Darkness Falls

- The Sennen Rod

The sun was beginning to fall when Mariku Ishtar walk back to the apartment that he and his sister Ishizu Ishtar lived. It was obvious that his sister wasn't home, even if she hadn't told him.

The golden rod-like object was tucked neatly in his schoolbag. He hadn't notice that it was there until he was in class. It amazed him how it was fitted into it. He could easily pull it out with no problem.

The schoolmates separated as they walk further away from the school. And Malik was left walking back alone, well, that is until he heard some talking. Using his instincts to hid by some alleyway, he peek from it to catch a glimpse of a group of people, something clicked, there's that feeling again. Not good. He didn't take any chances as he spun around and dashed into the alleyway, hoping that it won't have a dead end.

But perhaps he made a move too soon, he crashed into some garbage cans on the way, slightly startle by his own movement, he began to run, but the road was muddy so he could hear his footsteps loud and clear. That must've been another thing that alerted them because he could hear couple of other footsteps coming after him.

Quickly hiding behind a wall when the alleyway splits, he paused to catch his breath, he could hear the footsteps stop as well and people asking and commenting, but he wasn't near enough to catch everything that they had said.

He began to panic inside when he heard the footsteps again, slow and steady, meaning that they're looking around the area. Not good for him, but he dared not to let his feelings show as he grip the handle of his brown schoolbag.

Tucked inside of it lied the Sennen rod. Carefully and well settled down on it spot, the eye that symbol Ra looked proudly yet slyly out from a side of the brown schoolbag. Within seconds, the golden eye glowed in a wondrous golden light, but not enough to draw attention and Malik was too busy paying his attention to his hunters.

Immediately a second after the eyes glowed, a similar shape began to form on his forehead as well. Wow, it's getting hot in here, Marik thought, he eyes began to droop, my forehead, it's so hot there, so dizzy...warm...confusing.

He could hear a laughing tone from a familiar someone.

//Isn't it wondrous when the world becomes nothing and you could enjoy every moment of your life and finally understand its meaning? //

Yes, that would be nice... Malik thought, dazed by the hot feeling coming from his forehead.

//It would be perfect, to finally not meet hatred anywhere. To finally have what you really deserved. To finally laugh at ones who dared to claim that they're above you...//

The sound of someone crashing into some cans woke Malik from his trance. The glow on his forehead and the rod vanished as if it never glowed before.

Malik focus his attention back to his hunters. The prey could hear curses from the one whom had absentmindedly crashed into the cans.

"Damn!" another one cried, "Shoulda be careful!"

"There's nothing here."

"Man, I swore that I had saw that blondish kid."

Malik waited until the chattering was gone and the footsteps fainted before coming out from his hiding spot. Strange...

Malik looked into the bathroom mirror. The earlier game of the hunter and prey was out of his mind, now he was wondering about that voice. He heard it when he had first- well actually it was the third time when he had held the rod up. It had sounded deadly and it gave him a feeling that sends a shiver down him while made sigh in relief at the same time. As strange at it sounded, that was the only way that he could explain the feeling.

Taking a good look at himself in the mirror, he could see the same Egyptian boy. Bleach blondish-silver hair. A pair of indigo-violet eyes that showed no ambition. Dark, tanned skin that look no different from any other Egyptians around.

There he stood, standing in front of the mirror looking at himself, he look at his forehead and his eyes widen when he saw that there was an eye on his head. It was just like the one carved onto the rod that he had. Why hadn't I notice it? He thought.

But there was no time for that. The eye glowed and tried to devour his consciousness once again. The world seemed to have fallen into void for he could only see himself in the mirror. The eye glowed brighter, oh how it burns. It was hot before, but now it burns like fire.

I feel like as if I can lose myself any second now he thought. He had to lean on the counter for support from falling onto the ground. Looking up at himself, he noticed a couple of things different.

His body looked a bit more muscular and his hair...

He quickly regained the control of himself. Had I been so scared that my hair's spiked up like this? He thought. Almost afraid to meet reality, he slowly reached a hand up to touch one of the spiked up hair. Nothing. He felt nothing, but his reflection had. He could tell as it brushed through the soft, straight hair. He saw the hair moved slightly as if it was the wind that had moved it instead of the hand.

Then when all of his attention was focused at the eyes, he knew that they weren't his. In place of the indigo-violet orbs, they were static purplish blue. He couldn't tell whether they were real or not. It looks real enough, but he couldn't see the pupils at all, it was as if he had none. And then there was the sly grin on his face, in a mixture of amusement and sadistic cheerfulness.

He took a step back to look at himself. If he can call that person himself, if he can call that person a him not an it.

//Hello my hikari...//

The voice struck him that moment, and only one thought came to him.

"Yami Marik" he stated.

A laugh came right after he said those two words. He knew now that it wasn't him, and he wasn't sure what to do next. The laugh was piecing his soul like needles. And his world was still in void.

Yami Marik suddenly came forward out of the mirror, but all Malik could do is watch in astonishment as he crawl out and onto the counter. Marik look up, locking his static eyes into Malik's amazed indigo-violet ones. Reaching a hand towards him, Malik could feel that this was not going to go well, but remain in his position with his eyes locked into Marik's, it was impossible for him to look away from those eyes.

Cling, cling, ling

Malik blinked. The sound of keys turning and the front door opening snapped him out. He was still standing in the same position that he was in before, in front of the counter. But he wasn't in void anymore, and Yami Marik was gone. He just...vanished. A part of him had wanted him to stay for some reason.

"Mariku?" Ishizu called.

She's home? Already? Malik turn and walk out to see his sister carrying some grocery bags in her arms, "Come and help me won't you?" she sighed at her younger sibling.

"Why are you home this early?" Malik manage to ask while he put the bags in the kitchen.

"I had to come back and see what you're up to."

See what I'm up to? Hah, when did she start to care for me like this? He laughed in his thoughts. "Had I done something wrong?" he continued his questions.

"No, but it's best to check on your younger sibling once and awhile right?"

"I suppose..."

At dinner, Malik sat uncomfortably in his seat. The Japanese food taste didn't taste so bad, not really. He bit the end of his chopsticks. His sister spent hardly any time with him together, and they rarely ate together unless it's when she attends a meeting in a restaurant. But then again, she rarely brings him with her.

The blond teen stole a quick glance at her. She was watching him with those mysterious blue eyes again. They weren't concerning like a normal caring sister had, they were just mysterious in some ways.

He took another quick glance at her to catch a shiny object around her neck. He looked up, trying to avoid her eyes and stare at that shiny object around her neck. It had the symbol of the Eye of Ra carved on the necklace that she wore tightly around her neck.

Malik tried to hide his curiosity from his sister, but as he had suspected it, she knew.

"I received this as a present from our parents years ago, before they passed away." She stated before Malik could ask her. Just before he was about to ask why he had never seen it before she answered, "I like to keep it safe as a treasure."

Malik closed his mouth and look down to his half-eaten food. He began to stir his chopstick around the rice.

"Strange, I never notice."

Isis hesitated, "You would have if you're paying more attention to them."

"You're the firstborn of course you received the more attention!"

"That's not true," she denied, "You had received yours. Why can't you accept the fact the I'm firstborn and I'm older?"

"Oh, I'll accept that!" he snapped, "but I don't see why that made you more special."

"Malik! Don't use that tone with me!" she snapped back, "You know that being firstborn had nothing to do with being more special, I have the credit to deserve what I own while you...you spend your days hiding, away from us, your family, your friends, and even yourself! So it's your own fault that you had what you deserved, a life with no meaning upon it! A life where you can't find your true path!"

//Isn't it wondrous when the world becomes nothing and you could enjoy every moment of your life and finally understand its meaning? // The words swirled in his head.

Malik paused, then suddenly slammed his hands on the table and got up. "Yes, it's my fault. You're the special one, the perfect one. You're their favorite! The best of the best! A person that I'll never be able to match up to! The greatest! A child that anyone would be proud of, while I-I'm just a big disappointment! The lowest out of the lowest in the world, the one that don't even deserve to have a life! Happy yet?"

"M-Mariku..."

"No don't call me that!" he screamed and pointed a daring finger at her, "You are everything that I'm not. The one with perfection! They love you! You have the best and is the best! They adore you! You're their favorite, you're everyone's favorite! The best! The one with the most attention! They'll forget everything just to come to your aid with one call! No, it doesn't matter! They'll give you anything! They hate me! I'm nothing! And oh for Ra's sake the only place I deserve to live in is hell!"

He storm off into his room when he finish the last word. Slamming the door shut and locking it.

"M-Mariku?"

-Malik's Thoughts-

What's wrong with me? How can I just spill me feelings out like that? Didn't I vow that I'd never tell her those things? I flopped down into my bed. I was never good at making vows. No, I was never good at anything! I'm just a poor boy that deserved no one.

Isis' my parent's favorite, and she deserved it.

I remember when I was much younger, when my parents were still alive and at Egypt.

The sun was burning its way on the land as usual and the wind didn't help. I didn't mind as a sat on some stones by some shades, watching my sister laugh along with her friends. I kicked some small stones when a few more kids came and join her group. She had everything that I don't, fame and pride.

I had no pride that my family was a wealthy one, not any for myself. And fame was more than what I could comprehend. That's what Isis have, not me.

            "Mariku!"

I looked up when I heard my name. My sister waved at me, smiling, "Want to play with us?"

Is this some kind of trick? I really wanted to join her group, but I wasn't ready for what was going to happen. And I wasn't ready to give myself in yet. Besides, her friends don't even like me, they would probably do anything to stay away from me. Shaking my head, I watch as my sister shrug and went back to play with her friends. Didn't she care about how I feel? I couldn't help but hope for her pity, but she gave none.

Then there's another time when we went to her award presentation. My parents were so thrilled about it that they didn't even notice

that I was there with them. And the rest of the day followed as they talk about their daughter Isis, my existence was completely forgotten and ignored.

It was a boring day. I didn't speak once since we got there.

When it was all over, my sister came down off the stage and my parents immediately rushed to her. And when we left, they were by her side while I follow slowly behind. My existence had been forgotten by everyone that day, completely. I wasn't that noticeable anyway, days such as that often occurred when I was completely ignored and forgotten.

She is their favorite, the most special, the popular one. She's a daughter that any parent would be proud of.

I was the child who hides in cold shadows while she grace herself in the warm sunlight.

But I wouldn't say that she got more than she deserve. No, everything she had is everything she should have, she rightfully earned what she received, as well as I have. I can't deny that, she beautiful, graceful, intelligent, mysterious, and...special. Everything that I'm not, that's for sure.

It was easy for anyone to compare what they had towards their sibling, I suppose that I'm just another one. But mine was different, I know they love her but couldn't they love me? Just a bit? At least show that they cared, if they had.

I don't waste my time trying to impress and succeed her when I know that it'll only be a failure. But maybe I should have anyway, maybe doing that might get their attention a bit. Would it? It worked well with Isis.

I sat up, suddenly reminded of the rod that was still tuck away in my schoolbag. I didn't open the light, but the moonlight is enough for me to see.

Swiftly taking the bag up and release the rod from its position, I glace at the rare golden object in my hand and then let the schoolbag slid out of my arms. At least that's something she didn't have, though she did have a similar one.

I examine closely at it. The way it looks...strange, the eye. Remember all the things that I've learn and saw at one of Isis' meeting museums, this eye suddenly reminded me of Ra, the Egyptian Sun god, the mighty god of all gods. Then this is probably a precious artifact, but I'm not going to give it in. It's mine now.

//Now you realize? Yes, the rod's yours, and all the powers which lies within it is no exception//

Marik's words sank deeply into my mind, powers within it? What power? He might've read my mind because he answered my question swiftly.

//Why, powers that you deserve to own, to gain, aren't I right, Mariku? //

I still don't get the rod quite that well, like, how did he know about me? I hadn't told him anything. There was some kind of bond between us, I wasn't all quite sure about it, but it didn't seem important. I had other worries, so the problem with the rod wasn't worth much caring right now. But I didn't know how wrong I was...

Ishizu returned to her room after her brother storm off into his.

Locking the door, she went to the center of the room and closed her eyes. She held up her cupped hands just in front of the Eye of Ra attached onto her necklace.

"Tuak, tell me what has been going on with my brother."

When the last word was spoken, the eye on the necklace began to glow a brightly golden color, sending images through her mind.

In her mind, Isis could see Malik standing in front of the bathroom mirror. Just gazing into it in a dazed way. She edged a bit, trying to see what he was starting at, but there was only his reflection in the mirror, nothing else.

Then she saw a...something began to form by the mirror, it was in the shape of a person, and he was reaching towards Malik, when the hand almost touched Malik's tan color skin, the tuak stopped glowing and Isis was sent back to her room.

Isis paused. Then she touched her Eye of Ra. It was inactivated.

My tuak stopped Isis thought. That was where it ended, when I had interrupted. This is an ominous sign for the future. Hopefully Mariku will understand this soon because the tuak cannot tell me who it was that made connection to him. She glace down at the floor.

I'll have to try my best on him.

In the other room (Malik's bedroom) Malik had already fallen asleep while laying on the bed, the rod was on the bed as well, lying next to him. Standing a few inches away from the bed stood another person, his arm was crossed and his natural moist blue eyes glare at the wall that was between him and the other mage, he had heard everything.

"I'm not ready to give up yet" he spoke in a mysterious tone, "I won't allow you to disturb my connection with him."

A wry smile appeared on his face, "Try to enter, I'll block you. Try and form a link, I disconnect you. Try everything you can, I'll never let you succeed."

Turning to Malik's sleeping form, he gently brush his fingers though his long blondish-silver hair, "Never..."

A/n: Review?