and pushed him against the other wall, knocking down a few toiletry items. "I should ask you the same thing. It's been a day and then some."

"Long story." Bakura released himself from Marik's grasp. "I just got preoccupied."

"Preoccupied?" Marik said, clearly disbelieving him. "I'm sure."

"It's true!"

Marik shook his head, but suddenly a conniving grin replaced his calm features. "Who was that in the bedroom?"

Bakura's brows furrowed. "In the-?" He paused. "No one."

"You dirty liar! I clearly heard someone when I walked in, not to mention the fact that you spoke back to them."

"It's just some irrelevant human whom I decided to stay with yesterday."

"Clearly they're not irrelevant. They are in your bedroom. Were you up late or something?"

"I don't like what you're suggesting," Bakura glared.

Marik shrugged. "You never like what I suggest. Either way, you've got to come back to Hell. It's not as much fun terrorizing souls. Plus Kaiba disappeared and no one can find him."

"No one can ever find him."

"He's usually spotted at least once a day, and yesterday, no one did."

Bakura sat down on the edge of the tub. "You need to let go of your obsession. I'm sure you'll survive if you don't know the actions of the famous Kaiba for one day."

"It's not an obsession," Marik said defensively. "Besides, I think I found my own toy."

"Following in his footsteps are we?" He let out a sigh. "Tell me, which poor human have you decided to torture endlessly?"

"It's hardly a human. It's an angel."

Bakura gave him a warning glance. "An angel? Be careful Marik. It's not good to mess with them. You were just damning them a few days ago. What sparked your interest?"

"He was beautiful."

Bakura groaned. "I should have known."

"Too bad all angels are idiots. Hatred can be so unfair sometimes. Oh well. I'll tell you about him anyways..."

And while Marik explained his new plaything, the toy in question was just preparing to leave.

"Well Malik," Ryou said softly, and slightly sadly, "I guess I'll see you...later."

"Of course you will," Malik said assuredly. "I haven't forgotten about tomorrow's Bridge meeting either."

This caused Ryou to feel a little more hopeful. "Good, then maybe I'll see you tomorrow after all."

Malik smiled. "Maybe."

Ryou waved and stood by the door, his body slowly turning transparent. Two large pearl wings appeared behind his back and a few errant feathers fluttered soundlessly to the ground.

But as the choir angel slowly started to vanish from that world, something very familiar caught his sight and as he looked slowly to the right, he recognized immediately the darkly colored cloak that was draped over the couch. A moment later, he was gone.

Malik sighed relief and walked back into the bedroom and closed the door right as Marik and Bakura exited the restroom.

"I'm expecting you to be at the Bridge meeting tomorrow, even though I know you probably won't show up." Marik retrieved his cloak from the couch and put it on, once again concealing his features. "But if you get distracted…" he looked at the bedroom door, "I'll understand."

"Marik," Bakura said stoically. "Just go. I'll be there."

"I'm sure you will," he faced him with a dark smirk. "Farewell."

And as the devious demon slowly departed from Earth, he gave his friend- though he would never admit to it- one final nod, but something bright and glittering caught his eye- something that hadn't been there before. His large, leathery wings released from his back and he looked curiously at the white feathers that were slowly waning on the ground, just as he was, and he clearly recognized them. But in an instant, he was gone.

Bakura wiped his forehead as though sweat were there and fell back into the couch.

"Thank Lucifer and all his minions that that is now over," he mumbled.

But nothing was quite over. Both Ryou and Marik now knew that their friends knew each other, whether they knew it or not and both also had a sneaking suspicion that neither would be at the Bridge meeting either.

---TBC---

This chapter was fun. I wrote Marik and Ryou in a way I never have before. It was kind of weird. Oh well though. And I forgot to mention in the previous chapter. When I refer to the Bridge, I mean the plane where Angels and Demons come together and meet for whatever reason, usually meetings though. Yes, the idea of it was borrowed from CLAMP's Wish Manga.

Thanks for reading, and sorry if I haven't been updating this very frequently. I'm trying though

AmethystRoze