A/N:Thanks for reviews. I'm glad that everyone enjoyed the fluff so much, because I know I certainly did! Now I've had this posted on my profile for a while, but I'll re-post it here. This week marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month, which means that there is a chance my updates may temporarily become sporadic. I'm going to try to keep working on my fanfiction on the side, and barring any unforeseen circumstances I should be able to do that, but if I miss an update you all know what happened. Having said that, enjoy the story!
Isis Ishtar, as she was known to the outside world, had made an effort not to show it, but she was completely aware of just how pissed her brother was when she'd gotten off the phone with him the night before. In fact, she'd been expecting that reaction, and had already decided what she would do about it. Malik was the kind of person who would only get angrier the longer she put off speaking to him, which was why she was entering the Kaiba mansion at nine the very next morning. The maid who had let her in led her to a large meeting room on the third floor, where Seto, Jou, Bakura, Mariku, Yami, Yuugi, Ryou and Malik were waiting for her. She was interested to note that none of them looked especially happy to see her, though Yuugi offered her a very tiny smile, a gesture that she appreciated. Malik just scowled, his violet eyes showing no warmth whatsoever.
"Hello, Isis-san. What brings you here?" Yami asked, looking all for the world as though she had just swung by on a casual business call. He knew her well, as she had been the one to seek him out after one of her visions, and they had kept in touch for several years while Yami waited for the Puzzle to appear. What he didn't know, or at least as far as Isis knew he didn't, was that she had known the identity of their lights from the moment she first made contact with him. She had purposely kept that information a secret from all of them, not just her brother, for a good reason. Bonds forged between yami and hikari without the help of the items were dangerous.
"Malik informed me that the Puzzle, Rod, and Rin had found, and that the bonds had been created. I wished to see the results for myself," she answered quietly, acutely aware of the surprised looks she was receiving from the three hikaris. Uncomfortably, she fingered the Millennium Tauk, which she was wearing around her neck for the first time in Malik's presence. Her statement was mostly the truth, but her ulterior motive was to make an attempt at smoothing things over with Malik.
She had known from the moment that she'd had her vision about the three lights and their darknesses that Malik would hate her for her part in this. There was nothing that her brother hated more than being forced into things, which, considering their earlier life, wasn't that surprising. That knowledge had been a heavy burden on her soul every time she spoke to the yamis about finding the Millennium items and through them, their lights. But what else could she do? Malik was only half of a soul, forever incomplete without his darker half, and he had been living the kind of life that no child should ever have to put up with. No matter how much he might detest the situation, there was no doubt in her mind that Mariku would do whatever was necessary to protect and provide for his little light, no matter how crazy he was. If the price she paid for keeping Malik safe was that he hated her, so be it. Isis was willing to accept that if she had to.
"Wait, you two know each other?" Malik said suddenly, narrowing his eyes. He glanced from her to Yami and back again. "How?"
"Isis-san is the reincarnation of one the Pharaoh's Head Priestess," explained Yami calmly, seemingly unperturbed by Malik's reaction. "Like that Priestess, she owns the Millennium Tauk, which grants the wearer the ability to see visions of the past and future. She first approached me about two years ago and offered her help in trying to find our lights after one of those visions. In the meantime, she has also been helping me to track down the Millennium Key and the Millennium Scale."
Betrayal flashed into Malik's eyes as he put two and two together and realized that his sister had known even more than he had originally guessed. Without a word, he stood up and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Isis rose and gracefully bowed in Yami's direction before she hurried after her brother, knowing that the confrontation would be better served without witnesses. She chased him all the way to the kitchen, where she found him pacing back and forth, waiting for her to arrive. Swallowing hard, she moved further into the room and reached for his arm, hoping to give him some form of comfort. Malik jerked out of her hold and glared at her.
"Don't touch me," he practically hissed. "How could you? Have you known about this all along and you never bothered to tell me about it? Why would you... how could you keep something like that from me?"
"I knew you weren't ready," Isis told him sadly, trying to keep her voice steady. "I knew that it would upset you, Malik. I wanted to break the news of your yami and the Millennium items to you more gently. I never intended for you to find the Millennium Rod so quickly." She sighed. "I should have realized that fate would intervene and hand you the Rod whether you were prepared for it or not."
Malik shook his head. "You've known about this for ages," he said accusingly. "I remember when we were younger, you got angry with me for asking about the Millennium items. I always figured that it had something to do with what the clan was protecting, but that wasn't it at all, was it? Even though, you knew about my connection to the Rod. You were concerned that I would come into contact with it and find out what was going on!"
"I admit that I had my suspicions, but it wasn't until the Millennium Tauk found its way to me that I knew for sure," she replied. "At that time, I didn't know you were connected to the items. It really was our clan's job to protect them, and that was supposed to be the extent of our involvement. That's the truth. After we were cast out, and we were living on the surface, the Millennium items were stolen. Sometime later, I found the Tauk. I was compelled to put it on, and it gave me a vision that told me about the Rod and your yami. I wanted to tell you, Malik. Please believe me. I was just... I knew how much you would hate it." Her voice came out a whisper.
"If you really wanted to protect me, you would've taken this thing away from me," he pointed out, indicating the Rod. "You could've given it to one of your friends to take back to Egypt. Not left it where I could find it!"
Isis took a deep breath to contain the flare of anger she was feeling. "I didn't leave it where you could find it, you were snooping through my things," she snapped. "Something I've asked you not to do many times before!"
"I'm sorry for that, but..." He glared at her, backing away another step and folding his arms across his chest defensively. "I really can't believe this."
"My brother, please," Isis pleaded, her hands stretched out before her in a sign of peace. "I apologize for keeping this information from you. It was wrong and I admit that. I should have told you before. But I still think it's for the best. I wouldn't do a thing differently." His eyes went wide, and she rushed to continue before he could begin yelling again. "I wouldn't! Malik, you know the way Father treats us is wrong. I can't bear watching you get hurt again and knowing that there's nothing I can do about it." Tears glistened in her eyes. "I knew that your darkness would be able to keep safe you in ways that I can't. That's why I didn't take the Rod away. It's not right for you to have that sort of life. You deserve so much more, and aside from that, you need the other half of your soul to be complete. You can't be happy unless you're whole."
"It wasn't your choice to make," he said coldly, shivering. "I just... I can't even talk to you right now."
"Malik!" She watched in dismay as he turned and walked out the back door of the Kaiba mansion, into the pouring rain. Not a moment later, Ryou entered the kitchen and followed Malik outside without so much as a glance in her direction. Bakura and Mariku were right behind him, and both of them gave her threatening glares when they noticed that she was contemplating following the two lights. Isis concealed a sigh and retreated, knowing that it wouldn't be wise to push her luck around the protective yamis. Seto, Jou, Mokuba, Yami and Yuugi had assembled in a large living room just to the left of the kitchen and were clustered around the television. None of them appeared to notice when she slipped by them on her way out the door. Or at least, that's what she thought, until she reached the front door and heard a voice that stopped her.
"You knew about this from the beginning, Ishizu-san?"
She rested a hand on the door and wished with all of her might that she wouldn't have to turn and face him, but she couldn't just leave. Slowly, she glanced back, looking into the enormous violet orbs that could make anyone feel guilty. "I did what I thought was best, Yuugi-kun," she told him softly. "Maybe my brother is right and I should have told you before... but I don't regret influencing the yamis in their decision to come to Domino City. It was the right thing to do."
Yuugi flinched, and she realized that none of them had known her part in this ran that deep. "Malik is really upset," he said hesitantly, twining his fingers together. "But... I think he'll forgive you."
Her eyes flicked past Yuugi, to where Yami stood hovering protectively in the shadows. Malik wasn't the only one who benefitted from having his darker half around. She'd been around Yuugi for years; she could've taken the Puzzle away from him and prevented him from solving it, and Yuugi no doubt knew it. "And you and Ryou?" she asked with a half smile, almost afraid to hear what the answer would be. "Will you?"
The younger boy said nothing, but then again, she didn't really need a vocal answer. It was all there in the way he looked at her and smiled, just a bit. Isis felt relief, light and sweet, flow through her and knew that she probably looked foolish, but she didn't care. She smiled broadly at Yuugi, not daring to touch him with Yami so close, and opened the door to step out into the rain. Her next task would be the same as always... trying to track down the other two Millennium items before Pegasus did. But somehow even the prospect of that was no longer daunting, now that she knew there was at least a chance that she could repair things between her and Malik.
GMA
The stormy look on Malik's face was matched only by the actual storm that was going on above them. Ryou glanced at his friend out of the corner of his eye, studying the blond, before he sighed. Bakura and Mariku were no doubt hovering in the kitchen, and he suspected that the two of them were being watched, but at least the yamis seemed to have enough sense to stay back and not approach. It was clear from his rigid stance that the last thing Malik wanted was to be reminded of just what his sister had gotten him into. Unfortunately, he also knew that Malik needed to talk about it. He edged closer to the other boy and, after another crack of thunder and echoing flash of lightening, spoke.
"You're upset about more than just Ishizu-san, I can tell. What's wrong?"
"I really hate when you do that," Malik mumbled, though there was no malice in his voice. His shoulders slumped, and he stared at the ground. "I thought that when we left the clan, I would have the chance to make all of my own decisions. It was the part about life on the surface that I was most looking forward to. When I think about being connected to Mariku for the rest of my life... I feel so trapped."
Ryou's expression softened, and he reached out to place a gentle hand on Malik's arm. "Malik, just because you have a bond with Mariku doesn't mean you have to be around him all the time. I certainly don't want to be with Bakura forever."
"Do you really think you'll have that choice?" asked Malik, sounding sceptical. "You heard them talking about that Pegasus guy and how he's trying to steal the Millennium items. Look at what he did to Kaiba and Jou. If what they're saying is true, then he'll be coming after ours at some point. Nee-san said that she believes Mariku will protect me." He rolled his eyes, looking affronted. "She's always right. That, to me, means that the yamis aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Not as long as Pegasus is a threat to any of us."
Blinking, Ryou opened his mouth and then closed it. "I hadn't thought about it that way. Shit." He dropped his head into his hands and groaned loudly. Bakura was already driving him crazy. "No wonder Yuugi looked so annoyed this morning. I meant to ask him what was wrong and I never got the chance."
"That's not the only reason," Malik said, smirking. "I walked in on him and Yami this morning."
"Walked in on them?" Ryou echoed, eyes wide. "You don't mean...?"
"Nothing like that. They were on the couch and Yuugi was sleeping with his head in Yami's lap. For someone who reportedly wants nothing to do with Yami, he looked pretty comfortable," the blond said. He'd resisted the urge to wake Yuugi up and embarrass the hell out of his friend by teasing him. None of them were having a particularly easy time dealing with their yamis and the Millennium items, and if Yuugi felt comfortable enough around Yami to sleep beside him, good for him. Malik was actually a little envious. Just being around Mariku was enough to make him remember the completely confusing kiss from the night before, and it left him feeling on edge.
"Wow," Ryou said, looking pretty impressed. He'd slept in one of the guest bedrooms the night before, but he wasn't quite sure where Bakura had been. "And you?"
"W-what about me?" Malik stuttered.
"You're blushing," said Ryou with a grin. "Spill it."
Malik sputtered and his cheeks grew even darker. He ducked his head and mumbled, "Mariku kissed me."
Out of respect for the mortified expression on Malik's face, Ryou resisted the urge to squeal; he could tell that Malik didn't really want to talk about it, so he forced himself to give a simple nod as he looked out into the pouring rain. Underneath the bubble of happiness, the news made him feel strange. Mariku had kissed Malik and Yami had slept beside Yuugi, but Bakura hadn't so much as given him a second look since he'd gotten up that morning, and they'd spent all last night arguing. Was he jealous? Ryou frowned. No, it wasn't like he wanted Bakura to kiss him or sleep beside him, but he couldn't help feeling frustrated that his own yami didn't seem to care about him in the slightest. Then again, Bakura had said it himself: he was only interested in the power that Ryou and the Millennium Ring could provide. He sighed and raised a hand to finger the Millennium ring, completely unprepared for when Malik jabbed in the ribs.
"Ow! What?" he asked, glaring at Malik.
"I said, I think Bakura is waiting for you," Malik repeated, pointing to the mansion. Sure enough, Bakura was standing just outside the door, scowling in their direction.
"We're supposed to go talk to Samira-san," Ryou mumbled. As anxious as he was to find out about his father's fate, he really didn't feel like spending time with Bakura. But it had been Bakura's idea, and he didn't feel right about preventing the older boy from coming along. Besides, it was unlikely that Bakura would agree to even if he did suggest it. Reluctantly, unable to resist one last comment, he turned to his friends. "We'll talk some more later, but you know your sister loves you, and she really was just trying to protect you. Remember that, Malik."
"Good-bye, Ryou," said Malik pointedly, rolling his eyes.
Smiling to himself, Ryou left his friend and tried not to notice the glare Bakura aimed in his direction as they walked back into the house. Seto had agreed to let them borrow one of his chauffeured cars for the morning, so at least they wouldn't have to walk all the way back to his neighbourhood. Ryou was grateful about that, until he realized that he'd underestimated just how uncomfortable it would feel to be trapped in a car with Bakura. He shot a desperate glance towards Yuugi as they headed out the front door, who gave a subtle shrug and a helpless look in return. Biting back a groan, Ryou reluctantly got into the car and sat as far away from Bakura as he could possibly get. Thank god it was only about a fifteen minute drive to his house, though it ended up feeling much longer.
It was a completely silent drive, broken only by Ryou's quiet sigh of relief as the car pulled up in front of the home he had once shared with his family. He got out of the car and studied the house as Bakura joined him. Even though he had only been gone for a day, the house already felt different. There was no sign of the welcoming aura his mother had created and he'd tried hard to keep up. The solar-powered lamps that usually lined the walkway were gone, as was the stencilled name "BAKURA" that usually rested just above the mailbox. Even the little cat statue that had stood beside the door for as long as he could remember had been removed, and the steps had a fresh coat of blue paint on them. Bakura cast them a disdainful look and went around to the back of the house, where he tried the doorknob before he stepped back and cast a speculative look at the windows, obviously favouring a more stealthy approach. Ryou, who had been examining the now empty flower beds, straightened up in time to see Samira leap off of the front porch and take off running.
"Bakura, she's there!" he cried, pointing.
Swearing, Bakura raced around the side of the house and took off after her. Samira swore when she realized that he was following her and sped up. Ryou watched them disappear around the corner and then turned back to the house. Wondering what else she had changed in that short period of time, he knelt and pulled up a corner of the welcome mat to reveal a key. Smirking, he picked it up and unlocked the back door. The strong scent of oranges struck him immediately as soon as he entered, and he realized that someone - likely Samira - had been on a major cleaning whirlwind. Every surface in the kitchen was absolutely shining. Curious, he stepped over to the cupboard and opened it. His eyebrows rose when he realized that not only had the insides been cleaned and painted, the contents had been removed from every single one.
"What the hell was she planning?" he muttered, entering the living room. The old chair his father had loved to sit in was gone, and the other furniture had been rearranged to help cover the absence. Many of the pictures that had once adorned the walls had vanished, and it looked as though even the walls had been scrubbed down. Ryou frowned and moved on, noticing that other things were missing: all of the ornaments and pictures from other rooms, everything from the bathroom, the coats and shoes in the downstairs closet... Just how had Samira found the time to do so much in less than twenty-four hours?
There was still no sign of Bakura, so he felt safe in mounting the stairs to check out the rest of the house. Everything was gone in the rooms that Yuugi and Malik usually slept in, and he could tell at a glance that they had interrupted Samira in packing up his father's room. There were several boxes on the bed and floor, and half of Osamu's books had been neatly packed already. Ryou frowned and walked past the doorway, peeking into his own room. It looked virtually untouched, but he didn't get the chance to examine it closely. His attention was immediately caught by the fact that the door to Amane's room was open. A sinking feeling filled him as he approached the room, his footsteps heavy. Surely, not even Samira would have dared to...?
But yes, apparently, she would have. He stared in horror at the room that had once belonged to his big sister, a room that had been untouched for years. Books, ornaments, pictures, clothing, shoes, stuffed animals... everything had been placed into boxes that had been sealed with packing tape. Her bed had been stripped and the mattress was missing, her small television and cordless phone were gone, and it looked as though someone had already begun painting over the soft pink color on the wall. Feeling almost frozen, Ryou stepped over to several garbage bags that had been piled in one corner of the room. He opened it and found Amane's favourite stuffed animal right on top: a beautiful, bright purple bunny with floppy ears. She'd slept with it every single night, even after she'd turned thirteen and decided that she was too old to play with toys. The feel of the soft fur beneath his fingers made tears well up in his eyes, and he impulsively clutched the toy to his chest as he heard the sound of voices below.
"Sit there and don't fucking move," Bakura was snarling as he shoved Samira down on the couch. He stood over her with his arms folded, just daring her to try something so that he could take his temper out on her. "Rabbit, where are you?"
"Right here," Ryou said softly, appearing in the door of the living room. He was still holding onto Amane's bunny. A curious look passed over Bakura's face when he turned and saw Ryou, but he made no comment. Samira, on the other hand, had no problem making up for Bakura's silence.
"I suppose you saw your sister's room," she said, rubbing her cheek, where a large bruise had formed. Bakura smirked. "Your father asked me to clean it out, you know. After you left, we decided that it was time that he moved to a brand new house. All of these memories cluttering up his life..." She shook her head and shuddered dramatically. "It's no wonder that he never came to visit you. Beats me how anyone could live in a place like this."
Ryou flinched. "You're lying. Otou-san wouldn't have asked you to do that. He was the one who wanted Nee-chan's room to stay that way."
Samira rolled her eyes and sighed derisively. "Poor, naive little Ryou-kun. Why would he want to stay here without his family? Your mother and sister are dead and you abandoned him." She smiled cruelly when Ryou winced again.
"Just when did he tell you that?" Bakura broke in, glaring at her. "Because it looks to me like an awful lot of work has been done in this house, and you only got here yesterday. Considering you told my hikari that his father went missing just last night that means you've been awfully busy for a woman whose husband has gone missing."
"I've been trying not to think about it," she said defensively, glowering back at him. "This has been my way of coping, following his last wish. My husband went out to fetch dinner yesterday and never came back. A ransom note was delivered in his place. How do you think that makes me feel?"
"Yeah, right. Tell someone who cares." The older boy rolled his eyes and sneered. "You must truly think that I was born yesterday if you believe I'm going to buy that. Rabbit, did you find anything? Rabbit!"
"What?" Ryou looked up, startled. "Oh, no. I didn't get a chance to look very closely." His fingers clenched around the bunny. "I don't know whether she's telling the truth or not."
"I'll guard her. Go look," ordered Bakura.
Even though it was the last thing he felt like doing, Ryou obediently and silently followed his yami's orders. He began searching the house methodically, looking in all of his father's favourite hiding places, but several minutes of steady searching yielded no results. Samira's story about his father having disappeared was looking like the truth, but he would have felt better if he could have glanced through all of his father's things. Some of his clothing, as well as a suitcase and some books, were missing. Had his father been called back to Egypt unexpectedly and that's why his things were gone? But then why wouldn't he have returned Ryou's calls? Perhaps Samira was telling the truth and he really had been kidnapped... but then why give the ransom note to her and not Ryou if what they wanted was the Millennium Ring? There were so many things that didn't add up. It was making his head hurt.
The last place he looked was in his own bedroom, and ironically, that's where he found at least part of the answer he was searching for. When he was younger, Emiko used to write little notes and slip them under his pillow so that when he woke up, he would find them. On impulse, Ryou sat down on his bed and slipped his hand underneath the pillow. His brown eyes widened when he felt the corner of paper. Slowly, he drew out the single sheet and examined it. It had been folded neatly several times, and his name had been scrawled across the top in Osamu's handwriting, which would be difficult but not impossible for someone to replicate. Ryou swallowed hard and opened the letter, skimming it silently. Before he'd even gotten halfway through, he had to stop. His fingers shook as he folded up the letter and tucked it into his back pocket. He had just picked up Amane's bunny when he heard shouting coming from downstairs.
"Fuck you, Tomb Robber!" Samira screamed, followed by the shattering of glass. Ryou made a dash for the stairs as she continued, "You thought you could pull one over on me? Please. You are no match for my master's magic, especially when the bond with your hikari isn't even fully formed."
"Bakura!" A dark flash of light lit the living room as Ryou raced in. "Bakura!" he cried again, spotting his yami. Bakura was lying in a heap on the ground all the way across the room. There was blood on the wall, and a small pool of it had formed around his body. Ryou ran to him and fell to his knees beside the taller boy as Samira stood up from the couch, wearing a cocky smile. She smirked at Ryou when he glanced up at her in fear but made no move to attack either of them. Instead, she held up a hand and frowned, her eyes narrowed in concentration. A long, deep red rod with a razor sharp spear attached to the end formed in her hand, pointing directly at the two of them, as she spoke in a soft purr.
"You have one minute to give me the Millennium Ring, Rabbit, or I'll kill your precious yami."
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