Malik was staying in a motel on the outskirts of Domino. It wasn't in disrepair, but then it wasn't exactly nice either. He'd contacted Rishid by cell phone about three days ago. However he hadn't mentioned where he was staying. All he said was that he needed time to think.
Of course what Malik meant when he said 'think' was that whenever Mariku came into his thoughts he would concentrate on almost anything to put the Darkness out of his mind. Wondering how long he could stay before the motel managers finally kicked him out, the Egyptian gazed through the open window. He closed his eyes and smiled softly as sunlight caressed his face. It felt amazing, letting the orb's glowing tendrils warm his skin and hair. Even Mariku had admitted... Damn it! He would not think of his yami! He wouldn't!
Instead, Malik forced his thoughts towards his sister. Though Rishid had no doubt relayed his message, Ishizu would still be worried sick. She would also be very pissed off. The blonde felt guilty. He had already caused them so much pain, and now, because he was too weak to confront his darker half and the foreign emotions that came with doing so, he was putting yet more stress on Rishid and Ishizu's shoulders.
"I hate this." Fisting his hair, Malik groaned in fustration. "Why did it have to be me?"
A sudden sensation in the back of his mind caused the boy to quickly forget his selfpity. It was his mindlink. Though he had closed it, Malik could feel his other half trying to break through. Mariku wasn't saying anything specific. The Darkness was simply reaching out, almost desperately. 'He wants to know where I am.' For a moment the hikari thought of giving in. His yami's emotions were just so frantic, but then he remembered how Marik had grasped at Bakura's throat, how he'd pressed him up against the wall in a gesture of tainted lust. /Get the hell out of my mind, Marik!/ The teen closed his link so fast he could have sworn an audible snap filled the air.
Great. Now he had a headache. Fumbling to his feet, Malik made his way over to the bathroom where he had a bottle of asprin. He downed three, chewing each tablet to make them work faster. The taste didn't really bother him. After all, so much of the teen's life was already very bitter.
"Bakura! Are you almost ready?" Ryou waited in the living room, tapping his foot impatiently. "Come on! I'd like to get to Ishizu's apartment today if you don't mind!"
"Shove it, yadunoshi! I'm coming!" Stomping down the stairs, the Thief King sent his hikari an irritated glare. It had only been three days, but his physical condition had vastly improved. The bandages on his chest and face were gone now, leaving behind nothing but scars. Ryou's heart clenched every time he looked at the phantom wounds. A part of him felt almost guilty for having the spirit sent back to the Shadow Realm in the first place. Bakura however didn't seem to mind the markings. They proved that he was strong, that he had been through hell and darkness and for the most part made it out intact.
Ryou'se breath caught in his throat. Now that he was mostly healed, Bakura had taken on a new wardrobe. Black leather had replaced sweatpants, and instead of a t-shirt, he was wearing a rather form-fitting, red sweater. However these thoughts vanished just as quickly as they came. The Brit slapped himself mentally. How could he think of something so trivial as his yami's clothing at a time like this? In fact, the whole reason they were going over to the Ishtar apartment was to try and figure out where Malik had run off to. "Let's go, Kura. Everyone else is probably there by now."
One car ride and several insincere insults later, the pair managed to find their way into Ishizu's kitchen. Yami and Yugi were there, as were Dr. Katsume, the rest of Yugi's friends, and, surprisingly enough, Seto. They were sitting around the table with Ishizu and Rishid. Marik was nowhere to be seen. "Hey, sorry we're late," Ryou murmured quietly before taking a seat between Anzu and Jounouchi.
"Don't worry about it, Ryou." We were simply discussing Malik's whereabouts."
Bakura, who chose to remain standing, scowled darkly at the Pharaoh when he said this. "And just what makes you thinkyou of all people will be able to find him?"
Yami rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Well perhaps you could, seeing as you were present when the whole fight between Ishtar and his darkness took place."
"What I witnessed is none of you damn business"
"Bakura! Yami! Maybe if you would stop fighting for one blasted second we could all think clearly and actually get somewhere!" Both spirits fell silent under Ryou's tirade. The Brit's outbursts were becoming more and more frequent, but this wasn't necissarily a bad thing.They proved that Ryou Bakura had a backbone after all.
"He's right." Ishizu smiled halfheartedly. "The sooner we cooperate the sooner we can find my brother."
Bakura shook his head. "It won't be that easy. We all know how stubborn Malik is. Even if we do find him, do you really expect him to come home just like that?"
The egyptian woman sighed. "I guess not."
"Well we can't just wait for him to come back." Everyone turned in Dr. Katsume's direction. "I mean if it were just about Malik throwing a fit I can understand leaving him to cool off, but I'm afraid his absence is affecting Mariku's health. Physically he's getting better, but the fact that he will only sleep during the day and barely acknowledges anyone's presence is deeply troubling."
"Ya know I still dunno why we're helpin' dat freak! He's been nothin' but trouble from day one!"
Katsume glared at Jounouchi. "You know, I rather resent you talking about my patient like that. From what I've gathered, not everyone has had a very pleasant past with Marik, but you could at least treat him like he's human!"
"But he ain't! Listen lady, ya don't even know da half o..."
"Katsuya please." Anzu held up her hand to silence the boy. "I know he's not exactly the nicest person. Okay, so he's not exactly nice at all. It doesn't matter though. Mariku needs our help, and though we may not want to give it, its the right thing to do."
"Anzu's got a point. Its about time we put aside the past."
Everyone nodded. Both Anzu and Yugi were right. Things were so screwed up, and holding on to bitterness wouldn't solve anything. Yami also knew this to be true, but deep down he couldn't let go of his anger. After all they'd done, why should Marik and Bakura be allowed happiness when he was still alone?
"Well I guess we should probably start our search in Mariku's room. I mean, he of all people should know what's going on."
Seto glanced over at Ryou. "Sadly enough, that's the smartest thing I've heard from you people all day. Let's go."
It felt like some kind of interrogation, everyone filing silently into the Darkness' room. No one knew what to do exactly. Jou crossed his arms. Anzu, Honda, and Otogi just tried to look small. Even Yami felt a bit out of place. He'd come in prepared to hound Mariku with questions until he finally opened his mouth, but then he'd also expected Mariku to be awake when he got there. Instead the blonde was lying stationary on the bed, arms at sides, body perfectly still.
Seeing that no one else was about to move any time soon, Bakura strode softly over to the bed. "Marik..." Shaking the younger spirit by the shoulders, he mentally willed him to wake. Carefully those amethyst eyes began to open but turned very cold when they recognized the Thief King. Sitting up, Mariku shoved him away. His gaze traveled slowly around the room, examining each face with equal scrutiny. It must be kind of unnerving, Ryou thought, to wake up surrounded by rivals.
Ishizu stepped forward. "We have come to ask you about my brother."
"We discussed this before." The Darkness' deep voice seemed to crack painfully with each word.
"Yes. You mentioned that he might return, but couldn't you contact Malik through your mindlink to find out where he's hiding?"
Mariku regarded the woman for a long time before he finally nodded. "Fine, but he won't answer. I guarantee it." The spirit closed his eyes, and for a moment the sennen eye on his forehead glowed vividly in the dimly lit room. After about a minute he opened his eyes. "I told you."
Ishizu's own gaze lowered. "I see."
The silence that probably would have followed was disrupted by a very confused Katsume. "Glowing eyes, mindlinks...my God what iswrong with you people?"
Seto rolled his eyes. "Don't ask. Its just a bunch of bullshit."
"Wha da ya mean ya can't find him? He's yeh hikari for God's sake!"
"He shut me out." Mariku glared at the obnoxious blonde. Didn't they understand? He was the last person Malik wanted to talk to at that moment.
"How can you be so uncaring?" Honda clenched his fists angrily. "Its your fault he's gone, and you won't even make a real effort to find him!"
"Idiot! You know nothing!" Stepping forward, Bakura lashed out. His blow sent the teen flying backwards into Otogi, but before the spirit could advance Ryou stopped him.
"Kura! No! This isn't helping!" Literally dragging the Thief King back, the Brit stared at everyone in the room. "I think you should all leave now. Nothing will be accomplished with so many people around."
Dr. Katsume nodded. "Excellent idea, Ryou. Okay kids, let's go."
It didn't take much for most of them to leave, surprisingly enough. As much as the Yugi-tachi wanted to find Malik, having to talk to his yami civilly was kind ofcreepy. That and it wasn't really their place anyway. Honda, Anzu, and Otogi allowed themselves to be ushered out by the over-zealous physician. Kaiba and Yugi, also sensing that their presence was not required, trailed along behind. Soon only Bakura, Ryou, Yami, and the Ishtars remained. The Thief glared pointedly at Yami. "Shouldn't you run along with your aibou and his pathetic friends?"
Ignoring Bakura, the Pharaoh walked up to the bed. He gazed down disdainfully at Marik. "Listen here, I'm sick of your games. Either tellme where you've chased Malik off to or I'll make you tell me!"
...make you love me...
An uncertain twinge of fear flickered in the Darkness' stomach, but it was viciously beaten down. No matter how sorry his life became, he would never submit to the Pharaoh. "Are you really that stupid? You of all people should have sensed the Shadow Magic I used to call out to Malik."
"I sensed Shadow Magic true enough, but it doesn't mean you were actually trying to find him!"
Mariku was exhausted. He was tired of Yami's voice and Bakura's almost apologetic actions. The sooner they left the sooner he could find an end. "When I reached out to my hikari's mind he told me to leave. You should be happy that I finally honored one of his requests."
"I will never be happy with anything you do, Marik!" By now Yami was fuming. "You are a parasite! The mere fact of your existence defies all normality!"
"Yami!"
"My Pharaoh!"
"Bastard!"
All eyes were on the former god-king. Part of what he said was true, but to just come out and say it... well it seemed so cruel. Even Yami himself looked a bit shocked. The only person in the room who didn't seem affected, in fact, was Mariku. The expression on his face wasn't bored exactly, just kind of empty. He took the Pharaoh's words with a cold indifference. "Anything else you'd like to tell me before you go?"
"I..." For maybe the second time in his life, Yami was out of words. He had no reply for this. The eerie calm on the face of the younger spirit was worse than madness. He would have prefered the psychotic, raving Marik to the new, apathetic one any day. Without another word the Pharaoh left. Bakura had been right. For once he had no business being here.
"Alright." Ignoring the looks of disbelief on Rishid, Ishizu, and his yami's face, Ryou addressed the Darkness. "What do you suggest we do, Mariku. You know as well as the rest of us that we can't just let Malik run off like that."
The blonde sighed heavily. What would it take for these people to leave him alone? He was tired, so, so tired, and night was coming soon. Mariku couldn't sleep in the dark. He was too afraid that he might wake to find the Priestess looming in the shadows, blood-red eyes reading every fear that marred his soul. Tired...falling asleep, but they were still staring at him! He had to answer.
"By the end of the week my hikari will return."
"Are you sure?" Rishid raised a skeptical eyebrow. "How do you know this."
Ishizu looked equally unconvinced. "Did he...tell you?"
"No. Just trust me."
"I see." Drawing herself to full height, the woman glared down at the spirit. "The Pharaoh is right. This is nothing but a game to you, Yami Marik! It sickens me that after all we did for you you've still got the nerve to mess with our lives!"
"I just don't understand. It would be so much easier if you just told us where he was."
Ryou's voice was incredibly imploring, but it fell upon deaf ears. Mariku didn't respond. Maybe if he was quiet they would finally go away. He was sick of the questions, sick of the pain and the guilt and those hateful, accusing eyes. If only the spirit wasn't so tired! Then perhaps he would be able to deal with them. However that was not the case. At that moment he felt he could have slept forever.
Unable to take it any longer, Ishizu stormed out. Rishid quickly followed, and Ryou reluctantly brought up the rear. The Brit stopped in the doorway to wait for Bakura. It seemed the spirit was making a final attempt to talk with Mariku.
"Listen Ishtar, I..."
"Cant' you take a hint?" The blonde's voice was dripping with ill-supressed rage. "Get. Out."
The Thief grasped Marik by the shoulders and spun him around to face him. "You jackass! I'm trying to make you understand!"
"You can no longer MAKE me do anything. Besides, I understand everything perfectly. Your motives couldn't be more clear if you wrote them out for me."
"Motives?" Was it Ryou's imagination or did Bakura actually look hurt? "I never had any motives, Marik, not with you. Just give me a chance! I'll prove it!"
Another swell of weariness took the Darkness, and he leaned back into the pillows as far as possible without actually collapsing. "I'm sorry, Bakura. I'm sorry that I can never love you the way you want me to."
"Why? Do you love Malik?"
"And what if I did? Would you despise me?" His voice was softer than the Thief had ever heard.
"No." Bakura closed his eyes. "I could never despise you."
Mariku offered a quivery little smile that very few had ever seen. "Nor I you. Please believe me when I say that I want you to be happy."
The Thief King met the Darkness' gaze and suddenly began to understand what Ryou had meant when he talked about there being more than one kind of love. "Yes, I know." This said, he got up to go. "I'd better leave. Ryouis waiting for me."
Mariku nodded and watched him go. He wished he could love Bakura in the way the Thief desired, but he knew that pretending he wanted to be withhim would only end in more pain. Despite his own heartless tendancies, Marik pitied Bakura. With all his talk of being the darkness and not needing companionship, the Thief King sure was taking this hard. The blonde remembered how, when he had rejected Bakura the first time, he had looked as if someone had gouged his heart out. After five thousand years of supressing his emotions, it must feel horrible to be denied after finally admitting them to someone.
"Damnit," Mariku muttered. Why did he always end up hurting people? Not just Bakura, but Malik as well. He remembered with stark clarity the tone of hatred andrevulsion in his hikari's words.
"What are you doing? You stupid, crazy, DISGUSTING bastard! What the FUCK are you doing?"
If only Malik really knew. If only he could see Mariku, not as the monster he was, but as the person he desperately wished he could be. But it was too late now. The Darkness had destroyed any chances he had of gaining his hikari's love when hethrew Bakura up against that wall. Raping the Thief had been the farthest thing from his mind at that moment. Marik had only been trying to protect himself, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was what Malik saw, and when he looked at Marik,all he saw was the monster.
Gazing forlornly out the window, the Darkness wondered what had made him fall in love with his lighter half in the first place. It wasn't like they had gotten along at all before. Still, he remembered when they'd rescued him from the Priestess, how he had awoke to the sensation of soft hands caressing his face and a pair of beautiful violet-colored eyes. He remembered the wonderful feeling as Malik stolen his soul away from the shadows and allowed it to finally become emersed in light. Most of all he remembered Malik's promise, his promise that no matter what, Mariku would never be returned to the Shadow Realm.
But things were different now. After that stint with Bakura, Malik would like nothing better than to see his yami banished into darkness, and could he really beblamed for this? Mariku ran a shaky hand through his hair. Everything he had done in his life, whether intentionally or otherwise, had ended in heartbreak for those around him. He couldn't live with it. Malik and Bakura didn't deserve the pain he'd caused them. Hell, even the Yugi-tachi had dealt with his shit long enough. It was time to end this, and he would, in the only way he knew how.
-TOT (Ack! This is by far my least favorite chapter! So sorry for the horrible update time. I don't know what went wrong with this. I rewrote everything over and over, and it still didn't come out right. I just feel like I'm losing touch with the original plotline as well as the characters' original personalities, but this fic is almost done, and I will do my best to make the last few chapter worth your while. I'm afraid some people won't like the pairings this story ends in, but please don't be mad! I'm already planning another fic with the same characters but different pairings to make it up to you.)