Chapter 43

"Well?" Dark Marik taunted. "Go ahead and make your move and crush an innocent soul!"

Before I'm gone forever, I wanted to say I'm sorry, Marik said to Yugi, Yami, and me.

No! I cried. Marik!

"Master Marik!" someone shouted from the elevator. "I shall protect you!"

I turned around and gasped. "It's Odion!"

"What's that fool doing here?" Dark Marik growled.

That voice... Marik murmured. But it can't be... It is! Odion!

"Master Marik, please don't give up!" Odion said. "There's still time!"

"Nonsense!" said Dark Marik. "The darkness is here to stay. There's no turning back now. You have no business being here, Odion!"

"Let him speak!" Yami shouted. I looked in concern as Odion staggered towards the duel ring. He was clearly not yet well.

"Be careful! We were all doing just fine without you. Just look at you! You're barely able to stand up. How sad! Now, if you can just stay on your feet for a few moments longer, you'll witness my triumph over the pharaoh and the demise of my weak side. Ha ha ha!"

"That guy's in bad shape!" Joey said.

"Yeah," said Tea. "He's in no condition to be wandering around out here."

Joey started towards Odion. "Hey!"

Ishizu grabbed him and held him back. "No, Joey... This is something Odion must do. It may be the only way to save Marik."

"Release my master now!" Odion said in a demanding tone.

"Your master is almost gone!" Dark Marik said. "I'm afraid you've come too late. I've taken his body, and the Shadow Realm is about to take his soul! The Marik you once knew will soon be extinct, Odion." The good Marik sighed. "He'll no longer be able to hold me back!"

"That's not true. I've returned to ensure that your gentle spirit prevails."

"That's enough!" With anger, Dark Marik used the Millennium Rod to slam Odion into the wall. I gasped in pain.

Odion! Marik cried.

I realized it was time for me to help Odion. "Marik!" I shouted. "You've got to snap out of this and fight!"

I told you, I can't!

"Yes, you can! You decide your own fate, remember? You just have to believe in yourself and not give up! I believe in you, and Odion believes in you."

"That's right," Odion said as he struggled to his feet. "Master Marik! Fight the evil within. We've conquered your wicked side before, and we can do it again!"

"Silence!" Dark Marik shouted, and he blasted Odion against the wall again.

"Hold on!" Ishizu said. She ran to Odion, but he held up his hand.

"I'm fine... Ishizu," Odion said. "Please... Master. You have the power to stop your dark side. Remember, you're the one that created him! And you can destroy him!"

I felt a flash or recognition from Marik. He's right. I can destroy him!

"I've heard enough!" said Dark Marik. "Now take this!" He raised his Rod again, but I felt good Marik merge with him and fight for control.

"Hey look..." Tea said. "Do you see what I see? Marik is freaking out up there!"

"I see," said Duke.

"You can do it, Marik!" I cheered.

"What is going on?" said Dark Marik as he struggled with his light half.

I'm regaining control of my life! Marik said.

"Fight his evil with all your might, master Marik!" said Odion. "Let your tombkeeper's heritage give you strength!"

I'll give you strength too! I said with my mind. I took a deep breath and focused on sharing my energy with Marik. Slowly, I felt him overpowering his dark side.

Dark Marik screamed. "I've come too far to lose my grip now! I am the true Marik, and I will not be overpowered by my weak side!"

Marik continued to struggle until he finally managed to merge completely with his dark side and take over his body. If you can hear me, pharaoh, attack now!

No, Marik! Yami said.

Please pharaoh. I can't hold on much longer. I need your help to banish my dark half forever. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you and your friends. As a tombkeeper, I was raised to serve you, but I always resented this task. This resentment turned to hatred, and my dark half was born. What I did was wrong, but I'm ready to take responsibility for my actions and correct the wrongs I've committed.

"Well said, master," Odion said. "I've waited so long to hear those words."

Please pharaoh! Attack! It's the only hope for my survival.

"No, don't listen to him!" Dark Marik said.

You have to trust him, I said. He'll be fine. He can take it. And I'll be with him. I'll help him hold on.

What if you don't have enough strength? Yami asked.

I'll be fine. You must believe in me! And believe in Marik. He knows what he has to do. You must focus on your role.

"Yes!" Marik said. "You must attack me to save mankind! Please! But hurry, I can't hold him back much longer!"

We can't attack him! Yugi said. It's just too risky! The force of our attack could send him straight to the Shadow Realm!

Yugi... said Yami. We have no choice. We must trust him... and Samia.

Pharaoh! Marik said. Please! Attack me now! It's the only way!

"Alright!" Yami said. "Here goes! I activate... My Ragnarok card!"

"No!" Dark Marik cried.

"Yes! Since my Dark Magician and my Dark Magician Girl are both on the field, the unstoppable magic of Ragnarok can be released! But first... I must remove every monster in my hand, deck, and graveyard."

Dark Marik moaned in agony. "No! You're making a mistake!"

"I'm afraid it's too late. Ragnarok is already infused with the power of every one of my monsters. Now, Dark Magicians... with the help of my entire army of monsters... unleash your incredible force!" Many monsters appeared on the field to support the Dark Magicians.

"Check it out guys..." Duke said. "It's Yugi's monsters on parade!"

"Whoa...!" Tristan said. "I've never seen anything like this!"

"You and your Egyptian god card are through!" Yami said.

"Noooooo!" Dark Marik shouted. "Stop! Call these creatures off right now! No one can destroy my Winged Dragon of Ra! Release me! Right now!"

"It's pointless for you to resist my monsters. They have you trapped in their unbreakable grasp!"

"Noooooooooooooooo!"

"Your reign of terror is finally over! The time has come for me to fulfill my destiny and rid the world of your evil once and for all!" I winced as Dark Marik started screaming. I tried to focus on giving Marik strength to hold on. "May the magic of Ragnarok Rid the field of your Winged Dragon of Ra and swallow your dark side for all eternity!" I braced myself for the attack. I was nearly overwhelmed by the force of it. I felt Marik struggling, and I clung to him mentally to keep him steady.

"Now that's what I call 'intense!'" Joey said.

"Oh man!" Tristan said. "Yugi got rid of Ra!"

"So, does that mean he won?" Tea asked.

"Not yet," said Duke. "Marik has one life point left, so the duel's not done."

Samia, are you alright? Yami asked.

I-I'm fine, I said. Just a little tired. You guys?

We're good, Yugi said.

Yugi... Yami said. Destroying the winged dragon of Ra should have destroyed Marik's dark side as well.

Yeah, but what about his good side?

We'll see.

The attack had caused an explosion of light. Now we waited for the swirling smoke to disappear on Marik's side of the field. I still feel him, I said. That means something.

"Master Marik," Odion murmured.

"B-brother..." Ishizu said. "Please tell me you're alright!"

I let out a breath when the smoke cleared and I saw Marik standing there, clutching his chest. "He's fine."

"He made it!" Yami said. Then he called out to him. "Marik! It's over! Your evil side has been banished forever! You're safe!"

"We're sure this is his good side, right?" Tristan said.

"Well, his face isn't as weird now," Duke said.

"I knew master Marik's will was strong enough to overcome the darkness in his heart," Odion said with happiness. "Now his inner light can truly shine."

"Pharaoh... There's still one more task that you and I must complete," Marik said, throwing off his cloak. "I still have one life point left!"

Wait... he's right! Yugi said. We're not done!

Huh? said Dark Marik, who now appeared chained up in the good Marik's place. What's going on? He looked around the scene. No! This can't be happening!

Marik's dark side is back on the field! Yugi said.

Yes, but now the tables have turned, said Yami. Marik's good side is in control and the evil has become the victim.

You can't do this Marik! Dark Marik said. Listen! But his lighter half ignored him. We can still crush the pharaoh together! Remember, how you wasted away your childhood serving this fool? It's not too late to destroy him and take what you deserve! The infinite power of the pharaoh could be yours! If we win this duel, you and I can claim the three Egyptian god cards and the Millennium Puzzle. We'll rule the world together!

Enough! I said. He's not interested.

"You can't have my consciousness," Marik said. "I'll bury you with my own hands."

Don't be a fool, Marik! We've come so far. Don't throw away everything we've worked for. We can still win!

"Your move," Yami said.

"I'm sorry pharaoh," Marik said with regret. "It was my duty to help you and, instead, I turned my back. I can't change the past, but I can start over by embracing my family legacy. I'm proud to be a tombkeeper, and I'm proud of my sister and my brother."

"Thank you, sir," Odion said, feeling touched.

"My family has waited five thousand years for your return. Now you're here. So, I must fulfill my destiny by letting you fulfill yours."

No! Dark Marik shouted. You can't do this!

"I must. I hold the key to helping the pharaoh unlock his true powers. The secret is imprinted on my back in ancient Egyptian text. But before I reveal this mystery, the pharaoh must be in possession of all three Egyptian god cards!"

You're making a huge mistake!

"No. For the first time in years, I'm making the right choice." Marik placed his hand over the top of his deck.

Dark Marik was horrified. What are you doing!?

"I'm honoring the Ishtar name! By surrendering the duel. I must finish this myself as reparation for the crime I committed. This will be my first step towards the future."

Of course! Yugi said. By forfeiting the duel, his life points will drop down to zero and his evil side will vanish into the shadows.

If you do this, you'll be sorry! Dark Marik said. You need me!

"Be gone!" Marik said. "I surrender this duel to the pharaoh!"

Noooooo! I cringed while Dark Marik screamed before disappearing. Then the Shadow Game faded, and Yugi was freed. I let out a huge breath of relief.

"At last," I murmured.

"It's finally over, my pharaoh," Marik said.

"Yes," Yami said. "And the darkness has lifted from your heart."

We won the duel! Yugi cheered.

Yami smiled at him. You're safe now.

"Marik has overpowered the evil that controlled him for so long," Ishizu said. "My pharaoh... Thank you. You've saved mankind."

"We did," Yami said. "I wouldn't have been victorious had it not been for all of you." He turned to Marik. "You have won the battle in your heart." Marik nodded in response.

"And the winner of the Battle City championship crown is Yugi Muto!" Roland announced.

I raced to the dueling platform as soon as it lowered. "I'm so glad you're alright!" I hugged Yami tightly. He immediately embraced me in return, and I felt him giving me back the same emotions of relief and happiness that I was feeling. I pulled back after a moment and smiled at Yugi's spirit form. "Both of you."

"We're glad you're safe too," Yami said with a smile. My attention was caught by our friends climbing the platform as well.

Yeah, Yugi said. You should let Marik know you're happy he's alright too.

I nodded. "I will." I turned and ran across the platform. Marik gave me a kind smile when he saw me.

"Samia, I-" Marik started to say, but I cut him off by flinging my arms around him.

"You're safe."

I felt a surge of emotions from Marik as he hugged me back. "Yes, and you're safe too. Samia, I'm so sorry for everything that happened."

"I know." I continued to hug him, nuzzling my face into his chest. I could tell my presence had a positive effect on him. I did not want to leave him until I knew he would be alright mentally as well. "You made the right choice in the end. That's all that matters."

"I suppose." Marik gently stroke my hair. "Thank you for your support. You are an amazing friend."

I lifted my head to smile at him. "Thanks. You've been a good friend to me as well."

Marik shook his head. "I messed everything up."

"But you made it better again. You deserve a second chance. It's time for you to create a better future for yourself."

Marik smile softly at me. "Perhaps you're right. Thank you, Samia." I finally let him go when his siblings approached us.

"Marik," Ishizu said gently.

Marik dipped his head. "Ishizu... I'm sorry."

Ishizu smiled. "All that matters is that you're safe and you've returned to the way you were, my brother. You have fulfilled your destiny and ended the mission of the tombkeepers."

Marik lifted his head. "Sister... Does this mean the three of us can start over and build a new life for ourselves?"

"Yes... I think it's time our family started living in the light, don't you? Side by side with the rest of mankind. I'm glad you're back."

"So am I."

Ishizu turned to me. "Samia, thank you for looking after my brother and helping him see the light."

I smiled warmly at her. "It was my pleasure. Thank you for your support as well."

Ishizu nodded. "You are most welcome."

"Sorry to interrupt..." Kaiba said as he stepped onto the platform. "but as the organizer of the Battle City tournament, I guess I should congratulate the winner. Even though you only won that duel due to Marik's forfeit."

"Nice duel!" Mokuba said, following his brother. "And as the winner, you get to keep the rarest card from your opponent's deck!"

"He's right..." Ishizu said, looking at Marik. "And the pharaoh is going to need that card soon."

"That's true!" Marik said.

"Make sure he doesn't give you the fake one," said Joey.

Tea gave him a look. "Joey!"

"Pharaoh..." Marik said as he approached Yami. "As I complete my final mission, rest assured that everyone who was banished to the Shadow Realm by my dark side will return."

I let out a breath of relief. "Good."

"It's about time!" Joey said.

"You said it!" said Tristan.

"Thank you," Yugi said.

Yes, said a familiar voice inside my head. Thank you, indeed.

Bakura? I said. I searched, but his presence disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Maybe I was imaging things.

"Take this, my rarest card," Marik said, handing Yami the Winged Dragon of Ra. "And remember, You're going to need this card, pharaoh."

"The Winged Dragon of Ra..." Yami murmured.

"Pharaoh. I have one more task to perform Before my tombkeeper's mission is complete. Observe!" Marik removed his shirt and turned to show Yami the markings on his back. I winced as I saw the scars. "The secret of the pharaoh's power!"

"This is getting weird now," said Tristan.

"You're tellin' me!" said Duke.

"These markings were passed down by my family from generation to generation for five thousand years!" Marik explained.

"We were taught that when the ancient pharaoh saved the world from destruction, he wiped his own memory clean," Ishizu said. "But he knew that someday he would return, and he'd need his memory back. So, he entrusted one family with his greatest secret. The key to unlocking his mind and his power! Now that you hold the three Egyptian god cards and the Millennium Puzzle, all you need to do is read the words on Marik's back."

"Hey, Yug," said Joey. "Can you really read that chicken scratch?"

"I'll try," said Yami. He leaned in closer to Marik. "I can't understand those ancient symbols at all, but I feel like the three Egyptian god cards are trying to show me what they say. Wait! That's the stone tablet from the museum! What does it mean? Could the pharaoh's secret be locked in this tablet?"

Once Yami was done looking, Marik slipped his shirt back on. "It's time for us to leave now, pharaoh. So, please take this." He held out the Millennium Rod. "The Millennium Rod belongs with you where it won't cause any more harm."

Yami accepted the object. "Thank you."

"And you won this as well." Marik removed the Millennium Ring from his neck. Then he turned to me. "But, if you agree, I believe it will be safer with Samia."

Yami was surprised. "Samia? Why? Won't it hurt her?"

"She is immune from any effects of the Millennium Items. She may sense a darkness from the Ring, but it is nothing that will cause any real damage. It is up to her if she is willing to bear it."

"I am," I said quickly. "I'll take the Ring."

"And what of the Spirit of the Ring?" Yami said. "He's dangerous."

"He is dangerous no matter who carries the Ring," Ishizu said.

"At least if I have the Ring, it probably can't go back to Bakura," I said. "The Spirit can't control my body like it can Bakura's."

Yami hesitated. "Yes, but he may still attempt to manipulate you."

"And she will try to influence him just the same," said Marik. "I trust in her power more than his."

I agree, Yugi said. Samia was right about Marik. Maybe there is still some good in the Spirit of the Millennium Ring.

"He protected me from Marik's dark side," I said.

"He found it abhorrent that anyone would want to harm an empath," said Marik. "I doubt he would hurt her - directly, at least."

"He wouldn't," I agreed. "Even if I can't get him to back down in his goals, he still might be able to provide important information. I think he knew my ancestor." I thought of something and turned to Ishizu. "You've traveled to ancient Egypt. Did you ever see the Spirit there?"

"I am afraid not," said Ishizu. "However, I did have a vision recently. You are right. He has a connection to the empaths." She looked at Yami. "I too once feared his influence on her, but I was wrong. She is strong enough to handle this. I do not know if she can accomplish anything with him, but she is the only one who can defeat him without violence or further harm."

Yami nodded. He finally turned his gaze on me. "Samia, is this really what you want?" I felt a range of conflicting emotions from him. He was worried about me, but he also believed in me. This made me happy.

"Yes," I said with resolve. "I can do this."

Yami dipped his head. "Very well. I trust you."

I smiled warmly at him. "Thank you." I accepted the Millennium Necklace from Marik and slipped it around my neck. Bakura? I felt his presence, but he said nothing. Something else occurred to me, and I glanced from Marik to Ishizu. "Do you guys know where the Millennium Items came from?"

"They were created to assist the pharaoh."

"Yes, I understand." I hesitated. "I suppose I want to know how they were made. There is a darkness in them... all of them... Even the Millennium Puzzle."

Ishizu exchanged a glance with Marik. "We are not aware of the origins. Perhaps that is something for you to uncover."

As if they would tell you even if they knew, Dark Bakura muttered.

Huh? I said, but he grew silent once more.

"Alright, you geeks!" Kaiba said loudly. "This victory celebration has gone on long enough. The Battle City tournament is over! So, if you'd like a free ride home, I'd suggest you board my aircraft right now. Is that clear? If anyone's left behind on the island, the Kaiba Corporation will not be responsible for your safety. So go! Cause in one hour, this island will explode!"

"Say what?!" Joey exclaimed.

"You're kidding right?" said Tristan. "Please say 'yes.'"

"I don't kid," Kaiba said. "The duel tower will self-destruct in one hour, so board the ship and go home!"

"I thought Mokuba said that the engines weren't working on that thing!" Tea protested.

"It's alright now," Mokuba said. "The ship's been repaired!" He turned to Roland. "Isn't that right?"

Roland hesitated. "Uh, well..."

"Good bye," Mokuba said brightly before following his brother.

"Can you believe that sore loser?" Joey complained.

"I know," said Tristan. "Kaiba loses the tournament, so he decides to trash the place."

I shook my head. "That's not it. This place reminds him of his step-father. He's trying to get rid of the memories by blowing this place up. I don't think it will work..."

"That is for him to figure out," Marik said. "We should go." Everyone else agreed, so we started for the ship.

Yugi took control of his body, and I walked beside him as we made our way to Mai's room. Joey was already there, frantically trying to wake up Mai. Serenity knelt by her bed, looking concerned. Tristan, Tea, and Duke entered with us.

"Wake up, Mai!" Joey shouted. "You're supposed to be alright! Hear me? Yugi beat Marik, so your mind should of been released from the Shadow Realm! Come on! Wake up! I know you can do it!" He threw himself across her bed while Serenity covered her face and sobbed. "Please, Mai! I'd give anything in the world to have you back! Anything! It's not fair."

"That's weird," I muttered.

"What's weird?" Yugi whispered to me.

"I can sense Mai's emotions. She's not-" I cut myself off as I saw Mai open an eye.

"Mai?!" Joey exclaimed. "What's going on?" Serenity revealed herself to be laughing, and Mai started giggling as well.

"That expression is priceless!" Mai said, pointing a finger at Joey. "Did I hear you say you'd give anything to have me wake up? 'Cause there's a few cards in that deck of yours that I've had my eye on, Joey." She sat up and turned to Serenity. "Nice doing business with you, Serenity! You were right, he bought it hook, line and sinker!"

Joey shot his sister a look. "Serenity!"

"Oh, I just couldn't resist!" Serenity said with an innocent smile.

"I knew you guys were kidding all along," Tea said.

"That was not cool," said Duke.

"Come on," said Mai. "You know it was all in good fun."

"Let's go," Yugi said, and he led the way out into the hallway.

"I can play jokes on people, too, you know," Joey muttered. He suddenly perked up. "Hey, is that french fries I smell? I say we take a lunch break. Who's with me?" He raced to the kitchen, and the rest of us followed. My heart skipped a beat when a saw my friend Bakura sitting on the kitchen floor surrounded by food.

"Sorry guys..." Bakura said. "But I'm afraid the doughnuts are gone."

"Hey! Bakura, you're back! But what are you doing in here raiding the refrigerator?"

"I was gone for a long time. And there's not much to eat in the Shadow Realm!"

"Go figure."

Bakura's eyes found mine, and he frowned. "Samia, why do you have my Millennium Ring?"

I hesitated before deciding to tell him the truth. "It is safer with me."

Bakura appeared surprised. "Safer? But the Spirit-"

"He won't hurt me, but he can and has hurt you. I won't let that happen again."

"Don't worry," Yugi said. "I'll be with her. I'll keep her safe."

Bakura looked away. "Yes, I suppose you will." I felt he was upset, but I did not know what to do to make it better.

We made our way to the bridge, where we found Roland arguing with some other staff. "This aircraft is not going anywhere!" he said. "Not without the Kaibas! Is that clear?"

"Hey!" Tristan shouted. "What's the deal? We taking off or what?"

Roland looked back at us. "We can't seem to locate Mokuba and Mr. Kaiba."

"You're kiddin' me! This whole place is gonna blow soon!"

"Yeah!" said Duke. "Kaiba said the duel tower would self destruct in less than an hour!"

"Kaiba's not that dumb," Joey said. "I'm sure he's hopping on board his private jet right now."

"Well, we can't take that chance!" said Roland.

"He's right, Joey," Yugi said. "We should go look for those guys."

"I agree," I said.

The pilot tried to start the engine, but it wouldn't work. Now we had another reason to find Kaiba: to tell him to stop the countdown. So, I returned to the island with Yugi, Joey, and Tea, and we searched for the Kaiba brothers. I tried to use my powers to locate them by their emotions, but I came up short. Eventually, we were forced to return to the ship.

When we arrived, Duke and Bakura ran out to meet us. "This better be good news!" Joey said.

"Well, guys?" said Tristan. "What's up with the engines?"

"They're still not working!" Bakura said. "We need more time!"

"We have none! There's only twelve minutes left."

Joey started running towards the ship. "Let me have a shot at these things."

"Joey, since when can you fix an engine?" Tea said.

"Please...how hard can it be?" Joey stopped suddenly. "Then again, I don't want to get my hands dirty right now." He turned around and ran back to us.

"Call me crazy, but couldn't we just take that copter over there?" Tristan said, pointing to the helicopter that had been there to bring Joey to the hospital when he was out.

"My thoughts exactly."

Bakura and Duke ran back inside to let everyone else know the plan. Soon, we were all crammed into the helicopter. The machine rose into the air with only 30 seconds left on the countdown. Soon enough, the island exploded. Luckily, this had no effect on my senses.

"Kaiba, how foolish," Yami muttered.

"Maybe he wanted to go down with his island, Yug," Joey suggested.

"I doubt it," I said.

Joey stared out the window. "Hey, what's that?" I looked to see what appeared to be a dragon flying in the sky.

"It's Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Yami exclaimed. Then I saw that the dragon was a helicopter, and Mokuba and a laughing Kaiba were inside.

"I don't get it!"

"Hey!" Mokuba said over the radio. "Surprise, surprise!"

"Where does he get this stuff?" said Tea.

"Oh, who cares?" said Duke.

"You mean to tell me they were safe all along?" Joey said in outrage.

"Oh, let's be glad it's over," said Tristan.

"Hey, why are they traveling in the helicopter, Seto?" I heard Mokuba said.

"Hmm. Oops. I guess the other ship wasn't fixed yet," Kaiba said.

"That does it!" Joey shouted through the radio. "Put that down! You think it's funny that we almost became fish food down there!? Wait 'til we land this thing!" Kaiba merely smiled.

"Sorry, Joey, but we're not going back with you," Mokuba said. "We've got important Kaiba Corp business to take care of."

"Oh, yeah?! What are ya planning, another tournament?"

"You'll just have to wait and see, Wheeler," Kaiba said.

Joey glared at him through the window. "Just go."

"Don't worry. You geeks haven't seen the last of me. Especially you, Yugi! The battle between us will never be over!"

"All right, let's move out!" Mokuba said. Then the helicopter flew off. Several moments later, ours took off for our destination as well.

The trip was relatively uneventful. Everyone was crowded inside, so there was hardly any space to room. Conversations were hard and difficult have. Then I heard someone speak into my mind. Samia? Can you hear me?

Marik? I said in surprise. I looked around and spotted him across the way. How can you talk to me like this if you no longer have the Millennium Rod?

Perhaps it is due to your powers and the strength of our bond.

Yes, maybe. I am glad. It is a lot easier to talk like this, especially here.

I agree. Marik paused. There is something I would like to ask you.

What is it? I felt his hesitancy and a range of conflicting emotions, which made me curious.

I was wondering... After this whole situation with the pharaoh is over... Perhaps you could return to Egypt with me.

The question caught me off guard. I had never considered leaving Japan before, but as one of his only friends, I understood why Marik would want me to be near him. Then I realized the implications of what he was saying. You mean, after Yami leaves... I felt a deep bit in my stomach. Marik's voice became softer in response.

We can talk about it later. It is just something to think about.

Alright. I did not want to think about it now, but maybe I would in the future. Something else occurred to me. You know, you could always move to Domino.

Yes... That is something else to think about. We shall see.

Agreed. We grew silent after that for the remainder of the trip. It was not uncomfortable though. I was glad we were at peace with each other.

We arrived in Domino City at sunset. Marik, Ishizu, and Odion had to depart for Egypt, so we saw them off at the dock. "Well, we made it home in one piece," Tristan said as we approached Marik's ship.

"Barely!" said Tea. We all stopped at the dock and turned to face each other.

"Pharaoh..." Ishizu said. "It is because of your bravery that my brother Marik was saved from the evil that once consumed his heart." Yami dipped his head in acknowledgement.

"How could I ever thank you?" said Marik.

"Now, the time has come for you to uncover the great mysteries that surround your past."

Marik nodded. "Pharaoh, you saved me from myself. You helped me conquer the darkness within my own heart. I hope in spite of all I've done, we can be friends."

"Yes," said Yami.

"I have a question," I said, looking at Ishizu.

"What is it, Samia?" said Ishizu.

"You said the reason Yami was locked in the Millennium Puzzle was so that he could create a great evil, but that evil couldn't have been Marik's dark side. Just think about it. The tomb keepers were created to help the pharaoh defeat the evil, but the evil was only created because of resentment for serving the pharaoh. That's circular. It's a solution that created the problem. Doesn't that mean there's another evil out there for him to defeat?"

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances. "That is a fair point," said Marik. "You may be right."

"Oh man," said Tristan. "Not more evil!"

"Unfortunately, we do not know the nature of the evil he must face," Ishizu said. "He must figure that out on his own."

"Whatever it is, I will defeat it," Yami said with confidence.

Ishizu smiled. "I have no doubt. Good-bye, my king. I know that we will meet again soon."

"Farewell to you all," Marik said.

I hesitated before running up to Marik and flinging my arms around him. He was surprised, but his emotions turned warm as he hugged me back. "Goodbye, Marik. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Samia." Marik pulled back and smiled softly at me. "I'll see you soon. Goodbye." Then he turned and walked onto the ship with Ishizu and Odion. My heart ached as I watched him leave.

"Bye, guys!" Serenity called after them.

"Yeah, take it easy!" said Tristan.

"Smell ya later!" said Joey. Once they were gone, he turned to the rest of us. "Who knew there was actually a nice guy inside that psychotic evil nutcase?"

"You've certainly got a way with words, Joey," said Mai.

"It's a gift."

"I knew Marik was good all along," I said.

Joey looked at me, considering me. Then he smiled. "Hey, you're right! You saw the truth when no one else could. You're pretty good with people, Samia. Maybe we should listen you you more."

"Yes, we should," Yami said, giving me a smile as well.

I smiled back at them. It felt good to have the support of my friends after feeling like an outsider for so long. Plus, it was a relief to have Marik back. Still, I could not help but worry about what was to come. There was surely another threat on the horizon, and after that, Yami might have to leave. The Millennium Ring felt heavy around my neck with the Spirit's presence as I considered everything. So much about the future was uncertain. All I knew for sure was that my adventure was far from over.

A/N: Season 3 is finally over! I hope you all enjoyed that. I'll try to start season 4 as soon as possible.