Midriffshipping (Marik x Amelda)


It was on the dusty streets of a small Egyptian town, a place trapped between modernity and ancient times, by turns isolated from civilization and inundated with it in the form of tourists.

The town was called Kul Elna.

It was the off-season for tourists, who would come to mill about the sites were the famous Pegasus J. Crawford had once discovered his inspiration for the internationally acclaimed game Duel Monsters. The popularity of the game was a fact that had always amused Marik Ishtar. He wondered how many humans realized why a simple game had become so popular among every race and country – he wondered if anyone had guessed at the reasons why it resonated with the human soul. He supposed, though, that it was impossible for an ordinary to even brush across the idea that the game's popularity stemmed from the fact that it was a connecting force between this world and this world's shadow.

That was why it was always of interest of him when someone came around that did not appear to be merely a tourist – but rather, someone on a mission.

He noticed the tall, slender man almost immediately – how could one not, as not only was he fair-skinned and thus, an oddity in the Egyptian town, but he was also dressed like an American, in a tight-fitting, stomach revealed tanktop and jeans, with more than one belt slung around his hips. Despite the clothing and skin tone, however, it was difficult for Marik to place his ethnicity. Slavic, perhaps? A very strange Duel Disk was clamped around his wrist, and his auburn hair was cut short. Hazel eyes darted around him as he walked down the street, fingering a small green stone around his neck. It was the stone, in the end, that made Marik decided to confront him. He didn't like the look of it – or the feeling he was getting from it.

He stepped out into the road, just so that the boy's eyes passed over him, perhaps only idly noticing that Marik was not dressed like a typical villager, but instead in similar clothes to the boy himself: a cropped lavender shirt and gray jeans.

"Excuse me," Marik said, in lightly accented English. "Are you lost, perhaps?"

The boy froze, and Marik noted the tensing of his muscles and the tightening of his expression. He was jumpy, Marik observed. But also battle-hardened. Someone with a mission, perhaps a grudge to settle. Marik had always been good at reading people. It had been necessary, being in a position of power as he had been at one time.

The boy studied Marik for a moment, as though trying to read him back. Marik smiled blandly. He had played this game before. He had always won.

And he did this time as well, as the boy's muscles relaxed slightly. He had decided Marik wasn't a threat.

"Yes, I suppose I am," he said, also in an accented English. "I'm looking for the catacombs...the ones where Pegasus found carvings used in his Duel Monsters games...?"

"Ah," Marik said, nodding. "Yes. Those are this way; follow me."

He turned and walked slowly enough for the boy to catch up to him. The boy was taller than Marik, and he caught up quickly with long strides.

"Thank you," he said.

Marik shrugged.

"You came during the off season."

"I don't like crowds."

"Mm. Where are you from?"

The boy considered the question for a moment.

"Bosnia."

Ah. Marik hadn't been too far off.

"You're a duelist?" he asked, nodding to the Duel Disk.

The boy nodded.

"I've never seen a Duel Disk like that."

The boy raised an eyebrow.

"Do you see a lot of Duel Disks in a place like this?"

"This is the birthplace of Duel Monsters; of course I see Duel Disks."

"Hm."

The boy stopped in the middle of the road. Marik walked a more few steps before turning to face him.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

The boy was staring intently at him, studying his face. Marik clasped his hands behind his back, looking deliberately non-confrontational. When people underestimated you, you could get away with more.

"You look familiar," the boy said.

"I have that kind of face."

"No, you don't. Your hairstyle is far more distinctive than most people in Egypt. You're Marik Ishtar, aren't you? One of the semi-finalists of Battle City."

Marik's hands tightened behind his back, but he smiled.

"You've got me," he said. "I should have known a duelist would recognize me. What about you? You know me...what's your name?"

The boy hesitated.

"I'm Amelda," he said carefully.

"Well then, Amelda, mind telling me what that evil looking rock around your neck is and why it's trying to attack me?"

Amelda's eyes snapped down to his green stone necklace. The stone was glowing green and starting to spark, pulling itself up as though it were trying to pull itself towards Marik. Amelda grabbed it with one hand and the stone quieted, going dark again.

He looked up at Marik.

"What are you?" he asked quietly.

Marik met his gaze steadily.

"Someone whose bad side you do not want to see."

The stare-off lasted for a few more moments. Marik stepped aside first.

"Follow this path all the way to the end. You'll see the signs pointing down into the tomb."

He eyed that stone once more.

"I don't know what you're here to look for, but I hope you know that I am one of the guardians of this place...and I think your rock knows it."

His eyes moved back up to Amelda's eyes. There was a hint of uneasiness and irritation there.

"It's not a rock," he said.

He glared once more and stormed past Marik. Marik watched him go. His lips tightened slightly. He didn't know who this person was, what he was capable of, or what he was doing here. He didn't like not knowing. Part of him considered following, just to see.

But he drew back. If it was important...he would know.

He remained on the path for a little while longer, thinking about the look in that boy's eyes. That was a look he recognized – he had seen before in Ishizu's eyes, once, on the day that Rishid had been beaten and his father killed.

That was the look of loss. Like something had been snapped off of your heart and couldn't be taken back.

Marik blew out.

"You'll heal," he muttered. "Just give it time...and don't do anything rash."

He walked away.


A/N: Could actually see myself shipping this, to be honest. I've already decided that I believe Marik is gay, and probably Amelda is, too, although I can't be sure for any of the characters. I'd like to see a little bit more of these two together... Next is Messageshipping (Yami no Yugi x Yugi x Seto x Mokuba).