This story was done in collaboration between me and Jriddle41 (Sodormatchmaker on DeviantART), and we both own the OCs that are used in the story. Everything else belongs to their respective owners:
Thomas and Friends (c) Hit Entertainment and Mattel
The Railway Series (c) Rev Wilbert Awdry
Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Konami
WARNING: These stories are rated either T (13-plus) or M for moments of violence, bloody moments, frightening moments, and some suggestive themes. Viewer discretion may be (or strongly is) advised.
WARNING 2: This chapter is rated M for horrific torture and violence.
Title: The Ishtar Family Secret
Opening up inside one of the computer labs, Spencer had joined Skiff and his parents in trying to get the 'The Winged Dragon of Ra' Monster Card translated.
"So which part hasn't been translated yet?" The silver-haired boy asked immediately.
"This part right here," stated Skiff, pointing to part of the text on the computer monitor.
Spencer took one look at the his eyes widened in shock.
"W-What?!" he thought to himself, "This can't be! I… I can actually understand what the text says! And it tells me all about 'Ra's' horrifying effects!"
Spencer then started to have a flashback to Dark Marik's duel against Lady.
FLASHBACK
While Flashback Dark Marik spoke on, Flashback Discord only watched on grimly—well, just before Flashback Dark Marik spoke up about him (Discord)…
"I should really thank Discord for putting that 'little' catch on the card," The voice of Dark Marik joked sickly.
The creator of Duel Monsters's eyes widened, while everyone else gazed at him in aghast.
"You were the one who put that hieratic text on the card, Discord?" Flashback Carlie asked in shock.
"But why?" demanded Flashback Michael.
"Because 'Ra' was easily the most powerful of all the 'Egyptian God' monsters, he felt that only someone very special would be able to control it," replied Flashback Dark Marik, smiling wickedly, "In fact… I know two certain other people here who are able to recite the text and—well, control it."
Looking around in his P.O.V., he was clearly gazing at Flashback Thomas and Flashback Spencer respectively. The silver-haired boy at first didn't get this and looked over to Flashback Skiff.
"Skiff, head for the lab and use the computers to get the satellites to scan the card," ordered Flashback Spencer, "After that, use the computer to translate the text."
"Right," obeyed Flashback Skiff, heading off.
"Oh? But you need not do that, Spencer-boy," The voice of Flashback Dark Marik teased.
"What!?" pressed Flashback Spencer.
"The two people I'm talking about are Thomas Billinton…and you!" confessed Flashback Dark Marik.
"Huh?!" gasped Flashback Thomas.
"Me?" exclaimed Flashback Spencer.
"Like I've mentioned before; several people on this vessel can trace their lineage back to Ancient Egypt 3000 years ago," said Flashback Dark Marik, "They include both of you…and a few others present, too. For everyone else… it would just be plain old gibberish!"
(new scene…)
The scene then flashed to his first meeting with Flashback Ishizu at the museum.
"Take a look at the second carving," continued Flashback Ishizu, gesturing to the second carving, "This is the reason I've called you here. This carving depicts the Pharaoh and his greatest opponent. Perhaps this might give you inspiration, as it did Discord."
Flashback Spencer looked at the second carving and gasped when he saw that the Pharaoh looked incredibly familiar.
"Impossible!" he cried, "That's Thomas Billinton!"
"What?!" Flashback Skiff gawked, also taking a closer look, "It is Thomas! But who's that above him?"
"Dark Magician," answered Ishizu.
"This is unbelievable," grimaced Flashback Spencer, staring at the stone tablet—particularly of the person who looked like Thomas and 'Dark Magician', "Billintion being related to a Pharaoh?" He faced Ishizu in exasperation, "This is ridiculous! Are you sure you're not making this all up?"
"The Pharaoh's opponent in this carving was a priest," resumed Flashback Ishizu, gesturing to the other side of the carving, "That priest was you, Spencer Gresley."
Another look of shock appeared on Flashback Spencer's face. Sure enough, the other person in the carving was someone who looked exactly like him.
"Again, if you don't trust my words, take a look at the monster the priest used," Ishizu suggested, referring to the monster on the tablet, "It's something you own, 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon'!"
"This is incredible!" cried Skiff.
(new scene…)
It then switched to the vision he had in his duel with Flashback Ishizu; which was the one with that young Egyptian man and dead young woman.
"That vision I saw before… was it a memory?" narrated Spencer.
END FLASHBACK
The flashback ended, and Spencer weakly collapsed to his knees.
"Spencer!" cried Mrs. Gresley (Boxford), gripping Spencer's shoulders with both hands in worry.
"What's wrong?!" came from Mr. Gresley (Boxford).
"Big Brother!" added Skiff, also looking shocked.
Spencer pressed a hand onto his forehead while looking rather tired.
"What's happening to me?" thought Spencer, "Why am I suddenly seeing things I never had memories of?"
(elsewhere…)
Inside Lady's room, everyone had just arrived to check on the poor girl as well as both Liz and Ryan.
"How is she?" Percy asked almost immediately.
"She hasn't moved yet," answered Liz sadly, before looking at the unconscious Lady Stone, "I-I still wish I hadn't yelled at her like that."
"Easy, honey," hushed Ryan, embracing his wife.
Everyone watched on solemnly. Before long, an announcement on the PA had come up.
"The first round of the Battle City Finals has ended," The voice of Roland echoed, "The following duelists that remain are Thomas Billinton, Percy Avonside, Marik Ishtar, and Spencer Gresley."
Percy and Thomas both raised their heads from hearing their names being mentioned.
"The final duels will commence tomorrow morning when we arrive at the next dueling site," The voice of Roland concluded, "Lights will be out in the next hour."
"The next duel site?" quizzed James.
"It would seem we're leaving England altogether," remarked Henry.
"Good thing we're not dueling on the blimp anymore," said Percy jokingly, "I was starting to get a bit airsick."
Just then, a gentle knock came on the door.
"Come in!" called Emily.
The door slid open.
"Ms. Ishizu?" came from Thomas.
Yes, standing in the doorway was the very same young Egyptian woman that Spencer faced.
"I came to see how your friend was doing," offered Ishizu calmly.
"She's still in her coma, I'm afraid," sighed Ryan gloomily, "And with only 24-hours or so to live before she'll never wake up."
"And it's all Spencer's fault," scowled Percy, clenching his right hand into a fist, "If it weren't for him, she would still be alright!" He faced his friends with anger and grief on his face, "Why didn't he allow us to save her?"
"Stop it, Percy!" The voice of Liz demanded.
Percy immediately hushed up. The green-haired boy's older sister stood up and looked at her brother square in the eye.
"It wasn't Spencer's fault, alright?!" raged Liz, growing emotional, "It was mine! I was the one who hurt her! I was the one who turned her away from us!" Tears filled her eyes, "Maybe if I never did that, she… she-!"
Poor Liz didn't get any further—she instead collapsed onto her knees and once again cried. Everyone felt nothing but sorrow and guilt as they listened to her sobs.
"Liz," whispered Emily.
"I'm so sorry, my beloved Big Sister," added Percy, looking very guilty.
"No matter what happens," advised Ishizu, "we mustn't turn away from anything."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Liz, looking up with a hiccup.
"Even in a world full of sadness," said Ishizu wisely, "there's someone stretching out his or her hands to see the world. Where there is evil, there is also good. Marik was good once."
"Once good?" Thomas quizzed, "How is that possible?"
Ishizu began to share a little story on the Tomb Keepers and the Ishtar clan.
"It was dating all the way back to Ancient Egyptian times," remembered Ishizu, "We Tomb Keepers have had countless losses in order to protect our mission."
"The Tomb Keepers," thought Emily, who was standing near Thomas.
"To protect the great power kept within the Millennium Items!"
"Ms. Ishizu, that's great and all," cut in Thomas, "But you're Marik's older sister, am I right? The reason I'm asking is right now, you need to tell us…" Ishizu looked down silently, and he continued speaking, "Why does he want to kill me? Why does Marik's dark side want to take everyone's lives?"
Ishizu slightly raised her head in silence. but not in her personal thoughts.
"Thomas is the descendant of Pharaoh Atem," she thought to herself, "He truly is the chosen one."
"Ms. Ishizu!" pleaded Thomas.
Ishizu briefly gazed out the blimp window for a moment before sighing heavily and deciding to confess everything.
"Very well, I will tell you everything about 'The Ishtar Family Tragedy'."
"'The Ishtar Family Tragedy'?" blinked Matt.
"Hey! That sounds like a great title for an Adventure/Drama movie," joked James.
Gordon nudged at James, basically telling him (James) to shut his trap and listen. From there, the story commenced.
"For three thousand years," began Ishizu, "an Ishtar has guarded the Pharaoh's tomb, waiting for the arrival of his chosen descendant. As the first-born son, Marik was required to bear the Pharaoh's secret on his back, and forbidden ever to leave the tomb," In the background behind her, an image of Young Marik was shown sulking with bandages wrapped around his torso, while younger versions of herself and Odion were then shown, "Our Father felt that Marik would become resentful of this task, so he asked Odion and I to keep his spirits up and remind him of how important his task was. The tragedy happened a few years ago, almost one year after Marik's initiation."
A long flashback began.
FLASHBACK
It was a few years ago in the sands of Egypt.
"We, the Ishtar clan, are descendants of the Tomb Keepers who protected two Millennium Items and the location of the Pharaoh's memories," narrated Ishizu, "We lived deep underground, away from the rest of the world."
(inside…)
Inside the underground home of the Ishtar clan, there were lots of stone carvings and other Ancient Egyptian stuff passed down from the ancestors of the Ishtars.
"The eldest sons of the clans had to undergo the ritual of the Tomb Keepers, and have the glyphs of the Pharaoh's memory carved onto their backs. That was the life imposed on my brother Marik. At that point, I was 16, while Flashback Odion and Marik were both 20 and 10 respectively."
Down a hallway, the voice of Young Marik (still 10-years old) could be heard coming from one of the rooms.
"I said I'm going!" The voice of Young Marik proclaimed.
(elsewhere.)
Inside the room, Young Marik was talking to the 16-year old Young Ishizu.
"Big Sister!" The young boy whined.
"Shh!" hushed Young Ishizu, "Lower your voice, or Father might hear you."
"Sorry," apologized Young Marik, "But you promised that one day we'd see the outside world. Besides, Father should be asleep by now. And haven't we been planning this day for a while now? If I pretend like I'm sleeping, Father will never know that I ever left the tunnels!"
"I know, but if Father did find out, then we'd be in big trouble," protested Young Ishizu, "That would mean you broke the law of the clan. and he would never let us forget about it."
"Don't worry," assured Young Marik cheerfully, "If anything happens, Odion here will take care of it."
Flashback Odion (now 20-years old) nodded, not wanting Young Marik to remain unhappy at not seeing the outside world.
"Big Sister, I," continued Young Marik, looking back at Young Ishizu, "I really want to see what it's like out there… no matter what," Young Ishizu remained quiet over this little he placed a hand onto hers, "Please, just this once."
Again, Young Ishizu was silent over the matter. It was then Flashback Odion approached his younger sister and spoke up.
"Lady Ishizu," he said formally, "I will cover for him while you two are away. Please try and make Master Marik's wish come true."
"Big Sister," begged Young Marik, giving his sister the 'puppy dog' eyes.
Finally, a small smile appeared on Young Ishizu's face, and she pressed her right hand atop her younger brother's hand.
"Alright," promised Young Ishizu at last, "We'll leave first thing in the morning."
"Oh, thank you!" cried Young Marik, embracing his older sister in a hug.
"But listen to me for a moment," continued Young Ishizu, now sounding stern—yet returned the hug, "After one hour, we return immediately. Okay?"
"Right!"
The next day, it was time for the adventure to begin. Flashback Odion had made absolutely sure that his adopted brother would be safe from being found out by their Father.
(elsewhere…)
Young Marik and Young Ishizu were both walking up the stone steps to the exit of the tomb. Once they reached the top, Young Ishizu started to push the big wooden doors open.
(outside…)
Finally, Young Ishizu opened the she and her brother were both in broad daylight. Young Marik at first winced from the bright sunlight, but quickly embraced it.
"For the first time in his life, Marik felt the light of the sun wrap around his body," narrated Ishizu.
(elsewhere.)
Later on, Young Marik and Young Ishizu were both roaming around a village. Young Marik was pretty surprised to see so many people and stands.
"This is so amazing!" he cried excitedly, "This is what a town looks like?!"
"Marik, try not to touch anything belonging to this world," warned Young Ishizu.
"I know!" Young Marik replied, happily running forth.
Suddenly, he stopped and spotted something lying on the ground. It looked like a book, but it clearly wasn't. Curiously, Young Marik picked it up and brushed the dust off.
"Books shouldn't be left lying on the ground," The young boy commented rather innocently, opening it up. On one page, he saw a colorful picture of a dog and bunny rabbit, "Oh, wow! These pictures look so real!" Upon flipping to another page, he saw something that really caught his interest, "Huh? What's that thing?"
It was a weird contraption of a sort (a motorcycle). As Young Marik looked at the magazine, he soon heard something coming from nearby in one of the stands' tents. Curiously, Young Marik approached the weird box atop a stand. The box was showing.a man riding the contraption, and a woman standing beside the man. The man put something (helmet) over his head and started the machine up.
"Oh, wow," whispered Young Marik.
In the box, the man drove the contraption away, while the woman waved goodbye. Just then, Young Ishizu walked over to her Little Brother.
"Marik?" blinked Young Ishizu.
Young Marik didn't pay any attention, he was far too busy looking at the box in amazement. The owner of the stand noticed what the young boy was seeing and gave a small smile.
"Kid, is watching television that rare for you?" The man asked curiously.
"Tele-vision?" quizzed Young Marik, trying to sound the word out.
Young Ishizu scowled a bit, and gently took her younger brother by his arm.
"Come along, Marik!" The Egyptian girl grumbled.
Young Marik didn't seem bothered that he was being pulled along by Young Ishizu. If anything, he only grew more curious and excited about the outside world.
"That was so cool!" gushed Young Marik, "There were people walking and talking inside that box."
"It's called a TV," sighed Young Ishizu, "Just like that man had said to you."
"Oh, I see," smiled Young Marik some more, "Anyway, that man on the TV was riding some machine. It looked so cool!"
"It is called a motorcycle," groaned Young Ishizu, growing more and more unhappy.
"A motorcycle!" Young Marik repeated, growing more excited by the minute. Suddenly, he became a bit sad at the notion of returning underground, "Even if I go on living, there's no way I can ever get a chance to ride a motorcycle."
Young Ishizu suddenly stopped walking and was silent for a moment. Young Marik looked a bit worried that he said something to upset her. Soon, the 16-year old Young Ishizu turned around and gazed at the young boy.
"Marik, it's time. Let's go back," she requested.
"What?" asked Young Marik, disappointed.
"We can't stay here any longer," Young Ishizu reminded, trying to get her younger brother to see sense, "That was our agreement."
"I know," sighed Young Marik, "But could I at least keep this picture of the motorcycle?"
"No way!" refused Young Ishizu, trying to take the picture from Young Marik, "Do you know what our Father would do if he ever found out about it?!"
"Please?" Young Marik begged, while his eyes started to water a bit.
Giving in, Young Ishizu gave another sigh as she faced her younger brother, wanting him to remain happy.
"Alright. Just don't let our Father find it, okay?" accepted Young Ishizu.
Young Marik smiled and nodded in agreement. The two siblings were then making their way through the crowds when they suddenly bumped into a familiar turban-wearing man. What they didn't know was that it was Flashback Shadi.
"The Pharaoh's descendant will soon become of age," said Flashback Shadi sternly.
"The Pharaoh?!" gasped Young Ishizu, surprised, but immediately recovered and glared, "Just who do you think you are?!"
"Tomb Keepers, a terrible fate awaits you very soon," continued Flashback Shadi, "And this fate is the Pharaoh's will. Seek out the Pharaoh's descendant."
"Just who," Young Ishizu started once more, but stopped when the turban-wearing man turned and walked away, "Wait!"
Young Marik watched in surprise at what just occurred.
"Terrible fate? The Pharaoh's will?" he thought to himself, "Who was he?"
END FLASHBACK
The flashback ended for a moment. Thomas had a strong feeling about that man in Ishizu's story.
"It has to have been Shadi," thought Thomas, "I just know it."
"I had broken the laws of my clan that day," recalled Ishizu, while her eyes narrowed a bit, "By exposing Marik to the outside world, our family was fated to walk on a road of destruction."
"Hey, you did nothing wrong," protested James, "It was your Father's fault for being so crazy and obsessed with family tradition," Even as he assured her it wasn't her fault, Ishizu listened but didn't feel any better, "If he hadn't forced you guys to stay underground forever, as well as put Marik through that painful ritual," He looked certain his words were true, "maybe your brother would have been fine."
"That was the Ishtar family's destiny," insisted Ishizu gravely, "And there was nothing we could do to change it."
The flashback resumed.
FLASHBACK
In the town, Young Ishizu and Young Marik were both trying to search for that man. but they had no such luck.
"He's gone," sighed Young Ishizu.
"That guy had an Ankh around his neck," remarked Young Marik, "It looked a lot like the Rod and Necklace our family keeps secret."
"Marik!" Young Ishizu interrupted, turning around and looking into her brother's eyes, "Never speak of what you saw here."
"S-Sorry," stammered Young Marik.
"Just forget that today ever happened," stated Young Ishizu, before talking about the townsfolk, "Everything you saw in this world, and that man just now as well!"
"I will," The voice of Young Marik agreed, sounding sad and disappointed.
From there, it was time for both siblings to return home before their Father discovered what had happened.
(elsewhere…)
Back at the tomb, Young Ishizu and Young Marik both arrived back home. The doors were opened by the elder Ishtar sibling.
"So, we really have to go back down?" asked Young Marik sadly.
"I'm afraid so," answered Young Ishizu seriously, "Now follow close behind me."
Young Marik hesitated for a second, and then looked to his left. Young Ishizu's eyes widened a little bit at what her younger brother was about to do.
"Big Sister, wait a moment!" The voice of Young Marik requested.
The younger Ishtar sibling walked over to a rock formation that seemed to resemble the motorcycle that he saw in the picture, sat down at one end, and closed his eyes. There, he started to imagine himself as a teenager riding an actual motorcycle.
"VROOM, VROOM, VROOM!" Young Marik made roaring sounds like a motorcycle.
"Marik!" called Young Ishizu, "Come on! Get inside this instant."
"Okay, I'm coming," bemoaned Young Marik.
(inside…)
The two siblings entered the tomb. Suddenly, the younger boy looked up and saw something.
"Sister, what is that thing up there?" asked Young Marik, "It looks like a contraption of some sort on the back of the doors."
Young Ishizu turned, looked up, and her eyes widened from what she saw. Up on the ceiling near the two doors was something that looked like an alarm system! What could that be? Oh no.
"That's an alarm system our Father set up!" The Egyptian girl thought to herself, "It was dark when we left, so I didn't see it. The rope leads all the way down along the wall!"
"What's the matter?" peeped Young Marik innocently.
"Father set a trap," Young Ishizu was saying mentally, "So he would know if we disobeyed him!" She had another horrifying thought, "Odion!"
"Sister?!" Young Marik repeated, "What's going on?"
"We have to hurry, Odion could be in grave danger!" panicked Young Ishizu, grabbing her brother's arm and rushing down the steps, "Forgive us, Father."
(elsewhere…)
The two Ishtar siblings soon raced into Young Marik's room, but found the place a complete mess.
"Odion!" exclaimed Young Ishizu, looking worried, "We're too late, Odion's gone!"
"Odion!" called Young Marik, dashing away from the room.
(elsewhere…)
The young boy ran down the hallway trying to find his adopted brother. Soon, he heard whipping sounds along with screams of pain.
"Odion?" wondered Young Marik, "Was that-?"
He soon entered a nearby room, and immediately wished he hadn't done so. Inside the room, Flashback Mr. Ishtar was armed with a whip and furiously cracked it onto Flashback Odion's shirtless back, making him scream in pain. It was a clear sign Flashback Mr. Ishtar was torturing the young man until he died of blood loss.
"ODION!" screamed Young Marik in horror.
"M-Master Marik-!" Flashback Odion weakly tried to speak, but collapsed onto his front. His back was laced with bloody marks from being whipped, "Please stay b-!"
Before anymore was said, the whip hit again, causing him to yell. Flashback Mr. Ishtar was so caught up in his bloodlust that he (Flashback Mr. Ishtar) didn't even hear Young Marik scream Flashback Odion's name.
"Odion," interrupted Flashback Mr. Ishtar, once he had regained his breath, "Did you forget the 'debt' you owe us for picking you up off the streets?" He then dropped the whip and picked up a nearby sword off the wall, "Could you not even fulfill your duties…" Approaching a lit torch, he placed the blade in the flames and heated it up until it turned a hot orange, "…as a 'servant'? And my son's 'keeper'?"
"I… I'm sorry…" uttered Flashback Odion.
"This will cost you your life," warned Flashback Mr. Ishtar, as he pulled the weapon out, brought it up near his face, and smiled evilly, "Remember this well—I intend to punish Ishizu and Marik the same way."
Young Marik couldn't believe this had happened. Flashback Mr. Ishtar started digging the heated blade of the sword into Flashback Odion's back, causing him to scream in agony—more loudly than when he was being whipped. Soon, Young Ishizu finally caught up and, upon seeing what had happened, her eyes widened and she brought both hands to her mouth and gasped in pure horror at the sight of poor Flashback Odion. Both siblings watched helplessly as Flashback Odion continued to get punished to death.
"Die," sneered Flashback Mr. Ishtar.
Flashback Odion let out a final scream before his eyes finally closed—was he dead or merely unconscious? That was unknown.
"Marik! Ishizu!" Flashback Mr. Ishtar finally turned to address his children. He was very cross with them, "Watch closely! This is punishment for breaking the law of our tribe!" He eyed the body of Flashback Odion, "This pitiful servant has suffered first because of you!"
Young Marik tried to walk over to Flashback Odion in shock, but he suddenly gripped his head in pain as his face stretched out like bad animation. This was a very, very bad sign.
"And now, Marik, it's your turn for a punishment," continued Flashback Mr. Ishtar furiously, picking up the whip because he was going to use it first, "By exploring the outside world, you've disrespected not only me, but also the name of the Pharaoh!" He started to crack the weapon at Young Marik, "Never let it happen again!"
Just before the tip of the whip could hit Young Marik in the face, the Millennium Eye symbol suddenly appeared on his forehead, and he caught the whip with a bare hand.
"Marik…! How dare you?!" roared Flashback Mr. Ishtar, trying to pull the whip free, "Accept your punishment!"
Once Young Marik lowered his arm, his hair had become wild, and his face turned sinister. He let out a cruel laugh, basically having become a younger version of Dark Marik.
"I thank you, 'Father', for killing Odion," praised Young Dark Marik.
But Young Dark Marik, with much greater strength, managed to pull the whip out of his Father's hands and toss it aside.
"Ah, I feel refreshed after a long sleep," sighed Young Dark Marik, "Now to begin my fun."
"Marik?" peeped Young Ishizu.
"Marik?!" shouted Flashback Mr. Ishtar, not only angrily but also in a surprised tone at how his son was acting, "What on Earth has gotten into you?!"
Young Dark Marik approached the nearby table and faced Flashback Mr. Ishtar.
"From now on, we're going to be playing by my rules," remarked Young Dark Marik.
"Marik! I order you to put down that Millennium Item! You're not ready to use them!" raged Flashback Mr. Ishtar.
The Millennium Rod glowed all gold and Young Dark Marik laughed quietly to himself.
"Well now, this item seems to accept me," The possessed young boy said snidely.
"Put it down!" command Flashback Mr. Ishtar, "I command you!"
Fed up with being told what to do, Young Dark Marik turned and glared at his Father in nothing but anger and hate.
"Shut up already!" barked Young Dark Marik.
"Marik, you-!" snarled Flashback Mr. Ishtar.
Young Dark Marik responded by aiming the Millennium Rod at his Father. Suddenly, Flashback Mr. Ishtar, glowing gold, was thrown by the Millennium Item's power into a wall.
"My son," groaned Flashback Mr. Ishtar weakly.
"Marik!" objected Young Ishizu, "What are you doing?"
Suddenly, Young Dark Marik turned to his own older sister and used the Millennium Rod's power to slam her against the wall, too.
"Stay out of this, sister!" snapped Young Dark Marik, before smiling madly, "You'll have your turn to get a bloodbath shortly."
"N-No. You're not Marik!" winced Young Ishizu, now stuck against the wall.
Young Dark Marik snickered before turning his attention back to Flashback Mr. Ishtar, knowing the perfect way to kill the old fool.
"And now, Father, it's time for you to meet your fate," grinned Young Dark Marik.
Suddenly, he removed the handle of the Millennium Rod and revealed a terrible secret about the item. The Millennium Rod was actually half rod—half dagger. Young Dark Marik advanced sinisterly towards Flashback Mr. Ishtar and readied the weapon.
"No! Stop!" cried Flashback Mr. Ishtar.
Despite his horrified pleas, they were all in vain.
(outside…)
Outside the tomb, Flashback Mr. Ishtar's screams echoed followed by Young Dark Marik's insane laughter.
(inside…)
Back inside, Flashback Mr. Ishtar was now lying in a pool of blood (some blood could also be seen on the walls). The scariest bit was the old man's back was completely skinned; mutilated so badly that it was enough to make anyone who saw it sick. In Young Dark Marik's bloodied hands was a rectangle of skin that he (Young Dark Marik) removed from Flashback Mr. Ishtar's back.
"So much for him," Young Dark Marik chuckled sadistically, briefly approaching the seemingly lifeless body of Flashback Odion, "Say, Odion, you wanted proof of belonging to the Ishtar clan, didn't you?" He held up and dropped the rectangle-shaped skin, showing the markings that Flashback Mr. Ishtar had gotten many years ago, "Then here, take this with you to the netherworld," With that done, he decided to kill the immobile Young Ishizu next, "Now for you, Honorable Big Sister!"
"N-No, stop, M-Marik!" begged Young Ishizu.
Young Dark Marik ignored Young Ishizu's cries and began to approach with the dagger, intending to simply stab her to death instead of torturing like he did to his Father—well, at least until…
"M-Master Marik," The voice of Flashback Odion uttered.
Young Dark Marik stopped approaching Young Ishizu and looked towards that wounded older brother of his. Flashback Odion was actually still alive despite the severe loss of blood and burning scars on his back.
"He's still alive?!" freaked out Young Dark Marik, turning his attention to Flashback Odion and raising the dagger up, "Why won't you stay dead?!"
Flashback Odion weakly raised his head, showing the markings on the left side of his face. Suddenly, Young Dark Marik dropped the Millennium Rod and fell to his knees in extreme pain. When he brought his head back up, Young Marik had his normal look back.
"W-What happened?" The young boy asked weakly, seeing blood on his hands, "Why am I covered in blood?"
Looking around, he saw Young Ishizu, his older sister, lying on the ground, injured—yet alive. But the moment Young Marik saw his Father—well, the look on his face said it all.
"FATHER!" screamed Young Marik.
Flashback Odion put his arms around Young Marik to comfort the crying young boy. All of a sudden, a ghostly spirit rose from the dead body of Flashback Mr. Ishtar. It was shown to be Flashback Shadi—although Young Marik had no idea.
"You're…" gasped Young Marik.
"Young one," said Flashback Shadi calmly, "You have taken the first step in fading into darkness. The Pharaoh will return soon. seek out the Pharaoh."
"W-What are you talking about?!" exclaimed Young Marik, "My Father is dead, and I want to know who did the deed!"
Flashback Shadi faded away with a stern look on his face. It was then Flashback Odion spoke up in trying to calm his younger brother down.
"It'll be alright, Master Marik," he said softly, "I will keep you safe no matter what."
"But who? Who was the one who killed our Father?" Young Marik sobbed.
Suddenly, he remembered Flashback Shadi's words and scowled. All of Young Marik's pain and sadness had melted away into anger, mainly because there was at least a certain 'someone' he did blame for all of this…
"The Pharaoh."
END FLASHBACK
The flashback finally finished. Everyone in the whole room was just shocked by the story.
"Whoa," whispered Gordon.
"Good heavens," Emily looked pale.
"Bubbling Sodas," came from Henry.
Unfortunately, there was only one person in the room who was not feeling much, if any, sympathy for Marik at the moment. and that person was.
"I'm sorry, but are we supposed to feel sorry for that little spoiled brat?" asked Percy, looking more and more miffed by the minute.
"Percy?" Liz looked over to her younger brother in shock, "What are you-?"
"What's that supposed to mean, kiddo?" added Ryan.
"Look at everything he's put us through!" protested Percy, "He almost killed Thomas, and sent Rare Hunters after us!" He looked at the occupied bed, where Lady continued to sleep in her coma before envisioning her trapped in the hourglass filled with flesh-eating insects, "Now look at what he did to Lady-! If you ask me, he doesn't need saving, he needs his butt whipped in a duel," The green-haired boy turned around, "And I will be the one to make him pay for everything!"
"Calm down, Percy!" scolded Edward.
Finally realizing he was letting his anger get the better of him, Percy closed his eyes and sighed apologetically. Ishizu didn't mind the anger, however, as she had a feeling that some people would be angry with her brother regardless.
"If I entrust the cleansing of Marik's dark personality to all of you, there may still be a chance to save Marik from a future shrouded by nothing but darkness," prayed Ishizu. Her eyes then lit with a pleading look, "Please, you must save him. Marik, along with Odion, is the only family I have left!"
"Is there a way to destroy the darkness in Marik without destroying Marik himself?" asked Henry.
Before anyone else could say anything, another announcement played on the PA.
"Lights out in two minutes," The voice of Roland announced.
"Guess it's time to hit the hay," said Mavis, stretching her arms out.
"Yeah," agreed Toby, "Are you going back to look after Duck?"
"I am," confirmed Mavis, before she and Toby shared a quick kiss, "Good night."
Toby waved goodbye to his girlfriend, and Mavis left the room.
"We'll bunk in together," proclaimed James, gesturing to Henry and Gordon.
"Got that right," smiled Gordon.
With that, the three teenage boys left as well.
"Thomas, do you mind if I stay with you in your room?" Emily asked, blushing a little bit, "I feel safer with you."
"Sure, Emily," nodded Thomas kindly.
Emily smiled to herself. It was then Percy spoke to his best friend.
"Hey, Thomas, I haven't forgotten our promise before the tournament," recalled Percy seriously, "When the time comes for us to have a duel for real, I'll go at you with everything I have!"
"I won't forget, Percy," promised Thomas.
"But, Percy," Liz spoke up innocently, "what if you and Thomas have to duel each other straight away?"
Percy became flustered, "D-Don't jinx us, sis!" he stammered, "I don't like that!"
"Can't you get Ms. Ishizu to see into the future and see if you two will duel?" suggested Molly.
"I no longer hold the power to see into the future," denied Ishizu unhappily, "Spencer Gresley changed his future."
"Huh?" Thomas and Percy uttered, looking at the young Egyptian woman curiously.
"I have finished my mission," explained Ishizu, taking the Millennium Necklace off from around her neck, "Now it is Thomas's turn," She handed the Millennium Item to Thomas before bending forwards a bit so she was closer to eye level with him, "Please save my brother."
Then, to everyone else's surprise and such, the Egyptian woman then kissed him on the cheek. Thomas blushed a little bit from the kiss, while Emily's face formed an infuriated scowl and her eyes felt like fireballs.
"Grrrrr!" growled Emily in jealousy.
Hastily, Thomas recovered from being flustered and nodded in affirmation to Ishizu.
"I… I will," Thomas agreed quickly, "That is a promise."
Minutes later, everyone else (minus Percy, Ryan, and Liz) left the room. While on the way to their rooms, Thomas was gazing down at his Millennium Puzzle and the obtained Millennium Necklace in his left hand.
"Two Millennium Items," thought Thomas, "Maybe the necklace will help me discover some of those answers I seek."
"Sooooo, Thomas-boy," The voice of Discord spoke up, walking up and nudging Thomas with a small, playful smirk on his face, "I can tell that you are popular with the girls lately, eh?"
"It's not like it's intentional!" protested Thomas, once again blushing from embarrassment, "I-I don't even know what they even see in me."
"I don't know either, man," shrugged Michael, "But you sure know how to attract them."
Matt rolled his eyes a bit with a groan, while Carlie looked at Ben and she and him giggled in response. Thomas sighed as he approached a door to a room.
"Here's my room. Have a good night, guys," said Thomas hastily.
"Night," Matt and Michael commented at the same time.
"Sleep tight," came from Carlie.
"Don't let the toon bugs bite," giggled Discord, amused by his little joke.
(elsewhere…)
Inside Duck's room, the lights were out. Mavis was shown to be under the covers of another bed, and was about to fall asleep when she suddenly started glowing all gold and a familiar voice spoke.
"It was him all along," The voice of Marik spoke angrily, referring to his dark half, "HE was the one who had caused all of my troubles, and not Thomas Billinton! If I want to get my body back and make up for everything that I've done, I'm going to need some help."
Mavis's eyes opened and became dull as she sat up (she was only wearing a yellow tank top and pajama bottoms), got out of bed, approached the bed Duck was asleep in, and placed the Millennium Ring next to the unconscious boy, who suddenly snapped his eyes open.
(elsewhere…)
Inside Thomas's room, Thomas (still wearing his usual clothes but without the jacket) was in one bed, and Emily (in her nightgown) was in another. Unfortunately, the dark green-haired girl couldn't seem to sleep.
"Thomas?" she whispered.
Thomas awoke, and looked around before finding Emily looking very distressed.
"Y-Yeah?" asked Thomas sleepily, "Is something the matter, Emily?"
"I can't sleep," frowned Emily.
"Why not?" pressed Thomas, "Is it because of the remaining duels tomorrow?"
"You could say that," admitted Emily, "I'm worried about what will happen if you go against Marik."
"If I have to, I will," Thomas pointed out seriously, "I've promised Ishizu I would rescue her brother, and I will not break a promise I made to a friend in need."
"It isn't just a promise I'm scared of," rebutted Emily "I just don't want to lose you or any more friends!"
She buried her hands into her face and began to cry.
"Emily," thought Thomas sadly.
Not wanting to see Emily like this, Thomas got out of his bed and walked over to his friend's bed and sat down on the edge of it. Emily felt the extra weight on the bed and then felt Thomas's hand resting on her shoulder. She sat up and Thomas inched closer to her and wrapped his arm around her. Emily, still crying, gladly accepted this gesture and rested her head in the crook of Thomas's neck and continued to weep softly. Thomas couldn't help but think about how Emily had been captured by Marik and brainwashed, just so that he could lure him into his trap.
FLASHBACK
Flashback Thomas, Flashback Spencer, and Flashback Skiff each arrived at Brendam Docks, and they were searching for Percy, Emily, and Mavis.
"Look over there!" Flashback Skiff cried, spotting something ahead.
Two teenagers stood near a warehouse. One was a 15-year old boy with bright green hair, and the other was a beautiful 15-year old girl with long dark green (almost emerald) colored hair. In an instant, Flashback Thomas knew who they were.
"Percy! Emily!" The blue-haired boy exclaimed, running forward.
"Billinton!" called Flashback Spencer, following close behind.
"Wait for me!" added Flashback Skiff, also following behind.
As soon as Flashback Thomas was close enough to the two teenagers, he smiled at his best of friends.
"I'm so glad you're safe and sound," Flashback Thomas was saying, "Percy… Emily…"
Suddenly, Flashback Emily turned around and slapped Flashback Thomas across the face. As Flashback Thomas staggered back and clutched his cheek, he could see that something was seriously wrong. The eyes of both Flashback Percy and Flashback Emily were dull and their faces had no expressions.
"Oh no," mumbled Flashback Thomas quietly, "Marik's taken over their minds!"
"Quiet right, Pharaoh," confirmed Flashback Percy (possessed) deviously.
"We've been waiting for you," added Flashback Emily (possessed).
On cue, several Rare Hunters came storming into the area. with a possessed Mavis leading them.
"We're trapped!" shivered Flashback Skiff in fear.
"Let my friends go from your control, Marik!" demanded Flashback Thomas, as Percy (possessed) looked amused, "Face me in person if you want me dead so badly!"
Flashback Mavis (possessed) merely let out a cruel laugh, stepping between Percy (possessed) and Emily (possessed). The three possessed Sudrian teenagers faced Flashback Thomas, Flashback Spencer, and Flashback Skiff.
"Face you in person?" repeated Flashback Mavis harshly, "That's exactly what Master Marik is doing! By getting you to face your own friends!"
"But why possess Mavis?" questioned Flashback Thomas, "She's not even a duelist!"
"Maybe not, but once you and Spencer follow me to the arena, everything will become clear," offered Flashback Mavis (possessed), turning around, "Now, no screwing around… Come this way."
"Come on, you guys!" begged Flashback Thomas, "Snap out of it! You're not Marik's puppets! You have to fight his power!"
But his words were ignored.
END FLASHBACK
The flashback came to an end. When Thomas had found Percy and Emily both at Brendam Docks and saw that they had already been brainwashed, he was far more upset about Emily being turned against him than he let on. Naturally, he was genuinely horrified that both Percy and Mavis had been turned against him, but that didn't compare to the crushing pain and sadness he felt when he (Thomas) saw what Marik had done to Emily. It had hurt him even more than the slap that Emily had given him, and far more than he was ever willing to admit to anyone but himself. All because he wasn't able to protect her.
"Damn," thought Thomas.
The dark image of Emily's face twisted and corrupted by the power of Marik's Millennium Rod still lingered in Thomas's mind and it was something that would forever haunt him. Seeing Emily in such a state was enough to almost break Thomas's heart and spirit. But he couldn't let that get the better of him. He had to fight all his urges to break down and lose control of himself. He couldn't afford to. He had to shove it all to the side and focus strictly on saving Emily, along with Percy and Mavis. If Thomas let his deep feelings for Emily get in the way, then he would have already lost his resolve before he was forced to duel Percy. Even when Spencer saved Emily, Thomas couldn't afford to express the joy he felt that Emily was back to normal. Emily suddenly felt Thomas' grip on her begin to tighten, causing her to open her eyes and look up at him. Thomas was scowling and clenching his teeth and shaking hard in anger, while his unoccupied fist was tightly clenched. She could also feel something strange within Thomas.
"Thomas?" Emily whispered, growing highly fearful.
"I couldn't protect you from him," murmured Thomas painfully, wrapping his free arm around Emily's waist and pulling her closer to him, "I couldn't protect you from Marik, dammit!"
Emily was quick to realize what her friend was referring to, and she felt a great deal of shame. Thomas had sworn to himself that he would always protect Emily, no matter what the cost, ever since he had saved her from Gordon and James's bullying several years ago. But, obviously, Thomas had failed to protect her from Marik, and that sense of failure was eating away at him.
"No, it wasn't your fault, Thomas, it was mine," countered Emily gently, "I simply couldn't do anything to stop it. If I were able to protect myself, I might have been able to do something to help."
Emily Stirling had never felt so useless and helpless as Marik had forced her to do his bidding. She couldn't do anything to fight off his mind control, until she started to hear Thomas's cries of pain and agony from Percy's attacks. Only then was Emily finally able to start resisting Marik's control. Even still, it was because of her that Thomas had suffered so much pain and nearly lost his life. She felt she was nothing but a burden on Thomas.
"Don't say that!" replied Thomas sharply, his tone of voice startling Emily, "It's my fault. If I had just stayed with you instead of going off on my own, then I could have protected you from the Rare Hunters!"
He closed his eyes tightly, Emily could sense his anger rising, and more worryingly, she could feel whatever it was that felt in Thomas's heart getting worse.
"Whether it was the dark half of Marik or not who did that to you, I'll never forgive him for turning you against me!" hissed Thomas.
Thomas was so focused on his rage that he didn't realize that he was holding onto Emily more tightly than before. She was pressed against Thomas's chest and could feel his heart beating rapidly, but also, she could feel as if something was trying to get out. Something powerful. Something savage, unrelenting, terrifying, and incredibly dark. As if something, or maybe someone, was trying to break free from captivity like a rabid animal. It seemed to Emily that Thomas was holding her so closely because he was trying to calm himself down, whether he was fully aware of this strange presence or not. It was then that Emily suddenly began to feel something strange with herself. Something within the deepest corners of her own heart. It seemed to be reacting to or resonating with whatever it was that she felt coming from Thomas's heart. Emily could feel her heart beating faster and faster, the strange feeling getting stronger, as if telling her to calm the raging beast in Thomas's heart.
"No!" The dark green-haired girl thought to herself.
Emily then began to realize that she had felt something like this happen before. When Thomas was about to kill Spencer in their duel in San Francisco after being blinded by his own rage and hatred for Sailor John and his band of pirates, Emily had felt something spark within her, sensing the dark presence in Thomas's heart, while her own heart was telling her to stop Thomas by any means before he went through with the attack. Emily, without hesitation or extra thought, had instinctively ran towards Thomas and begged him to stop. But afterwards, Emily had never thought about the strange feeling she had felt.
FLASHBACK
Flashback Spencer was near the edge of Discord's mansion, ready to commit suicide if he were to lose the duel to Flashback Thomas.
"Stop it, Spencer!" cried Flashback Emily, "Suicide isn't the answer!"
"Neither is losing my Mother and Father!" The voice of Flashback Spencer argued, startling Flashback Emily. He (Flashback Spencer) looked back towards Flashback Thomas, "So go ahead if you've got the guts, Billinton!" He made a throat cutting gesture with his thumb, "Use your cards to take my life!"
Flashback Thomas looked extremely conflicted with himself. Did he (Flashback Thomas) dare attack Flashback Spencer and win the duel? Or pass and let Flashback Spencer win? It was all just too much for him.
"I…" thought Flashback Thomas, as he (Flashback Thomas) started seeing images of Flashback Sailor John and the pirates, "I…"
Flashback Sailor John, Flashback Commander Laura, and Flashback Commander Sledge were laughing maniacally as they succeeded in their dark goals. Flashback Thomas scowled intensely at the thought, feeling nothing but anger and hate for them. But that wasn't the worst bit, there was a sharp spark of unknown power deep within Thomas Billinton's heart.
"I mustn't lose-!" Flashback Thomas told himself, "I can't lose!"
His hatred of Sailor John and the pirates seemed to sparked something inside his heart. Something really powerful and dark. Flashback Percy was the first to notice the change in Thomas's expression.
"Take a look at Thomas!" panicked Flashback Percy.
That got everyone else's attention.
"What's going on?" worried Flashback Henry, as Flashback Thomas seethed in fury, "Something's wrong with Thomas. You don't think he's going to do it, do you?"
"But if he does," Flashback Toby protested loudly, "Spencer will…"
Back with Flashback Thomas, he was shaking with such anger that some traces of a dark aura started to form around him.
"Here I go, Spencer!" screamed Flashback Thomas, drawing a card.
The Tidmouth Teens, including Flashback Mavis, all looked scared at how angry and fierce their friend looked and sounded. But what really scared them was how Flashback Thomas had a small but still noticeable aura of darkness burning around him along with a look of pure fury on his face. It was almost like he was a completely different person, now.
"Do you hear me? I'll never lose!" Flashback Thomas roared in rage, "Not now, not ever!" His Battle Phase began, as 'Obnoxious Celtic Guardian' readied to attack and a second voice joined with his own, "'Obnoxious Celtic Guardian', attack Spencer directly and win 'us' the duel!"
'Obnoxious Celtic Guardian' obeyed, charging at the defenseless Flashback Spencer. In the audience, Flashback Emily couldn't take it anymore.
"Thomas, no!" she cried, running up to her friend.
"Emily, wait!" Flashback James called out.
No one else tried to stop the dark green-haired girl.
"Stop this, Thomas!" Flashback Emily shrieked with terror, "This isn't like you-!"
Flashback Thomas didn't seem to listen, while his look of rage remained. By now, everything seemed to run in slow motion. Flashback Spencer stood on the edge waiting defiantly and emotionless for his impending fate as 'Obnoxious Celtic Guardian' came closer.
"Please come back to us!" Flashback Emily continued, running forth still, "Come back to me, my love!"
Flashback Thomas's face softened when he heard Flashback Emily's voice, which seemed to sound different and even spoke with a Scottish accent rather than an American accent. To his surprise, only Flashback Thomas seemed to think it was different from Flashback Emily's usual voice—or something like that.
"What…?" peeped Flashback Thomas, still speaking with two voices, "Was that…her?"
"Please stop your attack!" Flashback Emily pleaded some more, also still speaking in a different voice, "Return to who you really are!"
With the dark aura fading away to the sound of Flashback Emily's angelic-like voice, Flashback Thomas finally came to a horrifying realization over what he had done.
"She's right, this isn't me!" thought Flashback Thomas, as he collapsed onto his knees and let out a huge scream, "STOP!"
Hearing his master, 'Obnoxious Celtic Guardian' stopped where he was and lowered his sword to the ground. Flashback Thomas was too shocked over what he had almost gone and done.
END FLASHBACK
The flashback ended, and Emily looked up at Thomas and saw his angered expression, something she never wanted to see again after the incident in San Francisco. She wrapped her arms tightly around Thomas, following what her heart was telling her. It seemed to slowly work, as Thomas eased up in no time, and Emily could feel whatever it was deep in Thomas's heart subsiding until she couldn't feel it anymore.
"Please, Thomas, don't let your anger get the better of you," whimpered Emily, "Don't repeat what nearly happened against Spencer."
Thomas didn't need clarification on what she was talking about. He remembered it all too well.
"You had such a scary expression back then, like you were a different person! I don't ever want to see you like that again!" Emily cried, before digging her face into Thomas's chest and weeping away once again, "I don't… I don't-!"
Thomas didn't know what to say. He knew, since the incident, that he felt something else inside of him during the rematch with Spencer that drove him into a beastly rage and tried to proceed with the winning blow at the potential cost of his opponent's life, but he had no idea who or what it was. Moreover, Thomas didn't know how terrifying it was for the others, especially for Emily, to witness first hand. Frankly, he would prefer not to imagine how they felt, but if he was able to scare Emily as much as he did, then it was definitely worth worrying about. Thomas wanted nothing more than to reassure Emily that he wouldn't let his anger get the better of him in the future, but there was frankly no way that he could make such a promise to her, not when Dark Marik's actions were bound to only get worse and worse as the tournament continued. If Dark Marik decided to go after Emily, then Thomas could not guarantee the safety of anyone around him, most especially himself. He knew if Emily was put in grave danger, he would not be able to resist giving into whatever the hell was inside him.
Even still, he (Thomas) wasn't gonna let Dark Marik have his fun like he (Dark Marik) had with Lady like putting her through a Shadow Game and then performing a Penalty Game on her after defeating and almost killing her with 'The Winged Dragon of Ra', and he wasn't gonna let anything stop him from protecting Emily, even if he had to give up his own life to keep the girl he was in-love with safe. Thomas just held his weeping angel close to him, and comforted her as much as he could.
(elsewhere.)
Inside Flashback Odion's room, Dark Marik walked to the unconscious young Egyptian man's bed and drew the dagger out of the Millennium Rod.
"Odion… the door of darkness has opened to you, my friend," he whispered creepily, "So long as you remain alive, it's an inconvenience to me."
Before Dark Marik could deliver the killing blow, some sinister laughter filled the room.
"I'm afraid you will have to get through the likes of me first," A dark voice (male) retorted.
Out from the shadows, with the Millennium Ring glowing around his neck, was none other than Montague.
"Montague?" Dark Marik was a bit surprised to say the least.
"I've brought along a friend," Montague commented teasingly, "This is your other half—a piece of Marik Ishtar."
By friend, he meant the real Marik. Light Marik appeared as an image beside Montague, but Dark Marik could still see the image none-the-less.
"Tch! When he brainwashed Duck with the Millennium Rod, he implanted a part of his soul into him," Dark Marik thought to himself, somewhat annoyed, "This is something I had forgotten to foresee."
"I won't let you kill Odion!" said Marik defiantly, "So I've brought Montague here to defeat you."
"Well, I do hope you will keep your end of the bargain when this is over," reminded Montague sternly, "I'll be taking that Millennium Rod."
"Hmhmhm… Oh yes, you're a Millennium Item collector, right?" remembered Dark Marik, chuckling.
"If you hand it over quietly, I won't make you a part of my soul collection," threatened Montague.
"Well now," Dark Marik joked ruthlessly, "Shall I tear you apart like the puzzle you are?"
"Just try it," dared Montague darkly.
With that said, Dark Marik snickered, raised the Millennium Rod up, and fired off a deadly blast. Montague and the image of Marik were both thrown against the wall.
"Why don't you stick around for a while?" taunted Dark Marik, "I'm going to kill Odion right now, and I'd 'love' an audience to make it official."
Suddenly, the Millennium Ring began to glow and fire a blast at Dark Marik, hitting and freezing him in place.
"M-My arm!" grimaced Dark Marik, glowing all gold, before glaring back at Montague hatefully, "Why you-!"
"Your power is nothing!" gloated Montague.
"Oh? It would seem our Millennium Items are equal," sang Dark Marik, recovering to glare and grin darkly, "Perhaps we should resolve this in a better method. How about we play in a Shadow Game?"
"It would be my pleasure," Montague nodded, smirking evilly.
(outside…)
On top of the blimp outside, the platform activated and rose up. Dark Marik and Montague both stood on opposite ends and faced each other.
"There is one rule… Whoever swallowed into the Shadow Realm!" informed Dark Marik.
"Bring it on!" dared Montague.
The two villains stared at each other. and then burst into evil laughter. Yes, this was going to be good. Who are you gonna root for to win?
And there we go, the tale on how the Ishtar family was destroyed has been revealed. For the definitive version, we included the eighth deleted scene for the moment with Thomas and Emily near the end.