The Ties That Bind Us
By:
Mystwalker
A/N: Next chapter, they'll be in Japan getting settled, and then I'll have a time skip and the plot will pick up. Please review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.
XxXxX
"So you haven't told her?" asked Isis, setting the cup down in front of her brother. Marik picked it up, taking a small sip and shaking his head. She frowned. "Why not?"
Marik shrugged. "It would be a nice surprise," he said.
"Where is Amane now?" she asked, keeping an eye on her brother.
Another shrug. "Changing, I guess. Why does it matter?"
The door to the kitchen opened, and the girl in question opened the room. Amane was dressed in the clothes she had obtained in town, a white dress that came down to her knees, a pair of brown sandals and a light green vest. She tugged at the glove on her right arm as she walked in, adjusting it so that it was pinned down by the gold bracer she still wore. Although it was early in the morning, the girl's eyes were alert.
"The glove fits perfectly, Marik," she said with a smile as she took the seat next to him, holding her hand up to her face and showing him. "Thanks for getting it for me."
Marik glanced at it once, then placed his hands on the table and pushed himself to his feet. "Good," he said, distractedly. He turned towards Isis and gave her a meaningful look. "I need to check on something outside." He turned around, walking out of the room. The kitchen door closed with a click behind him.
The change in Amane's mood was immediate. The girl's face fell, her smile quickly turning into a scowl as she watched him go. "What's his problem?" she asked.
Isis sighed, placing a hand over her eyes. There was a time when she had been the person who knew Marik best. But that time was past. She had known the child who would become Marik Ishtar. After that disastrous event in the tomb, she thought she had lost her brother. Now, she was beginning to get him back, but it wasn't the same.
She had been hoping that Amane would help bring part of him back, but with her leaving so soon, it seemed like he would rather disengage completely.
"I apologize for my brother," she said, setting a bowl down in front of Amane. "He has things that he's dealing with."
"Well, yeah, so do I," grumbled Amane, stabbing at the porridge Isis had given her with her spoon. "But I'm being nice about it."
"You never did explain how you got sent here," said Isis.
Amane frowned, lifting her spoon to her mouth. "I told you," she said. "Before the Pharaoh sealed himself away into the Puzzle, he sent me back to my own time."
"I understand that," said Isis. "What I'm curious about is how you came to be in Pharaoh Atem's company in the first place."
Amane fell silent, as Isis predicted she would. The girl lowered her eyes and scowled slightly, mechanically shoving food into her mouth. Isis recognized the expression on her face. It was the same look of stubborn reticence that Marik took on when something was bothering him and he refused to talk about it. Again, it made Isis wish that the two wouldn't be separated so soon.
Marik needed a friend. He needed the company of people his own age. Isis understood that. It was why she hoped her plan would succeed. She knew already that Amane would never be part of the group that Marik so disdainfully called the Friendship Brigade. She had been hurt, in her own way, and in her own way she was dealing with it. Their happy-go-lucky attitude towards life would probably only end up being off-putting
And from what Isis had read, she guessed that their stories ran more alongside each other than either of them thought.
Isis waited for the girl to finish eating before she spoke. "Come with me," she said. "I have something to show you."
Amane frowned at Isis with confusion laced with a small amount of suspicion, before nodding once and pushing herself to her feet. She followed Isis out the door and up the stairs, her eyes lingering for a moment on the window that faced the front of the house. Isis glanced at it as well as she passed. Marik stood outside the window, standing out and facing the desert as if he was waiting for something. Amane's frown deepened and she turned away, stomping a little harder on the first step than she needed to as she followed Isis up the stairs.
Isis walked into her bedroom, heading for the small chest she had placed on her desk the night before. She glanced up in time to see Amane step cautiously into the room, her arms folded. Isis glanced away, turning back to the chest.
"I hope you won't see this as an invasion of your privacy," said Isis. "Know that I and my family have been entrusted with the Pharaoh's secrets for many years. I have spent a large amount of time studying the Pharaoh's life, his companions, and how they related to the events that took place just last year. As such, I know a fair amount about the company he kept, and the people that served him."
Amane immediately tensed. Isis saw her hands clench into fists at her side, her green eyes narrowing dangerously. She could sense the danger in the room immediately escalating. However, Isis had faced more dangerous individuals and more dangerous beings before. She did not react, coolly opening the chest and taking its contents into her hand.
"That's why I believe you should have these," he said, handing the cards to Amane.
Amane blinked, the tension in the room immediately dissipating as she took the cards from Isis, her eyes wide as she looked at the monsters on them. Her breath caught in her throat, and in that moment, she didn't look dangerous anymore. She simply looked like what she was—a scared fifteen-year-old girl.
"…You know…" she said.
Isis smiled, nodding. "I know."
"And you still…" There was guilt in her voice now. Isis's smile grew softer.
"I have played host to more dangerous individuals than yourself," she said. "Anything you did, you did in the Pharaoh's service. It was what would have been called a necessary evil."
Amane's shoulders trembled slightly. Isis placed a comforting hand on her. "You haven't told Marik?" she asked.
Amane shook her head. "I don't want him to know," she said. "He'll tell my brother. I don't want him to ever find out. That's why I didn't want to go back. And I told Atem so. I would have…I would have…"
"You would have kept on fighting," said Isis, sympathetically.
"Always."
"It would have been a losing battle," said Isis, gently tilting the girl's face up to face her. "History tells us that now."
Amane said turning away. There were tears in her eyes. Isis sighed. "It wasn't your place, Amane," she said. "Those events were set into motion long before you were even born. You couldn't have changed them. You simply had to play your part in them. And now your part is over and you're home. You get to see your brother again. Aren't you happy about that?"
"I am," said Amane, "I am…but I'm scared."
"Of what?"
"…He won't like me anymore. Because I'm not the same as I was. I've changed."
"Well, Amane, he's changed too," said Isis. "You both will need to figure this out together. But I know the both of you care for each other a lot. You'll make a way." Amane seemed to relax, although she was still uncertain. Isis waited for the weight of her words to sink in, before speaking again. "Do you recognize the monster cards?" she asked.
"Of course," said Amane, a small smile on her face. Her voice shook slightly as she ran her hand over the card. "They are Ka. Mine. Thank you, Isis. You've done so much for me. Both you, and the you from before." She frowned slightly. "I never got to thank the other you."
"It is my pleasure," said Isis. "And I'm sure my past incarnate would have said the same thing." She leaned forward, hugging Amane close. The girl tensed, unsure how to react. Outside, she could already hear the sound of an approaching plane.
"Good luck, Shadow," she said in Egyptian, slowly releasing her. The airplane sound grew louder and louder, the wind from its passing rattling the windows somewhat and sending sand flying everywhere. Amane turned towards the window, her eyes wide. Isis followed her gaze, taking a step back.
"Come," she said. "I believe it's time to meet your brother."
XxXxX
Marik watched as the Blue Eyes White Dragon jet landed neatly on the patch of desert outside of the tomb, a frown on his face as he closed his eyes against the jet of sand. He opened them as he felt the sand clear, his scowl growing as the door opened and the stairs were lowered.
Bakura stepped out first, a bored look on his face. He wore the Millennium Ring around his neck, the gold glinting bright in the sunlight. Marik scowled as Bakura got to the ground, standing in front of him.
"You're late," said Marik.
"And you're short-tempered this morning," said Bakura, a smug smirk appearing on his face. "Did you not get enough sleep?"
Sometimes, Marik wanted to throttle the thief.
Ryou stepped off the jet next, an uncertain frown on his face. The two of them looked almost like twins, and as far as Marik knew, that was indeed what they posed as to outsiders on occasion, but the differences between them were readily apparent to anyone who knew them closely.
"Hello, Marik," said Ryou.
"Hello, Ryou," said Marik. "You're looking…well…"
Ryou looked like he hadn't had much sleep either. Marik guessed that he hadn't slept since their earlier conversation.
"You as well," said Ryou. "Where is she?"
Marik glanced behind him. Amane stood hesitantly in the door, Isis standing behind her. When she saw him looking, her eyes moved past him, landing on Ryou. They widened, and she took off at a run.
"Onii-chan!" she said, running up to him.
Ryou's eyes widened as well, and he opened his arms just in time to catch her as she launched herself at him, quickly wrapping his arms around her and swinging around to keep from being thrown off balance by her momentum. They embraced for a moment, and then the siblings came apart, looking at each other. Ryou, in particular, stared at Amane, as if he couldn't believe she was real.
"You grew out your hair," said Amane, reaching out and touching it.
Ryou's voice cracked. "And you cut yours," he said, placing his hand on her head.
"You're taller."
"So are you."
"I'm sorry…" said Amane.
"It's okay…" said Ryou, bringing her close and hugging her again. He buried his face in her hair, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. Amane rested her head on his chest, her eyes closed as well. "It's okay now…" he muttered. "It's okay."
Marik rolled his eyes, making a face. The reunion was disgustingly sweet. They needed to hurry up and get out of here so he could go back to his peace and quiet. And maybe finally get some freaking peace of mind. Clearly, Bakura seemed to be thinking something along the same lines. He cleared his throat, coughing impatiently into his fist. The siblings reluctantly let go of each other, both of them wiping at her eyes. Marik was horrified to find that both had been crying.
Isis came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, a smile on her face. Marik glanced back at her, giving her a look that plainly said "I am not giving you a hug."
"Amane, this is Bakura," said Ryou, gesturing at Bakura and placing his free hand on Amane's back. "He's…how do I explain this…?"
"I'm your brother's dark side," said Bakura with a sinister smirk. "And his worst nightmare."
"Yes, yes, you're properly terrifying and all that," said Ryou with a sigh, waving his hand in the air dismissively. "Stop scaring my little sister."
"She needs to know what to expect if she's going to be living with us," argued Bakura, still smirking.
"I already know about you," said Amane, turning towards Bakura. "Marik told me. We've met…sort of."
Bakura raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, folding his arms over the Ring.
"Can we hurry this up?" asked an impatient voice from inside the jet. "I have important business to attend to."
Marik looked up at the same time as the others did. Seto Kaiba stood in the doorway of the jet, his usual haughty expression on his face. Ryou nodded and smiled slightly, turning to face Kaiba. "Amane, Seto Kaiba. Kaiba, Amane."
Amane's eyes moved from Kaiba to the dragon-shaped jet and back to Kaiba. A grin spread over her face.
"Oh," she said. "Oh, I get it."
Kaiba stared down at her. "What?" he asked.
"Nothing," said Amane, giggling slightly as if she alone understood the joke. "Nothing at all."
"We'll be there in a minute, Kaiba," promised Ryou. He turned towards Marik, looking apologetic. "Marik, Isis, I'm sorry I can't stay…" he began.
Marik shrugged. "You came to get your sister," he said. "You've got her. There's nothing more to do here."
Ryou looked uncertain. Amane frowned at him. Marik avoided her eyes, keeping his own on Ryou. There was really no reason for her to frown at him like that. It wasn't as if the two of them were friends, or as if he had wanted her to stay.
From behind Ryou, Bakura slipped his hands into his pockets, giving Marik an 'I'm not buying it look'. Marik glared at the tomb robber in response.
"Well, goodbye then," said Ryou.
"Goodbye Ryou, Amane," said Isis, smiling from behind him. "Have a safe journey." Her eyes turned towards Bakura as he moved to join them. "And you as well, Bakura."
"Hn," grunted Bakura in reply.
"Thank you for everything, Isis," said Amane. She turned towards him hesitantly. "Marik…"
Marik sighed inwardly, looking up. Her green eyes met his, and he nodded once. "See you," he said, offhandedly. Not.
Ryou turned, and began to shepherd Amane onto the jet, Bakura following behind them. From behind him, Isis sighed, her hand tightening around his shoulder. "Marik," she said, in a tone of voice that made him look up.
"What?" he asked.
"I've been thinking about this," said Isis, "And you should go."
Marik's eyes widened. "What?" he asked. Had his sister gone completely insane?
"What?" echoed Bakura, whirling around to face her.
"Listen," said Isis, holding up a hand to stop his protests. "Odion is preparing an exhibit for transport to Domino City. It should hopefully be there in the next few months. The Museum will need a translator. I planned on going myself, but…you should go."
"Have you lost your mind?" asked Marik.
"Yes, I agree, have you lost it?" asked Bakura.
"Yami…" said Ryou in a cautious tone. The two siblings had stopped on the first step, and were now looking back at them, Ryou's hand on Amane's gloved arm.
Isis ignored Bakura, turning to face Marik. She placed both her hands on his shoulders. "Marik, you are more than qualified, and it will be good for you to be around people your own age."
"Yes, people I mind-controlled and tried to kill. That's a brilliant idea, sister. I can't believe I never thought of it!" exclaimed Marik sarcastically.
"Marik, you're never going to be free of this if you don't face it," said Isis, sternly. "You can attempt to live a normal life for once. It's a greater opportunity than I had been given."
Marik couldn't help it. He laughed. It was a frustrated, twisted laugh, but it was still a laugh. Bakura laughed too, damn him, but he was actually amused. Marik wondered how many friends he would make if he stabbed the thief.
Ryou might be upset, but he couldn't really see anyone else minding.
"I'm serious, Marik," said Isis, the only one out of the three of them who was decidedly unamused. "I don't like seeing you the way you are out here. Being so close to this place is killing you. So please."
"Do you want to get rid of me that badly?" asked Marik.
"I want what's best for you," said Isis. "I've always wanted that. My place is here. But it's stifling you."
"Whoever's getting on this jet better get on in the next five minutes or I'm leaving!" threatened Kaiba from inside.
Ryou and Amane immediately turned their heads, startled. Ryou gave Isis and Marik another apologetic look, before hurrying up the steps. Bakura followed them, smirking widely at Marik before taking the steps slowly. Marik scowled, about to turn away, but Isis grabbed his wrist to stop him.
"One year," she said. "Finish one school year. The exhibit will be gone by then, and you can decide what you want to do."
Marik glanced back at her, frowning. "One school year?" he asked. "That's it?"
Isis nodded.
"And then you'll admit that this was a bad idea and let me do what I want?"
"If it turns out that way, yes," said Isis.
Marik scowled, glancing up at the jet and then back at his sister. "I don't like the idea of you being here alone," he said.
"Marik, I've certainly not become so useless that I need to rely on my younger brother," said Isis, smiling at him. "Odion will be back soon. I can handle myself until then."
Marik sighed, torn. Bakura poked his head out of the jet, turning towards him. "Two minutes, Ishtar!" he called. "Make up your bloody mind!"
Marik stared at Isis for a moment before sighing in resignation, walking away. "Fine!" he yelled. "But I'm bringing my bike!"
Ten minutes later, the motorcycle had been loaded into the dragon jet, Marik had exchanged a quick farewell with Isis and a promise to call, and Kaiba was getting more frustrated with each minute that passed his original deadline. The tomb keeper quickly got into the jet, dropping into the nearest seat and tossing the bag he had hastily packed into an empty chair.
"Finally," said the CEO, sighing in relief. "Let's get out of here."
Marik closed his eyes and leaning his head back as the jet took to the skies. Across from him, Ryou and Amane were sitting together, exchanging stories about the details of their lives apart. He turned his head and looked out at the window, trying to tune them out. In front of them, Kaiba was already involved in a conference call, the CEO apparently never having heard an airline safety message in his life. He still couldn't believe what he'd gotten himself into.
This was going to be a long flight.