Chapter 32

Everyone was split into groups, each one assigned to a field to play in so the tournament would run quicker. There were four groups in total, and the winner in each area would compete against a winner in another area, then those victorious against each other, with the final champion playing against the Queen of Hearts himself. It sounded simple enough.

But Marik was dreading it. He had no idea how to properly play the game his feline instincts were telling him to pounce on and attack the flamingoes they were going to use as mallets. He knew the moment he lay a paw on them in a harmful way that he'd be disqualified and have no chance of saving the Ringleader, who was being paraded around in a cage like some... circus animal. The blonde lion growled. He didn't mind being in his cage, being dragged around and having people stare at him. That was what he was to do, what Akefia told him to do. But it wasn't something for the Ringleader himself.

Bakura kept laying a comforting hand on his shoulder whenever he tensed up, and Marik was thankful for his friend for the simple gesture as he knew the knife thrower wasn't a very touchy or affectionate person. The situation called for it, however, and both of the circus performers needed all the reassurance they could get from each other.

"Ok, you two are with me in the west field." The King of Spades told them. "Bakura, you and the cat can watch from the viewing box with the others. Sorry but you're not allowed on the field with the competetors."

Bakura grumbled but agreed, feeling himself be tugged along by the invisible hand of the Cheshire Cat. He paused a second before turning back and kissing Marik on the cheek in a surprisingly affectionate gesture. "Win, bastard." He muttered to him before finally leaving to go and find a seat in the lavish looking viewing box.

The lion almost blushed at his friend but focused on trying to seem intimidating to the other players in his appointed field. His first opponent was a twitchy looking little boy with bug-like glasses and green hair. He'd easily crush him.

It was an hour later when Marik found the game to be the most boring thing he'd ever played. He was currently up against the March Hare, having to face the inevitable by playing against his current partner in crime. They were playing as fair as possible with their skills equally matched as while the white haired hare knew how to play the game he play enough to have the best of skills.

It was getting harder and harder to ignore his instincts and not gnaw on the bird in his grasp. He managed to get pretty good at smacking them on the head to make them stay still, but occasionally out of the corner of his eye the tanned blonde would see one escape, and he so badly wanted to pounce on them, to attack.

"Keep your head in the game, Marik." The March Hare hissed at him when he saw the lion staring slightly into space. Marik snapped out of it and quickly made his move in case any one had noticed.

The wire hoops they shot through were electrocuted. Marik had no idea how it worked, because none of the players were strapped up to any sort of device, but this was Wonderland and he'd learned not to question things anymore. He was slightly sore from the shocks but he'd honestly had worse from the Ringleader when he'd bought an electric whip from some kinky travelling saleman. It still remained in the closet from the time he had put the setting too high and ended up knocking Marik out for three hours.

While he wasn't looking, the flamingo in his grip began to flail slightly. Only a little at first, but as it regained awareness it began to seriously thrash around. Luckily Marik had made his move already and the March Hare was lining up his shot but all eyes were on him as the pink bird fluttered and squawked in his hands. Common sense told him to whack it on the head once more to quiet it down, however he chose not to listen to that. Instead the lion let it go, watching it run away crazily like a headless chicken, before crouching down on all fours and springing like the cat he was, landing on the bird and biting it to force it into submission.

"FOUL!" Someone yelled, most likely a soldier, and Marik looked up in confusion as he was suddenly surrounded by guards with long spears. They looked like playing cards crossed with the duel monsters from back home.

"King of Beasts," It took Marik a second or two to remember that was what he had introduced himself as, "You are hereby disqualified from thetournament for vandelising royal croquet equipment. You have five seconds to leave the field or you will be beheaded."

Marik cursed over and over in his head, taking the quick, worried glance from the March Hare as a sign for him to do what he was told. The King of Spades was silently calling to him on the edge of the field and he swiftly high-tailed it out of the area, bumping into Bakura who had raced down from the stands. He didn't want to run right out of the palace, and was happy that the guards had returned to their stations once he was off of the grass and on the path of the gardens.

"Shit!" The lion swore. "Shit, fuck, bollocks, WANK!" He grabbed his hair in fury, hitting himself on the head for being so damn stupid.

"Hey hey hey! Calm down!" Bakura shouted at him, grabbing hold of his wrist to stop him from doing any more damage to his head. "Stop it. That won't help any."

"I totally fucked up our plans, Bakura." Marik snarled, glaring at the knife thrower with angry purple eyes, feline pupils narrowing to slits.

"No, you didn't." Bakura assured him, patting his shoulder again, "This totally wasn't our style anyway. I mean, look at us! Fucking suits! The Ringleader would kill us."

Marik looked down at his suit, and as elaborate and fancy as it was, he couldn't help but begin to laugh at himself. His chuckles soon turned into fully fledged laughter and eventually he and the red-eyed albino beisde him were rolling on the floor, trying to control their hysterics while bemused onlookers on the edge of the field glanced over at them with small smiles or looks of digust.

"Oh fucking hell." Marik gasped once he'd finished laughing, still giggling every now and then, "I was so caught up with trying to save him that I went about it all wrong. I did it the way those bastards wanted me to."

"Instead, lets do it the Nightmare way." Bakura grinned, suddenly very wicked looking. Even his hair, now fallen out of its ponytail, was spiker than usual. "Come on, we'll get out of these damn suits and concoct a devious plan to rescue Akefia."