Yay! This is my first real *fan* fiction. Its all about thiefshipping, I promise! I'm not a fan of angstshipping, or any of the other shippings really, though there might be some puppy- or puzzle- shipping later. Depends on reviews!

DISCLAIMER: I seriously don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, it would not have been dubbed so terribly, and the scene with Bakura and a steak would not have been removed, because it was way BA. Anyway, please review!

Marik Ishtar was running, but he didn't know to where or why. All he knew was that he couldn't stop, or he would be caught by whatever was chasing him. A sudden rock on the path he had taken tripped him, and he fell to his knees. He looked back at the darkness that had been following him, and gasped in terror. It was Mariku. Marik's old yami let out an evil laugh.

"Oh, Marik. Why have you been running, my friend? I only wanted a hug…" Mariku pulled out a long, thin knife from the back of the purple cloak he wore. He ran the knife along his finger, testing the sharpness of the weapon. "Doesn't this look familiar, hikari? Could this jog your memory?" Mariku pinned Marik to the ground and wrestled him onto his back. He started running the knife along Marik's tanned back, and Marik felt the serrated steel begin to cut-

Lavender eyes flew open, and Marik sat up in his dark bedroom in Japan. He let out a shuddering gasp. "Not again. No! I can't be having this dream again…" Marik rested his head against his hands. He hadn't had that nightmare since Battle City, four years ago. Now, at 20 years old, it was back. Marik got the sickening feeling that meant something bad was going to happen. And soon. He looked over at the clock, and sighed when he saw the time. 3:45 AM, much too early to lie awake after the nightmare. He lay back down in his lavender sheets, and closed his eyes.

He awoke all too soon.

"Marik! Get up, it's time for school. At this rate, you'll be late!" Ishizu, his sister, roughly shook him by his shoulders. Marik groaned and turned over. Then he realized the full extent of what she said.

"Oh, Ra! I can't be late again! The principal said he'd expel me if I did!" Marik jumped out of bed, quickly pulling on his favorite outfit, a lavender (it brought out the color of his eyes) cropped sleeveless hoodie and black cargo pants. He pulled on black boots and strode to the mirror to paint his undereye markings with Kohl. He grabbed his backpack and a sandwhich and rushed out the door.

Marik hated math. He despised it. You had to memorize everything, and Marik had a strong aversion to memorization, due to the fact he had to memorize several scriptures of the pharaoh. But, he didn't think like that anymore. Yugi and his friends accepted him into the group, though he didn't truly fit in with them. He had done too much to them for everyone to truly forgive him, especially the blonde, Joey Wheeler.

It didn't matter. He was a reformed villain, and he planned to stay that way. Of course, that didn't stop him from missing his Millennium Rod. It had been permanently in his hand since he had been ten, and it still felt strange without it, even three years later. Marik squashed the thought down. That train of thought only lead down the path he had left. His thoughts were interrupted by the shrill voice of his teacher, Mrs. Warren.

"Class, we have a new student today. Please introduce yourselves to Bakura. Bakura, could you come in here please?" She gestured towards the door.

"Well, of course I will, Mrs. Warren." A lilting British accent flowed through the wooden door, and a white haired, effeminate male walked in. He blinked his chocolate eyes and said, "Hello. My name is Ryou Bakura. I am a transfer from England. I hope that we'll all have a good year together. It was nice to meet you all."

"Thank you, Bakura," the teacher sighed, realizing that this was the first polite student she had taught in a long time. "You can sit to the left of Marik Ishtar. Marik, if you will show Bakura to his seat?"

Marik smirked. "But of course, my fine educator. Bakura, come sit in this fine seat beside me," He said sarcastically. He noticed Ryou droop a bit, as he saw that he was to sit by the troublemaker.

Well, this will be fun, he thought.

~REVIEWWWWW~ pwease?