Disclaimer: I don't own these...duh.
"Marik, you twisted, evil, diabolical madman!" Bakura pushed past Atem and lunged for Marik's throat. The yami made no protest. 'Kura caught Marik's shoulders in a vise-like grip and forced him down onto the stone floor. Again he made no complaint; he simply took the abuse and smiled smugly.
"You always were one to act before thinking, weren't you?" The yami's face twisted into a mask of rage. "But no more, Yami Bakura! This is my time to shine!" He lifted the Rod and blasted 'Kura's body across the room, the dull crack of 'Kura hitting the wall vibrated through the room to be echoed by sharp groans of pain. His body slumped over and sagged with a defeated sigh.
"Bakura! C'mon, get up 'Kura! We can take this guy!" Jou shook the lifeless body with little response. Anzu hid her face in her hands, trying to mask the hot tears streaming down her face.
"Ha, ha, ha! We? Come now, Katsuya Jounouchi, even with an Item I doubt you could defeat me! Besides, this battle doesn't concern innocent bystanders...but if some want to volunteer for needless slaughter I'm not the one complaining." Marik barked a high-pitched, harsh cackle. The veins in his hands and neck, even in his eyes, were bulging with the adrenaline surge running through him.
"Enough, Marik! Why are you going through all this trouble to see Bakura suffer? Why steal Ryou, why?" Anzu gathered her courage and began shrieking at Marik, actually taking the yami off-guard. She didn't stop at his surprised reaction, the adrenaline pumping through her system was the momentum she needed. "You think that just because 'Kura decided to leave the destruction and evil to you that you can just take your revenge because he finally saw that all the violence wasn't necessary?! Little Ryou helped Bakura see the error of his ways, he helped turn him into a better person! And you want to kill him?! WHY?!"She was so exhausted from screaming at Marik that she dropped down onto her knees and fell forward and succumbed to unconsciousness.
"Ha, I will say in all honesty I wasn't expecting that." Marik cracked a grin and ignored the explosive behaviour, turning his attention to the only two conscious victims...Atem and Jounouchi. He turned slowly towards them and stroked the Rod with an absent mind.
"You know, I suppose it doesn't make much sense to take my revenge on all of you. I suppose knowing the basis for my...rashness...is something that needs to be explained." He took a step closer and Jounouchi inwardly whimpered in fear. It was at that moment that Bakura regained consciousness and began listening to Marik's monologue.
"Yes, in the beginning Bakura and I were nothing but pure evil...the baddest of the bunch. It felt so good, it still does, to cheat people out of their possessions, their souls, bringing them material and personal destruction. I believed Bakura would be by my side forever, just the two of us. After a time I began to feel a love for him, a sort of kinship that I knew only the two of us shared. It made me feel...special. When I met Malik I also loved him, but more as my brother. I could never love somebody the way I loved 'Kura. But then my 'Kura met Ryou and my world fell apart. He never returned the affections I felt for him. Destruction and death no longer pleased him the way the did before. He loved Ryou more than he loved me. I always knew Ryou was out to get me, he convinced 'Kura that the life of violence wasn't the right path for Yami and took him away from me! Now I'm going to take away the one thing that matters to him most of all, little Ryou!" He turned and faced Bakura. "If you'd only loved me, none of this would ever have to happen! WHY DID YOU NEVER LOVE ME?!?" Marik broke down in tortured sobs and fell down to his knees.
"Marik loves Bakura? How can that be?" Atem said incredulously.
"I dunno." Jounouchi stated simply. He glanced over as Bakura slowly raised his head. "Oh, 'Kura, thank goodness! We thought you were a dead man!" He reached down to help the yami up, but Bakura refused to take his hand. He crawled over to the shaking form of Marik and wrapped his arms around the cloaked form.
"Oh, Marik...this is a dirty way of revenge. I do miss the old days, I miss being your friend sometimes, but I know my place in this time is with my friends and little Ryou. I always thought of you as my brother, Marik. I've loved you like the brother I never had. Now I do, Ryou! And you have Malik, but never forget that that love is still there...brother." He squeezed Marik's body in a weird hug. He lifted Marik's chin and pressed a kiss onto his lips, briefly.
"Whoa..." Jou blushed slightly and turned his back on the hunkered pair. A sudden sound of rustling fabric brought all attention to Ryou, sitting up in the bed and rubbing his eyes.
"Wha--what's going on? Jou? Atem? Anzu? BAKURA?" He looked around, panicking.
"It's alright now, Ryou. Everything is going to be fine." He looked up to Ryou and smiled, promising. He looked back down to Marik's tear-streaked face, standing him up on his feet.
"I'll love you forever, Brother. That's for all time," he said quietly. He offered him his hand.
"Yes, Brother, for all time." Marik clasped the offered hand and they embraced once more before they all left the palace.
THE NEXT DAY...
"Alright class! Tell me what happened to you this weekend," the teacher sang. "How about you Bakura?"
He smiled at Jou, Anzu, Atem, and Ryou all in turn. "Oh, nothing much. Hung out with friends, went to a really old house and dealt with a very bad man."
"Oh dear, that sounds exciting!" the teacher remarked.
Bakura smirked. "You don't know the half of it."
YAY!! RYOU IS SAFE! The story is now complete! I hope you enjoyed it, I had fun writing it! Please review, this is my biggest fic so if you don't like it please don't flame me! XD -ghastlymortal