Marik kept his gaze straight ahead as he rode the small elevator down the Duel Tower with the referee. The teen couldn't remember the man's name, but he was impressed by how calmly he seemed to handle witnessing so much magic with no explanation offered to him.
The elevator reached the ground and the doors slid open, the referee exiting first with Marik close behind. The wreckage occupying most of the island confused him; splintered metal, shattered concrete, twisted structures that meant nothing to him, but it must have been something before. It must have meant something to someone.
He continued following the referee up onto the blimp, and followed him all the way to the infirmary. The door to it was in sight, only a few meters away, when it opened.
"Ishizu!" Marik cried out in relief, surging forward to embrace her.
"Marik," she whispered, arms wrapping around him to return his tight hold. "I'm alright, Marik."
They were so wrapped up in each other that they almost didn't notice the referee edging around them in order to check on Kaiba. A few moments later, Ishizu loosened her hold and Marik did the same.
"Come, we need to talk," she said, her eyes bright as her face turned serious.
"Yes, we do." Marik suspected they had different topics in mind, though.
She led him to her room, and once the door was closed, she turned and took both his hands in hers.
"How are you feeling?" he asked before she could speak.
"I feel fine. Do you have my Necklace?"
"Yes." Marik freed one hand from her hold to reach into his pocket and offer it back to its owner.
She took it with a look of relief and fastened it around her neck. She touched the central eye for a moment, then reached for her brother's hands once more.
"Marik, this is very important. I need you to tell me how the duel between Noah and Seto ended."
"What?" Marik shook his head, confused. "No, that's not–no."
"I need to know–"
"I couldn't even see their duel," he interrupted, squeezing his sister's hands. "None of us could. I can't tell you anything about it." He saw the disappointment in her eyes and didn't understand it. "That's not what we need to talk about, though."
She blinked at him curiously, and Marik swallowed hard.
"I need to talk to you about your husbands."
"Oh." Her expression shifted, and she dropped her gaze. "I see," she murmured. "This is because of my duel with Kaiba?"
Marik took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
"Yes. By some point, I figured out that none of them loved you. I don't think most of our people loved each other at the time they got married. I think… they learned to love each other."
"They learned contentment," she corrected quietly, staring at her brother's shirt. "Some of them did, at least. And most of them had the freedom to choose. I didn't."
"I know." That was something they had both shared: a lack of choice. "But, did they…" He faltered. There was no tactful way to ask this. No way to not pry into the most personal parts of his sister's life. He braced himself and asked, "Did any of them hurt you on purpose? In any way?"
Her gaze dropped lower, staring at the floor now as she grappled with herself, with what she'd been taught to never speak about.
"Yes."
He almost couldn't hear her answer, it was too quiet. Her mouth was still open as she tried to force out the details of what happened, but she gave up with a sigh.
"I'm sorry that I didn't see what was happening."
"You could not have done anything, Marik. Even if you had known, you would have been as powerless as I was." He'd been forced into a strict role, just like her. No room for action. "Rishid helped me as best he could."
"Rishid? What did he–?" But Marik stopped short when he realized a possible answer. Or was she just talking about his comfort? Even after marrying, Ishizu had remained under the protection of her hulking adopted brother, and everyone had known that.
Had that protection been applied beyond what Marik previously thought his brother was capable of?
"I don't think they were bad men. I think they were just… frustrated." A small sigh passed her lips. "It's not like I didn't add to that frustration."
"You?" Marik blinked, rather confused. "What did you do?"
"You already know about the reading," she murmured, eyes downcast as she mentioned one of her greater sins. "They didn't like that anymore than Father did. It distracted me from my… other duties."
The air felt thick in Marik's mouth. He wished that he didn't understand.
"Are you trying to tell me," he began quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "That you deserved whatever they did to you?"
She finally looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears.
"I was not doing what I should have been doing." Her impassioned whisper sounded desperate, like she truly needed to convince him. "I was a difficult wife. From their perspective, it was justified."
"It wasn't, though." Marik's hold on her shoulder tightened a little, and with his empty hand, he reached out for hers. "You know that, don't you?"
Ishizu stared back at him, the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.
"Oh, sister." Marik dropped her shoulder to put both arms around her, hugging her close as he tried not to cry himself. After a moment, her arms were around him too, loosely hugging him as she started to cry. Standing there, holding each other with only the sound of their own breathing and her quiet sobs, it was unclear how much time had passed.
Eventually though, her crying slowed and ceased. After one more squeeze, she released Marik to wipe her cheeks with her hands.
"I know that you understand what it is like to let yourself suffer." Ishizu looked her brother in the eye. "You were doing it to protect someone you love, and I understand that too."
Lavender eyes widened.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Marik tried to step back, but Ishizu grabbed his hands to stop his retreat.
"Marik." She breathed in deeply. "I know that the Spirit of the Ring has hurt you."
For a moment, he felt like he couldn't breathe. How much did she know? What had the Necklace shown her? He struggled silently for the right words to say.
"I was trying to protect him," Marik finally murmured. "You are right about that."
His sister smiled faintly.
"I know you were."
"But he's gone now." He smiled back, the tension easing from his shoulders. "It's not a problem anymore."
"Yes, he is gone for now." Her smile faded. "Cherish the time you have while he's away."
Marik visibly wilted.
"He's going to come back?"
She nodded, and he pressed his lips together in a firm line. After a long pause, he parted his lips for a breath.
"I will make the most of my time," he said with the solemnity of a promise.
Ishizu nodded, then let her eyes drift to something beyond her brother. Marik dropped her hand and turned to follow her gaze to the window behind him.
"The final duel has started," Marik observed.
"Yes, it has, and Slifer the Sky Dragon has already been summoned."
The red dragon had wrapped its long body around the top of the duel tower, rearing its head above the one who commanded him.
"I didn't want to miss this duel," he sighed. "The last time I saw the pharaohs duel, it was… upsetting."
Ishizu nodded in agreement. She knew all about Seto and Yugi's duel during Duelist Kingdom, and she knew why neither of them considered it a valid measure of their abilities.
"In a sense, it does not matter who wins this duel."
"In what sense?" Marik asked, watching Slifer's wings spread out wide as he prepared to attack.
"In the sense that the evil has been defeated for this tournament. Whoever wins, we have nothing to fear."
"I think victory still matters to both of them."
"As well it should. By dueling, they sharpen each other's skills. That only happens because they both want to win."
"Ishizu." Marik turned around again to face his sister, who looked at him curiously. "It's still hard to believe that we've found the pharaohs whose return we prayed for our whole lives."
"I understand the feeling," was all she said. She could tell that he wasn't finished with his thought.
"The Great Evil that they vanquished in the past… it's still going to come back."
"It is."
"They'll have to fight it again."
"Yes, they will."
That was, according to the ancient scriptures, the primary reason for their return.
"We are going to help them with that fight, won't we?"
"Yes, Marik. That is our duty."
Our. Their father had believed that duty would fall to Marik alone, if the pharaohs returned during their lifetime. Thanks to the Necklace, Ishizu now knew how wrong that was.
"And… we have time before that happens?"
The woman's features softened into a slight smile.
"Yes. There will be a time of peace before the Great Evil returns."
Marik sighed with relief. "That's good."
"Yes." Her gaze flicked back to the window, and again, her smile disappeared. "I'm sorry, Marik, but I must ask you to leave now."
"Leave? Why?"
Because we are not yet out of danger, dear brother, Ishizu thought soberly, but instead she answered, "I have something of great importance to work on. A problem that must be solved, and I need to focus with no disruptions."
He examined her for a few moments, and she feared that he would ask for more information. What she said was true, but she didn't want to share any details beyond that.
"Alright, I can do that. If you need me for anything, I won't be far." Marik hugged her again, long and tight, then finally left her in the solitude that she had requested.
With a sigh, Ishizu turned to the window, where the duel had changed significantly. Slifer was gone, replaced by the Winged Dragon of Ra, its whole being set on fire and burning even brighter than the sun, forcing her to look away.
Her back to the wall, she folded her hands together before her chest and bowed her head, praying for the wisdom to find the right path forward.
"Yugi Mutou is the champion of the Battle City Tournament!"
Shit.
Seto struggled back to his feet, unable to look at his opponent.
Fucking Exodia.
He was standing again, tall and proud, despite his defeat.
I really thought I was going to win.
I'm so proud of how you dueled today, Seth told him, but he wasn't in the mood to receive praise. It felt like hollow comfort after such a loss.
Yugi started walking towards the center, so Seto mirrored him until they stood only a few feet apart. Yugi held out his hand.
"Thank you for the duel. You fought well. I couldn't ask for a more challenging opponent."
Seto stared at it for a moment, before slowly moving to extend his own.
They shook hands firmly.
"This isn't the end, Yugi." Seto spoke quietly, and so seriously that Yugi's smile wavered. "I will win my title back from you someday."
The Pharaoh recovered his grin and answered, "I look forward to the rematch."