Morningstar
By: Neko-chan
A/N: Yes, I've been working on the list of stories that I have to update. But… I've been super busy dealing with college applications, school projects, family crises, homework, tests, and finals/midterms. But, just a little bit ago, I received a letter from the University of Hawaii at Manoa… and I've been accepted. So, this is a little treat for myself for getting into the university that I wanted to. And yes, this is also Neko-chan-ified!Yami no Malik. Is he coherent? Hmmm… how 'bout no? =^^=
WARNING: Yami no Malik/Malik
Note: I was finally finishing up Revolutionary Girl Utena and Akio mentioned that his name comes from a character in the word 'Morningstar.' Yes, there is the Morning Star (when you're dealing with astronomy), but… Lucifer's other name was Morningstar. When you're thinking about Akio's character, overall, this actually makes sense. ^^;; Anyway, thus~ my story was born. A word to the wise: I'm experimenting with a different writing style. It's… strange, but I've been wanting to write with this particular style for a while now. Enjoy.
DISCLAIMER: Hmmm? Do I look like an exceptionally rich manga-ka? No? Well, I guess that I don't own Yuugiou then. Mou~
* * *
I'll tell you a secret.
Promise you won't tell?
Shhh~
…
* * *
"Yami? What are you doing?"
"Painting a picture—all gorygory redred and splattered with the vilest harshest animalistic most disgusting of all emotions! Can't hikari-pretty see the redred picture? All bleeding and dripdripdripping and running down forearms to form into a pool (and congeal, cool, and puddle) below tan tan bronze golden feet and earth below, far far far away. Tumbling end over end over end—over and over and over again; there is no stopping the flight. (But it's not really a flight; no, not really. It's a tumble—it's a fall.) Can't you see the picture, hikari-pretty?"
"…no."
"Oh. Too bad, hikari-pretty. Hikari-pretty can't see the picture and can't see what yami-darkness is painting! No? No, of course not. No, no, no~ But… would hikari-pretty like to know what yami-darkness is painting?"
"What are you painting, Yami?"
"Yami-darkness is painting yami-darkness. Before he fell."
"…what?"
"Yami-darkness is painting yami-darkness before yami-darkness fell. Doesn't hikari-pretty ever listen to his yami-darkness? No? No, no, no, no? … Oh. Oh, well~ Stupid silly never-listen-to-yami-darkness hikari-pretty. Would hikari-pretty like to hear a story? Yes, yes, yes? Yami-darkness is finally finished with his picture."
"A… A story? Sure, Yami. Just… can you please put away that picture? It… unnerves me."
"Silly hikari-pretty. 'Course the picture… 'unnerves' you. You finally see yami-darkness for what he truly is."
"And what's that, Yami?"
"Morningstar."
* * *
I was once the most beautiful thing in all of the heavens. I was created to be the most beautiful things in all of creation. I was young, I was powerful, and I was the second most-powerful ruling force in the universe. Only God surpassed me in power.
And yet… I was not content.
I was not all-powerful.
I did not rule.
In the end, I was always second.
…I wanted to change this.
Thus, that is how the rebellion of heaven first began. As the millennia passed, I gathered almost all of the angels of heaven to me. They believed in me; and I ruled them all as I had always been meant to. My empire was not meant to last, however. The angels who could not join my cause banded together—and war finally broke out.
We fought for a very, very long time and it was a difficult battle. Many died; many fell, never to rise again—and I rejoiced in all of this. It was death. It was destruction. It was anger and hatred and loathing. It was… my world.
But chaos cannot reign forever, and my rebellion was eventually repressed. I was cast out of heaven—and my followers, my gorgeous, impure, corrupted subjects, fell with me. And when we finally landed, my realm was created. I finally ruled and was second to none. I was finally all-powerful; I was finally content.
My world.
My realm.
Hell.
* * *
"You betrayed me."
"Yes, I did."
"You have no regrets."
"No. And why should I? You created me—you should have realized what would have eventually happened. You created me to be always second, you created me to always follow you. But I will never be content with forever coming in second. I will never be content with standing at your right hand, doing your will because you wish it to be done. I am Morningstar and I answer to no one. Not even you."
"If you do not back down, you will fall."
"Think you I care?"
"Once you fall, you can never come back to heaven. You will always be cast away, looked upon with contempt. There will be no future for you… will you not reconsider?"
"No."
"As you wish. Fare you well… Lucifer."
* * *
But Morningstar—now called Lucifer—did not weep. What was there to weep for? He had his own realm, his own world. He was finally ruler and no one was second to him. No one would ever be second to him.
Because he was the Fallen.
* * *
Wine—burgundy, crimson red—swirled within the crystal glass. Eyes that matched the liquid looked up from their contemplative gaze and turned their attention to the captive that was kneeling before the owner of the pair of eyes. And the expression within the eyes turned sardonic.
"Why have you come to my realm, princeling? What business would the Son of God have with me, Lucifer, the one who opposed God and led the rebellion against the heavens?"
"I wanted to ask you a question," was the quiet reply.
Lucifer raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, his hair a golden sunburst in the shadowed throne room. Even now, in all of his dark and defiant glory, Lucifer was still a beautiful creature. "And what question would that be?"
The Son of God paused briefly, but then finally gave Lucifer his question: "Why?"
The one who was once called Morningstar smiled slightly and his eyelids lowered. "'Why?' Because your Father created me to be second to him—always second, always following. Never would I have known the taste of real power. Never would I rule as I was meant to. 'Why?' you ask me? I rebelled against God because I was everything that he was not. I am anger. I am hatred. I am loathing and despair and contempt. I am everything that he rejects and I embrace. I Fell because, long after your Father's memory fades from the hearts of humanity, I will still be here; I will always exist because I am humanity. I am buried deep within their hearts: They will never be rid of me because they will always know me."
The Son of God's eyes narrowed. "You cannot win, not in the very end. My Father will win because you are wrong."
And Lucifer laughed. "Think, you fool. Your Father gave me Earth to look after. Doesn't that tell you something? Doesn't the very fact that I was given the task to watch after humanity tell you anything? Humans are weak and stupid: They are quick to anger and slow to forgive. No matter what you say, this will always be so. And, since this will always be so, I will always have a stronger hold on them. Your Father will never win—not when humanity still knows what it is like to feel the things that I created."
The 'visitor' took a step backwards, surprised. "And… what is it that you created, Lucifer? Why is it that you will always win in regards to humanity? Tell me; tell me now."
"Because I am everything that your Father isn't," the fallen angel replied, smiling coldly. "I am anger. I am fear. I am hatred. All of the darker emotions—they belong to me, for I was the one who created them. And that is why your Father will never win against me. You cannot fight against me. Never."
"…I pity you," whispered the Son of God.
"You shouldn't. Those who can afford to pity their enemies die."
* * *
Malik watched his darker half spin his tale, violet eyes wide with something akin to… fear? awe? terror?… and shivered when Yami no Malik finally finished his story. He wrapped his arms around himself, fingernails biting into his upper arms. Crescents appeared where his fingernails were; blood slowly filled the small wounds, turning them an angry shade of red. "Was… was that story true, Yami?"
Yami no Malik blinked at Malik, then turned his attention back to his painting. "True? What's true, hikari-pretty? The story? Painting? Both~?"
The omote of the pair bit his lower lip and took a small step towards Yami no Malik. "Is the story true, Yami? Is the painting true? Or… or was it all just make-believe?"
The dark Egyptian smiled slightly and tilted his head back, eyes closing as he did so. "Silly hikari-pretty. Silly stupid foolish gullible hikari-pretty. Doesn't hikari-pretty know a true story from a lying story? Is yami-darkness' story a true story? Or is it a lying story?"
"…which is it, Yami?"
Yami no Malik's smiled broadened and he opened his eyes, returning his gaze back to his lighter half, eyes hooded and expression veiled. "Yami-darkness is just that, hikari-pretty. Yami-darkness is Darkness. Darkness is anger. Darkness is loathing. Darkness is hatred. Darkness is what hides the truth and betrays the Light. Darkness is Light's enemy—and that's why Morningstar was named Lucifer. The Betrayer. The Enemy. After all, the Morningstar can never shine in the Light—the Morningstar needs Darkness to shine brightly."
"Oh, my God."
"No, hikari-pretty. I fell away from God a long, long time ago. He is dead to me and always will be. He will never be my God."
* * *
The secret?
I was once the most beautiful thing in the whole of the universe.
But now I'm the Fallen.
~Owari~
::End::
Notes: I blame Cirque du Soleil's performance of "Varekai," its music, Revolutionary Girl Utena, its music, my exceptionally warped brain, and finals.