Allright, this is a short story I'm doing on Malik and how his other half came to be early on in his life. It's written from his point of view, and the details in all of the chapters are from the Japanese version, so for those of you who have only seen the American version, a lot of this will be new imagery. Most of the conversations are original, though I was sure to include key phrases that were mentioned throughout the flashbacks =]. It's pretty dark; kinda creeps me out as I read over it.
I'm sitting alone in my room. All alone, and terrified. I know what's coming, and I'm dreading it. I have been dreading it ever since my father told me about it. My hands are clasped in front of me on the little table at which I have sat for hours on end, reading endless materials on something I didn't want to be. I hated learning all of that. It made me angry... it made me angry at Rishid when he was only trying to help. I didn't want to do it, but my father made me. And he's making me go through with this as well... the Tombkeeper's Initiation.
Rishid left a little while earlier to go do something... I'm so frightened I don't even remember what it was; I'm just thinking and wishing that he were here with me. The more I think about it, the less I want to go; the escorts are taking so long to get to me... maybe that's something that they do on purpose. Tell you that they'll be there in a little while to come and get you, then wait an immeasurable amount of time before they actually come. Maybe they do that in hopes that the person about to receive it will confront their fears while they're waiting. Well, they're dead wrong. It's not helping at all. I don't want to go... I never did, but now...
I nearly jump out of my skin as they come in... I know them all, and they always wear those long, tan robes with hoods... but now they look so foreboding I instantly tell myself that I would rather go alone than to be taken by them. They come over to me and one holds out his hand; I flinch.
"Your father is ready," he says.
I just stare at him with my mouth slightly open, my lower lip trembling. "I-I don't want to go!" I blurt out. The hoods on the escorts are so heavy that I can't see their facial expressions, I could tell that they weren't going to listen to me.
"Your father is ready, and is awaiting your arrival, young Master Malik," he says again, taking a hold of my arm instead.
I immediately struggle against him and try to get away, but I'm only 10... he's so much taller and stronger than me that I have no idea why I'm even trying. "I don't want to go! Leave me alone!" I yell at him. I'm trying to sound strong, but my voice is cracking so much that they can probably see right through it.
Another one comes forward and gets a hold of my other arm, and both of them practically drag me to my feet and start towards the door with me. I start crying openly. I don't want to go! I don't want to go! Put me down!
As they pull me down the hall, I see Rishid. He's back! "Help me Rishid!" I cry. "Don't let them take me away! Help me! Please Rishid!"
He sort of stands there looking helpless and doesn't say anything. He just looks after me. "Help me Rishid!"
I can't struggle anymore; I'm crying too hard. They drag me the rest of the way to the initiation room and I see my father. My vision is blurred so much by tears that I can only recognize him by his grey hair. I see the block of stone they're leading me to... oh Ra help me, there's fire and rope... Don't let them hurt me!
I struggle even more, but they get me up on the stone and tie me face down. I'm still crying, my tears falling on the cold surface. I hear them leave and I start panicking, knowing there's nothing that can save me now that my father is the only one there. "Father, please! I don't want to be a tombkeeper! I don't want to go through with this!"
"You will become a tombkeeper, Malik," he says in reply. His voice is so cold... I can feel the shivers running down my back. I hear him unsheathing a knife and I start to pull against the ropes will all of my might. I know it's in vain, but I want to get out of here! I don't want to be here! I need Rishid by my side! I want to go back and be little again! I--don't--want--to--be--here!
Crackling reaches my ears. What is it? Oh Ra, he must be heating the knife over the flames. I don't want any more pain! Leave it cold! Please! He's coming over to me now and I can feel him leaning over me. I tense up.
"Don't, Father! Please!"
"Be quiet!" he yells. "You shall go through this ceremony whether you want to or not! You are an Ishtar! You will bear the same pain that your family has for millennia!" Before I can protest any further, he roughly pushes a gag into my mouth to stifle me.
He puts a hand on my shoulder and holds me down to the stone. I clench my fists, saving the rest of my voice for the pain I'm about to endure. I feel the blade touch my skin and without any hesitation my father starts to drive it into my back.
I start to scream in pain, but it barely makes a noise in the cavernous room. Stop it! I don't want to be a tombkeeper! Leave me be! I'm a child! Don't do this! I struggle even more as I feel my warm blood start to drip down my back—my father merely wipes it away with his hand before starting to cut me again.
I grit my teeth together onto the gag as he goes on. Why is he going so slow? Please get it done with faster! I can't bear it any more! Stop going so slow!
He's not going to speed up…
But I want him to! Please, Father! Stop! It hurts too much!
He needs to finish it… it needs to be perfect down to the last detail…
I don't care! Make him stop! I'll scream my loudest until he stops!
He won't hear you… he is chanting too loudly… he won't hear you even after he's done…
I can't bear it! I—I can't bear it! STOP, FATHER!
He won't stop… no matter how much you beg… he will not stop…
…F-father… it burns so much…
Stay conscious… you wouldn't want him thinking you're weak, would you?
He already thinks I'm weak! What difference would it make?
If you show him you can bear it, he might treat you differently…
I don't want to! I want it to stop! I start to sob, not having any energy left to do anything else. …help me… Rishid…where are you, Rishid… Rishid!
He's not here… only you and me…
…Who are you?
I am your hate… let me in and I will take the pain away…
Let you in where?
Into your mind… let me take over and I will take the pain away…
Take over me? No! You're not real! Leave me alone!
I am real, Malik… let me in…
No! No! Get out of my head! I don't want you inside me!
I am no longer inside you, Malik…I am separate…you have two minds now…
No I don't!
I am taking away the pain… let me in…
What pain? Leave me alone!
The ritual is over, Malik…you didn't feel pain in the end… open your eyes…
The…ritual…? I finally lift my head to look about the room. My father isn't here anymore… Ra…there's so much blood…My back starts to ache again and I feel faint…
I vaguely hear the escorts coming back… they have bandages with them. They untie me and start to wrap me up. My eyes go wide as I see a shadow emerge in front of me… it looks like my shadow… no… there's a Millennium Eye on its forehead…
I am your hatred, Malik… let me take over and take what should have been ours… let me help you to overcome your fate…
The men finish with me and all but one leave… none of them seemed to notice the darkness speaking to me.
I don't want to overcome it… I hate my father…I hate the pain he put me through…I hate myself! I want to destroy myself! I want to die!
No you don't…You created me out of your anger and suffering, and now you have something to protect you…
The last man picks me up and takes me to my room, putting me in my bed. I send him away and try to ignore the voice in my head, but it won't leave me in peace…
Why should you have to go through all this for some pharaoh that will never return? Why can't you take all the powers you deserve?
Because I am not strong enough… I can't fight against what has already been set out for me…
Yes you can… the pharaoh is never coming back; there's nothing to stop you except for your fear…
I turn to see Rishid come in. He has bandages on his face. "Master Malik," he says, stopping beside my bed.
"Go away, Rishid," I say harshly, turning my face away. "I hate my father… I hate this life… I hate this world…" I turn back to him. "Why should I have to suffer for one who has been long since dead?" I hear another voice strengthen mine. "Why should I have to pledge my life to some pharaoh?"
Rishid merely looks at me. "While your father performed the ritual… I did a ritual of my own…" He takes off the bandages to show me the cuts he made with his own hands. His skin is so swollen from the detail he put into it… I wonder if that's how my back looks. "I hope this will show you how loyal I intend to be to you, Master Malik."
I clench my fists and feel the other person inside me growing. I collapse onto my bed, too exhausted to do anything but brood on my pain… the pain that Rishid felt he had to cause himself…the pain I must live with for so much longer than anyone else…the pain that created my other half.
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Well, what do you all think so far? Should I keep it going? Arigato for reading!!