Chapter 8- Court Case
"Welcome! I am…the Pharaoh of Hearts!"
The crowd of cards cheers as they celebrate their king standing on the judge podium. Marik is in the center of the room, with his own little table surrounded by spear-wearing guards. The Pharaoh keeps waving back at his followers until his arm becomes tired,
"Yes, yes. Thank you! I am great!"
Next to the king's podium stands a similar yet, lower than his. The person sitting at this table has similar qualities as the king. Yet, his height is shorter, his skin paler, but his hair still stands ridiculously the same. The soft eyes of the doppelganger gaze at the King with embarrassment.
"Pharaoh, please don't boast."
"Boasting comes with the job, Yugi! Embrace it!"
One of the guards step forwards and sounds the horn to begin the event. The pharaoh clears his throat and holds up a scroll. The paper unrolls as the king reads the first lines.
"Marik Sebastian Ishtar the Third…you are here because you have committed a series of crimes. This court will addres-"
"I did NOT tell them to color a Kuriboh! I swear!"
The crowd burst into laughter and making Marik even more confused at the situation. Finally after a few tears of enjoyment, the king rests his arms against the edge of the podium,
"Oh, Marik…you're not here because you painted a Kuriboh!"
"It's not?"
"Oh, no. It's way worst."
Yugi sighs and pulls the King's robe for his attention, "Pharaoh, stop torturing the guilty and tell him already."
"Oh, fine. You're no fun."
The King's eyes scan through the scroll a second time.
"Marik, through your life, you have committed these of the following: Murdered your father, killed a few of your ghouls by your Millennium Rod (or not feeding them right), killed a Gym teacher, killed the Chihuahua Movie Director, Writers, Animators..."
Yugi murmurs, "…They had writers?" as the pharaoh stops his reading and responds to his partner, "Yes, but I'm more surprise that they got more than one person working on it."
Marik slams on the table, not really listening to their little conversation.
"I did not do that! I didn't murder anybody!" Marik pauses, "Well…not yet anyways."
The Pharaoh keeps his poker face and grins at the accused, "You did not do these? Is that what you're claiming?"
"Yes! I certainty did not killed this people! I can't even murder that spider living in my bathroom! I just take over the minds of miserable people named Steve… and then they become my slaves! That's it!"
Yugi laughs, "Well…that's not all what our eye witness says."
The room pauses. Different names floats around the court, trying to guess the identity of the witness. All the whispers spread around like bees and Marik can't catch a single comprehensive word from the cluster of voices.
"Bring him in!"
The room becomes engulfed with fear and sweat, as the sound of wheels gets closer to the room. Suddenly, two cards bring out Melvin strapped on a cart. He has a mussel over his mouth and is wearing a straight jacket like Hannibal Lector.
The cards do the unthinkable and release the mussel from Melvin. The creature moves his jaws left and right as he pops his cheekbones back in place. He looks up at Marik and grins at the familiar sight,
"Hello, me! Nice to see me again!"
The cards began to yell out of control, which forces Yugi to knock his wooden hammer against the podium.
"Order! Order!"
As soon as the crowd settles down, the Pharaoh leans over to the witness,
"So! Melvin…is it true that Marik has done these things?"
"Hehehe, yesss. He's a raving lunatic."
Marik slams his hands on the table one more time, "No! YOU'RE the crazy one! Not me!"
Yugi knocks on the hammer again, "Order! Order!"
That hammer must have been enchanted with magic, since Marik can't help but to be silent and follow orders. Or maybe it was something else, but Marik can't admit he's feeling scared.
Yugi continues, "As we come to find out, you and Melvin are both guilty."
"But I didn't! He-"
The Pharaoh interrupts, "You took these actions you committed and blamed it all on another you!"
Marik is trying to find a comeback or any arguments, but his voice trembles and his body can't deny the King's words,
"M-maybe but-"
"You put aside your own duties as a Tomb Keeper, and had deny your actions of the murder of-"
"I DIDN'T KILL MY FATHER!"
His words echoes around the room as the people are in shock. The room is silent as the cards all turn their faces towards the King. He lets out a long breath of air before he continues to speak.
"Marik Ishtar…" The king pauses for a brief second, "…you will face a horrible punishment".
The figures around Marik and Melvin start to glitch. Their shapes turning into purple shadows of his other self's reflection. The images quickly return back to their roles. Melvin grins and starts to quietly chuckle at the world Marik has created for himself.
Click Click! The straps of Melvin open up one by one, as his straight jacket disintegrates in the air like ashes. The Other Marik stands on the floor, popping his knuckles, and starts stretching his arms.
The fake Pharaoh clears his throat,
"You will become one with Melvin. And you will accept ALL that you did."
"N-No waitwaitwait! OBJECTION! I…I-I can call a witness! Um…break time? Recess?"
"There aren't any."
As Melvin creepily steps forwards, Marik moves back. Yet, as his back feels a cold sharpness, he turns around to see the guards pointing their spears. There's nowhere to go, and Marik is force to watch his Other Self lurching closer.
"Let's be together again, Marik! Just like old times!" Melvin stops, "Oh! How about I take us over this time? It is only fair…"
"No! This is madness! I wanna wake up now!"
The room's ceiling begins to crumble as the darkness pushes down. The laugh of Melvin takes the room hostage as the cards whispers the words guilty around him. Marik falls down, hugging his knees, as there's nowhere else to go. He shields his eyes as he hopes for the nightmare to be over. But he's still there, still hearing the voices accusing him, the dark reflection laughing and taunting him, and the darkness consuming him…
ZZZZZT!
Suddenly, Marik hears a static beep, which makes him to stand up and look around. The world looks as if someone must have pushed the pause button. The figures are standing there, in their most recent position. They glitch at random times, as the buzz keeps playing endlessly through the stage.
Finally, a different noise echoes above the room carrying a familiar tone,
Check your pocket.
Marik raises his head at the ceiling, "Huh?"
There's no one; no vessel of where the voice reside. Still, Marik starts to search through his dress. He digs around, but there is nothing but air. It is empty, just as how hope left his body. He wants the nightmare to be over. Even if it means being stabbed by cards and by Melvin, he just wants the dream to end.
"There's nothing in there…"
Concentrate! This is a dream. Think of it. Call on it. Think of an item that will… Help. You. Get. Out!
Marik does what the voice commands and starts to concentrate, letting his mind into focus. He starts to feel his pocket getting bigger as the image in his head becomes clearer. The boy quickly takes the object out before it could ruin the fabric.
And there it is…Marik holds the item up in the air, watching how familiar it feels between his fingers. The cold surface vibrating as it shines with no dependency of light for it to reflect so beautifully on his hands.
His eyes are wide and in shock, as he tries to call on the name of the object through a small whisper,
"The Millennium Ring…"
