Timeless Love

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 22: Explanations


Mirassa slowly made her way back into the main hall followed by the rest of the gang. The pharaoh had insisted that she give a full explanation as to how she and Marik had become acquainted. This was the very thing that she dreaded telling them from the moment they first met, but it was no use denying anything now. Apart from Yami and Joey, no one else seemed to trust her. Mirassa had to admit, she never believed for one moment that Joey would be the one to step in and defend her after that little revelation from Malik.

They finally arrived at the main hall and sat down on a table in the far corner. The Kaiba brothers were the only ones not present. Kaiba refused to be in the same room as a girl who had connections to a man who kidnapped his little brother. She found this a little easier because she felt nervous around him. He was one of those people that seemed to stare through you and lowered your confidence as soon as they entered the room. She didn't need to feel like that right now.

Yami sat right in front of Mirassa and smiled at her reassuringly. He knew how she must be feeling right now and to tell the truth, he was very disappointed in his friends for judging her the way they did. Even though they didn't say anything, expressions were all that was needed to make her feel alienated.

Mirassa looked around nervously as her 'friends' all stared at her.

"Now then Mirassa. Please start from the beginning. How did you and Marik first meet?" asked Yami kindly.

Mirassa swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Well, I first met Marik eight years ago. I was seven and he was nine. Our parents had arranged for us to marry when we were old enough and as you can imagine, neither of us were very happy with this. I was willing to make nice and be civil to make things easier for the both of us. Marik however…"

"He wasn't very nice to you was he?" Finished Tea, after Mirassa's solemn silence.

Mirassa let out a hollow laugh. "No he wasn't. In fact, he seemed to really enjoy making my life a misery. He called me names and pushed me around because he knew I couldn't do anything about it. I was so relieved when we finally left, but the damage was already done. I became insecure and depressed over the following years, especially since I turned fifteen. He made me feel inadequate as a person. Maka was my saviour. She came up with a plan for us to leave Egypt and start a new life away from Marik here in Domino…"

"Whoa! Of all the places he had to turn up! How unlucky" exclaimed Tristan suddenly. Everyone shushed him to be quiet.

Joey scratched his head in confusion. "I don't get it Miri. If ya hate da guy so much then why were ya tryin ta help him right before Malik appeared?"

"It's complicated" she replied. "Do you remember the night we all went out for my birthday party?"

They all nodded, thinking back to that glorious night when they managed to get into the nightclub without being stopped by the bouncers, apart from Serenity, Mai and Duke who weren't around at the time.

Mirassa continued. "Well the reason why I left so early was because Marik was there too"

There were gasps of 'no way!' and 'get out!' amongst the teens. "So that's why you were so edgy the next day" realised Tea.

"Did Marik see you?" asked Yami.

Mirassa fought to hide the blush of embarrassment that spread across her cheeks. "Ummm yeah, we kinda bumped into each other… I didn't recognize him at first because it was dark…"

Tea studied Mirassa's face. She knew she was hiding something again. Suddenly her eyes widened in shock. "Oh my god…I think I saw him too, that was 'him' wasn't it...?" Teas eyes widened further and she thingyed her head forward in some sort of secret code that only females knew.

"Yeah…" replied Mirassa, blushing ever harder. "Oh my god she was watching!" She had no idea she was being observed. She was amazed that Tea could even see them because the room had been so dark.

Everyone else in the room watched on with a confused expression. Mai had a fairly good idea because she wasn't a naïve person. Joey kept asking 'what?' while Yami smiled inwardly behind his serious expression.

'I see that they're starting to trust Mirassa again. I knew they couldn't stay mad at her'

"That's good" replied Yugi from his soul room. "I'd hate to lose her friendship. Especially after what she's been through"

"So what happened next?" asked Joey, finally giving up on trying to find out what the girls were hinting at.

Mirassa turned serious again. "Well, after Joey's duel with Weevil Underwood, I left because you guys were telling me about Marik. It made me feel really uncomfortable talking about him because of our past. On my way home I ran into some rarehunters. They chased me and when they finally caught me, they put a damp cloth over my mouth and I fell asleep. When I woke up I was on Marik's boat. That's where I had disappeared to. I hadn't gone away for a while like Maka said"

"Marik kidnapped you? Why didn't you tell us?" asked Yami. "We wouldn't have judged you for knowing him when you were children"

Mirassa smiled at Yami. "Thank you pharaoh, that means a lot to me. I have no idea why I couldn't tell you all in the first place. I wish I had now. It would have been so much easier" she laughed half heartedly. "In all honestly, I detested the sight of him. He was always there bothering me and wouldn't leave me alone. I don't know how it happened but somehow I began to forgive Marik for what he did to me all those years ago"

"You forgave him? Oh hon…" said Mai shaking her head disappointedly. "Guys like him never change. He probably only wants you for one thing"

"I know, but I had a good time with him. He took me out for a ride on his bike and showered me with gifts and complements. He was a perfect gentleman, but then I saw what he was doing to Joey and Yugi at the pier… facing them off against each other in a duel to the death…" Mirassa finished in a mock dramatic tone.

"That was a close one, they almost didn't make it. You know what Miri? I found that really strange how you just happened to show up at the pier from nowhere" said Tristan. "It took us 'hours' to find them." He tapped her head with his index finger "I thought that you must have some sort of radar built in to that pretty little skull of yours"

Mirassa laughed when he did this. He called her Miri. Only the people closest to her called her that. Joey was glaring daggers at Tristan who currently held Mirassa's attention and jumped in.

"We were all real glad ta see ya Miri. You must be some amazing gal ta escape from Marik's hideout without him catchin ya"

Mirassa smiled at Joey. "Marik didn't even know that I'd gone. He must have gone ballistic when he found out"

"I find it hard to believe that you managed to escape so easily" said Yami. "If Marik went to all that trouble to kidnap you then he would have taken precautions to make sure that you didn't escape again"

Mirassa turned red again. "I kind of convinced Marik to get rid of the rarehunters patrolling the boat. I told him that I didn't like the way they kept looking at me, so… he did something about it"

"What?! Why? What made him think that you wouldn't escape?" asked Tea who was dumbfounded that Marik would agree to such a thing.

"Well, that was my doing also" Mirassa admitted. "You see, I figured that I could get him to do whatever I wanted if he thought that I was ummmm…….. You know…"

"No…." said Yami slowly, gesturing for her to continue.

"If he thought I was in love with him" she finished plainly.

All mouths fell to the floor in shock. They couldn't believe that Mirassa was capable of doing something like that, especially to Marik. He wasn't the sort of person that you'd risk toying with emotionally. He seemed unstable and psychotic already as it was.

"Yeah, we had an argument just before the duel started and he became angry with me. I knew about Malik beforehand and wanted to prevent him from taking over, so I tried to make Marik think I was on his side again. To try and keep him relatively happy and calm, but it didn't work"

"Just so we're clear, you were only using him weren't you?" asked Joey hopefully.

Mirassa didn't want to alienate her friends who had seemingly forgiven her by telling them the truth that she was 'very' comfortable when she was with Marik. Especially when he held her in his arms, and whispered sweet nothings into her ear. So she ended up telling Joey what he wanted to hear.

"Yes Joey, I was only using him. But I don't want any of you to shout that around. It's a touchy subject and I don't want any trouble. Promise me?"

They all nodded in agreement. Yami stood up. "I think its time Joey and I went to our rooms to prepare for the next duel. We have to make sure that our decks are all in order"

They all stood up and made their way towards the hall. Each apologized to Mirassa for doubting her in the first place. Tristan ruffled her hair; Joey tried to kiss her on the cheek but was dragged away by the ear by a fuming Mai. Yami smiled at her and whispered a 'thank you for confiding in us' to her. Finally Tea came up to her and gave her a tight friendly hug.

"I am so sorry I didn't trust you. Can we just start over? You can teach me how to manipulate guys the way you do. You must be an expert considering it was Marik you suckered"

Mirassa smiled and laughed lightly. "I would love to start over, but I don't think I could give you advise on something im not very proud of myself"

-----------------------------in the hallway

Bakura stood in the corridor grinning mischievously to himself. He turned so his back faced the wall and leaned on it.

"So the girl is only using Marik. Well well, he isn't going to be very pleased when he finds out. Should I tell him or shouldn't I? It would certainly devastate him"

He heard the sound of chairs moving and footsteps heading towards the door. He jumped to attention and sprinted down the corridor and hid in a dark corner. Bakura peered round and watched the pharaoh and his friends go in to their respective rooms. When the coast was clear he stepped out again.

Just after Bakura's duel with the pharaoh, Marik had helped him back to his vessel by taking control of Teas mind. The spirit didn't want to admit it, but he owed him. That didn't mean that he had to do anything in return. After all, this was just a business deal. An exchange to get what each wanted.

Bakura decided to have a wander around and find out where Marik was. He walked along to his room and was a bout to knock when he sensed something strange.

"Marik isn't in there…" he thought in confusion.

He felt the strange presence come towards the door, and once again he was forced to leg it towards the dark corner. He saw Marik emerge from the room or someone that looked like him. His hair was wilder now and spiked up. He had the millennium symbol on his forehead and wore a different outfit on now. It was a black sleeveless shirt and white trousers with side pockets. The look was finished off with a long purple flowing cape

"That's original" Sneered Bakura, chuckling silently to himself.

He watched as 'Marik' strode over to another room further down the hall. He opened the door and walked in, unsheathing the blade on his millennium rod as he went. Bakura watched on in amazement. That room was where his most loyal servant resided. What was he planning to do to him? Bakura was curious to see what was happening so he decided to have a look. He stopped in his tracks as the speaker sounded overhead.

"The draw for the third duel will be taking place shortly. All participants must make their way to the main hall now"

-------------------------------- Odion's room

"Aargh! Why now!" Malik screamed irritably in his head.

He stared at the unconscious Odion. It was thanks to his failure to protect his 'dear brother' that he was now free to do as he please. Malik had been planning to finish Odion off for years. Ever since that day he took the millennium rod from the altar and took care of the old fool. To ensure that he would remain free to defeat the pharaoh, he would need to kill the one thing that could give his light the strength to fight back.

"I could end his life right now…" Thought Malik indecisively. "But I don't have the time, I could lose my place in the finals and my chance to defeat the pharaoh if im not present"

After a few seconds, Malik decided to postpone Odion's untimely death. At least until the lottery had selected the next two duelists.

"Oh well, he's not going anywhere" he laughed wickedly. "I'll be back very soon 'my brother' don't go anywhere!"

The sound of Malik's laughter could be heard throughout the ship. Ishizu shuddered inside her room. She had to save Odion from this fate.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 23: Confrontation


"How typical" laughed Malik as he re-entered the blimp. "I should have known that I'd be next to duel. But no matter, Odion will share the same end as that stupid girl. This twist of fate has only prolonged his time in this miserable world"

Malik's cloak swished about his legs as he strode through the long corridor. His sight was set on one door in particular. As he approached he heard the sound of footsteps angrily stomping towards him.

"It must be one of those fools coming to tell me off for sending their weak friend to the shadow realm" he thought, chuckling darkly. "If they're not careful I may have to do the same to them"

Malik turned slowly to face his upcoming victim only to find it was the very girl he was trying to win over. Well, not win over exactly because he intended to take her anyway, but it would be easier if she came to him willingly. He studied her face; her cheeks were tinged with red. Her brow was creased with anger and she was breathing shakily. This was a side of her he found rather appealing. She was furious and most certainly wasn't afraid of him right now.

Mirassa reached out and began pushing him in an attempt to make him start walking again. Malik found this rather amusing because she wasn't physically strong enough to carry out this task, but he complied to her wishes anyway. He found himself going past Odion's door and into a room at the far end. It turned out to be a very exquisite lounge area with a pool table, mini bar and Jacuzzi amongst other things.

"This must be Kaiba's personal relaxation quarters when he's not dueling" he thought taking in the luxurious surroundings.

He was suddenly aware that he was being watched. He turned to face Mirassa who currently had her arms crossed and glared at him with all the hate she could muster. He smiled at her again, this was most definitely a sight he found appealing. In a strange kind of way he almost felt turned on.

"What can I do for you my lady?" asked Malik in a deep calming tone.

"Well you can start by bring Mai back you not a very nice person!" Mirassa shouted back at him.

Malik crossed his arms and shook his head. "Im afraid I can't do that my sweet. It goes against my principles"

"What principles! You have none! You make things up as you go along!" shouted Mirassa in disbelief. "Why did you do that to her! What kind of sick enjoyment do you get out of it!"

Malik stepped back and put a hand to where his heart should have been. "I am hurt that you would think of me in such a way. I do have principles, one of which includes removing all obstacles that get in my way"

"You aren't going to get away with this you know!" said Mirassa in a futile attempt to threaten him. "The pharaoh is going to stop you and you're gonna cry like a baby and we'll all laugh in your face and you'll beg for us to stop and we won't and…"

Malik erupted into a raucous laughter. Mirassa stopped her ramblings and growled angrily. She felt really embarrassed. It was obvious what he was laughing at. She sounded like a five year old who was trying to scare another kid by setting an older sibling on them. Mirassa brushed off her humiliation and crossed her arms again. She pursed her lips together and glared at him until he eventually stopped laughing at her.

Malik's sides were splitting and he had to take a few deep breaths before he could speak again. "The pharaoh will not be able to stop me my lady, and even if he could, his friends would already be in the shadow realm. So you couldn't all laugh in my face and make me beg for you to stop and, well, you know the rest im sure, heh heh…"

Mirassa wasn't sure what to say next. She knew that Malik held a torch for her, sort of, and secretly hoped against hope that he would agree to bring Mai back. She was through with trying to flirt with men to get what she wanted and was certain that even if she tried it, Malik wouldn't fall for it. He wasn't stupid enough for that.

She gave up trying to talk to him and spun around huffily ready to join her friends at Mai's side when Malik grabbed her arm. He pulled her back into the center of the room and close to his chest.

"You know, even though your attempt to help your friend failed, I admire the fact that you had the courage to stand up to me, knowing I could easily send you to the shadow realm. I now know for a fact that you will be more then suitable as the wife of a pharaoh. That is your destiny, don't try and deny it. We both know it will happen sooner or later"

Mirassa struggled to pull away from him. "That is not my destiny and you know why!"

"Why is that" asked Malik in an unconvinced tone. Why was she still resisting him?

"Because Ishizu said so! She has the millennium necklace and she told me that you will fail!" she lied.

Malik raised an eyebrow smirking slightly. "She said that did she?"

"Yes!" replied Mirassa angrily, still struggling to escape his vice like grip.

"That's funny, seeing as the millennium necklace doesn't show visions like that"

Mirassa stopped struggling for a second and looked Malik in the eyes. "What?"

"You heard me. The millennium necklace is not one hundred percent accurate. True, it shows visions but they are never clear. They always hint at something that 'could' happen in the future, and…" Malik brought his face closer to the girl his arms.

"I don't believe for a moment that you are telling the truth. Ishizu wouldn't have become a finalist if she knew for certain that things would turn out alright. The scales are tipped in my favour as I have the most powerful Egyptian god card of the three. The pharaoh doesn't have any memories of his ancient past, and Kaiba is so blinded by his greed, that he fails to understand the true power of the card he possesses. I will destroy both of them and when I have the pharaoh's puzzle I will acquire the power to rule the world."

Mirassa uninterestedly rolled her eyes. "So you've said before…"

Malik frowned at her, but it quickly changed to a grin. "Have I told you what I plan to do with 'you' once I am pharaoh?"

Mirassa looked at him wide eyed in disgust at the lustful tone of voice he used.

"I don't really want to know. Why don't you keep your sick fantasies to yourself!"

Malik grinned widely, bearing his teeth. "Because that wouldn't be any fun now would it?"

Malik pulled Mirassa into a rough domineering kiss. Her eyes shot open in alarm as he tried to prise her lips apart with his tongue. She tried to push herself out of Malik's grasp, but his grip on her arms became tighter. She felt like gagging as his tongue began exploring her mouth. Mirassa's arms were beginning to hurt a lot now with the combined pressure of trying to get away and Malik holding her in place. All of a sudden a sharp pain shot through the muscles in her right shoulder. She let out a muffled scream.

Malik didn't finish kissing her right away. Her whimpers were like music to his ears. Eventually he pulled away and looked down at the girl with a questioning look. She was clutching her shoulder in pain and he reached out to see what damage had been done. Normally Malik wouldn't give a d**n, but this was no ordinary girl. She was the one he had chosen to be his bride and he wanted her to remain healthy and uninjured.

Mirassa jumped backwards out of his reach. She wanted as much distance between them as possible. Malik looked at her with something that could have been sympathy if he wasn't so d**n evil.

"I apologize for hurting you my dear, but you shouldn't have resisted me" he tried to reason with her.

"You shouldn't have kissed me without my permission! Men are pathetic! Why can't you control yourselves!" Mirassa screamed back in blazing hot fury.

"Its not us that are at fault. You send off signals that would drive any man on this earth wild with desire" Malik replied coolly.

"Get off it! You're just some horny psychopath that thinks forcing himself on a woman will make her want him back! Well it won't work! In fact, I hate you even more then I did five seconds ago! Marik is an angel compared to you!"

"You mean he was an angel. Marik is gone now and he won't be coming back. I am here to stay whether you like it or not. My first attempt to claim you didn't go as planned, nor did this one. But you know what they say, third times a charm…"

Mirassa looked confused. "What do you mean the first time?"

Malik allowed a smirk to creep across his features. "I almost managed to free myself earlier. Before that fool Odion fell into unconsciousness. It was when you and my weaker half had that argument"

She covered her mouth in shock. "What? That was you who tried to…"

"In a way" replied Malik. "I was unable to free myself but our combined lust was enough to make Marik willing to violate you. He would never dream of doing such a thing to you normally, but he was unable to stop himself"

Mirassa didn't want to hear anymore from this pervert. She backed away slowly to make sure Malik didn't make any sudden moves to grab her again. When she was close enough to the door she turned and sprinted out of it. Malik stood there calmly snickering to himself.

"Such an innocent young lady"
------------

Ishizu stood waiting by her door. It was slightly ajar. The moment she saw Mirassa coming out of Kaiba's lounge, she opened it all the way. Mirassa ran inside and locked it.

"Did everything go alright?" Ishizu asked in concern, eyeing Mirassa's wincing form.

"Yes. I managed to keep him occupied long enough. Did you move Odion?"

Ishizu nodded. "He is safe. Thank you for doing this Mirassa"

"That's ok. As long as he's safe, that's all that matters" she replied sitting down clutching her arm again. "My arm really hurts. I can't move it at all"

Ishizu walked over and motioned for Mirassa to slip her shirt off her shoulder. As she did, the problem became clear.

"Oh Ra! I shouldn't have asked you to confront him. You shoulder is dislocated"

Mirassa's shoulder was bruised and hung limply at an ugly angle. She frowned when she turned her head to look at it. Ishizu sat down beside her.

"Brace yourself. This will hurt. Im going to put it back in"

Mirassa nodded in reply and squeezed her eyes shut. Ishizu gripped her shoulder and thumped it hard. A loud pop came from the socket and she cried out in pain. Mirassa breathed a sigh of relief a few seconds later when she found she could move it again. It still hurt a lot but it wasn't as bad as before. Ishizu reached into a cupboard and found a first aid kit. She pulled out a bandage and used it to create a sling.

"Any painkillers in there?" asked Mirassa curiously looking over the other woman's shoulder.

Ishizu handed her a couple of aspirin and went to the mini fridge to get her a bottle of water.

"So what happens now?" asked Mirassa. "Malik will realize that Odion's gone soon and he won't be pleased"

"You have given us the time we needed to save him. Malik won't get another opportunity to harm him now. He will be constantly interrupted between duels from now on. I will be playing against Kaiba in the next duel and as Kaiba is one of the holders of the Egyptian god cards, Malik will be interested to see what happens"

Mirassa grabbed a bag of Maltesers from the mini fridge. Those were her new favourite chocolates. "I can't wait to see Malik's face when he finds out Odion is gone. This next duel will be interesting. So who wins?"

"I do" smiled Ishizu confidently. "Kaiba won't even see it coming"

"I hope you make him feel really small. Kaiba is such a big head and needs to be brought down a notch or two!"

Ishizu smiled back at her. "That's not the reason why I qualified for the finals, but I will do my best"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 24: A Duel With Destiny

-----------In Ishizu's room

The two Egyptian women sat patiently, waiting for the speaker to announce the upcoming duel. Ishizu was sitting quietly in her chair, staring out of the small round window. Her eyes were mysteriously glazed and she was deep in thought. Mirassa couldn't stand the silence. She had long since finished all the Maltesers in the mini fridge and now had nothing to do apart from twiddle her thumbs. Ishizu knew how her duel with Kaiba was going to end, but she still wanted some quiet time to prepare her strategy to ensure victory.

Mirassa stood up and quietly made her way towards the bed. She looked down to see Odion sleeping soundly. Apparently he had been tossing and turning until Ishizu had moved him to safety. Mirassa didn't know what she had given him but it must have been a very strong sedative indeed.

She studied the markings on Odion's face and recalled the scene that Ishizu had shown her about Marik's past. The tattoo looked somewhat similar to the one Marik had on his back, not that she had seen it herself. She had seen the stone tablet that displayed the pharaoh's memory back when she had visited the tombkeepers home. Mirassa had been exploring and shouldn't have gone that far into the complex. If anyone had caught her, she would have been in a lot of trouble and not only with her own parents. Mr Ishtar would have had thing or two to say as well. Mirassa decided to break the silence seeing as the duel would start any minute now. She turned around to face Ishizu.

"How did Odion get these markings?" she asked out of curiosity. "It doesn't look like an ordinary tattoo"

"Odion felt guilty that he couldn't stop our father from performing the initiation. So he did this to himself to prove his loyalty to Marik" explained Ishizu.

"Oh my…I bet that hurt…" said Mirassa in awe. "Odion must really care for Marik to do something like that to himself. My brother would never do anything like that for me…"

She found herself feeling jealous of Marik. There were so many people in his life that were willing to do anything to save him, despite all that he had done. And who did she have? Maka was the one person in the entire world that Mirassa knew would gladly give her life for her, but that offered very little comfort right now. Mirassa was still hurting inside from the lack of trust her friends displayed earlier, even though they had made up now. She felt as though they had only done it because the pharaoh had told them to. He was the one holding this group together.

'Marik probably has more support then I do because he's a man. After all, men are superior to women in every way. All we're good for is cooking, cleaning, raising children and bedroom activities to keep the men entertained…' Anuket thought bitterly. 'What a sad little life we do lead…'

Ishizu sensed the sudden change in Mirassa's mood. One minute she was happy and inquisitive and now she looked saddened and depressed. The purple bruise was becoming more and more evident as it spread around her shoulder. Her arm resting inside the sling was a grim reminder of how Malik had manhandled her earlier. Ishizu felt a pang of guilt. She didn't want to get Mirassa involved any more then she already was, and she most definitely never intended for her to get hurt.

"People do care about you Mirassa" said Ishizu with a firm, but compassionate tone. "There will soon come a time that this will be proven to you. And you are not just some woman that can be pushed around. Not by anyone"

"What?" asked Mirassa in complete and utter confusion. "How did you know what I was thinking?..."

Ishizu laughed lightly at the mystified expression on the young teenagers face. She tapped the eye symbol on her millennium necklace with a long finger.

"I saw this very conversation a few minutes ago" she explained. "I knew because I saw you admit it in my vision. It's funny, I would never have guessed how you were feeling if I didn't have the millennium necklace"

"That's weird" said Mirassa, voicing her thoughts. "To think that this conversation was inspired by a vision of the future. It kind of makes me wonder whether destiny really is decided for us or if we can make our own future"

"I for one believe that we all have a role to play in life. Nothing can change that" said Ishizu returning her attention to her deck.

The speaker then announced the next duel was about to begin.

Ishizu simply sat there, staring at the cards in her hand. Mirassa glanced at her with a 'what are doing still sitting there?' kind of look.

"Aren't you supposed to be dueling next?" she asked Ishizu. "Why aren't you going? Kaiba won't be very happy if you're late. He doesn't like to be kept waiting, especially when it comes to duel monsters"

"Yes, I suppose I had better get moving. Let's go" Ishizu stood up. "Make sure that you lock the door behind us in case Malik tries to get in"

Mirassa nodded and picked up the key card from the small bedside table. They stepped outside and into the hallway. Mirassa swiped the card in it's on the door and it locked itself. She handed the card back to Ishizu for safe keeping. Knowing her luck, she would drop it on deck for the winds to carry it Ra knows where and Odion would be stuck in that room forever. Or until it was unlocked by Kaiba's technicians.

------------elevator/upper deck

The two women stood patiently in the elevator taking them to the stratos arena where Kaiba was no doubt waiting impatiently for Ishizu's arrival. She had been correct about being the next to duel and Mirassa had no doubts about her winning against the ceo.

"Don't leave yourself open" warned Ishizu as the door slowly opened.

'Huh? What the hell is she talking about' thought Mirassa as she stepped out after her. The cold air hit her. 'Dammit I forgot to bring a coat again!'

She made her way towards her friends clutching her poorly arm. She caught sight of Malik ahead of her; his gaze was fixed on the sling. Mirassa walked past him quickly to rejoin her friends. She felt his stare on her back and it made her feel very uncomfortable.

"What happened to your arm?" asked Yami looking at the ugly purple bruise.

"I dislocated it" said Mirassa with a shrug, quickly regretting that action.

"How did you manage that?" asked Tristan suspiciously, his glare drifting towards Malik who still gazed intently at the young woman.

"Would you believe me if I said it just popped out of its socket?" she replied with a lopsided grin.

Joey jumped towards Malik. The guys had to hold him prevent him from going any further. Joey was trying fiercely to free himself from their grip. He wanted to rip Malik apart slowly and painfully limb from limb.

"Lemme go! That bastard did this to her! I'll kick his ass so hard it'll make his ancestors dizzy!"

"Joey calm down" said Mirassa placidly "Hitting him won't make my arm any better, and…" she leaned in closer to him so her voice was no more then a whisper. "I don't want him to send you to the shadow realm too. Don't worry; he'll get what's coming to him. All the bad guy's do in the end"

Joey stopped struggling. He blushed a little at her comment. After a few second thinking, he stepped forward to see Malik smirking at him. Joey then stood between him and Mirassa shielding her from view. He glared at Malik once more before wrapping his arm around Mirassa's shoulders carefully and protectively, and turned his attention back to the duel laughing inwardly. He knew that this would nark Malik off a bit.

Malik's smug grin turned into a ferocious scowl. "How dare he touch her like that! Oh he will suffer great pain before he dies! The shadow realm is too merciful a punishment for him!"

Everyone's thoughts were interrupted as Kaiba began his pre-duel taunts. He liked to invoke fear in his opponents, and occasionally he spent his spare time thinking of thinking of new and original ways to mess with peoples minds. He could probably write a book series about duelist lingo. Little did he know, that this one in particular would never fall for such tactics.

"I see you finally pulled up the courage to face me. But then again, I don't blame you for stalling. I guess the thought of playing against a duelist as superior as me, is too much for the likes of you. Who are you?" he pointed rudely at her.

His opponent removed her veil and re-introduced her self. "My name is Ishizu Ishtar"

Mirassa heard Malik growl with annoyance. She twisted her head around to see him with a clenched fist and baring his teeth. She smirked at him; he didn't like this at all.

"Good! He deserves a lot worse then that after what he did to Mai! The evil psycho…"

"I've come here to save my brother. For the past five thousand years an Ishtar has stood guard over the pharaoh's tomb. Only Marik turned against us and the evil inside his is even stronger now. He is my brother"

"Oh boy" said Joey bleakly. "One Ishtar was bad enough…"

"Stop it Joey, she's not like that. You can trust Ishizu, which is more then I can say for him" said Mirassa, nodding her head in Malik's direction.

"True, she can't be any worse then Malik that's for sure" Tristan reasoned.

"For once your right" agreed Duke.

Mirassa heard Malik growl again, this time he seemed to be swatting some invisible thing away from behind his shoulder. He settled again and noticed her staring at him. He cocked his eyebrow and put on a seductive smirk. She furrowed her brow in disgust and put two fingers into her mouth and made a gagging gesture. He chuckled darkly and made a kissing one in return. Mirassa then stuck her middle finger up at him; he did the same and moved his other hand to wrap around it. He then began to slowly move it up and down, his smirk spreading further across his face.

"Oh that's just disgusting!" she said out loud catching everyone's attention.

"You started it my dear…"

Joey took his place once more between the two, cursing Malik under his breath for insulting Mirassa. He didn't make a move to punch him again because Mirassa wouldn't want that.

"I don't appreciate you using my tournament to solve your family issues! I organised this tournament to reclaim my place as number one duelist in the world, that and to claim the three Egyptian god cards as my own" sneered Kaiba.

"This tournament was my idea, or have you forgotten that?" replied Ishizu tersely. Kaiba was starting to get on her nerves now with his ranting and lack of faith in the millennium items.

"Whatever" said Kaiba offhandedly. "You made two mistakes. The first was when you gave me obelisk the tormentor; the second was expecting it back. That card is mine, and soon the other two belong to me. Ill have the world most powerful deck, and then you can do a favour for me. Take your hocus pocus nonsense to someone else's tournament!"

Kaiba spun towards Roland, his white trench coat flaring out behind him in the strong winds. "Let's begin this duel now!"

--------------- after duel

Ishizu stood still as Kaiba's blue eyes white dragon delivered the final blow, wiping out the rest of her life points. As the counter on her duel disk reached zero, the holograms faded away. Mirassa stared at her, how could this have happened? Ishizu said that she would win this duel, how could the millennium necklace be wrong? She was surprised though the see a smile spread across Ishizu's face. That was the last thing Mirassa would do if she were in her position.

As the platform lowered for the duelists to step off, the group moved towards her for questioning. Kaiba was busy gloating about his victory over the Egyptian woman and mocking her for her beliefs. He even ignored her thanks for showing her that the future could be changed if it was wanted bad enough. Mirassa wondered about many things now. Mostly though about why Malik's millennium rod reacted the way it did when Kaiba was about to summon obelisk. What made him change his mind and use his blue eyes white dragon instead?

"Kaiba was looking forward to showing off the power of his Egyptian god card" thought Mirassa; unawares that someone was sneakily making their way up behind her.

Malik was making his way towards the elevator, but decided play with his future bride first along the way. As he stealthily came into touching distance, he reached out and gave her rear a tight squeeze. Mirassa squealed in alarm at the unwanted physical contact from the man. She turned her back away from him and moved her good arm behind her in an attempt to stop him from doing it again. Malik laughed at her and brushed past the infuriated onlookers.

"Are you ok?" asked the pharaoh in concern as he walked over to the startled girl. He couldn't believe that Malik was still harassing her after she refused his offer.

"Yeah I'll be fine" she said angrily. "This isn't the first time he's tried something like this and I doubt it'll be the last"

"He's done things to you before? If that's true then I suggest you have someone accompany you at all times" said Yami firmly.

"Pharaoh, that really isn't necessary. I doubt anything will happen" said Mirassa. She didn't want anyone following her around all day.

"Don't argue with him Miri" Tea ordered her friend. "We'd all feel better if you had someone around you. He seems to enjoy making you upset"

"Yeah and you saw what he did to your arm! Next time he might do somethin worse!" said Joey. "I volunteer to be your loyal and heavy duty bodyguard!" he posed a little trying to make himself look a little taller and more buff then he actually was.

Tristan took one look at Joey, sized him up and did the same. "Nah, I'll do it. You have to prepare for your duels, remember Joey? You can't protect her and do that at the same time! I'll look after her"

Duke forced a gap between them. "Are you kidding? I'll do it. Mirassa and I don't really know each other that well. It'll be a great way for us to become better acquainted"

"I'll look after her" said Ishizu. "Malik won't touch her while she's with me. I may have been wrong about the duel, but this I assure you"

"Yes, I think that would be best" smiled Yami. He was confident that Ishizu would perform this task to the best of her ability.

The three boys who were currently having a macho brawl on the deck stopped suddenly when they found out the position had already been filled. They composed themselves and walked towards the elevator whistling nonchalantly trying to rid themselves of their embarrassment.

"Ishizu, if you are Marik's sister then can you explain to us why he's doing all this?" asked Yami

"Of course my pharaoh" nodded Ishizu. "Let us go inside and I will reveal all"

They turned to walk inside. Ishizu halted Mirassa from moving with them. When they were last in line she whispered to her.

"Didn't I tell you that they would all prove they cared for you?" she smiled. "Joey, Tristan and Duke were fighting each other to get the chance to protect you. Would they do that if they truly didn't care?"

Mirassa shook her head and tried to fight back the smile that spread across her features. "You did"

"And didn't I tell you not to leave yourself open?" Ishizu continued.

Mirassa's head shot up, a surprised expression replaced the smile. "You knew that was going to happen?"

"Let's go inside. It's freezing up here. Im not used to these cold climates" said Ishizu letting out a shudder from the cold.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 25: The Origin of Marik

(Marik's pov)

I have been watching events unfold since the moment I lost control of my body. The pharaoh is still as confident as ever that he will succeed, and I can't help but wish the same thing at this current moment in time.

It doesn't take a genius to realise that the 'thing' that has taken over my body is a form of the anger and hate that has built up over the past eight years. I've felt this way ever since I had the pharaoh's memory carved onto my back when I was twelve years old. All the innocence and hope I possessed was cruelly taken from me that fateful day.

I couldn't understand why I had to be a tombkeeper. Who's idea was it to carve the pharaoh memory onto someone's back in the first place? I remember the ritual being performed like it was only yesterday. I still have nightmares thinking about it. I've never felt such pain in my whole life. In fact I don't think I will ever feel pain like that again.

Despite all the misery he put me through, even though I hated him more then anything else in this world, I couldn't help but grieve for my father when he was taken away from us. I can't even remember how it all happened. The last time I saw him alive, was when Ishizu and I returned from the outside world. I wanted so much to see what it was like up there, and somehow I managed to convince my sister. Odion stayed behind to make sure we weren't caught. Unfortunately, my father found out and Odion paid the price.

After my blackout, I awoke to see my father slumped against the wall. Blood stained it, showing that he had been standing before he died. The first thing I felt was shock. Soon after I found myself hugging him tightly, the red liquid covered my hands and clothes. It was still warm. My siblings simply stared at me, unsure of what to do. It was then that a figure appeared from the corner of my eye. He warned me about something, im still not entirely sure what he was talking about because I was young and confused. But the one thing I did understand was that the pharaoh was responsible for this.

To this day, I still can't understand why Ishizu remained faithful to the pharaoh. Odion, always the faithful servant and brother, stood by my side as I took control of my life and turned from the ancient teachings I was raised to uphold as a tombkeeper. I created a group called the rarehunters when I was fifteen, which gradually transformed over the years into a powerful and feared organisation. No one messed with me or told me what to do, and I liked it.

The rarehunters dealt in selling rare and powerful cards at extortionate prices to people on the black-market. I became very wealthy, very quickly. More and more people came to me, wishing to join my organisation and reap the benefits. I promised unthinkable things to those who were loyal to me. Most of which were lies, but they believed me nonetheless. They all knew about my millennium rod and the powers it possessed, and it was a great morale booster because they believed I would help them if they got caught.

In truth I wouldn't waste my time on someone stupid enough to get caught in the first place. I don't think it would change the way they think of me even if they did. I was, for the first time in my life, respected and revered by people around me. I wanted more of this. That's when the idea hit me.

My family has been protecting the pharaoh's tomb for five thousand years, and I held all the keys to unlocking the pharaoh's power. Apart from the millennium puzzle and the Egyptian God cards. I began to collect them all from their sanctuaries assigned to them by my sister Ishizu. But she found out what I was up to, and hid the final card. I eventually found out it was in the possession of one Seto Kaiba in Japan. That's was after I found out about the pharaoh.

I couldn't believe my luck! Instead of searching for the millennium puzzle and figuring out how I was to duel him and drain him of his powers, he was already here! Walking around with no memories whatsoever, oblivious to the danger ahead of him. After my rarehunters had failed to obtain the puzzle, I came to domino to get it myself. That was when I saw 'her'.

At the time I didn't realize who it was, but it didn't matter. I knew from the first moment I laid eyes on her, that she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. The only problem was that she was friends with the pharaoh. But that didn't put me off. If anything, it made me want her even more. She was unobtainable. Forbidden fruit you might say. That thought made her so much more appealing then she already was.

That Joey Wheeler has been trying constantly to win her affections. That thought infuriates me! But not as much as how my other half has been acting towards her. It would seem that he has taken an unhealthy interest in her also. Imagine my anger when he openly flirted with her in front of everyone. He even had the audacity to kiss her after he duelled against Mai! I tried to take control again and stop this, but he was too strong.

I could hear him laughing at me as he took hold of her for another kiss. This time she screamed in pain. I couldn't bear that sound. It was something I never wanted to hear again. I could tell that she was beginning to lose her nerve against him. He enjoyed intimidating her and wanted to make it clear that he was the one in charge. If he did succeed, what would he do to her then when she wouldn't do as she was told? And I knew she wouldn't obey him. That's not her way.

Soon afterwards, the next duel began. It turns out that my sister was the eighth duelist all along! She must have come here to stop me. As disgruntled as I could have been about that, I felt relief wash over me when I saw her step through the elevator. Several times I tried to get her attention, but failed miserably. My darker half kept stealing glances at my intended which made me burn with envy. I wanted our positions to be reversed so I could be the one to touch her and kiss her the way I wanted to. The way he could.

After my sister was defeated by Kaiba, I knew that things could turn very ugly. I then decided to inhabit Tea's mind like I did before at the pier, and earlier when I retrieved the millennium ring for the spirit. There was still a trace of myself in her mind thankfully. Ishizu was talking about revealing to the pharaoh about what happened to me all those years ago. I was very curious to hear her side of the story. Partially because I have no memory of what happened, but mainly because I wanted to know her reasons for staying faithful to that murderer. Perhaps she could shed some light on why I have a maniac in control of my body. Little did I know that what my sister was about to reveal, would be the most horrific thing I had ever heard, let alone done.

(Mirassa's pov)

Ishizu's telling the pharaoh and his friends what happened to Marik right now. Some things are easier to talk about the more you speak of them. This isn't one of them. Ishizu is revealing a few details more to the pharaoh then she did to me when I found out how his father died, and the more I hear about Marik's painful past the more I feel for him. It really is no wonder he has so much hate pent up inside of him. Ishizu says that ever since he was a child, he longed to see the outside world. He didn't want to be a tombkeeper, but as he could do nothing about it he became bitter and cold. Even more so when he endured the tombkeepers ritual.

It's still hard for me to believe that a being as evil as Malik could be created inside an innocent twelve year olds mind. Ever since Malik emerged from the depths of Marik's mind, I've felt alone. I had my friends with me, but it just wasn't the same without him. I know that Marik and I have had arguments in the past, and our relationship (or whatever you'd like to call it) was on the brink of extinction. But whichever way you looked at it, underneath his possessiveness and domineering ways, was a sweet and gentle man that cared for me deeply and would do anything to make me happy.

Isn't it funny how you never realise how much someone means to you until they're gone? I promised Ishizu when I first met her that I would help in any way that I could to get her brother back, and now for the first time ever I have a reason to. I want to tell Marik how sorry I am for the way I toyed with him emotionally. I want to tell him that I forgive him for his behaviour when we were young, and that more then anything I want us to make a fresh start. I want to help Marik put all this unpleasantness in the past, and for him to help me in the same way.

Marik and I can begin a new life once this is all over. And I'm sure it will be. The pharaoh can't possibly lose. That would ruin all my plans for the future and I can't risk that happening. I wish there was someway I could help them, but there isn't. I'm no duelist and I have no special abilities. None that could help anyway. I know, or rather knew how to heal myself, but I've forgotten the d**n words again.

Sometimes I wonder why people put up with me. My memory is atrocious when it comes to learning things. I remember when Marik brushed off my forgetfulness when he first kidnapped me. He made it seem like it was no big deal. Something that didn't mean all that much to me at the time, but now…

Ishizu's coming to the end of her story now. The looks on everyone's faces, it seems they've all changed their opinion of Marik too. That's strange, is it just me or is Tea more affected by this then everyone else? I know its shocking information, but she looks as though the news has hit her deeper then it should have. Oh well, im sure people deal with things in their own way. She must be more sensitive then I first thought.

(Normal pov)

Mirassa followed behind Ishizu still deep in thought. Not one word was exchanged between the two since they left the main hall. Quickly and cautiously, Ishizu took out the card key to her room. She didn't want to stand around in the corridor in case Malik came along. If he didn't yet know of Odion's disappearance, then he would very soon. He would know who was behind it and wouldn't be very pleased to say the least.

It was her duty to keep a watchful eye on Mirassa since Malik showed no signs of keeping his distance from her. Before they left the hall, Ishizu had pulled the pharaoh aside for a little talk. She had no more use for the millennium necklace now. She would have given it to Yami for safe keeping, but in the circumstances thought it might be better to give it to someone who needed its protection. The pharaoh wholeheartedly agreed to the idea.

It was late now and there were no more duels taking place tonight. They would be arriving at the secret destination tomorrow, the end of the battle city tournament. There, the future of the world would be decided. It was between Yami and Malik. One of them was going to emerge the victor; Ishizu hoped that it would be the pharaoh.

"Mirassa, before you go to sleep, I have something I want to give you" said Ishizu.

She reached around to the back of her neck and unhooked the clasp on the millennium necklace. She held it out to Mirassa.

"What's going on? Why are you giving this to me?" she asked in confusion.

"The pharaoh and I think you should take care of it, at least until the tournament is over and my brother is safe with us again. It will help protect you from Malik. His millennium item won't affect you whilst you wear this" replied Ishizu.

"Thank you" said Mirassa gratefully; taking the necklace from Ishizu's outstretched hands. "I need all the protection I can get from that pervert, but why me? Couldn't you have given it to someone who really needed it? Like Mai? She might not have been sent to the shadow realm then."

"If the pharaoh defeats Malik then she will be fine. If not, then everyone else will share her fate, except for you, but im sure it won't come to that" said Ishizu reassuringly.

"If you say so…" replied Mirassa, placing the millennium item around her neck.
Later on that night

(Marik's pov)

I can't believe it. This is turning out to be the worst night of my entire life! Not only did that fool of a tomb robber destroy my chances of getting my body back, I also discovered who was responsible for my father's death. All these years I blamed the pharaoh, only to find that I was the one who did it. I had unknowingly murdered my own father! My brother and sister sheltered me from the truth all these years because they were worried about me.

But now that it's out in the open, I intend to do something about it. He may have beaten me during our last duel but I am by no means finished, despite what my darker half may think. I have been forced to retreat into Tea's mind again as the spirit of the millennium ring is wandering around in Ra knows where. The first thing on my mind is saving Odion. He tried his best to keep me safe, it's the least I can do. But I can't do it alone, I need my sister's help. Tea isn't strong enough to move him by herself, I need backup. I just hope that she can forgive me for all this.

(Normal pov)

Tea stopped right in front of Ishizu's room. She began to frantically bang on the door, silently begging to be let in. When it slid open, a very displeased Mirassa answered. She was unhappy about being woken up at this late hour and was about to tell off the culprit. Her blurry eyes focused to see her friend standing there.

"Tea? Do you have any idea what time it is?" she asked looking at the clock on the wall.

"Mirassa?" whispered Marik through Tea. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? You were there when Ishizu volunteered to keep an eye on me. Are you ok?" asked Mirassa in confusion. It seemed like her friend was loosing it.

Ishizu came up behind Mirassa, wondering who she was talking to. This wasn't working out at all. How was she supposed to protect her properly if Mirassa kept answering the door without thinking who it could be. Next time it might be Malik. The millennium necklace could protect her from the rod, but it couldn't protect her from his touch.

"Sister!" exclaimed Tea suddenly "I need your help!"

"Sister?" thought Mirassa. "What is she talking about?"

A confused expression flashed across her features before realisation dawned on her. Ishizu seemed to understand what was going on. Her brother must be resting inside Tea's mind. She ushered Marik inside quickly and closed the door. Mirassa sat down on of the seats.

"Sister! He's going to kill Odion! We have to move him to safety!"

Mirassa raised her hand and pointed towards the bed. Marik tuned around and stared at the tall figure resting underneath the sheets for a few seconds before letting out a heavy sigh of relief.

"How long has he been here?" he asked.

"He's been here since after Mai was sent to the shadows realm" replied Mirassa, still thinking that it was Tea she was talking to. "We figured that he'd try something to hurt Odion so we moved him before he got the chance. I don't think he'll be very happy when he finds out" she sblack personed. Marik smirked.

'That's my girl!' he thought proudly when he realised what had happened. 'When Mirassa pulled my darker half into Kaiba's personal rooms, she must have been creating a diversion so Ishizu could hide Odion. I thought she was just being foolish, but now I can see it was a selfless act on her part. Anything could have happened to her in 'his' clutches. Im going to have to have words with her later'

Ishizu noted the look on her brother's face, or Tea's rather. It was one of fondness and relief. She wondered if she should let them have a quiet word together. Letting the matchmaker's voice in her head win, she stood up and walked into the bathroom leaving them to it. She gave Marik an approving nod before she shut the door.

"Ummm… Mirassa? Do you recognise me?" asked Marik.

"Yes…" said Mirassa slowly. "You're Tea. Are you alright? You've been acting very strangely"

"I'm not Tea" he said smiling. "It's me. Marik…"

"Marik?" she repeated in astonishment "well I guess that explains why you kept calling Ishizu sister"

Marik nodded, still smiling at her.

"What happened to you when that psycho took over your body? Where have you been all this time? Are you alright?" she asked suddenly. Questions upon questions kept coming out of her mouth until Marik silenced her by placing his finger on her lips. He was about to pull her in for a hug when Mirassa quickly moved herself out of his reach. He looked hurt.

"I'm sorry Marik, I know it's you im talking to, but as its Tea's body. It makes me feel a little uncomfortable" she explained quickly. Not wanting to upset him by her suddenly movement.

He nodded in understanding. "Sorry, I forgot"

"Don't be" said Mirassa softly. "And don't worry about a thing. This will all be over soon, and we can pick up where we left off. I promise." she finished blushing slightly.

Marik smiled broadly. "I look forward to it. I know the truth now, about my past. You were right. I should have listened to you in the first place and let my grudge against the pharaoh go. Now I will do all I can to set things right"

"And I will be here to get in Malik's way until you get your body back" she smiled.

"Oh no you're not!" said Marik firmly. "I will not allow you to put yourself in danger like that. You will stay as far from him as you possibly can until this is all over, do you understand me?"

'Ok, I know he's doing this to keep me safe but I will not let him boss me around! I'm fed up with people treating me like someone who can't defend them self' thought Mirassa angrily. One moment she loved this man, and the next he drove her up the wall. "Alright then fine" she said huffily.

Marik took this as his cue to leave. "I don't want you to get hurt before I can take you up on your promise" he said in a tone that begged forgiveness. "I would give you a kiss, but seeing the circumstances im in, I won't. Sweet dreams Mirassa and tell Ishizu I said goodnight"

He closed the door on his way out.

'Just as well he didn't make me' promise' to stay away' thought Mirassa triumphantly as Ishizu made her way back into the room.

They both took their seats again and tried to get to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day. They would leave either free people, mindslaves, or in Mirassa's case, queen to a megalomaniac.

Mirassa knew which one she didn't want to be.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 26: Arrival at the Duel Tower


Kaiba craft 3 was almost at its destination. It would only be a few hours longer until they got there. It was still in the early hours of the morning and Ishizu was staring out of the window. She was far too restless to sleep and sat wearily while the time slowly passed. She was interrupted from her train of thoughts when Mirassa woke up suddenly from her less then peaceful slumber. Ishizu gave her a questioning look as Mirassa caught her breath. She looked at the clock and out of the window before turning her attention back onto Ishizu.

"Malik is going to be here in a few hours… he looked really angry… I think it's something to do with Odion's vanishing act" said Mirassa worriedly.

"Then we must move him again" said the older Egyptian.

Ishizu stood up and signalled for Mirassa to help move the comatose man, which proved very difficult as Mirassa only had one good arm now. After much huffing and puffing, they finally managed to lift him in a way that they could move about fairly easily. They dragged him along the corridors and into Mirassa's old room. Because Kaiba had generously given her one of the more luxurious rooms, it had a better locking system. Mirassa just never realised it until now when Ishizu pointed it out to her.

They fiddled with the control panel on the inside and exited the room. They had changed the password so that Malik wouldn't be able to get in, not that he'd know where to look anyway. It was such an obvious place to hide Odion that Mirassa believed he wouldn't even try and search there in the first place. That was the hope anyway.

"Where is he!" bellowed Malik as he forced his way into room number eight.

Mirassa stood there by the small round window smiling sweetly at him whilst keeping an innocent look plastered on her face.

"Where is who? I don't know what you're talking about" she said calmly, though inside she felt her heart beating a mile a minute.

"Don't act all innocent with me woman! I know you've hidden Odion somewhere and you are going to tell me where he is! Or else…" he threatened, raising his millennium rod and pointing it at her.

"Or else what?" Mirassa challenged. "What are you going to do to me if I don't tell you? Send me to the shadow realm? I must say, that is much more preferable to what you were planning for me in the first place"

Mirassa could have laughed at the expression on Malik's face if she wasn't so terrified. It was one of anger, and disbelief that she had the nerve to speak to him like that. What was going on? It was only the night before when she had run away from him, afraid he would hurt her further. Did she have a reason not to fear him? Malik quickly rid himself of those thoughts when she started speaking again.

"What's the matter Malik? Bastet got your tongue?" she taunted.

Malik composed himself and smiled at her. "Not at all my dear. I was just thinking how right I was in assuming you were perfect to be my queen" he smirked at the slight falter in her confident expression.

"I look forward to the day I can finally claim you as my own" he whispered lustfully. "I like your attitude, although you do need to work on it a little. With my power and your fiery stubbornness, our children will be at a great advantage to the rest of those commoners"

He walked towards a fearful Mirassa, forcing her to back up against the wall. Malik reached out to her and softly traced her jaw line and continued down her neck. Mirassa managed to hold back a shudder from his touch, but only barely. The moment his fingers touched the golden item he stopped in his tracks. He quickly pulled his hand back as he received a sharp jolt of energy, causing pain to spread through his arm. He glared at the millennium necklace for a brief moment. He never noticed that before. He leaned in close to Mirassa. Close enough that she could feel his breath tickle her face.

"Well it's no wonder you were so confident before my darling, however I must warn you. Once I have the millennium puzzle and all three Egyptian god cards, it will not protect you against my advances"

"I have nothing to worry about because you're not going to win this fight!" she retorted angrily crossing her arms as best she could without straining her shoulder.

Malik raised his arms pinned Mirassa between himself and the wall, trapping her. "Unfortunately my sweet, I don't have the time to stay and converse with you about his matter, as much as I would like to. I have to take over the world and kill all of your friends"

He turned and exited the room, his cape billowing out behind him, leaving Mirassa to breathe a heavy sigh of relief. He was gone now and they would be arriving very soon at the place of the semi finals.
------------------------------

The airship had finally landed at its destination. An island once belonging to Gozaburo Kaiba called Alcatraz. Seto Kaiba had built an enormous tower in the middle of it, which he not so creatively called 'duel tower'. It stood as a monument of his victory over his cruel adoptive father.

As the door on the side of the ship opened, all the duelists and supporters, minus the few who decided to stay on board, stepped off and onto the island. Mirassa gazed around at the wreckage that surrounded her. Tons of twisted and broken chunks of metal decorated the area, proof of the kind of place it must have been before Kaiba took over. Joey looked at the huge structure in the middle of the island before sblack personing to himself.

"What's so funny?" asked Yami.

"Dat line from Shrek just came ta me" he chuckled. "Ya think he's compensating for somethin?" Joey tilted his head towards Kaiba. It didn't go unnoticed by the ceo.

"I don't need to compensate for anything Wheeler. In 'that' particular department I'm more gifted then most and that most certainly includes you. But then again, that isn't difficult…"

"What you talkin about! I'm not that small!" protested Joey angrily, turning red from embarrassment.

"Don't complain" scolded Tea. "You started it"

"I'm going to stay behind" said Mirassa to Yami, her voice no more then a whisper. "I have to keep an eye on Odion and make sure Malik doesn't come back to harm him"

"Alright then, take care" he replied.

"Good luck everyone!" she called waving at the duelists.

Mirassa turned and ran back towards the ship, dodging Malik as he stepped out. He tried to pinch her rear again but she wasn't going to give him the opportunity like last time. As everyone began to walk towards the tower, they were interrupted by a sickeningly cheerful voice from beyond the scrap heap.

"What a pleasant view" he said casually, glancing around at the destruction surrounding him. "I think I'll make this my holiday home when I become pharaoh"

Everyone rolled their eyes, completely unimpressed by this statement. They soon approached the entrance to the tower, the doors sliding open as they were near enough. Once inside, they saw four doors in each corner. Kaiba stepped in front of the duelists and began to explain the system. Apparently, they would duel to decide who played against whom. Joeys eyes wandered to Malik who was standing somewhere behind him. He would make that guy pay for what he did to Mai.

"Alright! Take a door and let's get this duel started!" shouted Kaiba. "It makes no difference which door you choose as it will offer no advantage in battle"

Joey didn't have a clue as to which door he wanted to take, so he began to recite a little rhyme and pointed to various doors. It landed on the one behind Malik.

"I'll take dat one!" he said and began to walk towards it.

Malik however beat him to it and smirked as he took his place on the lift. Joey fumed and turned to take the other places only to find Yugi and Kaiba had already occupied them.

"I guess I'd better take da one dats left over…" he muttered.

His friends offered him a sympathetic smile and a thumbs up before the door closed, taking him and the other three duelists above to begin the next round.
-------------------------------------

"Has he shown any signs of waking up yet?" asked Mirassa.

"I'm afraid not" replied Ishizu sadly. "Why aren't you watching the duels then?" she wondered.

"Oh, I thought I could make myself useful here. Hey I know! Perhaps I could wake him up. Is there a phone on this ship?" she asked looking around.

"I don't see why there wouldn't be, but why do you want the phone? How will that help?" asked Ishizu, confused by the strange turn of conversation.

"If I call my guardian Maka, then she can read to me the spells from my diary that will revive him" she smiled. "I don't know why I didn't think of it before!"

"That's a very good idea, can you do it?" asked Ishizu getting up and making her way towards the door.

Mirassa followed close behind her. "I should think so. When I was in Egypt, I spent most nights looking through my father's library for spells that might be handy in the future. I can heal most things. You know things like colds, broken bones, snake bites, cuts, excessive bleeding. You name it"

They arrived at the control room. They explained to the black suited men that they needed to make an urgent call to someone back in domino. The men were unsure of what to do because Kaiba hadn't given his authorisation to do so. As if sensing the men's doubt, Mirassa tilted her head towards Ishizu and whispered.

"Do something, show a little skin and bat your eyelashes a bit"

"Why don't you?" whispered Ishizu in reply, pink tinged her cheeks.

"Because I've done it hundreds of times in the last few weeks and every time I do it, something bad happens to me. It's your turn now anyway, you can do it"

Ishizu was still uncertain what to do. She had never done anything like this before and was unsure of how she should act. This wasn't her at all, but the men weren't showing any signs of letting them make the call to Maka. After a few moments Ishizu was still showing no signs of making a move. Mirassa sighed and decided to take matters into her own hands.

"Last time ever" she whispered.

Ishizu smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

"Watch and learn…"

The black suited men still had their backs to them and were muttering indecisively. Mirassa adjusted her sling and her shirt, showing a bit more cleavage then before. She straightened her hair and walked towards them slowly.

"Excuse me" she said in a sweet voice. "Please, I need to call my grandmother. She's very sick right now and she won't be around for much longer. If anything happened to her and I didn't get the chance to say goodbye, I don't know what I'd do…"

Ishizu watched on in amazement and Mirassa burst into floods of tears. The men didn't hesitate to comfort the crying girl. They all tried to stop her crying by putting their arm around her and holding her hand. One of them spoke to a man on the other side of the room and nodded before making his way back.

"Keep this a secret ok? Make sure that Mr Kaiba doesn't find out about this" he said kindly, trying to look Mirassa in the face but failing miserably.

"Thank you so much!" said Mirassa sweetly, drying her eyes with a tissue kindly provided by one of the men.

She turned and faced Ishizu again, smirking triumphantly at her before heading towards the phone. Ishizu followed after her. They sat down in front of it and began talking in Arabic so they couldn't be understood by the men.

"That was incredible… I don't know what else to say…" said Ishizu.

"Doesn't work all of the time" said Mirassa, inputting her home number. "Some men aren't stupid enough for a stunt like that"

The phone began ringing. It continued for a few seconds then it stopped. Mirassa looked confused and tried putting in her number again. It still didn't work. Ishizu looked towards the group leader for answers.

"What's going on? We can't get through"

"There must be some sort of static energy in the air that's blocking the signal. We can't get through it. Maybe it's coming from the duel tower… im not sure…" one man said, typing away at his keyboard, looking for a solution.

"Well there goes that idea" said Mirassa glumly. "I really thought it would work…"

"I'm sure it would have. Don't worry; it's not your fault. We'll just have to wait until he wakes up on his own" replied Ishizu.

They left the control room and headed towards the room where Serenity was looking after Mai.
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"Still no change?" asked Ishizu

Serenity shook her head sadly, not saying a word. She had grown to be very fond of Mai. She was a strong person that wouldn't let anyone push her around. She showed that spirit right up to the point when Malik sent her away…

"Why does Malik enjoy hurting people so much…" asked Mirassa despairingly.

So many people had been hurt by Malik and she was certain that there'd be more. She didn't need the millennium necklace to tell her that. Mirassa and Ishizu decided to stay and talk to Serenity to keep her mind off of things. They didn't realise how long they'd been there until the doctor came by to check on his patient. Mirassa closed her eyes for a second and wondered what was going on in the duel. They must have chosen the duelists opponents by now.

An image suddenly burnt itself into Mirassa's mind. She saw Joey standing in front of Malik. The Winged Dragon of Ra was towering over them with its teeth bared and ready to attack. It opened its mouth and blasted a huge wave of fire towards Joey. Somehow, Joey had managed to withstand the attack, but he was very weak and his breathing became heavy. Malik was completely defenceless with no magic, trap or monster cards to protect him. Joey began to summon a monster. Mirassa felt excited. Joey was going to beat Malik! It would all be over soon. Her joyful feeling quickly left her when she saw Joey slump to the floor. He was motionless and didn't move. His monsters disappeared and he wasn't breathing…

"Joey…." She whispered, as she found herself back in the room with Serenity and Ishizu. She looked round at Ishizu who had a sad expression on her face. "She knows…" thought Mirassa.

"What's wrong…" asked Serenity, worried that Mirassa said his name with such a grave voice.

"Come with me. We have to go and see your brother now"

She took hold of the young girl's hand and quickly led her out the room and out of the ship. They headed towards the huge tower in the hopes that they would arrive before Joey fell. There was purple smoke billowing around the top of the tower, proof of the shadow game being played there.

Mirassa knew that it would hurt Serenity to witness this, but she also knew it would hurt her more knowing that she didn't get the chance to see her brother one last time.
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[Konekodemon]

Chapter 27: Forever Friends?


"JOEY!" screamed Serenity as the door slid open.

She ran over to her brother who was laying on the platform unconscious. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to wake him up. Yugi and the gang were also crowded around him. Mokuba jumped onto the platform and ran over to the fallen duelist. He placed his hand in front of Joey's mouth and held it there for a moment. His expression turned to panic as he quickly withdrew it.

"He's not breathing!" he cried out. "Quick! We have to get him to a doctor!"

Roland took out his cell phone and dialled a number. "The doctors on his way"

Serenity was crying hysterically. Mirassa slowly walked out from the elevator. Her eyes were welling up. Joey was one of the nicest guys she knew and she didn't want to lose him. d**n that Malik! If anything happened to Joey, she would make sure that he paid for it dearly.

Malik was sweating profusely with an outraged look on his face. He had won this duel only because Joey was too weak from Ra's attack and passed out before he could order an attack on him.

"I almost lost to that amateur! A pathetic wannabe duelist with no talent whatsoever… or so I thought. If I can barely defeat Wheeler, then how the hell am I supposed to defeat Yugi? Well it won't happen ever again!"

He stepped onto the platform elevator and pressed the button making it descend. Malik felt sick at his pitiful performance. He could feel the bile rising in his throat and covered his mouth with his hand as he almost threw up. He swallowed hard trying to regain his composure.

Those fools were trying to revive their friend. It was hopeless. He looked at Mirassa standing by the elevator, and judging by the expression on her face, she knew it was hopeless too. He walked towards her and smirked. She noticed someone looking at her and turned to face Malik directly.

"One down…" he whispered seductively in her ear, holding up his index finger for her to see. He ran his fingers through her hair and made his way towards the elevator.

Once Malik was out of the vicinity, Mirassa ran towards her friends who were bent over their companion. Tristan was shaking Joey ferociously, but he remained motionless, his cards were scattered everywhere. Mirassa's eyes were watering profusely now making her vision blurry. She tried calling to him along with everyone else, but it was no use. She wished that she could do something to help him, but she couldn't, unless…

Mirassa leant in closer to Joey hoping she wouldn't catch anyone's attention. She began to blink rapidly until a single tear trickled down her cheek and fell onto his arm. She waited patiently for something to happen, wiping her eyes and cheeks with a sleeve. It had been a few minutes now.

"Look! He's breathing again!" shouted Yami.

Mirassa widened her eyes in amazement and relief and stared at Joey, who as Yami said, was breathing again, only just. She let out a shaky sigh of relief but knew he wasn't out of danger yet. He was in a very weak condition and if Malik defeated the pharaoh, he would be sure to finish what he started. The doctors finally arrived with a stretcher and lifted the patient onto it before rushing him off to the infirmary.
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"Will he be alright doctor?" asked Yami anxiously.

"We need to get him to a hospital" replied the doctor gravely. "We just don't have the equipment we need to look after someone in this critical condition"

"Then call the hospital and have them send over a chopper!" shouted Tristan loudly.

"We can't do that" said a meek voice from the doorway. It was Mokuba. "For some reason we can't get through to the mainland. We're trying our best though…"

Tristan looked furious. "Well try harder then!"

Yami and Duke had to hold him back from grabbing the young boy. It wasn't Mokuba's fault they couldn't contact the hospital, but no one could reason with Tristan when he was like this. Despite all the arguments he and Joey had in the past, they were the closest friends you could ever set eyes on, and it killed him to know there was nothing he could do to help.

"This is turning out worse then I thought it would" said Mirassa in a low voice. "I can't believe this is happening…"

Yami clenched his fist into a tight ball and pounded the wall making a loud bang echo around the room. "Why did he do this!" he growled in frustration. "Joey made sure that he was the first one to duel against Malik. I should have stopped him!"

Tea stood up and walked over to comfort him. "Yami, he would have done it anyway. You know how stubborn Joey is. And besides, he wanted to save Mai. He had his own reasons…"

"Well I'll make sure that his efforts weren't in vain. I will stop Malik if it's the last thing I do!" promised Yami.

"Malik only won because his opponent passed out" started Mirassa. "That's not skill, that's just luck! You will beat him hands down. You're the most talented Duelist on this ship. At least you've had a chance to see his strategy before you duel him"

"Yeah, he seems to have a lot of cards that enable him to bring Ra back from the graveyard" said Duke thoughtfully crossing his arms. "Maybe you can work with that" he suggested.

"Yes, but he has also seen my strategy. It will be a very tough duel indeed and it's not certain that I will even get to duel him. I still have to defeat Kaiba" said Yami.

"Speaking of which, you should prepare yourself for the next duel right now" recommended Ishizu.

"Yes you're right. Take care of Joey for me. I need to defeat Kaiba and win Obelisk the tormentor. I will need all the powerful cards I can get if I am to face Malik's winged dragon of Ra"
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Yami had been gone for over an hour now and there were still no signs of Joey waking up. Mirassa was growing very impatient now. How long could it possibly take to play a game of duel monsters? Sure it was Kaiba against Yami, the duel of the century she had heard someone say earlier, but this was ridiculous! She didn't know if she could stand waiting here much longer. Serenity kept bursting into floods of tears at regular intervals and Tristan was pacing around like a caged lion that hadn't been fed for months. He looked like he could kill something, anything. The entire scene before her was so unbelievably depressing she couldn't bear it.

"I think im going to go and watch the duel" said Mirassa quietly.

She stood up and left the room, closing the door behind her. Once outside, Mirassa leaned against the wall and took a deep breath trying to make sense of the situation, but it only made her feel worse. she stretched on the spot, reaching into the air with her good arm. She had been sitting for too long and needed the exercise anyway. Suddenly Mirassa heard her name being mentioned in the room she had just left. She couldn't help but listen to what was being said about her. The Egyptian girl gently pressed her ear against the door.
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"Some friend she is! You would have thought she'd stay here and wait for Joey to wake up" said Tristan angrily.

"Tristan, people deal with things in their own way. Leave her alone. She's worried about Joey too. She tried to help" replied Tea wearily.

"Wow" drawled Tristan sarcastically. "She tried to wake him up by calling his name, big deal!"

"Tristan stop it! That isn't fair!" defended Tea.

"I'll tell you what isn't fair! Joey and Mai are in a coma and there's no way of telling if they'll ever wake up again! Things all started to go wrong when 'she' came along! I admit that I had a crush on her at first, but that was before I found out she was engaged to Marik!" seethed Tristan.

"Correction, she's betrothed to him, there's a difference" said Tea. "She doesn't love him"

"Whatever! She's not even a proper friend! She's just a tagalong! It's her fault that Joey and Mai are like this! I bet she could have stopped Malik any time, but she didn't and she even had the nerve to cry! She doesn't give a d**n at all!".
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Standing outside, Mirassa was stunned. She knew that things would never be the same once they found out about her and Marik. But never for one minute did she believe they would actually blame her for this. Mirassa felt like crying, but the tears wouldn't come. It was like she didn't have the energy anymore, she felt cold and numb. Once again she felt alone and unwanted, just as she did when she was growing up in Egypt and her parents didn't believe her when she told them Marik was being nasty to her. Mirassa turned down the corridor and headed towards the tower, not wanting to hear any more of Tristan's uncalled for insults.
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Back in the infirmary, Ishizu was at boiling point.

"How dare you say such a thing about Mirassa! If it wasn't for her, Joey would be dead now!"

Tristan turned to face Ishizu, as did everyone else.

"Mirassa saved my brother?" asked Serenity looking up at the Egyptian woman.

"Yes she did. She failed to mention this to you all earlier, but the tombkeepers are not the only clan out there. Mirassa is a member of the Heka clan. They deal with many magical items and texts throughout Egypt's ancient past. She knows several healing spells and remedies" explained Ishizu. "Why do you think she had connections with my brother in the first place?"

"She knows how to use magic?" asked Duke in awe before receiving a nod from Ishizu confirming his answer. "That's cool…"

"Her surname, Benu, is the ancient Egyptian word for Phoenix or bird of Ra. as you may or may not know, Phoenix tears have incredibly strong healing powers. Some say that they can even bring people back from death. You said yourself that you saw Mirassa crying, but did you notice how she leant over Joey so her tears would fall on him?"

Silence filled the room. Tristan couldn't reply to this revelation. Had he been so blind that he was willing to blame the very person that saved his best friends life?

"Yeah! I hope you feel bad!" scolded Tea. "It's just as well you didn't say all this in front of Mirassa! She would never have forgiven you!"

"I hope you show her more respect and gratitude in the future. Everything she's done, she has done it for others. She is always putting herself in danger to help other people. A habit I wish she'd break" said Ishizu despairingly.

"Yeah… im sorry… I had no idea" muttered Tristan shamefacedly. "I'm such a jerk…"

"You are" confirmed Serenity.
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On the top of the tower, a fierce battle was raging between the two duelists. Mirassa could have sworn she saw the outline of the two gods on the top of the tower. When she arrived at the top though, they were gone. It was approaching the end. She could feel it.

Mirassa looked around at the strange sight before her. There was a hologram of an ancient roman arena. The crowds sitting in the seats were all cheering for Kaiba. What a surprise! She rolled her eyes and walked to the side of the platform to get a better view. She noticed a certain sandy blonde standing behind her, poking his head through the hologram. Mirassa turned and boldly walked towards him with a challenging look gracing her features.

"I hear you would have lost the last duel if Joey hadn't passed out" she taunted.

"I hear he has yet to regain consciousness" he retorted.

"I hear that you're going to lose this tournament. You were lucky last time, but the pharaoh is a much stronger opponent. One that won't pass out so easily. I understand that's how you win these games, because you don't have any talent whatsoever"

"I hear that if a certain young woman doesn't hold her tongue, she will face a rather unpleasant punishment. Her future husband and master doesn't take kindly to insubordination and disrespect"

"You make insubordination sound like a bad thing" she replied casually.

Mirassa didn't care anymore. Malik didn't scare her now and she wasn't about to let him do so in the future. Right now, she contented herself with arguing with him. Before long, Mirassa was sure Malik would grow tired of her tantrums and change his mind about marrying her. If he won, she would rather be sent to the shadow realm with the others. But he saw through her.

"I see what you're trying to do my dear, but it won't work. In fact, despite what I said a moment ago, these little exchanges between us really turn me on…" whispered Malik, licking his lips.

"I'm happy that I please you so. Feel as turned on as you like, because in a few hours Marik will be back and you will be nothing more then an unpleasant memory"

Mirassa crossed her arms and leant against the wall, giving Malik one last glare before turning her attention back to the duel. Malik opened his mouth to say something to her but was stopped by her finger being placed on his lips.

"Now now sweetheart. I'm trying to watch the duel. Be a darling and shut up" said Mirassa in a sweet voice.

Malik's eyes widened in shock and disbelief as she began to play with his ear. He tried to ignore what she was doing but quickly gave in to the pleasurable sensation on his skin. Any form of physical contact from her was welcome at this point, even if she was trying to mess with him. He leant against the wall next to Mirassa, closing his eyes, allowing her to continue her massage on his ear. Her gentle touch was driving him insane with desire, but he knew she was doing it to prove a point.

Mirassa held a power over him like she did with his weaker half and she knew it. He knew it also, but would never allow her to use it to her advantage if it meant his downfall.

"I will allow her to believe that she is the one in control… for now" thought Malik before losing himself to her touch completely.
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Joey had been twitching for a short while now. Everyone had gathered round him, calling for him to wake up. Tristan, being the overly enthusiastic pal that he was, began to slap him. he lifted joey up and dragged him over to the window.

"Come on Joey! Don't you wanna see Yami beat Kaiba and Malik? You'll miss everything if you spend all day sleeping!" he complained.

This seemed to provoke a reaction from the blonde.

"Come on Joey!" called Tea getting in on things. "Remember the promise you and Yami made to see each other in the finals?"

A low groan came from the young man held up by Tristan. "Urggggh…."

"Oh yeah! Results!" cheered Tristan. "Let's get him up and running!"
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Mirassa was growing very weary of this little act. Malik was practically asleep now from her 'massage'. His eyes were shut and he kept nodding off for a few minutes. She grinned as she thought how simple this plan was. Malik had never seen the pharaoh duel before now. The main reason he came to watch was to see his strategy and Mirassa knew this. She came up here with the sole purpose of distracting him.

At first she planned on arguing with him, but it was clear she could not do it for long. She didn't like talking to him because he kept making references to their 'glorious future together' Mirassa realised that the only way she could cut him off from reality, was by using a method told to her in secrecy by Maka.

Maka seemed to be a jack of all trades when they were in Egypt. She did all sorts of weird and wonderful things, which was probably the main reason Mirassa came to spend most of her time with her in the first place. She remembered a particular conversation she had with her once. It was about massages and how certain parts of the body affected others. In this case, Mirassa was taught that by touching a mans ears with gentle circular motions, it would make him sleepy and more controllable.

It seemed to be working. All she had to do was make sure he didn't fall on her. Suddenly from the corner of her eye, she saw a group of people run up. One of them made Mirassa smile broadly. It was Joey. He was awake now. He called to Yami, letting him know he was okay. Joey looked around and turned white when he saw Mirassa next to Malik. So did everyone else.

Mirassa put a finger to her lips and smirked at them. She looked at Malik who was somehow asleep while standing with a very contented expression on his face, and imitated him by drooping her head, then making out she had woken up suddenly. She nodded her head towards the duel and stifled laugh.

Joey nodded in realisation before turning back to his pals.

"She's made da guy fall asleep. He wont be able ta see Yami's strategy if he's asleep! Clever girl" he said laughing

"Yeah…" muttered Tristan, feeling bad about what he said earlier.

They had told Joey what had happened. He wasn't at all happy when he found out that he had lost. For some reason he believed that he had won the duel against Malik. He had even checked on Mai to see if she had woken up yet. He was surprised to hear how Mirassa had revived him. He couldn't get it through his head that she had powers of her own and belonged to a clan similar to that of Marik. Joey immediately decided to go and watch the rest of the duel after that. He wanted to thank her for saving his life. There was a little problem with the doctors from the mainland. Mokuba had managed to get through to them and had a helicopter from Kaiba corp sent over with a stretcher to carry him back.

He would wait until he could see her on her own. Then he would tell her. After the duel.
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It took a while, but Yami had finally won the duel. It had all been down to the last few cards in the deck thanks to a magic card played by Kaiba. He had to choose his cards carefully. Fortunately he had chosen his hand correctly and defeated his opponent with a momentous move. Kaiba, to say the least, was not at all happy.

"Take it!" growled the ceo as he threw his Egyptian god card towards the victor.

Yami caught it with ease. He watched as Kaiba stormed off, with Mokuba following closely in his stead. He flicked through his deck and pulled out Slifer the sky dragon. He held the two cards together and admired them.

"Just one more to go" he said looking at Malik.

Mirassa had joined up with the group to praise the pharaoh's win. Malik however was slowly waking up again, completely unawares of where he was. He shook his head and focused on his surroundings. By the time he was able to walk, he realised that he the only one up there. Everyone else had long since disappeared.

"Argghhh!" roared Malik in frustration. He hadn't seen how the duel ended. Who won in the end?

"Curse that woman!" he thought angrily. "She's cleverer then I thought"

He felt humiliated. Everyone must have seen him sleeping like a baby, and she must have laughed along with them. He allowed her to use him the way she used his other half! He promised himself that he would never fall for a dirty trick like that. Malik stormed towards the elevator. Whatever the result, he still had a chance to defeat the pharaoh.

It would soon be time for the final duel of the tournament.
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[Konekodemon]

Chapter 28: The Final Duel


Mirassa strode through the hallway right after Yami's duel with Kaiba. Despite her seemingly cheery attitude towards her 'friends' she was feeling very low. There was only one duel left to play. This would decide, not only her future, but everyone else's too. Tristan had tried to make nice conversation with her while they were in the elevator but Mirassa didn't feel like talking, especially to him.

She walked further down the hall to the room Odion was currently resting in. she was about to open it when she felt a hand carefully wrap around her wrist. Turning quickly, she expected to see Malik smirking down at her as he had many times before. She let out a shaky sigh of relief when she saw it was only Joey.

'I should have known. Malik wouldn't have been so gentle' thought Mirassa, laughing quietly to herself.

"Hey Miri, you ok? Ya look a little down" Joey asked in concern.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all. You wanted to talk to me?" she replied smiling, remembering what Joey had said earlier.

Joeys face turned red and he ran his hand nervously through his hair. He looked over his shoulder to see if they were alone or not. They were. He took a hold of Mirassa's hand and led her away to the main hall where the lottery machine and tables still stood.

Once there, he turned to face her. Joey still held her small hand in his and was slowly tracing circles with his thumb. He looked very apprehensive. Mirassa didn't like the way this was headed. She wasn't completely naïve.

"Listen Miri…" he began. "Ever since we first met… I've kinda had a crush on you… I didn't want ta say anythin at first but things have changed since then…"

"Oh no…" she thought.

"I heard that you saved me" continued Joey softly.

Mirassa looked up at him with an astonished look on her face. How did he find out? She didn't tell anyone about her abilities.

"I wanted ta thank you" he smiled "and I also wanted ta ask ya somethin…"

Joey leaned closer to Anuket and looked deeply into her bright blue eyes. Subconsciously he began to bring his head towards hers. He was staring at her lips. It was obvious what Joey had in mind. She had to stop this.

"Joey, I can't…" she said softly trying to pull her hand out of his.

He looked taken aback by this.

"Why not? You're not with anyone and neither am I. we get along great together. What's da problem? Has Kaiba said anythin bout me? Its all lies I tell ya!"

"No Joey, its not you. I can't be with you for many reasons…"

"What reasons?" he pressed. If she wasn't interested, he wanted to know why. Maybe he could fix the problems keeping them apart.

Mirassa sighed deeply "look, I do love you Joey, but not like that. You're more like a brother to me then a boyfriend"

"Well, maybe we can work past that… I'm sure once we start dating each other you'll feel completely different"

"Dating? Joey Im sorry, this can't even go that far"

"Why not! I thought ya liked me! Ya cried when ya thought I was dead! Ya keep sendin me mixed signals! Why can't we give it a try" Joey was becoming more and more frustrated.

"Joey, there's someone else…"

"What…?"

There was silence as Joey stared at Mirassa. He was having a hard time taking in this new information. He couldn't understand it. She was definitely 'not' seeing anyone before she boarded the airship. He overheard her talking about it to Tea as girls do. Who else could there possibly be? It's not like she had openly shown any affection towards the men on this ship.

Joey felt his insides lurch with disappointment. Of all the things that had happened to him recently, this had to be the worst. This was even more painful the when Ra had almost killed him. He almost wished that the dragon had succeeded. Mirassa was looking up at him, an apologetic look gracing her features. She tried to think of something that would make him feel better, but nothing came.

"Who is it?" he asked suddenly with a low monotone voice.

"Ummm… I don't want to say… you'll be angry…" she replied, her voice just a little higher then a whisper.

"Tell me!" Joey yelled. "Is it Tristan? Duke? Kaiba? Tell me it aint Kaiba, I'll kill him!"

Mirassa shook her head rapidly. Her face began to pale slightly and she felt sick. Once again she felt guilty for something that wasn't her fault. Joey was deep in thought. He was running through all the potential boyfriends in his head. None came to mind, until…

"Marik?" he asked looking at her again.

Joey only suggested Marik as a way of ruling him out. He expected to see Mirassa shake her head in disgust at the very idea, but when she just looked at him, he knew better. She didn't even try to deny it, her face said it all.

"Marik..." he repeated slowly. Mirassa hated the tone he used. "Of all the people in this world, you chose Marik? Have you forgotten what he's done to you! He made your life a misery and he tried to kill us! How can you have forgiven him!"

"Im sorry, I can't help it…" said Mirassa. Tears were once again threatening to stream down her face.

"Do ya love him?" asked Joey suddenly.

Mirassa hung her head so that her hair was covering her face. She gave Joey a meek nod. He simply stood there, watching her as teardrops began to fall onto the floor. Joey sighed heavily and held his arms out, taking her in for a big hug. Mirassa wasn't sure why his attitude changed suddenly. Joey just held her tightly until she stopped crying. He didn't want her to be upset despite the strong feeling of anger he felt towards her choice.

"He's the enemy ya know…" whispered Joey.

"No, Malik is the enemy. Marik has changed. He knows the truth now about his past. He wants to make amends for everything he's done" Mirassa tried to explain.

Joey gave her a sceptical look.

"Ok, I believe you… I just hope that when this is all over, he treats ya right. If I find out he's hurt you in any way I'll make sure he pays for it" Joey demonstrated this by throwing a punch into air.

"Thank you Joey" she laughed. "Can I ask you a favour?"

Joey nodded "sure"

"Could you maybe not tell anyone about this? I don't want anyone to know about me and Marik right now…"

Joey thought for a second and agreed "Ok then. I promise"

"Let get back. The last duel will be starting soon" said Mirassa wiping her eyes. Joey reached out to one of the tables and grabbed a napkin. She took it thanking him and finished drying her eyes. She felt like a baby. Crying whenever she had an argument with someone. This seemed to happen a lot lately.

"I must be getting my period or something" she thought.
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"What's this for Kaiba?" asked Yami looking at the card Kaiba gave him.

"You'll need it if you want to defeat Ra" replied Kaiba with his arms crossed as usual.

"What do you mean?" Yami was confused by this act. Kaiba had been furious about being beaten earlier. Why the change in attitude?

"You're going to have to figure that out for yourself" he smirked "This is the only way of defeating Ra, but even if you do somehow figure out how to use it, your chances of winning are slim to non-existent"

"Why are you giving this to me Kaiba?" asked Yami.

"You said your friends' strength brings you victory. But in a duel, others' strengths are just a burden. This card will show you that" he replied, avoiding his question

"Get rid of it! It's a trick!" said Joey, glaring at the ceo.

"Throw it away if you wish" said Kaiba coolly. "It's up to you"

Yami studied the card for a moment then added it to his deck. He and Kaiba didn't always get along, but he knew him well enough to know that Kaiba would never sabotage his chances. Kaiba wanted to see him play a good duel.

"If that's what he wants, then that's what he'll get" thought Yami adding the card to his deck and shuffling it. Kaiba looked on with an unreadable look on his face.

Malik approached the pharaoh and they exchanged decks. They stared at each other whilst doing this.

"You'd better shuffle well and pray that Ra is at the bottom" smirked Malik.

Yami and Malik handed each other their decks, slotting them into their respective duel disks. They both took their places on the dueling platform. Mirassa had arrived and stood next to Joey. Malik was too busy focusing on the pharaoh to notice her, thankfully. Roland stepped up to the side and raised his hand in the air to commence the duel.

Malik laughed malevolently. "Let the fun begin"

He raised the millennium rod and licked it. Suddenly the familiar dark fog engulfed the duel tower blocking out the warm rays of the sun. Mirassa shuddered slightly, wondering if this is how the world would end up if Malik won the duel.

"This shadow game will be different then last time. I've thrown in a few surprises especially for you. This will be the ultimate dark game…" said Malik.

He raised the millennium rod and to everyone's surprise, an hourglass imprisoning Mai floated overhead. She was almost completely buried in the sand.

"Once this duel is over, she will be gone. But she isn't the only one in danger"

Suddenly Yugi appeared next to Yami. His wrists and ankles were bound with dark rings Yami looked up at him in shock before facing Malik again.

"You leave Yugi out of this!" he shouted in fury

"To make things fairer, my weaker half will be involved as well" continued Malik.

Marik appeared next to Malik. His hands and arms also bound by the darkness. Mirassa looked on in shock as she saw Marik hanging there. His eyes were closed and he looked weak. She almost moved to climb onto the platform but Joey put his arm on her shoulder to stop her.

"Let Yami take care of things" he whispered. "He'll be ok"

Malik let out an evil chuckle and drew his first card. Vampiric leech, He slammed the card onto his duel disk summoning the creature. Using its special effect, he ordered it to attack Yami's life points directly. As it did, Yugi screamed in pain. Part of his body disappeared in the process.

"Yugi!" cried Yami in alarm. He had a feeling something like this would happen. Malik began to fill Yami in.

"When you lose life points, Yugi will lose a piece of himself to the darkness. When your life points reach zero, Yugi will be gone forever! The same rule applies for my own former self"

"I refuse to duel you like this Malik!" he yelled.

Malik grinned. "You don't have a choice in the matter pharaoh. You're playing by my rules now. I can banish little Yugi to the shadow realm at any time, so you may as well try to beat me"

It looked like there was a war going on inside Yami's head. Truth be told, he had no idea how he was going to defeat Malik without hurting his good side. He had promised Ishizu that he would save her brother from the darkness, but he had to save the world as well. Whichever way he looked at it he couldn't do both…

Eventually after some serious thought, he decided to just go for it and figure out a plan as he went. He was sure that there was something he could do to save his friends.
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Odion lay silently in a coma. Marik's faded spirit sat on the stool next to him. He watched silently over his brother for several minutes, contemplating his actions over the past few years. He felt himself growing weaker by the second as his darker half battled the pharaoh on the tower. He knew that he would not survive this encounter whatever the result. Malik had made sure of that. He needed to say his goodbyes to his loved ones now. He looked down sorrowfully at his brother.

"My dark side grows stronger as I slip into the shadows. Before I disappear forever, I want to apologize to you. You have done nothing but protect me since the day I was born and I have repaid you with nothing but anger and disrespect. I'd like to take it all back, but it's too late. The evil within me is about to prevail, the evil that I created out of my own hatred threatens to destroy me. You were there the day my dark side was born, the day I received my tombkeepers initiation. You scarred your own face in order to prove your loyalty to me. You were always loyal, even when I betrayed the tombkeepers and used the ancient scriptures for my own selfish purposes"

Marik's spirit began to fade away.

"Now I understand why you stood by me, even when you knew what I was doing was wrong. You were the only one that could control my dark side. But when you were hurt, he took over. Now I am drifting away as his power increases. Even though it was my dark side that killed my father, it was my own twisted heart that created that evil. I don't know where your soul is wandering, but you don't have to take my pain any longer. Thankyou…"

Marik disappeared completely from Odion's side, leaving him alone in the room.
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"This duel is getting out of hand. I haven't got a clue who will win this" said Mirassa worriedly.

She looked at Marik, or what was left of him. She could only see a part of him left and it frightened her. She stood there, mentally begging for him to take over his body again. Malik was taunting Yami again and she was sick of it. He was playing with him, trying to prolong his apparent inevitable defeat. Suddenly behind her Tea began to speak. It didn't sound like something she would say, it sounded more like Marik…

"Yami! You have to defeat my dark side at all costs. Do not worry about protecting me"

Joey was confused and tried shaking Tea by the shoulders to snap her out of it.

"Quickly, there is no time. Destroy my dark half and let the shadows take him!"

Malik began to chuckle. "You don't know when to give up do you? Don't worry; you'll soon be out of the way for good"

Marik continued. "I know the truth now! My family and I were charged with protecting the pharaoh's tomb, and I always resented this task"

Joey was practically jumping in front of Tea now. She reached up to his face and with some unknown strength pushed him out the way. She now pointed at Malik directly.

"You were created out of my anger and now you must be destroyed! I will gladly go with you!"

Malik burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. "You spent your whole life despising the pharaoh and now you beg for forgiveness? It's too late for that. You are a mere shadow of your former self and you can never stop me"

It was only then that Joey, along with the rest of the group, realised that Tea was under Marik's control. Ishizu dashed over with lightning speed begging her brother not to surrender his life. Marik shook his head, apologizing.

"I'm sorry sister, there is no other way" he spoke. He looked up at Yami. "If destroying Malik means destroying me, then so be it!"

Malik huffed at this request and looked at the pharaoh licking his lips. "You're wasting your time…"
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Odion's eyes shot open in alarm. He sat up straight in the bed he was laying in and looked at his surroundings. He staggered to his feet and made his way to the window. He looked up at the tower to see a purple fog surround it. He cursed under his breath, disgusted that he had been unconscious for so long. He made his way out of the door and into the hallway.

"I'm coming master Marik…" he said weakly.
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Marik was about to give up all hope. The pharaoh wouldn't attack him! Why? After all he had done, why wouldn't he take the step that assured his victory? Mirassa was silently praying to Ra for a miracle. She hid behind Joey so that Marik couldn't see her crying. Joey was trying to shield her from everyone else's view as well. He promised he wouldn't tell anyone about her feelings for Marik and wanted to make sure that she didn't have to tell either unless she chose to.

Joey hadn't quite believed her when she said that Marik had changed. But then he took control of Tea's body and begged for the pharaoh to destroy him along with Malik. Joey could see that this wasn't the same man that had controlled him before. He was someone that wanted to protect people.

The pharaoh was having a hard time deciding whether or not he should do as Marik requested and finish Malik off, but when he tilted his head and saw Anuket crying behind Joey he had made up his mind. He had a feeling that Mirassa wasn't being completely honest before when she had told them she was just using Marik. This was another reason to save Marik. Together, the reasons for saving him far outweighed the reasons for destroying him.

The sound of the elevator door opening distracted Yami from his thoughts. He looked behind him to see Odion step through and onto the tower. He looked a mess.

"Well well, look who it is!" jeered Malik.

Marik opened his eyes slightly. He was barely hanging onto existence. "Odion…?" he whispered.

Odion stumbled. Joey was about to help him up but Ishizu stopped him. Malik glared at the figure of the man who had sealed him away all those years ago.

"It's useless! The spirit of my other self is like a candle in the wind, without the strength to come out or even to live" said Malik.

Odion shuffled closer "the sad fate of the tombkeepers has caused many tragedies for the Ishtar's. Resentment and hatred have occupied Marik's heart and let evil stay"

Malik flew into a sudden rage. He raised the millennium rod and blasted Odion into the wall. Everyone gasped and almost ran out to help him but knew this was their only chance of saving Marik. Odion slowly pushed himself off of the floor.

"Marik! You are trying to seal yourself in hopeless darkness" continued Odion.

Malik blasted him backwards again. This time Ishizu couldn't stay back. She ran over to help Odion but he raised his hand preventing her from coming any closer. He struggled to his feet once more. He looked directly at Marik.

"Even if you linger in the darkness, you must live. It's not only the tombkeepers fate, but a human's fate"

Marik suddenly disappeared. Mirassa panicked. She took in a sharp breath believing that he had given up. The tears rolled freely down her cheeks and she barely choked back a sob. Suddenly just as Malik was about to blast Odion for the third time, he stopped and grabbed his face, letting the millennium rod fall with a loud clatter to the floor. Mirassa looked up in shock. Malik was clutching his face and screaming out.

"People do not live because they are chasing hope. People have hope because they live!" shouted Odion so he could be heard above Malik's screams of protest. He wasn't about to give up his control over Marik's body.

The two spirits fought against each other. Marik managed to gain enough control to speak through his own mouth.

"Attack me quickly!" he ordered

"Shut up!" shouted Malik

"He's serious" said Yugi to Yami. "I think he has a plan"

Yami could feel Marik's determination to live now whereas he couldn't before. Yami studied the current layout of the duel. A plan formed in his mind and he decided to act upon it. Using the effect of dusk of all cards by removing all the monsters in his hand, deck and graveyard, he could destroy all the monsters on his opponent's field, even if it is a god monster. Yami took this chance and activated the cards effect.

All of his monsters rose onto the field. They circled Malik and Ra, surrounding them so they were blocked off from view. Slifer emerged and began to wrap itself around Ra whilst Obelisk grabbed it around the neck with its powerful fists.

Malik was frantic now. "Let me go!" he shouted.

The monster then lifted ra into the air. Dark magician and dark magician girl crossed their staffs and a symbol appeared in the sky. The monsters carried Ra up into it and destroyed it. The two magicians returned to the field, smoke filled the space making it hard for people to see.

"Has Yami won?" asked Tea.

"Don't think so…" replied Joey unsurely. He had his arm around Mirassa who was trying to see through the smoke.

"Malik still has one life point remaining" said Kaiba.

The smoke cleared to reveal Marik. He was breathing heavily and looked extremely tired. Mirassa smiled and breathed a laugh. Relief flooded though her whole body making her feel weak. She looked to Marik's right to see his darker half where Marik used to be.

Marik caught his breath and reached up to toss his cloak aside. "This duel is not over" he remarked.

Malik's eye hung in the air. "We can still take revenge. If we work together we can win this duel" he cried in a last ditch attempt to save himself from the shadows. Malik cursed himself for prolonging the pharaoh's demise. He should have destroyed him when he had the chance.

"I will bury you with my own hands!" he said. "The crime I have committed will never be cleaned. But I want to live with it and look for hope in the dark. I want to thank you pharaoh for saving me. I hope that this is some reparation for the damage I have caused"

Marik slowly raised his hand over his duel disk. Malik's eye widened considerably as he saw what Marik was about to do.

"This will be my first step towards the future" said Marik as he placed his hand on his deck, surrendering the duel to the pharaoh.

Malik yelled out as his eye disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Marik's life point was reduced to zero and the shadow game faded, the sun once again shining upon the tower. Yugi was freed from the cloudy shackles that held him prisoner.

"Thank you pharaoh!" cried Ishizu almost tearfully. She was so grateful to Yami she could almost kiss him. But that would be most unprofessional of her as a tombkeeper.

Yami looked at Marik and smiled. Roland stepped between the two duelists

"The winner of the battle city tournament is Yugi Motou!"

Yami smiled broadly as his friends all clambered onto the platform to offer their congratulations. He looked at his deck and silently thanked his monsters for helping him through this tough time.

Marik rejoined his sister and brother, giving them a hug. Ishizu turned to him.

"Marik, it's your mission to end the fate of the tombkeepers. The Ishtar's were entrusted with guarding the pharaoh's memory, its time to pass this message along to the pharaoh" she said.

"Will we be able to live normally after this?" asked Marik with a gleam of hope in his eyes.

Ishizu nodded and smiled. "Yes, we three are not only members of the same clan, we're family too"

This statement touched Odion more then anything else could. For as long as he could remember, he had wanted to be part of their family and now they saw him as one.

Kaiba stepped onto the platform interrupting both groups.

"Yugi, you have won the title of Battle city duel king. As the host of this tournament I praise you for this proud honour"

Mokuba stepped up beside his brother to remind everyone of the ante rule. "Don't forget Yugi! You can now take possession of Marik's rarest card"

Marik nodded and walked up to the pharaoh. He flicked through his deck and took out his Egyptian god card.

"Your friends who were lost in the shadow games will wake up soon" he assured them.

Marik handed Ra over to him feeling a strong sense of relief as he took it. He then lowered his hands to his shirt and lifted it over his head. He turned to show Yami the carvings on his back. Whilst Ishizu explained the meaning of this inscription to the pharaoh, Marik had turned his head to the left to look over his shoulder. He glanced around for a glimpse of the one girl he had wanted to see for ages now, but she was nowhere to be seen….
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Mirassa stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the airship. She had removed the millennium necklace and hung it over the rails on the tower so the pharaoh would see it the moment he turned to leave.

She had left everyone to congratulate Yami for his success. She didn't feel like she was a part of that group anymore. Too much had happened between them splitting them apart, and she didn't feel like she was close enough to join the Ishtar's family group either. She felt lonely.

Mirassa stepped onto the airship and entered her room. She closed the door behind her and slumped on the bed. She had never felt so left out before in her life. No one had even looked at her, let alone invite her to join in the celebrations. Not even Marik. She felt herself welling up once again. Mirassa thought that once this was all over she would be happy. Malik was gone and the pharaoh had won. So why did she feel this way?

Mirassa turned onto her side and studied her arm. The bruise was still there but the swelling had gone down some. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying unsuccessfully to make herself fall asleep.
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[Konekodemon]

Chapter 29: Together Again But Far Apart


Odion and Ishizu watched on with knowing smiles as their brother fidgeted anxiously. He was feeling particularly nervous and they both knew the reason behind it. Marik had grown more and more attached to Mirassa these past few days and now that the truth was out and his past was behind him he wanted to make a fresh start. Marik growled with anger as he remembered Kaiba's plans for the island. Apparently the ceo had no further use for this place and planned to blow it sky high. They were given one hour to get moving.

When they had finally reached the ground floor, Marik raced out of the elevator and ran towards the ship. He wanted to speak to Mirassa in privacy, but first he had to find her. If there was one thing he had learned while watching from the sidelines, it was that she never remained in one place for too long. He had no idea where to look first. He decided that he would just explore every room he came to. She had to be in one of them.
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Mirassa stared at nothing in particular as she sat on her bed. She wondered if she should just get up and find Marik. After all, that was the reason why she felt so low. Mirassa had been thinking to herself why she had left without a word. Maybe it was because she was jealous. Marik had chosen to reunite himself with his family before her. She knew it was very selfish of her, but she only wanted a bit of attention from him. Mirassa bowed her head in disgust. She felt terrible for thinking like that; she knew that she'd do the exact same thing if the roles were reversed.

A loud knock on the door broke her train of thoughts. She turned her head to the direction of the sound, staring for a few seconds before looking out the small round window once again. The knock came again, except this time it was louder. Mirassa sighed and slowly got to her feet. She walked across to the door and opened it. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the one person that had been plaguing her thoughts.

Marik looked fondly back at her with a relieved expression and a warm smile.

"Hi…" said Marik.

"Hi..." responded Mirassa quietly, a small smile tugging her lips. "You're back…. Took you long enough"

Marik laughed lightly and a blush crept across his cheeks. "Can I come in?" he asked nervously running his hand through his hair.

Mirassa nodded and stepped aside, motioning for him to take a seat. Marik sat on the edge of the bed and patted the space next to him. She complied and quietly turned to face him, waiting for him to speak. Marik however had other ideas and forcefully, yet gently, pushed her back so he was half lying on top of her. He began kissing her ferociously, running his hands along her hips and thighs. He relished the feel of her soft skin under his wandering hands. Mirassa quickly overcame the initial shock of his actions and responded with a passionate kiss of her own. They didn't need words.

Their tongues hungrily battled for dominance as they continued their long anticipated assault on each other. Mirassa ran her slender fingers though Marik's hair; making him tremble with a passion he never knew he could feel. He reached underneath Mirassa and grabbed her rear, squeezing it slightly. Mirassa had to admit that she had missed this. The last time they had been this close, they had almost consummated their blossoming relationship. The last time she wasn't ready, but now she felt different. In fact, she felt that now was the perfect time to show how much she loved him.

Unfortunately, fate was not on their side. Just as things took an interesting turn, they were interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

"Hey Miri! You in there?" came Joey's voice through the metal that separated the young couple from the prying eyes of the rest of the world.

Mirassa's head shot up, head butting Marik in the process. They grabbed their foreheads painfully as they tried to compose themselves. Marik wasn't at all happy at the interruption, but it reminded him of what Kaiba said earlier. This was no time to satisfy his physical needs, and Mirassa was still injured too.

"Sorry" apologised Mirassa through gritted teeth.

"That's ok" said Marik, checking her over for any damage. "Ra you have a hard head… are you ok?"

"Yeah… but I want to hurt Joey right now" she muttered sulkily getting up to answer the door. Joey bounded into the room and grabbed her shoulders.

"Hey girl! Where've ya been? We've been lookin for y… oh…"

Joey paused mid sentence when he saw a rather breathless Marik Ishtar sitting on the bed. His face was just loosing its red tinge from their earlier activities and he sat upright trying to act nonchalant, but Joey could practically feel the sparks between them. Once again he felt his disappointment drop another notch, but he didn't want to lose Mirassa's friendship by beating the living hell out of this guy so he pretended that he didn't notice.

"There's a problem with the ship…" announced Joey. "Its turning out ta be more complicated then we thought… they're not sure if they'll be able ta fix it…"

"Ok, that just means we have to stay here until it's fixed or they send a replacement to pick us up" said Mirassa shrugging, completely missing the grave tone of voice Joey used.

"d**n that Kaiba!" shouted Marik, catching Mirassa off guard.

He walked over to her and wrapped his arms protectively around her shoulders. She was confused.

"Why? What does Kaiba have to do with this?" she asked, looking at both men.

"That idiot Kaiba has activated a self destruct mechanism on this island! The place is gonna blow in…" Marik looked at the clock "half an hour"

"What! Who's bright idea was that! Actually forget that, you just told me. So how are we gonna get away from here if the ships not working?"

"I dunno" relied Joey "but I think we'd better join up with the rest of the gang"
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Seto and Mokuba hadn't been seen since the duel ended. Now there was a frantic search underway. Everyone was trying to find them to stop the timer, but to no avail. Time was rapidly running out. Mirassa stood with Marik and his family in the doorway of the airship. There was very little time left and the engine was still broken. Marik cuddled Mirassa in an attempt to keep her calm who, despite the situation, was surprisingly composed and upbeat.

They stood waiting for the return of the pharaoh and his friends. They arrived soon after, without Kaiba and his brother.

"This is hopeless!" cried Tristan. "We're a goner!"

"Pull yourself together man!" said Tea in disgust. She hated men who were afraid of something as trivial as imminent death.

As Tristan whined and blubbered making a fool of himself, Joey looked to the side of the airship. He sweat dropped as he realised there was a way off this godforsaken island after all.

"Hey guys! We're saved!" he called as he pointed to the chopper that was hidden behind a pile of rubble. "The ambulance guys chopper is still here!"

Tristan tried to save his dignity as he ran towards it, pulling Serenity with him. The rest of the gang followed suit. As they jumped on board the pilot started the engine up. Mirassa's skirt did a 'Marilyn Monroe' and she swore under her breath. She looked around hoping that no one saw that. A certain sandy blonde male did and smirked at her. She blushed with embarrassment and jumped onboard. She settled down in a corner and was promptly joined by Marik.

He linked hands with her and leaned close to whisper into her ear. "Don't worry, you have nice panties"

She smacked his arm playfully, her face still burning with embarrassment.

"Any sign of Kaiba?" asked Yami.

"No, but we have to leave now or we'll get blown sky high" replied Roland.

"Then lets go!" said Mai. "That Kaiba guy probably has some daring way to escape all planned. I very much doubt he wants to go down with this place. Especially when Mokuba's with him"

"You're right. There's no point in all of us dying" said Yami. "Let's go now!"

The helicopter took of and sped away from the island. Mirassa looked out of the window to see the tower beginning to crumble as the explosions went off in various parts of the island. She hoped that Kaiba and Mokuba had made it out alive. She liked that kid. He was nothing like his brother. Joey gawked in amazement as he looked out the cockpit window. The silhouette of a dragon began to emerge from the smoke. Upon closer inspection Mirassa saw it was an airship shaped like the blue eyes white dragon!

Joey ranted furiously into the radio, calling Kaiba every name under the sun for his disappearing act and how it was his fault they almost died. Marik and Mirassa sat on the floor, their backs to the wall holding hands. Ishizu and Odion came over and joined them.

"Master Marik, am I to assume that you two are an item?" asked Odion smiling at the young couple.

"Odion, first of all, I don't want you to call me master Marik any more. Just Marik will be fine and second of all, yes we are" replied the reformed rarehunter.

"Odion, I never got the chance to apologize to you for... you know…" Mirassa started, struggling for the right words.

"Don't worry about it. Its all in the past now" he said reassuringly.

Marik was intrigued and looked at the two of them. "What did you do?"

"When I escaped from the boat, Odion bumped into me in the hallway, and I kind of blasted him around a bit…" she bit her lip, feeling guilty for hurting him.

Marik simply raised an eyebrow and nodded wondering what he had gotten himself into.

"What are you two going to do when we get back?" asked Ishizu suddenly.

Mirassa looked at Marik. She had brought up and interesting point. "Are you heading back to Egypt after this?" she enquired, fearing the answer he might give.

Marik's smile faltered. "I have a few things I need to sort out back home… yes. Why don't you come with us?" his eyes held a glimmer of hope.

Mirassa shook her head frantically. "I can't return to Egypt. Not right now at least. My father might have people looking out for me. I left without even saying goodbye. He'd kill me…"

Marik cuddled her in understanding and kissed her forehead. "Well I guess that means we'll have to go our separate ways for now…"

Mirassa nodded and leaned into his embrace as the chopper headed towards Domino. These were their last moments together until he returned. She had no idea how long it would take for Marik to finish his business in Egypt, but anytime was too long in her opinion.
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It was sunset when they had finally landed. Ishizu and Odion had already said their goodbyes and now waited for Marik to finish his. He stood with Mirassa away from the group to give them some privacy.

"Ok, I have your phone number, your email, your home address" said Marik flicking through all the notes of paper Mirassa handed to him.

"And I have yours" she smiled, stuffing the scruffily folded bits of paper into her pocket. "Call me as soon as you get back Marik, okay?"

"I promise. But if it's really late and I wake you up, don't blame me. You were the one who told me to, alright?"

Mirassa smiled. "I don't care if you wake me up. I won't be able to sleep until I get that call anyway"

Marik looked around to see his family along with the pharaoh and his friends smirking at them. He took Mirassa's hand and led her around the corner of one of the buildings. He ignored the wolf whistles and cheers from Tristan and Duke.

When they were out of sight he pulled Mirassa in for a tender kiss. He held her close for what seemed like an eternity. He wanted to make this kiss last for as long as he could. Who knows when he would be able to be with her like this again. Marik breathed in her heavenly scent and savoured the taste of her lips upon his. He wanted as many pleasant memories as he could get so that when he returned, their reunion would be all the sweeter.

They finally pulled apart and stared into each others eyes. Mirassa's eyes began to water. Marik raised a hand to wipe her tears away.

"I'll be back before you know it" he smiled cupping her face in his hands. "You won't be able to get rid of me"

"I feel like a little baby" she sniffed. "Everything seems to set me off recently…"

"It's okay to cry sweetheart. It'll make you feel better" said Marik, pulling Mirassa in for another hug.

He looked up as he heard his sister calling to him. It was time for him to leave.

"I have to go now…" said Marik quietly. "I meant what I said you know. I love you Mirassa…"

Mirassa smiled at him. "I love you too Marik"

He smiled and gave her one last kiss before guiding her back out onto the pier where the boat was waiting for him. He hesitantly let go of her hand and gave her one last loving glance as he boarded the ship. Mirassa waved as it set off into the sunset. She did her very best to hold back the tears. She would see him again very soon.
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[Konekodemon]

Chapter 30: Long Distance Relationship


"Miss Benu! Are you listening!" Shouted Mr Makavoy.

Mirassa who had been staring out of the window, snapped back to reality when she heard her teachers raised voice.

"Errr… yes sir" she lied.

"Oh Really? Then tell me what I was saying just now" he folded his arms trying to suppress a smug look. He liked to catch his students off guard.

"Ummm…." She knew he'd got her.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't keep you in detention and I 'might' let you off…" he challenged.

"Because… I won't do it again…?" she said, with a sheepish grin.

"Not good enough I'm afraid. I'll see you after school Miss Benu" he said turning back to the board.

Mirassa closed her eyes and slumped onto her desk. Another fun filled evening of detention. How joyous. This was the third time this month! She noticed her friends sending her a sympathetic look before going back to the work given to them. They didn't want to be punished as well. This new teacher was a strict bastard. Mirassa growled inwardly. All this because she couldn't stop thinking about 'him'
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"Where have you been young lady?" interrogated Maka as soon as the school girl walked through the door.

Mirassa dumped her bag on the kitchen floor and dragged her feet towards the lounge. She slumped on one of the plush chairs and squirmed about for a few seconds making herself comfortable. Maka walked out of the kitchen to see Mirassa sprawled in a most unladylike manner. She raised an eyebrow and coughed disapprovingly making Mirassa bring her legs together.

"I had detention again" she grumbled.

Maka shook her head and put her hands on her hips.

"What happened this time?" she asked with a sigh.

"I was staring out of the window and I stopped listening for just a second! Then the teacher gave me detention after making me look like an idiot in front of the class! It was really unfair!"

"Why were you looking out of the window when you should have been working?" Maka continued.

"I dunno…work was too hard…" Mirassa replied with a shrug.

"Well maybe you should actually study and do your homework and then it wouldn't be. It was your idea to go to school in the first place missy. You can't expect everything to be easy and go your way. Life is full of hardships and the sooner you learn that the better"

"I don't want to go to school anymore. It sucks!" complained Mirassa, covering her face with a pillow.

Maka raised a confused eyebrow. "Sucks?"

"Yeah, apparently that means bad. That's how people around here talk. I didn't have a clue at first until Tea explained it to me" said Mirassa. She liked it when she knew something Maka didn't, no matter how stupid the topic. It was one of the many simple joys in her life.

"Yes well, anyway. Just make sure that you pay attention in the future. We may have enough money so that we wont ever have to do a days work in our lives again, but school is one thing that will make you like everyone else. Remember all those months ago when we first moved here? To begin a new life. That was what you wanted wasn't it? We didn't run away, risking your father's bad temper for nothing you know. Id like to see you make something of your life"

"Alright…" grumbled Mirassa. "I'll keep going to school, but I'm not going to like it…"

"Good girl" grinned Maka. "Now why don't you go upstairs and do your homework?"

"Because im hungry" she replied, trying to stall from doing the dreaded homework set to her by the evil demon she called Mr Makavoy.

"Ok then. Once you've eaten, 'then' you can go upstairs and do your homework. Agreed?" said Maka in a tone that would accept only one answer.

"I suppose so" said Mirassa following Maka towards the kitchen to feed her growling stomach.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mirassa sat on her bed with paper upon paper spread across the mattress and dumped on the floor. She was about to throw it all into the bin and curse her teacher to hell, when her phone began to ring. She grabbed it and pressed the key to answer without checking to see who it was.

"What!" she yelled in exasperation.

"Whoa! Maybe I should call later. You sound a little… preoccupied" said a male voice on the other line.

Mirassa's temper vanished and her frown turned into a cheerful grin.

"Marik!" she cried excitedly

"The one and only" he grinned, although she couldn't see it.

"It's about time you called! We haven't spoken in days! Are you coming back soon?" she bounced on her bed in a crossed legged sitting position.

"You ask me that every single time…" he said wearily.

"Is that a no then?" Mirassa's excitement disappeared and she stopped bouncing.

"Sorry Miri, I've been really busy tracking down my men. Some of these rarehunters just don't know when its time to quit. I found a few of them trying to regroup but they're not doing so well on their own. It's a wonder I hired them in the first place! They're so unbelievingly incompetent it astounds me!" he chuckled.

"How many more are there left to track down?" asked Mirassa crossing her fingers.

"I don't know. I think around a hundred or so. The Rarehunters were a 'big' organisation" replied Marik thoughtfully.

"Oh…" said Mirassa disappointedly.

"I'm sorry" apologized Marik hearing the gloomy tone in her voice. "I really just want to be with you, but I have to put a stop to the rarehunters. I founded it, so it's only right that I finish it. I have some good news though!"

"You're going to leave it to someone else to find them?" she guessed half-heartedly.

"Not quite sweetheart" he laughed. "We have a hint that could lead us to their new hideout. If all goes well then I'll be able to come back within a few weeks"

"Oh is that all…" she replied dryly.

Marik noticed Mirassa's obvious lack of enthusiasm. Ever since battle city had ended three months ago they had kept in touch with each other as promised. Only in these past few weeks had he noticed a change in her demeanour. Mirassa was beginning to find this long distance relationship arrangement hard. Marik was too, but he was able to hide his emotions from her.

"Anu, these next few weeks will fly by, I promise. Just be patient a little while longer. I have something that will cheer you up…" he trailed off.

"What is it?" asked Mirassa in curiosity almost forgetting her disappointment.

"A present" Marik simply stated, smirking to himself.

"What present? What is it?" she pressed.

"You're going to have to wait and see sweetheart" he teased. "It'll be something for you to look forward to"

Mirassa smiled. "I guess I can wait then"

"Good" said Marik. Silence fell between the couple. Marik was the first to break it.

"So what are you wearing right now?" he grinned.

Mirassa's face darkened to an incredible shade of scarlet.

"Clothes" she replied. "What else would I be wearing? You don't expect me to walk around naked do you?"

Marik didn't answer right away "….well…."

"I don't even want you to answer that!" continued Mirassa as if reading his mind. "Men!" she rolled her eyes. "You all have such a one tracked mind"

"So come on sweetheart. Tell me, what are you wearing?" asked Marik once more.

"My school uniform if you must know. I can't be bothered to change. In fact I'll probably fall asleep in it"

"I don't know why you complain about it so much" said Marik. "From what you've told me, it sounds cute"

"Yeah. It is cute. So cute, that men, young and old, keep staring at my legs! I swear it must have been a disgusting, perverted old man that designed this outfit. The skirt is so short! If I bend over even just a little bit, I risk loosing my dignity!"

Mirassa continued ranting about how unethical the uniform was and it made Marik smile. He pictured Mirassa bending over and getting a good view up her skirt. Just like he did at the end of battle city when the chopper blew her skirt right up. He would never forget that moment. In fact, it was the very thing that fuelled his imagination right now. Marik was vaguely aware of his name being called.

"Marik? Are you still there?"

"Yes. Sorry, I was miles away" he said quickly, shaking away filthy images of his girlfriend from his mind.

"Don't say that" Mirassa groaned. "You 'are' miles away quite literally. As if I needed reminding…"

"Sorry, I forgot. Oh yeah! By the way. Ishizu has started to make preparations for when we come back. She's going to be the curator at the Egyptian exhibit" Said Marik enthusiastically.

"Really? That's great. And what are you going to do?" asked Mirassa.

"I'm not sure. I think I'll help her out until I find something a bit more permanent" he replied thoughtfully.

Mirassa jumped a little when her bedroom door opened suddenly. She saw Maka standing there with a basket of laundry. She gave Mirassa a 'hang up and do your homework now' kind of look. She walked in and began to unload the clothes into little piles for Mirassa to put away.

"I'm sorry Marik. I have to go now. I have a lot of homework to do" she said reluctantly.

"Oh… then I'll let you get on with it then. I'll talk to you again soon" said Marik. He was sad that their conversation had been cut short.

"Will you call again tomorrow?" she asked

"I'll try" replied Marik.

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Maka was still there looking at Mirassa.

"What?" she asked defensively.

"Nothing" replied Maka innocently. "I just find it strange how things have turned out. You used to hate Marik, but now here you are seeing each other. I have only met him once and he was incredibly rude. Barging in here like he owned the place…"

"He's not like that anymore Maka. When he gets back in a few weeks you'll see. He's really sweet now" she couldn't stop herself from smiling. Maka raised an eyebrow.

"I hope his manners are better then they were last time" the old woman said.

"Don't worry. He'll be on his best behaviour" Mirassa promised.

"Good, because if he upsets you like he did nine years ago, I will throw him out with my own two hands, and don't think I won't be able to do it"

"Maka! Things will be fine!" laughed Mirassa.

"For his sake, they'd better be!" she warned.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------in Egypt

As Marik hung up the phone his big sister walked in. She carried with her a large suitcase and began packing the things on her brother's bed. He was useless when his mind was on other things.

"I assume that you told Mirassa we're coming back?" she asked with a smile.

"You assume wrong sister, I told her we were going to be a few more weeks" he replied grinning widely.

"What?" Ishizu stood up straight. "Why did you say that? All the rarehunters have been caught now!"

"I thought I'd surprise her…" he answered. "I can't wait to see the look on her face"

Marik drifted off into a world of his own. Ishizu smirked at her brother's plan. He was trying to be romantic. It was strange. She had always seen him as her baby brother, but here he was all grown up with a new girlfriend and they were all about to begin a new life together. Ever since battle city had ended, Ishizu had grown even closer to Marik and Odion then she had been before. She never realised how much she had missed them until recently.

Ishizu returned to packing Marik's clothes as she was very particular about this sort of thing. She didn't trust that Marik could do it without creasing every shirt and trouser there. She was in charge of the clothes which was fine with the boys, on the condition that they pack the furniture.

Marik walked out of his room and saw Odion writing labels on various boxes. Odion looked up to see his little brother coming towards him.

"Did Mirassa believe you?" he asked in his deep rough voice.

"She did" said Marik triumphantly. He had told Odion about his plan beforehand.

"And her reaction?" he continued.

"She wasn't very happy" said Marik.

"Good" smiled Odion. "That means she will either welcome you with open arms, or kill you for lying to her like that"

"I think I'd rather she welcome me with open arms" said Marik bending down to help Odion with the labelling.

"I think that you'll have one happy little lady on your hands when she sees you" smiled Odion. Then he remembered something. "Do you have her gift?"

"Its safe" replied Marik, patting the little piece of paper in his pocket. "This will mean the world to Mirassa. I can't wait to give it to her. How do you think she'll react?"

"Do you really need me to tell you that?" smirked Odion.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 31: Surprise Return


Mirassa ate her breakfast in silence as she drifted in and out of her own little dream world. She wasn't looking forward to school today. She knew that she was going to end up in trouble again. She wasn't feeling very hungry either so she decided to skip breakfast and walk to school on her own.

She tidied up and reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She sent a text message to Tea telling her that she would be leaving early and that she would see her at school. After which Mirassa grabbed her bag and headed out.

It was getting much warmer now. Summer was well on its way and flowers were blooming everywhere. The sky was clear blue and there wasn't a cloud to be seen anywhere. The suns warmth reminded Mirassa of home. She missed Egypt very much.

She slowly made her way through the town until she reached school. She went inside the double doors and put her things inside her locker. She checked her timetable to see what she had first.

"Urgh! Math…" she groaned.

Mirassa walked along until she came to the classroom. She poked her head around the door to see if there was anyone in yet. She heard tapping in the corner. Kaiba was there working on his laptop as he always did. She slid into the room silently and sat herself down in her seat by the window. She took out her books and began to revise the work from the last lesson.

Soon after, students began to pile into the classroom. Tea dumped her bag under the desk next to Mirassa who was far away in dreamland.

"Wakey wakey! The lesson is about to start. You don't want detention again do you?" said Tea.

"Oh Ra no. he made me clean the place up all by myself. Then he walked in later with dirty shoes and I had to do the floor again!"

"I hate him" muttered Tea.

"I hate him more. I swear he must be picking on me"

"Maybe he has a crush on you" said Tea with a concealed grin.

"Argghhh no! That's disgusting. Tea you are sick! You are a sick sick girl! You are a horrible, disgusting, nasty…!"

"I was joking!" laughed Tea. "But it was worth it to see the look on your face"

"You do realise that I will need some serious therapy after that. Look at my eye twitching!" Mirassa began to blink one of her eyes rapidly to prove her point.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------lunch time

Because it was such a beautiful day, everyone decided to eat outside. Joey and Tristan were currently inside queuing up at the cafeteria to stock up on treats to eat in class. Yugi was laying down under a tree resting his eyes. Tea and Mirassa sat a little way from him playing duel monsters. Neither of them was an expert at it so they were evenly matched. However, because Tea had watched many more games being played then Mirassa, she had the advantage.

"Kiss your life point goodbye Benu" smirked Tea as she declared an attack on Mirassa's monster.

"d**n… I should have seen that coming" she muttered. "Why is it that I never win?" she asked no one in particular.

"Maybe it's because you're too impatient. You attack before you think of a strategy" laughed Yugi. One of his eyes was half open.

"Just go back to sleep Mr Motou" ordered Mirassa.

"Ok then" said Yugi closing his eye once more.

Mirassa grinned at Tea and motioned for her to take a walk. When they were far enough away for anyone to hear them Mirassa turned Tea around and asked her right out.

"Are you going to ask Yugi out or what?"

"Excuse me!" exclaimed Tea.

"Do you want me to do it for you?" pressed Mirassa.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Tea replied, her face turning scarlet.

"Oh come on! You have a crush on Yugi. It is so obvious. I can tell you now that nothing will happen unless you do something about it. Ask yourself this, do you want something to happen?"

"No I do not. He's my friend and even if I did like him, he probably wouldn't like me…"

"We could always find out…" said Mirassa slyly. "Come on Tea. You know about Marik don't you? I told you all about him. You could at least tell me secret stuff about yourself. Pleeeeeaaase?"

Tea was a few shades brighter than scarlet now. "Alright" she whispered. "I do like Yugi but I don't want him to find out. Promise me you won't tell anyone ok? Especially Yugi"

Mirassa nodded her head, grinning in triumph. "I promise"

"And I don't want to talk about it any more ok?"

"If that's what you want" said Mirassa. "Well at least I got her to admit it. That's a start"

"Good. Now seeing as you don't mind sharing, what's going on with you and Marik?" asked Tea in curiosity.

"Oh… well he called me last night. He says he's going to be a few more weeks" said Mirassa sadly.

"I don't know why you put up with him Miri. If he really loved you then he would have stayed here" fumed Tea slightly.

"He has his reasons Tea" defended Mirassa. "He wants to find the remaining rarehunters and put them behind bars"

"Yeah, but still…"

Joey and Tristan arrived soon after, their hands full of snacks. They dumped them on the grass and called the girls over.

"You want anythin Miri?" asked Joey. Even after all this time he was still smitten with her.

"No thank you Joey. I've been putting on weight recently" she said.

Tea snorted. "Yeah right!"

"So you doin anything later" he asked between mouthfuls. "I thought maybe we could all go to the movies"

"Yeah, sounds like fun" said Tristan. "We can watch a scary movie this time!"

Mirassa grimaced. She didn't like scary films that much. She saw jeepers creepers once because the title made it sound like a comedy horror. She was dead wrong. She kept imagining a creature waiting for her in the dark coming to eat her liver or something. She shook her head to get rid of those memories.

"Can we see something else? Something that won't keep me up at night?" she asked.

"Anythin you want" said Joey. "So long as it aint a chick flick"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Five seconds to go…" thought Mirassa as she stared at the clock on the wall.

The bell rang and everyone got to their feet. Mirassa stuffed her belongings in her bag and ran outside to meet her friends. They decided to go and see a comedy. That way everyone would enjoy themselves. Mirassa bumped into Bakura in the hallway.

"Hi Bakura" she greeted. "Are you going to come with us to see a movie?"

"I don't see why not. I've been working too hard recently. I'll come" he replied in his cheerful tone.

"Good. Come on, everyone should be waiting outside for us" said Mirassa.

She grabbed Bakura by his wrist and pulled him along through the double doors. She squinted because of the sun in her eyes. They said that they would meet at the big tree outside. They weren't there yet. Mirassa pulled Bakura along to the meeting point where they watched students pouring out in large numbers. They stood talking for about five minutes until their friends made an appearance.

"Sorry we're late" apologized Tristan. "Monkey boy here got into a fight with Kaiba and got held back. It's a miracle he didn't get detention"

"The only reason he didn't get detention is because Kaiba said nothing happened" said Tea. "Kaiba would have been in trouble too otherwise"

Joey fumed. "Are you sayin I should be thankful ta Kaiba! It was his fault!"

"No Joey. It wasn't your fault. It was Kaiba's fault as it always is. You're right, he's wrong. He was the one who threw the first punch, not you" groaned Yugi sarcastically. Those two had been arguing more and more recently. It was getting tiresome.

"Glad you agree!" said Joey cheerfully missing the sarcastic tone in Yugi's voice. He gave his friend a hard pat on the back, sending him to the ground.

Yugi groaned in pain as he rubbed his sore rear. Tristan lifted him up off the ground and onto his feet. "Thanks Tristan" said Yugi.

"No problem pal" he replied glaring at the retreating form of Joey in the distance.

Everyone broke into a fast jog to catch up with the blonde. Mirassa's bag was so heavy with books and various other objects that it kept banging against her back. She winced as the corner of one book in particular poked into her ribs. She had to stop running for a second to rearrange the straps so it fit more comfortably around her shoulder. Mirassa knelt down at the side of the pavement. She squinted at her friends in the distance.

"They didn't even wait for me. Nice!" she thought to herself.

Mirassa squealed and jumped with fright as she felt two hands close over her eyes. She grabbed them and tried to prise them away from her. She froze as she felt the person behind her breath on her neck. It was definitely a man. She was about to scream for help when a familiar voice stopped her.

"You know, you look even more beautiful each time I see you"

Mirassa took in a sharp breath and twisted around to face the man behind her.

"Marik?" she asked, not quite believing what she was seeing.

"Miss me?" he asked while planting kisses on her eyelids.

Mirassa threw her arms around Marik's torso and buried her face in his chest. He closed his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. He had waited for over three months to be with her like this and it was finally happening. He bent down to inhale her scent that he loved so much when suddenly out of the blue she slapped him across the cheek. He blinked at her in shock.

"That is for lying to me!" said Mirassa pointing her finger at him. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a deep kiss. "And that is for coming back" she finished running her fingers through his hair, smiling gently.

"I'm sorry for that" apologized Marik resting his hands on her waist. "I thought that I'd surprise you"

"Well you succeeded. Well done" she replied.

"What's my prize?" asked Marik flirtatiously.

"Hmmmmm…let me see. What can I give you…?" said Mirassa pulling him down for another sweet kiss.

They were interrupted by Yugi and co running up to them. They had realised after a few minutes that someone was missing and had to backtrack to pick her up. They were met with a shock as they turned the corner to see the young couple sharing a loving kiss together.

"Oops! Sorry! Didn't realise you two were busy. We'll just leave you to it" said Tristan averting his eyes a little.

"Hey sorry for leaving you behind Miri" said Joey running up behind before eyeing Marik with a slight glare. 'Oh great! He's back' thought Joey numbly. He nodded at Marik in greeting. He should at least be polite to him.

Yugi followed soon after. "Hey Marik! How've ya been?" he smiled.

"I'm fine. We finally caught all of the stray rarehunters. You won't have to worry about them any more. They're finished. How are you all?" said Marik.

"Cant complain" said Tea. "But what happened? Miri said that you weren't coming back for at least another three weeks"

Marik smirked. "I lied to her"

Everyone laughed except for Joey. He had to plaster a fake grin over his face.

"So I guess you won't be joining us at the movies" said Yugi knowingly.

Mirassa shook her head with a smile. "Not today. Marik and I have some catching up to do" she said grasping her boyfriends arm and pulling him away. "I'll see you all tomorrow?"

"Kay! Bye Miri" they all said together.

"Have fun you two" said Tea suggestively before breaking out into a fit of giggles and running off with the boys into town.

Marik looked down at Mirassa with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sure we will"

Mirassa began to pull him down the street. "Come on. I want you to come to my house and meet Maka. From what I heard you didn't exactly leave a good first impression"

Marik put his hand behind his head guiltily. "I think I had better apologize to her for that" he said thinking back to when he intruded their home.

Mirassa smiled warmly and fiddled with one of Marik's earrings. "Don't worry. I'm sure she'll forgive you once she sees how much you've changed"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Anuket's house.

They pulled up to their destination fifteen minutes later on Marik's bike. Mirassa was kind of sorry it was over. The bike ride gave her the chance to feel Marik's abs. Something she hadn't dared do last time she rode with him.

He parked it just outside the garage and pulled the keys out of the ignition locking it as he did. Marik stuffed the keys inside his pocket and allowed Mirassa to lead him through the side entrance to the house. He was feeling a little nervous. He had been here before but his was different. This time he was her boyfriend and was about to meet a member of Mirassa's family. Well Sort of. She was only posing as Mirassa's grandmother he had learned on the way over.

Marik wondered what kind of welcome he would receive from Maka. He didn't like to bet on it but he knew it wasn't going to be a very warm one.

"I'm home!" called Mirassa into and empty kitchen.

A few seconds later Maka was heard shuffling her way towards them through the doorway. "I thoughts you were supposed to be down town with you frie…" she stopped in her tracks when she saw the man standing next to Mirassa.

"Marik's back early" she said excitedly. "I brought him around so that you two could make a fresh start and possibly forget what happened in the past… please?"

Maka frowned slightly. A fresh start? Was that girl serious? Maka wanted nothing more then to beat Marik senseless for the way he treated her, but despite her current feeling towards him, Mirassa was still unknowingly the one in charge. She was the daughter of her former master and essentially this was her house. She just wanted to see Mirassa happy and she was. Maka couldn't remember ever seeing her as cheerful as this before.

"I would be lying if I said it was nice to meet you Mr Ishtar. I honestly can't understand what Mirassa sees in you" said Maka.

"You're not the only one…" replied Marik quietly.

"Mirassa insists that you have changed. I find that hard to believe right now but that doesn't mean I won't give you the benefit of the doubt"

Marik simply stared back at Maka. He decided to just let her get everything off her chest so they could move on from this awkward conversation.

"I want you to swear to me that you will never do anything to hurt her" Maka stared right into Marik's violet orbs.

Marik looked away from Maka's stare and down at the girl whose fingers were still intertwined with his own. He smiled fondly at her beautiful emerald eyes before facing Maka again.

"I swear on my life that I will never hurt her. I also swear on my family's honour. I will love and protect her until the day I die" said Marik sincerely.

Maka searched his face, trying to find any sign that he didn't mean it. There was none. She turned to face Mirassa with a sigh. "I just want to see you happy, and if this boy is what makes you feel that way then I don't mind"

Mirassa jumped towards Maka and hugged her. "Thank you for making an effort. I really appreciate it" she whispered in her ear.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------later on

The three Egyptians had been talking for hours in the living room. Maka had insisted that she learn more about Marik and hear his side of the story. She was actually very impressed that he didn't try and defend himself for how he treated Mirassa nine years ago. Instead he showed signs of remorse for his treatment of her. She was beginning to change her mind about this young man. Maybe he was a different person after all.

Marik and Mirassa sat in one of the chairs together, all cuddled up and comfortable. Marik had his arms wrapped protectively around her all the time they talked. The conversation began to shift from their childhood to their future, much to Marik's delight. He was finally beginning to feel accepted. He knew there needed to be some work done on his part, but if it meant making Mirassa happy it would all be worth it in the end.

Mirassa grinned happily as she listened to Marik and Maka converse in informal discussion. She was certain that soon Maka would understand why she loved him so much. He was funny when he wanted to be, protective, and wise on the rare occasion. It was getting late now.

"Marik? It's late now. Do you have anywhere to stay?" asked Mirassa.

"Yes. It's on the other side of town. I have a nice flat near the museum. Ishizu said that it would do me some good if I got my own place. It's a bit of a mess right now though. I decided to come and see you before I started unpacking. There are a few chunks of wood in there that is 'supposed' to be a bed" said Marik thoughtfully.

"Well you can't put it together now" said Mirassa. "It'll be morning by the time you finish. You will stay here tonight" she ordered.

Marik looked a little put out by her assumption that he would take forever assembling the furniture.

"And where is he supposed to stay?" asked Maka. "We don't have a spare bedroom" she reminded.

"He can share my room" she said.

Maka nearly choked on her tea and Marik was mentally screaming in joy. He did an exceptional job in keeping his face neutral though. When Maka recovered she turned to face the two teens.

"I don't think so young lady! I don't trust either of you. Marik, you can sleep down here on the sofa so I know where you are"

"Thank you Maka" he said gratefully. At least he didn't have to sit up all night piecing together a bed that probably had foreign instructions and more then likely was missing a few important components anyway.

"The sofa isn't comfortable enough to sleep on" muttered Mirassa.

"Well we'll make it comfortable then. You are not sharing a room with each other you hear me?"

Maka's tone of voice was final. Mirassa stood up from Marik's lap and headed upstairs to get some blankets for him. Maka followed. Mirassa came down a few minutes later and placed them on his bed for the night. Marik came over and tested it out.

"Is it alright?" asked Mirassa. "Do you want some more blankets?"

"No thank you. This is actually very comfortable" he said removing his shirt and placing it on the back of the sofa.

He turned his back away from Mirassa slightly, inadvertently showing her a glimpse of his tattoo. She gasped in shock.

"I didn't know that the pharaoh's memory covered your whole back… I thought it was just a small one… its no wonder you acted the way you did…"

Marik turned around again to face her. "That is no excuse for the way I treated you. I would have it done again if it were possible to show you how sorry I am for putting you through that"

"It doesn't matter" said Mirassa softly touching his face. "I wouldn't ever want you to go through that again. I know it's not on the same scale as yours, but my father did the same to me when I was eight. I know how it feels…"

Marik looked stunned. "You had to go through that pain too?"

Mirassa nodded. She turned her back to him and lifted her shirt slightly so Marik could see her mark. He simply stared at the pattern on Mirassa's hip. It was his family's crest combined with her own. The phoenix and the ankh. He reached out to touch the branded skin.

"I had no idea…" he whispered.

She pulled her shirt down again and turned to face Marik. "I told you not to worry about it. Get some sleep okay? I'll see you in the morning"

She leant over to Marik and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Ahem!" coughed Maka in the doorway. She raised a disapproving eyebrow.

"Goodnight Marik" waved Mirassa, smiling at him.

"Goodnight" he replied before settling down to a peaceful slumber.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 32: Midnight activities and Housewarming


Marik had been awake for some time now. He lay on his back with his arms crossed behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't stop thinking about his beautiful new girlfriend who was so close, but he was unable to touch. At least until the morning came. Marik turned his head to look at the clock on the wall. It was only two in the morning, there was ages to go. He knew that he wasn't going to get to sleep any time soon so he decided to go and get a glass of water.

He pulled the sheets aside and slowly made his way into the kitchen. He looked at all the cupboards and drawers and groaned mentally.

"Where are all the glasses?"

Marik began to open various cupboards and drawers until five minutes later he found them. Typically, they were in the last one. He turned on the tap and filled the glass up. He stood by the kitchen window and stared out as he drank the water. It was pitch black outside and he could hear dogs barking and cats scrapping with each other. Out of sheer boredom and the desire for morning to come, Marik decided to have a look around the place and find something to do.

He walked into the living room and turned the light on. It was one of those lights where you could choose the brightness of it. He turned it up just enough so that he could see without falling over. Marik began scouting the place for something to keep him occupied. Unfortunately for him there was nothing. Nothing in this room at least. There were plenty of books on the shelf aimed at women. He frowned at some of the titles and stared in horror at others. He picked one book up and read the title. After which he promptly put it back down again.

'I don't think I need to know about menstruation' he thought to himself before turning away from the shelf.

In the end, he decided to go through his deck and make changes to it. After all, he couldn't rely on the winged dragon of Ra to defeat his opponents now. He had to come up with a new strategy. He came second in battle city and even though it didn't matter to him that much, he would at least like to be able to live up to that title should he need to. Marik smirked to himself. He had come one place higher then Kaiba and knowing how proud and competitive the ceo was, that would probably haunt him for years to come.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------upstairs

Mirassa tossed her walkman back into her desk drawer. She was having the hardest time sleeping. This was the first time in months that she had been able to see Marik in person, but here they were in separate rooms, unable to talk and simply enjoy each others company. Mirassa growled in frustration at Maka's bossy behaviour. She didn't like to be told what to do, but she did so out of respect for the older woman. She cringed at the memory of Maka's little speech after she had left Marik to sleep a few hours earlier.
Flashback

"Maka what did you do that for? We weren't doing anything!" defended Mirassa in her room after she and Marik had been caught lip wrestling.

"Of course you weren't. And I'm Cleopatra" said Maka sarcastically.

"We weren't" said Mirassa again.

"Look Miri, You're young and naive. That little kiss you two had could easily have turned into something more"

"It wouldn't have and im not naïve thank you very much!"

"Are you sure? You are still a teenager and your hormones are all over the place right now. Marik is a man and they have little to no control over things like sex. Even if you didn't make the first move, he would have and I don't think you would have stopped him. Do you honestly think that Marik isn't after your body? After all, that is the basis of your relationship"

Mirassa blushed. "You have so little faith in him Maka. Marik would never do anything like that knowing you were here to kill him if he did"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. Men like him would risk anything to get into your pants"

"Well nothing is going to happen! Especially with you breathing down our necks every five minutes, and what do you mean men like him?" asked Mirassa crossly.

"I'll pretend that you didn't speak to me like that missy" said Maka in a stern tone.

Mirassa pursed her lips fighting back a comeback.

"Look, I just don't want to see you make a mistake. Get to know each other a little better before you rush into anything, that's all I'm asking of you"

End Flashback

Mirassa sat on her bed debating on what she should do for the rest of the night. Sleep was out of the question, especially when she knew who was downstairs. Feeling rebellious, she stood up and made her way to the door, opening it with no sound at all. She walked on her tiptoes carefully and quietly to make sure she didn't wake Maka. She manovered across the hallway avoiding all the squeaky floorboards and felt like doing a little dance when she had got to the staircase. Mirassa silently made her way down to the bottom both amazed and impressed at how quiet she had been.

She tiptoed over to the open door and peered through it. She smiled when she saw Marik wide awake on the couch. His back was facing her. He hadn't seen her yet so she decided to make herself known.

"Cant sleep?" asked Mirassa, keeping her voice a little above a whisper.

Marik turned his head around in shock, almost dropping his cards. By the look on his face, he had expected it to be Maka checking up on him. His surprise turned into relief when he saw it who it was. Mirassa walked over to him and sat down next to him.

"What are you doing?" she asked looking at the duel monsters cards in his hand.

"Oh, im just making a few alterations in my deck" replied Marik before a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. "Why? Can you think of something more fun for us to do?"

"I can, but seeing as Maka is only upstairs I think we should behave ourselves…. to an extent…" whispered Mirassa playfully taking in Marik's rather sexy attire. He was only wearing his boxers, and his muscles looked 'very' nice in this dim light, not that they didn't look nice any other time. They just looked very touchable right now.

Marik placed his deck on the table in front of him and pulled Mirassa onto his lap so she was straddling him. Mirassa wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him while he kissed her ear. She stroked his mane of sandy blonde hair and smiled as he began kissing her neck. She was certain now that that was his favourite place to kiss her as it was always the first place he went to. Mirassa gently placed both her hands on Marik's face, pulling him so that he was facing her.

They looked into each others eyes for a split second before kissing each other ferociously once more. This was the first time they were able to be together like this since before Marik had left for Egypt and they had kissed in the alley at the pier. Marik was putting everything he had into this one kiss. He had missed her very much and wanted to show her that. He never wanted to be separated from her again. This thought made him strengthen his grip on her hips, pulling them even closer together.

Mirassa was rapidly losing herself to his rough, domineering kiss. She had never known Marik to be as passionate as this before. Even those times where they had almost slept together paled in comparison. Mirassa's train of thoughts began to head in that direction again, making her feel somewhat less cooler than she had been, but then she remembered what Maka had said to her.

"Look, I just don't want to see you make a mistake. Get to know each other a little better before you rush into anything, that's all I'm asking of you"

Mirassa decided to honour Maka's wishes, for now. Sighing into the kiss, she reluctantly pulled away from Marik. He was breathless but didn't seem all that disappointed. In fact, he looked rather happy. Mirassa smiled at his crooked grin and kissed his nose. She got up off of his lap and pushed him onto the sofa so that he was laying down. Mirassa situated herself next to him so that her back was up against his chest in a spoon position. Marik reached down and pulled the covers over them both. He wrapped his arms around her waist so there was no space between them.

"So what will Maka say if she sees us like this?" asked Marik imagining being thrown out onto the street half dressed.

"She's a heavy sleeper" replied Mirassa. "She doesn't get up until nine usually; we'll be up long before her. She likes being able to sleep in because she was never able to do that before we came here. She's taking advantage of the situation…much like we are right now…"

Marik grinned into Mirassa's hair. "You know, I love it when you're being naughty but it makes me wonder what else you're capable of"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------in the morning

Mirassa stretched on the comfort of the sofa to find herself on her own. She looked behind her to see an empty space where Marik had once been. She put her hand out onto the creased fabric. It was still warm so that meant he hadn't been gone for very long. She looked at the clock on the wall. It was about twenty to nine, Maka would be up soon. Mirassa slowly sat up; her eyes still a little closed. She rubbed them and made her way to the downstairs bathroom to freshen up. It was a good thing too because her hair stuck up in all the wrong places and she had sleep in the corner of her eye.

Once Mirassa had made herself reasonably presentable, she returned to find out where Marik had disappeared to. She heard cluttering in the kitchen and smiled. She poked her head around the door to find Marik peering onto the open fridge. He noticed he was being watched and turned to see Mirassa coming over to him.

"I wanted to make you breakfast but I don't know where anything is" explained Marik.

"You don't have to do that for me Marik" said Mirassa kissing him good morning. "You are the guest so I will make breakfast for you"

Marik took a seat and watched Anuket as she cooked for him. She was still wearing her night dress. It was white with short pink sleeves and came down just above her knees. She had on a pair of socks that didn't match. One was white and the other was red. She looked adorable.

"What are you going to do today?" asked Mirassa.

"Huh?" murmured Marik tearing his gaze away from Mirassa's legs. "Oh, well I suppose I should make a start in moving in. Those boxes aren't going to unpack themselves, unfortunately"

"Okay then. I'll help you unpack. The sooner you get settled the sooner we can have fun" said Mirassa cheerfully putting an omelette in front of Marik.

"Are you sure? There's a lot of mess" warned Marik.

"It can't be that bad" said Mirassa with a slight frown.

"You wait and see" said Marik raising his fork and digging into the food.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------a little later after breakfast

Marik sat patiently on his motorcycle outside Mirassa's house, the engine purring quietly. He watched as Mirassa came running out towards him. She was wearing an apple green and pale yellow summer dress. She ran up to Marik and jumped on behind him. He revved the engine and they sped off.

"Hey Marik" said Mirassa over his shoulder. "Can we take the long route to your apartment?"

Marik looked confused. "Why?"

"Well, do you remember the first time you took me for a ride on this thing?"

Marik nodded. "Yes"

"Well I 'really' want to do that again. Can we? Please?" pleaded Mirassa, hugging Marik's waist tighter.

"Alright then sweetheart. Here we go!"

Marik smirked as he sped down the street at top speed. They eventually came to the same stretch of road where they had insulted the other drivers all those months ago. Since being kidnapped, he had never seen her so happy. Mirassa was still adjusting to life out here but she was doing it extremely well. Marik was certain that she wanted to do all this to make the most of her newfound freedom as he once had.

Suddenly Marik remembered the present he wanted to give to her. How could he have forgotten? It took quite some effort on his part to get this piece of paper. He had been waiting for ages to give it to her. He must have forgotten about the moment he set eyes on her again.

'I will wait until tonight to give it to her' thought Marik. 'She also seems to have forgotten about it for now'

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Marik's place

"Oh Ra! Marik! How many boxes! What's all this!" cried Mirassa as she tried to walk amongst the clutter.

"Hey! I warned you there was a lot of mess" said Marik defensively.

Mirassa slapped her forehead. "This is going to take forever"

"Well then we'd better get started, that is if you still want to help" said Marik brushing past her and opening his suitcase. Mirassa groaned in response.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------later at Marik's place (about 5:00pm roughly)

It was getting on towards the evening now. The mess was all clear and except for a few bags of rubbish to take out. Despite the initial shock of the chaos that was 'Marik's home' they had a good time together. They talked, joked and occasionally had breaks where they had ended up in less then innocent positions.

All of Marik's furniture was assembled and set in their desired places and his clothes were all put away. His personal belongings were set out. All in all, the place looked good.

"Finally! All done" said a breathless Mirassa with a satisfied grin. Spending all day furnishing and cleaning an apartment was tiring work. She slumped onto one of the black leather chairs, Marik following suit.

"Thanks" said Marik gratefully taking Mirassa's hand in his own. "It would have taken me forever to do this by myself"

"You're welcome" replied Mirassa. "But you owe me big for this Marik Ishtar"

"And I think I know how…" said Marik kissing her on the lips.

He ended the kiss after a short time as he remembered something important. Mirassa protested a little as he drew away from her.

"I forgot to give you your present yesterday" said Marik reaching into his pocket.

Mirassa's face lit up. She had completely forgotten about that. She sat up straight with a big smile, watching Marik intently as she waited for him to pull out the surprise. Mirassa was intrigued when she saw a piece of neatly folded paper in Marik's hand. He held it out to her with a gentle smile.

"It took a lot of time and effort to get this for you, but you are worth it"

"What is it?" she asked.

"Take a look for yourself" replied Marik holding it out to her.

Mirassa accepted the paper from him and carefully unfolded it, smoothing out the creases. She frowned in confusion when she realised it was a letter addressed to her. She glanced up at Marik who nodded his head and urged her to continue. Mirassa dropped her gaze to the paper again and slowly began to read its contents. After reading the first paragraph she had to stop to take in this information. She knew who wrote it now and couldn't believe what Marik had done. She read the rest of the letter with her hand covering her mouth, tears forming in her eyes. Marik watched on silently from his seat across from her.

As Mirassa finished reading the letter, the tears she had tried so hard to hold back were now streaming down her cheeks. She turned to Marik and leaned over to his open arms, crying into his chest. Marik wrapped his arms around her in comfort, stroking her hair. If anyone had walked in on them right now, they would have assumed she was upset. But Mirassa was feeling the complete opposite. This was the most thoughtful thing Marik, or anyone had ever done for her. She couldn't remember ever being so happy.

She had no doubts whatsoever that he was the one she was meant to be with and she now held proof that she was not the only one who thought so. There was someone else who had given them their blessing. Someone who Mirassa never thought she would see or hear from ever again. She smiled into Marik's chest before whispering…

"Daddy loves me"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 33: Shopping, Makeovers and a Date

Next day

"He did what!" asked Tea in disbelief as Mirassa recounted the events from the day before. The two women had decided to have a girl's day out and were currently having a coffee break.

"He went to see my father! Marik put him straight about everything that happened when we were kids and even convinced him to let me stay here in domino! He stuck up for me! He also brought out a side to my father I've never seen before. My father has never once told me that he loved me or was proud of me! He even had a moan about my brother being a lazy good for nothing slacker. I never thought I'd see the day"

"Hmmm, I didn't know you had a brother Miri" said Tea. "Is he cute?"

"What? I don't know if he's cute! He's my brother!" Mirassa grimaced. "And besides, he's so full of himself. You wouldn't like him at all. He's like Kaiba, but without feelings"

"Huh? What are you talking about? Kaiba doesn't have any feelings" said Tea confused.

"Exactly" replied Mirassa. "Kaiba is an angel compared to him"

"Well, im happy for you" smiled Tea changing the topic. "Things are finally picking up for you"

"It's about time! I've been waiting for sixteen years for things to go right"

"So what are you gonna do about this letter? Are you going back to Egypt to see your father?" asked Tea.

"I will, eventually. I just need a little time to get my head together. I haven't seen him in so long. After all, we still have to finish school and stuff. I think I'll go and see him in the summer during the holidays. Marik can come with me just in case he changes his mind and tries to make me stay"

"I'm sure your father won't force you into doing something you don't want to do" reassured Tea.

"No? He forced me into marriage didn't he? Don't forget that things are a lot different in Egypt then they are here in Japan. Marriage is a common thing there. You know, if things had turned out the way they were supposed to originally, I would be married and most likely expecting by now"

"Really? Well, that's all in the past now. You have a great guy who loves you and would do anything for you. That's more then what most people have in a lifetime. So, are you guys planning anything special?" asked Tea suggestively.

Mirassa blushed a little. "Well, now that you mention it, Marik wants to take me out tonight for our first official date"

Tea squealed in excitement making the people on the table next to them stare. She calmed herself and looked back at Mirassa.

"Any idea where Marik is taking you? Is it somewhere fancy? Or is it the movies? What?"

"I don't know yet. But he told me to dress up nicely" replied Mirassa thoughtfully.

"Well that does it" said Tea with a newfound determination. "Today, we must find you the perfect outfit for your date with Marik. Oooh! And I can style your hair I think spiral curls would look nice! And we could go to a sauna! Oh this will be great!"

Tea gulped down her coffee, gasping suddenly from the heated liquid burning her throat. After a bottle of cold mineral water from Mirassa's bag, she composed herself and dragged Mirassa off towards the town center. Their first stop was the health spa.
------------------------------------------------------------------------to the health spa!

Mirassa had never been to a sauna before. To be perfectly honest, she couldn't see what the big fuss was about. So what? You pay to sit in a room full of steam in a towel. What a waste of time and money. It was only when she voiced her opinions to Tea that she learned it was something to do with unblocking pores and sweating toxins out of your body and other stuff that didn't sound all that nice. It was good for you apparently, so she decided to go with that and put up with it. Especially since she wanted to look her best for Marik tonight.

After that, Tea decided that she wanted to have a massage and convinced Mirassa to do the same. There were so many to choose from. Mirassa decided to just have what Tea was having seeing as she didn't have a clue what most of them were. But this particular appointment, she didn't mind. In fact, she had never felt so relaxed in her whole life.

"I am definitely coming back here again" thought Mirassa contentedly closing her eyes sleepily.

Unfortunately, the massage was over before it began, or so it seemed. Mirassa had fallen asleep ten minutes into it and woke up half an hour later to a masseuse shaking her shoulders lightly. They headed back to the changing rooms to get dressed again, feeling refreshed and ready to shop.

When they arrived at the mall, Tea had dragged her to the manicure place to have her nails, washed, conditioned, shaped and painted. Both girls were happy with the results. Now was the time to find a dress.
------------------------------------------------------------------elsewhere

"Ishizu! I am not wearing this!" growled Marik in frustration at the shirt held up to him by his sister.

"Why not? There's nothing wrong with it" replied Ishizu examining the garment. "You'll look very smart in it"

"Or very gay! Odion tell her!" Marik pleaded to his brother.

"Leave me out of this" said the taller man holding his hands up and backing away.

"Thanks a lot for the support. I appreciate it" he grumbled sarcastically as his sister piled more and more clothes into his arms.
------------------------------------------------------------------

"You look gorgeous! You should definitely get that one!" exclaimed Tea as Mirassa walked out of the changing room.

Mirassa walked over to see her reflection in the mirror. At that moment she decided that she loved this dress. It was perfect. It was a long black dress with thin straps that hugged her curves in all the right places. The chest was low cut, enough so that Marik's imagination would run wild, but not too much that people would look 'there' instead of her face. She turned around to see it from the back. Mirassa wasn't a vain person at all, but wearing this dress made her feel very attractive. She hoped that Marik would think so too.

"Alright, I'll get this one" she said with a smile.

After she bought the dress, Mirassa decided to go home. Even though her date with Marik wouldn't begin for at least five hours, she still wanted to get ready. After all, she was never going to have a first date with him ever again. She wanted to make this night special.
---------------------------------------------------------------------Mirassa's home

"Maka! Can you help me?" called Mirassa from her room.

She had washed and dried her hair and was now having a difficult time deciding how to wear it. She turned to face the door when she heard Maka walk in.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I don't know what to do with my hair! Should I wear it up or down? Or do you think I should curl it a little? Or should I keep it straight?"

Maka smirked inwardly at Mirassa's little dilemma. She put her finger to her chin and studied the frantic girl for a moment. She walked over to her and put her hands on her shoulders. She sat Mirassa down in the chair in front of her mirror and grabbed a comb. She began trying out various hair styles on Mirassa, both up and down. Maka enjoyed doing this. Not only was it relaxing, it reminded her of when Mirassa was little. She always used to play with her hair then too, and occasionally Mirassa do hers as well.

Strange, the little ways that females bond with each other. When they used to do this together, it was always to make Mirassa feel better, but this time it was different. Mirassa was out to impress. Maka had heard what happened between Marik and Mr Benu. When she found out, she was shocked to say the least. She had never known that man to ever show emotion towards his daughter. Yet here it was in paper. Those three important words.

At first she thought Marik had faked the letter, but the writing most definitely belonged to that of Mirassa's father. Marik had told him the truth about what happened all those years ago, and somehow convinced the man to let his daughter stay where she was and live how she wanted. Maka was impressed by how much Marik had grown. All the doubts she had about him had disappeared that instant. Now she was filled with new resolve to make sure that they stayed together.

"What do you think of this?" asked Maka as she finished yet another hair style.

Mirassa swivelled around in her chair to face the mirror. Her hair was pinned up in a small clip so that loose strands fell out in places. Her bangs fell about her face in little ringlets. Mirassa was very impressed by Ipet's hairdressing skills.

"You should do this for a living! Thankyou so much. I love it"

She twisted around in her chair and gave Maka a hug. She then jumped off and ran to get her dress. She returned a few seconds later and held it up for the older woman to see.

"What do you think?" she asked, eagerly awaiting an answer.

"Wow, it's very beautiful. Marik won't be able to take his eyes off you" she grinned feeling the soft fabric.

"Good. Then he wont be tempted by any other girl" replied Mirassa hugging the garment it to her chest.

"He's a good man. I don't think you have anything to worry about there"
-----------------------------------------------------------------Marik's apartment (45 minutes to pickup)

Marik stood in front of his mirror to check himself over for the hundredth time. He was beginning to get nervous now. He brushed back his hair with his fingers and straightened him jacket. After all the bother at the shop, Ishizu had picked him out a white shirt, black pants and a black jacket to go over it. He had left the top two buttons of his shirt undone.

He walked into the lounge and sat down, staring at the clock. There was still at least half an hour to go before he left to pick Mirassa up.

"You know, a watched kettle never boils" said a deep voice behind him.

"Well it's a good thing im not waiting for a kettle to boil then isn't it?" smiled Marik in response.

"The rules aren't specific to kettles Marik" continued Odion. "Come on, if you want to pass the time, help me in here"

Marik complied and stood up to help out his brother in the kitchen.
------------------------------------------------------------------(five minutes to pickup)

Mirassa was on pins and needles as she waited in her room. Marik was going to pick her up any minute now. She began pacing nervously after a few minutes. She reasoned to herself that it was because she needed to wear in her new shoes. They made her about an inch taller which she was quite happy about seeing as she was only about 5ft 2" without them. She gripped her small black purse feeling silly for the way she was acting. Why was she so nervous anyway? It wasn't like this was the first time she and Marik had been alone together or anything.

Downstairs there was a knock at the door. Mirassa smiled and checked her appearance in the mirror before heading downstairs.

Meanwhile, Maka opened the door to see a very handsome and well dressed Marik Ishtar standing there. He looked very smart in his suit.

"Hello. Is she ready?" he asked.

"Yes, come on in" she replied pulling Marik along into the lounge.

Marik stood waiting for no more then a minute before Mirassa made her way down the stairs. He had to stop himself from running over to her and kissing her senseless right there and then. There would be plenty of time for that later. He walked over to her and somehow managed to give her a warm loving kiss without it turning into a fiery lustful one.

He took Mirassa's hand and let her out of the house. As they walked onto the street, Mirassa saw that instead of the usual motorcycle, there was a car instead.

"Odion lent it to me" he explained seeing the look on her face. "I didn't want you to ruin your dress"

"That's very thoughtful of you" replied Mirassa as Marik, in true gentlemanly fashion, opened the car door for her to get in.

He ran around to the other side and climbed into the driver's seat.

"You look absolutely beautiful tonight" he complimented looking her in the eyes.

Mirassa's cheeks turned pink. "Thankyou"

Marik smiled and turned the keys in the ignition. He pulled away from the house and towards the town. He wanted to make this a night to remember.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 34: When Two Become One


A bashful silence filled the car as they headed towards their secret destination. Mirassa blushed red the moment she had stepped into the car and now found herself unable to stop. She couldn't help it. For some reason she was beginning to feel shy around Marik again. It was almost like they had only just met each other. Not that it was a bad feeling though. Mirassa turned her head a small fraction, and discreetly watched Marik from the corner of her eye. He was smiling to himself as he steered the vehicle through the quiet streets.

Mirassa smiled as she studied his outfit. He looked very smart and very handsome. She noticed that he had left the top two buttons undone, showing off a small part of his moderately muscled chest. She silently considered forcing him to drive them to a secluded part of Domino where she could rip of his shirt then and there. After a few moments of delightful fantasy, she realised that she was staring at him and quickly turned her gaze towards the window. They were now in the more expensive side of Domino. The shops that lined the lamp lit streets sold only the finest commodities for the wealthy.

"We're almost there" said Marik catching Mirassa's attention.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"Just wait and see sweetheart. It's just around the corner" he replied, turning the wheel of the car.

They approached a large building, but Mirassa couldn't see what the place was called. Marik pulled into the private car park next to it and turned off the engine, stepping out of the car. Mirassa unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to open the door, but Marik had beaten her to it. He pulled it open for her and held out a hand which she took, blushing once more.

"Thank you" said Mirassa politely whilst smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress.

"The pleasure is all mine" he replied smiling. "Shall we?" Marik crooked his arm and Mirassa took it with a small giggle.

They walked slowly in silence, occasionally glancing at each other with smiles, until they approached the entrance of the large building they had passed earlier. Mirassa gasped when she saw the name of the place, Hans restaurant. She had never been to this place before, but she had heard about it from other people. It was supposed to be the classiest place in all of Domino. She had heard that even celebrities had come here to dine, and that Seto Kaiba himself often came here for business ventures. If all that was true, then she was sure it wouldn't come cheap.

Mirassa turned to face the man beside her, about to voice her thoughts. As if reading her mind, he put a long finger to her lips, silencing her.

"Hey, don't you worry about a thing. It's my treat" he reassured her.

"Marik, I don't want you to go out of your way like this…" she started.

"I'm not going out of my way, just relax will you? I've wanted to bring you here for some time now. Just do as I say and enjoy yourself" he ordered, leading her towards the double doors.

Mirassa raised an eyebrow at Marik's command with a hidden smile. For some reason, she found that she liked the way he said that to her. 'Just do as I say'. She played the line over and over in her head, feeling somewhat warmer. Mirassa wondered why she felt like this all of a sudden. She hated being told what to do normally, so what made this time any different? Sure he was just playing around when he had said that, so why did it affect her more then it should have?

"May I take your coats?" asked the doorman politely with a smile.

Marik helped Mirassa out of hers and handed it to the man. They were then led into the main restaurant. Mirassa gazed around in amazement as she stared at the richly decorated interior. The walls were painted a beautiful bright shade of red, displaying numerous paintings. The various tables had long white cloths, each decorated with its own flower arrangements and candles. She looked up to see crystal chandeliers hanging from a ceiling that had been painstakingly painted with figures of angels, cherubs and other beautiful creatures.

In the far corner of the room upon a small platform, she could hear a cabaret artist playing the piano whilst everyone ate. After a while of listening to the gentle music that filled the air, Mirassa's attention was caught by Marik who placed a tender kiss upon her ear. He continued to kiss Mirassa, eventually making her turn to face him.

"So what do you think?" he asked in a deep low voice.

"I think that I'm very lucky to have you" she replied sweetly, wrapping her arms around his neck and placing a kiss on his lips.

The maître d' arrived shortly after and led them to their table. Marik had wanted them to have a little privacy from onlookers, so he had paid extra to have a table by the wall. It had red and gold screens surrounding them slightly so that they could see out, but not too many people could see in. Instead of chairs like the tables in the centre of the room had, it was like a rounded couch made of red leather. Very comfy indeed. Marik led Mirassa inside the secluded area and gestured for her to have a seat.

Mirassa sat down and slid further along to make room for Marik. She sat in the middle and watched him as he shifted closer to her. When she came into touching distance, Marik lifted his arm and placed it around her shoulders, hugging her tightly. Marik reached out for the menu being offered to him by the waiter.

"What would you like to drink?" enquired the man.

Marik opened the menu to the wine list. "We'll have a bottle of Chateau Lafite, 1916" said Marik after a quick glance.

Mirassa's eyes widened considerably when she saw the price tag. "Marik! That costs over sixteen hundred dollars!"

"So?" he replied casually, nodding his confirmation to the waiter.

"So? You can't spend that much on just a drink!"

"Look, its no problem. Just sit back and relax, I want to do this. Here, let's decide what we're going to have"

Marik held out the menu to Mirassa and together they perused through it, his hand conveniently concealing the prices from her. The waiter arrived a few minutes later with their wine. He popped the cork and poured the drink into two crystal glasses. He looked at them with his pen and pad, patiently waiting to take their order. Marik made his choice and looked at the girl sitting beside him. She was having a considerably harder time deciding what she wanted.

"I don't know what to have" said Mirassa. "I like prawns, but I don't want them if they have the faces and legs on them. I don't like touching them"

"Well you don't have to have them like that if you don't want to, does she?" said Marik looking at the waiter who bowed his head in agreement.

"Then again, I've never tired lobster. But wait, I heard that they are alive when you throw them in the water" she looked at the waiter who looked a little awkward.

"Well yes, that way we know they're fresh. But they don't feel a thing" he tried to assure her.

"How do you know that? Well, im not having lobster then. That's just horrible. Ummm…"

Marik chuckled to himself. If she carried on like this, she'd find something wrong with everything and end up eating nothing at all.

"She'll have the lobster" said Marik. "Just make sure you 'prepare' it humanely for her"

The waiter wrote the order down and laughed quietly to himself as he walked away from the young couple. Mirassa looked at Marik with a mock glare.

"Who's 'she?' I have a name you know"

"Yes you do, and it's a beautiful one as well." Marik smiled at her.

"So, I've never met your brother. What is his name?" asked Marik after a few moments silence between them.

"Urgh" groaned Mirassa. "His name is Baal. He's annoying, bossy and opinionated. And he's also 'very' sexist. I feel sorry for the woman who ends up with him" she looked away from Marik and took a sip of wine from her glass.

"He can't be that bad" said Marik.

He was stunned that Mirassa didn't get along with her brother. He just couldn't understand hating a sibling like that. A parent maybe, because that was natural. Every kid hates their parents at some point in their lives as he knew all too well.

"I'm planning on visiting my family in the summer after school breaks up. I was wondering if you would come with me… you know, for backup…" said Mirassa.

"Need you really ask? Of course I'll come with you. Even if you didn't want me to, I'd cunningly conceal myself in your suitcase. You'd never suspect a thing"

"Wouldn't I? So the fact that my suitcase would be ten times heavier then the last time I checked wouldn't be suspicious at all?"

"I doubt it would be ten times heavier" defended Marik. "Most women pack a lot of unnecessary things when they go away. Your suitcase would probably be heavier then a hundred of me"

"Well I'm not most women!" replied Mirassa.

"No, your not" said Marik huskily, pulling her closer towards him.

He nuzzled her ear as he drew her onto his lap, his hands running up and down her back. The two completely forgot that they were in a public place, with the exception of the screen, until they were interrupted by the arrival of their food. The waiter coughed lightly to catch their attention and averted his gaze until they had composed themselves. Both had red faces, but it wasn't because they were embarrassed.

When they were alone again, Mirassa stared at the food on the table. She hadn't expected there to be so much. Usually in expensive restaurants, they gave you a tiny amount and charged an insane amount for it.

"Well, I think it's safe to say I won't be hungry after this" she said.

They began to eat their food, drinking their overly expensive wine with it. They talked to each other about many different things. About their family, their likes and dislikes. They joked with each other, but mostly flirted. Marik had ordered two more bottles of wine and they had slowly become more and more relaxed around each other. That nervous feeling Mirassa had felt before Marik picked her up was completely gone now. She wasn't drunk, but she wasn't a hundred percent sober either. Both of them had managed to eat their meal without feeling overfed and bloated.

"I'm glad you didn't just order a salad you know Miri" said Marik. "It ruins the whole point of going out"

"As long as I don't do this too often then I'll be fine" she replied with a smile.

The waiter arrived shortly after to see if everything was fine and if they would like anything else. Marik looked at Mirassa who shook her head indicating she was done. The waiter then left to get the bill for them. When he returned five minutes later, Mirassa attempted to see how much the evening had come to. She had a feeling that these last few hours had cost Marik a small fortune.

He turned his back to her as he looked through the bill and even had to sit on it to prevent snatching from the girl beside him as he pulled out his card to pay for it all. When the waiter returned with the receipt, Marik hurriedly put it away in his wallet with the intention of destroying it later in case she went snooping.

"Are you ready to go?" asked Marik.

"Yes, what are we going to do now?" she replied with an evocative grin.

"I thought we could take a walk through the park together" suggested Marik.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea" smiled Mirassa.

"That's okay then. I can't drive now anyway. Had too much to drink" said Marik gulping down the last of his wine.

Mirassa rolled her eyes and linked her arm with Marik's as they stood to leave. On the way out, Marik helped her with her coat, earning him yet another sweet kiss from the woman. Leaving a rather generous tip for the men who had served them this evening, they exited the building and walked out onto the street.

They walked in silence through the park, taking in the beautiful scenery. Mirassa looked up into the sky. There was a full moon tonight and there seemed to be more stars then usual. It was almost as if an artist had dipped a brush into some white paint and used their thumb to flick it onto black paper. There were millions of them, all clustered together.

Marik removed his arm from around Mirassa's shoulders and took a hold of her hand. He had just seen a special place, one that they had visited before. Mirassa smiled when she saw it was the bench that they had sat on when Marik had promised to take care of her. The same place that he had given her that white gold ring. Now that she came to think of it, she never did find out what had happened to it. The last time she saw it was back on Kaiba craft 3. After she and Marik had that argument and he had taken it away with him…

She pushed that unpleasant memory to the back of her mind as Marik placed his hands on her shoulders and guided her towards the towards the bench.

They both took a seat, wrapping their arms around each other in a hug

"Things were so different the last time we were here" Marik reminisced as he rested his chin on Mirassa's head.

"It wasn't so bad" she spoke quietly. "Actually, now that I think about it, I had more fun then anything else"

"You thought that being held captive was fun?" asked Marik with a grin looking down at her.

"In a way…yes. But it was mostly down to the company I kept..." she trailed, playing with the collar on his shirt.

"You found my company enjoyable?"

"Very much so…, I never thought I would. In fact, I kept trying to convince myself otherwise"

"So when did you become aware that you didn't entirely hate me?" asked Marik curiously.

"I'm not sure exactly. I think it just happened without me realising it. What about you?" Mirassa asked, turning the question around on him.

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you come after me in the first place?" she asked again.

"Well I didn't intend it originally. I was spying on Yugi through one of my rarehunters. He looked as if he was struggling with a box. I found out later that it was one of those duel disks for battle city. He must have just registered for the event or something. At that point I was interrupted by Odion. He had an important message for me so I broke contact with my mind slave... no, rarehunter. By the time I had turned my attention back to Yugi, he was already gone. I searched a little way along the street, and found him sitting in a small coffee place with two girls. You were one of them…"

Mirassa looked a little surprised. "That was the first time you saw me?"

Marik nodded. "Yes, I remember it like it was yesterday. You were wearing that gorgeous blue and white outfit. Your hair was down… and…" he trailed off.

Mirassa raised a brow. "And what?"

Marik looked down. "I was wondering…. Do you still have that…" he gestured to her stomach.

"That what?" she asked, still confused.

"…That piercing…" he said, still looking at that area.

Mirassa blushed a little and smiled. "Marik, I have had that piercing since I was eleven"

"Well I think it looks very sexy, if you don't mind me saying" grinned Marik.

"Not at all. And if you don't mind me saying ….despite the dutiful reason behind it... I think that your tattoo is very sexy as well"

Marik's grin grew even wider. "Well if that's the case, it was worth the pain"

After about half an hour of sitting on the bench, Marik looked at his watch. It was getting late now, and it was also getting chillier. The wind had picked up some and a dark cloud was beginning to cross the sky. It looked like it was going to rain. Oh well, that was spring for you. He had to start thinking of getting Mirassa home.

"You must be getting tired" he said as he looked down at her. She was comfortably snuggled up against his chest.

"I'm not tired" she replied. "But I am a little cold" She lifted a sleeve to reveal her tanned skin covered in goose bumps.

"Come on then. I'll walk you home" said Marik offering his hand to help her up.

"But my house is on the other side of town. It will take ages to get there. Can't we go to your place instead? It's much nearer" she begged.

Marik was about to protest, thinking it would be better for her to be in her own home. But seeing the look on her face changed his mind. How could he say no to her? Sometimes he cursed the power she held over him.

"Alright then, let's go. It looks like torrential rain is on its way" he relented.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Marik's place

They had just made it in time to avoid the worst of the bad weather. However, they were still caught by the early stages of the downpour. They were very cold and very wet, and in desperate need of drying off. Marik used his key to let them into the warmth of his apartment. He was glad that he had left the heating on.

Mirassa followed Marik into the lounge and slowly peeled the soaking wet jacket off her shoulders. Marik couldn't help but stare when he saw the black fabric of her dress clinging to her shapely body. He swallowed hard and turned his gaze away.

"Where do I put my coat Marik?" she asked, unaware of the effect she was having on him.

"Ummm, here…" he took it from her and walked off into another room to hang it up to dry.

Mirassa meanwhile, began to unstick the fabric from her skin. It was pretty pointless though seeing at it didn't stay unstuck for long. She began to get annoyed with it and growled in exasperation. Marik came into the room shortly after with a couple of towels in hand. He threw one over to Mirassa.

"Marik, do you mind if I use your shower?"

He stopped drying his hair and lifted his head to look at her. "Of course I don't mind. Wait here, I'll find something for you to change into after your done"

"Thanks" she replied gratefully.

Marik disappeared into his room and rummaged through the drawers. He found a pair of pyjama shorts and a long black buttoned shirt. He returned to find Mirassa standing by the heater, trying to warm herself there. She looked up to see Marik coming towards her. He handed her the clothes and watched her retreating form disappear into the bathroom.

He pulled off his wet shirt and went into his room to change into something dry and considerably more comfortable. In the end he settled for a black t-shirt and shorts. The things he usually wore for bed. It was obvious that Mirassa wasn't going home tonight. Especially in this foul weather. He sat on the couch for about fifteen minutes, listening to the sound of the rain outside. He loved the rain. There was something calming about the sound and the smell of it. He walked over to the window and stared out, blissfully unaware of the female sneaking up behind him.

Mirassa had finished her shower and dressed herself in the clothes Marik had lent to her. She wandered into the lounge to see her boyfriend standing by the window deep in thought. She smiled mischievously to herself. This was just too tempting to pass up. She tiptoed over to him, gradually getting closer. She was standing right behind him. Mirassa was about to make a loud noise, when Marik spun around and grabbed her instead.

She squealed in shock as he hoisted her up in the air and over his shoulder. She tried to twist free, but he had her in a strong grip. He carried her over to the couch and carefully threw her down on it. He climbed on top of her, holding her arms in place and began to tickle her senseless. She erupted into a wave of uncontrollable laughter, begging for him to stop.

"That's what you get for trying to be sneaky!" he teased. "I saw your reflection in the window!"

Marik finally relented after his playful torture and let her go, laughing at the state of her. She was out of breath, sprawled all over the couch, her hair in disarray and clothes all creased up. Marik stopped laughing and studied her with great interest. The clothes he had given her were too big. She had to pull the chord on the shorts tighter so that they didn't fall down, and the shirt looked like a small tent on her. The sleeves were a few inches too long and covered her hands.

The way she looked beneath Marik, her raven hair spread out behind her, panting for breath and half lidded emerald eyes. He could feel himself growing warmer, among other things. But Marik wasn't the only one to feel this way. Mirassa was feeling strange herself. She was seeing Marik in a very different light now. They stared at each other for a few minutes, neither of them moving from the position they were in, and neither of them wanting to either.

They had been in these situations many times before, but nothing had ever come of it. They had always been interrupted or the timing just wasn't right for them. They continued to look into each others eyes, wordlessly agreeing that they both wanted to take the next step in their relationship. There was no reason why they shouldn't.

Mirassa smiled up at Marik, and traced a slender finger up his arm, moving it in little circles. He dipped his head and placed a strong, lustful kiss on her lips. He deepened the kiss further by allowing his tongue to play with hers. Mirassa ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer if it was even possible, kissing him back with as much passion as he was giving her. Marik smiled into the kiss, enjoying the feeling of being so close to her after all this time.

He slowly raised himself off Mirassa, and picked her up gently, not once breaking the kiss. She wrapped her arms around Marik's neck as he carried her into the bedroom and kicked the door closed behind him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 35: The Morning After

Mirassa smiled to herself as she shifted in the creased up bedsheets, memories of the previous night flooding back to her. She and Marik had finally slept together, and it had turned out to be the most wonderful night of her entire life. Marik, that man was insatiable! Mirassa had lost count of how many times they had made love, but she was certain the figure was in double digits. They didn't get to sleep until the early twilight hours.

She looked to her right to see the man she loved fast asleep, face down in the pillows. Had she not seen his upper body expand as he breathed, Mirassa would have thought he was dead, even though he should have been after last night. She never imagined that one person could have so much energy pent up inside them like that. She turned on her side and raised a hand to run her fingers through Marik's beautiful sandy hair. He moaned softly in his sleep at her feather light touch, waking with a contented sigh, turning his head slowly to face his girlfriend.

Marik smiled widely at her, his violet eyes travelled to observe her curvy figure as she lay on her side in a manner that one would view as seduction; but that she herself was probably unaware of.

'She's beautiful but still so naïve, even after last night. And she's all mine' he thought possessively. There was no way he'd ever let her go.

Marik turned around so he was laying on his back. He put his hands behind his head, a grin playing on his lips.

"How are you feeling this afternoon sweetheart?" he asked.

Mirassa furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she looked up at the clock on the wall. Her eyes widening when she saw it was indeed the afternoon. She was supposed to be home ages ago! What would Maka say when she found out that she hadn't been home all night?

"Oh Ra! How could I have slept in so late! Maka will kill me!" she exclaimed as she grabbed the bedsheets, covering herself with them.

Mirassa made to get out of the bed, but the moment she sat up, she felt a pain between her legs. She gritted her teeth and hissed, leaning back using her arms to take her weight. Marik wasted no time in rushing over to her.

"Mirassa! Are you alright? What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

"Its okay" she replied with an embarrassed smile, turning pink. "Im just sore, that's all"

"Ohh…." Said Marik, understanding what she meant. He grinned at her. "So I guess that means we can't fool around some more then?"

He received a playful smack from Mirassa. She tried to get up once more, but Marik held her still. He didn't want her to leave just yet.

"Marik, I have to go. Maka will be worried!" she tried explaining before she was cut off by Marik's lips crushing hers.

He pulled away after a few seconds. "She's not stupid. Im sure she'll realise that you're here with me. If you must, then call her to let her know where you are, but you're not leaving me just yet"

Marik reached over to the bedside table and picked up the phone handing it to Mirassa. He got up off the bed and grabbed a pair of pants and pulled them on, covering up his nudity. He walked out of the bedroom to leave Mirassa to her phone call, closing the door behind him.

Marik headed towards the kitchen to get some lunch. He couldn't exactly call it breakfast now considering the time of day. He was just about to get some stuff out of the fridge when he heard a knock at the door. Putting his food hunt on hold, he went to answer. He opened the door and poked his head around to see Odion standing there. He let his brother in and continued his way back to the kitchen.

"Hi Odion. What can I do for you?"

"I picked up the car" said Odion. "Thanks for leaving it there Marik"

"Hey im sorry, I couldn't drive it. I'd been drinking" said Marik defensively, putting his hands up.

"Well why didn't you think of that when you borrowed it? You could have ordered a taxi to take you there"

"I didn't want to take Mirassa out on our first date in a taxi! Those things are filthy; it would have ruined her dress"

"And what about the rain?" asked Odion, his eyebrow raised.

"What?"

Odion titled his head over to the radiator where a slinky black dress was draped over it drying, along with a few other delicate feminine garments.

"I hope those aren't yours" joked the older man, watching Marik's face break into a grin. "Did something happen between you two?"

"Oh yes…" Marik replied, taking a seat on one of the kitchen stools. "I'm not one to kiss and tell, but that was the best sex I've ever had"

Odion simply nodded along at seeing the happy look on his former master's face. Marik had openly confided in him about a personal subject, this was a new development. This girl Mirassa was probably the best thing that had ever happened to Marik. He couldn't believe how much things had changed over the years.

Marik and Mirassa had begun life hating each other, but somehow that had changed. She seemed to be able to bring out Marik's gentle side more then his own family ever could. He listened as Marik continued to tell him how wonderful his girlfriend was, bringing a thought into the older mans head.

"Marik" he whispered in a low voice. "You two seem to be getting along very well"

"We are. I can't imagine my life without Mirassa. Just the thought of being with her makes me feel complete" replied Marik dreamily.

"Well why don't you do something about it? Something more permanent…" said Odion looking Marik in the eye.

Marik looked back at his brother, taking a second to register exactly what it was he was saying. Was he suggesting that….?

"Do something about what?" asked a soft feminine voice from the direction of Marik's bedroom.

Both males spun their heads to look at her. Mirassa stood there with an invisible glow about her. Marik was relieved to see that she was dressed. Not that Odion would do anything about it, but he didn't want to share her with anyone. She was for his eyes only. Mirassa was dressed in the same black shirt and shorts she wore last night, so she was decent. However, she still looked enticing to Marik. All he could see when she wore his clothes like that, was her teasing little performance whilst undressing for him the night before.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about Miss Mirassa" said Odion, trying to cover up their conversation. "I think I'd better go now and leave you two alone. I'll see you later Marik, goodbye"

Marik's thoughts took over once Odion had closed the door behind him. To be honest, his brothers little suggestion had cleared up many things in his head. Like did he really want to be with Mirassa in a more permanent and legally binding way?

"How could you even ask such a stupid question?" shouted the voice in his head. "Of course you do! Why did you abandon the idea in the first place?"

"Marik? Are you alright? You seem a little distracted" said Mirassa in concern after a few minutes silence.

Marik shook his head clear and smiled to reassure her. He took Mirassa's hand and pulled her into his lap, being careful not to be too rough with her, what with her feeling sore still. He hugged her as she sat in his lap, resting his ear against her chest, listening to her steady heartbeat.

Mirassa wrapped her arms around Marik's shoulders and held him there gently, kissing the top of his head and stroking him lightly. She enjoyed sitting with him like this. It was moments like these that made her realise how lucky she was to have him. Things could have been so very different for them.

"So what are we going to do today Marik?" asked Mirassa, standing up and pulling away from him. She was starving and had a feeling he was too so she made a start on lunch.

Marik shrugged. "I promised Ishizu I would help her at the museum. We have some new items for the Egyptian exhibit that she wants me to set up for tomorrow. You want to come?"

"Alright. I wasn't planning on doing anything else today anyway, but I have to go home and change first" she replied.

"Okay, I'll take you home after we eat"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even though Mirassa had explained on the phone what had happened last night to Maka, conveniently leaving out certain details, she was still angry with her. Mirassa had to endure a lecture for ten minutes, Marik standing behind her, feeling a little guilty for not having called Mirassa right away to let her know where she was. After it was over, Mirassa ran upstairs to change into something more suitable. She settled on a pair of dark blue baggy hipster jeans and a white t-shirt that showed off her belly button ring. She was very much aware of how much Marik loved her piercing now, and decided to flaunt it a little specially for him.

They walked hand in hand to the museum taking their sweet time, arriving just as Ishizu came walking out of the large doors at the entrance. She spotted them approaching and raised a hand, gesturing for them to come over. After giving him her instructions, Ishizu pushed him inside towards the area that needed preparing for the next day.

Mirassa followed behind Marik as they made their way towards the empty exhibit. Together, they arranged the artefacts in their places, all the while talking and laughing. Time seemed to fly by, because no sooner had they begun, everything in the exhibit was in place and looking great.

"Thanks Miri" said Marik. "Now we have time to do whatever we want"

"Great! I want to go shopping for clothes" replied Mirassa excitedly.

"Oh, Umm, okay. We can do that. Not quite what I had in mind though…" agreed Marik, frowning slightly at thought of spending endless hours in a shopping center.

"It's not just for my benefit" soothed Mirassa as if sensing what was on his mind. "I can pick up a few things for you…"

Marik perked up a bit, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the museum. "Let's go then!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few hours later and Mirassa had bought a couple of slinky garments, hand picked by Marik to wear the next time they were intimate. He seemed very pleased with the items and couldn't wait. It was getting to be quite late and Marik was feeling thirsty. They passed by a bar and Marik thought it wouldn't hurt if they went in for a drink. He took a hold of Mirassa's hand and led her inside.

They stood at the bar for five minutes, waiting to be served. Mirassa ordered a Malibu and coke, because she wasn't a huge fan of alcohol and there was only a small amount in there. Marik had a bottle of Stella Artois to see if it was really as good as it was made out to be in the adverts on TV. It was ok.

"Marik, can I ask you something?" queried Mirassa.

Marik took a swig from the bottle and nodded. "Sure, what's on your mind?"

"Well, even though I haven't been going to school all that long, there's gonna be a dance at school just before we break up for the holidays. I was wondering if you wanted to go with me..."

"A dance?" asked Marik feeling a little awkward.

He'd never been to a dance before. Hell, he'd never even danced before, not properly anyway. Swaying slightly whilst hugging someone doesn't really count. Mirassa noticed the change in his attitude. He didn't look all that enthusiastic about it.

"You don't have to if you don't want to Marik" she said softly, feeling upset that he didn't want to go with her.

"No, that's okay. I'll go; just don't expect me to dance to the fast songs alright?" he said quickly, seeing her disappointment.

"Why? What's wrong with the fast songs?" she asked.

"I can't dance to them that's why. I'll look like a fool in front of everyone. I still have my pride you know"

Mirassa smiled. "That's okay. We can just dance to the slow songs and hang out by the food table. Does that sound good to you?"

Marik put on a fake look of thoughtfulness before nodding to her. "That's sounds alright. When is this dance anyway?"

"It's in a month. It starts at 7 o'clock on the last day of school and finishes at 12 midnight" replied Mirassa. "Everyone's going! It's going to be fun!"

They finished their drinks and decided to go home as it was getting late. Marik carried Mirassa's bags and walked her to her house. He helped her take her bags inside, hiding the sexy underwear in his pocket from Maka when she began looking through to see what they had got.

Just before Marik went to leave, Mirassa followed him through the back door to kiss him goodnight. They kissed passionately and were completely lost in their own world. Marik opened one of his eyes for a second to see a snooty old lady looking at them through her window, tutting at their open display of affection. Mirassa had to laugh when Marik shouted at her to mind her own business in a less the gentlemanly way. she glared at him and left the window, closing the curtains.

"She needs to get out more" said Marik shaking his head and giving Mirassa one last kiss before heading back to his apartment.

Mirassa waved goodbye and waited until he was out of sight before heading back inside. She went straight up to her room and dressed for bed, thinking about last night. She felt kind of lonely now without Marik by her side. She wanted to feel his warm body next to hers and his breath on her neck. She just wanted to be with him.

Mirassa climbed into bed, trying her hardest to get to sleep. It was very difficult thought when all she could think about was last night! She kept replaying everything over and over in her head. Every kiss and sensation she experienced. Smiling to herself, Mirassa eventually drifted off to sleep. Her dreams focused on one person.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 36: The Dance

A month later

Things had been going very smoothly for Marik and Mirassa over the past month. They spent every waking hour of every day in each others company, and most nights in each others beds. It had become routine now, Mirassa stayed at Marik's some nights and he stayed at hers. Maka had given up trying to keep them separate as her woman's intuition told her that they had already done the deed. There was no point in stopping them anyway. Even she could see that Mirassa was fast becoming an adult and was capable of making her own decisions.

As well as growing together emotionally, they had developed a very healthy sex life. Marik had secretly bought a book that had over five hundred positions, and tips and ideas for foreplay. He had amazed Mirassa with all the things he had learnt, until she found the book hidden under his pillow one night. After that, it was her turn to impress.

Mirassa was sitting at her desk in school, waiting for the bell to sound. It was almost time to go home, and tonight was the dance. She could hardly wait. Mirassa had been waiting for this moment for ages; she had never been to a school dance before and was a little nervous when she asked Marik to go with her, thinking he wouldn't want to go to a student party. The teacher droned on and on, making the last five minutes seem longer the whole school year put together.

Finally the bell rang. Everyone got up from their seats and ran out before the protesting teacher could set them homework. Mirassa ran out into the hallways and towards her locker, gathering her things together and stuffing them in her already bulging bag. She headed outside and waited for Marik to pick her up as he usually did. As if on cue, Mirassa heard the sound of his bike speeding down the road, stopping right in front of her. Marik gave Mirassa a kiss and assisted her with her bags, strapping them to the side of his bike and gestured for her to get on behind him.

Mirassa did as she was told and got on wrapping her hands around his hard stomach, suddenly conscious of the jealous glare she received from Lana Harrison. The bleach blonde looked at the owner of the Harley with a lustful glint in her eyes. Mirassa glared back with a fiery gaze. She knew what Lana was thinking and she didn't like it one bit. Were five simultaneous boyfriends not enough for her?

"Come on Marik, let go" said Mirassa wanting to get her man out of that sleepers eyesight. She had to get home and make herself presentable for the party.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------later on

The time for the party came even quicker then she expected. Mirassa rushed around trying to find her shoes which had done a disappearing act again.

"Mirassa, hurry up! What's taking you so long?" shouted Maka from downstairs. "Marik isn't going to wait forever you know!"

Mirassa groaned. "I can't find my shoes!" she called back.

"Which ones!" shouted Maka.

"The black ones!" replied Mirassa pulling her wardrobe open and pulling everything out on the floor.

"You mean these ones by the front door?"

Mirassa stopped in her tracks and ran downstairs. Sure enough, there were the shoes she was looking for. Marik was stifling back a grin as Maka held them up to her. Mirassa took them, muttering an embarrassed thankyou as she passed by. She slipped them on and pulled Marik out to his bike for the student party.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------at the dance

They entered through the doors and into the large hall. Lots of people had already arrived and were dressed up in casual, but smart gear. Marik was wearing his beige pants and black top. The same thing he wore in battle city. Mirassa was wearing a blue shirt and short black pleated skirt with various items of jewellery on her person.

Marik found himself being dragged into the room towards Yugi and Tea. He groaned mentally. This to him would be an awkward situation. He never really got over his guilt after battle city, but Yugi had carried on as if nothing had ever happened! He wondered how the little guy could do it. He sure as hell wouldn't be so quick to forgive if their roles had been reversed.

"Hey!" shouted Yugi as he saw them approach. "Marik! You came! Mirassa was worried you'd change your mind"

Marik looked at Mirassa who had left his side to talk to Tea. What made her think he would change his mind? He said he would go with her didn't he? Marik began to make an effort with conversation with Yugi, while Tea and Mirassa had their own. They talked about the usual things, until Mirassa turned the conversation to another topic that Tea was uncomfortable with.

"Why don't you ask Yugi to dance with you?" asked Mirassa in a hushed voice.

"Because im too embarrassed" Tea pouted mockingly crossing her arms.

"Oh come on. Why don't you just say something like, 'Let's dance just for fun'?"

"I don't know… Maybe…"

Meanwhile, Marik was growing ever more uncomfortable in Yugi's presence. He really didn't want to be here and felt a little angry towards Mirassa for abandoning him like this. She was the one who brought him here after all. He only came because he didn't want to upset her. Marik decided that enough was enough; he could only talk to Yugi for so long. He made his excuses and hurriedly made his way over to Mirassa.

He came up behind her and roughly wrapped his arms around her waist. Leaning into her ear, he whispered "Come on, let's go and get some food"

He dragged Mirassa away before she could protest. She managed to wave goodbye to Tea before disappearing into the crowd. He led her to a corner of the hall, away from the majority of the teenagers, away from the music and away from Yugi. He was in a bad mood, she could tell.

"Marik! I was talking to Tea!" said Mirassa annoyed. "That was very rude of you!"

"Mirassa, you dragged me down here because you wanted to dance, talk, be with me, whatever. But you left me to talk to Yugi. Not that I have anything against him now, but I still don't feel very comfortable around him and you know that!"

"He won't bite Marik. Why don't you just try and forget about what happened. He has, its all in the past now" tried Mirassa.

"That's easy for you to say. You weren't the one whose body was stolen by some psycho Yami, and tried to kill everyone because of some false belief that the one you were supposed to protect was the one who killed your father"

"Well that's hardly my fault! I'm just trying to help you, why won't you work with me? It's almost as if you don't want to get over it"

"Excuse me? I don't want to get over it? I wish I could! I want more then anything to forget about it, but as long as I'm surrounded by 'them', I can't!"

"Well what do you want me to do? Do you want me to stop being friends with them just so you feel better? You want me to lose the only friends I have? Is that it?"

"No, but it was just supposed to be us tonight, not them!"

"Marik! They are a part of who I am now! If you and I are to be together, you have to accept that!" said Mirassa.

"I just don't want to be forced into spending time with them when I clearly can't stand to be near them!" growled Marik.

"Well fine then! I won't force you to spend any more time with them" Mirassa turned on her heel and began to walk away from Marik. He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back towards him.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked bossily.

"I'm going back to my friends. It's clear you don't want to be here, so you can just go home! You're being such a jerk right now"

"I don't think so. How will you get home?" asked Marik, folding his arms ****ily, thinking he'd got her there.

"I'll ask someone else to take me home. You're not the only one that can drive you know. I don't even want to be in the same room as you right now. Just leave me alone!"

Marik gritted his teeth and turned his back on her. "Fine! Have it your way!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------outside

He stormed out of the hall, knocking people out of his way as he went. This evening didn't quite turn out as planned. How long had he been there? Half an hour? Marik stomped up to his bike and reached into his pocket to pull out his keys. He was about to climb on when he felt a presence behind him. He turned around, expecting it to be Mirassa, but it wasn't. Instead, he saw Ryou. Or at least that's who it appeared to be.

"You…" growled Marik. He wasn't in the mood to deal with this right now.

"Long time no see. I just came to see how you were" taunted the deep voice of the spirit. "I couldn't help but overhear your little spat with the girl a few minutes ago"

"That's none of your business!" snapped Marik. "What do you want you parasite!"

Bakura brought a hand to his chest and feigned hurt in his features. "Now that was uncalled for. And I only came here to warn you about that woman of yours"

Marik's frown deepened. "What are you talking about?" he asked tersely.

"Oh nothing, just that she doesn't love you. She's just using you" said Bakura, waving offhandedly.

"If I were you, I'd start running now! I should have known you were just here to cause trouble!" Marik shouted, climbing onto his bike and putting the keys in the ignition.

"You think i'm making this up don't you? Why don't you ask your darling yourself? I'm only telling you what I heard from her own mouth"

"You're a liar!" growled Marik, clenching his hands tightly on the handle bars.

Bakura smirked. "If anyone is a liar, it's her. She told everyone that she made you think she was in love with you so she could get you to do whatever she wanted. Apparently, just before your Yami took over, she made you think she was on your side because of an argument you'd had. She found out about your darker side beforehand from your sister and didn't want him to come out. Probably because she knew she couldn't manipulate him like she could you…"

Marik revved up the bike and began to pull away from Bakura.

"Ask her yourself!" shouted the spirit. "See if she denies it!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Marik's place

Marik couldn't bring himself to concentrate on anything once he got home. All he could think about was what Bakura said about Mirassa not loving him. He didn't want to believe him, he really didn't, but some of the things made sense to him. After all, how could the spirit have possibly known what had happened between them? He was unconscious at the time in the infirmary. He couldn't possibly have known they'd made up just before Malik came along.

"Is there any truth to what he's saying…?" thought Marik. All kinds of doubts and fears came flooding into his mind.

He curled himself up in a ball on his bed, still wearing his clothes. He felt a dull ache in the pit of his stomach. It wouldn't go away. Marik knew that the only thing he could do to make himself feel better was to ask her himself. It was the only way this horrible feeling would go away. He knew that she would never say anything like that. She loved him, he knew it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------back at the party

"Look, Miri, why don't you go and talk to Marik" said Tea, seeing the depressed look on her friends face.

"I'm fine" she said, feeling herself welling up. She didn't like to argue with Marik. The moment he had left, she felt herself regretting telling him to go away.

"Come on. You obviously want to. I will drop you off at his place. Let's go"

Mirassa followed Tea out to her father's car that she had borrowed for the night without his permission. Mirassa told Tea where he lived, and they drove off in the hopes of setting things straight.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------outside Marik's place

Mirassa walked up the flight of stairs to Marik's apartment. Eventually she arrived at his door. She stood still for a few minutes before summoning up the courage to knock on the door. A split second later, she could hear scrambling on the other side of someone making their way to answer. The door swung open to reveal Marik, who had a crestfallen expression that brightened slightly when he saw it was her.

"Can I come in?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah…" replied Marik, his voice a little above a whisper.

He moved aside to let her in, closing the door behind him. They both looked at each other, unsure of who should speak first. Mirassa was about to make the first move, but Marik beat her to it.

"I heard something about you" he started hesitantly, he wasn't sure he wanted to ask this, but he had to know for certain.

"What?" asked Mirassa curiously? What could he have possibly heard about her? She was confused.

"From Ryou, or rather the spirit of the millennium ring, Bakura…" he continued.

"Bakura?" she had no idea where this was going. That guy was not to be trusted.

"He claimed that he overheard you saying that you were using me the entire time during battle city. That you only manipulated me to get what you wanted" Marik let out a hollow laugh, trying his hardest to convince himself it wasn't true. Mirassa felt herself grow cold.

"Tell me he was just making that up" begged Marik pleadingly, looking at Mirassa again.

An awful silence fell between the two. Mirassa could easily have denied it, Said to Marik that it wasn't true, but she couldn't. It wasn't in her nature to lie about something like this. It was different before. Marik was the enemy then, but now he was her boyfriend. She couldn't bring herself to speak as she searched for a response, which was probably the worst thing she could have done right then. She felt wave after wave of guilt course through her as Marik's gaze turned from that of hope to hurt.

"Its true…" he said, pain obvious in his voice.

"It wasn't like that at all" whispered Mirassa. "I only said that because I didn't want them to alienate me and I knew they would if I told them the truth. I did have feelings for you then, I just never admitted it…"

"I should have known it was too good to be true!" said Marik, ignoring her statement. "Why would anything good happen to me after all I've done. The gods must have sent you to me as punishment for my sins! They could have sent all the plagues of Egypt to me, but no, they sent you!"

Mirassa was shocked by the sudden rise in his tone of voice. "Marik! I didn't mean a word of it! I wasn't just using you! After everything we've been through! Why won't you believe me!"

"Because you're a lying sleeper! NOW GET OUT!" he didn't want to hear her excuses. Marik picked up a heavy book and threw it in Mirassa's general direction. It missed, but just barely. It clipped the side of her leg, leaving a small scratch.

Mirassa's eyes were wide with shock. He'd never thrown something at her before. Her eyes began to stream with tears, blurring her vision. She ran out of the apartment without so much as saying a word to him. She almost tripped several times as she ran down the long flight of stairs. Mirassa just hoped that Tea was still waiting for her. She didn't want to go through town like this.

Breathing a shaky sigh of relief, Mirassa saw that Tea was still there, thankfully. She opened the door and climbed in, now feeling that she was far enough away from Marik, she broke down into uncontrollable sobs.

"Oh Miri! What happened?" asked Tea, leaning over to comfort her friend.

Accepting Tea's hug, Mirassa cried into her shoulder. "We're finished…"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 37: A New Little Problem

It had been a week since the split up, and Mirassa was faring no better since the minute it happened. It was a pitiful sight. The time was long past midday and she was still wearing her pyjamas and sitting in bed. In fact, she hadn't even left the room since. Mirassa had barely spoken a word; she couldn't, not without bursting into tears. Maka had guessed what happened and tried so hard to make the girl eat, but it was very difficult if the lady in question wasn't even willing to help herself. She'd woken up a few days before; apparently she'd passed out from lack of food. She didn't feel like eating though. Every time Mirassa managed to swallow something, shed bring it all back up. This sickness lasted for hours….

Mirassa lay in bed, her hair in disarray. She just didn't care anymore. It was almost like she had given up on life. Tea had come to visit her on numerous occasions to see if she was alright and try to cheer her up, but it didn't help one bit. To try and take her mind off of Marik, Mirassa picked up the remote and flicked through the channels to see if there was anything worth watching. She stopped when she came to a romantic drama. There was a man and a woman. He seemed to be declaring his unending love for her, bending down on one knee and sliding a gold ring on her finger.

"Don't do it! He'll only hurt you in the end!" she screamed at the woman, forgetting that she couldn't hear her and that it was only fictional.

Mirassa gritted her teeth in misery and threw the remote with such a force, it smashed the screen. Black smoke billowed out of it making Mirassa emerge from her messed up bedsheets to open the window for fresh air. Once the smoke had cleared up some, she stood by the window and looked out onto the streets. Was it her, or was there a lot more couples around nowadays? She'd never noticed before, but everywhere she looked there was always people in love, holding hands or kissing or playing around. It made her feel just like she did a child, maybe even worse.

She walked into the bathroom to get a drink of water. Mirassa picked up the glass that Maka had brought up last time and filled it up to the brim, swallowing it down fast, giving her a pain in the chest. She thumped it with a balled up fist, wishing she had taken her time. Once the pain had subsided, she put the glass on the side. She looked up at herself in the mirror.

"Ra… you're a mess…." She whispered.

Gone was the cheerful, happy girl with the bright eyes and pearly smile. Mirassa looked back to see someone she didn't recognise at all. This girl had hair that looked like a mop that had cleaned up a puddle of mud, her eyes were red and bloodshot and her face was dull and bereaved of any sign of joyfulness. She hated to see herself like this.

Tearing her eyesight away from the horrific sight, Mirassa turned around and sat on the edge of the bathtub, she was feeling queasy again. She looked around the small blue bathroom, looking at random things like, shampoo, hairbrushes, deodorants, toothbrushes, sanitary towels, soap dishes….. Wait….

Suddenly, Mirassa shot back to the last one with wide eyes. She jumped up and ran out of the bathroom towards the calendar on the wall. She ran her finger over it, counting the dates, praying the she was just being paranoid. She continued counting until she came to today's. Her eyes became distance as a new dilemma began to take over her thoughts.

"Three weeks…" she whispered. "Oh Ra, I'm three weeks late…"

Mirassa half covered her face with a hand in complete and utter shock. It made sense now, she was late, the sickness and the fact that she'd passed out a few days before. This couldn't be right though, this kind of thing would never happen to her, never. But mistakes could be made; she had to be absolutely certain.

Pulling herself together, Mirassa walked into the bathroom to clean herself up. She felt a little better after having a nice warm shower. She brushed her hair and tied it up into two plaits, letting them hang in front of her shoulders. She pulled out a pair of black dungarees and a white t-shirt to wear underneath.

Gathering her things together, Mirassa picked up her bag and swung it over her shoulder. She tiptoed down the stairs so she wasn't noticed by Maka in the kitchen. Pulling on her light jacket, she walked out of the house she had been hiding in the past week, heading towards the town center.
------------------------- in town

Mirassa spotted the place she was headed for. The pharmacy. Glancing around her, she made sure that no one she knew was about. Mirassa made her way inside, feeling somewhat out of place after being cooped up inside for so long. She spent fifteen minutes looking along the isles for the small box that could change her life forever. It turned out she had passed it several times already, but she wasn't sure if she knew it was there in the first place and chose to ignore it, or if she genuinely didn't see it.

Mirassa picked up the small box hesitantly. She never imagined that she would need to do this in her life. She picked up a few other things because she didn't want the sales assistant to think that was the only reason she came. Placing her purchases on the counter, the woman priced them all up. As soon as she had paid, Mirassa ran out of the shop. She had to get home right now.

Upon leaving the pharmacy, she bumped into someone, her shopping falling out of the bag all over the floor. Mirassa looked up, her eyes widening as she realised it as someone she knew.

"Oh im sorry, I didn't see you. Are you alright Mirassa? I heard what happened between you and Marik…" said Ishizu, her usually serious expression transforming into sympathy.

Mirassa nodded quickly in response and bent down to pick up the small box before she could see it. Ishizu however had a sharp eye. Helping Mirassa pick up the rest of her items, she leant down slightly and spoke in a hushed voice.

"Was that what I think it was…?" she asked, concealing her shock.

Her tone was so kind and sympathetic, that Mirassa couldn't help but want to confide in her. Ishizu had always been there for her since they met properly at battle city. She was the older sister she never had. Mirassa nodded again, lowering her gaze so she didn't have to look Ishizu in the eye. She felt ashamed for some reason. Ishizu sensed what she was feeling and put a hand on the younger girls shoulder in comfort.

"Come on, let's go somewhere a little more private and find out for sure ok?"

"Where are we going?" asked Mirassa worriedly. Being Marik's sister, she hoped that Ishizu wasn't taking her closer to him.

"Don't worry; I'm taking you to my home. Marik won't be there" replied Ishizu with a kind reassuring smile.

Mirassa wondered if she had any other millennium items hidden on her person as she always seemed to know what she was thinking.
--------------------------------------------------------Ishizu's apartment

Ishizu stood outside her bathroom waiting for Mirassa to finish her business. She didn't have to wait long though. Mirassa came out holding a small white stick and a piece of paper. Her face had turned a few shades lighter.

"What does it say?" asked Ishizu.

"I don't know. I can't look" replied Mirassa, pushing the items in her empty hands.

Ishizu looked at the small piece of paper, reading the details. She then looked at the small stick. Mirassa walked restlessly around Ishizu's lounge with her hands over her ears and looking down at the floor. Now that the answer was less then two meters away, she couldn't bear to find out. She had terrible butterflies in her stomach. She stopped walking around suddenly and looked up at Ishizu who was watching her carefully.

"Alright, what does it say?" Mirassa held her breath and clasped her hands together. They were sweating from her anxiousness.

"Its positive" said Ishizu. "You're pregnant Mirassa"

This news should have come as no surprise, but Mirassa couldn't quite handle it. She was pregnant? It was becoming increasingly more difficult for her to breath. Her breaths were coming out short and fast. Ishizu, recognising the signs of a panic attack, ran into the kitchen to get a brown paper bag. She placed it over Mirassa's mouth and helped her to slow her breathing to a steady rate. After a few minutes, she pulled the bag away and closed her eyes. Ishizu placed and arm around Mirassa and hugged her.

"I know this may seem frightening to you right now, but a baby is a blessing. This will be the most wonderful thing that will ever happen to you. You're going to be a mother"

"I know… it just doesn't seem like such a wonderful thing right now…"

"Then go to the doctors and have an ultrasound" suggested Ishizu.

"A what?" Mirassa was very confused right now. She had no idea what an ultrasound was.

Ishizu smiled. "It's a method doctors use so that mothers can see their babies before they're born. They can take pictures too"

The Egyptian girl was unsure. "I don't know…"

"Well I do" interrupted Ishizu. "Seeing your baby will help you come to terms with the pregnancy. Just let me call Marik and we'll go arrange an apointment…"

"No!" shouted Mirassa, possibly a little louder then she meant to. "I can't tell him just yet! I need to take this all in first"

"He should be informed" said Ishizu. "Despite your separation, he is still the baby's father"

"I know, just please give some time! I want you to promise me that you won't tell him" Mirassa looked at the older woman with a desperate expression. She gave in.

"Alright, take all the time you need to tell him, but don't leave it too long. He has the right to know"

Knowing that this was the best she was going to get from her, she accepted the terms. Mirassa rested against the back of the sofa closing her eyes. She opened them again shortly after and looked down, resting a hand on her stomach. There was no bump as of yet, but that would all change in a couple of months. She felt the sofa sink beside her. Ishizu had been watching her with a knowing smile.

"Shall we go to the doctors and get that scan then?"

"Let's go" replied Mirassa with a nod and a shaky breath.
-------------------------------------------in the doctor's room.

It hadn't been very busy at the hospital that day and because of that, they were able to get an appointment with the doctor less then an hour after arriving. Mirassa had been told to undress and put on a robe for an internal examination which she didn't care much for. She also had several tests performed to make sure that the baby was healthy. So far so good.

"Now then Mirassa. Would you care to take a seat? We will perform the ultrasound now" said the female doctor gesturing to a comfy looking chair in the middle of the room.

Mirassa had insisted that it be a woman. She didn't like the idea of a man taking care of her in this condition. Call her traditional, but at home in Egypt, men weren't involved in the pregnancy. From the time of conception to birth, it was the woman's area of expertise. She couldn't understand why men over here did this job. It wasn't like they could ever understand fully what it was like. All they did was watch and tell you what to do as if they had personal knowledge of what it entailed. No… if Mirassa was to choose someone, it had to be a woman that had experienced this herself. Just like how it would be back home.

She sat on the chair, making sure that the back of the robe was still tied up maintaining her dignity. The chair itself was surprisingly comfortable and Mirassa's face showed her approval.

"Alright then" said the doctor. "I'm just going to put some of this on your stomach. It'll help us see the baby. It's a bit cold though"

Mirassa let out a tiny yelp when the doctor touched her skin with the cold gel. Ishizu sat on the edge of the chair and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The doctor pulled a screen towards them and took out a funny looking device. Mirassa watched the doctor as she put her hand under the robe and placed the strange machine on her abdomen. She flicked a switch on the machine and suddenly an image appeared.

Mirassa was a little nervous and furrowed her brow. It was making a very strange sound and all she could see on the screen was black with bluish blobs. She squinted her eyes to get a better view.

"I can't see anything. Where is it?" asked Mirassa after a few minutes.

"Just a second…." Said the doctor as she studied the screen a little more. Her face brightened suddenly. "There it is" she smiled. She pointed to the small thing on the screen.

Mirassa stared at the blob. "What, the thing that looks like a peanut?"

"That's it" the doctor smiled again.

"What, that's my baby?"

"I'll leave you alone for a few minutes. I'll be back soon to answer any questions you may have" she said getting up and leaving the two women to scare at the screen.

Mirassa's emotions took a u-turn as she felt all her anxiousness disappear only to be replaced by an overwhelming sense of pride and happiness. She couldn't believe that there was a living thing inside her.

"That is the most beautiful blob I've ever seen…" she said, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks.

"I know…" said Ishizu. Her gaze was also fixed lovingly on the blob. "That's my nephew or niece…. Oh I can't wait until it's born! I want to spoil it!"

"Patience Ishizu, There are still at least eight months to go and there's a lot to prepare" her face fell slightly. She still had to tell Marik the news. She didn't quite feel ready to see him yet. Emotions were still too raw from the fight. How was he going to react? Would he be happy? Or would he be angry at her? Not knowing was the worst part.

Mirassa pushed all her fears and doubts to the back of her head. She still had time to break the news. Mirassa would tell Marik when she was good and ready, and not a moment before. There was someone else she needed to take care of right now. She needed to go home and eat a decent meal that would sustain herself and her baby. This past week must have been hell on the poor thing. It was no wonder she fainted. Mirassa felt guilty for having starved her child, even though it wasn't her fault, but now was her chance to make things right.

She would take care of herself properly now. After all, she had a very good reason to. She would not deprive herself of anything and would make herself eat the foods and vegetables she despised just so that her baby would be healthy and strong. She would exercise regularly and stay away from alcohol and cigarettes. She would be everything that a good mother should be.
--------------------------------------a little later

When Mirassa and Ishizu had left the hospital, all they could talk about was the baby. They were excited and it showed clearly on their faces. Mirassa smiled broadly as she thought about holding the small bundle in her arms. It was a strange sight to see Ishizu Ishtar jumping up and down on the street. It was so out of character and didn't go unnoticed.

A pair of violet eyes followed them as they walked down the street. Marik had decided to go for a walk. He was still moping from the break-up and was beginning to regret it. Since that night, he had done nothing but think about what he had said and done to her. The more he thought about it, the more he realised what a fool he had been. He knew how insecure Mirassa was. Ra he was the reason behind it! If he hadn't bullied her when they were young…

He knew that after living in Egypt, all she wanted was friends. He knew that being with him would have jeopardised whatever friendships she had with the group. He also knew that she was scared of losing people. That was the reason why she had kept their relationship quiet. She didn't meant what she said at all! She said it to prevent upsetting her friends, and kept what she said quiet from him, so he wouldn't be upset either. She just didn't want to alienate anyone. Just like she had tried to explain…

Marik wanted to find her, he needed to speak to her and beg her forgiveness. He couldn't stand being apart from her, it was eating him up inside.

Marik wandered through the streets with his hands in his pockets. Suddenly he heard a pair of familiar voices across the street. But they were too far and he couldn't make out what they were saying. He saw his sister appear from around the corner first, jumping up and down which caused him to raise an eyebrow. Since when did his sister do that? Then he saw Mirassa appear shortly after. His heart began to thump in his chest. He wanted to run over to her and talk, but his courage had left him somehow.

Marik hid himself away behind a tree, watching the two most important girls in his life as they walked along the street. He studied Mirassa as they drew closer, expecting her expression to be sad and depressed as he had been the whole week. But he was surprised, and a little hurt to see a smile on her face. He knew it was wrong, but it made him feel worse to see that she was happy.

"Has she forgotten about me already…?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 38: The Ultimate Betrayal

It had only been a few days since the visit to the doctor, but Mirassa had made a miraculous recovery. Just as she promised, she had begun to take much better care of herself. But not only did she do that, she also decided to become more independent and get a place of her own. Maka was rather shocked to say the least when she heard this announcement, but didn't object. She just couldn't understand the sudden change of heart.

Mirassa sat in her bedroom, flicking through various newspapers, magazines and brochures to find a decent place that was big enough for her and the baby, but nothing seemed to call out to her. She still hadn't told Marik the news that she was pregnant. It was proving to be a lot more difficult then she imagined, not that she thought it would be easy in the first place mind.

"Every single time I go to tell him, I get scared that he'll yell at me again" she thought dejectedly. "But if I don't tell him soon, then Ishizu will, but then maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she told him… at least he'll have had time to cool down…if he gets angry that is, or maybe he'll be happy…" she just didn't know.

Mirassa reached into her drawer and pulled out the tiny picture of the baby for the millionth time this morning. She smiled warmly at the little person, tracing its shape with her thumb before standing up and looking at herself in the mirror. She turned sideways and lifted her shirt up to see if she had a bump yet. She didn't, she was only five weeks after all.

Suddenly, Mirassa felt another bout of morning sickness wash over her. She dashed over to the bathroom and only just made it, emptying her stomach contents down the toilet. Her child was making itself known now. Mirassa had never felt so sick before in her life then she had these last few days! After a few minutes of heaving, she was finally beginning to feel better. This morning had been a nightmare! Every five minutes she had to vomit! She was starting to get a sore throat from the acidic nastiness.

"I don't know if I can handle much more of this" she thought, sighing to herself as she brushed her teeth to rid herself of the after taste left in her mouth. "I think I need some fresh air"

---------------------- in town

Mirassa strolled through the streets of domino. It was a very nice day today. Summer had finally made an appearance and she was determined to make the most of it. She had decided to wear something light as the temperature seemed to affect her more now these days. She wore a white vest top and long floaty skirt. On her feet she wore a pair of white sandals and just for good measure; she decided to wear her Egyptian jewellery. They had been in the back of her wardrobe and seemed to be calling out to be worn.

As Mirassa walked, she passed by the park, watching all the people take advantage of the sunshine. The park was pretty crowded so she decided to avoid walking through it as there were a sea of topless men and women getting a tan. Mirassa didn't fancy tiptoeing amongst them. Knowing her luck, she would trip and fall on someone and break their back.

She walked further along, her eyes resting on the bench that she and Marik had so many times sat upon whilst gazing out into the sea, or sometimes just forgot where they were and simply made out on it. Mirassa's casual thoughts changed from the weather to that of her past lover. She felt herself becoming more and more upset as memories of their break-up flashed though her mind. She tried to forget about Marik, but she just couldn't. All she could think about was how happy they had been before all this aggro. She couldn't stand not being with him…

"I wonder if he's still angry with me…" she thought. "Heh… Of course he is. He hasn't called me or even tried to get in contact. I really miss him…" bump!

"Watch where you're goin lady!" gruffed the man Mirassa had bumped into.

"Sorry…" she apologized meekly, speeding up to a fast pace so as to get away from the hustle and bustle.

She wasn't even aware of where she was going. The next thing she knew, she was outside the museum. Mirassa looked up at the grand building, letting out a shaky sigh.

"I may as well get it over with" she said out loud, walking up the steps and inside, towards the Egyptian exhibit.

------------------- five minutes earlier

Marik sat at Ishizu's desk, face down in a pile of paper work, linking paperclips and flicking pins across the room. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to work right now. All he wanted to do was see Mirassa and sort out this mess he had made. He couldn't imagine his life without her. Ever since she came into his life, everything that had happened (with the exception of his evil Yami) had been good. He knew things weren't going to get better with him just sitting here.

Just as he made his resolve to get up and do something, Ishizu and Odion walked into the office stepping on a few of the pins Marik had flicked on the floor.

"Owwwww!" cried Ishizu as she hopped across the room on one foot, trying to get the pins out of the bottom of her thinly lined shoes. Odion had been lucky and come in behind her, stepping over the pointy objects and saving himself injury.

Marik got up from his seat and dashed over to see if his sister was alright. "Im sorry Ishizu! I was going to pick them up! I was just a little preoccupied…"

"That's alright" groaned Ishizu, pulling the last one out and throwing it in the bin as it was all bent now and couldn't be used again. "What were you thinking about? Was it Mirassa?" she lifted her eyebrow knowingly.

Marik smiled. He couldn't hide anything from her. "Yeah…" he said softly.

"That 'yeah' sounds like a good thing. Are you going to go see her?" asked Odion hopefully.

Marik closed his eyes and thought for a second. Apart, he was miserable and pining for her. But together, he was happy and had all he ever wanted within reaching distance. Weighing up the options, the second looked more appealing and sensible. Looking up to meet his family's gaze, he nodded.

"Yes. I'm going to make up with her. I just hope she'll have me back after what I called her…"

"She will, trust me. Now hurry up and go see her" Ishizu pushed her brother towards the door.

"What about the paper work?" asked Marik looking back at the desk.

"Forget it. You won't be able to concentrate until you've spoken to her and besides, this is far more important"

Ishizu watched Marik's retreating form as he ran through the museum halls. She looked at Odion with a smile.

"What is it?" he asked in confusion. "And why did you send Marik now? It's not like Miss Mirassa is going anywhere. He can talk to her anytime. We could have prepared something special" said Odion.

Ishizu was practically sitting on her hands. She was bursting to tell someone. She had never had such a secret to keep before in her life. It was something she just wanted to tell everyone. She thought about it some more. Odion 'was' family, and he very good at keeping secrets. He was a trustworthy man, someone she was proud to call her brother. Her mind was made up.

"If I tell you, don't say anything to Marik. Promise me?"

He bowed his head. "I promise"

"Mirassa's pregnant" she smiled. Watching the man opposite her stare in shock before breaking out into a huge smile.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I was with Mirassa when she found out. I took her to have a scan. We saw the baby Odion. That is why it is so important they get together again"

"Yes" said Odion still smiling. He couldn't believe that Marik was going to be a father. He was overjoyed for him. he was about to reply when they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

---------------------------- inside museum with Mirassa

Mirassa slowly made her way towards Ishizu's office where she knew Marik would be working. She stared at the door as she approached, feeling herself sweat slightly from anxiety. She heard hushed voices inside and nervously raised a hand to knock. This was it. She was going to tell Marik now and take whatever he threw at her.

She knocked on the door and the talking stopped. She waited for a few seconds before coming face to face with Odion. She looked past him and saw Ishizu sitting on her desk. There was no sign of Marik being here. She let out the breath she had been holding, thankful for the slightly extended time before she broke the news to him.

"Hello Odion, Ishizu. Is Marik here? I need to speak to him about 'something'..."

"He just went out looking for you five minutes ago" said Ishizu. "He may be going to your house. Try there, if he comes back, we'll tell him you're looking for him and send him over"

"Thank you" said Mirassa bowing her head slightly, leaving the two to their previous discussion.

-------------------------on the way to Mirassa's house


Marik jogged through the town in the scorching heat. He regretted not taking his bike with him. That way the wind would have cooled him down as he rode to Mirassa's house. Beads of sweat began to soak his shirt, making it cling to his chest. Running was also a bad idea. His hair was dripping and he was feeling very uncomfortable. He stopped for a second to undo the buttons of his shirt and flapped them, trying to gather enough breeze to cool himself.

"What's the matter darlin?" asked a husky female voice from behind him.

Marik turned around with a raised eyebrow. In front of him stood a young woman with bleach blonde hair and very heavy makeup. She wore a very tight bikini pushing her cleavage up and a mini skirt showing off her white legs. She looked at the Egyptians exposed chest hungrily and slowly began walking towards him. Marik frowned at her as she approached.

"Look lady, whatever it is you want, I can't give it to you. I'm in a hurry to be somewhere" said Marik growing tired of her constant stares and antics.

"I'll bet you are" she purred.

He grabbed her hand and threw it away from him as she tried to touch his chest. This girl was despicable! Flirting with some guy she didn't even know! He couldn't stand her touch; there was something dirty about her, almost as if she had been around the block too many times already. Is this how Mirassa felt when he kept trying to feel her up when he first kidnapped her?

Marik was just about to shout at the girl to leave him alone when he found himself being pushed backwards onto the grass under a tree. He couldn't believe how shameless this girl was! He was having a very difficult time trying to keep her at arms length. Just as he succeeded prying her off him, she somehow managed to wriggle free and grab him again. She bent down and kissed Marik full on the lips and wrapping her arms around his neck making Marik open his eyes wide in surprise.

The blonde saw a brief chance and straddled him, pulling his shirt open as she tried to deepen the kiss further in an attempt to seduce him. She was sure he would give in. After all, how could he not resist her charms? He had been dating Mirassa after all! And she was nowhere near as beautiful as her! Her chances of succeeding were very good indeed.

After a few seconds, Marik saw red. He'd never wanted to raise a hand to a woman so much in his life! With all the restraint he could muster, he pushed her away from him, looking up at her with the intention of teaching her a lesson. Suddenly, out the corner of his eye, he saw a figure dressed in white watching them. He was about to tell whoever it was to keep walking and mind their own business, until he realised who it was…

--------------------- Mirassa's Pov

Mirassa felt her heart break in two as she stared at the compromising position the two were in. When she had first approached and seen them kissing on the ground, she figured it was just some young couple getting closer to each other, when she recognised the man beneath the girl, her stomach turned.

They had barely separated and already he was seeing someone else. And Lena Harrison of all people! She wasn't happy with her own boyfriends so she had to go and steal someone else's! Anuket stared at Marik, her eyes filling with tears. He pushed Lena away from him and looked at her with what she saw as lustful eyes before turning his attention back onto her, the onlooker. The expression on his face changed the moment he set eyes on her. As if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

The tears began to pour down her face as she realised that Marik hadn't changed at all. He was a player and used her just for sex, but now he was tired of her and had decided to move onto new pastures. He treated her like a piece of meat, like she was worthless. Just like in Egypt all those years ago.

She gave him her innocence, with the dream that they would be together forever. But now she could see that was never going to happen. This man disgusted her. His attitude, his lies, his deceit. She hated him with all her being. There was no way Mirassa was going to expose her child to his influence. She would protect it from that monster. Mirassa turned on her heel and ran away from Marik. She was all alone now…

------------------------ Marik's Pov

Marik stared after Mirassa in distress. The hurt expression on her face ate him up inside. He felt so guilty even though he had done nothing wrong. He had to explain what had happened. Marik tried to get up, but there was a weight on his lap. The girl was still sitting there smirking at him.

"Now where were we?" she whispered leaning in for another kiss.

Marik couldn't contain his anger. He grabbed the girl and threw her away from him onto the pavement. She landed awkwardly and banged her face on the concrete, grazing it slightly. Marik was furious. This girl had taken away his future with Mirassa. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her towards the park. Lena begged for him to let her go, making everyone in the park turn their attention towards them. Marik wasn't fazed by this. He approached the small cliff that over looked the ocean.

Seeing what Marik was thinking, Lena began to scream for help. Marik clapped a hand over her mouth and lifted her up and over the rail, letting her fall into the cold water below. He watched her flounder around for a few seconds before running off to find Mirassa. He had to set things right.

------------------------ Mirassa's house

Mirassa raced into the house, running past Maka and locked herself in her room. She threw herself on the bed and began to cry uncontrollably. How could this happen to her? what had she done to make the gods so angry that they would punish her like this? she had just rebuilt her life, everything was perfect. What went wrong?

After a few minutes, Mirassa heard a loud knock on the door. "Yes?" she asked, her hurt showing in her voice.

"Miri, it's me! You have to let me explain" shouted Marik on the other side.

Mirassa was stunned that Maka would let him in after they broke up. even though she never told her the extent of what Marik had said.

"Go away Ishtar! I have nothing to say to you! Why don't you go back to Lena! You looked like you were having a great time with her!"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about!" tried Marik. "It's not what you think! She just came onto me! I was coming to see you!"

"She just came onto you!" repeated Mirassa in disbelief. "You could have pushed her away anytime! It's not like she's a body builder! You let her kiss you and I think you only pushed her away when you did because you saw me!" shouted Mirassa through the door. "I saw her running her hands all over you! You did nothing to stop her! You were enjoying it!"

"That's not fair!" defended Marik. "I didn't do anything wrong! I came to see you but she caught me by surprise along the way! Ishizu let me leave work early so I could see you!"

"Did she now! I bet you told her that so you could meet up secretly with that cow! You can't hide anything from me! I hate you! Leave me alone! I never want to see you again!"

Marik was shocked. "You don't mean that..."

"Don't I? Ever since I met you my life has gone from bad to worse! You have always been the source of my grief, making me feel worthless! Well I won't put up with it anymore! I want to sever all ties with you. I just want to forget you…"

"Miri, please" begged Marik.

"Don't call me that! Only my friends can and you do not fall into that category. Just leave Marik! Leave me alone and never bother me again!"

There was a silence on the other side of the door. Marik couldn't believe it. Mirassa had completely rejected him. She didn't want to hear any excuses from him, even if they were the truth. She'd had enough heartache to last a million lifetimes. He couldn't blame her for wanting to see the back of him. Feeling defeated, Marik bowed his head, his bangs hanging over his eyes that were shining with unshed tears.

"Alright, I'll leave you alone. If that's what you really want. I know it won't mean much to you, but I truly am sorry for all the pain I've caused you"

He turned around in the hallway and down the stairs passing a sympathetic Maka along the way. She looked at him with trusting eyes. She overheard the argument and believed every word he said. She didn't believe that he would do something like this. Not to Mirassa, he loved her too much.

"Marik, you should try and talk to her again" she urged. "Don't give up yet. You can still save your relationship. You two were meant to be together"

Marik smiled at her kind words but shook his head. "She doesn't want to see me Maka. She's made that perfectly clear. I don't want her to be upset anymore because of me. She told me to leave her alone. I will do this last thing for her"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 39: Departure

"What are you doing?" asked Maka frantically after she saw Marik out the door. She returned to see Mirassa lugging a huge suitcase downstairs, messily stuffed with her belongings.

"Im going back home to Egypt" replied Mirassa plainly. "I don't want to be around Marik anymore, this is the only way I can be sure I won't run into him again"

"Don't be ridiculous Miri! You can't go home! You have a new life now! You have to talk to Marik again! I don't believe that he would do such a thing! There must be a simple explanation" she tried to reason.

"I don't need to talk to him. It is perfectly obvious he knew what he was doing with that snake. His shirt was undone and he was letting her touch him AND he looked like he was enjoying it! If I had done that with another man he would have killed me! But it's alright for him because he's a male, superior to me in every single way" finished Mirassa bitterly.

She dragged the heavy suitcase to the doorway and let it rest before she walked into the lounge, looking for the last minute essentials. She spent a few minutes looking around for her purse. She was going to need it on the long journey home. Her search was interrupted by Maka who came up behind her and gave her a hug.

"If you're going to go back home, then I will come with you" she said. "I can't let you travel alone"

"You can't!" Mirassa said quickly. "Father will kill you the moment you set foot there. He claims to have forgiven me, we'll find out, but he still considers you to be the reason I left in the first place. I don't want anything to happen to you, please! You know what he's like!"

Maka sighed. She knew Mirassa was right. Her father would want to blame someone for this. Not his daughter as he was just happy to have her back, but she, a servant, would do fine. Maka was no longer needed as Mirassa was now all grown up. She didn't need a nanny anymore.

"Are you sure you don't want to try and talk to Marik?" she asked, hoping Mirassa would change her mind. "I know you're upset right now, but I think that deep down you still really want to be with him. You love each other"

"Correction, we 'loved' each other, and I'm sure Maka. Thank you, but I don't need him…"

"And what about the baby?" pressed Maka. "A child needs its father"

Mirassa looked up in shock. "W-what? What did you just say?" did that woman miss anything?

Maka smiled. "Oh come now Miri. I've seen enough pregnant women im my time to recognise the symptoms. I was there when your grandmother gave birth to your mother, and when your mother gave birth to you. Personally, I'd love to be there when you give birth to your own child. You haven't told him yet have you?"

"I don't want Marik to know" said Mirassa suddenly. "I don't want it growing up to be like him"

"Don't be silly! Marik would love that child to bits. He would never teach it bad habits. You know he wouldn't"

"I don't want to take the risk" said Mirassa, resuming the search for her purse.

Maka sighed and gave in. she knew there was no point in arguing. Mirassa was being stubborn. She would realise before long how ridiculous this plan was. She just hoped she would figure it out before it was too late.

------------------------- later

Mirassa had eventually found her purse and packed the rest of her belongings neatly (thanks to Maka going through the suitcase again). She had phoned the airport to reserve a ticket to Cairo this evening, which wasn't cheap due to the fact that it was a last minute booking. This way at least she could spend time with Maka before leaving. She had phoned for a taxi to pick her up, leaving her with nothing to do except wait for the hours to tick by.

Mirassa and Maka walked slowly through the town. There was no point in shopping. Mirassa wouldn't be able to keep anything once she got home. Her father would see to that. They went to a nice restaurant to get something to eat, but neither of them had much of an appetite. As the time drew nearer to Mirassa's departure, she began to get upset and bleary eyed. She hadn't lived here all that long, but the time she had spent here, she'd thoroughly enjoyed it.

She had made friends, and even had somewhat of an education, something she would never have had back home. She had had so much freedom it would be difficult to go back to how it was before, but it would be worth it in the end, wouldn't it?

They returned home with only half an hour to spare before the taxi arrived. They spent that time sitting on the couch, hugging each other goodbye. The time seemed to fly by, because before she knew it, Mirassa was pulling her suitcase along to the boot of the car and strapping herself inside, but not before giving Maka one last embrace.

Maka tearfully kissed her on the cheek, having to be prised off the young girl for fear of missing her flight.

"You still have your phone?" asked Maka.

"Yes I do, I'll call you every day, I promise" said Mirassa. "Unless father finds it" she laughed in a hollow tone. "But that wont happen, I'll switch it on silent and hide it under my dress. He won't go looking for it there. If he did, I'd be very worried"

"What about the battery?" asked Maka.

"Oh yeah, I forgot…" said Mirassa, embarrassed she'd forgotten about something as important as that. "I'm sure there will be a spell somewhere to fix things like that. I'll have a look when I get back"

The taxi driver huffed impatiently drawing their attention. "I have to go now" said Mirassa tearfully, opening the door. "I love you"

"I love you too, very much" replied Maka, her eyes overflowing with sadness that she would never see her again. "Take care"

Mirassa looked back through the window as the driver pulled away from her home. this was it.

------------------------------ Marik's place

"What?" asked Ishizu unbelievingly. "How did this happen?"

Marik explained the ugly scenario to his brother and sister, both of which grew angry at how this 'woman' could do such a thing. Had she no pride in herself? Marik went on to give explanation on how he had tried to talk to Mirassa about what had happened, with no success.

"Mirassa hates me" said Marik. "She said she doesn't want anything to do with me and told me never to talk to her again"

"You're not going actually do that are you?" asked Ishizu. "Not talk to her I mean"

"Yes" said Marik, his voice barely above a whisper. "If that's what she wants, then I'll do it. I just want her to be happy…"

"STOP BEING SUCH AN IDIOT!" shouted Ishizu, catching both males off guard. Odion nearly jumped out of his skin and Marik almost fell off his chair.

"What?" stammered Marik.

"Get up" she ordered, grabbing Marik by the arm and dragging him out the door. "You are coming with me to see Mirassa. Honestly! You two are being ridiculous! It's obvious that you are meant to be together! Why do you both insist on making this difficult?"

She ordered Marik inside the backseat of the car waiting outside, Odion jumping into the driver's seat not wishing to be on the end of Ishizu's wrath. After about fifteen minutes, they arrived at Mirassa's house. Marik followed behind Ishizu as she walked up to the door. She rang the doorbell and waited for an answer. She was met face to face with an old woman.

"Hello, my name is Ishizu. Is Mirassa here? Im here to sort these two stubborn children out and make them see sense" said Ishizu with a no nonsense air about her.

The old woman looked up in surprise. "You're here to see Mirassa?" she repeated.

"Yes, where is she? Can we see her?" asked Ishizu.

Maka invited the Ishtar's into the lounge and offered them a seat which they took. Marik was looking very uncomfortable as he had been here only a few hours before, but was inwardly hoping that his sister's sudden change in personality would bring him and his Mirassa together again.

"Why do you want to see her?" asked Maka curiously.

"These two have been acting like children for long enough. This whole break up is nonsense! They are going to be together and like it! And if not, that's too bad for them" said Ishizu looking Marik in the eye.

Maka felt somewhat relieved. Finally, there was a chance that Mirassa could come home again. But then again, there was that little problem off her being at the airport right now.

"She isn't here" said Maka. "But if you really want to see her, then you have to move now. She's on her way back home to Egypt"

"Egypt?" repeated Marik in surprise. "Why would she go there? Does she really hate me that much?"

"No, of course not. She's just upset, but if you go now, you may still be able to catch her before she reaches home. If you do that, you may be able to bring her back. If her father finds out you're not together, knowing him, he may try and find another husband for her"

"Like hell he will!" shouted Marik possessively. "She's mine! I love her!"

"Then tell her that and convince her to come home again!" cried Maka. "You'll find out soon enough Marik, but it is very important you do make up with her" she caught Ishizu's eye, they both nodded in acknowledgment.

Marik missed the last comment, too caught up in his own anger to realise there was a hidden message there. There was no way he was going to lose Mirassa to another man! He stood up and bolted to the door. Odion and Ishizu following close behind and got in after him. Marik took the keys from his brother and started up the engine. Driving wildly, he somehow managed to get back to his apartment in less then five minutes and without being stopped by the police.

He grabbed a small bag and piled in the bare essentials before running out to the car again. Odion and Ishizu didn't need to pack as they weren't going. They knew that Marik needed to do this on his own, and were confident that this time, he would succeed.

----------------------- at the airport

Marik rushed through the queues at the airport, finally getting himself a ticket on the next flight to Cairo. He somehow, after much hassle, found the place where he was supposed to be. He hated airports, that's why he didn't like to fly all that often. Luckily for him though, this would be Mirassa's first time, and she would be on her own. Hopefully she would be finding it difficult too which would slow her down somewhat.

After much waiting and delays, the stewards finally allowed the passengers to board. Once he was in his seat, Marik began to fiddle with all the things around him. He couldn't stand the wait. He almost shouted to the airhostess that he knew the drill if there ever was an emergency and just get the plane in the air already.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally took off. It would be a few hours before they arrived in Egypt so Marik tried to take his mind off things by getting a few snacks. But it didn't work; all he could think about was what he was going to say to Mirassa when he saw her. He didn't have a clue. Marik just hoped that the right words would come out when he needed them.

--------------------------- on another plane

Mirassa clung to her seat, her gaze anywhere but out the window. She hated the takeoff, but the landings were even worse! She could have sworn the airport had just hired a bus driver from off the streets. Her stomach flopped as they touched the runway, her grip on the seat loosening. There was no way she was going to do that again. She watched as the airport came into view. The sign above her seat indicated that it was fine to remove her safety belt. Grabbing her hand luggage, she followed the rest of the passengers out the plane and onto the platform.

She took in the fresh clean air, feeling strange to be in her homeland again after all this time. Mirassa never realised how much she had missed it until now. But then again, now that she thought about it, she was beginning to miss everyone in Japan too. Everyone she loved was there, her friends, Maka, Marik…

"Stop thinking like that!" she scolded herself. "You don't want to be involved with him any more remember?"

Mirassa walked into the airport and waited for her luggage to arrive. She didn't realise it at the time, but it had passed her three times already. Her thoughts were on something else entirely. She couldn't help but feel there was something wrong. Was she too hard on Marik before? He said that he hadn't done anything wrong, that he had remained faithful to her. Now that she thought about it, that hadn't been the first time Lena had done something like this. Had she been so blinded that she had misjudged the man she loved? Was she sure that was lust on Marik's face when he had pulled away from Lena? She wasn't sure anymore. It was different from the lustful looks he had given her whilst they made love. Maybe she had gotten it wrong, maybe Marik had been telling the truth all along.

Mirassa didn't know what to do. A part of her wanted to go back to Domino and make up with Marik, but other part of her told her to stick to the plan and stay away from him. After realising she was the only one standing there, Mirassa took the only suitcase on the conveyor and made her way to the gate to find herself a way of getting back home.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 40: Loving Reunions

Mirassa pushed through the crowd; trying to find someone that she could get a ride from into the desert. It wasn't as easy as she thought it would be, but after a while she found someone willing to do it. For a hefty fee of course. No one got anything for free out here.

"Is there no one in this world that isn't obsessed with money?" she thought in frustration as she handed over the money.

She packed her belongings into the car and strapped herself into the front seat, safe in the knowledge that if he tried anything funny, she would be able to put him in his place by using a spell she had memorised for just such an occasion of travelling alone. She was lucky that she grew up in her father's clan.

The man climbed in beside her, and drove off into the desert, the rocky ground leaving a trail of dust as they headed towards the sandy wasteland.

--------------------- Marik pov

Marik's eyes widened as his violet gaze focused on a car speeding towards the desert. He was certain that the girl sitting in the front seat was Mirassa. He kept chanting to himself for her to look his way, to see him and stop the car, but no such luck. At least he knew he was in for a very good chance of catching up with her. Now all he had to do was get a ride, and he knew just the place…

--------------------- a few hours later

"Almost there" thought Mirassa as she saw a familiar sight in the distance. It was the oasis.

It didn't take long to arrive at the designated destination. The man pulled up to the pool of water and got out of the drivers seat. He pulled Mirassa's luggage out of the boot and dumped it on the hot sand. He pulled away the moment Mirassa was out of the car, and left her alone.

"What a nice man" she muttered sarcastically at his rudeness.

She walked over to her bags and pulled them into the shade of one of the palm trees surrounding the blue oasis. Mirassa opened one and reached in to pull out on of her traditional Egyptian dresses her father used to make her wear. She knew that she was the only person here, but she still hid behind a tree to change. She felt a little silly, but one could never be too careful. When she was finished, she stuffed her old clothes back into the suitcase, before pulling out some jewellery to compliment her outfit.

It was a white top that hung on her shoulders, with long baggy sleeves. The back extended past her waist, leaving her stomach revealed at the front. Her skirt hung on her hips nicely and had a sash decorated with gold trim on the front.

Mirassa kneeled down next to the oasis and looked at her reflection staring back at her, the sadness in those green orbs very apparent. She found herself sitting there, as if waiting for something to happen. It was ridiculous; she was only postponing the inevitable. In the long run it would only make going home harder for her. Mirassa didn't even know why she was hesitating, it's not like anything good would happen if she did.

"What difference will waiting make?" she asked rhetorically to herself, tears falling from her emerald eyes.

"It could make all the difference in the world" said a soft male voice from behind her.

Mirassa stood up and spun around in shock. She focused her eyes to see the man standing before her. It was Marik…. He was wearing nothing but a black kilt that fell to his ankles. His jewellery shone in the sunlight as he approached her, his hair blowing in the slight breeze. Mirassa felt like she should be angry at him, but she wasn't. In fact, she felt relieved…

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

"I wanted to see you" he replied. "I had to make things right between us"

Mirassa said nothing as he came right up to her and took her hand in his own. He stroked it lightly with his thumb.

"First, I wanted to tell you that I didn't do anything with that girl. I swear I didn't. I'd never seen her before in my life"

His tone of voice was honest and desperate for her to believe him. He waited for Mirassa's response, feeling dread wash over him as she hesitated to speak.

"I know…" she replied softly. "I believe you. I should have trusted you from the start instead of losing my temper and jumping to conclusions"

Mirassa leaned forward and buried her face in Marik's chest. "I feel ashamed I even thought you would do something like that…" salty tears fell onto his bronze skin.

Marik wrapped his arms around her tightly in comfort. "I would never do anything like that to you, I promise. I love you far too much for that"

Mirassa laughed lightly, wiping away her tears. "You still love me after all this?" She asked. "I thought you'd be glad to be rid of me"

"Why would you think that?" asked Marik, kissing the top of her head and breathing in her heavenly scent. "There's nothing you can say or do that will change the way I feel about you my little lotus" he said lovingly.

"I love you" whispered Mirassa. "I'm sorry…"

"For what? Let's just put it all behind us and make a fresh start" said Marik. "And while we're here, we can see your father about that marriage contract. What do you say we ask him about it? I think I'm ready to take you on full time"

Mirassa looked up at Marik in shock. "You want us to get married?"

"Yes" he replied looking down at her. "I want us to be together for the rest of our lives and I want to show everyone that you are mine. I thought that if you told your father about us splitting up, he'd try and find someone else for you. Just the thought of you being with someone else makes my blood boil. That's mainly the reason why I followed you here"

Mirassa averted her eyes a little. "I don't think my father would give me to anyone. Not now…"

"What do you mean?" asked Marik confused.

"Well, you and I have already… been together…" she said, blushing slightly.

"Well, that may be, but im certain that wouldn't stop him, you know that. You're still in a position to be given to someone else. There's nothing wrong with you. You're beautiful, healthy, strong." Marik continued. "A perfect specimen for a wife in your father's opinion"

Mirassa looked up at him for a few seconds. She realised it was time to tell him.

"That's not entirely true. Im not a perfect specimen as you put it. As far as I'm aware, if I were to marry someone else, I'm certain he wouldn't be too pleased to know I was carrying another mans child…"

Mirassa held her breath as she waited for Marik to take in this information. He stared at her, his mouth hanging slightly. He shook his head to bring him back down to reality.

"Excuse me? What did you just say?" he asked his voice slightly hoarse. "That last part about… you know"

Mirassa looked up at Marik. His face was a mixture of different emotions. She gathered her courage to tell him in a straightforward manner.

"I'm having a baby Marik" said Mirassa plainly, meeting his gaze. There was silence.

Mirassa looked at him, expecting to see him angry and upset, but to her relief, he was the complete opposite. Marik was ecstatic! He grinned to himself, completely lost in his own little world. He couldn't believe it. All this time that they had been arguing, she had been pregnant. How could he have been so careless? If Ishizu hadn't taken the initiative to push him into making up with her, then he would have lost them both forever.

He felt something touch his arm softly. Bringing his attention back to the small woman in front of him, no, the mother of his child. He liked the sound of that. Marik scooped Mirassa up into his arms and swung her around in the air. He brought her down just as fast as he lifted her up and began to kiss her ferociously. After recovering from the shock, Mirassa melted into the kiss and responded just as passionately. It had been a long time since they had been together like this.

When Marik finally pulled away, Mirassa was able to speak to him. "Does that mean you're happy about it?" she asked, smiling back at him.

"Of course I'm happy!" he replied. "I'm going to be a father! We're going to be parents! I can't believe it!"

Marik lowered his hand and touched Mirassa's stomach. "How far along are you?" he asked.

"Six weeks" she replied. "I have a picture of it. Do you want to see?" asked Mirassa.

Marik nodded and smiled. Mirassa reached into her dress and pulled out a slightly worn piece of paper. It was getting rough around the edges from being looked at so often. She held it out for Marik to see. He scanned the image with his violet eyes, trying to get a glimpse of the baby. Mirassa, seeing the trouble he was in, pointed it out to him.

"It's only this big" she said, showing Marik with her thumb and index finger the size it would currently be inside her.

"It's tiny…" he whispered, gazing in awe at the image. "Well…" he continued, giving it back to Mirassa. "This is another reason why we should get married. We now have a little one on the way. I want it to be born in wedlock. I want to be able to provide for it properly"

Mirassa smiled warmly at him. Marik had wanted to marry her before he found out about the baby, and now he knew, he still wanted to stand by her. He was very excited about it, that much was obvious. She knew that everything would be okay. He loved her and wanted to take care of her. He wanted to be able to call her his wife, and she wanted to be able to call him her husband. She could think of no reason why they shouldn't marry. Everything was perfect.

"Let's go and see my father then" said Mirassa happily. "He will begin to make arrangements as soon as possible"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Konekodemon]

Chapter 41: The Father in Law

Mirassa walked over to her luggage that sat under the palm trees, her fingers linked with Marik's, pulling him along behind her. She was so happy that they were together again. A heavy weight had been lifted the moment she set eyes on him, standing there in his traditional Egyptian garb. Mirassa had dreaded coming home, not because it would mean returning to her old life, but because of her father. Even though he claimed to have forgiven her for running away from her 'duties', she had a feeling that he would still be a little… upset with her, to put it mildly.

Marik saw the thoughtful expression on Mirassa's face, and guessed that she was nervous. 'That reminds me…' he thought suddenly. Marik stopped in his tracks which in turn made Mirassa stop as she was pulling him along.

"Before we actually go inside, I think we'd better get our story straight" he said.

"What story?" asked Mirassa in confusion. What was he talking about?

Marik gestured for her to take a seat by the oasis. They walked over to it and sat so that their feet touched the cool water. Marik put an arm around her waist and rested both hands on her currently flat stomach, making a soothing rubbing motion. He smiled as he thought about the tiny infant inside her that would be arriving in less than eight months time. He still couldn't believe that he was going to be father. He should have known that Mirassa would fall pregnant sooner or later after the many intimate times they had spent together. He smiled at how naïve she could be.

Mirassa was still very new to the modern world and didn't know much about conception. She didn't even know what it meant, never heard of the word even. He doubted she even knew now. Marik wondered what she would say to him if he told her about condoms and other birth control methods. Would she be angry that he never volunteered this information before she slept with him? He couldn't say for sure. All he knew now was that he was glad they didn't.

"Marik? What story?" she repeated, bringing Marik out of his reverie.

He looked down at her and remembered what he was about to say to her.

"Yes, sorry. The last time I came here was to talk to your father. To tell him the truth about… our past. You remember the letter I gave you?"

Mirassa nodded. "How could I forget?"

"Well, the reason why he forgave you was because he thought you and I was in contact all these years and decided to be together … ahead of schedule…."

Mirassa stared at Marik in surprise. "You told him what?"

"Your father is a very proud man" explained Marik. "A fact you know all too well. He would never forgive you if he knew you ran off to get away from marrying me" he stopped speaking. He didn't want her to know this, but it was necessary so that she didn't tell the man something she shouldn't.

"You lied to him...?" she asked quietly feeling a little betrayed. Marik had told her that her father had forgiven her. But it was based on a complete lie.

"I had to…" Marik explained. "Believe me, when I first arrived, I tried to talk to him to see what his character was like, to see if he could handle the truth. I could see after a few moments of speaking that he wouldn't budge, so I altered the truth slightly, about you running away I mean. I told him we had been sending secret letters to each other and had fallen in love in the last year. I also told him that I was the one that convinced you to come to me. He doesn't know that you and I met months after you disappeared or that you couldn't stand to be in the same room as me…"

Marik lifted Mirassa's chin up so he could look her in the eye. "I had to tell you this. You might have said something that contradicted what I told him. I don't want you to be alienated from your family. You're not the type to just leave the people you've lived with your whole life and not care about them…"

He let this information sink in before beginning to speak again. Her expression was unreadable. It worried him. What did she think if him now? Was she going to be angry?

"Believe me Mirassa; I only did this because I wanted you and your father to make up. If you don't, you will regret it for the rest of your life. You two may have had your differences in the past, but he is the only father you have. You will never know how important your family is until you lose them…." Marik bowed his head, memories flooding back to him.

"He does love you" Marik said again. "He just finds it hard to show you because that's the way he is. Please don't hate me…"

Mirassa looked up at Marik suddenly. "I don't hate you Marik! I never could! What you did, you did it for me. You made the effort to bring my father and I closer together and that is a big part of why I love you so much"

She put both her hands on his face and kissed him on the lips. She gazed into his violet orbs, whispering soothingly to him. "Don't you dare apologize. You have done nothing wrong. If you hadn't done this, then I don't know where I would be right now. I could never have come back here not knowing if my father would forgive me or not"

Mirassa buried her face into Marik's chest and wrapped her arms around his torso. "In fact, because of this, I'm surer then ever that I want to marry you…"

They sat in a tight embrace for what seemed like an eternity. Mirassa felt upset at first when he told her what had happened, but after Marik explained the reason behind his actions, she knew he only did it because he loved her. She felt sorry for him as he had never got the chance to patch things up with his own father, who was cruelly taken away from him, unknowingly by his own hands. Even though it wasn't his fault, he still had nightmares about it.

Marik was right. Without her family she would only be half the person she was now. She needed them in her life; no matter how annoying or uncaring they appeared to be. Family was too precious to just brush under the carpet. Now it was her turn to look after him, to make those horrible dreams stop. They had so much to look forward to now. Things were finally beginning to go right for them and she was not about to let it go. Not for anything. They would make a new family, and it could only begin by talking to her father.

"Come on, lets go" she said, pulling away from Marik. He watched her as she made to pick up her suitcases.

"What are you doing?" he scolded her.

She turned around and looked at him in confusion. "I'm getting my bags" she replied. It should have been fairly obvious.

Marik walked past her and picked them up himself. "Not in your condition. You might strain yourself. I don't want you lifting anything heavy. You are going to relax and take it easy until the baby is born. You'll wish you had. I hear they can be a bit of a handful" he smirked, motioning for Mirassa to follow him with a tilt of the head.

"Yeah, like you'll know" she said. "You won't be the one that has to change it or get up at all hours to feed it. The only thing that will be hard for you is to have to hear about it"

"Don't worry sweetheart. You think I won't be involved? I'm not about to do what my father did to me. I'll help you in whatever way I can to make it easier for you. That's a promise" said Marik light heartedly

"I'll have to hold you to that" smiled Mirassa, thankful that she had someone as special as him.
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The young couple, after searching around a few minutes, eventually found the entrance to the Heka clan's underground home. Mirassa brushed aside the sand that had covered the trap door from a sandstorm that had probably occurred a day or so before. She opened it up, revealing a long staircase, very much like the tombkeepers had. She looked own into the darkness and turned to look at Marik. He knew she wanted him to go first.

He lifted up the bags with relative ease and began the long descent into the seemingly endless passages and corridors. They reached the bottom to see a long hallway. The walls were painted with rich and colourful designs depicting all kinds of myths and legends of ancient Egypt. Marik studied them with fascination.

"Wow... I wish my home had been as colourful as this… this is incredible…" he said in awe even though he had seen them before. The hieroglyphics in his home were worn and showed age. Here however, they looked as though they had only just been painted.

"The only reason why these hieroglyphics haven't been destroyed with time is because of a special spell my family has been using since ancient times. It acts like a shield and stops them from fading and breaking apart. The rest of the place is decorated like this. That is why it is considered to be a palace, even though it is underground" she explained to him.

They continued to walk along the corridor, Marik examining the décor with great interest. The place was so clean and tidy. There were no bits of dust, or crumbling rocks to be seen anywhere. It looked as though it were brand new. After a few minutes walking, they came to two doors that lead into the main hall. There were two men guarding it. They eyed the man approaching suspiciously, unsheathing their scimitars. This place must remain a secret; they would kill him if they must. It was their duty.

As he drew nearer, they recognised him instantly. They quickly lowered their weapons and bowed their heads in apology. They opened the door for Marik to pass through, getting a very big shock as they saw their mistress follow right behind him. They stared at Mirassa as the two made their way into the main hall, glancing at each other, silently asking the other if it really was her.

Marik put the bags down once inside. They would be taken to Mirassa's room by one of the servants. Her took her by the hand in reassurance.

"Are you ready?" he asked in a low whisper.

Mirassa looked around the familiar surroundings. There were people staring at her, looking away quickly once she caught their gaze. They all knew who she was. She must have been the talk of the place for weeks, if not months when she ran away.

"I'm ready" she replied in a shaky voice. "Just… make sure he doesn't yell at me... ok?" she pleaded.

Marik nodded and lead the way to the place where he knew her father would be.
--------------------------------------------

A man with a black beard, slowly greying with age, poured over various scrolls and texts in the library. That son of his was useless! He was beginning to wonder if he and his wife should have tried for another boy. It didn't look as though his son would be able to succeed him when he died. He just didn't take the role seriously. All he cared about was womanising! And even then his intentions weren't kindly. His son had recently become violent, hurting people if he didn't get his own way. The man had even prevented his son from almost raping a young girl who took his fancy a few months back.

Disturbingly, he had caught his son a few weeks ago, trying to recite spells that would break the seal into the women's sanctuary. It was an area of the underground palace that was reserved for females only. No man could pass through and if they tried, and invisible barrier would prevent him. There was however an exception. If the man in question had no intention of harming the women in anyway, he would be allowed to pass through. If he had shown violence in the past, or had an impure mind with the intention of doing the girls harm, he would be denied access.

The women were thankful of such a security measure. Their leader, Mr Benu was a frequent visitor. He wanted nothing more then to make sure they were safe, especially with the way his son was being. There was no way the seal could be broken. He didn't even know why his son tried. Hathor herself had bestowed this protection on them. That is why it was so imperative his son stopped this behaviour. Otherwise, he would not be able to find himself a wife to continue the family line. He had met his own wife there and she had been the best thing that had ever happened to him.

He sighed to himself. He knew it would happen one day. One day his son would become the responsible adult he always dreamed he would be. He had a spell that would counter this appalling behaviour. He just didn't want to use it unless absolutely necessary. He wanted to give him a chance, but his patience was wearing thin. He just wanted something good to happen.

A knock on his door broke his chain of thoughts. He growled in annoyance and went to answer. There stood one of his servants. A man stood there, his head bowed low, his hood covering his face.

"What is it?" ordered Mr Benu.

"You have guests…" he spoke quietly, but loud enough so that his master could hear.

He didn't have to say anymore. Mr Benu brushed past him and strode towards the place where he greeted his guests. He wasn't in a particularly good mood. Who were these people and what did they want? He arrived at the room and walked in, not bothering to compose himself.

Once inside he saw a man with sandy blonde hair, wearing a black kilt. His back was turned, giving him a full view of the carvings on his back. Mr Benu smiled, recognising the man instantly.

"Marik Ishtar!" he greeted, walking up to him. "How are you these days? It hasn't been all that long since your last visit. What brings you here once more to my humble abode?"

Marik accepted his hand in greeting. "I have come here to ask you a favour" he said.

"Of course, anything!" he beamed at the younger man. Marik, even though he was much younger then him, had a very high status within the clans, he did after all serve the pharaoh who had once saved the entire world. He was in fact his superior.

"I would like you to begin arrangements for mine and your daughters wedding" he said coolly.

Mr Benu looked shocked. "You have seen her? Is she still in Japan? How is she? Why didn't she come with you?"

Marik out his hands on the mans shoulders to cease his hurried voice. He concealed a smile. He knew there was nothing to worry about. The man obviously cared for his daughter, what with his open show of worry and concern. Marik slowly, but firmly turned Mr Benu around on the spot.

The older man opened his blue eyes in shock. When he had entered the room, the first thing he saw was Marik which made him go over and greet him. He hadn't even looked in the other direction and forgot that his servant had said guests. Sitting on a small chair was his little girl, nervously looking at him as if expecting a harsh scolding.

He opened his mouth slightly, unable to say anything. Mirassa was terrified. What he said and what he did were two completely different things. She didn't know what to expect, and she defiantly didn't expect what her father did next. He ran over to her and pulled her into a hug, crying, actually crying into her hair as he kissed her on the forehead. His grip on her was very tight, but also very reassuring. Mirassa had never seen him act like this before. She didn't know what to do. After a moment or so, she eventually found the courage to hug him back. Finding that he didn't get angry at her, she began to smile.

She noticed that Marik had left the room, the door slightly ajar. She knew he was just outside, waiting until they had finished their reunion.

"Why didn't you tell me where you were going you silly girl" asked her father smiling, his hands cupping her cheeks. He examined her. She looked much more grown up since the last time he saw her.

"I don't know…" she whispered. She didn't know what to say to him. "I'm sorry I ran off like that…"

"Well that's all in the past. All that matters now is that you're home. I'm sorry you couldn't come to me when you were upset or had problems. Marik told me what had happened. I'm sorry I didn't believe you. Can you ever forgive me?"

It was strange for Mirassa to hear her father ask 'her' of all people for forgiveness. "It doesn't matter. Just forget it ever happened" she said with a smile. For the first time in a long time, Mirassa finally felt like she had a father.

----------------------- a little later


After they had been reunited, Mirassa and her father had invited Marik back into the room, the awkwardness soon disappearing into thin air. He sat down on a seat, looking towards Mirassa, patting the empty seat beside him. She went over and sat next to Marik, her father sitting opposite them. He studied the couple in front of him with a big smile. They looked perfect together, he always knew they would. That's why he and his wife had chosen Marik.

"This is wonderful!" he exclaimed. "I will begin arrangements right away! Now then" he reached into a nearby chest, picking up a piece of papyrus. "We have a lot to do, invite the guests, prepare the food, actually have the food brought in from the various regions..." he went through a big list, Marik and Mirassa looking at each other worriedly.

"Ah yes! I think that the best time to have the wedding would be…" he worked out a few dates in his head. "In March!" he looked very proud of his fast working out. He was very excited. Finally, something to lift his foul mood!

Mirassa looked at Marik. March wouldn't be a very good time at all. Marik nodded at her and held her hand reassuringly.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible" he started. "We need to marry as soon as possible. In the next few months if it can be helped"

"What? What's the rush? That would take an inhuman amount of work to prepare the wedding in such a short space of time!" said Mr Benu, a little louder then he intended.

"Not if you cut out the luxuries and just have a basic wedding" said Mirassa.

"Of course not! My daughter will have the finest wedding I can give her! Why do you insist on marrying so soon?" he enquired.

Marik smiled. "We want to marry as soon as possible, because in less then eight months time, Mirassa is going to have a baby"

Mirassa's father dropped the scroll. "A baby?" he repeated. He looked at his daughter in a new light. "You're pregnant?"

Mirassa nodded with a smile. He hadn't expected that.

"We want to be married before the baby arrives. We have to prepare a lot of things and we don't really have a lot of time" explained Marik. "I hope you understand"

"A baby… well, that changes everything" said Mr Benu with a smile.

He knelt in front of Mirassa and gave her a hug. "Congratulations daughter" he said kissing her on the cheek. He took Marik's hand and shook it firmly.

"Alright then. It will take a lot of work, but in three months, you will have your wedding"

-------------------------- Mirassa's room

"Wow, it's lucky my father encourages things like this. If he didn't, he would have bee furious" laughed Mirassa as she unpacked her belongings into her drawers.

Marik lay on her bed, watching her. Her father had been overjoyed about the news she was pregnant. After the talk about the wedding, he kept asking all kinds of questions like, what are you going to call the baby or where are you going to live? By the end of the evening, they were so exhausted from all the travelling that they had decided to go bed early.

Mr Benu had insisted that they share a room as they were now essentially a couple. He didn't care about the sex before marriage thing which was good in a way. Mirassa had missed being with Marik and secretly hoped that he would make a move on her tonight.

She walked behind a screen and undressed into her nightdress. The silky one she wore back in Japan as it was much more comfortable and very sexy to boot. She stepped out from behind the screen and received an appreciative 'mmm' from Marik. His eyes never left her as she elegantly made her way towards the bed. She looked past him as if she never noticed he were there, which annoyed him a little, even though he knew she was doing it on purpose. She sat on the edge of the bed, her back to Marik as she removed her jewellery and placed it in the box on the dresser.

She felt the bed dip a little and felt a warm breath on her neck. She felt soft butterfly kisses on her shoulders that gradually reached the nape of her neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. The soft fabric of Mirassa's nightdress against his bare chest. He played with the gowns straps in his fingers, his motives very apparent now, not that Mirassa didn't have the same thing in mind that is.

His kisses were becoming much more fevered and longing now. He hadn't been with her intimately for months and was beginning to get withdrawal symptoms. The only cure was her. He turned Mirassa around in his tight hold and kissed her on the lips lovingly, but with that same passion he had during their first time together.

Marik made a mental note to call everyone in domino and tell them that everything turned out alright, but all that could wait. Right now, he had much more important matters to attend to.
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