Authors Note: I would like to thank all of my reviewers for supporting me. I really do appreciate it.

Beauty in art is often nothing but ugliness subdued. ~ Jean Rostand

Chapter 3: BECOMING BEASTLY

As Marik stood over the sleeping figure known as Seto Kaiba he contemplated whether he should just let the boy grow up in a world of false hope and die miserably alone. Alas he decided against it. That was not what the gods wanted or else they wouldn't have sent him to deal with this boy. He smirked thinking about the punishment he was going to deal with the boy. 'Oh sweet revenge' Marik thought. He placed his hand over Kaiba's head.

"Let me enter your dreams so your punishment may be deemed" He said in Egyptian.

Kaiba looked around him as he saw lights, bright neon lights. He recognized this place. The dance, it was the dance. But something wasn't right. It felt different. He looked around and saw himself standing next to Ryuugi. He had to be dreaming.

"I can't believe you actually came here. Did you actually think I would go out with a freak like you. You almost cost me the election and publicly humiliated me but hey if you wanna enjoy the dance you could always buy a ticket. Here's a tip sometime they let you in if your eye candy." Dream-Kaiba turned to the kid handing out tickets "Do you think he's eye candy."

"Well the rules are that you need a ticket." The boy said

Dream-Kaiba smirked "I bet it sucks to be ugly."

All Dream-Marik did was smirk back "You will never learn will you, Seto Kaiba. I have no choice." As Dream-Kaiba walked away Dream-Marik started to murmur Egyptian under his breath.

Kaiba winced. Now that he actually heard what he had said he realized it was actually a bit harsh.

He turned to Dream-Marik who was…..smirking? At him. Why the hell was he smirking! Kaiba just murdered him socially; he should be crying his eyes out, Dammit!

"You know Kaiba that scowl on your face isn't very attractive and I know how much being means to you." Marik said.

"Why are you talking to me in my dreams Ishtar? Isn't it bad enough we talked at the dance?" Kaiba said in a not-so-much-asking-but-telling tone.

"Please don't flatter yourself. I wouldn't be in this dream if I had the choice." Marik stated.

"Then get the fu-" Kaiba froze. Everything around Marik went black as his eyes started to glow.

"Maybe you don't understand. You are not in control of this dream." Said Marik. "I am."

"What the hell do you want from me anyway?" the brunet asked.

"Oh that, dear boy, is quite simple." He said as he walked closer to the tall boy until that were only inches apart. "I want to make you understand." He whispered.

"Understand what exactly?" He asked.

"This." Marik outstretched his arm and in his hand appeared the millennium rod.

"Leave me alone you FREAK!" Kaiba said as he began to run away.

"That won't work, remember I control this dream." Said platinum blonde said. He snapped his fingers and Kaiba froze in place.

"What the-Why can't I move?"

"That would be because of my shadow magic."

"Look l'm sorry, ok? Are you happy now?"

"No I'm not. The gods believe you need to be thought a lesson and I'm just the person for that."

"What are you?" Kaiba asked his voice full of fear.

"I'm just a messenger." He whispered. His eyes started to glow as he raised the millennium rod. "Let the way you are in shine on the out, so he may know what true beauty is about. This is something you cannot undo, unless you find someone who can see better than you. Find this person within four months time, or stay like this until the day you die." When Marik finished speaking he snapped his fingers and suddenly Kaiba felt himself falling and-

*thump* he hit his bedroom floor. "Dammit." He muttered as he got up. He walked to his bathroom. He turned on the cold water and splashed some on his face and started to pant. 'It was just a dream.' He told himself. Honestly he didn't know why that dream bother him so much. He turned off the water, dried his face off with a towel and looked at himself in the mirror.

"WHAT THE HELL!" He screamed. What happened to him? His hair was bleach white and cut into a mohawk. His normally pale skin was slightly tan with what looked like scales in random places on his body. His nose was in the shape of a snout. Kaiba looked down at his hands and saw that his nails were pointed in the shape of claws.

"You look well Kaiba."

Kaiba looked up at the mirror and instead of seeing his reflection he saw Marik.

"Ishtar, what did you do me?"

"Nothing."

"Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"Kaiba all I did was make you look the way you are."

"No you made me a freak."

"Hmm. It must suck to be ugly." Marik smirked.

Kaiba raised his hand and punched the mirror. It shattered into a million pieces.

"That won't get rid of me" Marik said.

"What the-" Kaiba turned to see Marik standing behind him.

"Listen Kaiba, you have four months months to find someone who can see beauty in you. Or stay like this forever. Now give me your hand." He said.

"Why should I? Looked what you've done"

"Just do it or I'll make it permanent."

Kaiba reluctantly gave Marik his hand. Marik put his hand around Kaiba's wrist. When he removed it his hand there was a pale white, oval shape on his skin.

"It's an egg. When the egg hatches in it will be a dragon. When the dragon has three heads then your time will be up." And just like that Marik disappeared.