Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh.

Author's note: this is the last update before Christmas. It wont make any difference however because I'll still update on Wednesday as usual (unless otherwise stated in my bio page) a big thanks to all who have reviewed and welcome to all new reviewers. Sorry if this chapter sucks, I wasn't in the best of writing moods at the time.

I will now take this chance to wish you all a happy Christmas. I'll try not to choke on the bird at dinner and you do the same. It's easily done… ahem.

Also, to those who dont know. maltesers are small round crunchybiscuit thingyscovered in milk chocolate. i dont know if they have them in America.

Happy Christmas! Have a fantastic day!

Also, say happy birthday to Marik cus it's the 23rd of December! (Puts on cool party music and dances like an idiot. Not hard task for authoress to accomplish since authoress is idiot anyway)

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Unrequited Love

Chapter 18: The Finals Begin

Seto Kaiba stood tall in the soon to be completed Kaiba corps Stadium. His arms were folded across his chest and his foot tapped impatiently on the ground. His icy gaze wandered towards the entrance for the belated arrival of the finalists. Kaiba didn't care about the other dualists who had managed to secure themselves a spot in his Battle City tournament. All he cared about was defeating Yugi Motou.

"I will regain my title as the number one dualist in the world! When I win all three Egyptian god cards, none will be able to defeat me. My deck will be unbeatable!"

Kaiba stood and watched his younger brother Mokuba, who was kicking stones at a nearby can. He was actually pretty good at it. It fell to the floor with a clang, the boy did a little victory dance. Suddenly a noise echoed from the seats far to the back. Kaiba spun his head towards the sound. He couldn't see anything in this light, despite his excellent vision.

"Who dares trespass in my arena?" he muttered angrily. He turned towards a man in a black suit behind him. "Turn on the lights!"

"Yes sir" obeyed the man, fearing the young ceo's wrath.

Seconds later, bright lights flooded the stadium. Kaiba turned around and looked at the place where the sound had come from. There was nothing there.

"It was probably a cat or something" he reasoned to himself.

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"This is it!" yelled Joey excitedly, jumping up and down.

The eight teenagers walked towards the stadium. Everyone was excited and eager to get to the finals and meet the other finalists. All except Anuket. She couldn't concentrate on anything else but Marik. She felt herself burning with anger every time his smirking visage entered her mind.

"That lying, scheming, son of a Jackal!" She thought venomously, grinding her teeth together. "I'll show him! I won't be controlled by anyone! Especially not some idiotic pervert who keeps staring at my breasts when he thinks I'm not looking!"

She jogged to catch up with the rest of the group. The stadium was huge! As they drew closer, Anuket noticed that it was unfinished. There were builders' tools and machinery all over the place. She looked around taking in the scenery or rather the lack of. How could the finals be held in a dump like this after all the time and effort Kaiba had gone to to make this tournament a success?

Anuket's widened her eyes in apprehension as she caught sight of something familiar. It was a red Harley, most likely belonging to Marik. For some reason she began to feel uneasy. She knew that he wouldn't hurt her; at least she hoped he wouldn't. After all, she had her friends to protect her. Marik wouldn't dare touch her while the pharaoh was around. A voice however, kept nagging at her from the back of her mind.

"He will be furious with you. Who knows what he's capable of? Marik has already demonstrated that he's willing to kill to achieve his goals. What's stopping him from doing the same to you?"

Anuket continued to walk with the group in silence, a strong sense of foreboding flooding her soul. They passed through the doorway and made they're way into the center of the arena. Anuket took in the sight before her. There were only four people present so far. One was Seto Kaiba, his younger brother Mokuba, and two other men that she assumed were body guards of some sort. They look rather menacing in their black suits and shades.

Kaiba watched the approaching group with an 'im better then you' kind of look. He tutted and made to move his arm as if he were looking at a watch. Anuket could have sworn he was looking mainly at Joey. What was the deal between those two anyway?

"You're finally here" he stated, turning his back to everyone.

Anuket stood towards the back, not paying any attention to the conversation/arguments between Yugi, Kaiba and Joey. Her thoughts were in another universe. She was completely oblivious to her surroundings. Maybe she should just go home now and forget about Marik. Maybe she could persuade Ipet to move house again. She squashed that idea immediately when she realized how cowardly she was being.

"Knowing my luck, he'll only find me again. It seems this world just isn't big enough for the two of us"

"Hey! It's Namu!" shouted Joey suddenly.

Anuket turned her gaze to the direction Joey was pointing to. "Who the hell is Namu?"

She watched a tall figure slowly emerge from the shadows. Her eyes widened when she realized who 'Namu' was. Somehow, she managed to keep from calling out his real name. She didn't want anyone to know about their ties and assumed by his using a fake name that Marik didn't either, even though he probably had a different reason for doing so.

Marik's violet eyes gazed over the people in front of him; finally coming to rest on a familiar face. His eye twitched and his fake smile faltered slightly when he realized that his disguise was about to be blown. However, Anuket just stood there looking back at him, her eyes holding a tiny glint of anger. Her arms were crossed and she looked away from him.

"Why hasn't she revealed who I am?" thought Marik as he composed himself and was introduced to everyone.

Anuket was unusually quiet when 'Namu' came to shake her hand and it didn't go unnoticed. The pharaoh had been watching from inside his soul room, and seeing this little exchange between the two Egyptians, confused him even more that he was before.

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Anuket sat by the small window in her room and stared out onto the city down below. There was a bit of a bother trying to find a place for everyone to stay but it was sorted eventually. She was lucky, the girls got to have their own rooms but the men all had to squish together, much to their annoyance. Joey had protested that he wouldn't be able to concentrate getting ready for the duels only to be put down by a snide comment from Kaiba. The words dog and monkey were used making Joey even angrier then he was before.

She stood up from her sear by the window and looked around. She had to admit that Kaiba had taste when it came to decorating, it was very modern, Kaiba's style she supposed. Anuket walked over to the small fridge and had a look at the contents. There were some very hard to find foods and drinks in there.

"Ooooh! Maltesers!" she squealed.

She grabbed a bag and opened them. Anuket was happily munching away when Tea barged into the room.

"Are you a sucker or a cruncher?" asked Anuket suddenly, out of the blue.

Tea looked confused. "Excuse me?"

"You know. Do you like to suck the chocolate off the Maltesers first or do you like to crunch them?"

Suddenly it all made sense. "Oh, im a …..Hmmmmm….I'm… a……sucker!" replied Tea after much thought.

"Oh really? Im a cruncher" said Anuket putting another Malteser into her mouth and demonstrating this to the brunette.

Tea shook her head. "I just came to tell you that we have to go down in half an hour. They're going to select the first two duelists of the finals"

"Ok, I'll be there. what are you gonna do in the meantime?"

"Im gonna go and annoy Joey. You wanna come?" grinned Tea.

Anuket laughed and shook her head. "No, im gonna leave him alone and you should too. He's taking part in this tournament as well you know. Why don't you go bother Yugi?"

Tea blushed and exited the room, embarrassed at the knowing smirk on the other females face. Anuket giggled when Tea had left. She was so easy to wind up. She knew about Tea's not so secret crush on Yugi, it's not like Tea was the best actress in the world. She practically turned to mush every time his name was mentioned. It was fun to tease her about it sometimes although she would never tell anyone else.

Anuket lay on the bed, thinking to herself about random things. Ten minutes later a knock on the door was heard. She sat up and walked over thinking it was Tea again, coming to ask her to bug someone.

The door opened and there stood the last person she wanted to see. Anuket was about to close the door in his face only to be pushed inside. Marik grabbed both her wrists with one hand and locked the door with the other. He pushed her up against the wall and pinned her there.

"What do you want?" she growled.

"Do you really need to ask?" he replied suggestively, tracing her lips with his thumb.

Anuket's eyes widened. She hoped that he wasn't saying what she thought he was. Marik sensed her fear and loosened his grip on her wrists. He pulled away slightly to get a better look at the girl in front of him. She was wearing a short blue pleated skirt and a white shirt with baggy sleeves. It was low cut and she had a pink vest top over it and she wore brown boots that came up just below her knees. She was wearing a black choker also. His violet eyes moved to meet her gaze again.

"Unfortunately this is neither the time nor the place for that. You owe me an explanation. Why did you run off when I explicitly told you to remain on the boat?"

"Do you really need to ask, Marik?" she retorted. "I can't believe I started to trust you. You are so much worse then you were as a child! Well I'll tell you this! You are not going to control me, you hear?!

Marik looked bewildered. "What is she talking about? I would never try to control her! Why would she think that?"

Anuket rolled her eyes and glared at Marik, confusion all over his features. "I heard what you said, you complete and utter moron!"

"What I said? What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Everyone can be controlled" she continued, mimicking his voice. "Joey wheeler no longer exists"

Marik's mouth opened and quickly shut again. The whites of his eyes stood out against his skin. He released Anuket's wrists and watched her rub them. Now he understood why she had left him.

"You weren't supposed to hear that…" he whispered.

"Oh im sorry, I didn't know" she replied sarcastically. "I guess I should have just stayed behind and let you control me like you have others. Ra! I always knew you had a sadistic side to you Marik, but I never thought you would go as far as to murder people! They have done nothing to you!"

Marik saw red. Yugi's counterpart was responsible for his father's death and as long as those fools were friends with him, they too would be dealt with accordingly.

"How the hell would you know!!" he yelled at the top of his voice. "You are just a stupid little girl who sits around all day giggling along with your pathetic friends! You lead an unbelievably carefree life Anuket. You haven't got a clue as to how cruel the world really is! The only problems you encounter are 'what clothes am I going to wear today? Do I look fat in this? Does my hair look alright? Should I buy this enormously overpriced garment, even though im never ever going to wear it?!"

Anuket felt incredibly offended. Not only were the things he said hurtful, they were untrue. She laughed along with her friends as any other normal person would. She never really worried about how she looked. She was just one of those people who were naturally pretty. She hardly ever went shopping for clothes and when she did, she couldn't do it for too long unless dragged around by someone else or searching for something in particular.

Her eyes began to well up. She tried to brush off his comments but it was hard. Is that what Marik really thought of her? Did he really think she was just a stupid little girl?

"How dare you..." she whispered, trembling with anger. "I am not some stupid naïve little girl that cares only for her vanity! I grew up in Egypt with a father who practically told me my only purpose in life is to marry and have babies, and this started when I was five! Five Marik! I was taught how to be a wife and mother when I was five! I had no childhood, I had no friends and my appearance was the last thing on my mind! My father didn't love me, my mother died when I was young, my brother always undermined me, making me feel like I was worthless, I was betrothed to a 'very' nasty little boy and you think I don't know how cruel the world is?!"

Marik looked at her. He felt bad for saying those things to her. She was on the verge of tears but wouldn't let them fall. She was stronger then she looked but also more fragile.

"Im sorry Anuket, that's not what I think of you at all. I know you're not like that. I can't justify the reason as to why I said those things in the first place. I don't think your stupid and I would never try to control you. You must believe that" said Marik, his voice begging for forgiveness.

He looked sincere but Anuket couldn't bring herself to forgive him. She didn't want to be with someone who thought of her as a ditz. Even if what he said was true and he didn't see her like that, she didn't want to risk another argument in the future which could lead to an argument similar to this one.

"I want you to leave Marik" she whispered.

"Anuket please…" he tried to speak. She cut him off.

"Marik, I covered for you once, but if you don't leave now, I will scream and everyone will find out who you are"

Marik sighed in temporary defeat and turned to leave. She watched him as he slowly made his way towards the door. Before he left, he turned and placed a small box on the table.

"We will never be over Anuket. You'll see… we were meant to be together"

He closed the door behind him. Anuket let out a long breath. A tear trickled down her cheek.

"He can't honestly believe we have a future together. Why won't he let me be? I don't ever want to see him again. He is a sexist pig and I hate him!"

She walked over to the table and picked up the box. Inside was the ring he had given her. Anuket groaned. She didn't need this. She closed the lid and put the box in her pocket. She would have to return it to him later. He would get the message eventually. Right now she had more important things to concentrate on. She had to help cheer her friends on so they could stop Marik's plans. She didn't want him to win; if he did, she would never be free of him. At least if Yugi won, she would have a sporting chance.

Suddenly a voice echoed throughout the airship.

"The first dualists to play in the finals will now be drawn. Please make your way to the assembly room"

"I guess id better get a move on" she said to herself.

She looked in a mirror just in case she looked like she had been crying. Thankfully it wasn't very obvious. She straightened herself and made her way out into the hallway. The other dualists were already on the elevator. As the door shut, she noticed Marik watching her. He had an unreadable expression on his face. Anuket sighed and walked on waiting for the elevator to come back down. She hoped that the first dual would be Yugi vs Marik, so this whole situation would be over and done with as soon as possible.

"Things are just gonna get worse from here on out" she thought dejectedly.

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Lots of new reviewers! Yay! I've put a picture of Anuket up on my bio page. It's the one that I'm very proud of. Let's see if I can get 100 reviews in the next couple of chapters.

The outfit she wears is drawn already so if you wanna see it go and check out my homepage at deviant art. Or just ask me to send it to you via email.

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Ra: thanks for the idea. I haven't mentioned the gift yet because there is no need right at this moment but a necklace of some sort is probably what it will be. Lot of people have mentioned it too. Perhaps it could be a protective thing? Hmmm. Thanks for your review. I hope you enjoy the story.

Serophia: Thank you so much! You're so sweet. I'm glad you like it. I'm always eager to please. If you like, go and check out my homepage. Just click on the link in my bio and it will take you to deviant art. There are a few pictures there you can look at.

Deprived Huntress: ahh please don't glare at me! Don't worry, Bakura will show up again. Don't forget that this story will continue past battle city. (hopefully) glad you're past your groundation. I will go and check out your fic right away ok! Thanks for reviewing!

Vladimir Lenin: glad you like the fic so far. Will continue to update as promised ok?

DaRkNeSsApPrOaChEs: don't worry about the two chapters a week thing. I have trouble sometimes putting up just the one! I'm sorry for creeping you out last chapter. Didn't mean to. I was trying to get across the fact that Marik's obsessed with her. I know he's ooc but oh well. Is this one better? I had some real problems writing this cus I just wasn't in the right mood for typing. It got better towards the end though I think. Thanks for your review!

Chaos of the mind: take as long as you need to read it. I'm just happy that you are. The more reviewers the better in my opinion. Thanks a lot for the kind words about flamers. They stink don't they?!

Blue baby: yep, I promise to post one chapter a week unless otherwise stated in my bio page. So far I've managed to keep my promise! Nice reviews and more reviewers make me keep my promises you know. Thanks a lot. Hope you liked this chapter although I think it got better towards the end

CRAZYABOUTANIME: here it is then. Can you wait til the next chapter? I guess your gonna have to! ha ha ha ha! Thanks for your review! Really appreciate it.

Meanae the thorn: thanks for the idea. A few other people suggested a necklace too but a phoenix one would be great. After all Benu means 'phoenix' or 'bird of ra' in ancient Egyptian. If there is anything else you're unclear about then please don't hesitate to let me know. I will try and clear things up for you.

Mya starnight: I would be more then happy to proof read anything you got goin. Might not be any good but having others to check it isn't all bad. They may have spotted something you may have missed. Thanks for your review. You know that Marik plushie didn't sell after all that. its still there!

Kuramas girl angel: hey your back! Welcome. Thanks very much. Glad you like it so far.

DemonicMistress Kree-kun: you like daggers then? Nice idea but I think a pendant may be more suitable. After all, Anuket isn't the fighting type. The pendant could have some protective powers perhaps? Oh the possibilities! Thanks a lot for your review, I appreciate it.

Lone Gothic: Anuket told him off again. Lol. Marik just wont get the message will he? Oh well, I guess it just makes for more torment on his part. Thanks for your review, this chapter was a bit of a stinker but it got better towards the end I think.

Raksha666: Didja like the picture I sent you? Marik is kinda dumb isn't he? Of course she will mind! After all she's the one who has to do the 9 months and give birth (ouch) I think I am gonna do a necklace. I have a good idea as to what it does too. Thanks for your review.

Loveliesbleeding2: this chapter turned out ok I think. The first part stank though. I had a bit of writers block there, that's why I didn't update on Wednesday. But never mind. Its Marik's birthday today! Hurrah. Let's celebrate! Glad you like the picture by the way. And yes, Katrina is spunky.

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HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!