~*Cross Your Heart: A Secret Revealed*~
Yami continued to watch the argument continue on. His eyes glanced up at Bandit Keith and Pegasus who just stood behind the counter and did nothing to break it up.
"You wouldn't know porn when you see one!" Yugi glared at Ryou, still standing on the table.
"Even you!" Ryou's eyes never wrenched away from Yugi. "You're the one that's being a peeping tom trying to spy on Tea."
"That's enough you guys!" Tea fumed. "Look, story straight. Ryou and Bakura were never at my house. I was at home alone until 11:30 when Yami showed up and took me here. Are we clear?"
"Oh…" Mai pretended to look at her watch. "Will you look at the time? I gotta feed Hanako."
"Who's Hanako?" Tristan looked up at Mai strangely.
"My cat." Mai smiled, sliding off the booth.
"But you don't have a…" Duke started to say but Mai started to pull Duke and Tristan from their seats, dragging them out of the diner.
"I believe I should take my leave as well." Ryou spoke softly, turning around.
"You don't have to leave Ryou-chan." Tea placed her hand on Ryou's shoulder. Why don't you stay and eat something?"
"Yeah, and we're not through yet." Yugi hopped off the table.
"Yugi," Yami spoke sternly. "That's enough. I'll take you back to the game shop. You're flushed and tired." He then looked up at Ryou. "Since you're about to leave, you might as well walk with us. I'm gonna drop Tea off to her house."
Ryou nodded. "I wouldn't mind. Just let me order something."
Yawning, Yugi started to curl on one of the seats, his hand resting on Joey's lap. Noticing this, Yami pulled Yugi gently by the arm and placed him on his back. He felt his hikari's arms wrap around his neck, his soft warm breathing blowing gently as he lifted him into a piggyback position.
After Ryou got his pork bun, he faced Yami and Tea. "Oh well, I'm ready. Let's go." He then made his way towards the exit. Tea and Yami soon followed, leaving Joey and Serenity alone.
Serenity finished up her pie, staring at her brother. Joey just finished his drink not noticing her stare. Five minutes passed by as he took a glance at his sister. "What? What is it?"
"You can tell me Joey." Said Serenity.
"Tell you what?" Joey gave his sister a nervous look.
' "Joey," Serenity took Joey's hand in hers. "Something has been bothering you. Tell me."
For a long time, Joey continued to live in denial but finally gave in. "Serenity, if I were to tell you, I will never forgive myself."
"Don't say those sort of things." Serenity gave his brother a worried look.
"You must promise me this sis. Promise that you won't tell anyone about what I had told you."
"All right, so what is it?"
Joey sucked in his breath. "See, during Yugi's party, Ryou was supposedly in the bathroom being his sick self. But when I went back to the bathroom to get my keys, I saw Bakura and Tea and they were making out."
"So what Yugi was saying is true?"
"I can only assume it is." Joey released his sister's hand. His eyes gazed out the window at the night view. The roads were bare, free of cars and people.
"Joey, you have to tell Yugi or Yami." Serenity insisted. "Bakura is exactly how Marik is. They're both crazy! And why did you have to keep it a secret?"
"I can't." Joey pounded his fist on the table. "That Bakura would've done something horrible."
"And what could he have done."
"I don't exactly know but I don't trust him or Marik."
Serenity's eyes widened. "You're telling me Marik's back?"
"Perhaps I am." A familiar voice replied.
"No way!" Joey was shocked at what he was seeing. There sitting on the bar stool right next to the booth was someone rather familiar. Wearing a black shirt, a rare hunter's cape and a pair of old khaki pants, a sinister smile curled his lips.
"Marik?!?" Joey kept pointing at him.
"Ah, it's good to be out of the Shadow Realm." He sighed softly, his eyes locking onto the two. "It's never easy to escape that place but thanks to Shadi…"
"Shadi?!?" Joey was getting shocked every moment. "You mean the guy with the fruit basket for his head?"
"Who's Shadi?" Serenity looked up at her brother curiously.
"I'm sure you remember him." Marik smiled. "Recently, he managed to grab a millennium item that was supposedly lost."
"I know who you can talk this sort of thing to." Joey whipped out his cell phone, punching in a few numbers. "Hello…Yami…"
The pharaoh! Marik's face twitched.
'I think you should know that your friend…" but before he could continue, Marik yanked the phone off of Joey's hands and threw it as hard as he could to the wall, smashing it.
"Hey!" Joey glared at Marik. "That's cost me $400!!"
"It's gonna cost you more if you don't learn how to keep your mouth shut." Marik sneered. "You've already broken one of your little compromises with Bakura and that was to keep your silence towards Bakura's relationship with Tea."
"What's the point in keeping it a secret when Yami is going to find out?"
"Hmph. Because there are a few others who are struggling to keep their feelings for Miss Mazaki. Two of them are obviously Yugi and the pharaoh."
"Is there a third one?" Serenity looked up at Marik curiously.
"Actually, there is." Marik supped his drink.
"Who?"
"I'm in no position to say. Now, let me tell you about the millennium bracelet."
"The millennium what?" Joey looked at Marik dumbfounded.
"Quiet Joey," Serenity placed a finger onto her lips. "I wanna hear Marik's story."
"Say what?" Joey was taken back at what his sister just said. "Serenity, you want to listen to this freak show?"
Serenity turned towards her brother, her eyes gazing at his lifelessly. "Of course I want to listen to Marik's story."
Joey's eyes widened as soon as he saw the look on her. He then glared at Marik, his fist clenching tightly. "Marik you fucking dumb ass!! Release my sister from your mind control this instant!"
"I'm sure she'll be of good use." Marik chuckled softly, resting his millennium rod on his lap.
"Release her Ishtar!" Joey growled.
"Just listen to the story Wheeler or I'll scramble your mind like I did the last time." And to this, Marik chuckled.
"Do that and I will make sure you never touch any of us ever again."
"Anyway," Marik continued on, ignoring Joey. "The millennium bracelet, as I was saying, is one of the lost millennium items that Shadi managed to find. That is…until it disappeared out of his hands. The history of that item…well…it used to belong to a young sorceress of ancient Egypt. Now this sorceress, she is the wielder of the Shadow Realm. In other words, a dark goddess. From the scriptures, she had tried to kill the pharaoh."
'He tried to kill Yami?" Joey's voice shook. "Why are you acting so nice Ishtar? I know you wanna kill us, especially Yami!"
"A new danger far beyond my control has reached this very realm. The bracelet, I believe, has found its owner. If that person realizes its true power, hell will break loose."
"What does that mean?" Joey looked on. "Who owns the bracelet?"
"I believe you should ask Shadi that." Marik wrote something on a piece of paper handing it to Joey.
Taking the paper, Joey read the address, then looked up at Marik. "He owns that pawn shop by Domino Train Station?" Joey looked up at Marik quizzically.
"Go figure that out yourself." He snapped. He then approached Serenity, placing his hand on her cheek. In return, Serenity nuzzled lightly on his hand.
Joey stared at this, wide-eyed in disbelief, unable to believe what is taking place. "Marik, stop this lovey-dovey crap! You're making me sick! Get my sister off your control now!!"
"Not so soon. I believe she can be of good use in assisting me of getting that bracelet. Next to becoming pharaoh, I desire to posses the power to control the Shadow Realm."
"You're making my sister your puppet? You already can summon that god forsaken hell hole, isn't that enough?"
"The shadow realm is a nightmare far beyond your dreams. Sure I could summon it but when you get freaks like the pharaoh around, you know something wrong is bound to happen. But when you posses the bracelet, you've got unlimited powers to the dark." He held out his millennium rod, watching it glow for a moment as Serenity's eyes returned to its normal self.
Hopping off the stool, Marik placed a $5 bill on the counter, slowly leaving the diner. Joey looked on at Marik for a long moment, unsure of what to make of this scene. Marik was less of a psycho than he was back at the Battle City Blimp. Why is he after that stupid piece of gold jewelry more than Yami now?
~*~*~*~
At around 1:30 that morning, Yami, Yugi, Ryou and Tea finally arrived at her house. Smiling, Tea spoke sleepily, "I guess I should be really going."
"Um…Tea…" Ryou scratched his head. Is it all right if I use your bathroom?"
"Don't…" Yugi muttered in his sleep. "You guys…Bakura's back. He and Marik are gonna kill us all."
"That's it Yugi." Yami scooted his hikari up. "You're really starting to get on my nerves. Let's go." He then turned back towards Tea. "I should get going as well. The sooner I get to the game shop, the sooner I get this load off my back." Grinning, he then made his way down the sidewalks.
Tea looked on for a long time at Yami. Without looking at Ryou, she made her way towards her house. "Come on Ryou, I'll show you were the bathroom is."
"I've changed my mind Tea." A dark voice replaced the innocent Ryou.
Startled, Tea looked back to see Bakura standing there, a box in his hand. His eyes locked onto Tea's holding it out. "Got a little something for you."
"Really?" Tea made her way towards Bakura.
Bakura handed her the small box, gazing down at her for a long moment, watching Tea's fingers claw at the wrapping paper. She then opened the box only to reveal a rather odd gold bracelet. The amulet resembled the same symbol as what was on every millennium item. "Wow…is this a millennium item."
"I'm not certain. I have gotten it from a gift shop."
Tea tried it on, sliding it onto her wrist. There were two spikes that stuck onto each side. One was facing up while the other pointed down. "How much was this?"
"I don't
think it actually matters."
Tea's eyes admired the
bracelet for a second or two before looking up at an expressionless Bakura.
Looking up at him strangely, she finally spoke. "Is something wrong Bakura?"
Bakura's silence hung in the air for what seemed to be hours. His lips parted, closed, then closed, and then opened once more as he spoke. "Tea," his fingers caressed her cheek before dropping it to the side. His voice remained emotionless, yet at the same time emotionless. "I don't think we should see each other anymore after this night."
Tea's eyes widened, shocked at what he just said. "What? Bakura…what…" her voice shook, stuttering, unable to form a complete sentence. "Why…"
"It's best if you don't know why Tea." His eyes fixed to the concrete of the sidewalk.
A single tear streaked down her face. Tea could not speak, as a dark void seemed to have overcome her. Her eyes stared off into nothingness. Her hear felt as if it had shattered countless times over and over again. No longer was the innocence that she usually carried with her but only the eyes of a lost child. For an odd reason, he could not bare to see Tea torn apart yet he knew he could not keep up with how he felt. For him, he never knew if he could ever love Tea the way he or she…the way they both had wanted with out destiny interfering within their lives. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he then slowly turned and walked down the sidewalk.
"Bakura, wait." Tea called out.
Stopping in his tracks, Bakura slowly looked back at Tea. "Yes?"
"Do you really hate me?" her voice shook, her fist clenched tightly as tears streamed down her face.
Bakura looked on at Tea for what seemed to be eternity before he shifted his gaze to the ground. No way he could answer that, even if he had a lot on his mind. His feet shuffled, continuing his long walk. "I don't know if I could answer that truthfully." He then disappeared out of sight, leaving a distraught Tea standing there.
o.o? Didn't expect that huh? ^__^
o.o!! Don't kill me! There are more chapters to go ~Sets up road blocks for angry readers~
~*To Be Continued and thanks for the great reviews!~