Chapter Six! (originally chapter seven but Swordsman person got me all editing and such. So anyhoo, this chapter is where the bloodshed starts…a tiny bit. Not too intense yet. More like a pg 13 thing probably (shrugs) I'm just rating the whole fic M just so the crazy wackos don't go ratting me out or something.
Last chapter you had the pleasure of meeting my younger sister. (sigh) yeah. She's tormenting me day in and day out to work on this thing. Yes, she is as insane as she seemed. (Not that I'm by any means sane…)
Alas, I have a semi-busy weekend ahead of me…this might be my last update for a while…hey, I update really often compared to most people. Give me a break here.
I still would like to hear from more people. Not that I don't love the reviewers I have! Don't take it that way! I just want a wider range of opinions is all. (dodges fruit from present reviewers) I said don't take it that way! I love you guys!
On to the chapter now. We're back to the regular length chapters, people. As I've stated many times before: I'm very open to criticism. It helps me improve the story. It's better for all of us all around! Plus if you're confused about something you can put questions or concerns in your review as well…
Incantation
Seek the spells inside the mind.
Search for the thoughts no one can find.
Ask for the stories no one knows.
Feel the burden as it grows.
Taste the blood flow on your tongue.
Remember hymns that once were sung.
Plead to the dark to find your way;
That you may wander but not stray.
Close your hands around the past;
Feel it struggle in your grasp.
Sigh deep into the starless night
That holds no answers, shows no light.
Chapter Six: Painful Price
"You can't be serious! Can you believe this guy?" Jou turned to his friends. "He'll do anything to get the Millennium Rod back!"
"If I were so eager to have the rod why would I have let it out of my possession in the first place?" Marik retorted, eyes blazing intensely at the accusation.
"…Tryin' to make us think you'd changed…I know how you think, you psycho!" Jou ranted on.
"How do you know it's the rod that'll open the book?" Yugi asked nervously.
"These symbols here. They are the markings of one Priest Set," Marik's expression darkened as he spoke.
"Kaiba…" Yami whispered.
"Whaddaya mean 'KAIBA'?" Jou practically yelled, angered by the very mention of the CEO.
"He's the reincarnation of the High Priest Set, keeper of the Millennium Rod and arch-rival of the pharaoh," Marik glowered, eyes narrowed at the inscription. "Really, don't you remember all this from Battle City?"
"Sorry, my MIND was a bit out of it," Jou growled menacingly.
"Hmm…anyway, you need the rod to open it. You have the rod…" Marik stood up to leave.
"Wait!" Yami suddenly blurted, blocking Marrik's way, who still held the book.
"What?"
"Why…can't I read the inscriptions? I understand some of them…"
"You need your memories for that," Marik replied coolly. "Plus, this might be a type of code used by Set." He held out the golden volume to the former monarch. Yami, to the surprise of all, did not take it.
"Marik…" the spirit seemed to be struggling to speak.
"Hmm?" Marik stood there impatiently, still holding the book out to the pharaoh.
"Would…could you…I mean…."
"Oh spit it out already!"
"Could you…"
"What Yami is trying to ask is: would you open it for us? You know more about the Millennium Rod than anyone else," Yugi said imploringly, looking with pity at his darker half.
Marik's face formed into a humorless smirk. His eyes narrowed.
"So the ancient monarch needs my help. Did the Pharaoh say he needs my help?" Marik emphasized the words mockingly.
Yami glared back at the violet eyes. Marik's penetrated his. The young Egyptian's face held a look of dominance.
"You impudent little…" Yami thundered.
"I'm WAITING," Marik said in a high, fake voice, tapping a finger on the book's cover.
Yami closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Marik, I need your help," he stated in an emotionless tone.
Marik grinned. "Then let's get started."
"Are you sure about this?" Honda asked Yami as the spirit came down the stairs.
"What choice do I have?" Yami murmured, holding a parcel of wrapped fabric close to his chest.
Standing if front of Marik, Yami slowly unwrapped the black velvet to reveal the Millennium Rod. It still gleamed as brightly as ever before. Marik could sense the fear in the room escalate. Jou was glancing warily from him to the rod.
Yami hesitated for a moment before holding out the item to the young Egyptian. Marik's body tensed as he received it with sweaty hands. His brow was creased, eyes completely fixated on the object he held.
"Marik?" Yugi asked, voice an octave higher than usual.
"Might want to step back—especially you, Pharaoh. I don't know how the seals will react if another item is so close by," Marik informed them, coming out of his daze. They immediately complied, stepping into the doorway of the kitchen.
Marik focused all his energies on the book, which rested on the chair in front of him. He slowly maneuvered the rod so it pointed directly at the center symbol on the cover. Murmuring an ancient chant, he moved the rod clockwise, then counterclockwise. The symbols began to glow, radiating an immense amount of heat until they were bright red.
Perspiration fell into his face as he continued, finding it harder and harder to take a breath. Yami noticed this and started forward only to dodge a blast of fire.
When the smoke began to clear the others were still huddled in the doorway coughing. The light walls of the living room were singed. Yami got up from the floor.
"Marik!" he called, seeing a form on the floor next to the chair. His heart skipped a beat when the form moved.
"Damn you, Pharaoh! I told you to stay back!" Marik scowled sitting up.
"I…" Yami stopped when he saw how the boy was clutching his arm.
"Yami? Are you all right?" came Anzu's voice from the doorway.
"Get the first aid kit!" Yami yelled, rushing over to the young Egyptian.
"You okay, Yami man?" Jou called as they entered the room. Yugi ran for the bathroom.
"Let me see your arm," Yami said urgently, kneeling next to the boy.
"I'm fine!" Marik insisted, blood flowing between his fingers that were curled around his upper arm.
"Let me see it," Yami said more gently, not wavering.
Marik resentfully pulled his hand away, revealing a darkened wound. Blood was slowly sliding down his tanned skin. The center of the wound was charcoal black.
"What in the hell…" Honda murmured as they approached the two on the floor.
"Shadow magic," Yami said in a hushed voice, gently lifting the arm slightly. Marik winced involuntarily.
"We'd better go to the hospital," Anzu whimpered.
"NO!" Marik said quickly. "No." he repeated more firmly, meeting Yami's eyes.
"Let's at least get it cleaned up," Yami insisted as Yugi raced into the room, first aid kit in hand.
"I've got the….Oh Yuck!" Yugi gagged when he spotted the wound.
"Try to hold still," Yami instructed Marik.
"Well, the book didn't open," Honda observed, standing over the chair.
"Thanks to the spiky-headed dolt over here," Marik jabbed his thumb at Yami.
"Marik, you looked like you were in pain," Yami said defensively.
"Since when have you cared about my well-being?" Marik sneered, shutting his eyes for a moment as Yugi tightened the bandages on his arm.
"I may want my memories, it's true, but not at the expense of others' lives."
"I wasn't going to die, all right? It just took a lot out of me. I'm not as experienced in Shadow Magic as the high priests were," Marik insisted.
Jou let out a low whistle. "So just how powerful were these dudes?"
"More powerful than any human should be," Marik replied, eyes dull.
Yami saw for a single moment the part of Marik that was usually hidden away. Someone who'd endured more personal tragedies than any boy his age should have to go through.
"All righty," Marik swayed unsteadily to his feet. "Let's get that book opened."
"But you're already…!" Yami began to protest.
"Shut it, Pharaoh. I'm fine," Marik sneered slightly, walking toward the chair where the book lay. "And this time stay back." He snatched up the rod from the floor.
Yami nodded his head solemnly as he and the others headed for the doorway again. As he passed through he noticed the singed walls.
'That's going to be fun to explain to Mr. Mutou.'
Marik stood over the book once more, holding the rod with only one hand this time. He gritted his teeth as the symbols on the cover glowed bright red once again. He was suffocating, yet he refused to stop. This was the only way to keep Yami away from Bakura and Ryou. Marik's eyes stung as the heat grew in intensity. He could feel the blood of his wound flowing out from under the bandages. The room began spinning faster and faster.
Yami watched helplessly on the sidelines. He'd never felt so worthless. He could see the muscles all over the boy's body tensing under the stress of the Shadow Realm. It was extremely difficult for mere mortals to handle such power. It was astounding just how much Shadow Magic the boy could summon.
Marik could no longer hear. There was a harsh ringing in his head. He was choking on blood, unable to take a breath.
The light of the symbols expanded until it was illuminating the entire room. Then the explosion came, filling the room with red smoke that seemed like blood's milky appearance when dripped into water. The others coughed harshly as the smoke cleared. Yami strained his eyes to try and spot Marik and the book through the haze.
The young Egyptian was kneeling on the floor, bent forwards slightly. His breaths were coming in slow, painful gasps. Blood was seeping from between his teeth onto the floor. His eyes were worn, dark circles appearing under them. The Millennium Rod hung loosely in his hand.
On the burnt chair before him lay the book. It was seething hot, but that wasn't what caught the others' attention. It was open.
Bakura sat on the blue lazy-boy chair that he'd pulled right up next to the fireplace. The burning, slightly dampened wood gave off a musty smell; however, the scent was barely noticeable with the presence of cigarette smoke engulfing the room.
Ryou entered quietly.
"Bakura?"
There was no response.
"Bakura?" Ryou tried again, slightly bolder.
"Hn?"
"Where's Marik? Did he…?"
"He's at the pharaoh's."
Ryou stopped in shock, staring at his yami. Bakura went back into his own world, not paying any more attention to his lighter half.
Suddenly the sound of a motorcycle was heard out in the driveway, signaling Marik's arrival. Ryou glanced at his yami, waiting to see what he'd do. They remained where they were for a few moments. After a minute Marik didn't come in. Without warning, Bakura bolted for the door. Rou sprinted after.
When the hikari reached the door he spotted two figures in the driveway. The motorcycle sat forgotten in the shadows of the garage. Next to it was Bakura who was clutching a limp form in his arms. Ryou gasped when he realized what the figure was.
"Marik!" he cried, starting forward.
"Ryou!" Bakura barked, causing the boy to come to a halt. "Go get a bowl of warm water and some bandages! Get a bowl of cold water too! Now!"
Ryou raced into the house. Bakura hurried into the living room and gently laid his friend on the couch. Marik's body was covered in sweat, blond locks stringy. Blood was drying in the corners of his mouth. He was wheezing, breaths uneven.
"Marik…" the thief whispered as he began unwrapping the torn bandages on the boy's arm.
"Nnnn…" the boy moaned, eyes fluttering.
"Marik," the yami said more firmly, removing the last bits of bandage.
"Uhh…" Marik winced, eyes opening slightly.
"You idiot," the thief whispered when he spotted the wound.
"Hi to you too," Marik smiled weakly.
"Here's everything! Here!" Ryou streamed into the room, water from the two bowls splashing the floor a bit.
Bakura took a washcloth and immersed it in the cold water. He then squeezed the excess liquid out and folded the cloth over once; then he placed it on Marik's forehead.
"Uhhh…mmm…that's nice…" the blond Egyptian mumbled, closing his eyes.
"What caused the wound?" Bakura asked, pulling the Millennium Ring out from under his own shirt.
"Oh, motorcycle, you know," Marik lied, dazed.
"Stop it. I know you were at the pharaoh's playing with some ancient book," the thief replied smoothly.
"Huh? You…?" Marik slumped, completely unconscious.
"Marik!" Ryou exclaimed.
"Damn it! Ryou get back!" Bakura ordered as the ring began to glow.
The hikari watched in fascination and fright as his yami placed his hands over the wound and began muttering. The ring's brilliance grew; a "cloud" of blackness slowly seeped from the wound and entered the ring. This continued until there was no more "cloud", just blood gushing between the thief's trembling fingers.
"Bak—Bakura?" Ryou asked meekly.
"Hn?" The sound was tired and strained.
"What…just happened?"
"Shadow Magic. Marik was hit by an extremely powerful defense spell that must have been on the stupid book," Bakura sighed wearily, wiping the blood that stained his hands on his pant legs.
"Book? Defense spell?"
"That son of a bitch!" Bakura muttered fiercely as he began to clean the wound. "He's going to pay for this!"
Da-da DA! Booya! What now?...that's right! Awesomeness! (crickets) Fine.
Poor Marik. Don't worry, a lot of other people will get beat up too! …er…or maybe that's baaad….
Hmm...I'm getting to an awesome part of the story!
Chella: Sadness! Poor Mawik! You hurt him ya meanie!
Ferris: Oh hush. Basically everyone is gonna get beat up. Hehe!
Chella: I know….I already read another chapter where peoples get hurt!
Ferris: (gushing) …yessss! And some people DIE!
Che: You are sooo EVIL!
Ferris: Duhhh…You already knew THAT!...what am I saying? You're just as evil as me!
Che: What makes you say that?
Ferris: Don't play innocent, you faker! Evil! EVIL! (tantrum)
Che: Shut up, FU!
Ferris: -- You just Had to bring my initials up again, didn't you?
Che: YUP!
Ferris: Whatever…review peoples! WE LOVE YOU! (that was….desperate…)
Che: I LOVE U MORE!
Ferris: Wa? No you don't! Shut up.
Che: I have fans too. They love me, I love them!
Ferris: …and they live in your head…that's enough big little sister.
Che: Fine! FU wants reviews! REVIEW!...please?
Ferris: --