A/N: Here is another Ishtar sibling story. I hope you all enjoy it as much as you enjoyed Shattered. Also, happy 4th of July.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters, Kazuki Takahashi does.
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Odion Ishtar sat at the bedside of his ill younger brother Marik, watching as the little boy's chest rose and fell rapidly as he panted, his small body still struggling against the venom still coursing through it.
Just a few hours before, Marik had been happily playing ball with him when he was bitten by a cobra. Odion had wasted no time in hurrying the boy to his bed and making sure he wasn't moved.
While Odion had been beaten by Marik's enraged father, Ishizu had stayed by Marik's side, trying to keep him calm so as not to risk the venom spreading through his body faster than it most likely was. Odion had killed the snake before it could strike Marik again, but even so such a snake could easily kill a grown man, let alone a small child.
Neither she nor Marik had known about Odion's intention to harm the boy as a result of his beating, which had thankfully been averted.
Now Ishizu was bringing some water to help keep Marik's fever at bay as Odion prepared to draw the poison from Marik's blood.
"I'm sorry, Master Marik," he whispered as he heated the blade of his knife with the flame of the candle on the table beside the bed. "This is going to hurt..."
Ishizu glanced down at the floor sadly as she heard Marik's pained screams. She knew that Odion was only trying to help their younger brother, but it still broke her heart to hear poor Marik once again crying out in agony before finally passing out.
She entered the room to find Marik's left leg bleeding once again. A moment later, Odion begin to bind the wound.
Ishizu hurried over and sat the bowl of cool water on the table before dipping a rag into the bowl. After wringing the cloth out, she placed it on Marik's forehead in a further attempt to simultaneously cool the child's fever and help relax him.
Slowly and gently, Odion took Marik's sweaty and trembling hand in both of his. Ishizu took the other hand with one of her own, stroking his hair with the other.
Marik groaned softly as his purple eyes opened to see his siblings sitting on either side of him, holding his hands and smiling.
"You'll be alright," Ishizu whispered. "We'll both be right here the whole time."
Odion nodded.
"And don't worry," his grip on Marik's hand tightened, but only slightly. "This will never happen again, Master Marik. I swear on my life, I will never fail you again."
"You haven't…failed me…" the boy whispered, glancing weakly at his older brother. "You killed it before it could hurt me again…and you're here now…"
Ishizu turned to the eldest Ishtar sibling. She could see the guilt still etched on his face and in his eyes as he looked down at their younger brother, not taking his gaze off of the latter for even a moment, as if he were afraid that if he looked away, Marik would be hurt again.
"Marik's right," she spoke after a few minutes. "Odion, you had no way of knowing this would happen. All either of us can do now is see to it that Marik recovers as soon as possible."
"Ishizu…" Marik whispered, his hand shaking once again.
"What is it?" his sister asked, her cerulean eyes filled with concern.
"When can I see the moonlight again?"
Ishizu sighed and smiled a bittersweet smile. Ever since he was old enough to understand, little Marik loved sitting out in the main chamber, gazing up through the shaft at the moon, the only outside light to ever enter the underground world of the Tombkeepers.
"When you're well again, you can see the moonlight once more," she promised.
Marik, as well as Ishizu and Odion, could only look forward to a life confined to their home, the moonlight was one of the few things from the outside that wasn't forbidden. And Ishizu didn't have the heart to deny her brother this one request.
With a tired smile, the youngest Tombkeeper closed his eyes and once more drifted off, his hands still held by those of his siblings as they watched over him through the night.
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Before anyone asks, I am well aware that all of the methods of treatment for a snakebite that were used in this story are either outdated or just not ideal, but then again so is the Ishtars' way of life. So I just went with it.
I hope everyone enjoyed that. Feel free to let me know.
Until tomorrow, everyone.