Thanks goes to Merciless Rubydrkmagiciangrl25animeaddict99ELLIE 31773 (hehe, Malik and Bakura do tend to make the story get hot,) Journey MakerTevanaMidnight Chamber (Yay, I amaze you. I've never been told that before...,) and Bella for reviewing. Hope you guys enjoy the second part.

Meet me in the heavens

Part II

Anzu hurried through the building towards the room assigned to her. Her breathing was quick and her face was still flushed from Malik's soft, teasing kisses. It hadn't been until Bakura's sharp voice had interrupted them that she realized she had been tricked. It was common, she supposed, but not something she had ever imagined herself falling under. I'm such an idiot! She scolded herself furiously. I can't believe I let him do that!

When she arrived at her room, she slammed the door behind her and locked it for extra measure, floating over to the bed and slumping on it, covering her head with her arms. She heard a click and stiffened, hearing Shizuka softly call, "Anzu? Is something wrong? Did he hurt you?" Anzu belatedly realized that there was a door adjoining to some rooms. It seemed that that theirs was one of them.

"Please, Shizuka, I just want to be left alone," Anzu mumbled. There was a long silence and Anzu thought for a moment that Shizuka might have left. Then the mattress sunk down with Shizuka's light weight and soft fingers brushed against her neck.

"...You let him do this?" Anzu raised herself up and felt her skin crawl at the suppressed disgust and worry in Shizuka's eyes. Slowly, she rose in the air and dropped in front of the body-length looking glass in the room. Leaning forward, she inspected what it was that Shizuka had been referring to. Panic rose to strangle her as she stared at the bruising bite marks from Malik's sharp fangs. Pushing her palm against the bite marks, Anzu stared at herself in the looking glass, her lips trembling. Shizuka appeared beside her, looking into the looking glass as well. "Anzu...? Perhaps you should go back to Heaven. It was too soon – "

"Don't," Anzu whispered, her nails digging into her neck, "speak to me as though I'm the child, Shizuka. Don't speak as though you understand anything about what happened."

"You're temped by a demon!" Shizuka exploded, her eyes flashing with concern. "Do you realize what they are? They live in Hell! They would feast on us if they could! For goodness sake, Anzu, if you're letting a demon t-touch you like that, then – " She stopped, seeing Anzu's expression.

"I thought that maybe I would be able to talk to you, that maybe, since you've been to more meetings, you would understand my position. Clearly I was mistaken." A pained expression crossed the younger female's face. "Please go, Shizuka."

"Anzu, I'm sorry."

"Please. Just leave me be." Shizuka's eyes filled with tears, but she didn't allow them to overflow. She simply turned and left Anzu as she had requested. When the adjoining door closed, Anzu went to it and locked it before returning to the bed. She laid down and it was long before sleep descended upon her.

---

Malik lay quietly in his bed that night, idly stroking the pendant that he rarely wore any longer. His mind was seething with betrayal at Bakura's earlier words, which, even though he knew had been fueled by anger and a hundred other emotions, he could not get out of his head. "Think of who you want to be. Do you want to be the dirty bastard Marik was?" He and Bakura had come to an agreement, shortly after his family's extermination, that they would never bring up that topic for as long as they lived. It wasn't so much Isis that was the issue, but Malik's older brother. He had learned everything from that devious-minded brother of his, but had softened everything.

I had always been viewed as the weaker one, he thought grimly, his fingers clenching briefly over his pendant. Once, Marik had been the second most powerful demon in Hell. Once, he and I and Bakura used to go against Seto with no qualms and infuriate him beyond belief because he had no one and we could kill him if we wanted. Once, I had a brother who, despite every cold, hard mask he put on, actually gave a damn for me. Bakura is fine for a friend, but when it comes down to duty and friendship, duty comes first. Marik never took his warning, never suspected Bakura would actually harm him. He was arrogant... He always had been. That, I suppose, was his downfall. The only reason I was spared was because I tried to stop Marik from getting in too deep. I tried to reform him. Sometimes, though, when you get that deep into madness, you can't pull yourself out...

-Flashback-

Malik walked into the bedchamber and leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms as he surveyed his best friend. It had once been a battle trying to get into so much as the sitting room of the Prince of Darkness', but after a time of his constancy, the demons guarding the prince's suit merely glanced at him and allowed him entry. He supposed that bothered Bakura at times because he would never bodily throw Malik out unless he was in a bad enough mood. "Pissed off much?" Malik quietly questioned.

"Not anymore," came the response. Bakura's voice, naturally husky, seemed hoarse and bitter. Malik looked away as Bakura sat up, turning to look at the balcony windows that overlooked the long stretch of land that was Hell. Demons fluttered around and in this part of Hell, screams from tortured souls could be heard from beneath the castle where Satan took care of the damned persons. "So. You won't look at me, will you, Malik?" The nasty, cruel laugh that escaped Bakura was not incredibly unlike him, but he turned his gaze back to him nonetheless. "Just because I gave your brother a beating?"

"He was barely living, Bakura, and you know it," he said steadily, his lavender eyes shooting daggers into Bakura's misty depths. The latter demon's jaw tautened and this time, it was he who looked away, unable to bear the familiarity of Malik's eyes to the elder Ishtar's. "I am not here to take up any debt, nor to battle with you over his honor. You warned him and when he scoffed, I warned him." He paused and then added, "He should have known that your strength would have increased with your temper. He won't be as stupid next time."

"Will there be a next time, Malik?" Bakura asked softly, a queer expression coming into his eyes. "This was a warning, simply not a verbal one. Next time, he won't be the only one dying." A chill ran up Malik's spine as he said this and for a long time, neither of them spoke, gazing at each other, an enormous level of understanding passing between them. At last, Malik looked away, weary and defeated. "This isn't your battle to fight, Malik. Isis will stand next to Marik the entire time and he won't give up. He's stubborn like that; we both know it. I have only one question for you and I hope..." He trailed off briefly and frowned, his eyes blazing.

"What is the question?"

"When Marik and Isis are fighting, when they stare defeat in the face, but keep on going, will you be beside them, or watching from neutral sidelines?" The word 'neutral' clanged in Malik's head, slamming back and forth in his head, vibrating as it swum through the hazy mist that had been filling his mind. At last, it settled quietly and rather realistically. Malik stared at Bakura for a long moment before turning and moving to the balcony, snapping the doors open and walking to the banister, his hands settling on the stone of it.

After a pause, Bakura followed him, but kept a few feet from him, not watching him, giving the younger demon time to think. And he knew he was thinking. There was no doubt in that intense, tight look on Malik's face that he was weighing the facts, balancing everything. Bakura, after a long moment of keeping his eyes averted, turned his gaze to Malik and saw by the slight slump of his shoulders what his decision would be. Malik had always been the softer one, who had cared enough for his family to do what was right for them. In this instance, he had tried, and had failed. When it came down to it, Malik was as selfish of a demon as any and treasured his life.

"You know the answer," Malik said, feeling his eyes on him and not bothering to turn to meet them. He straightened and asked, "What would make you kill me?"

"You made the choice any demon would make, Malik, if only to stay alive. I have to make the same choices because if I don't put my duty as the Prince of Darkness before my friends, before my lovers, before anyone – my father will kill me." Malik gazed at him steadily and then looked away.

"He only raped and killed a few angels, Bakura. It's not as if they were demons. Satan wouldn't give a shit if Marik did it again."

"Marik," Bakura stated, the two syllables like a whiplash, "didn't only do that, Malik. He's a fucking dirty bastard – more so than most of our kind. Don't you see what's going on with him, Malik? I can't make it anymore clear than it is. He's mad! He's losing his mind!" For a long time, Malik stared at him, his face perfectly composed, looking as though Bakura hadn't even spoken. "He was trying to kill me."

"You were trying to kill him."

"And why do you think I would try to kill him? Over a few angels? No, it had nothing to do with that, Malik. He had done a full slaughter of demon women for whatever reason and killed their children while he was at it. He didn't bother the men. He merely castrated them and gave them a quick, clean death, nothing like what he did to the others. That is why I went after him. I was going to talk with him, try to figure out just what it was about, but he went after me and I had to beat him down or I would have been a lump of flesh. Are you starting to get it now, Malik? You're brother's a fucking psycho."

"Don't you dare say that, Bakura."

Bakura paused in his angry tirade to let his eyes flick over Malik's face. This was the only time he had ever seen Malik close to full-blown anger to where he would rise out of normal sanity and rip anyone apart that dared to come near him. Bakura had hit that level of anger often enough since it was in his blood for it to be provoked easily. Even Marik had had a few times of that. But never had Malik experienced that blood thirst. There was only a mildness of red-hot rage that was rising in Malik now, but if it were nudged, Bakura had no doubt that the latter male would be flying at him in no time. Frankly, he didn't want to see Malik in that temperament.

"Very well, Malik," he carefully answered, "I won't. Just remember what I said. I wasn't lying and hopefully you'll realize that."

"I'll make my own conclusions, Bakura. This is my family. Stay out of our personal business." Malik's large, membranous wings spread out and lifted him in the air. Stung by the sudden verbal assault Malik had delivered him since he had always been welcome into the Ishtar family as one of their own, he turned back into his room and shut the balcony doors, closing them quietly behind him and wishing that things hadn't come to this.

---

Malik wasn't a weak demon, but even seeing the brutal way his sister had been torn apart had caused his stomach to churn with illness. She had sacrificed everything to save Marik, who, Malik had deduced, really had gone mad. There was nothing in those eyes so like Malik's that was his brother. When he had gone to him that morning, to bid him a dull good luck, there had been no recognition – nothing. And he knew why his brother hadn't regained complete sanity for today. The shock that had flown on his face when Malik announced he wouldn't be participating had broken a tiny piece inside of him and no doubt, the fragile thread of sanity had snapped in Marik's mind and left an empty, raging husk of a person.

And yet he still won't give up, Malik reflected, watching Marik and Bakura snap and snarl at each other. Marik was bleeding from multiple wounds, most of them shallow, but a few of them being deadly deep. In the beginning, they had been flying, but Marik's wings were so tattered and broken at that point that flying was no longer an option for him. Malik wanted to intercept, but knew it wouldn't bring back his brother, not after the fatal blow he had thrown at him last night.

At last, the torture was brought to an end. Marik was too weak to do much more than give half-hearted attempts at defending himself. Bakura raised an arm and Malik knew he was about to give the killing blow. Before it happened, though, Marik raised his voice in a horrendous shriek that had Bakura pausing and Malik shuddering, holding himself against the vicious agony of guilt that overtook him. Through the sound, he heard the vague vowels and consonants of his name. Marik slumped on the ground, weeping. Bakura didn't hesitate. The blast of power ripped flesh from body and Malik turned away, unable to bear the sight of what had once been his powerful, beautiful brother.

---

Bakura's eyes snapped open as he heard his door open and he raised slightly in the bathtub, prepared to run out naked if he had to. Thankfully, it wasn't needed. Malik drifted behind the screen that hid the marble bathtub he was lounging in. The bubbles were fading, but modesty was not something demons observed, much less these two. Bakura raised a hand, the water dripping from it. Despite it, Malik took it and they clasped hands fiercely, both needing comfort: Bakura, for killing two people he had considered family, and Malik, for having to watch it and know that at the very end, Marik had regained a part of himself to cry for his younger brother.

Remember that hideous sound, his body began to tremble and the mournful tears that he had never allowed to release, threatened to escape now. Before he humiliated himself, he sought to escape Bakura's vision, but the demon held fast and refused to release his hand, merely saying, "Mourn, if you have to, Malik." And he did; he rested his head against their hands and cried silently while his friend sat there and held his hand and waited it out.

When he was finished, he whispered hoarsely, "This day...I never want to discuss this day, Bakura. Promise me to never bring it up."

"I am as reluctant to recall it in the future as you, Malik. I promise." Malik nodded and after they squeezed each other's hands again, Bakura allowed him to leave. As he walked down the hall, he took something out of his pocket and rubbed his thumb over the black pendant with the swirls of blue and violet mixing inside of it. His thumb chafed the dried blood off and his body threatened to break down on him. Instead, he tucked his brother's pendant into his pocket and was secretly glad that he had gone and taken that small token after Bakura had left. They had both had pendants, but of different colours in the center; Malik had left his with Marik's corpse.

-End Flashback-

Malik stirred from the memory and he shifted on his bed, stiff. He turned on his side and clutched the pendant in his hand, staring dully at the other side of the wall. After a long moment of that vacant stare, he released a breath and closed his eyes, knowing too well that his sleep would be plagued by his brother's yowl of his name.

---

No one was in a pleasant mood the next day for the meeting. Anzu looked as if she had slept poorly, Malik was more disinclined than usual to be there and seemed to be teetering between surly and downright pissy. Atemu, the angel's representative, was on edge, and Seto was on a hate strike (although it was only a bit more violent than usual.) Bakura cheerfully thought that it was the perfect atmosphere for a World Meeting. The only one who was oblivious to it was Jounouchi, who seemed as empty-headed and bouncy as ever. He kept asking Bakura, "Don't dey serve food during dese meetings? Dey should serve food! Make us all happier and all dat great stuff." Bakura was seriously considering over keeping this angel as a pet.

"Alright," Seto rumbled over the grumbling and mutters of the others that were present, "let us recommence the meeting." He flung his wings wide open, extending to the ceiling, and shaking them out and then tucking them against his back as he settled down. There was a long pause of silence while no one said anything. At last, one of the angels meekly asked whether it was appropriate for them to ask permission before leaving Hell. Pandemonium burst out from both the angels and demons, knowing well that they were referring to Anzu. Seto's smile was slow and cruel and not altogether demon-like or anything that had been seen on a creature.

"It is, in fact, not allowed for any demon or angel that has already been involved in the happenings of the World Meeting, to leave in the middle of it, as their partner will be alone, and since they are included in the voting ballots, would not be present to give a vote on a matter." The angels exploded out of their seats, anxious and angry, throwing accusations at the demon representative. He spread his long-fingered hands out helplessly and drawled, "Why not ask your representative if I am being honest?" There was a moment's hesitation as the angels exchanged glances and looked to Atemu. The male gave a soft sigh, looking tired and older than his years.

"He is not lying, my friends. It is illegal for any to leave a World Meeting in the middle. Any other meeting it is allowed, but..." He trailed off, giving a slight shrug.

"Why, Atemu," Malik suddenly spoke up so that the male's attention snapped to him, "you are finally showing the sincere worthlessness of yourself." Anger rose from already honed tempers. Even Anzu had her searing gaze fixed on him. Malik, leaning languorously in his chair, smiled a cold, cold smile that chilled everyone in the room. Bakura's blood went cold as the hot anger that soared up in Malik so fast turned to ice. He had known last night when he mentioned Marik that he might provoke this, but he had expected explosive...but not this. No demon he knew of went cold. No one went cold when they were angry.

At last, Malik rose to his feet and swept them with his gaze before saying softly, "This is Hell, my dear angels, and you best remember who you're dealing with. You had better remember just what you're dealing with. This isn't up in the clouds where everything's nice and cheerful and good Christians that didn't make one fuck-up are allowed up there." His gaze sharpened and the coldness thawed to fierce, hot anger that was just as bad, if not worse, when it came to Malik Ishtar, who had never experienced this type of fury. "I am sick and tired of you hypocrites. You must love your neighbor, you must love everything and be kind and all that shit. Here we are, stuck in the most stupidest meeting I will ever witness and every single one of you angels are flinging what you believe in to the wind. Fine. Then guess what, my dears?" Malik leaned down, slowly and maliciously, his lips curling up in a sneer. "If you're going to act like something other than angels, we will treat you as something other than angels."

He slowly straightened and looked to each of the quivering angels, his eyes touching them briefly. Bakura was reminded of Marik in that instant by that sheer malice that had risen up in his friend. "Now," Malik said with an unpleasant smile, "you have two choices. You go through this meeting, acting like angels, and put forth honest proposals and honest problems, instead of minor complaints about things you know doesn't involve either of these two parties that are seated here. And I swear," he lowered his voice to a hiss, "that if anything but that is put forth, no one in this room is going to live to escape."

Malik finally sat down, looking as serene as he had when he had entered the building. The silence was thick and stank with fear and not only from the angels. Seto was eyeing Malik with open wariness, but Bakura wouldn't dare to insult his only friend by pointing such a look at him. He knew, as he turned his head slightly to look at him, that this was the side of Malik Ishtar no one had seen until now. This was the side that Marik had always tried to bring out, but had no real ammo to do so. Bakura had unintentionally caused this and the shouting and meaningless arguments this morning had stripped the last bit of calmness from him.

"Feeling any better?" Bakura asked in a neutral tone. Malik smiled at him, and it was genuine.

"Yes, quite a bit, thank you." Bakura's own mouth tilted because this was his friend that was talking and smiling, not the creature that had emerged for that short time just a moment ago. He raised his voice and said, "And, as it happens, Atemu, there is a loophole to the law you and Seto were so cheerfully discussing."

"How would you know?" Seto asked in a steel voice.

"I can assure you, Malik, that I have studied the laws," Atemu replied in a much more cautious tone. "I have never – "

"That is because you're a do-gooder and don't ever look between the lines. Demons made the majority of that law and we like all of our laws to have a loophole." Malik reached behind his neck and kneaded the knots gently, closing his eyes as he continued, "If you read the fine print, it is implied that if the woman's life is endangered, they are allowed to leave in the middle of the meeting and any votes they have given will be null and void. Their partner will join with either their representative or, in the case of us demons, their prince."

"Woman?" Atemu repeated in puzzlement.

"This is only an exception for a female, stupid angel," Seto snarled.

"Exactly," Malik replied merrily, a smirk lighting his features. "So bundle up your little angel and – "

"No." The word did not come from either Atemu or Seto. Malik froze and turned slowly to see Anzu staring across her determinedly. His rage threatened to rise again, but he gritted his teeth and stuffed it down. He was too unstable right now. He knew what would happen if he let that fearful anger swallow him up again, if he let it do so too many times. He didn't want to fall into madness like Marik had. If he did, he wouldn't make Bakura suffer that experience again. He would end his own life if he had to. "Thank you, Atemu, for thinking of my safety, and Malik, for informing us of this minor detail they overlooked, but I won't be carted off. Maybe, if I might lose my life for a reason besides my own actions, I would allow it, but not when I did this myself. I am remaining here until the World Meeting is finished and I won't let anyone tell me otherwise."

"But, Anzu – " Jounouchi spoke up, his tone showing brotherly concern.

"No, Jou. I'm finished speaking of this. My mind is made up." There was a pause of silence.

"It is your own choice, angel," Seto said, his eyes holding an odd gleam of respect. He gestured for Atemu to sit and the two representatives sat. Seto glanced at Malik, his mouth pursing, clearly unable to decide whether he should keep a dangerous demon in the building. At last, he turned away and commanded, "Proceed in an organized manner," making it clear that Malik's threat was to be taken none too lightly.

Bakura leaned over Malik and smirked at Anzu. "You would make a good demon," he told her. She blushed and mumbled a shy, unsure "thank you."

---

"Malik." He glanced over his shoulder at Bakura who approached him, his hands tucked in his pockets. He whipped around and grabbed Bakura by the collar, slamming him into the wall, glaring down in his face. Bakura's eyes darkened considerably, but he didn't try and stop him, which was puzzling enough.

"You promised never to bring that up, Bakura," he spat at him. He withdrew Bakura from the wall and slammed him against it again, barely conscious of the sound of skull cracking against brick. "You fucking traitor." Bakura shoved him off without any effort and used the same spell as last night to freeze Malik in place. He snarled and struggled ineffectually, knowing well that he could do nothing. "If you were my friend," he whispered, "you would never have said anything about that...that..."

"What else would have brought some sense into you, Malik? Answer me that. It was the only thing I could say to keep you from preying on that angel." There was a tense pause in which Malik settled and appeared lost in thought. He jerked as if struck and turned a frowning expression on Bakura.

"I wasn't preying on her," he said simply. Bakura let out an exasperated sound, releasing the spell.

"Damn you, Malik," he murmured softly. With anyone else who dared to grab him like that, he would have inflicted heavy damages on them, even Marik. It was beginning to occur to him that one of the reasons he gave Malik the choice of remaining at the sidelines instead of being given the choice of death with his family was because he, Bakura, needed Malik to remain alive. If he had to kill Malik, the only person he had now who he trusted, the only person he could call a friend without hesitation, he wasn't sure he would kill him. "What is it, then, that you think you were doing to her last night? Having a nice little chat? Discussing what to do tomorrow? Is that what you call it? A friendly conversation?"

Malik reached behind him and ruffled his hair, looking bored. There was a wicked gleam in his eyes that contradicted his next words, "I suppose you could call it that." Bakura almost smiled, but didn't allow himself that. The brief argument between them had been forgotten by Malik; he wanted to forget it, too, but wouldn't let himself. "Listen, Bakura," Malik sighed, seeming to sense what Bakura was thinking and unwilling to return to that topic, "demons have taken an interest in an angel before and have acted on it. In most times, the angel is killed by the demon before anyone learns about it. Other times, they're both killed or exiled to Earth as humans. Now, as long as I take care of her before anyone finds out, what's the problem?"

"Because I will know," Bakura growled, his teeth clenched. Malik merely stared at him carelessly. "How can you not understand what that means, Malik? If I, the Prince of Hell, knows, then I have to take care of the problem – which would be you." Malik continued to stare at him and then his gaze shifted.

"Is there something we can help you with?" He asked quietly, causing Bakura to turn. Atemu was standing there, his expression unreadable.

"I never thanked you properly," the angel answered. Bakura suddenly realized that Atemu had heard half of their conversation and knew who it was they were speaking of. Atemu indicated his words to Malik with a nod of his chin, saying, "Anzu will be staying in Hell for the remainder of the meeting, but if I see any demons around her outside of this building – especially either of you two – I won't hesitate to kill you." Both of them gazed at his serious expression and a sliver of unease slipped into their minds. They knew that Atemu was chosen as representative because he was one of the most powerful leaders in Heaven, but had no idea of his actual strength. Angels didn't generally fight and therefore never boasted of their powers. His tight smile made them aware that their concerns were imprinted on their face. "To make it easier for you, I am in the same position as Bakura is in." His expression darkened considerably. "And I will warn you that the person after me isn't a male." His satisfied smile made the name pop in both of their heads, shocking them.

Anzu.

That must be why none of the angels but Jounouchi spoke up, Bakura realized, feeling shaken and unsteady. Atemu and Jou know her the best and wouldn't fear her. She is gentle at heart and has never tried to use that power of hers that I know of. This doesn't explain her fear of Seto in the beginning. The answer came to him just as he thought of that. She didn't know where he lied on that scale. She had assumed, since he was the representative, that he was equal to Atemu. Shit. I don't like this.

"I don't believe you, Atemu," Malik scoffed, his eyes narrowing. "This is her first meeting – a World Meeting, nonetheless. Wouldn't God have sent her before?" Atemu turned his gaze to the demon and eyed him.

"Anzu is still a female, and she has no idea that she is any different than any other angel. I was asked to make certain that she was treated the same as every one else. Jou has never cared about these things, and neither has his sister. The others dislike those whose power overshadows them – mine and Anzu's particularly – because we are so close to being tainted and unlike you, our power can be twisted so we transform into your kind." Atemu's smile was brittle at their frozen expressions. "God didn't want Anzu to go to any meeting in case she was tainted and would no longer be an angel."

Malik snorted. "Have you looked at that girl, Atemu? She is as pure as they come. I would believe Jounouchi more likely to turn demon than her."

"I didn't say he was afraid of her turning into a demon, Malik," he responded, his eyes dark as he turned them on him. "I'm talking about her losing her powers." His mouth thinned as he added, "By consummating with a demon."

End Part II