***Edited on 8-14-13 to fix some grammar issues***

Marik wore the girl's body as casual as he wore his cloak, and it looked like it belonged to him moreso than it ever did her. The grace and lines of a body disciplined in dance betrayed themselves with every movement, unhindered by the lacking confidance of the original owner. Marik set the Millenium Ring near Bakura's head and stared down at his partner. In the shadows, with his white hair fanned out across the pillow and his face relaxed in sleep, Marik couldn't tell the difference between Bakura and his host.

Marik leaned down and kissed Bakura's mouth. Bakura sucked in a sharp breath and pressed his lips into Marik's.

When Bakura opened his eyes and saw Anzu's face, however, he jerked away. His brown eyes narrowed into a glare as he opened his mouth to demand and explination.

Marik grinned. "Relax, it's me."

Bakura exhailed, sinking his head back into his pillow, turning away from Marik, and closing his eyes. "Damnit, Marik, what do you want?"

"I want you to help me kill someone."

Bakura grunted, eyes still closed. "Who?"

Marik paused, exhailed, then answered, "me."

Bakura turned back to face Marik, but only opened one eye. "The darkness took over, did it?"

Marik tilted his female vessel's head to the left, surprised that Bakura seemed to know what happened dispite being trapped in the Ring at the time.

Bakura opened both eyes, narrowing them at Marik. "You think I didn't notice the angry shadow hiding behind the smug mask you wear? I know darkness, Marik, I can recognize it when I see it."

Marik nodded, his hand clenched in a fist. "It was him, not the Pharoh. He, or I, killed my father. That's why . . . I'm going to challenge him."

Bakura shifted, raising himself up on his arms. "To a Shadow Game?"

Marik nodded his head.

"You know what that means, don't you? If you lose, or even if we win?"

Marik snorted. "Of course I do."

Bakura pushed himself to a complete sitting position. "All right, let's go."

Marik raised an eyebrow. "That easy?" He crawled onto the bed, straddled himelf over Bakura's lap and leaned close to his face. "No barganing? No negotiating? No conditions? You're just going to help me defeat my darker self?"

Bakura's expression remained neutral. "I still want the Rod, and the secret on your back. The way I see it, I'll have to fight him anyway, and this way I'll have an advantage in the duel."

Marik smirked. "You sure you're up to this? You've already suffered the wrath of god once tonight and Ra is worse than Slifer."

Bakura pushed Marik off of his lap and stood. "Get out of that stupid body. She annoys me."

Marik rose and pressed himself against Bakura's chest, drapping his left arm around Bakura's neck and curving Bakura's hand on the girl's right hip. "Oh? You don't think we could have fun like this?" Marik shoved Bakura back a step. "But you're right. We have more important business."

Marik discarded the girl's body, his ethreal form an idol of bronze, copper, and gold. He raised an eyebrow at Bakura. "Better?"

"Hurry up." Bakura headed towards the door.

"One more thing," Marik said.

Bakura pivoted so he was facing Marik. Impacient, he asked, "what?"

Marik averted his gaze. "We need to make sure he doesn't hurt Rishid."

"That's none of my concern," Bakura said.

"Hey." Marik marched up close until his face hovered an inch from Bakura's. "Part of the reason I'm in this mess is because you couldn't wait ten more seconds to win your duel. I handed you victory and you tossed it aside in a random fit of honor."

"I couldn't risk it," Bakura hissed through clenched teeth, "you can control all the vessels you want. I have one host, one chance for revenge, and I was not about to gamble with that."

"Bullshit, because that's exactly what we're about to do."

They stared at each other, so close that their lips almost touched, and turned away at the same time. Bakura continued out the door. "Didn't I tell you to hurry?"

"And Rishid?"

"If that's where your darker self is going, then I suppose that's where we'll need to be in order to challenge him to a Shadow Game."