Tornshipping (Yami no Bakura x Ryo x Marik)

It felt as though something hung in the air, low and thick, but invisible. It could easily be as bad as smog, as neutral as mist, or as good as a nostalgic scent. Maybe Marik was only imagining it. After all, he was a little over excited, having heard from Ishizu that the pharaoh was finally coming to Egypt. It was probably just the excitement that created the mood.

But that fragile hope shattered the moment he saw Ryo Bakura walking down the street.

He didn't think: he just leapt up from his desk, ran down the hall and out the door, without a word to Ishizu and Rishid. They weren't paying attention anyway, he was sure.

"Bakura!" he called. "Bakura, is that you? What are you doing here?"

The white haired boy paused, looking a bit dizzy. He turned around to face Marik. There were deep circles under his dull green eyes, which suddenly sparked when he saw Marik.

"Marik?" he said cautiously. "Is that you?"

"The one and only," Marik said, coming to a stop in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

The boy's green eyes slid off of Marik's gaze, and Marik suddenly regretted calling out to him. He thought ruefully that the only real contact he had ever had with this half of Bakura was when he was pretending to protect him. When he had brainwashed him into believing they were friends. Bakura must have been thinking the same thing, because an awkward silence followed.

"I...I haven't talked to anyone from Domino in a really long time, that's all," Marik said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was really surprised to see you."

"Yeah..." Bakura said. "I...Marik...where exactly...am I?"

"Huh? You're in Luxor."

"Luxor?" Bakura said, looking confused.

Marik's brow furrowed.

"Yeah. Luxor. As in Luxor, Egypt, right across the Nile from the Valley of the Kings. Bakura, I thought you were into archeology. Don't you know where Luxor is? And anyway, how do you know know where you are? You had fly in here, right? That's not something you do without knowing about it."

As Marik continued to talk, Bakura's eyes got wider and wider. Marik's voice trailed off. He chewed on the inside of his cheek for a minute, and when Bakura's expression quickly changed into one of horror, he couldn't hold back his question.

"Bakura...are you...okay?"

"No," Bakura said hoarsely. "No, not at all. How – how could I have let him control for so long...?"

Then pain flashed across his face, and he collapsed, eyes wide and terrified. Marik tensed, dropping down next to him.

"Bakura! Bakura! Ryo! What's happening – are you okay?"

Bakura grabbed at his arm.

"Marik, he's trying to take control – I can't stop him – please, help me –"

Then green eyes turned to purple, and in a blur of motion, Marik found himself on the ground, iron fingers digging into his neck.

"Well, well, well, Marik Ishtar. I don't know what you were thinking, coming straight to me. Thought I had forgotten that you went back on your word, leaving me in the shadows, hm?"

Marik choked, legs spasming. His vision was already blurring, and he pushed blindly against the weight on top of him. Already he could feel the feeling in his fingers going as he clawed for a weak spot –

Then Bakura vanished, and he lay paralyzed on the ground for a moment, gasping greedily for air.

"Marik, I can't hold him back – you have to get out of –"

By the time Marik had recovered enough to roll to his knees, green had flashed to purple again, and this time, he caught the deadly glint of a knife whizzing towards him. He fell out of the way and Bakura's strike went wide. Marik scrambled to his feet and nearly fell over again, still unsteady.

The dark spirit still loomed above him, menacing with his long black coat and deadly purple eyes.

"You can't get away, little traitor," Yami no Bakura said, his voice low and dangerous. "I won't stop until my knife is growing from your heart."

Then the blade shot towards him again in a deadly downwards cut. Almost unconsciously, Marik jerked his arm upwards, as though to deflect the blow. His luck held – the blade glanced off Marik's gold bracelets, sending sparks into the air.

Sorry, Bakura, Marik thought.

And in the moment he had gained, he drove his fist into Bakura's stomach. The ancient spirit's eyes bulged with surprise, and he dropped to his knees, gasping.

Purple eyes flickered back into green, and cautiously, Marik knelt down next to Bakura.

"Sorry about that," he said.

"That's – fine," Ryo gasped. "It – knocked – control – back – to me."

Marik held out a hand, and after a moment of regaining his breath, Ryo took it, letting Marik help him back to his feet.

"I'm so sorry," Ryo said, avoiding his gaze. "I...I should go. Before he gets control again."

"I understand," Marik said. He did, of course. Ryo wasn't the only one who had been possessed by an evil spirit, after all, and both of them knew it.

Ryo turned jerkily and started to walk away at a fast, determined pace. Marik swallowed, feeling horrible. Was there nothing he could do to help Ryo? Marik still had nightmares about his loss of control to Yami no Marik. He had defeated his dark half for good, though. Ryo would struggle with himself for control for who knows how long.

Marik swallowed again.

"Ryo!" he said.

Ryo paused, glancing back over his shoulder.

"I...I should have said this a long time ago: I'm sorry, for using you in Battle City," Marik said. He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding Ryo's gaze. "I know, my words probably aren't worth much, but I want you to know. And even if Yami no Bakura tries to kill me...I want you to know...that I will be here for you. I know...I know what it's like."

He didn't meet Ryo's gaze, and Ryo didn't answer him. He only nodded, softly.

But as Ryo hurried away, Marik could feel it: the entwined thread of Yami no Bakura's hatred and Ryo's gratitude.

He hoped he could meet Ryo again, someday.

A/N: This turned more into Angstshipping, really. I apologize, it's the only Yu-Gi-Oh yaoi pairing that I actually support, and it likes to sneak its way into a lot of stuff. X3 But whatever. Next up: Toonshipping (Pegasus x Kaiba). Ugh...for the love of Madoka...