Hello all! It's been how long since I've updated? Honestly I've got no good excuses. So here's a bad one. IT WAS THE BUTTERFLY I TELL YOU, THE BUTTERFLY! O-O (ahem) Not entirely happy with this chapter, it's mostly just to fill in a few details. Oh well.

I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh if I did...uh...I would...own Yu-Gi-Oh ?

Anzu stared at her reflection in the mirrored wall of her soul room. A lost looking girl stared back. Why did all this happen? She was a teenager who dreamed of being a dancer, not saving the world. She should be worrying about passing her trigonometry test, not facing down a mad man for the fate of mankind.

'This is all that stupid puzzle's fault' she thought bitterly but her words lacked conviction. She wanted to blame the Pharaoh for her friend's fates but in her heart she knew it wasn't true. Yami never asked for all the trouble his unknown past brought on them, none of them did. It wasn't the puzzle's fault.

It was his.

Malik Ishtar.

The tanned Egyptian was still sitting in the corner, his eyes trained on the floor directly in front of him. He hadn't said a word after she snapped at him earlier. A twinge of guilt tugged at her heart. He was only trying to be considerate or at least she assumed that's what he was trying to do. She wasn't about to apologize though. Not yet at least, not until she was sure this wasn't just some act to get his body back and take Marik's place as ruler of the world. If she was going to help him she needed him to be completely honest with her and answer any questions she had without trying to manipulate her. Her eyes flicked to him for a moment before looking away once more. She'd have to talk to him eventually, may as well get it over with. She thought of something to say and one very important question sprung to mind.

"How are you here?"

Malik's head snapped up at the question. Her earlier comment had left him with the impression she was going to ignore him for the remainder of her sleep. If she was willing to make conversation with him he would eagerly comply

"What do you mean exactly?" he asked. Anzu shifted from her position on the divan, refusing to look at him directly but instead at his reflection in the mirror opposite

"I mean how did you get inside my soul room? Last time I checked you needed a millennium item to even see what one looked like and you clearly don't have the rod anymore" Malik wetted his lips nervously

"Well ... do you remember when the pharaoh and Jounouchi duelled at the pier?"

Anzu thought for a moment

"No ..." she answered unsurely "I don't remember it at all. Honda filled me in on the details afterwards" her eyes narrowed accusingly on Malik's reflection "He said something about me almost swallowing a capsule of poison and Jounouchi trying to kill Yugi. I assumed you were controlling us" Malik nodded guiltily

"Yes. At that time I set up a mind link with the two of you as well a third member of your group. The link I had with Jounouchi was shattered during the duel and I was forced out of him completely. After the duel I released you from under my control but still had the mind link intact"

"So you were hiding in my soul since then?"

"Yes"

"And you were using me to spy on my friends?"

"No! Not at all... well maybe a little but it was mostly to ensure no one saw through my guise as Namu. Anyway the point is since I never lost my mind link with you I was able to hide away in here when my dark side took control of my body" he hesitated, choosing his next words wisely " You were sort of like a ...host for my soul until I could get my body back."

'Like a parasite' she thought with a shudder of disgust. The knowledge of Malik being inside her body without her knowing about it made her feel violated and embarrassed. He was in her very soul, he could have done God knows what in here and she would have been none the wiser.

Sensing her unease he quickly added "I didn't do anything to your soul, I've just been sitting here watching the situation through your eyes"

"But what about the finale duel?" she asked sceptically "Your soul was being used for your dark sides life points, weren't you destroyed at the end of the duel?" Malik shook his head

"I would have if he had lost but his life points never hit zero so I was never fully destroyed. So long as my soul still exists in the real world there's still a chance I can reclaim my body" Anzu's eyebrows furrowed

"So in other words" she began slowly "the only reason you brought me out of the shadow realm was because I was housing the only piece of your soul that's left and without me in the real world you wouldn't be able to reclaim your body"

Malik gulped, not liking the supposedly calm tone she was using. Everything she had said was true. She was his last chance since his link with Bakura had been lost in their duel against his dark side. None of the links he set up with his rare hunters were nearly as strong as hers and even if they were he doubted any of them would be willing to lay down their lives for mankind. Noble souls didn't make good minions after all. As he mused he was unintentionally drawing out the already tense atmosphere.

Finally with a discreet gulp he quietly mumbled "Basically"

Silence filled the room. Anzu's face had become blank and emotionless like a mannequin, staring dead ahead at Malik's reflection. The tanned boy wrung his hands together nervously, anxiously awaiting her response. Would she scream at him for using her? Would she just forgive him and treat him as a friend? He hoped it was the latter. Then slowly, very slowly Anzu nodded, her lips a thin line.

"All right"

Malik blinked in surprise and sighed in relief. 'Thank Ra.'

His thoughts were cut off a split second before the picture frame collided with his face. With a yelp he dodged the flung object, the picture bouncing off the mirrored walls like a tennis ball. He had little time to relax as he felt something hard and round hit his shoulder.

"Ow!" he yelped as the bruised apricot rolled away from him, his shoulder sprinkled with its sweet juices. He looked up and flinched at the image of rage standing at the opposite side of the room, blazing blue eyes locked on his crouched form.

"YOU BASTARD!" she screamed, ripping another apricot off the tree besides her. Malik ducked, the fruit splattering inches above his head against the glass, showering him with juices and pulp. "You selfish, unbelievable scum, did you even consider how I would feel about you using me like this? Like some kind of twisted puppet!" Malik held his hands up in defence.

"Just calm down and let me explain. I was running out of options and while your feelings weren't my biggest concern –"he regretted the words the second they left his lips, Anzu's body visibly tensing like a cat ready to pounce "Wait! That didn't come out right, I just meant there were more important things going on at the time and, oh Ra that didn't sound right either I just-, what are you doing with that?"

Anzu crept towards him, eyes narrowed and lips pulled back in an almost animalistic snarl, the fabric of the cushion in her hand clenched tightly in her fist. Malik gulped, he never thought someone like her could look so threatening. That cushion may as well be a sharpened axe. Slowly he slid up the mirror behind him, watching her approaching form warily "Maybe you should take a minute to calm do-"

The cushion hit him over the head before he could finish. The blow was soft and didn't actually hurt. The second one was much harder but still did little damage. He shut his eyes and raised his hands over his head to defend himself from Anzu's onslaught of repeatedly swinging the cushion at him, her grip on the fabric turning her knuckles white.

"You stupid, selfish, unbelievable, idiotic, moronic, thick headed, lying, muscle brained, doesn't think of the consequences of his actions fork tongued scumbag!" For a moment Marik was distracted from the constant bumping of the cushion over his head to marvel at the number of times she had called him stupid in one sentence. Anzu's face was flushed red and her voice was trembling with rage. "How could you?! How could you ...you ...do ...some ...thing so, so, so-. "

The cushion fell from her hand, her arms growing tired. She took deep breaths, her face downcast and her eyes shadowed by her bangs. Malik opened his eyes, watching her warily, unsure of what he should do or how he should react. Before he could however Anzu fell forward, her head falling on his shoulder and her hands fisting in his shirt.

Malik tensed instantaneously, not expecting the sudden contact. He waited for her to shove him away, to feel disgusted for touching something as rotten as him.

But she didn't, she just leaned on him, breathing deeply with her shoulders shaking occasionally. She wasn't crying, which he was extremely grateful for. This moment was already awkward enough. He watched her silently briefly wondered if she was waiting for him to comfort her but dismissed the thought just as quickly as it came. She wasn't leaning on him because she wanted him to whisper sweet lies to her; she was leaning on him because she was both physically and mentally exhausted.

He could feel them; the chaotic emotions wreaking havoc on her soul were slowly breaking her resolve. Emotions were like a double edged sword; they gave you the experience of happiness and love but also sadness and loneliness. And right now Anzu was experiencing the deepest of those dark emotions.

Despair.

How was she supposed to save the world when all she ever did was stand behind Yami while he did it for her? Time and time again he saved them all from dire situations and all she had ever done was cheer him on from the sidelines. She was no hero. She was just a lost little girl playing a game she didn't understand.

"I can't do this" she whispered, her voice so hollow Malik cringed "All my friends are gone and I don't want to even think about what's happened to my family. Kaiba and Mokuba are all I've got left and if I leave them I really will have nothing. I, I can't" She raised her head, her eyes darkened and dull as they met Malik's gaze "You chose the wrong person"

"No I didn't" Malik replied firmly "You're stronger than you think Anzu. I realised that pretty quickly being in here. You're determined and noble, you have strength-"

"My friends were my strength" she tightened her grip on his shirt "Without them I'm just-"

"Were you're friends there when you woke up on the beach? Were they walking alongside you as you made your way to this city?" Malik's voice took on a softer tone "Your friends are your support not your strength. I know they often seem like one in the same but they're not. You can do this Anzu"

She stared at him a moment, surprised he could be so compassionate. Slowly she loosened her grip on him, stepping back but never breaking eye contact with him. Wearily her eyes slid shut. Taking a deep breath she squared her shoulders and opened her eyes once more. Malik almost smiled. He could see the spark inside her eyes beginning to burn again.

"I have just one question for you Malik" she said seriously. He raised an eyebrow nervously

"And that is?" To his utter shock Anzu cracked a smile, her tone taking on a lighter note

"How exactly are we supposed to get to Egypt?

Malik blinked. Slowly the side of his mouth turned up in a half smile

"I have no idea"

Anzu rolled her eyes, still smiling

This was going to be a long night.

Yay! Anzu no longer hates Malik's guts. Maybe. So how will Anzu get to Egypt? And what trials await her when she gets there? If you want to know you'll have to review!