Rogueshipping (Yami no Bakura x Marik x Thief King Bakura)

(I missed this one. Popping it back into place.)


Yes, it was the height that did it. Most certainly – although the added benefit of being hidden by the leaves didn't hurt either. He could get used to a view like this. Well, of course, it was his view to take. All of them were. In a matter of time, everything would be his.

For now, he would enjoy the view of the city from here.

Yami no Bakura sat in the uppermost branches of a tree. People were passing through the park, threads of laughter and soft, faraway voices drifting up to him. Completely unaware of the dangerous beast that lurked just above them. Yami no Bakura smiled slightly, fingering the hilt of a knife within his jacket. So easy. It would be so easy to drop down on an unsuspecting, pathetic human, and rob them of their life. They never looked up. Even if they had, he was completely concealed from the view below – he had made sure of that. So easy.

But not today. He did not want to attract attention today. He turned his attention to the space between the leaves, through which he could see the whole of the park. He could already see the Duel Disk bearers gathering in various places. So predictable, humans. They would always drift towards the large, public areas, especially when looking for a fight. All Yami no Bakura had to do was wait, watch, and pick out a target...a weak one that he could follow through the darkness and take treasures from...namely locator cards.

What was the fun in playing a game for them, anyways? There was much more thrill in stealing. He had to thank the Thief King part of him for that.

Yami no Bakura was patient. He had been patient for three thousand years. It was the anticipation that he adored.

What he was not, however, was laid-back.

So he wasn't pleased when he heard a voice below him. Talking to him.

"Bakura. I know you're up there. Come here."

Bakura stiffened first. Then he tensed, flexing his fingers, wondering if it would be more trouble than it was worth to drop down and kill little Marik Ishtar.

Yes, he decided. He didn't need to make anyone scream. And he couldn't take the Millennium Rod without winning it or receiving it from a consenting individual. A bothersome rule, really. He personally thought that killing someone and taking their treasures was the same thing as winning them.

Bakura slid from the tree like a shadow, and landed lightly like a cat. Marik Ishtar was waiting, arms folded, one eyebrow raised.

"How can I be of service?" Bakura asked, mock bowing with an unnecessary flourish.

"I don't have time for that sort of game," Marik said, violet eyes narrowing. "Why did you vanish?"

Bakura shrugged.

"It looked like you had things under control. My poor host was supposed to be in a hospital. Dreadfully boring. I left."

Marik's fingers tightened on his own arms, a barely perceptible motion.

"Your 'friends' are worried," he said smoothly. "I think they might be getting suspicious of you. That won't end well for me."

"Suspicion never ended well for anyone," Bakura said. "I fail to see how that's my problem. After all, little Yugi and his pharaoh friend already know I exist."

"But they don't know that you're at large," Marik insisted. "If they find out you're in control, it will be simple enough for them to connect the dots and find that I'm not who I say I am."

"My, my, does your entire mummery depend on me?" Bakura said, feigning shock. "I had no idea I was so very important."

Marik's lips tightened, but he bit back whatever retort he was about to make. This was too much fun. The teenager was so close to cracking, it barely took anything for Bakura to needle him. Bakura wondered what might happen if he pushed a little too hard...but decided not to push it now.

"What were you doing?" Marik asked, a forced politeness in his tone.

Bakura shrugged.

"Looking for potential targets," he said. "I'm a little low on locator cards, in case you hadn't noticed."

Marik was quicker on the uptake than Bakura had expected.

"You were going to steal them?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "That's not how a tournament works – those aren't the rules."

"It's not a Shadow Game yet," Bakura said with a laugh.

Marik really tensed up now.

"I won't tolerate petty theft," he said.

"Are you my mummy, now?"

Marik's fists clenched, and then he pulled the Millennium Rod out from his belt. In response, Bakura lifted the Millennium Ring from under his shirt.

"Those tricks won't work on me, Marik," he said softly. He caught a quick glimmer of motion which he interpreted easily. "And don't even think about using the Rod's knife."

"I wasn't," Marik said, although from the tone of voice Bakura knew that he had been about to threaten.

Bakura tucked the Ring under his shirt.

"Very well. I will win the locator cards, if that's what you're so worried about. I will meet you again when I've completed the set."

He started to turn around. And then in a flash, he whipped back towards Marik, ducked under the unsheathed knife, and came up behind Marik, his own knife to the Egyptian boy's throat. He hovered there for half a second, and then drew away. Marik glared at him.

"I was merely testing you," he said, sliding the knife back into the Rod.

"Marik, if you remember one thing," Yami no Bakura said. "Never test a real thief."

And for a split second, he pushed the dark memories of the human part of his soul into Marik's mind. Marik's eyes widened as he glimpsed in front of him an Egyptian man with white hair and violet eyes, a violent scar on one cheek, clad in a rich red robe. He took a quick step back, eyes wary as the images withdrew. Yami no Bakura wondered for a brief moment which of the Thief King's memories Marik had seen. Then he decided it didn't matter. Marik had backed off from trying to play king around him – for now.

"You're so close to being a real rogue, Marik," he said. "But you're not a thief yet."

And he turned around with a flick of his long dark coat, and walked away.


A/N: I don't even know. Thief King didn't really show up. Wasn't sure how to work this canonically. Oh well. Next is Rivetshipping (Keith x Pegasus x Rishid).

Rogueshipping (Yami no Bakura x Thief King Bakura x Marik)

(I missed this one. Popping it back into place.)

Yes, it was the height that did it. Most certainly – although the added benefit of being hidden by the leaves didn't hurt either. He could get used to a view like this. Well, of course, it was his view to take. All of them were. In a matter of time, everything would be his.

For now, he would enjoy the view of the city from here.

Yami no Bakura sat in the uppermost branches of a tree. People were passing through the park, threads of laughter and soft, faraway voices drifting up to him. Completely unaware of the dangerous beast that lurked just above them. Yami no Bakura smiled slightly, fingering the hilt of a knife within his jacket. So easy. It would be so easy to drop down on an unsuspecting, pathetic human, and rob them of their life. They never looked up. Even if they had, he was completely concealed from the view below – he had made sure of that. So easy.

But not today. He did not want to attract attention today. He turned his attention to the space between the leaves, through which he could see the whole of the park. He could already see the Duel Disk bearers gathering in various places. So predictable, humans. They would always drift towards the large, public areas, especially when looking for a fight. All Yami no Bakura had to do was wait, watch, and pick out a target...a weak one that he could follow through the darkness and take treasures from...namely locator cards.

What was the fun in playing a game for them, anyways? There was much more thrill in stealing. He had to thank the Thief King part of him for that.

Yami no Bakura was patient. He had been patient for three thousand years. It was the anticipation that he adored.

What he was not, however, was laid-back.

So he wasn't pleased when he heard a voice below him. Talking to him.

"Bakura. I know you're up there. Come here."

Bakura stiffened first. Then he tensed, flexing his fingers, wondering if it would be more trouble than it was worth to drop down and kill little Marik Ishtar.

Yes, he decided. He didn't need to make anyone scream. And he couldn't take the Millennium Rod without winning it or receiving it from a consenting individual. A bothersome rule, really. He personally thought that killing someone and taking their treasures was the same thing as winning them.

Bakura slid from the tree like a shadow, and landed lightly like a cat. Marik Ishtar was waiting, arms folded, one eyebrow raised.

"How can I be of service?" Bakura asked, mock bowing with an unnecessary flourish.

"I don't have time for that sort of game," Marik said, violet eyes narrowing. "Why did you vanish?"

Bakura shrugged.

"It looked like you had things under control. My poor host was supposed to be in a hospital. Dreadfully boring. I left."

Marik's fingers tightened on his own arms, a barely perceptible motion.

"Your 'friends' are worried," he said smoothly. "I think they might be getting suspicious of you. That won't end well for me."

"Suspicion never ended well for anyone," Bakura said. "I fail to see how that's my problem. After all, little Yugi and his pharaoh friend already know I exist."

"But they don't know that you're at large," Marik insisted. "If they find out you're in control, it will be simple enough for them to connect the dots and find that I'm not who I say I am."

"My, my, does your entire mummery depend on me?" Bakura said, feigning shock. "I had no idea I was so very important."

Marik's lips tightened, but he bit back whatever retort he was about to make. This was too much fun. The teenager was so close to cracking, it barely took anything for Bakura to needle him. Bakura wondered what might happen if he pushed a little too hard...but decided not to push it now.

"What were you doing?" Marik asked, a forced politeness in his tone.

Bakura shrugged.

"Looking for potential targets," he said. "I'm a little low on locator cards, in case you hadn't noticed."

Marik was quicker on the uptake than Bakura had expected.

"You were going to steal them?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "That's not how a tournament works – those aren't the rules."

"It's not a Shadow Game yet," Bakura said with a laugh.

Marik really tensed up now.

"I won't tolerate petty theft," he said.

"Are you my mummy, now?"

Marik's fists clenched, and then he pulled the Millennium Rod out from his belt. In response, Bakura lifted the Millennium Ring from under his shirt.

"Those tricks won't work on me, Marik," he said softly. He caught a quick glimmer of motion which he interpreted easily. "And don't even think about using the Rod's knife."

"I wasn't," Marik said, although from the tone of voice Bakura knew that he had been about to threaten.

Bakura tucked the Ring under his shirt.

"Very well. I will win the locator cards, if that's what you're so worried about. I will meet you again when I've completed the set."

He started to turn around. And then in a flash, he whipped back towards Marik, ducked under the unsheathed knife, and came up behind Marik, his own knife to the Egyptian boy's throat. He hovered there for half a second, and then drew away. Marik glared at him.

"I was merely testing you," he said, sliding the knife back into the Rod.

"Marik, if you remember one thing," Yami no Bakura said. "Never test a real thief."

And for a split second, he pushed the dark memories of the human part of his soul into Marik's mind. Marik's eyes widened as he glimpsed in front of him an Egyptian man with white hair and violet eyes, a violent scar on one cheek, clad in a rich red robe. He took a quick step back, eyes wary as the images withdrew. Yami no Bakura wondered for a brief moment which of the Thief King's memories Marik had seen. Then he decided it didn't matter. Marik had backed off from trying to play king around him – for now.

"You're so close to being a real rogue, Marik," he said. "But you're not a thief yet."

And he turned around with a flick of his long dark coat, and walked away.

A/N: I don't even know. Thief King didn't really show up. Wasn't sure how to work this canonically. Oh well. Next is Rivetshipping (Keith x Pegasus x Rishid).