A/N: It occurred to me some time ago that the Ishtars are among the few siblings in the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise that I haven't written anything for. So, I wrote this. I hope everyone enjoys it as well as the others.
Disclaimers: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters, Kazuki Takahashi does.
...
As Ishizu and Odion left his room, Marik turned on his side to face the wall, listening carefully to the fading footsteps.
When he was sure they were gone, he turned and stared upward at the ceiling. How he wished he were gazing up at the moon and millions of brilliantly twinkling stars that littered the night sky instead of a slab of stone.
He sighed as he thought of the plan to take him to the surface. Ishizu would be the one to accompany him and Odion would, at great risk, be tasked with making his father believe that Marik had not left the tomb.
The marks of the Tomb Keeper's initiation still pained him, though not nearly as much as they had. In fact, there was now more emotional pain than physical. They would forever remind him of his imprisonment here, and for what? A centuries old pharaoh who was long since dead? What kind of fool would willingly subject themselves to that? His father apparently.
His father...
Marik felt nothing but contempt and sometimes even hatred for the man. He all but ignored Ishizu and openly derided Odion despite the boy's numerous attempts to please him. Sometimes little Marik felt like Odion was more of a father to him than Mr. Ishtar could ever hope to be.
If Odion were like his father, then Ishizu, his sweet older sister, was like a mother. She was always so kind, patient, and caring to Marik. So it only stood to reason that Marik, who had lost his mother shortly after he was born, would see her in such a light.
In fact...whenever Marik tried to think of what his real mother had been like, the face of the woman in his mind belonged to none other than Ishizu herself. After all, he had been but a newborn when his mother passed, having finally fulfilled her duty as far as her callous husband was concerned.
But Marik decided not to dwell on things that had once been but could never be again or the things he had lost. It was time to look to the future. Tomorrow he would see the surface! Even if only for a short time, he would still have a chance to see the sky, feel the sun on his face, and Ishizu would be there too!
His only regret was that Odion would not be there with them. But oh, Marik would have so much to tell him. He might even bring a gift back for him.
With this last thought, the youngest Ishtar fell asleep with a smile on his face for the first time since his initiation.
...
...
I hope everyone enjoyed. Feel free to let me know.
Until tomorrow, everyone.
