DIS: Thank you to everyone that reviewed. You guys really keep me going and I apologize most sincerely for taking two months to update this. It wasn’t at all my intention. I had this chapter all typed up at a few pages over eight and then when I was reading over it, I realized I had screwed it up completely and had to start from scratch again. Besides that, I’ve just had a lot of stuff going on in my life. I’ve been scrambling with all my school work and graduation. Well, with that said, here’s chapter eight.

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Fingerprints: Part VIII

Anzu woke bleary-eyed that morning. The sunlight, as per usual, was blinding her. She wished, not for the first time, that she had remembered to close the blinds before going to sleep the following night. Closing her blinds had hardly been the most important thing on her mind at the time, though. As she blinked tiredly, she knew without a doubt that her eyes were going to feel swollen all day. Presently, it felt as if the sandman’s dust was still in her eyes. Despite having slept in until noon, she felt exhausted and likely had not gotten as much sleep as one would think. Her sleep had been restless with a horrifying nightmare of some kind of spirit that looked like her that was stealing everyone soul’s and forcing them to kill themselves. Shuddering, Anzu recalled how Mokuba Kaiba had climbed onto a motorbike and drove into a car wash, killing himself. It was not at all a dream she would have wanted. She woke up at four-thirty in the morning and lay away for a few hours, dreading the thought of returning to such a dream.

She lay down in bed, the covers pulled back to allow the chill of the room slide over her legs. She would soon have to put her heavy blankets away and don her bed with nothing but sheets and a light blanket. She enjoyed the warmth of sleep far too much. Anzu sighed softly to herself, raising a hand and rubbing her face tiredly. A buzzing sound came from her night table and she jumped, startled. When she glanced to the side, she saw it was only her phone. Exhaling with relief, she took her phone and saw that it was a text from Shizuka. Have any plans today? she had texted her. Anzu hesitated. It was not that she necessarily did not want to hang out with Shizuka, but she was feeling emotionally and physically drained after everything with Malik and then Honda. She wanted a break for now, so she replied, I’ve got stuff to do. Sry :( Once Shizuka replied Another time then, with extra smiles of forgiveness, Anzu tossed her phone on the bed and stumbled away to get in the shower.

She curled back in bed after she dressed, closing her eyes to allow her hair to dry. She was hungry, but was not particularly interested in doing much of anything that day. A knock sounded on her door and she flinched. No doubt it was her mother, wanting to inquire as to why she was being so antisocial. Typically, Mrs. Mazaki walked in without waiting for a response from her daughter. “Anzu?” she tentatively murmured, peering around the door. Anzu tried to pretend to be asleep. Her wet hair gave her away. Her mother entered the rest of the way and shut the door behind her, approaching the bed. Anzu felt her sit down, the mattress sinking to the frame and Mrs. Mazaki running a hand over her damp hair. “Anzu, we have always been so close...But lately you’ve been avoiding talking about things to me. I know you’re worried about something. Maybe talking to me will help. It might not resolve anything, but you know that I always want to help you, Anzu.” She gave a small smile, brushing her fingertips along Anzu’s face. “Hmm? How about it?” Anzu opened her eyes, bemused at how rushed her mother’s proposal came out. She turned to meet her mother’s eyes. They were kind eyes that she had always been able to trust and confide in. There were certain things that she had never told her mother, such as the Sennen Items and the ancient spirits from the past. That had actually been fairly easy to hide. This, on the other hand, was not so easy.

“I’m fine, mom,” she said at last, depending on the lie more heavily than she would have liked. “It’s nothing I can’t deal with.” Mrs. Mazaki’s face hardened a bit and she lowered her eyes, her brows drawing together stubbornly. As Anzu ought to have known, there was no such thing as choices when it came to one’s parents, much less her overprotective mother.

“Your father’s returning today, Anzu,” her mother finally told her. “I found Julliard’s rejection letter on the side of the road with your name on the letter. I know that is one of the reasons you’re acting this way and I suspect that boy is just another problem that has arisen in your life. Men do tend to complicate things, Anzu.” She sighed, looking away from her daughter, folding her arms across her chest in resignation. “And most of the time, you’re not sure what to do with them or what it is that they would like you to do for them. Sometimes their intentions aren’t good. If that boy is causing you trouble – ” Just as she turned to give a motherly threat, Anzu snapped up in bed, briefly startling her mother.

“Malik hasn’t been anything but nice to me,” Anzu told her firmly.

“He clearly likes you, Anzu.”

“Don’t you think I know that? Why do you think he hasn’t been over anymore?” She released an irritated sigh, turning from her. It was unfair of her to take her mood out on her mother. She had said that she was fine, that she didn’t need to speak to Mrs. Mazaki of anything, but she had completely disregarded her words as if she had not even spoken. But that still doesn’t give me a right to snap at her, Anzu admitted to herself grudgingly. She wanted nothing more than to simply slip back into bed and rest; she wanted to avoid this unwholesome conversation more than anything. “I told him that I only liked him as a friend. I hurt him, so now I’m just trying to regain our friendship, okay? I am worried about not getting accepted into Julliard, but I can always retake the exams.”

“But Anzu – ”

“I don’t want to talk about it!” Anzu abruptly told her. “Please...Just leave me alone, mom. I don’t want to talk about anything. I just want to forget everything, if just for a day. I have enough to cope with on my own without you stressing me out.”

There was a tense pause in which Anzu’s mother stared at her with a black expression, her mouth pursed into a thin, white line. Anzu stared at her floor, determined not to meet her mother’s gaze. When at last Mrs. Mazaki sighed, she raised her eyes. Her mother rose to her feet and started towards the door, accepting defeat in this battle. She paused and then turned, questioning, “And when are you going to meet things head-on, Anzu? There’s something else bothering you that you’re not telling me about. I can accept that – don’t let it weigh you down, sweetheart, or else you’ll never get back on the path that you’re supposed to be traveling.” She gave a small smile and then left Anzu to sit on her bed alone.

Closing her eyes, Anzu heaved a deep sigh and fell back against the mattress, turning on her side and resting her head on her folded hands. She opened her eyes and stared ahead of her pensively. She wished that she could pour her heart out to her mother, talk about how much distance had been put between her and Yuugi, her and all of her close friends, really. She wanted to tell her mother about Marik’s wise advice, how he and Malik were the only ones keeping her on her feet now that she had no other friends left. She wanted to tell her everything, but that would mean telling her things that were not her secrets to tell. Atemu had asked quite politely that no one but them know of this; Shadii and Isis had also advised this. Nonetheless, keeping things from her mother required that she lie about other things and that was something she despised. It didn’t seem like there was much of anyone else for her to confide in.

By the time Anzu left her room, it was past noon and she had heard her father enter the house. She sighed and leaned her arms against the banister, crossing a leg behind her as she listened to her parent’s conversation. Anzu generally had no reason for this, but if she knew her mother as well as she did, she would likely express her worry about their teenage daughter. Anzu saw her father’s luggage in the entry hall, which could only mean that her mother had rushed him off to the kitchen. From where she was standing, she could hear their conversation perfectly as the separating walls did not quite meet the arched ceiling, leaving a gap between the slabs of wall and ceiling.

“...never around Yuugi and them, either,” her mother was saying. Anzu stiffened. Did her mother suspect the underlying issue to her current attitude? “I’m concerned for her, Seiji. She’s never acted this way before. It’s as if she’s depressed. She’s gotten very quiet and seems to say hardly anything to me. I don’t want to see her hurt. That’s clearly what she is right now, though...You have to talk to her – ”

“No,” Anzu heard her father interrupt sharply. “I will not talk with her and get into her business. You said yourself that Anzu told you to leave her alone for awhile. She’s eighteen! She’s an adult! She obviously wants to take care of whatever is going on in her life by herself. It doesn’t have to do with a guy harassing her, and so she is capable of handling it.”

“You don’t know that! What are you going to do if it’s something serious?”

Anzu’s father sighed heavily. “Sakura...I’m tired. I’ve had a long plane ride. I just want to take a shower, eat a bit of something, and go to bed. Can you allow me these small comforts? Stop worrying about Anzu. She’s a very bright girl. She’ll figure things out on her own and if she needs our help, she’ll come to us. This is something personal that we cannot help her with. Do as she asked – leave her alone.”

“But...”

“She’s fine, just a little stressed out. I would be, too, if I had gotten rejected from my ideal school. She needs a bit of time to collect herself and then all will be well again, okay?” Sakura didn’t answer. Her husband seemed to take that as an acceptable response and Anzu stepped away from the stairs as she heard her father exit the kitchen. She heard him pick up his things and trudge up the stairs. She remained leaning against her doorframe until he came into her view. He looked as exhausted as he claimed to be. His eyes sagged and his mouth was pulled downward in a deep frown. His shoulders were slumped, giving him an appearance of weakness that anyone who knew Seiji Mazaki was aware of being untrue. He paused when he spotted her and gave a wan smile. She returned it and took one of his bags wordlessly and led the way to her parent’s room, dropping it at the end of the bed. He set the others down and released a long breath.

“Thank you, daddy,” she said, hugging him tightly around the waist. He gently rubbed her back, resting his cheek on her head.

“You got it all in control then, Anzu?”

“I will,” Anzu assured him, withdrawing and smiling. “I promise. I just need some time alone to think.”

“That’s what I thought.”

After her conversation with her father, Anzu decided that she needed to go someplace else to contemplate her options. She hastily dressed and left the house quietly so as not to disturb either of her parents. She knew that her mother was upset and would not want to talk with her at the moment, especially since she was one of the prime reasons why Sakura happened to be in such a mood. Anzu’s steps were slow as she moved down her narrow street, her hands in her pockets. For a moment, she considered calling Yuugi and instantly threw away such a thought. After all, her friendship with him was part of what was putting her in the surly mood that she had been in lately. Instead, she meandered through her neighborhood with no specific destination in mind.

She heard the put of a motorcycle behind her and ignored it until it sped past her. “Hey, why don’t you read the speed limit sign, asshole!” she screamed after it irritably. Half of her hoped that they heard her, the other half not wanting to really argue with someone. Alas, the motorcyclist heard her and came to a stop. She hesitated on her next step, deliberating on whether she ought to turn and start running or not. Instead, she decided to stay and maybe duke it out with whoever almost ran her over.

“I’m not sure,” a lazy voice commented, “if that’s the kind of language you should be using when you don’t know who you’re talking to.” She blinked as she recognized the voice. A moment later, the helmet came off and Malik offered a lopsided grin. “Is my affection still causing you to have a bad life, Anzu?” She flushed with shame. Although she thankful he had turned it into a joking matter so quickly, she knew that, inwardly, he did not feel as careless as he acted. She shifted foot to foot, uncomfortable, and then approached him with her eyes cast down. “Well?”

“No,” she bit out, slightly more aggressive than she had intended. “No, I’m in a fine mood.”

“Of course,” he said with a nod, “because you always swear on a daily basis.” Malik lowered his eyes to his helmet, juggling it from hand to hand in a thoughtful manner. “Listen, Anzu...You haven’t texted or called me since yesterday and you know, you did say that you would.” He raised his eyes to hers and she saw the aggravation in his eyes. Honda had been right; Malik was desperate for any type of relationship with her now that he had been rejected. She was still trying to find her footing again. Clearing her throat, she raised her head and allowed herself to plunge forth into a new friendship with him.

“Yeah, sorry, I know I did. It’s just, um, my dad got home today and my mom thinks I’m depressed or something, so I’ve had to deal with her. And she and my dad got in a fight about it, so...”

“Oh...” He looked apologetic as he said, “Sounds like you have a lot going on then.”

“Not anymore than usual,” Anzu answered with a smile. Even though Marik had advised her to deal with her own problems, every time she saw him or Malik, the issue of Isis and her tyrannical ways in the Ishtar household nagged at her. She hated it, but she could see that this was a perfect opportunity to get inside Malik’s house and see what was really going on there. Both Marik and Malik were clever and could deal with almost any problem they were confronted with. It made no sense that they were bullied by Malik’s sister without having any idea as to how to deal with her. She understood why Marik didn’t bother – he had told her straight out why he didn’t try as hard to get her off his case. Malik, on the other hand, had only offered feeble excuses. “Um...Are you busy, Malik?”

“No, I was going home,” he answered, his face clouding over somewhat. “Why?”

“Well, do you mind if I go with you? I need to get away from my house for awhile. Things are tense between me and my mom.”

His eyes drifted to the ground in reluctance. “I don’t think you want to go to my house, Anzu. I know I always say that,” he added when she opened her mouth, “but you really don’t want to go there. It’s just...If you think your house is tense, it’s nothing compared to mine.” Anzu stared at him stubbornly, hoping he would get the hint. Clearly the fact that she just looked at him was enough because he released a sigh and handed her the helmet. “Fine. But don’t complain to me, alright?” He paused as she climbed on behind him, strapping the helmet onto her head. “And I don’t think Isis would like it too well if you talked to Marik.” She hid a smile behind the helmet, knowing that it had more to do with Malik not wanting her to talk to Marik. She clasped his waist as he pulled into the street and continued at the same speed that he had been going when he blew past her. She chose not to say anything this time.

When they pulled up to his home, she had to remind herself how much money the Ishtar family held. This was the wealthy district of Domino City, where Kaiba would probably live if he hadn’t been such a snob and set up a huge estate outside of the city limits. She climbed off the motorcycle and removed the helmet, following Malik to the garage. Inside, it was spacious with two silver, identical cars being the only other vehicles occupying it. “Helmet?” Malik prompted as he put the kickstand up on his motorcycle. Anzu handed him the helmet and he hung it on the handlebars. Sighing, he said, “Come on,” and led her up some stairs to a door that opened into the kitchen.

The kitchen, conveniently, held Marik seated at the table with an utterly bored expression on his face. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that Anzu was behind Malik. He did not, however, say a word, returning to the coffee that he was placidly drinking. She noticed that he was gripping the mug a bit too tightly, which gave her a good indication that things were as tense here as Malik had said.

“Where’s Isis?” Malik asked.

“Wherever she wishes to be, I suppose,” Marik drawled. Malik raised his hands slightly, as if pleading with the gods, and ushered Anzu to follow him out of the kitchen. As they were leaving, Marik said, “She won’t like this.”

“I am aware,” he muttered underneath his breath. He hurried up the flight of stairs, allowing Anzu to go in front of him. The entire house was quiet save for the sound of their footsteps. Malik stopped at a door and opened it. “This is my room. I need to find Isis and talk to her, but I shouldn’t be long...If I’m lucky. Okay?” She nodded. “Good...I did warn you.”

“I know. It’s fine, Malik.” He nodded, appearing anxious. Only when she repeated her reassurances did he leave her, closing the door quietly behind her. Anzu stood at the door for a moment, staring around her with interest. His room, unlike what she saw from the rest of the house, held some semblance of human personality. His bed, situated in the corner of the room, was unmade and there were CDs and books thrown haphazardly on the shelf on the other side of the room. His computer desk held papers, blank CDs, ancient floppy disks, and an alarm clock. All of this was out of order as well. There was a hamper near the shelf and by another doorway that she saw led into a bathroom. She suspected the doors by the bed led into his closet. She moved to the window that was situated between the bed and the computer desk, pulling the curtains back to see that it looked out into the backyard. Everything outside of Malik’s room was immaculate and so generic. She was glad he still had some humanity left.

She pushed the curtains back into place and sat on the bed pensively, looking around. His walls were bare, with the exception of a wall scroll that she suspected his sister had given him; she couldn’t read what it said as it was in hieroglyphs. As her gaze drifted to the ground, she saw a few magazines littered the floor by his bed. Thankful they weren’t nudies or anything like that, she picked one up and saw it was a motorcycle magazine. She flipped through it until the door opened. She raised her head expectantly and blinked to see that it was not Malik, but Marik. His gaze slid from wall to wall and then settled on her. “Well?” was all he said.

“Well what?” she returned defensively.

“You’re finally here, meddling like you wanted,” he told her, closing the door behind him and leaning against it with his arms folded. He looked disgustingly arrogant in that pose. She had no doubt that he was feeling ultimately superior, as well. “Have you decided how you’re going to ‘help’ us or are you simply here to sit and observe us like we’re animals?”

“Isn’t that what you do with everyone else?”

“I do it from the sidelines, Mazaki,” Marik coolly replied, “I don’t directly involve myself in such affairs like you have. Isis does not like anyone coming here. If she wants to see one of her friends, she goes to see them. She hasn’t allowed anyone here since she moved into this house. She believes we’re dysfunctional and has no wish for people on ‘the outside,’ as she terms it, to see what we’re really like. Malik was already in hot water when he left. He’s going to be boiled to death because you, no doubt, persuaded him to allow you to come here.”

“I’ve been asking him from the very start to bring him to his house! It’s not like I’m a stranger or anything.”

“She doesn’t care about that,” Marik sighed, pushing away from the door and unfolding his arms. “You lack understanding in these matters. What’s more, you do not even know that you lack that understanding. Isis doesn’t care what people think about her or how she rules her household.”

“If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t go to such lengths to keep people from here.”

This made Marik pause. He raised his eyebrows ever so slightly and a slow, amused smirk curled his lips upward. The expression caused a chill to travel down her spine. “Mmm, that may be true, but I’m inclined to believe that she is simply ashamed of us. Or rather, me.” Anzu frowned at him, staring defiantly from her place on the bed. Marik prowled further into the room and surveyed it thoughtfully. “I’ve actually never been in here, did you know that? Malik’s never been in my room, either. I imagine he will be upset when he realizes I’m in here with you.” His smirk broadened as he met her eyes. “Alone.”

“Don’t be revolting.”

“I’m just following his train of thought.”

“He knows me better than that.”

“Hmm. Then he shouldn’t have any jealous thoughts about people, much less me. But he is human and humans are selfish, arrogant, jealous creatures. If you cannot accept that – well, we’re going to have quite the dilemma. You are already beginning to understand that friendship is not all that you thought it to be. Once you can realize that humans are not as kind hearted as you believe, you may be on the path to true enlightenment, Mazaki.” He stopped at the window and flicked the curtains away, peering out into the backyard with an indifferent gaze. “That enlightenment, you’ll find, is not as welcoming as one would think.” He turned to look at her and she stared back at him, unnerved by his cryptic words.

The door abruptly opened and they turned to see not only Malik in the doorway, but Isis as well. Her eyes flickered from Marik to Anzu in clear bafflement. Malik’s face seemed to turn a shade gray and he looked at Anzu despairingly.

“I wasn’t aware that Isis enjoyed coming into your room, Malik,” Marik said to break the silence.

Anzu was getting the distinct feeling that, somehow, she about to get unintentionally involved in this entire affair.

TBC

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DIS: There we go. Finally I have Anzu where she needs to be. I don’t expect this issue to be resolved all that quickly and before this story ends, I want to take care of her misconceptions that Marik has eluded to throughout the story. In any case, please leave a review telling me how you liked it!! Ciao!