Love Lies

Change of Heart

Ryou and Malik ran into the house as fast as they could to escape the sudden torrential down
pour of rain. Their hair was pasted to their smiling faces as they stood in the kitchen dripping
water everywhere.

“Unbelievable! That sure came on fast!” Ryou laughed as he carefully peeled off his sopping wet
t-shirt, keeping his Millennium Ring on. Tiny droplets of ice cold water ran down the pointers
and dripped intermittently onto the tile floor.

Malik shook out his drenched hair and rolled his eyes.

“Well if you wouldn’t have insisted on stopping to check your mailbox, we wouldn’t have gotten
all wet!”

Ryou smirked as he pulled a handful of letters that were tucked into his jeans. He tossed them
onto the counter and crossed his arms.

“I know.....I’m sorry. I didn’t expect the rain to come on so suddenly!”

Malik walked over to the window and looked outside. Lightning rippled through the sky and lit
up the entire kitchen.

“Malik, you shouldn’t stand by the window during a storm. You could get zapped.” Ryou
explained as he flipped through his mail.

Malik took a few steps back continued watching the unrelenting storm.

“What on earth?” Ryou gasp as he stared at a piece of paper in his hands

Malik’s eyes shifted over to Ryou in a curious fashion .

“What is it? High phone bill?”

Ryou stared down at the envelope in disbelief.

“No....nothing of the sort. It’s a letter from my father stating that he will be returning home in a
few days.”

Malik stepped closer to Ryou and looked down at the letter.

“Is that good or bad?”

Ryou slipped the letter back into the envelope and sighed.

“I’m not really sure, Malik. Considering I haven’t heard from him in a couple years....I really
don’t know what to think.”

“Does the letter say anything else?” Malik ask curiously.

Ryou nodded his head.

“M’hm, it said he’s got a surprise for me....needless to say, I have a hell of a surprise for him
too.”

Just as Ryou finished speaking, the sound of the door bell echoed throughout the house.

“I’ll get that.” Malik nodded as he hurried out of the kitchen and to the front door.

“Joey?” Malik ask curiously as he opened the door.

“Yeah, no kidding, can I come in? It’s kinda wet out here.”

Malik stepped out of the way and nodded.

“Sure, I guess.”

Joey stepped into the walk way soaking wet.

“What are you doing here?”

Malik made a sour face at Joey and turned away.

“Nice seeing you too. What do you want?”

Joey peeled off his blue denim jacket and frowned at Malik.

“I need to talk to Ryou, where is he?”

Malik continued to act smug and nodded toward the kitchen.

“In there.”

Joey hurried into the kitchen and found Ryou sifting through his mail.

“Hey man” he mused as he leaned back on the counter.

Ryou looked up and smiled.

“Hello Joey, what brings you here on a night like this?”

Joey crossed his arms and blew his bangs out of his eyes.

“It’s Yugi, he’s in the hospital.”

Ryou dropped the letter he was reading and looked up at Joey with wide eyes.

“Is he hurt?”

“Yes and no, he’s in the psych-ward. The doctors told me he’d had a nervous break down.” Joey
sighed.

“Oh my” Ryou gasp, “Think he’ll be alright?”

Joey waved his hand in front of himself.

“Yeah, I’m sure he’ll be fine. He just needs some time. Hey, by the way; you didn’t happen to
find the Millennium Puzzle when you were cleaning up, did you? Yugi said he chucked it in the
trash here last night.”

“Why on earth would he do a stupid thing like that?” Ryou ask inquisitively.

Joey tapped his fingers on the Formica counter top and looked around the room.

“Well, turns out Tristan isn’t the father of Isis’s kid; it’s actually Yami....and Yami kinda made
Yugi break up with me so he could be with Isis.....yadda yadda yadda........you get the idea.
Anyway, I think Yugi will want the puzzle again once he’s better.”

Ryou shook his head.

“Wow, that’s a lot to absorb, Joey. No, I haven’t seen the puzzle though. Malik is the one that
cleaned up the house, you may want to ask him.”

“You wouldn’t happen to be talking about this, would you?” Marik smirked as he entered into
the kitchen dangling a clear plastic bag containing the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle.

Ryou gaped at the sudden presence in disbelief. His lower lip trembled slightly, and his eyes
were wide.

“Marik? Why are you here?”

Marik held the puzzle pieces to the light and grinned evilly at Ryou.

“I saw this in the garbage while my hikari was cleaning today. I was hoping Bakura would be
here so I could rub it in his face that I now have two Millennium items also!”

Joey tried making a move for the puzzle’s pieces, but Marik’s reflexes were too fast for him.
Marik caught Joey’s hand and shoved him backward.

“The puzzle belongs to Yugi, now hand it over and nobody gets hurt!” Joey growled as he
quickly regained his balance.

Marik took a step back and crossed his arms.

“Make me” he retorted smugly.

Joey bravely squared off with Marik and pulled his fist back.

“Last time I’m sayin’ this now: Hand over Yugi’s puzzle and you’ll spare yourself the from
becoming wallpaper.”

Marik scrunched up his nose and clutched the Millennium rod in front of his chest.

“You don’t scare me, Wheeler. You seem to forget that I have regained my shadow powers. I
can send you back to the Shadow Realm anytime I wish now! Oh! And yes, the pharaoh will be
at my mercy once I reassemble the pieces of this puzzle. Nobody can protect you now!”

Joey hesitated briefly after Marik’s threat. He slowly backed down, but continued to glare.

“You seem to forget I also have shadow powers” A familiar, sinister voice hissed.

Marik and Joey looked over and saw Bakura standing there wearing a very unpleasant facial
expression.

Marik retreated back a few steps and smirked.

“Well, well, look who finally decided to join us.”

Bakura glared sharply at Marik.

“Give Wheeler the puzzle, Marik.”

Marik cocked his head and laughed jeeringly.

“Did that rock I threw at you knock your brain loose? Why should I listen to you?”

Bakura growled under his breath as he advanced slowly toward Marik.

“You will listen to me just because. Now hand over the puzzle.”

Marik crossed his arms stubbornly.

“No” he stated firmly.

Bakura glanced at Joey and waved his hand.

“Go wait in the livingroom. I’ll get the puzzle back.”

Joey nodded his head and left without asking any questions.

Bakura turned back to Marik lowered his eyes.

“Now for you. I suggest we take this discussion........elsewhere.”

Bakura’s Millennium Ring began to emit an eerie yellow light as a dark haze enveloped the
kitchen.

Marik raised his eyebrow and grinned as the shadows took over.

“Nice choice. Now why do you wish to talk here?”

Bakura reached into his pocket and pulled out his duel deck. His eyes grew very dark as he
shuffled his cards.

“The puzzle can only be claimed after it’s won in a duel, remember?”

Marik reached into his pocket. He pulled his duel deck out and began laugh.

“A Shadow game? I already trapped you in the shadows before, therefore I’ll have no problem
doing it again. The puzzle is a good as mine!”

Bakura shrugged his shoulders as he conjured up a table in front of them. He sat down and laid
his deck in front of him. He casually picked the first five cards off the top of his deck and looked
them over.

“You don’t scare me, let’s get started. We both will get 4000 life points to begin with.”

Marik sat down across from Bakura and nodded head.

“Let’s get this over with.”

Bakura’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he looked over his cards.

“Since this is my shadow game, we’re playing by my stipulations. For every thousand life points
you lose, one personality trait will be ripped from your body and banished to the shadows and
than replaced by its contrary. I’ll go first.”

Marik nodded his head.

“I have no idea what that means, but so be it. I could skip my first 3 turns and still kick your
ass.”

Bakura picked a card from his hand and held it up with the back facing Marik.

“We shall see. I’m going to lay this card face down and end my turn.”

Marik looked his cards over and glanced at Bakura.

“Hiding your monsters will not save them from their destruction.”

Bakura rolled his eyes.

“Just shut your mouth and lay a card.”

Marik picked a card out of his hand and grinned.

“As you wish. I summon the Goblin Attack Force!”

Since they were dueling in the shadows, the monsters materialized on the field once they were
summoned. Marik licked his lips and grinned at Bakura.

“Go my goblins, attack his face down card!”

Bakura’s eyes got big as Marik’s goblins went after his face down card.

“No!” he exclaimed as his card vaporized.

Marik smiled condescendingly as his goblins went into defense position.

“Take that, tomb robber.”

Bakura lowered his eyes and laughed back in Marik’s face.

“Look at your goblins, Ishtar! They look a bit shocked!”

“What?” Marik growled as a transparent yellow glow surrounded his goblins.

“They just attacked my Electric Lizard! They will be unable to attack for one turn! That’s IF they
even last that long.” Bakura smirked as he drew another card. He casually laid two cards face
down and held up a third card.

“I summon Jirai Gumo in attack mode. In order to successfully attack your goblins, I must flip a
coin and call it correctly. If I call it wrong, I lose half my life points.”

Marik’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he tossed a coin in the air.

“So what’ll it be?”

“Heads” Bakura remarked sharply as Marik caught the coin and covered it with his other hand.

Marik lifted his hand and frowned.

“It’s heads.”

“I knew it would be” Bakura laughed as his Jirai Gumo went on the attack.

Marik’s Goblin Attack Force vaporized.

Marik lowered his eyes and glared at Bakura.

“You fucker, you’ll pay for that move.”

Bakura shrugged his shoulders.

“Make me than, I’m waiting!”

Marik made a sour face and slapped a card face down in defense.

“Go” he snapped sharply.

Bakura grinned as he drew another card.

“With pleasure. I lay this card face down just as you did. Two can play at that game!”

Marik than drew a card from his deck and pondered his next move.

Bakura anxiously tapped his fingers on the table.

“Any time now, Ishtar.”

Marik glared at Bakura as he picked out a card.

“Shut up. Since you have two monsters on the field, I can summon this, The Fiend Megacyber!
Our monsters both have the same attack points, so suck on that one for a while! HA!”

Bakura didn’t seem bothered by Marik’s move. He casually drew another card and put on his
best poker face.

“Hmm....hard choice! What shall my next move be? Let’s see.....I know! I’ll summon the Lady of
Faith and end my turn.”

Marik looked at Bakura’s monster and began to laugh.

“You have to be kidding, Bakura! That weak spellcaster can easily be wiped out by my
monster!”

Bakura kept a straight face and looked directly at Marik.

“You’re all talk and no action I see.”

Marik growled under his breath. He laid a card face down in defense position and looked up at
Bakura.

“Oh yeah? Take out his Lady of Faith my loyal fiend!”

Just as Marik’s monster went on the attack, Bakura flipped up his face down card.

“Not so fast! I activate my Mirror Force trap! Say goodbye to your Megacyber!”

Marik’s monster exploded into little pieces as it’s attack reflected back.

“Shit, you’re going to pay for that!” he hissed at Bakura.

Bakura drew another card and laughed.

“I don’t think so. I sacrifice my face down card and my Lady of Faith to bring forth Sanga of the
Thunder and end my turn!”

Marik seemed a bit surprised by Bakura’s move, but kept his cool. Bakura had refrained from
attacking for some reason. Marik figured it was because of his face down card he had laying in
wait. He drew his next card and grinned evilly.

“Okay Bakura, this is it for you! I activate my Call of the Haunted trap card to bring back my
Megacyber, and than I activate Monster Reborn to bring back your Electric Lizard I destroyed
earlier! I than sacrifice them both to call forth a monster that will take care of your life points!
Wingweaver! Attack his Sanga!

Bakura’s eyes got huge.

“NO!” he gasp as Marik’s Wingweaver went on the attack. Bakura’s life points went down to
3850.

“You suck” Bakura scoffed as Marik ended his turn.

Marik grinned evilly back at Bakura.

“No thief, I’ll leave the sucking to you. You do it so well, you know.”

Bakura drew another card and tried looking inconspicuous.

“I’m going to lay two cards face down and than end my turn.”

Marik kept a sharp on Bakura as he drew his next card.

“I think I’ll lay this in defense and end my turn.”

Bakura lifted his eyes and started to laugh.

“Thank you Ishtar, you just sealed your fate. Prepare to hand over the Millennium Puzzle! First, I
activate this favorite of mine, The Change of Heart, to take control of your Wingweaver! Now
I’ll lay down these three cards and bring this shadow game closer to its end.”

Marik crossed his arms and glowered at Bakura.

“You’re full of crap, Bakura. There’s no way! You have only one card left in your hand! ”

Bakura shrugged as he flipped over his first card.

“Oh my, what’s this? Monster Reborn! I think I’ll bring your Megacyber, Now I have three
monsters to play with! Now for my next card..... Giant Trunade? Now why would I go an destroy
all these beautiful magic and trap cards I just laid? Hmmm.....”

“Because you’re a stupid ass” Marik laughed as all magic and traps on the field disappeared.

Bakura smirked evilly as he held up the card in his hand.

“Check this little gem out, Ishtar!”

Marik’s jaw dropped as Bakura’s monster materialized on the field.

“No fucking way! Where did you get The Ultimate Obedient Fiend!”

Bakura puffed up his chest and laughed like a maniac as he sacrificed the three monsters he had
on the field and brought forth his fiend.

“Attack his life points directly!”

Bakura’s fiend took a mighty swipe at Marik’s life points, ripping away 3500 of them in one
attack.

Marik grabbed his chest and began to scream.

“What the hell is happening!”

Bakura sat back and laughed as his monster returned to his side of the field.

“Consider that a present from Yugi. He’s the one who gave my hikari that card.”

Marik very slowly got up and kneeled next to his chair.

“What’s.....happening......to me?”

Bakura tapped his fingers on the table and rolled his eyes.

“Did you forget already, pretty boy? With every thousand life points you lose, one emotion will
be ripped from you and replaced by its contrary.”

Marik stabilized himself and returned to his seat.

“What do you mean by that? Anger will be replaced by joy? Hate replaced by love, and so on?”

Bakura chuckled as he ended his turn.

“Yes, that’s right. Mind answering a simple question for me real quick?”

Marik shrugged his shoulders.

“Go ahead.”

Bakura leaned over the table and smirked at Marik.

“Will you forfeit this duel and give me the Millennium Puzzle now?”

Marik shook his head adamantly and drew another card

“Fuck no! I might be blonde, but I’m not stupid! I still have 500 life points! I’m going to activate
my Swords of Revealing Light! Now I have three turns to prepare my assault!

Bakura sighed as he chose another card.

“Don’t you wonder what personality traits have been altered in you, yami Marik? Are you not a
little curious?”

Marik squinted his eyes and growled.

“It doesn’t matter! Take your damn turn and get this game on.”

Bakura looked at his card and grinned.

“So be it.”

He laid the card face down and nodded his head.

“That will complete my turn.”

Marik drew his next card and looked his hand over.

“I’m just going to lay this card in defense and let you go.”

Bakura cocked his head in amusement as he picked a card.

“You can’t be serious, Marik! I’m shocked that you didn’t attack me! Perhaps one of the
personality traits you lost was your testicular fortitude!”

Marik turned away and grunted.

Bakura’s eyes sparkled with triumph as he turned his card around.

“I see I’ve drawn the Summoned Sku-”

Before Bakura could finish his sentence, the duel was interrupted by two familiar voices echoing
through the darkness.

“Marik! Bakura!”

Bakura glanced over his shoulder and cocked his head. Marik stood up and gaped at the two
approaching figures.

“Ryou? Malik? How in the seven hells did you get here?” Bakura gasp as their hikari’s
interrupted the shadow game.

Ryou ran his fingers through Bakura’s hair and licked his lips.

“I bet you weren’t expecting to see us here.”

Bakura shook his head.

“Not really, but I can’t say I’m disappointed. You came just in time to see me crush Marik in
this shadow game.”

Malik walked up to Marik and took his yami’s hand. He looked up into Marik’s dark eyes
pleadingly.

“Marik, please forfeit this duel. I know you’ve never listened to me before, but it’s obvious
who’s going to win here.”

Marik closed his eyes and sighed. He glanced at Bakura and than looked back at Malik.

“Malik........don’t say I never did anything for you.”

Marik slowly reached down and put his hand over his deck.

“I give, Bakura. You win.”

Bakura got to his feet and nodded.

“Good call, Ishtar. This has to be the first time I’ve ever seen you do anything rational.”

Marik reluctantly handed the pieces of the Millennium puzzle to Bakura. Before he let go of
them though, he cocked his head curiously at Bakura.

“So why do plan to do with the puzzle if I might ask?”

A big grin came across Bakura’s face as he made eye contact with Marik.

“Well, I plan on giving it back to Yugi......”

Bakura’s eyes filled with mischief as he looked over the puzzle pieces in the bag.

“......but not before I make the pharaoh MY bitch for a few weeks!”

Marik, Malik, and Ryou all burst out laughing at Bakura’s plan.

“Bakura!” Ryou exclaimed, “You’re so........naughty!”

Bakura winked at Ryou and pulled him into his lap.

“And you love it.”

Ryou cuddled close to his yami and sighed with content.

“Yes I do” he giggled as Bakura nipped at his earlobe.

Marik turned to Malik and hung his head.

“I’m sorry I’ve been such an ass, can you forgive me?”

Malik stared forward in shock. He never expected to hear words like that leave his yami’s
mouth!

“Uh......Yeah, I’ll forgive you. Are you okay?”

Marik nodded his head and brought Malik into his arms.

“Better than ever, hikari.”

Malik brought his arms around Marik and held him tight.

“Thank you for listening to me, yami. I didn’t want to see you hurt.”

Marik chuckled as he ran his hands down Malik’s back.

“You’re so cute.”

They were just about to kiss when they were distracted by strange noises coming from Ryou and
Bakura. They turned their heads and started to laugh.

Ryou had Bakura pinned to the table and they were viciously making out.

Marik turned to Malik and tilted his head.

“Want to turn this into a tag team event?”

Malik scrunched up his nose and snickered playfully.

“Hell yeah, let’s teach these white-haired hooligans what happens after an Ishtar loses a shadow
game!”

*********drum roll please*********

THE END

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