Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and references belong to their respective owners. The song Call Your Name belongs to Ma'aya Sakamoto and the company that recorded it and was used in this story with the best of intentions. Story elements © Hideki LaShae. No money was gained in the writing of this story.

WARNING: This story contains sensitive cultural practices and references that might offend some readers. The views and opinions of the cultures which condone these practices are not shared by this author, but they are included in this story for awareness purposes only.

Time to Duel, Mariko!

By

Hideki LaShae

Chapter Nineteen

A Gift For Love

Marie looks at Sa-Ra. "Are you ready?"

Sa-Ra tilts her head down in a single nod.

Marie places her left hand on the Millennium Ring and reaches out her right hand towards Sa-Ra. "You touch the Puzzle, Sa-Ra, and give me your hand."

Sa-Ra places her left hand on Marie's palm, sending a shiver through the girl's spine at the sudden wind chill. She touches the Millennium Puzzle around Yami's neck.

"Say the words together this time?" whispers the wind.

"Yes," says Marie, "On three… T-bird, Stingray, give us a count please."

"One… two… three," say Serenity and Téa together.

"Ahm kum Ra. Ahm kum Dei," says Marie along with the wind, "Ahm kum… Osiris… Ahm kum… Isis. Ahm kum… Sa-Ra. Ahm kum… Marie… Ahm kum… Bakura."

"Ahm kum… Tomb Robber Bakura," says Marie, "Tomb Robber Bakura."

"Efday… Ahm… Shokrun," says the wind quietly with Marie, "Ahm kum… Ra… Ahm kum… Anubis. Tomb Robber Bakura… Tomb Robber Bakura… Tomb Robber Bakura…"

You are me
I am you…

"Bakura… Bakura," says Ryou starting to chant with Marie and the wind, "Bakura… Bakura… Bakura… Bakura… Bakura…"

Sa-Ra's right hand starts to glow as it rests against the Millennium Puzzle.

"Come, Tomb Robber," whispers Marie watching Sa-Ra's hand glow, "Come back… Come back… Come back!" She clamps her eyes closed and begins to hum an ancient yet vaguely familiar song.

"Tomb Robber Bakura," whispers the wind.

Marie's hand clenches tighter on the windy fingers of Sa-Ra as her right hand starts to glow. Her deep violet and golden light merges with the soft lavender light that begins to glow from Sa-Ra's left hand.

"Bakura," whispers Ryou. He watches in awe as Marie's left hand grips the Millennium Ring tighter and a faint golden light emerges from her skin and the Ring.

Sa-Ra's lavender glow passes across her body and surrounds Marie. She releases both her grip on the Millennium Puzzle and Marie's hand.

Marie throws her head back as the new light encompasses her making her glow bright as the moon. She keens at the sensation coursing through her body, but she refuses to release the Millennium Ring.

"Marie!" exclaims Seto with widening eyes.

Marie forces her head back up.

Ryou's chocolate brown eyes meet Marie's purple, and they share a deep, longing gaze. Somehow they both know what they need to do at this moment. "Bakura, return… Bakura… return… Bakura… return… Bakura, return…"

Seto steps closer.

Marie forcefully places her right hand on Ryou's chest. Her thumb crosses over the Millennium Ring, while the rest of her hand rests over his pounding heart. She starts shaking. "He isn't coming back!"

"What do I do?" whispers the wind.

"Nothing… it's all on Ryou now," whispers Marie, "Tell him you love him, and he'll come back for you…"

Ryou nods. "Bakura… come back… aishiteru… Aishiteru, Bakura! I'm in love with you!"

The glow around Marie drains away from her, being sucked into the Millennium Ring with a speed and force great enough to throw her back onto the floor.

Seto quickly pulls Marie into his arms. "Are you okay?"

"I am," says Marie leaning against Seto.

"Is he back?" asks Yami glaring at Ryou.

Ryou blushes and turns his head away.

The Millennium Ring around Ryou's neck flashes with a bright light.

"Get away from my light!" exclaims Bakura appearing beside Ryou and glaring at Yami. He looks very much like Ryou, except his hair sticks up more in its disheveled state and his brown eyes are slightly darker than Ryou's… more like burnt chocolate with the fire still raging around it. The main difference between him and Ryou, however, lies in the fact that he is merely a spirit and looks slightly transparent.

I want to protect someone sweet
I want to hinder my weaker self
A way of saying "farewell"
Which I've never done before…

"Bakura!" exclaims Ryou throwing himself into his darker image's arms, "I've missed you, Bakura!"

"Weakling, Hikari!" exclaims Bakura glaring at the slightly shorter boy attached to his chest, but he doesn't push Ryou away.

'Yami? How can they do that? How can they be separate and still able to touch?' asks Yugi, 'When we separate like they have, no one else can even see you! And we can't touch like that! Why can't we?'

"How can you appear like that?" asks Yami, "Your… your light can touch you! How do you do it?"

Bakura laughs as he ruffles Ryou's hair. "Oh, has the poor Pharaoh grown stupid with age? You should know exactly how I did this! You were the one who taught this technique to me five thousand years ago! Baka!"

'Yugi, my understanding of the Japanese language is limited… what does baka mean?' asks Yami.

'It means you're a fool,' thinks Yugi, 'I don't think you're a baka. You aren't a fool, Yami.'

"How dare you call me a fool!" exclaims Yami angrily.

Bakura chuckles.

"Bakura! Please… don't fight with him!" exclaims Ryou looking at Bakura with a pleading puppy-dog look.

You who looked at the sea
And suddenly got aggressive and shouted.
You who believes in an unseen promise
And single-mindedly continues on your journey.
You who grumbles you have bad luck
You who worries that something's wrong…

"I love you, Bakura. Please, don't fight with my friend!" exclaims Ryou.

"I must have been cursed to get you as a Hikari," mumbles Bakura.

Ryou giggles and pulls Bakura closer to him. "Don't act like you don't like me."

Bakura pushes Ryou away and onto the bed.

"Is something wrong?" Ryou's eyes widen.

"Baka Pharaoh!" exclaims Bakura glaring at Yami.

"You were a Tomb Robber? When did we meet? When did I teach you how to do that?" asks Yami glaring at Bakura.

Bakura scoffs. "You don't remember me at all do you, baka?"

"I remember very little of my past in Egypt," says Yami honestly.

"I'll teach you what I know in exchange for the Millennium Puzzle!" exclaims Bakura with an evil smile.

"Never!" exclaims Yami.

Bakura shrugs.

The Millennium Scale appears in Marie's arms and the eye symbol on it flashes brightly.

Mariko appears in front of Marie, standing tall and proud. His piercing black eyes bore holes in Bakura. He's taller than Marie, even a little taller than Yami, but only by an inch or so. His wild blond hair falls wildly around his shoulders with the black streaks highlighting a few sections that stand nearly upright. He wears black pants, the only clothing adorning his body. He appears just as solid as Bakura, and the scars on his back and chest appear even more prominent than they do when Marie sees him in her mind.

"Mariko!" exclaims Marie before fainting.

Seto holds Marie close and doesn't even bother to try to wake her. He smiles and kisses her forehead.

Yami looks at Mariko.

"This isn't as difficult as you make it out to be, Yami," says Mariko, "I could study the technique just from watching it through Marie's eyes! And I'm a lousy studier!" He moves up to Yami and whispers a few words in his ear.

Bakura scoffs again and crawls into the bed with Ryou. "Arguing with that baka exhausts me!"

Ryou smiles and cuddles up to Bakura, resting his head on the other's chest. He yawns cutely.

You are me
I am you
When you've been pondering what's going to happen from here
And have fallen asleep before you even noticed
When what you thought wouldn't break
Has broken all too soon…

Bakura wraps his arms around Ryou, and he whispers into his light's ear, "I love you too, Ryou."

All Ryou does is sigh lightly in his sleep.

Yami returns to his soul room, leaving Yugi in control of their joint body, but with a flash of the Millennium Puzzle, he appears again to stand beside Yugi, looking just as solid as the other two spirits in the room.

Yugi takes Yami's hand. He smiles. "You're warm…"

Yami smiles at Yugi. "So are you…"

Yugi quickly hugs Yami.

You are me
I am you…

Téa looks away from the two similar boys. She can't bear to watch them hugging.

Serenity notices Téa's reaction and moves to pull her into an embrace.

"Wow!" exclaims Joey. He walks over to Mai's bed and sits down on the edge of it. He discreetly takes her hand in his own and squeezes it.

"I think Marie needs to rest a little before she tries to revive anyone else," says Mokuba looking at his brother and soon-to-be sister on the floor together.

Joey sighs as he squeezes Mai's hand. He nods. "Yeah… maybe a nap would do her some good. We don't want her to do too much and hurt herself just for the sake of helping us."

"In the meantime," says Ishizu, "We should probably get something to eat."

Marie slowly opens her eyes. "Where…?"

Everyone looks at Marie.

Marie pushes herself up to her feet and stumbles towards the bed where Odion rests.

"Marie! You don't have to do this now! You can rest a while," says Tristan.

Marie shakes her head. "No! Sa-Ra's power won't stay bound here for very long, and I don't know if I'll have the strength to re-summon her for a long while after she leaves! I have to do this now while I have the power to do it!"

"Marie! Don't hurt yourself!" exclaims Mokuba.

"I'm fine!" exclaims Marie sitting on the edge of Odion's bed, "I'm just not accustomed to the feeling of having Mariko not in my head. Don't worry, Mokie! Nothing will happen to me!"