Chapter 21

"It is great to see you again, Samia," Marik said swung his legs over his motorcycle strode toward us, "but who is your bodyguard?" His eyes fell on the exposed Millennium Ring hanging around Bakura's neck. "Found yourself another Millennium Item holder?"

I stared at him, my mind completely blank. It was even a struggle to read his emotions. He clearly had practice at concealing them, but unlike the Spirit of the Millennium Ring, I could tell there was much depth there. Complicating matters, the dark presence of the Millennium Rod muddied everything else I felt, even my own emotions.

"I see you are indeed acquainted," Dark Bakura said, "but if you wish to speak more with the girl, you have to go through me. And to get past me, you will need to give me your Millennium Item."

Finally, my thoughts snapped into place, and I glared at Bakura. "You're not in charge of me. I can talk to whomever I want to."

He gave me a pointed look. "Clearly, you need to work on your negotiation skills."

I ignored him and looked at Marik. "He's not my bodyguard. He's ancient spirit possessing my best friend, and I'm only with him because you forced me to leave Yami."

Marik's lips curled into a smirk. "But if I am correct, you came searching for me, did you not?"

I glanced at Bakura. "It was not entirely my choice."

"We both had interest in meeting you," said Bakura, "and it appears you have interest in her. Before I hand her over to you, I need to understand your intentions. Are you after her as the empath?"

Marik looked at him with raised eyebrows. "How do you know about the empath?"

"I knew one – present company excluded."

"I see." Something stirred inside Marik, but I could not locate the emotion. "I presume your interest in her is to use her powers to further your own goals – whatever they may be. In that regard, we are different." He paused, and I thought I saw his eyes soften slightly as he looked at me. "However, I would like her to stay with me because she is the empath – but to protect her, not exploit her."

"Protect?" I echoed. "Protect me from what?" Ask anyone else, and they would all say I needed protection from Marik himself. I searched but found no deceit. Ishizu had said he did care about me, and my intuition told me that was true.

"From the pharaoh. And more precisely, your bond with him."

"You cannot break the bond," Bakura said. "Believe me, I've seen others try." There was a hint of frustration in his voice that it seemed even Marik picked up on.

"But you would welcome such a turn of events if I did find a way."

Bakura watched me out of the corner of his eye. "I could accomplish my goals either way. It is simply a shame that she will have to suffer only because she will do what it is in her nature to do."

Puzzled by his assessment, I glanced at him, but he looked away. On all accounts, he was as calm, cool, and composed as ever, and yet… The presence of two dark Millennium Items was messing with my mind. That had to be it.

"I agree," said Marik. "That is why I wish to help her. While it may not be possible to sever the bond completely, what if it could be transferred to someone else? Someone like me?"

"That would be an intriguing set of circumstances," Bakura said, "but, of course, there are several factors to consider. To start, why should she be with someone who is as emotionally attached as you? Emotions blind you to logic. I can think objectively and protect her better."

Marik narrowed his eyes at him. "I care about her. She would not be happy with you."

"Who cares if she's happy as long as she's safe?"

I looked back and forth between them, my mind buzzing. Bakura wanted to protect me? But he said he didn't care. He probably wanted to keep me away from Yami. At least that made sense. I still did not fully understand Marik's motives, and I had already lost control of the conversation

"Wh-What about what I want?" I said meekly. The two boys stared at me, making me feel self-conscious and nervous. I swallowed hard. "I – I really should get back to Yami. He's probably worried."

"I would not concern myself with him," Marik said. "He's a bit… preoccupied at the moment."

I stiffened. "What did you do?"

"I just gave him some work to slow him down. After we have a nice, private discussion, I will take you to him if you so wish." His eyes fell on Bakura. "I doubt he would give you such an option."

"Give me the Millennium Rod and she can do whatever she wants," Bakura said coolly.

Marik seemed almost annoyed at the question. "Back to that, are we? Tell me, what does a spirit like you want with the Millennium Items?"

"If you must know, I am a collector of sorts, and once I possess all seven Millennium Items, I'll control ancient powers strong enough to rule the entire world."

I looked from Bakura to Marik, feeling incredibly uneasy. How did I get in the middle of two guys who wanted to take over the world? My only consolation was that they could not both achieve their goals – but they could always deal with that after they eliminated the rest of the coemption. I shivered. I wished I was with Yami.

"Perhaps we can come to an understanding," Marik said. "You can have my Millennium Rod if you want, but before I hand it over to you, you have to do something for me in exchange. For I am somewhat of a collector myself, and once I possess what I desire, the Millennium Rod will mean absolutely nothing to me."

"You can't give it to him!" I blurted out in a response to a spike of fear.

Bakura eyed me with an expression that almost seemed curious. "After everything he has done, you would rather he retain control of it than someone like me who is not an immediate threat?"

I bit my lip. He did have a point. Was it my past friendship with Marik that made me want to trust him more? No, I had to have faith in myself. "Er… intuition?"

"I do not mean to leave you out of this, dear Samia," Marik said. "I am sure there is a way we can all get what we truly want."

"Why should I help you when I can get you to do what I want?" Bakura said. He suddenly reached out, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me against his body. My eyes widened in alarm when he held one arm around my waist and the other around my throat. "I could hurt her… and you… like I have done to others in the past."

Marik stared at him with narrowed eyes. For a moment, I thought I felt his surprise, but anything that was there was drowned out by my own fear and the dark aura of the Millennium Ring pressed into my back. I did not know who or what I was afraid of the most. I just wanted out of there.

"You won't hurt her," Marik said in a calculating tone. "Call it my own intuition. It is better for you to help me than to let harm come to her. Let her go and I will tell you what else is in it for you."

What seemed like an eternity of silence passed. Finally, Bakura released me, and I stumbled away from him, gasping for breath. "Speak before I change my mind," he said.

"First, will you let her come to me?"

"If she wishes it."

"Samia."

I turned from Bakura's cold indifference to Marik's gentle encouragement. The latter gave me an almost kind look, and I stepped towards him like a moth to the flame. He smiled as I approached. Something caused me to stop a meter from him and cast my gaze to the ground. If I was not careful, the warmth I felt from him in contrast to Bakura would tempt me to get closer than what was safe.

"Good," Marik said. His attention shifted to Bakura. "I happen to know the location of several Millennium Items."

"You want my help in exchange for information," Bakura said.

"We appear to have a common enemy, after all. I wish to destroy Yugi and the pharaoh. Together, it may be possible."

My heart leapt in my chest. "No!"

"You have discerned correctly," Bakura said. "Yugi is a nuisance. The best way to get defeat him will be to use his friends."

"Exactly. I plan to use the power of the Millennium Rod. However, I need them to let their guards down so I can get close enough to use it."

"If it's their trust you need, let me use my host. If you were to, say, assist him when he was injured, they would be eternally grateful to you." He pulled something out of his pocket, and even in the shadows of the alley I could see the glittering steel. A knife.

I gasped when the implication of his words hit me. "No, you can't!" I rushed over to him and clung to his arm. "Please don't. Haven't you hurt him enough? I won't stand by and watch. It-It would be too much."

The Spirit flinched at the contact while surprise leapt off him and almost made me let go. "That is your objection? We never asked you to approve. I could easily tie you to keep you from interfering."

I spared a quick glance at Marik. He watched us with mild curiosity but made no move to get in the middle. When Dark Bakura tried to pull his arm back, I held on tighter. He could have used force to free himself, but he did not try. "Even if I wasn't there, I would still know you've hurt him. Can't you pretend to be him like you did before?"

"So, you want me to endure the pain instead?" He did not sound anger or offended, just… interested.

My answer caught in my throat. I realized the answer was not a simple yes or no; I simply had to choose the best option available to me. "I don't want you to be hurt either because that would still cause me pain, but you can probably take it better than him and you should feel the consequences of your own actions, not him."

He stared at me for a long time without saying anything, and somehow, I did not falter under his intense gaze. I could tell he was thinking hard about something, but his emotions gave me no clue as to the content. "You will not interfere if I do this? You will not expose us to your friends?"

I hesitated. I had not meant to agree to go along with this plan, but what choice did I have? There was nothing I could do to stop them. "No. I won't do anything." I let go of his arm. He pulled it back to his side but did not step away from me.

"Then you have yourself a deal."

Relief caused me to smile. "Thank you." An unfamiliar emotion pricked my back, and I turned to give Marik a questioning look. "What?"

Marik's emotions returned to neutral. "Nothing." His gaze shifted to Bakura. "If we are finished here, I would like to speak to Samia in private."

Bakura looked from me to Marik. "Very well." He strode forward, stopping to talk with Marik in a low voice, and then made his way out of the alley.

"He will meet us at the target point," Marik explained. "We have some time on our hands, so we may linger here for awhile."

I nodded. Now that we were alone, I was unsure of what I should do or say. What exactly did he want with me? Something he said earlier flashed through my mind. "You said you'd take me back to Yami."

Marik frowned and twitched with annoyance. "I said I would give you the option. How can you make an informed choice if you do not know what I have to say?"

"Then speak. Tell me why you wanted to see me." While I did not trust him yet, at least he could not use the Millennium Rod on me.

He moved in closer to me, stopping just far enough away to give me my personal space. "Why did I want to see you? There are many reasons, but first and foremost, I missed you, Samia. Is there not a small part of you that missed me as well?"

His sincerity caught me off guard. His earnest look made him seem almost… vulnerable. I did not doubt the truth of his words. How much they influenced his actions, however, was still up for debate. "Honestly… after my parents died, I blocked out everything to do with Egypt, including you. I did not even remember you until recently."

"I see." His mouth formed into a thin line, but I sensed no anger… just a hint of disappointment. "It is only natural, I suppose. You have a great life here that allowed you to move on after we met. I, on the other hand, had nothing to look forward to except your next visit. Your family were the only visitors ever allowed from the outside. You were my light within the darkness I was forced to live – and your memory kept me going. That is why I needed to see you again. Even if you choose to leave me, I am glad we had this chance to meet."

If he felt my shock at his confession, he did not indicate it. I must have stood there in stunned silence for a full minute. Marik watched me with a calm demeanor, his face a look of innocence and hope. Was this really the same man who had threatened my friends and sent his failed servants to the Shadow Realm? The same cold, calculating guy who persuaded the Spirit of the Millennium Ring to join forces with him? Logic dictated it was impossible. This had to be an act.

And yet…

This was the Marik who had come to me in my dreams, reaching out for help. This was the Marik I had known as a child. My memory may have faded, but my heart remembered him. Something deep inside of me longed to believe him… to reach out and comfort him. And with a jolt, I realized I had missed him too.

He watched me earnestly, waiting for a response. It was not fair. It would be so much simpler to hate him as the enemy. How could I ever explain this to Yami? My desire to please him warred against my desire to help someone who needed me. If my bond with Yami really did influence me in his direction, I needed to prove I could make my own decisions. I needed to choose the path I thought was right regardless of the consequences.

I recognized the danger in this course of action. I had to choose my words carefully. I took a deep breath and looked into Marik's eyes, hoping to show my resolve. "If you hate the darkness so much, why are you using tactics of the darkness instead of the light?"

His emotions hardened ever so slightly, making me fear he would put his defenses up once again. "The world is a cold place, Samia. In order to defeat the darkness, you must use their tactics. When I accomplish my goals, there will be peace, and then the light will be free to reign."

"B-But if you use the same tactics, doesn't that make you as bad as them? Isn't there another way?"

"I wish there was, Samia." I felt a hint of sadness, but he covered it up with determination. "I understand your concerns, and you do have an important role to play. The empath is meant to counteract the pharaoh – present an opposing viewpoint so a safe middle can be found. If war struck, the pharaoh had to respond with strength. However, the empath was there to advocate for mercy, lessening the cruelty that resulted. Your pharaoh is the same, is he not? He would not be happy to see you talking to me. We are not as different as he would like to think."

"I – I guess so…" I recognized some truth to his words. Both sides believed they were in the right and therefore were justified in destroying the opposition. Was there a way to make them see the truth? "But I think you're wrong about Yami. You've had a lot of terrible things happen to you, but none of it was his fault."

Marik's eyes darkened. "Your bond clouds your judgment. You do not even know who he is. Even if he is not personally responsible, it is his servants and his legacy that have the oppression of my clan. The only way to overcome the darkness is to defeat them."

"What about my friends? They're just defending themselves and each other."

"They are standing in my way, so they must be dealt with. It's nothing personal." He paused, and I felt a flicker of an emotion I could not name. "It is clear we have a disagreement as to my methods of choice. As I said, that is something that could benefit us both. If you are with me, your presence will moderate my actions. You ay see a way your friends can be spared that I cannot because I need to focus on my own goals. Fulfill your role as empath for me and we may be able to reach an acceptable middle road. I doubt your pharaoh would give you such an offer."

I wondered if it was true. Even Yugi did not see too keen to discussing the possibility that Marik was anything other than a ruthless killer. Besides, I did not know how I could help Yami by remaining by his side, but if I was with Marik, I might have a chance to actually change his mind. It was foolish maybe, but it seemed like the better possibility.

I eyed him warily. I must retain my independence if I want this to work. "I'm supposed to stand by you and let you do horrible things to my friends?"

"You would not be responsible. There would be nothing you could do to stop me. I have plans to hide my identity; no one will know you are with me."

"You'll really listen to what I have to say?"

"Of course. I will present my case and you will present yours. Whoever loses will have been enlightened."

It was a dangerous game to be sure. I took in Marik's confident yet somehow gentle smile. I knew what I had to do. I took in a deep breath. "Alright. I'll stay with you… for now."

Marik's smile widened. "Thank you, Samia. You will not regret this."

I gave him a weak smile in return. I hope not.

"Now, it is about time we join your friends, Bakura."

"He's not my friend."

Marik smirked. "Right." He strode over to his motorcycle, and I followed. Then he picked up two helmets and held none out to me.

I stared at the deep purple helmet. "We're riding?"

Marik appeared amused. "It's faster than walking."

I took hold of the helmet with the tip of my fingers as if it would jump at me. "Where did you learn how to ride?"

"I'm self-taught." He fastened the strap under his chin and then swung his leg over the bike. "Make sure to hold on tight."

I took a deep breath as I got on behind him. Tristan had a motorcycle, but I had always been too afraid to go for a ride. Now I had no choice. I wrapped my arms around Marik's waste and leaned into him, feeling his excitement and adrenaline.

The bike lurched forward, and I almost let out a scream. Colors whizzed past us, and I had to close my eyes to keep from getting dizzy. The sensation was like nothing I had felt before. I focused on Marik in order to get through it. For some reason, he enjoyed this experience. I tried to share in his pleasure, if only for a minute.

The ride ended almost as soon as it started. I felt shaken and had to rip my arms off Marik. He helped me off the motorcycle and accepted my helmet. I focused on steadying my heartbeat and returning my breathing to normal.

"What did you think?" Marik said with a grin.

I shook my head. "That was something else." I took in our surroundings. We were in another alley, but light filtered in from the open streets a few meters away.

Dark Bakura stood near the opening, his platinum hair visible in the darkness. "Took you long enough," he said with a small smirk. "They're approaching."

"Good," he said as we strode toward him. "Get ready."

The sight of the knife Bakura pulled out made me flinch. "I – I don't know how I'm going to react…"

"Just act naturally," Bakura said as he raised the knife.

"Let your emotions lead you," Marik said. "You'll be fine. Oh, and if your friends ask, my name is 'Namu.' We met on your trip to Egypt."

I blinked. Namu?

A shot of pain destroyed all thoughts. I turned away from the Spirit, hating the sight of blood. And he looked so much like my best friend. Marik shook my shoulder and implored me to help. I took a deep breath. I had to do this.

Despite every nerve feeling raw, I managed to get close enough to Bakura to let him out an arm around my shoulder while Marik did the same on his other side. At least the wound was bandaged. I knew I probably felt his pain more than he even did, but it still made me dizzy. I had to force myself to move forward, closer to my friends. I could spot them chatting near the entrance of an aquarium.

"Help!" I cried once they were in earshot. My pounding heart and the feeling of blood drowned out any verbal response. We stopped near Joey, Tea, and Mr. Muoto, and they all rushed over.

"Samia? What happened?" said Joey. "Where's Yugi?"

"Now's not the time," Tea said. "What happened to Bakura?"

"We just found him lying on the ground," Marik said in the same kind voice he had used earlier – except this time I could tell it was an act.

Tea looked on in worry. "He doesn't look so good."

"I tried to take care of his injuries. Samia and I are old friends who ran into each other earlier. She said you're all friends."

"That's right," Joey said. "We're buddies. But who do you think could of done this?"

I looked away when his eyes landed on me. "I have no idea…"

"Joey," the Spirit murmured in his best impression of the real Bakura.

Joey snapped his attention to the boy. "Bakura, what happened?"

"It happened so quickly. I can't remember."

"We're lucky we found you all," Marik said. "He needs to get to a hospital quickly."

Everyone agreed. Mr. Muoto called a taxi, and I was grateful it arrived quickly. Joey and Marik helped Bakura into the car. Mr. Muoto got in beside him, promising he would help our friend. I felt ten times lighter once they pulled away. Now I had room to breathe… and to think.

"Thanks a lot," Joey said to Marik. "How do you know Samia?"

"He means to say we haven't introduced ourselves," Tea said with a smile. "I'm Tea, and this is Joey."

"I'm Namu," Marik said. "I'm an old friend of Samia's from Egypt. We happened to run into each other."

Joey turned to me. "Is Yugi alright?"

His piercing gaze seemed to cut right through me. "He's fine." As far as I know. "We got separated because I couldn't take the intensity of his last duel, but I did see that he won." It was best to tell as much of the truth as I could so I would not be caught in a lie.

Joey nodded. "Good. If I see him first, I'll let him know you're safe."

I smiled slightly. "Thanks." It killed me to deceive him like this. He smiled at me so innocently, so cluelessly… He could not pick up on my emotions at all, which was good for me. Please don't hate me when this is all over…

"Is that a duel disk on your arm?" Joey said, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Yes," Marik said, "but I'm afraid I'm not much of a duelist. You're not challenging me to a duel, are you, Joey?"

"I don't have to duel 'cause I already qualify for the finals, Namu." Joey smiled proudly and pat his chest with his fist.

"Oh, congratulations," I said.

"Wow, impressive," said Marik. "You must be good. Maybe you could give me some tips one day."

His act of innocence made me feel sick. It was worse than when the Spirit of the Ring acted like Bakura. Even Marik's emotions had changed, and it was the hint of realism that shook me.

Joey puffed out his chest. "Well, I'll see if I can fit you in."

Marik chuckled while I rolled my eyes. Thankfully, Joey and Tea took the opportunity to part from us after wishing us luck. I looked up at Marik. Was that it?

"Patience," he said in a low voice.

I shuddered when I sensed the power of the Millennium Rod. Was he communicating with his Rare Hunters? I was in no position to ask him to stop. The second seemed like hours as I stood rooted in place, my fear gradually growing.

"It is time," Marik said at last. He took a step forward but then stopped and looked at me with hesitation in his eyes. "You-" His expression hardened into resolve. "Stay here. I'll tell them you had to use the restroom."

My surprise temporarily pushed back my fear. "Huh? Why?"

"Just trust me." Then he sprinted after Tea and Joey.

Trust him? That was madness! Then I saw them. Rare Hunters slowly closing in on my friends. They paid no attention to me as they passed. My heart pounded in my chest, but there was nothing I could do.

A fight ensued. The men attacked Marik, which I did not doubt was part of his plan. Joey went on the offensive but was soon subdued. Even from this safe distance, I could still feel an echo of the pain from my friends. I was almost glad once they were captured. At least I would not have to endure this helplessness any longer.

Marik returned to my side, appearing disheveled but not too badly beaten. Despite my desire to help him, I could not bear to look at him. I felt humiliated and angry although I should have seen this coming. It was not that I thought he was manipulating me. It was that I could sense that there was some truth to his kindness – at least towards me.

As we walked back to the motorcycle, I wondered if I had made the right choice. It felt like I was aiding the enemy and betraying my friends. And yet, something about Marik drew me in. I hated this. I hated that he cared for me and showed me hope but then acted so cruelly.

Was this what Ishizu meant about the suffering of the empath? Was this to be my fate?

A/N: That was fun. How many of you saw that coming? Things will get interesting now! Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate your comments.