DISCLAIMER: If you recognise it from somewhere else, it isn't mine.

AN: There is a brief trigger reference, which is why the story rating has been lifted, just to be safe.

The Tomb-Keeper's Secret

Kaiba strode into the control room with his brother. 'Mokuba, have you been able to translate all of the text on the Winged Dragon of Ra yet?'

'I'm pretty close.' Mokuba sat down and got back into it. 'But for some reason, the network mainframe is still having trouble with the last few words.'

'Let's have a look.' Kaiba looked at the screen, where the card was displayed, and he was immediately stunned. 'Wait, this can't be! I…can read it!'

Mokuba looked up at him. 'You what?'

That Egyptian text is completely clear to me! I can read that paragraph as if it were written in Japanese, but I've never seen that language before in my life! Kaiba tried to rationalise what he was seeing. Someone's toying with my mind! I'm not some ancient magician. I'm the President of KaibaCorp! Kaiba stumbled and fell to his knees. His head fell into his hands.

'You okay?' Mokuba asked. 'Seto!'

These Egyptian myths are beginning to affect my head.

'Seto?'

YGO

Sharee wasn't really surprised when Ishizu met them at the door to Mai's room.

'Hey, Serenity,' Téa said as they walked in. 'How's Mai?'

'Quiet,' Serenity answered.

'We gotta get her mind back!' Téa insisted.

'Serenity, has she said a word?' Joey asked.

Serenity shook her head. 'Nope. Not a thing.'

'Poor Mai.' Joey looked at her. 'I'm sorry I let you down, but mark my words: I promise you'll get your revenge against that Marik.'

'No, Joey.' Serenity called his attention. 'Can't you see that anger and revenge will only make things worse? That's just how Mai got this way. Marik is so full of anger and hate that he gets pleasure from watching other people suffer.' Her hands visibly tensed in her lap.

'That jerk!' Joey snapped.

'When I took my bandages off,' Serenity lifted her hands to her eyes, 'this is not what I wanted to see.'

Téa stepped in behind her and laid her hand on her shoulder. 'Serenity, it'll be okay.'

'I'm sorry, sis,' Joey said. 'You're right.'

Ishizu finally spoke up. 'There is hope ahead.'

They all turned and looked at her.

'For where there is evil, there is also good. Marik was good once.' This got Tea and Serenity's attention. 'He began life as an innocent child, like everyone does. But that innocence disappeared, leaving my brother with a dark hole where his heart once was.' She began to look troubled. 'I remember when this evil was born. It happened on the night that Marik received the Tomb Keeper's Initiation, and inherited the task of protecting the Pharaoh's Tomb – a task he always resented. Now this dark presence has completely taken over my brother's body.'

'Ishizu, what happens if there's no way to save your brother?' Yugi asked.

Ishizu looked bothered at this question.

'It may be too late,' Yugi stated. 'You said it was my destiny to save the world from destruction. I thought that meant defeating your brother, and putting an end to his plan, not saving him. He's caused enough damage already. Marik must be stopped!'

'Whoa, there, cowboy,' Sharee said. 'You wanna be the hero, you gotta look at both ends of the stick.'

'What do you mean?' Tristan asked.

'She's asking you to look at both sides of the story,' Ishizu said.

Sharee nodded. 'So why don't you tell them the other side, Ishizu?' she suggested. 'Tell us about the dark entity within Marik.'

'Very well,' she said. 'It wasn't long ago my brother Marik began to lose his way, and turn toward the darkness. For generations, my family has lived in secrecy, deep beneath the desert sands, watching over the tomb of the Pharaoh. For 5000 years, an Ishtar has stood guard waiting for the Pharaoh to return. As the firstborn Ishtar son, Marik was required to bear the Pharaoh's secret on his back, and forbidden to ever leave the tomb. Of course, as with all children, he yearned for that which he had been forbidden. One day, he decided to risk it and go up onto the surface. It was very shortly after he'd received the Tomb Keeper's Initiation. He would not be dissuaded from this idea, although I admit I didn't try very hard. Odion had promised to cover for us, so up we went.'

Sharee pulled up a seat and settled down to listen to the rest of the story that Shamee knew by heart. After all, Shamee had been watching this happen. Unfortunately, trapped at her own post as she was, Shamee had been unable to help, warn, or otherwise assist the two of them in the circumstance.

'So, up we went,' Ishizu said. 'We went to the nearby town and looked around. This was how Marik gained a fascination with motorcycles. But we weren't even there an hour before I heard a remark. I became alarmed and began rushing Marik back, but he began to convince me that we needn't go home yet. Then we encountered Shadi. He warned us of the fact that our absence had, in fact, been noticed,' – cryptically, no doubt – 'and we hurried home. I knew I had made a great mistake. As the keepers of the Pharaoh's tomb, we were forbidden to see the world and I was beginning to understand why. I was about to pay the price for my actions. I exposed Marik to a world he should never have seen, and this caused Marik to reject our family and his evil side grew.'

'Even counting that, there had to be a better way to do that,' Sharee remarked.

'I've no doubt there was,' Ishizu said. 'But fate was never so kind. When we returned home, Marik took a moment to watch the last of the sunlight. As we entered, I discovered that we had indeed been missed. Marik's room had been ransacked and we found our father beating Odion to within an inch of his life.'

Téa gasped in shock and disbelief.

Sharee smiled bitterly. She thinks that's bad, she ought to find out what happens to a woman who "allows" herself to get raped in some parts of the world.

'It was only when our father moved to discipline us in much the same way that I saw Marik's darkness for the first time,' Ishizu said. 'It manifested as my father raised his hand against him. I don't think my father truly understood what it was he was seeing; what was happening. None of us did at the time. Had my father understood, he perhaps would have been a little more cautious. But he wasn't. He was shocked when Marik stopped his strike and then Marik went and picked up his Millennium Rod for the first time. The power of the Rod amplified the evil within him further. My father yelled at him, oblivious to the danger but I was beginning to fear what I was seeing.' Ishizu paused, steeling herself for what she was about to say. 'With the Millennium Rod, Marik killed our father. I also felt the power of the Rod, but he obviously didn't feel the same resentment towards me. I was only knocked back into the wall. He stabbed our father to death. After the deed was done, Marik came back to himself. He had no idea what had happened. Despite the pain he was in, Odion covered him and kept him from looking at our father's body.' Ishizu paused again. 'And then Shadi appeared before us again. He told Marik that he'd taken his first step onto a dark path, and he needed to turn back. He then told us that soon the Pharaoh would return.'

That was it.

Sharee sighed. 'Looks like I was wrong then. Marik isn't a psychopath. He's a sociopath.'

'And the difference would be…?' Duke asked.

'A psychopath is born that way,' Sharee said. 'A sociopath becomes that way due to the environment they grow up in.'

'And I'm supposed to feel bad for that spoiled brat?' Joey demanded. 'Because he grew into some evil nut case?' He looked at Mai. 'Look, your brother trapped Mai's mind in the Shadow Realm! Now, she's living out her worst nightmares, and I'm gonna make sure he pays!'

Sharee huffed this time. 'Joey, I know you're mad, but I wouldn't call him "spoiled". I mean, how would you like it if you were never allowed outside? I'd go batshit crazy, for one. And what is Marik?'

'She's got a point,' Duke said.

Joey just grunted.

'Yugi, it is possible to destroy the evil within my brother,' Ishizu said, 'without destroying to good. I realise now that destinies can be changed.'

'But how?' Yugi asked.

'As the Pharaoh's vessel, you have the power to do it,' Ishizu told him.

Roland's voice echoed over the PA system. 'Attention all duellists, and guests! Lights out in two minutes.'

'All right!' Tristan decided to lighten up the atmosphere. 'Time to crash in Joey's suite.'

Joey didn't appreciate this. 'What'cha talking about, Tristan?'

'Come on, your room's like a palace,' Tristan insisted. 'You'll never even know that I'm there.'

'Oh, I'll know!' Joey turned his head. 'I'll know by the smell.' He turned to his sister. 'Serenity, sweet dreams.' He looked at Téa. 'You too.'

'Get some rest,' Serenity told him.

Joey turned around again. 'Yugi, we got a big day ahead so let's get us some shut-eye.'

Yugi nodded. 'Mm-hm.'

'Odds are that one of us will have to duel Marik. 'And that's a butt-kicking we'll need to be rested for.'

'Oh, Joey,' Serenity called his attention. 'Question: how do you know you and Yugi won't be duelling each other in the semi-finals instead of duelling Marik?'

Joey, obviously, hadn't thought of that. 'What?' He spun around. 'Watch what you say, sis! You're gonna jinx us!'

Serenity chuckled.

Joey lifted his nose into the air. 'Huh!'

Ishizu spoke up again. 'Yugi, there is one more thing I must give to you.'

Yugi turned to her. 'Huh?' The others turned too.

Ishizu lifted her hand to her Millennium Necklace. 'It is a powerful object that I no longer have any use for.'

'Thanks,' Yugi said. 'What is it?'

Ishizu took the Millennium Necklace off. 'Fate chose me to wear the Millennium Necklace, but it is time I passed its magic on to the one who is destined to rescue the world from despair.'

'Oh, yeah,' Sharee said. 'We need all seven Millennium Items to actually save the world, don't we?'

'Indeed you do.' Ishizu handed Yugi the Millennium Necklace. 'You see, it no longer shows me the future, Yugi. Take it. I have completed my mission, and now it is your turn.'

Yugi took the Millennium Necklace from her and looked at it alongside his Millennium Puzzle. They needed all seven items? That was going to be quite an undertaking! Right now, they had three. That left four more to find and acquire. Two of them were on board, he knew.

'Joey, we should head back to the room before lights out,' Tristan said.

'Right.' Joey headed out with Tristan and Duke.

'See you in the morning,' Téa called.

'Try and get some sleep,' Serenity said.

Tristan was the first to respond. 'Good night.'

'Sweet dreams,' Duke called over his shoulder.

'Later,' Joey waved as he walked out.

Yugi nodded as he followed them out.

Sharee sighed and stretched. 'Night.' She headed for the door. 'If you two want to sleep later tonight, you know where I am.' Sharee knew that Kaiba's decision to give her a room showed his preference for her – or rather, the fact that he found her less annoying than the rest of her friends. 'See you in the morning, Ishizu.'

'Good night, Sharee,' Ishizu said.

Sharee only got to the corner down the hallway before she heard Téa calling after Ishizu. 'Ishizu, wait up!' Sharee paused, more out of curiosity than anything else.

'I have a question for you,' Téa said. 'If Yugi defeats the dark force inside Marik, does that mean the world will be safe from danger? Tell me! Is there another evil out there somewhere?'

'I'm not sure,' Ishizu said. 'But Yugi now possesses the power to discover these answers.' She continued walking. 'Good evening, Téa.'

'See you later, Ishizu,' she said.

Sharee sighed and moved on. She walked through the blimp and came into her room. As she stepped it, the lights of the blimp flicked out. Sharee walked over to the window and looked out. The city was now a glittering line on the horizon. There was one thing Téa clearly wasn't accounting for.

When the fight was finished, the Pharaoh and Shamee would go home.

YGO

Mana watched from the shadows as the child seized control of the girl – Téa – and used her to take the Millennium Ring and use it to wake the Evil Spirit within the third vessel, and the only one of them unfortunate enough to have an inhabiting spirit with no regard for their life.

Soon, they would come here.

YGO

Well, the Battle City Finals end tomorrow.

The boy was restless. The Pharaoh took a seat on the edge of his bed. Yugi, you must sleep.

Yugi pushed himself up onto one arm. But I'm worried.

It's natural for you to be frightened, but together we can do this.

Yugi dropped his eyes. It seems like things have gotten so far out of hand. Every time I think I have Marik figured out, he goes and become 20 times more evil than he was in the first place.

We'll defeat him.

I want to believe that, but I'm not so sure. You saw what he did to Mai. This guy's completely insane, and I'm the one he really wants.

The Pharaoh said nothing.

Let me guess: if we trust in the Heart of the Cards, we can beat this guy.

Yes. The Pharaoh knew it was little consolation to him.

Yugi laid back down and rolled over. This is so much more than a card game, and I don't want to lose anymore friends! A tear slipped down his face. This madness has to stop!

The Pharaoh looked out the window. Shamee, he mused, had a much easier time on this sort of thing. Sharee didn't need two key factors explained to her: this is a war and there's always casualties in war. Yugi was yet too inexperienced in life to understand these things.

It would only stop when they stopped it.

YGO

Mana observed, her child at her side. The evil entity within Marik was interrupted from his attempt to kill his loyal manservant, by the Evil Spirit of the Ring and the true Marik. To be fair, the latter was just a boy and honestly had no experience with these sort of matters.

'What now, mother?' her son asked.

'Now, they duel,' Mana said.

'Here?'

Mana's eyes narrowed. 'Here.'