The white bush of the young man's hair shielded Marik from view, a cruel smile bubbled onto his lips, bright white teeth against sun browned skin. Marik attempted to shy away from the demon, his smile burned into his mind.

"You're not getting away my Neteru." Marik didn't know why all but one word were in English, but he didn't have much time to think it through as the white haired stranger pressed his lips to Marik's jaw line. Marik's mind screamed at him to pull away to resist the contact but his body melted, he found himself arching into the tanned stranger, his skin tingling where he was touched, his hands flew to the stranger's hair and his finger's wound into the silver of the older boy's hair. The stranger pulled him from the ground and Marik marveled at the way his head seemed to fit into the curve of the stranger's neck as if they were built for each other.

"Marik! Marik. Oh my God. Marik get up, you'll be late for school." Marik found himself staring into the deep blue of his older sister's eyes. He groaned and rolled over his mind searching for the last threads of his dream, but they slipped through his grasp and he rose from his bed.

"Were you dreaming?"

"Why?" Marik rubbed his temples, acutely aware of his sister who was now leaning against the door frame of his bed room.

"You were smiling in your sleep." Marik swiveled so that his legs were hanging off his bed, he smiled a bit.

"Was I?"

"You were, so… were you dreaming of a girl?" Marik chuckled and stood up, the comforter dropping from his waist.

"Oh God Marik, warn me next time!" His sister shielded her eyes. "Why do you insist on sleeping in the nude?"

"To catch you off guard, sister dear." Marik taunted as Ishizu shook her head and walked out of his room. "Would you put a pop-tart in the toaster for me?" He called after her. Finally he turned away and marched to the pile of clothes stacked along one wall of his small room. He picked a pair of plain black boxers, a pair of faded jeans and a simple grey t-shirt. He flicked a strand of sandy blond hair out of his face and proceeded to the bathroom where he spent a moment drawing a swooping curve from the corner of each eye with eyeliner. It was a look he had adopted from a picture of an ancient Egyptian he had found on the internet one day. His sister had called him Goth the first time she had seen him like that but had soon adjusted.

"Think fast!" Marik's older brother called out the moment Marik had stepped into their tiny kitchen/dining room. Marik threw up his hands and caught a still warm pop-tart.

"Thanks Odion." He said tearing the pastry in half and popping one half of it into his mouth.

"Don't thank me quite yet, I may not have been successful in convincing Ishizu to wait for you."

"Noted." Marik scooped up his backpack and ran out their back door to find his sister's small beat up red Chevy rumbling with life in the drive way. Marik flung open the passenger side door and slid into the passenger seat.

"I don't know why I'm even driving you to school. I'm going to be late you know."

"Because you love me!" Marik smiled smugly as his sister steered them out onto the street and they drove off down the narrow lane. The drive was a quiet one, Ishizu didn't respond to his taunt and Marik wasn't eager to break the silence deciding instead to munch away lazily on the last part of his pop-tart. When they pulled up in front of Domino high Marik flung the passenger door open, muttered words of thanks and stepped out onto the sidewalk. His sister revved the engine then sped off. He took a few steps forwards then paused to wait for his friends. Marik didn't have to wait long, the flash of blond hair in the early morning sun caught his eye and he smiled when he saw his friend, the blond haired Joey, a pretty Brunette who went by Tea and the short spiky haired kid Yugi. Joey bumped his fist against Marik's.

"Anyone seen Ryou?" Marik asked searching the throng of students swimming into the school for the newest addition to their group.

"Right here!" A timid voice called, the slight tang of a British accent tugging at its edges. Marik whirled around to see the small pale kid jogging towards him from across the road, his shock of white hair bouncing with each step, Marik took a moment to peer over his friends shoulder and found himself staring at a mirror image of Ryou. No, now that Marik looked closer he could see subtle differences in the other boy, he was older looking. His face more angular his eyes cold as if he never smiled. His hair was the same silvery white color of Ryou's but it seemed even more untameable.

"Who's that?" Marik asked once Ryou had joined them. Ryou turned to look at the white haired stranger; he was leaning on a shiny new Jaguar parked on the other side of the road.

"That's my older brother Bakura…"

"Bakura…" Marik rolled the name around on his tongue, tasting it. "I didn't know you had a brother."

"Yeah he came down from Britain to live with us for a month or two."

"Well is he coming?"

"Are you kidding me?" Ryou Scoffed a look of scorn came across his features. "He dropped out last year two month before summer break, and even if he was attending still. My brother is a big believer in 'maintaining the social order.' He wouldn't be caught dead with us."

Marik frowned and cast one last look at the pale boy; he shook his head then turned towards his friends. They marched off together, into the school. The image of the Ryou's older brother burned into Marik's mind.

I have finally found him; I was not convinced at first. I was foolish to believe he would be wearing the traditional cloth of the tomb keepers. This time period is so far from the first time I met him and time had no doubt changed him. If he remembers me he has not shown it. Though I do not look the same either. Now that I am here and I have found him I know what I must do, I cannot let history repeat itself. I only fear that only one of us will survive.

If I fail I will send this letter back to my old self so as to make sure that I don't fail next time.