Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh. If I did there would be half naked Marik shots every episode.

Author's notes: Can you believe this story has come so far!! I am so happy! (jumps around all happy like)

Thanks to everyone for your kind reviews and also for being so patient. I really needed that break. It was very refreshing and to top it off, I have come up with plenty of ideas to for later chapters. Please keep in mind though that I haven't seen the next few chapters in great detail so references may be a bit patchy.

I have also come up with an idea to finish these chapters of the battle city finals. I am going to skip the virtual world part with Noa. That part just doesn't interest me at the moment. And im sure you would rather see what happens to Marik and Anuket wouldn't you? I am sorry to those of you who would like to read about that particular part, but it is irrelevant this story. Because of the patchy details however, updates may be a little unpredictable for a while. I will still aim to update once a week but I make no promises. Once the finals are over, I can create my own storyline of what happens next!

Also, Yami Marik is going to be known as Malik. Just so you know.

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Unrequited Love

Chapter 21: The Evil Awakens

"I will see what I can do, I promise" said Anuket softly.

After seeing the truth about Marik's past with her own eyes, she was willing to do all she could to help Ishizu bring her brother back. Ishizu was smiling to herself behind the veil she wore. Anuket could tell, but was oblivious to the reason why.

As Ishizu opened her mouth to speak, they were interrupted by a loud noise. As the two women stood up in surprise, the sky flashed outside. They rushed to the small round windows and kneeled on the cushioned seats peering out into the night sky. They couldn't see anything. Anuket twisted her head so she could look upwards and saw a golden light emitting from the stratos arena.

"Oh, it's only the duel…" breathed Anuket, thankful that it wasn't the blimp going down.

"No….The winged dragon has awakened…." Replied Ishizu. Her voice was barely more than a whisper. She turned to face the younger girl. "Anuket, you must go to my brother. I feel that things will soon take a turn for the worse. We must not allow Marik's darker side to be free again. If Odion falls, then there will be no one to stop him. Maybe your presence there will be able to help. Keep my brother calm, that is very important. His anger will only make it stronger"

"But what if…" Anuket cut off. "Oh never mind, I'll go"

She turned and ran out of the room. Ishizu watched her retreating back as she turned the corner and onwards towards the duel.

"She will not be able to stop the evil from freeing itself" said a familiar male voice. Shadi stood in the corner. He had listened in on the entire conversation between the two women. "You place far too much faith in her Ishizu. She and Marik do have a bond with each other, despite the current situation. But I fear it will not be enough. They still have many issues to work through together"

Ishizu sighed. "I know, but maybe she can ease his pain by being there"

"If you say so…" whispered Shadi unconvinced.

------------------------------------------------------------ On deck

Marik smiled evilly to himself as he stood behind the group of cheerleaders, foolishly trying to convince Joey that he could still win. There was no chance in hell now that Odion had successfully summoned the Winged Dragon of Ra. Marik used the millennium rod to speak directly into Odion's mind. Congratulations were now in order.

"You've made our family proud today Odion. Your handling of the fake Egyptian god card proves that you are one of us. It has also convinced our sceptical friends that you are Marik"

Odion smiled to himself with the compliment. He felt extremely honoured but guilty at the same time. His loyalty to his brother however outweighed any doubts he had about winning the duel using this card.

The sound of the elevator door opening caught everyone's attention. Marik turned his head to see Anuket step out and onto the arena. She wrapped her arms around herself and muttered angrily in Arabic. A curse Marik supposed from forgetting to bring an outer jacket for the cold. He turned his attention back to the duel trying to ignore the girl. He stole a glance at her as she walked closer. Yami and the gang's attention was once again focused the duel.

Anuket stood for a moment and watched Marik. He turned his head and gave her the most venomous look he could muster before watching the duel again.

"Ishizu said I have to support him. Keep him calm, but how? Whenever he looks at me he sees an enemy…" her thoughts trailed off. "How could Marik have known that the culprit for his father's murder was with him all these years…?"

Marik was angry with her because she was on the pharaoh's side and had more then once commented on that fact. Perhaps she could make Marik think that she was loyal to him again. Anuket was a little sceptical at this prospect. She wasn't sure if Marik would believe her this time, but she had to try. She wasn't completely lying though because she really did want to help him. It was for his own good and if doing this would help keep his darker side locked away then she would do so willingly.

Anuket walked towards the side and leaned against it. She noticed that Marik was trying to move his head to see what she was doing without making it too obvious. She slowly moved sideways towards him until they were almost touching. Marik gave in to his curiosity and turned his gaze sideways to face her. She looked up at Marik and gave him an apologetic look.

"What is this girl doing? Has she finally come around or is she trying to make a fool of me like she did last time?" thought Marik warily.

He saw her glance around to make sure that no one was watching and she discreetly linked hands with him. Marik looked down at her and received a reassuring smile from the girl. He was becoming increasingly more confused now. Did this mean they were together again? He looked at her with a questioning expression. She seemed to understand what he wanted to asked and squeezed his hand in reply, her smile spreading further.

"I feel like I should be working in a harem…" thought Anuket guiltily as she saw Marik's frown turn into a look of utter delight.

She looked onto the field and saw the golden image of Ra in the sky, her smile faltering slightly. How could she have not noticed this creature when she first arrived?

"I must have been blind to miss that beastie!"

Suddenly Anuket remembered reading about this creature. It was apparently a force to be reckoned with and it was no surprise that Ishizu was worried for her brother. That thing could do a lot of damage.

She felt her hand being squeezed affectionately by Marik in reassurance. He spoke in Arabic in a voice low enough that only she could hear.

"Do not worry. Ra will not hurt you as long as I am here"

She smiled at Marik when he said this. He was being sweet again Dammit! If there was one thing she loved about him in times like these, it was the feeling of security he gave her. When Marik was around she felt as though nothing could harm her. As if she was the only thing that mattered.

"Thankyou" replied Anuket, also speaking in Arabic.

The sound of someone's raised voice broke their thoughts of each other. The man posing as Marik was now facing the Winged Dragon of Ra.

"Obey me! Attack my opponent now!!!" he shouted.

The beast did nothing. Confused murmurs sounded amongst the group.

"What's gong on? Why isn't it attacking?" said Tea worriedly.

Yami looked at the huge creature. Its teeth were bared and a rumble echoed through the skies. "Something's gone wrong…"

Anuket's eardrums almost split when the sound of thunder came crashing down. She put her hands up to her ears and swore copiously. Bolts of lightning barely missed the participants of the duel. Joey kept jumping around to stay of the line of fire while Odion was frowning. He had his eyes closed and wore a sorrowful expression. Tristan began to climb on the platform.

"Hey! Get down from there Joey! You'll be toasted!"

"What's going on Marik?" whispered Anuket. "This isn't a typical storm…"

Marik's duel disk began to emit a ghostly aura. He was worried. "Ra has been angered" he replied quietly.

"Why? What could you have done that is so blasphemous towards the god?"

Marik mumbled something. A crash of thunder hit the platform again.

"What was that…?" Anuket had to make sure she had heard him correctly. "A fake? Marik…"

"Oh no… Ra is going to punish everyone involved in this duel…" hissed Marik. "Odion…"

Marik grasped the millennium rod from his pocket and focused it to talk to his brother. He didn't have a chance to say anything though. He heard Odion's deep sombre voice.

"Im sorry master. I have failed you, again…"

A split second later and both players were on the ground. Anuket gasped when she saw them. There was a fake millennium rod on the floor that had been shattered into hundreds of tiny shards. Joey was knocked out and Odion was drifting in and out of consciousness. The lighting had stopped now. The image of Ra had vanished from the sky and the rest of the holograms had also disappeared.

Anuket was about to move to see if Joey was alright, but stopped when she heard a painful groan beside her. Marik was clutching his head in agony and was sweating profusely. She furrowed her brow in concern and turned to help him.

"Joey will be fine. He's strong. I have to stay with Marik and prevent his darker side from being freed!"

Roland was stopping everyone else from approaching the arena. "Get off! There's still a duel taking place" he warned Tristan. "If you don't, both players will forfeit!"

Tristan was outraged. "Are you crazy? Open your eyes! They're out cold! We have to get them to a doctor right away!"

While they argued, Anuket was trying to help Marik. The pain seemed to be getting worse. She pressed her thumb on his forehead and applied pressure to take the headache away. It only helped to lessen the pain. She tried to think of a spell that could help, but her mind went blank. She was no good in these sorts of situations. Any trouble that approached and she was the first one to panic.

"Be strong Marik" she whispered. "Don't let him take control!"

Marik groaned and clutched his head even tighter. His pain was so intense; she could see his veins beginning to pulse. Anuket pulled him closer and practically pulled him into an embrace. It was all she could think of right now to take his mind off things. It was a stupid idea but she didn't know what to do. It looked like the evil was winning.

Meanwhile on the deck, Joey had somehow succeeded in standing up.

"Joey Wheeler is the victor!" declared Roland, raising his hand into the air to signal that the duel was now officially over.

Yami wasted no time in rushing over to him to see if he was ok.

"What just happened?" blinked Joey. "And who's dat guy?"

"You're in the finals remember? You just passed out from the lighting bolts you dummy!" exclaimed a frustrated Mai Valentine from the side lines.

Joey's eyes dawned in realisation as the past few minutes came back to him in a flash. "Oh yeah…" he looked at his opponent "Hey, dat guy's hurt!"

Yami and Joey ran over to Odion and turned him over. Joey lifted his head up. The man weakly opened his eyes and glanced at his master. The girl was trying desperately to calm him but it didn't seem to be working.

"I am sorry Joey. It was an honour to duel with you…" said Odion hoarsely.

"Ummm, yeah. Right back at ya. You ok?" replied Joey.

Yami looked at the man. "You have some explaining to do… if you're not Marik, Then who are you?"

The mans expression turned grave. He knew he had to tell the pharaoh the truth. "I am merely a servant" he pointed to the side. "To the real master Marik…"

All heads turned towards the young couple. Anuket's features currently held a frightened expression as she watched Marik continue to clutch his head in anguish. She had given up trying to massage the headache away and now resorted to hugging him and rubbing his back for comfort. It was all she could do.

"That's Marik?!!!!" yelled Joey.

He jumped off the platform and strode over to the girl. He grabbed her arms gently and pulled her out of Marik's reach. "Joey, what are you doing!" she cried. "He's in pain!"

"Who cares! You know who dat guy really is? Marik! Dats who! He's been playin everyone for a sap!"

Joey pulled Anuket closer to him and further away from the sandy blonde. She struggled to release herself from him but failed miserably. Marik stole a glance at his sweetheart. He looked towards Yami now. His headache seemed to have vanished now, enabling him to speak.

"Yes it's true. I am indeed the real Marik you fool!" he said nastily.

"So Namu lied to us?" said Tea in disbelief.

"Namu?" laughed Marik. "He was just a disguise to get me closer to Yugi"

Joey released Anuket and shook his fist at the Egyptian. "You little worm!"

"He's the one who brainwashed you Joey" reminded Yami, thinking back to the duel on the pier. "So this is the man behind the madness…" Yami stared back at Marik, meeting his cold stare.

"So pharaoh, we finally meet face to face. Now I can finish what my pathetic servants couldn't! Yugi, your puzzle will soon be where it belongs, aarrghhh!!" Marik grasped his head again.

Anuket covered her mouth. His face was distorted for a moment before returning to normal. She widened her eyes in horror and cringed he she heard a voice that didn't belong to Marik.

"Let me out! You cannot contain me any more!"

"Marik…" she whispered.

Odion twisted his head around to see his master fighting the invisible force. "Oh no, I was afraid of this. Listen to me! We are all in great danger. Marik has darker side and I am unable hold it back any longer. Please help him… urgh…"

Odion couldn't stay awake any longer. He closed his eyes and fell into an uneasy coma. Seconds later a bright light surrounded Marik. He let out an excruciating cry of anguish and threw his head back. The onlookers watched in apprehension.

"I'm gonna put this in the 'not good' category" said Joey.

Anuket stepped backwards into the crowd. She didn't want to meet this Marik. If he was evil enough to kill his own father, then who knows what he would do to others. A deep voice chuckled evilly. Marik lowered his head again.

He looked so different now. Anuket looked him over in anxiety. The millennium eye symbol was now glowing on his forehead, and his hair was spiked up in the very same way it was when Ishizu had shown her that awful scene. His eyes were different as well. They showed no emotion but malice and immorality.

"Ha ha ha! Im free again. Now I can do things my way. I was restrained many years ago by that fool Odion…" smirked Malik, glancing at the unconscious man on the floor.

"Who are you?" asked Yami. This was an unexpected turn of events.

"I am the true Marik, but you may call me Malik. I am not as kind as the one you've come to know, and soon I will complete what he couldn't. I deserve to be pharaoh, not you! Get ready for the real battle. When I'm through with you, you're puzzle will be around my neck, Where it belongs. You, along with all your friends will be trapped forever in the realm of eternal darkness. Except for you…"

Malik tilted his head sideways in mock curiosity and looked at the young Egyptian girl trying to hide behind her friends. She looked back at him, wondering who the hell he was talking to. Her face paled when she realised that comment was directed at her. Her mouth opened and closed quickly. She had no idea what to say to him. Anuket was wary of Marik before, but this Malik person was much more dangerous then his alter ego by miles. Tristan became angry and started to threaten Malik.

"You leave her alone Malik! If you so much as lay a finger on her then I'll…"

"You'll what?" he jeered. "Stop me from claiming my fiancé? The woman who was destined to be mine years before you even knew her?"

Everyone took a sharp intake of breath. They all turned sharply took look at the small woman huddled in amongst them.

Yami closed his eyes and frowned as he absorbed this new information. "Of course… it all makes sense now. Anuket has acted strangely since the moment we met her. Her life in Egypt that she was unwilling to talk about, the lack of surprise when we told her about the millennium items and the powers they possess, and her behaviour towards Namu, or should I say Marik. She knew him long before all this trouble started"

Anuket looked around at the people staring at her. She felt ashamed, especially for keeping this secret from her friends. She looked at each of them. Tea, Serenity and Mai held an expression of hurt on their faces. A look that quickly changed to mistrust. Tristan and Duke were staring wide eyed and open mouthed as if she had grown an extra limb. Kaiba gawped at her too. He then turned his nose up at her in disgust and sneered at her. She finally faced Joey, His face was emotionless.

"Is what Malik's saying true Anuket?" asked Yami suddenly, stopping right in front of her.

His deep red eyes held her own. She felt as if he was judging her. She knew she couldn't lie any more, and averted her eyes to the floor. She couldn't even look at him. Her shame was becoming unbearable and tears began to gather in her emerald orbs.

"Yes… it's true" she whispered. Only Yami could hear her now. "I didn't want to lie to you but… I just couldn't bring myself to tell anyone… I am so sorry pharaoh…"

Yami's hard gaze softened. If there was one thing he prided himself for, it was being able to tell if someone was lying. "This girl is innocent. I truly believe that she didn't want any harm to come to any of us" he bent his head and whispered in her ear. "It's alright"

"Are you finished over there?" asked Malik impatiently, tapping his foot on the hard steel floor. Anuket looked directly at Malik. She had managed to suppress the tears for now.

"Listen to me my lady; I am very impressed with the cunning behaviour you have shown towards my other half. You managed to bend Marik to your will with your lies and deceit, not once, but twice! It was no wonder I managed to free myself. He was weak compared to me" Malik held out his hand to her. "Join me, and I promise you a magnificent future"

Anuket sneered at the hand held out to her. "No! I wouldn't accept your offer even if I was tied to a table having my eyes gouged out! And I resent being called a liar!"

Malik smiled at her yearningly. "You can be very headstrong when you want to be. I am going to have to refuse your answer my lady. A beautiful desert bloom such as yourself is a rare find that I will most certainly hold on to"

"You're gonna have ta get through us first!" said Joey stepping in front of the girl. Anuket smiled in relief. At least she wasn't alone. Malik smirked at Joey.

"A task that will be easily accomplished" he turned to face the pharaoh.

"Yami, the battle for the pharaoh's power will begin right now. A conflict 5000 years in the making, and there's no turning back. The great Egyptian god monsters will serve and protect me as I rule as the new pharaoh!"

Malik laughed evilly and turned away from the group. He made his way towards the elevator. He stepped on and caught Anuket's gaze. He gave her a lustful smirk and blew her a kiss before the doors closed completely.

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Ta Da!! Finished! That chapter was actually kinda crap but it was the best I could do at this moment in time. I will go back and edit some chapters soon hopefully, please be kind when reviewing. I know this isn't my best chapter, but is not the worst either (I hope)

By the way. If any of you have read a story called 'Oh My Ra' and haven't reviewed in a while then would you please go back and read it? It's been getting very interesting and is gonna get better in future chapters. If you haven't read it then please go and check it out. You can go to my bio page and look through my favourites List, its there somewhere.

Also go and check out loveliesbleeding2's fics. They are awesome! And a very good read.

Finally, please check out my homepage at devART. I have loadsa pictures there of Marik and Anu. Make sure you click on my gallery to get the full list ok? If you want to draw art for me then please do. I really want to see it.

No time for review replies today. I'm in a rush. Bye for now and remember, please be kind when reviewing and don't worry, there will be plenty of romance later on (wink wink) this will continue past battle city.