~*~*~
Bow: Summer vacation!!! Whoot! And Now I have my computer back!
Dragon: Huzzah! ::blinks:: wait, shouldn't you be working on that new story of yours?
Bow: What? Oh, yea, I've been wanting to work on that, but this I don't have to worry about so much detail on.
Dragon: Slacker.
Bow: ::glares:: Am not.
Dragon: I could mention something about school....
Bow: ::growls:: Don't you dare.
Dragon: ::snickers::
~*~*~
A strangled cry echoed through the night, and Marik rose in bed, slicked with sweat, sheets falling around his waist. His breathing was ragged, and his bare chest rose and fell at a rapid, shallow pace. He pushed a few loose, blonde strands from his lavender eyes, other hand pressed against his ribs as he felt his heart pound in his chest.
"A dream," he breathed, closing his eyes to try and force the haunting image out of his mind -seeing himself, drenched in blood, dying at the feet of the Pharaoh, who was watching him with fiery eyes; watching him die with a blood-covered dagger in his hand.
"It had to have been just a dream," he whispered to himself, palm pressing against his brow as he squeezed his eyes shut, as though the extra pressure would help rid himself of the horrible nightmare. He had to know... he had to know the answer to the question that had been plaguing his every thought, even his dreams now.
"M-Malik..." He murmured, picking up the Millennium Rod up from his bedside table with gentle fingers.
The yami appeared at the end of his bed, sitting with his back to the wall so that Marik could only see his shadowed silhouette. Malik was so astonishingly identical to Marik it took his breath from his lungs. Or was that because Malik was also as completely naked as his counterpart? But, Malik didn't seem to care, and he turned his head to look at his hikari, orange eyes casting a faint glow that lit them internally.
"Yes?" he murmured silkily with a smile that sent a chill up Marik's spine.
"M-Malik-" He began, pulling the sheets tighter around his body to hide his nakedness. He also struggled to keep his eyes fixed on Malik's face, trying to keep them from roving over his other self's bare, chocolate-colored skin.
"It's not my fault you sleep in the nude," Malik put in, as though reading Marik's thoughts.
Marik colored, staring down at his hands that were gripping the sheets tightly. "Malik, there's something that's been bothering me."
Malik, to Marik's surprise, actually showed some concern on his face, though it did not linger for long before it vanished and was replaced with a cool look of composure. "You're worried about the Pharaoh coming after us."
Marik nodded, but he quickly stopped. "You mean after me. Ishizu saw me kill her. You could have at least changed your appearance when you took over my body."
"I suppose so, but we look so alike I doubt it would have mattered."
Marik recoiled in disgust at the lack of emotion in him yami's voice. "Don't you care that the Pharaoh probably wants to kill me because of you?"
"There's no probably. He's out for your blood, now that he has a name behind the girl's murder." Malik shrugged.
"MALIK!" Marik exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief.
"You should not worry so much," Malik told him, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "You will not be harmed as long as I am with you."
"And what will happen if you are not with me? What will happen then?" Marik demanded.
"I will not be separated from you. Do not worry so. I will dispose of Yami and there will be no way he can harm you. Now, stop fretting and worrying about him. I have seen your nightmares, Marik -I know what you fear- and I will not let him kill you. Not ever." Malik moved over to him on the bed, taking a hold on his arms. His eyes were filled with reassurance, and had lost their animalistic glint for the moment.
Marik, in desperation, threw his arms around Malik's middle, burying his face in his bare chest as he held onto him tightly. No tears came, however; he wouldn't allow himself to cry. "The... only way to save us... is to kill the Pharaoh?" He asked quietly.
Malik nodded, putting one arm around Marik's torso as he ran his other hand trough his hikari's soft, blonde hair. "Yes, Marik. Now do you see why I must do this? There is no turning back now."
Marik nodded slowly. "Yes... I see now. I won't argue with you anymore."
~*~*~
"This is pointless! He's not in any of these!" Jou threw a folded newspaper away from him in disgust, crossing his arms over his chest and looking to the others.
"Yami, we're wasting time. He's not in the newspaper; at least not in a way that we can identify anything to him." Seto's eyes glanced over at a newspaper laying by his side. It had an article about Anzu on the page it was open to. "I understand that you want to find him and avenge Anzu's death, but this isn't helping," Seto told him, massaging the back of Jonouchi's neck lightly to calm him.
Bakura, Ryou, Honda, Shizuka, and even Yugi voiced their agreement. "We've been at this for hours, Yami. He's not in here. I'm sorry, but we'll just have to try something else," Yugi mumbled.
"But what else can we do? You said that almost everything is printed in these things," Yami said desperately.
"Only important things, Yami," Shizuka put in.
"But what else-"
"Hold on a sec!" Jou exclaimed, snatching up a newspaper and scanning it quickly. "Your friend didn't tell us everything, Yami. Look!"
Yami read the paper as it was shoved in his face, eyes widening. "An Egyptian exhibit?!"
"What? She works for the museum? But, she couldn't have been out of her Millennium item that long, could she?" Yugi asked.
"That's not entirely true," Bakura said. "I was released at least a few weeks before Yami was. But, I know that Ishizu doesn't share a body like Yami and I do, so she must have been born into this world and regained her ancient memories after she recovered her Necklace. Or something of that sort," Bakura amended. "I don't really know how it would work for her. But she could have grown up -again- in this time. It's plausible for her to have gotten a job at a museum."
~*~*~
Dragon: Thank you for that obvious-and-not-so-subtle explanation!
Bow: .;;;
~*~*~
"Excuse us, but can you tell us where we can find Ishizu?"
Yugi looked up at the man at the front desk to the museum expectantly, backed by the entire gang who were waiting as well for the man to answer. The man blinked, eyes scanning each of them briefly.
"You mean Miss Ishtar, the woman who organized the Egyptian exhibit?" He asked.
Yugi nodded. "Yes, can you tell us where she is?"
"I dunno, what do you need to see her for?" He asked, eyes narrowing. His hand began to finger the security guard badge on his chest.
"We just need to talk to her," Yugi told him, exasperated.
"She's busy right now," he said.
Yami frowned, stepping up and putting an arm around Yugi's shoulders. "Look. This is important, alright? Can you just tell us where she is? Then we can all get about our business and leave you alone."
The guard thought about this for a moment. "Alright. She's in the back, somewhere in her exhibit. For some reason, she likes to stay in there all day and act like the tour guides, showing off all of the work. She almost acts like she owns all of it or something. Getting some of the real guides angry."
They ignored him and headed for the Egyptian exhibit. To their surprise, there was barely anyone in the museum. They were able to pass to the rear of the building with ease, and were quickly at the entrance to the exhibit.
As the others continued to walk, Yami stopped, as though frozen in place. Yugi turned, as did Bakura. "Yami? Is something wrong?" Yugi asked.
The others turned too.
Yami stared at the pillars on either side of the entrance. They were authentic Egyptian pillars, not replicas used to decorate the walls. On the pillars were hieroglyphs and carvings, and Yami couldn't seem to take his eyes off of them. He didn't answer Yugi, and he walked up to them, raising a hand to touch one of them. His fingers traced the lines of the hieroglyphs before his arms fell limply to his side.
"I've seen these before," Yami said. "But... I can't remember where."
Bakura walked up beside him, staring at the pillars with equal interest. "These pillars... were in your palace, Yami."
Yami turned to him. "My... palace?"
Bakura stared at him blankly. "You were the Pharaoh, Yami. Where did you think you lived?"
"Well..." Yami looked down at the ground. "I don't know. I don't remember anything of my past, you know that as well as I do."
"Yes... but these were in your palace. Maybe you're starting to remember?" Bakura suggested.
Yami closed his eyes, raising a hand to his forehead. "I-I can't... All I know is that these pillars are familiar... That's all."
Yugi looked from Bakura to Yami, a concerned look on his face. "Yami, why don't we just go find Ishizu now?"
Yami tore his eyes from the pillars, turning to Yugi. He nodded. "Okay."
They continued into the exhibit, and were surrounded with stone tablets with carvings on them, golden statues, and other Egyptian wonders unearthed and brought to the museum. Both Yami and Bakura were looking around intently, eyes wide. Ishizu still hadn't been found.
"It's impossible!"
Ryou turned as Bakura cried out. Bakura had his face pressed close to a glass case, and he was smiling. "Ryou, come here and look!"
Ryou stepped up to Bakura's side to look inside the case. A plain ivory dagger was inside. "It's just a dagger, Bakura."
"It's not just a dagger. That's my dagger! Gods... It's so worn. I doubt it could even cut papyrus now," Bakura said with a sad sigh.
"Your dagger? But, how do you know? It's a plain ivory dagger," Ryou replied.
"Look closer. My name is engraved along the edge of the blade," he said, pointing.
Ryou squinted, and he could see some faint hieroglyphics carved in it. "That's your name?"
"In the old script, yes," Bakura replied. "I just wish I could get it out..."
Bakura cut himself off, turning as Ryou's attention was diverted from him. The others were crowded around a series of stone tablets, Yami's hand against the glass of one.
~*~*~
Bow: For plot purposes, I'm taking out the whole Yami dueling Seto thing, seeing as how they are not rivals in this fanfic.
~*~*~
Yami was staring at, well, himself. In the center tablet, was the exact likeness of himself carved in stone. He was sitting on a throne, flanked by what looked like the Dark Magician.
"So, Pharaoh, that would appear to be us."
"I understand why I'm there, Hyoui, despite how strange it is to see yourself on a three-thousand year-old stone, but why are you there?" Yami asked the Dark Magician as he materialized next to him.
"I used to be human once -but that is a story for another day. When I was human, I was one of your priests, Pharaoh. And after I turned into what I am now I remained by your side, despite the fact that you had banished all of the other Duel Monsters to the Shadow Realm, until you were locked away in the Millennium Puzzle," Hyoui told him, purple armor glinting in the dim lights.
"And you never told me? Why?" Yami asked him.
"Because I too suffered from a loss of memory. This room... has some kind of aura that triggers so many memories. But, not any about your past I'm afraid. It seems you will have to figure those out on your own," Hyoui said, arms crossed over his chest as he held his green staff in his right hand.
"Hyoui, you shouldn't be here! Someone might see you!" Yugi hissed, looking scared.
"What, someone like me?"
They turned to see Ishizu standing behind them. She wore a ghost of a smile, eyes fixed upon the Dark Magician. "It's good to see you again, Hyoui."
Hyoui stared at her for a moment, squinting his eyes as though trying to focus both his sight and his fogged memories. "Ishizu?"
She nodded. "It's been a long time."
"Millennia." Hyoui muttered.
"Not so long for me. Well, that's how it felt anyway. I know how long it has been, but it only feels like twenty years to me," Ishizu answered, smile fading. She turned to Yami. "So, you wanted to talk to me about something I presume?"
~*~*~
Bow: And I'll just leave you guys hanging there. Hey! New chapter in less then three days! Go me! Now I just have to get some access to the internet somehow...
Bow: Summer vacation!!! Whoot! And Now I have my computer back!
Dragon: Huzzah! ::blinks:: wait, shouldn't you be working on that new story of yours?
Bow: What? Oh, yea, I've been wanting to work on that, but this I don't have to worry about so much detail on.
Dragon: Slacker.
Bow: ::glares:: Am not.
Dragon: I could mention something about school....
Bow: ::growls:: Don't you dare.
Dragon: ::snickers::
~*~*~
A strangled cry echoed through the night, and Marik rose in bed, slicked with sweat, sheets falling around his waist. His breathing was ragged, and his bare chest rose and fell at a rapid, shallow pace. He pushed a few loose, blonde strands from his lavender eyes, other hand pressed against his ribs as he felt his heart pound in his chest.
"A dream," he breathed, closing his eyes to try and force the haunting image out of his mind -seeing himself, drenched in blood, dying at the feet of the Pharaoh, who was watching him with fiery eyes; watching him die with a blood-covered dagger in his hand.
"It had to have been just a dream," he whispered to himself, palm pressing against his brow as he squeezed his eyes shut, as though the extra pressure would help rid himself of the horrible nightmare. He had to know... he had to know the answer to the question that had been plaguing his every thought, even his dreams now.
"M-Malik..." He murmured, picking up the Millennium Rod up from his bedside table with gentle fingers.
The yami appeared at the end of his bed, sitting with his back to the wall so that Marik could only see his shadowed silhouette. Malik was so astonishingly identical to Marik it took his breath from his lungs. Or was that because Malik was also as completely naked as his counterpart? But, Malik didn't seem to care, and he turned his head to look at his hikari, orange eyes casting a faint glow that lit them internally.
"Yes?" he murmured silkily with a smile that sent a chill up Marik's spine.
"M-Malik-" He began, pulling the sheets tighter around his body to hide his nakedness. He also struggled to keep his eyes fixed on Malik's face, trying to keep them from roving over his other self's bare, chocolate-colored skin.
"It's not my fault you sleep in the nude," Malik put in, as though reading Marik's thoughts.
Marik colored, staring down at his hands that were gripping the sheets tightly. "Malik, there's something that's been bothering me."
Malik, to Marik's surprise, actually showed some concern on his face, though it did not linger for long before it vanished and was replaced with a cool look of composure. "You're worried about the Pharaoh coming after us."
Marik nodded, but he quickly stopped. "You mean after me. Ishizu saw me kill her. You could have at least changed your appearance when you took over my body."
"I suppose so, but we look so alike I doubt it would have mattered."
Marik recoiled in disgust at the lack of emotion in him yami's voice. "Don't you care that the Pharaoh probably wants to kill me because of you?"
"There's no probably. He's out for your blood, now that he has a name behind the girl's murder." Malik shrugged.
"MALIK!" Marik exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief.
"You should not worry so much," Malik told him, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "You will not be harmed as long as I am with you."
"And what will happen if you are not with me? What will happen then?" Marik demanded.
"I will not be separated from you. Do not worry so. I will dispose of Yami and there will be no way he can harm you. Now, stop fretting and worrying about him. I have seen your nightmares, Marik -I know what you fear- and I will not let him kill you. Not ever." Malik moved over to him on the bed, taking a hold on his arms. His eyes were filled with reassurance, and had lost their animalistic glint for the moment.
Marik, in desperation, threw his arms around Malik's middle, burying his face in his bare chest as he held onto him tightly. No tears came, however; he wouldn't allow himself to cry. "The... only way to save us... is to kill the Pharaoh?" He asked quietly.
Malik nodded, putting one arm around Marik's torso as he ran his other hand trough his hikari's soft, blonde hair. "Yes, Marik. Now do you see why I must do this? There is no turning back now."
Marik nodded slowly. "Yes... I see now. I won't argue with you anymore."
~*~*~
"This is pointless! He's not in any of these!" Jou threw a folded newspaper away from him in disgust, crossing his arms over his chest and looking to the others.
"Yami, we're wasting time. He's not in the newspaper; at least not in a way that we can identify anything to him." Seto's eyes glanced over at a newspaper laying by his side. It had an article about Anzu on the page it was open to. "I understand that you want to find him and avenge Anzu's death, but this isn't helping," Seto told him, massaging the back of Jonouchi's neck lightly to calm him.
Bakura, Ryou, Honda, Shizuka, and even Yugi voiced their agreement. "We've been at this for hours, Yami. He's not in here. I'm sorry, but we'll just have to try something else," Yugi mumbled.
"But what else can we do? You said that almost everything is printed in these things," Yami said desperately.
"Only important things, Yami," Shizuka put in.
"But what else-"
"Hold on a sec!" Jou exclaimed, snatching up a newspaper and scanning it quickly. "Your friend didn't tell us everything, Yami. Look!"
Yami read the paper as it was shoved in his face, eyes widening. "An Egyptian exhibit?!"
"What? She works for the museum? But, she couldn't have been out of her Millennium item that long, could she?" Yugi asked.
"That's not entirely true," Bakura said. "I was released at least a few weeks before Yami was. But, I know that Ishizu doesn't share a body like Yami and I do, so she must have been born into this world and regained her ancient memories after she recovered her Necklace. Or something of that sort," Bakura amended. "I don't really know how it would work for her. But she could have grown up -again- in this time. It's plausible for her to have gotten a job at a museum."
~*~*~
Dragon: Thank you for that obvious-and-not-so-subtle explanation!
Bow: .;;;
~*~*~
"Excuse us, but can you tell us where we can find Ishizu?"
Yugi looked up at the man at the front desk to the museum expectantly, backed by the entire gang who were waiting as well for the man to answer. The man blinked, eyes scanning each of them briefly.
"You mean Miss Ishtar, the woman who organized the Egyptian exhibit?" He asked.
Yugi nodded. "Yes, can you tell us where she is?"
"I dunno, what do you need to see her for?" He asked, eyes narrowing. His hand began to finger the security guard badge on his chest.
"We just need to talk to her," Yugi told him, exasperated.
"She's busy right now," he said.
Yami frowned, stepping up and putting an arm around Yugi's shoulders. "Look. This is important, alright? Can you just tell us where she is? Then we can all get about our business and leave you alone."
The guard thought about this for a moment. "Alright. She's in the back, somewhere in her exhibit. For some reason, she likes to stay in there all day and act like the tour guides, showing off all of the work. She almost acts like she owns all of it or something. Getting some of the real guides angry."
They ignored him and headed for the Egyptian exhibit. To their surprise, there was barely anyone in the museum. They were able to pass to the rear of the building with ease, and were quickly at the entrance to the exhibit.
As the others continued to walk, Yami stopped, as though frozen in place. Yugi turned, as did Bakura. "Yami? Is something wrong?" Yugi asked.
The others turned too.
Yami stared at the pillars on either side of the entrance. They were authentic Egyptian pillars, not replicas used to decorate the walls. On the pillars were hieroglyphs and carvings, and Yami couldn't seem to take his eyes off of them. He didn't answer Yugi, and he walked up to them, raising a hand to touch one of them. His fingers traced the lines of the hieroglyphs before his arms fell limply to his side.
"I've seen these before," Yami said. "But... I can't remember where."
Bakura walked up beside him, staring at the pillars with equal interest. "These pillars... were in your palace, Yami."
Yami turned to him. "My... palace?"
Bakura stared at him blankly. "You were the Pharaoh, Yami. Where did you think you lived?"
"Well..." Yami looked down at the ground. "I don't know. I don't remember anything of my past, you know that as well as I do."
"Yes... but these were in your palace. Maybe you're starting to remember?" Bakura suggested.
Yami closed his eyes, raising a hand to his forehead. "I-I can't... All I know is that these pillars are familiar... That's all."
Yugi looked from Bakura to Yami, a concerned look on his face. "Yami, why don't we just go find Ishizu now?"
Yami tore his eyes from the pillars, turning to Yugi. He nodded. "Okay."
They continued into the exhibit, and were surrounded with stone tablets with carvings on them, golden statues, and other Egyptian wonders unearthed and brought to the museum. Both Yami and Bakura were looking around intently, eyes wide. Ishizu still hadn't been found.
"It's impossible!"
Ryou turned as Bakura cried out. Bakura had his face pressed close to a glass case, and he was smiling. "Ryou, come here and look!"
Ryou stepped up to Bakura's side to look inside the case. A plain ivory dagger was inside. "It's just a dagger, Bakura."
"It's not just a dagger. That's my dagger! Gods... It's so worn. I doubt it could even cut papyrus now," Bakura said with a sad sigh.
"Your dagger? But, how do you know? It's a plain ivory dagger," Ryou replied.
"Look closer. My name is engraved along the edge of the blade," he said, pointing.
Ryou squinted, and he could see some faint hieroglyphics carved in it. "That's your name?"
"In the old script, yes," Bakura replied. "I just wish I could get it out..."
Bakura cut himself off, turning as Ryou's attention was diverted from him. The others were crowded around a series of stone tablets, Yami's hand against the glass of one.
~*~*~
Bow: For plot purposes, I'm taking out the whole Yami dueling Seto thing, seeing as how they are not rivals in this fanfic.
~*~*~
Yami was staring at, well, himself. In the center tablet, was the exact likeness of himself carved in stone. He was sitting on a throne, flanked by what looked like the Dark Magician.
"So, Pharaoh, that would appear to be us."
"I understand why I'm there, Hyoui, despite how strange it is to see yourself on a three-thousand year-old stone, but why are you there?" Yami asked the Dark Magician as he materialized next to him.
"I used to be human once -but that is a story for another day. When I was human, I was one of your priests, Pharaoh. And after I turned into what I am now I remained by your side, despite the fact that you had banished all of the other Duel Monsters to the Shadow Realm, until you were locked away in the Millennium Puzzle," Hyoui told him, purple armor glinting in the dim lights.
"And you never told me? Why?" Yami asked him.
"Because I too suffered from a loss of memory. This room... has some kind of aura that triggers so many memories. But, not any about your past I'm afraid. It seems you will have to figure those out on your own," Hyoui said, arms crossed over his chest as he held his green staff in his right hand.
"Hyoui, you shouldn't be here! Someone might see you!" Yugi hissed, looking scared.
"What, someone like me?"
They turned to see Ishizu standing behind them. She wore a ghost of a smile, eyes fixed upon the Dark Magician. "It's good to see you again, Hyoui."
Hyoui stared at her for a moment, squinting his eyes as though trying to focus both his sight and his fogged memories. "Ishizu?"
She nodded. "It's been a long time."
"Millennia." Hyoui muttered.
"Not so long for me. Well, that's how it felt anyway. I know how long it has been, but it only feels like twenty years to me," Ishizu answered, smile fading. She turned to Yami. "So, you wanted to talk to me about something I presume?"
~*~*~
Bow: And I'll just leave you guys hanging there. Hey! New chapter in less then three days! Go me! Now I just have to get some access to the internet somehow...