Hikari: Uhh, Hi… *Hides behind a wall*
Yamie: Hikari?
Hikari: I know I haven't posted a lot. Life has been getting in the way for the past few months, from issues to technical problems, to writer's block. Out of all that and based off of an RP comes my next story, Childhood Tales! My beta for this story will be my good friend Link. :)
Yamie: Yu-Gi-Oh! doesn't belong to me…
From Marik Ishtar himself comes the chilling tale of his past and childhood. Though it was explained by Ishizu during season three of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series, Marik would like to share it from his point of view. The blond sits before you today, ready to weave a tale that haunts his family deeply as well as himself. All Marik asks is that you listen and try to imagine what it would be like to walk in his shoes. Thank you.
"I was with Ishizu and Rishid in my room that day," Marik Ishtar began. "We were talking and I brought up the fact that I hadn't seen the surface world my entire life." Marik paused to clarify. "I lived underground guarding the Pharaoh's tomb and two of the Millennium Items for my entire childhood, forbidden to travel the surface world." He went back to the previous tale. "So, after an hour of arguing, I managed to convince Ishizu to take me to the surface for a few hours while Rishid would cover for us. Father was asleep anyway so we figured we'd be there and back in no time."
"When we got to the surface, what a feeling! It was the first time I had seen the glow of a morning sun, the first time I had felt the warmth on my skin and the blinding flash that stung my eyes. It was simply magnificent." He paused to bask in the moment, the memory returning to him. "After a long walk, we reached a nearby village. It was packed with more people than I ever could have imagined. Every little detail was remarkable! I saw television for the first time that day, as well as discovered my interest in motorcycles after picking up an abandoned magazine from the dirty ground." Suddenly, Marik's smile dropped slightly.
"After that came the first sense that something bad was to happened. A man came to us and spoke of the Pharaoh and the Millennium Items, such concepts that outsiders could not and did not conceive. Worried, Ishizu and I raced home as fast as our legs could carry us. When we opened the trap to sink back down... It was already open... A-and an alarm had been triggered, one that Ishizu hadn't seen." His face filled with worry as he continued. "We ran down the stairs hurriedly and passed my bedroom. T-the pillow Rishid had placed in my bed was out and c-crumbled..." He took a deep breath, tears building in his eyes.
"W-when we went into the main chamber... F-Father was there holding a w-whip. Rishid was there, and his back… It was t-torn apart and bloody with m-marks. A blinding pain shot through my head and I was almost blinded for that split second from sheer agony." He clenched his fists tightly, nails digging into his skin. "When I l-looked up, F-Father… The w-whip… He was trying to w-whip me… His eyes were cold, dark, distant… Ishizu just stood there while I experienced being utterly alone and useless for the first time in my life. I… I couldn't handle it, that horrid feeling. After that… The p-pain just exploded. I was screaming I think, but I couldn't quite hear myself. I felt suddenly weaker… And sleepier… And heavier… Until I completely blacked out…" Marik paused to catch his breath, tears freely streaming down his face.
"W-When I w-woke up… I w-was in Rishid's grasp. He was… Was yelling at me to… To n-not look behind me. I didn't think, and l-looked…" Marik took a quivering breath. "My f-father was s-stabbed to death in the m-most brutal of w-ways… Just a shadow of himself, a m-mere corpse against the wall of the dark chamber. And e-even though I h-hated him…" Another breath followed by a shiver. "H-he was f-family. T-to see him b-bloody against a w-wall… And w-when it was all over, w-when I was l-lost beyond belief, w-when I needed a shoulder to c-cry on desperately, it was Rishid who offered it. A-after that day, I was different. I had somehow gained possession of the Millennium Rod and, well… I was the worst kind of person back then without a heart or soul to stop me from doing as I wished. It was… Hard," he whispered. His face was covered in tears and his wrist was bloody from where he had been unconsciously clawing at it. Marik simply sat, trying to deal with the painful memories and fighting down the ones involving the days after the incident.
After what felt like forever, Marik finally managed to speak once more. He spoke quieter than he ever had before, just barely audible. "T-that was the worst day of my life. N-not only for the... The d-death of my f-father, but because-" He broke off painfully, letting out a sob before continuing. "Because it was the same d-day he came into the p-picture. H-he came that day. I s-still don't know w-what happened or h-how... But he d-did. M-M-Mariku…" Marik put his head down, shivering violently at the very mention of his name. "I-It's all I can think about, my past. It haunts me everyday... It shows up out of nowhere. It pops out from the dark cavern I try to shove it in and only brings suffering and misery back to my attention. I h-hate it all so much…" He shuddered. "And yet…
...It'll never go away."
Hikari: If you liked this, tell me in a review! They make me smile!
Yamie: Also, if you know who you want to see share their tales, let us know.
~midknightXXX