The Road Home (My Own Personal Hell)

A/N: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Summary: After the events of Battle City, Malik returns home to reflect and confront his past. May have spoilers, you've been warned. Sorry if the names are misspelled. Please RR.

Part One

"The road home is a long one. For most of us, even if we don't admit it, it's tough as Hell. For me, it's the hardest thing I've ever done." Malik began. He was in the room where not even five years ago, he'd sent his father to the shadow realm. This is where his own personal Hell began. And not just his, Odeon's, Isis', and his…father's own personal Hell also began.

He dropped to his knees, regret stabbing his heart. He thought of all the trouble he'd caused, all for being angry with someone who couldn't have prevented the circumstances even if he'd wanted to. "Yami…"

Thanks to the pharaoh, everyone's suffering had ended. Except his, he needed to exorcise his demons. That started with the home, where it all truly started. He shivered as a cold draft brushed against his bare skin. His old home had lost what little luster it had. It now looked like an ancient temple, even though people had been there as little as five years ago.

He thought back to those final weeks when the line between Hikari and Yami was forever blurred. He shook his head free of those thoughts, the thoughts of when his father blamed Odeon for the snakebite, when he first saw Shadi, sending his father to the Shadow Realm, and venturing outside with Isis.

Malik was so messed up, so confused. "Raaggh…" He growled. He stood up punching the brick wall and ignoring the pain it caused. "I don't get why everything is so…messed up. Why can't I just be happy, like Isis?"

'Was it really so wrong to just want to have fun…to go out into the world? No, that's not wrong...it may be selfish but not wrong.' Malik thought. He suddenly wanted to get away from this place. To get away from this pain, but he had to stay…he couldn't just turn away from his past.

He began walking, walking through the corridors which he'd known so well in his childhood. He passed the room in which Odeon had promised to protect him, 'He did a damn good job of protecting me too, even if Yami Malik had managed to take over completely.' He continued on his and found the room in which Isis and him had been born.

He hadn't really bonded with his father, but his mother…she was the best. He had adored her, she was smart, strong, and beautiful. But then she died, and he felt a piece of his heart die with her. He didn't want to hang around there any longer, it began to stir up more emotions for him. It was intense enough.

Malik walked on, knowing that his next destination was going to be above and beyond that. He continued walking, not really wanting to go there, but he knew he must. He stopped, vaguely aware that he'd reach his destination.

He entered the room slowly…this room was the room in which a lot of things had happened. This was the room, in which he received the Tomb Keeper's Initiation, met Shadi, was taken over by Yami Malik, and sent his father to the Shadow Realm. He looked slowly around the room, everything had been left the way it was on that day, five years ago.

The room was in shambles, the furniture was broken and rotting away. Thick dust and cobwebs covered the room. A miniature ecosystem of snakes, rats, fungi, scorpions, and insects now existed. It didn't matter to him, he hated this place. It was his hatred of this place and the pharaoh that led him down the wrong path.

"If only I had listened to Shadi." Malik whispered to himself. He could say all the if onlys he wanted, it didn't change anything. He looked down at his feet, a cobra looked ready to strike at him. He wisely decided to move away from it.

After moving a few feet away, Malik began to stare at the wall directly in front of him. Through this wall, Yami Malik had taken over and sent his father to the Shadow Realm. He felt guilty that he had hated Shadi for so long, believing that he had been the one that sent his father to the shadow realm. In the end, he found out it'd been Yami Malik.

Now it was time to face his past…he didn't know what to do. He remembered what Yugi and Yami said like broken records when a duel turned against them…'The heart of the cards…that was it wasn't it?' If the cards possessed this "heart" than surely he did.

He felt like crying, he took a deep breath. He began to think of his father and began to concentrate on him. It wasn't long before the Eye of Ra began to glow on his forehead. It connected to the wall and a void to the Shadow Realm. Out of the void, his father appeared.