From the beginning of time, constant change has existed. Minute to minute, day to day, season to season, things that seem to remain the same are in a state of gradual shifting towards a new future. Bad things can be endured, simply because we can be assured that one day, there is a chance that they will become good. Even in the darkest night, stars shine through the expanse of complete darkness, reminding the world that light and good are a matter of hours away. The nocturnal monsters that lurk in wait will eventually creep back into hibernation, and we will be able to live, to thrive, for another few hours, until the cycle begins anew. This is how things have always been, and how they should remain.
But what about the cycle of change? If bad and scary things can morph into rays of hope and light, then don't there need to be good things that make the same transformation? Balance, like change, is a necessary function of the world, after all. Everything is give and take, and in a world where many have only been taking for millennia, with no sacrifices to be spoken of, it is only a matter of time before everything is thrown into chaos.
Or at least, it was only a matter of time.
Certain forces in this world have, from the very beginning, been destined to be at war with each other. Life and death, light and dark, want and necessity- all of these have, for millennia, set aside their differences and compromised, allowing the other to live in peace. The story of good and evil is a classic one, which can be found in even the simplest of children's books. We are taught from a young age that as long as we remain good, and do not cross over to a side which could be considered evil, we will triumph over anything- or anyone- who threatens to disrupt the peacefulness of the Earth.
However, what is good? How is it any different from evil? If those who commit crimes which could be construed as evil truly believe that they are in the right, then where is the line between the two drawn? Does "good" truly belong to those who remain innocent? Or are such things decided by those who hold the most power?
I once believed that I knew the difference between these two extremes. And in a way, I suppose I still do. Light, since the beginning of time, has been associated with all that is innocent and good. So, when there is an absence of light, one is led to assume that fear is the correct response. Children are afraid of the dark, rather than the light- but why? Is it the factor of the unknown, of what cannot be seen? Or is it the knowledge of what little can be seen, and the question that follows- what could those shapes really be?
If it is the unknown which scares us as humans, then perhaps that explains why we dislike anything that is not good. Good is order, predictability, and stability. It is what we, as human beings, strive for in life. It can be assumed by most that if you crave anything different, you do not fit the mold. You are no longer human, you are a monster.
But in this world, where chaos is order, the unknown is predictable, and happiness is uncertain, is this still the case? Or is it the reverse situation, in which the one which creates the "norm" is the monster? After all, don't "desperate times call for desperate measures?" Ones which could alter the unity and well-being of the universe?
Of course, in order to alter something, that thing must first exist. And in this world of chaos, darkness, and ruin, even such a basic concept such as "peace" is nothing more than a fairytale.
Now, there is no battle between good and evil. It is a widely accepted fact that evil overtakes all, and the heroes will always meet a tragic end. Because evil has become good, and good has disappeared completely. Hope has been lost, and despair prevails. The hero doesn't find the princess in time, because the dragon has slain them both. It's not an ending to be feared.
It is simply reality.
Xxx
My room is cold. And dark, it's always dark- besides a few haphazardly-placed candles to make the room and what lay within it visible, all that surrounded me was shadows. Darkness is what he wanted, after all. And if this is his world, then everything will be exactly as he wishes. He is king, after all. His word is superior to even those of the gods. If he wishes someone to die, they shall. If he wants someone to scream in agony, then even those with the strongest of wills will be brought to their knees.
If he requests the end of the world as we know it, then so be it. He can create a new one, after all. Whether or not it includes us is irrelevant. In fact, I am positive that, in only a matter of time, it won't. He will grow bored with us pawns. He has already won the game, after all. All that's left now is to clean up the pieces.
How many of us are left, I am not entirely certain. The only one I ever see anymore is him. I'm sure Yugi and his friends are long gone- they were a "hindrance," after all. They were the "good" that got in his way, the ones who dared to oppose him from the beginning. I have no doubt that their deaths were excruciating and drawn out, although I prefer not to think of such things.
The only other voices I hear anymore are the screams. They echo throughout the halls of… wherever this place is. I was never quite sure where he decided to take me, only that I awakened here not long after everything began. I had seen him a handful of times, and I always wondered why he had decided to keep me alive when he could have just as easily murdered me. Was this my punishment from him for trying to save him when I had the chance? Or was it a punishment from the gods themselves, for not trying hard enough?
Either way, I knew that there was a reason that I hadn't been killed yet. Death would have provided an end to this world of endless suffering, an end which I did not deserve. No, I would be trapped here for the rest of my life, which I was sure he would be more than happy to extend several years. All I could do was wait. I wasn't sure how long I had been here, or how long I would be here. All I knew was that these questions could only be answered by him, and that he would never tell me what those answers were. So, all I could do was wait. My death, prolonged as it may be, was still inevitable, whether I liked it or not.
Did I like it, though? Or was there still some resistance in my heart? I wasn't sure anymore. Everything was already over, after all. Everything I had been striving for had been for nothing, and he had won. This was a fact of life.
Xxx
A creaking sound from the door being pushed open was what snapped me out of my thoughts. It wasn't surprise that did it, because I knew exactly who it had to be. I only ever saw one person, after all. No, I suppose that it was instinct. He didn't like it when he wasn't properly responded to, after all, and I needed to be prepared.
The door swung slowly, and for a fleeting moment, I wondered whether there was any apprehension or care put into it. But of course, that could never be the case. What use were such emotions when you were king? I almost wished it to open faster, if only to get whatever he needed of me over with.
But it felt as though a century passed before the door was completely open, exposing the tall, dark-skinned figure that I had been expecting. A maniacal smirk remained on his face, the same one he always had. His eyes were wild, and held the expression of someone who couldn't quite be considered sane. And his hair stuck up in large spikes that pointed in all directions, the trademark feature that differentiated him from his original.
"Hello, sister," he said calmly. He was almost always calm when dealing with me, for some unexplained reason, although I was sure that this wasn't his normal disposition. "Are you doing well?" The way in which the words fell from his mouth was dripping with condescension, and the irony of his words failed to escape me. In this world, no one besides him could be considered "doing well." In another time, perhaps I would have commented on this. But that was then, and this was now, in a completely different situation.
"I'm as good as I'll ever be, I suppose," was the best response I managed to come up with. Passive-aggressiveness was about the only form of rebellion that I could still manage without being hurt, after all. However, for someone who thrived on the feeling of being aggressive, he was never very good at sensing hostility in my voice. That or he chose not to care. Either one was equally possible. "What do you want, Mariku?"
He sighed dramatically, his smile faltering. "How many times do I have to tell you, sister? I am Malik, and I will be referred to as such."
"I will never call you by my brother's name," I muttered. To a point, I didn't stand up to him. I simply did as he asked, responded as I thought he would want me to. But this was entirely different. If there was one thing I despised about the man in front of me, it was that he had the nerve to pretend to be my brother. He had claimed his name, and even his body, sure. But I would never accept this man in front of me as even a part of my brother. If my brother was truly dead, as this man claimed, then I would never use his name again. This imposter didn't deserve to hear it.
"Hmmm? But Ishizu, I am your brother. Whether you choose to accept this fact or not is your choice, but it's the truth."
"…What do you want, Mariku." All I wanted was to get off of this topic, no matter what the next one may be. We could have spoken in circles for hours, but no matter how much convincing there was on his part, I refused to give in. The frown on his face was once again replaced by that common smirk.
"Why do you ask like that? This place belongs to me, doesn't it? I should be allowed to visit whenever I please. I don't need a reason."
"…I'm sorry," I said, and no matter how sincere I attempted to make it sound, I was sure that traces of sarcasm still made their way through. Once again, however, these seemed to escape him, and he continued speaking.
"Anyways, sister, I really don't have a reason. I just thought I would drop by, so that we could talk." I could tell right away that he was lying. Mariku had never been the type to sit around and talk about things that didn't matter. That wasn't how someone gained control of the entire world, after all- there was motivation behind every little thing he did. But the last thing I wanted was to pick a fight with him. I had seen how terrifying he could become when he was angry, after all, and I was positive that speaking back to him would result in not just my pain, but that of others as well.
"…About what, then." The least I could do was play along with his little game. As long as I remained pleasant, he remained pleasant, and nothing bad would happen to me, to him, or to anyone else.
Mariku laughed. "You always were so cold, sister. It wouldn't hurt to be a little bit more welcoming when your dear brother comes to visit you." He took a few strides from the doorway, until he was right in front of me. We were face to face, and I swallowed, refusing to show the fear that was building up inside of me. I could feel his warm breath on my face, and it sent a shiver down my spine.
"…I still won't call you brother, Mariku." It was a childish insistence, really. But it was important to me, which was why I continued to bring it up. I knew I was provoking him every time I said it, and that each time it became more likely that it would set him off.
Rather than becoming angry this time, however, Mariku stood back up and threw his head back, roaring with laughter that echoed throughout the otherwise silent room. "Sister, when are you going to realize that I won? The world is mine, and I can have whatever I want." He paused. "And what I want," he said, his tone suddenly much lower and icier, "is for you to accept that I am Malik. Whether or not you are willing to accept it doesn't matter. I am a part of him, and thanks to the idiocy of the rest of the world, I always will be."
"Well, I will never accept it!" My voice was raised to a much higher volume than I had meant it to be, and I immediately regretted it. Still, my mouth refused to stop moving. "You're nothing more than a demon who stole his body! You're just-" I was cut off as his hand abruptly slammed against my jaw. The hit was powerful enough that my head swerved to the side. I couldn't help but let out a sharp cry, which only made his grin wider.
"Yes, sister! Scream for me, like the rest of the world has! Don't resist me, because this is only the beginning! I am the creator of this world of darkness! I control everything, including your very life!" He stopped for a moment, and reached behind him, pulling out the millennium rod from its sheath. He held it so that the blade was inches away from my face. "You will die when I want you to die, so if you want to live, I suggest that you do as I say."
"Anything," I gasped. My cheek was throbbing, and despite my desperate wishes otherwise, I could feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "I'll do anything…" he grinned expectantly. "…But I won't… consider you my brother."
In an instant, Mariku's expression turned to one of pure rage. "You little bitch," he muttered, the hand with the rod shaking dangerously. "I-I should have killed you when I had the chance. That day, five years ago… I could have easily taken you then. But I took pity on you. I let you live, because you weren't important to me. I could have cared less about you, actually." Slowly, he lowered the millennium item away from my face and backed away, until he was out of my face and a good few feet away from me.
"In fact, you're damn lucky I decided not to kill you right now. But let's be honest- that would be boring." He chuckled, the arrogant smirk returning to his face. "After all, if you died, then who would I keep as a pet? I'm sure no one could take your place, sister." Without warning, Mariku turned around, his long dark swirling around him like the darkness itself. "So, I'll let you live another day. But I don't think I like having you mouth off to me. We'll have to work on that." And without another word, Mariku slipped out the door, slamming it behind him.
It wasn't until a few moments after he left that I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
Xxx
I am honestly not sure what to do with this story right now. I think that if I really worked at it, I could make it a series. At the same time, I think it stands alone pretty well as a oneshot. So if you enjoyed this and want to see it continued, then could you review and tell me that? I'm probably going to decide whether or not to write more based off of how many people would be interested.