Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Reunited ❯ Face-Off ( Chapter 9 )

Face-Off

Marik stood in front of the mirror brushing his hair. He grabbed the Millennium Rod from beside the sink. He held it up and examined it.

"I'm not letting Itemri get my Rod! He shall not have what is rightfully my item!"

Malik stood in the doorway. "Do you love Itemri? Why are you so focused on destroying him? Why do insist on hurting those who care for you?"

Marik narrowed his eyes and held the Millennium Rod under Malik's chin. The sharp part of the dagger dug into his skin. "You listen to me, hikari. I do not need counsel from you. If I wanted your opinion, I would ask for it, wouldn't you say?"

"Y-Yes."

"I need Bakura's Item to overthrow the pharaoh and get his power. The Rod will help me do that, but I need his Ring, too! And I am getting what I want! My Rod always gets me what I want. You know firsthand about that already, don't you, Little Malik?"

Malik closed his eyes and his body trembled. "Yes."

"Good. You stay here."

Marik grabbed his deck and his Millennium Rod. He stepped outside and saw his men standing out there in suits and ties. "Let's go, boys."

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Bakura brushed his hair and slid the Ring around his neck. He walked down the stairs and saw Ryou standing by the door. The yami narrowed his eyes.

"Is this necessary, Bakura?"

"Why are you asking me the questions? You have no right to do that!"

Bakura shoved Ryou out of the way. "Stay here. I will be back with Marik's Rod."

Bakura opened the door and saw a crowd of men in black leather jackets and body piercing standing on the lawn. "Let's go, brothers!"

Ryou watched Bakura leave, the multitude of people following him. Bakura turned the corner.

"Sorry, yami. I can't let you do this. You may hate me. You may beat me and belittle me, but I will not let you do this!"

Ryou grabbed his coat and he followed his yami.

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Marik lead his men down the street and stopped when he saw a multitude advancing with Bakura in the lead.

Marik held up his Rod. "STOP!"

Bakura's men stopped in front of Marik's men. "So, Ishtar. A little late to be out with a rabble, isn't it?"

Marik growled. "Look at you, Itemri! Talk about rabble! The lowlives of the street? So very typical!"

Bakura narrowed his eyes. "Mafia. Go figures you would seek the noble experts of the criminal world!"

"I am a Noble, Itemri! I was born to the highest ranking family in Egypt, excluding the royalty! Thus, why wouldn't I want the best that money can buy?"

Bakura narrowed his eyes. "Your Nobility didn't teach you everything, Ishtar! You never learned how to live hand-to-mouth! You never learned the cruel ways of the street! The harsh realities of growing up on the streets, stealing, killing, butchering people for a scrap of food. Welcome to my world, Ishtar! My Brothers of the Street will take back what is mine!"

"Then let's settle this!" Marik said removing his deck from his pocket.

Bakura and Marik's hair spiked. Bakura's men began heckling the Mafia behind Marik.

The two groups drew their weapons on each other and they heard two voices call to them loudly.

"Stop!!!" Malik and Ryou cried out running up to their yamis.

Marik and Bakura turned their heads to see their hikaris running up to them.

"Malik? I told you to stay home!"

"Ryou, are you deaf as well as dumb?"

Malik ran to Marik. "Marik, you said that you and Bakura have a past?"

"We were lovers."

Ryou stood in front of Bakura. "Bakura, you said that you still have feelings for Marik?"

Bakura looked up at the yami with the purple eyes. "Yes. I still do….but he has something I want."

"Marik, I know that you still love Bakura. I know you are angry at Ryou and I for being in the way of you two being together."

Marik and Bakura glared at each other's hikari.

Malik kneeled at Marik's feet. "Please, Marik. I do not mind you and Bakura being together…if that means that Ryou and I can be friends. We do not mind."

Ryou took Bakura's hand. "Bakura, if Marik is who you want to be with, I will not stop you." Ryou lowered his head. "You can read my thoughts as well as I can read yours. You know how I feel about you, Bakura. You may be angry at me for my very existence. You can hate me. You can do what you want to me. But, Bakura, I want to see you happy. That is all I've ever wanted. Really."

The two yamis looked each other in the eyes.

Bakura narrowed his eyes. He turned to his hikari, seeing the boy's eyes glassy and filled with tears.

/If you love him, Bakura, please do not do this to him./

//I…I need my vengeance!//

/Destroying someone you love is not the way to do this./

//I….I will not let Yami win! He…He beat me….raped me….let me starve.//

Ryou lowered his head. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it, Bakura?"

Bakura gasped as he looked down at his hikari. "Oh shit….you're right. I'm no better than Yami if I do this."

Malik sighed. "Marik, do you want to be with Bakura?"

Marik glared at his hikari and up at Itemri.

//I…I still love him.//

/Then don't destroy him, Marik!/

Marik lowered the Millennium Rod and dropped it on the ground. He walked to Bakura and looked down at his former lover.

"Itemri? I….I cannot do this. We can work together to get what we want. We both have similar goals. Why not work together?"

Bakura reached up and grabbed Marik's arms. He wavered as he remembered those arms wrapped around him in the oasis they shared in Egypt. He remembered how much he loved Marik….and how grieved he was when Marik was out of his life.

"Ishtar….I…I still love you. I don't want you out of my life."

Marik cracked a small smile. "I love you, Itemri."

Bakura wrapped his arms around Marik and rested his head against Marik's chest. "Forgive me," Bakura said as a tear fell down his face.

The men watched this scene exchanging confused glances.

Marik turned to his men. "Go."

Bakura turned to his men. "Leave. Get out of here."

The men dispersed, leaving the two yamis hugging in the night.

Ryou and Malik stood by each other, proud that they had talked their yamis into settling their differences.

Bakura turned to Ryou. "Go home, Ryou. I will be home shortly."

Marik turned to Malik. "Go home. Beat it."

The two hikaris split up.

Bakura held onto Marik tightly, the sound of the crickets chirping.

"Remember we used to hold each other like this all night, Itemri?"

Bakura smiled. "Yeah. Under the stars. You, me, and sand in places we never knew existed."

Marik chuckled. "Those were the days."

The yamis sighed under the night sky. Marik picked up the Rod and Bakura lead Marik back to his home.

"I'm glad I found you, Ishtar. I was in hell without you."

Marik took Bakura's hand and kissed it. "I was so lonely without you, Itemri! I loved you so much. I still do."

Bakura smiled at his former lover and brought him down into a hungry kiss.

When they were done, they sat in the backyard looking up at the stars as they had done five thousand years before.

The End