Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ If only for one moment, I could be like you... ❯ Marik Makes His Move ( Chapter 21 )

Night fell over the city, and Ryou stood at the balcony stargazing. Mokuba told him to dress up, and had even provided him with a white old style shirt with sleeves that seemed too big, but fit at the wrist snugly. Also provided were khaki dress pants and loafers. Ryou looked very dignified, and he had spent a good hour looking over the clothes.

Inside his mind though, he was warring with himself and looking merely for distraction. He had a mate out of the ocean now...he couldn't leave his mate, but he couldn't leave the sea...could he? "Everything I've ever known...was in the water..." he whispered. "I...could stay...He's my soul mate now. I could never tell. Pretend to be human for as long as we both live." Ryou said softly, looking down at the fountain that made the waters dance.

"Jono would be happy. He loves me very much also...and Mako would always have a place for me to...swim." Ryou sighed softly. He had accidentally signed a contract of binding. He wouldn't be able to go home. Not without Seto, and Seto couldn't leave his home, his brother...the business he'd worked so hard to produce. No. Ryou was the one who would have to stay. He had no great losses, other than his friends and loved ones.

"Thinking hard Ryou?" Seto purred pulling him back into a warm embrace. "I was..." Ryou said softly, smiling at Seto warmly. "I've decided to stay with you, live here." He said after a moment. Seto smiled and hugged him closer. "That's perfect. I don't think I could have taken no for an answer anyway." He chuckled. "I don't think I could have said no." Ryou said nuzzling into Seto's arm.

"It's almost time to go...are you ready?" Seto asked softly, resting his chin in Ryou's hair. "I'm ready...where are we going?" Seto laughed a bit for a moment. "Some place Mokuba's planned out, he was determined to get us to go, so hopefully it's nothing too boring." Ryou shook his head. "You should be kinder to him...he tries very hard to get your approval." Ryou said softly.

~~~~~

Ryou gasped softly at the large social gathering. It was very formal. "Oh god, not a movie premier." Seto grumbled, stepping out of the limo and pulling Ryou out tenderly. "Movie premier..." Ryou repeated curiously, looking at all the people, before squawking at all the bright flashing lights of a thousand little cameras.

A woman with a small black stick rushed forward to greet them. "It's the renowned Seto Kaiba! Hello Seto are you looking forward to the screening?" Seto rolled his eyes softly and clicked his tongue. "I am hoping it's not a total waste of my time." The woman laughed falsely and looked at Ryou. "I see you've brought a date. Who's your lucky friend? He's surely got thousands of teenage girls in a mad rage for stealing your heart."

Ryou backed behind Seto a bit, as a cameraman stepped closer to him. "This is my lover Ryou, and I'd appreciate it if your cameramen would back away from him." Seto huffed, putting an arm out between Ryou and the cameraman. "Well hello Ryou, do you have any thoughts on the screening? Looking forward to anything?" Ryou squeaked softly and looked at the stick she was holding out at him.

What would Jono say to do...? Ryou blushed a bit and looked at the woman for a moment thoughtfully. "I...I guess I...am looking forward to um..." He closed his eyes in rushed thought. "To being surprised." He blurted. "I am hoping to be surprised." He repeated, firmly this time. The woman smiled and pulled the stick back. "Well folks you've heard it straight from the horse's mouth. Tonight's all about surprises." She said walking to the next person. Ryou looked at Seto curiously. "That woman just called me a `horse'...what is a `horse'?" Seto coughed and shook his head. "You're something else Ryou." He said thinking Ryou was merely joking.

Marik smirked from inside the theater. Here was his target. It was time to make his move. Before this night was over, Ryou would be his.

~~~~~

Ryou watched the movie in the same awe he watched television. "The movie is big." He said softly, blinking as `robots' Tried to wreck this man's car. "I've never seen `robots' before. They are very frightening monsters."

Seto pulled Ryou closer and smiled. "They can be. If technology falls in the wrong hands, it really will end the world." Ryou nuzzled into Seto in a half frightened way. "Then why do people make `technology' if it is bad, why not do away with it?" Ryou said, not really understanding the word at all. "Without technology, the world would also be a lot harder."

Ryou nodded a bit before blinking. "Seto...I have to go to the restroom...where is it?" Seto blinked. "I think there's one just down the aisle and out the door." Ryou nodded getting up and walking up the theater and out to the hallway, blinking a bit in the light. "Bathroom." He said looking for a small man on the wall. "Little man?...where are you little man?" He said looking around.

"Well hello there Ryou!" Ryou blinked and turned. "Oh! I remember you!" He said proudly. "You are Jono's friend from the mall!" Marik smirked a bit. "Yes, yes I am...Looking for something?" Ryou nodded. "Yes! I have to go to the bathroom. Do you know where it is?" Marik nodded. "Right this way." He said leading Ryou to said facilities. He waited patiently for Ryou to emerge from the stall, formulating his plan. He picked up one of the decorative flowers and looked it over, before opening a bottle of chloroform and pouring it into the flower and watched it dry, careful not to inhale any.

Ryou flushed the toilet, still proud that he could `go' with the best of them. He walked out and began washing his hands. "Thank you very much." He chirped smiling. Marik nodded. "Here, I have a flower for you." Ryou looked up while drying his hands. "`Flower'." He said taking it and looking it over. "There are lots of flowers in here." He said feeling the soft petals. "You know why flowers are special?" Ryou blinked at Marik. "No..." He said sheepishly. Marik smiled warmly. "They smell wonderful." Ryou blinked. "`Smell'...he smiled. When in the sea, he'd never smelt before, though he did recall the fragrance of the beach. The word to describe it was still hard to remember.

"Just put your nose close to it, and take a few big sniffs." Marik said picking another flower and showing Ryou what he meant. Ryou grinned and repeated Marik's actions. He wrinkled his nose after the first inhale...it smelled strange. He inhaled again, taking deep sniffs of the flower, hoping to find the sweet scent that Marik had been speaking of. He shook his head a bit and felt a little dizzy. "I don't think it is working...it doesn't smell very good at all..." Ryou said softly, looking at Marik and shaking his head again.

"Try once more. Third time is the charm right?" Ryou nodded dizzily and inhaled once more. He groaned softly, and dropped the flower, to try and balance himself. "I do not feel so well..." He whimpered softly, losing his balance. Marik caught him quickly. "Shh it's ok. I'll take care of you." Ryou groaned softly fighting to stay awake. "I...have to go back...Seto...the `movie'..."

Marik smirked and lifted the passed out Ryou up. "Now for an exit, to the labmobile!" He chuckled. "God I need to stop trying to make jokes..." he added, making a hasty retreat from the theater, he had to pack this little fellow up, and quickly. Thank god for trucks.

~~~~~

Ryou shivered and groaned softly. "Cold..." he muttered shaking his head and hugging himself. He peered open his eyes and blinked. "Huh?" He tried to sit up, and immediately hit his head on some invisible force. Whatever it was, was like a small water filled coffin. He panicked. "N-No! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!" He shrieked pushing against the glass and stirring up bubbles under the water. "I cannot be in water! I cannot be in water!" He shouted breathing heavily, and fighting harder. "Let me out!"

It was dark, Marik had covered the small tank he stored Ryou in, in a black sheet, and loaded it into a small box. Ryou whimpered as the water began to show signs of motion. He could hardly see, he couldn't move, and now, something was near. Ryou gasped sharply as the box tipped, and the water fell unevenly to the base of the tank.

Marik gasped. "HOLD IT EVENLY YOU DIMWITS! Cant you see it says handle with care?!" He ranted loudly. Thank god he'd packed that mer-creature in there tightly, if he hadn't they would have surely heard the shrieks for help. Marik sighed in relief. They hadn't, though he had, because he knew to be listening for them. He'd taken 24 hours now, preparing a special tank in his home laboratory for this special little fellow. Everything from water salinity, to temperature, to the very soil at the bottom were all carefully selected and maintained. He'd carefully placed Shells and fish into the tank, Even a rather large replica sunken ship, that was a custom job he'd had made years before for another of his many tanks.

"Hey Mac, where do you want this thing? It's heavy!" One of the movers shouted after entering the lab. "Carry it up the stairs and set it next to the tank!" He shouted making a final run over of all the elements to the water. If it was not just perfect, it could shock, cause illness to, or even KILL the poor creature. The lab consisted of two levels, ground level, where most everything was anchored, and a second level, up an iron staircase to just below the top of the tank, leaving the tank to Marik's waist, so that he could check the contents with ease.

Ryou sniffled and laid still, his arms sore and tired from fruitless struggling, and feeling most insecure. It was dark, he could faintly hear the yelling outside of the crate, but could not understand exactly what was being said. "I want to go home. I want Seto...I'm afraid." Ryou whimpered shivering again. The water was so cold compared to the temperature of waters he was used to. He gasped as the box was practically slammed down.

"BE CAREFUL!" Marik screeched having half a mind to hurl things at the movers for just DROPPING his precious cargo. "Take your money and get out you reckless morons!" He said practically throwing the money in their face and shoving them from his lab, slamming the door behind himself. "Finally!" He said exasperated. He straightened his glasses, and ascended the iron stairs. "My own little merboy...screw those idiots at Harvard, fuck those morons at Sea world, piss off mom and dad, and suck my royal penis Professor Smattener. Ha! Who's RIGHT now?!" He said triumphantly. "ME! So kiss ass!" He laughed, carefully prying the box open after his proud speech.

Ryou listened and pushed at the glass renewed when he saw the darkness lighten a bit, as light hit the black sheet. "Let me out!" He shouted, pushing more. "I have to go!" Marik laughed. "Quit your bellyaching! You don't have anywhere you need to be, other than in my possession!" He said, pulling the black blanket off of the tank Ryou was imprisoned in. Ryou stared in shock. "But...Why? Why would you do this?" He said softly, in disbelief.

AN: I apologize for technical difficulties! FF.net chopped up my post. It even took away AN's !

Anyway hopefully NOW it will be good.

Also, I'd like to announce that my contest is closed, and I've found my winner! ^_^ *claps* CONGRATS! Also, hopefully very soon, with the help of my new commissioned artist, I will be turning this fic, into an online storybook, with illustrated pictures!

*waits for clapping* Oh come on! A little enthusiasm back there in the back?