Hizzah! I have finally finished this long awaited chapter. Vacation kinda stunk for me. I had sunburn, had to babysit, and I got blisters all over my feet. The only one who really like the vacation was probably my dog. Oh well, I always have next summer to look forward to. I'll be gong to my homeland, Poland! Until then, I shall be trying to write up my stories. I don't own Yugioh.
Yugi and Ryou both shivered when they heard the deep, creepy voice.
"Well, i-it can be q-quite roomy if you c-close your eyes," Ryou stuttered.
From out of the shadows appeared an Egyptian looking man. He wore a long, black robe, and in his hands he carried a rod. He had beach blond hair, and dark violet eyes. His hair was wild and stood up in the air.
"Welcome, pathetic worms," he greeted with a cruel smile. "I hear you have issues."
"We were recommended to you by-"
"I know," the warlock interrupted. "You were sent by the sweet gift of magic."
Yugi and Ryou nodded, both freaked by the evil glint in his dark eyes.
"Come to my office," he beckoned. "We have a lot to talk about."
Slowly following up on the man's offer, Yugi said, "I'm Yugi, and this is Ryou."
"Hi," Ryou squeaked.
"The name is Marik Ishtar," the warlock introduced. "I'll be your torture- I mean savior."
"Marik, you better not be scaring the costumers!" a voice called out.
"I'm not, you fool!" Marik screamed back. "Just chatting!"
"You better not be," the voice answered.
Marik turned the two boys, with a smirk on his face. "That would be my brother, Malik. Don't mind the brainless twit."
"I heard that!"
Out from the other room came a similar looking Egyptian, only hair less wild and looking a lot more sane.
"Sorry about Marik," Malik apologized. "He's the crazy one in our family."
Marik just snorted before asking, "So what do you brats want, anyways?"
"We heard you could help us," Ryou said timidly.
"We wish to become humans-" Yugi added.
"So that you can be united with your loved ones, and spent the rest of your lives on shore," Marik finished.
"Uhh, pretty much," Yugi said quietly.
"No problem," Malik beamed. "First, we must discuss the payment!"
"Payment?" Ryou croaked.
"Hey, Kisara had to pay," Marik said. "Why not you mortals?"
"You know about Kisara?" Yugi asked.
"Yeah, our dear granny preformed the spell," Malik stated proudly.
"Wow," Ryou said in surprise. "What an... honor."
"You bet your ass it is," Marik smirked. "So what will we take from them, brother?"
Malk shrugged and answered, "Not too sure. It has to be good though."
"Don't you want some money?" Ryou offered with hope.
"Too cheap," Malik told him.
"Our voices?" Yugi asked a bit fearfully.
"We're not going to steal dear grammy's idea," Marik snapped.
The two warlocks continued to ponder hard, before Malik snapped his fingers.
"I've got it!" he cried. "They've already met their knights in shining armor, right?"
"Yeah, so what?" Marik asked.
Just then, a wicked smile appeared on his face.
With a cackle he said, "You are one wicked brother."
The two brothers stared at the young mermen.
"What we want from you," Malik told them.
"Is your memory of the two humans," Marik finished.
"Huh?" Ryou asked.
"I want the memory of the two humans you fell for," Malik repeated. "That way, it'll be a challenge to make them fall in love with you again."
"They won't remember you two, and you'll have to work your way into their hearts again," Marik laughed.
Ryou wasn't very scared of the deal, however. 'They'll only take away their memories? It'll be a piece of cake to make Bakura love me again!'
"You know," Malik said. "While we're at it, let's take away your memory of them, as well."
"What?!" Yugi cried. "Then how will we know who we want to love, if we can't remember them?"
"Calm down, midget-boy," Marik commanded.
"Yeah, the spell works like this,"Malik explained. "You'll all lose your memory of each other, but as soon as your eyes lock onto each other, you'll feel as though you know the person. The love you have for that person will reflect on how much you can remember on the person."
"What do you mean by that?" Ryou asked.
"If you love him a lot, you'll know enough about him to know that's who you've been looking for," Malik tried to explain better. "It's complicated, but you'll get it when it actually happens."
"So it's kinda love it first sight?" Yugi asked.
"You can think of it that way," Malik said.
"So what do you say?"Marik asked. "We got a deal."
"A little more info couldn't hurt," Ryou said quietly.
Marik growled impatiently. He wanted to get this over with quickly.
Malik, however, was more than cooperative with their questions. Not everyday you make a deal with a warlock, after all.
"Our terms are like this," Malik told them. "You'll turn into humans, but not very easily. Excruciatingly horrid pain will take place during the transformation. Your tail will basically split into two lean, perfectly sculpted legs."
"Well, at least there's a good outcome," Yugi assured his, now green with sickness, friend, Ryou."
"Even after the transformation, every step you take will feel like you're stepping on sharp, pointy pieces of glass. Only you can feel and see the trail of crimson blood caused by it."
"Ouch," Marik hissed before laughing.
"Shut up!" Malik told him with a scowl. "Anyways, you're mission is to get the one you love to love you back, and eventually marry that person. Until then, the pain stays, and the memory is gone."
"What if we don't succeed?" Ryou asked.
"It's shadow realm time!" Marik laughed.
"Shadow... realm?" Yugi gulped. "I thought Kisara was turned to sea foam."
"She was," Malik told him. "But you two aren't Kisara."
Oh the irony of that statement.
"Your soul will basically wander around the horrors of the shadow realm, alone and miserable," Marik told them smiling.
"So what do you say?" Malik asked presenting to them a contract and pen.
Ryou was actually the first one to answer, surprisingly.
"I agree," he stated bravely.
"Then sign, worm," Marik commanded.
Ryou did, quickly and neatly.
Marik handed him a bottle filled with a clear liquid.
"Drink this before sunset, and then the spell will take effect on you and your little love toy.
Ryou blushed, but took the bottle shakily.
"Thanks," he squeaked before turning to his friend. "Are you gonna sign, Yugi?"
Looking at the contract, Yugi sighed. "If I become a human, I'll never see Sonya again."
"Sure you will," Malik told him. "That blond kid still sees you, right?"
"I suppose you're right," Yugi said. "Still, I wish I could say good-bye."
"There's still time," Malik told him with a warm smile. "You have until sunset."
"C'mon kid, just sign it!" he told him.
Yugi looked at the contract and picked up the pen.
Unlike Ryou, he slowly wrote his name and fought back any tears threatening to fall.
"Here's the potion, same deal," Marik told him shoving the potion into his hands.
"Good luck," Malik told him. "I hope you two find happiness."
"Thank you," Ryou and Yugi called exiting the cavern. "Thank you for all your help!"
"Heh, what poor suckers," Marik chuckled. "Can't wait to get their souls."
Malik just stayed quiet, as he watched the two mermen disappear.
"Malik, Marik!" a voice called out. "I hope you two didn't just threaten anyone's lives with the shadow realm again!"
"No, sister," Marik yelled back. "We were just... uh playing strip poker!"
"That's disgusting," Malik told him. "How could you tell her that!"
Marik just shrugged and said, "It's still believable."
"True."
---
Ryou and Yugi were making their way towards the surface world.
"Listen, Ryou," Yugi said, "we need to find Bakura and Yami, so we can spend time with them quickly."
Ryou nodded and added, "We wouldn't want to be with some stranger, too. Good thinking Yugi."
It was then they realized they had to split up.
"I hope we can see each other again," Yugi said getting a bit teary eyed.
"Don't worry, whatever happens we'll always be best friends," Ryou assured with a hug.
"Right," Yugi said. "Good luck."
"Thanks, and best of luck to you, too," Ryou said heading off into another direction.
With one last look at Ryou swimming off, Yugi made his way towards the docks.
Yami was, of course, there, but he had a large smile on his face.
'I wonder why he's so happy,' Yugi thought. 'Oh well, it's almost sunset.'
Yugi was a mile or so away from Yami and opened up the bottle.
With one last look at the sea, he downed the potion.
---
Sonya swam as fast as she, searching everywhere for Yugi.
"Yugi! Yugi where are you?!" she cried out in panic.
'This is all my fault,' she whined. 'If I wasn't such a hot head, Yugi would know the truth by now. I ope he didn't do anything drastic.'
Swimming around frantically, Soya bumped right into a sobbing Anzu.
"Anzu, what's wrong?" she asked with concern. "Do you know where Yugi went.
Puffy, red sapphire eyes looked up into her concerned emerald ones.
"Yugi and Ryou went to the sea warlock... to become human," she told her.
Sonya's hand touched her chest, feeling as though a sword was plunged into her heart.
"Are you... alright?" Anzu asked between tears.
"Yugi's in trouble," Sonya whispered. "I have to find them before it's too late."
With a burst of speed, she made her way to the only magical duo she knew in the sea.
---
"I'm telling you, there is no way you could blow up that many squirrels," Malik said in disbelief.
"I did!" Marik cried. "How hard is it to believe that I, Marik Ishtar, blew up seventy-eight squirrels with my shadow mag-"
A flash of bubbles startled Malik, as he saw his brother disappear.
He quickly noticed a mermaid holding Marik up by his cloak against the wall.
"Let go lady," Marik demanded.
"Not until you answer my questions,"she hissed. "Did two mermen come by here? One had soft brown eyes and white hair. The other spiky, tri-color hair with large, amethyst eyes."
"Yeah," Malik answered. "They just left. They came for a human potion, right?"
Sonya dropped Marik, who fell on his butt and directed her attention on Malik.
"You didn't give them a potion... right?" she asked fearfully.
"I did," Malik replied slowly. "We made a bargain."
"What bargain?" she demanded.
"They have to find love, or go to the shadow realm."
Sonya closed her eyes before saying, "Call it off, now."
"We cannot, for the potion has taken effect."
The three of them turned to an Egyptian looking woman. "I apologize for my brothers' stupidity, but I'm afraid it is too late to undo the damage done."
"There has to be a way to break the deal," she cried. "Please, my little brother is in danger!"
"I will try," the woman assured. "Marik, Malik, you will help, too."
"Yes Ishizu," they both groaned in unison.
"Get moving," she commanded. "I am sorry, mermaid."
"Thank you for your help," Sonya whispered with flowing tears. "I best be off for now."
"If we find anything, we'll be sure to contact you!" Ishizu called a Sonya swam away.
'Yugi, I'm so sorry,' she sobbed. 'Please, come back to the sea.'
That's pretty much it. A bit confusing, I know, but I'll clear it up next chapter. I didn't want to do the traditional voice taking away thing, so I took their memory instead. Plus, a little bit of the shadow realm was placed in because, come on, it's Yami Marik we're talking about here! Sorry of they were OOC. I'm not very evil, and all they do is control minds throughout their time on the show. No mind slaves in this story, so not very easy personality to figure out. Anyways, please review:-)