[Kitty: Don't own song lyrics (duh). Please R&R, I like writing this! ^_^]
Chapter Five: No Longer A Child
Marik's twelfth birthday was approaching fast, and his father was very excited, mind you. Marik, on the other hand, was dreading it.
Unlike his sister and brother, Marik didn't want to be a Tomb Keeper. He wished to be free.
The only one who understood him was Kara, who had had the Priests' Initiation just a few months before. Luckily, since she was but a Priest Keeper, it was slightly gentler.
Kara visited him on the night of December 20th, three days before his birthday, and she was caught.
Kara had entered Marik's room in bad timing. Odean had been making Marik's bed when he had found her.
Marik had appeared two minutes later and begged Odean to keep it a secret, and Odean obeyed.
Kara told Marik that the Tomb Keepers' Initiation was more likely to be ruthless, unlike hers, which only involved her to have the Priests' Oath on her right arm.
Marik confessed to Odean (who had not left the room) that he did not wish to be a Tomb Keeper, and Odean said that he would speak with Mr. Ishtar in trying to take his place.
Marik had never looked more relieved, and Kara thought that there shouldn't be a problem with it.
But there was a problem with it. Odean, being a foster child, was not, in Mr. Ishtar's eyes, a true Ishtar.
Therefore, Mr. Ishtar refused Odean's offer, and two days later, took Marik toward the chamber.
"No!" cried Marik, trying to escape the arms pulling him into the room, "No, I don't want to be a Tomb Keeper! Odean! Odean, help me please!" But Odean was not allowed to step in.
Yells and screams came through the hall all night long. Every one of them belonged to Marik. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The night after, Marik lay on his bed in his room, his whole back bandaged and his head buried into his pillow.
Kara came out from under the bed. "Marik! Are you alright?"
"Does it look like I am, bitch?!" snapped Marik.
[Lina: Whoa. That was uncalled for! 0`_`0
Marik: -`_`-;;;;; I would never do that!
Kara: ;_; I would hope so....
Kitty: 0_o;;; Hey, keep reading, will ya?]
Kara stepped back in a mixture of fear and shock. He had never been that rough before. It reminded her of....
"No...no!" Kara struggled against his hands that were trying to suppress her. "Let me go, let..me..go!"
Kara shivered. Marik sighed, looking at her. "I'm sorry, Kara. I don't see why I have to pledge my life to some dead Pharaoh! It's just not fair!"
"Life isn't fair, Marik," Kara said quietly. She hugged him, but he pulled away with a gasp of pain. "What is it?"
"My..back," Marik moaned. "Oh!" Kara said in dismay, "I'm sorry, Marik, I didn't realize--" "It's okay," Marik interrupted, "It only stung, th-that's all."
Kara shook her head, and looked down. "I was being stupid... I should have heeded that."
Marik brought her head up to look at her. Her eyes were filled with tears.
"Kara," Marik gasped, "W-why are you crying?" She shoved her tears away. "I- I don't want to hurt you, Marik."
Marik hugged her, but Kara didn't hug back, in fear that she would hurt him again. "You never do, Kara." "I just did," she whispered, closing her eyes.
"Like I said, it only stung. And besides, hurting mentally or morally is worse than hurting physically."
"I suppose..." She looked at him, and suddenly smiled. "What?" asked Marik.
"It's Christmas Eve, remember?" Kara whispered.
Marik frowned. "But I don't have a gift for you like I did last year..."
"That's alright. Remember what Roth said?"
"Vaguely... something about different gifts and manipulating them?"
Kara shook her head in a mocking way.
"Kind of. But Christmas isn't just for that."
"What else is it for?"
Kara giggled, and then pointed above Marik's head. He looked. A cluster of berries and leaves hung over his head.
"Mistletoe," she whispered, "I wanted to see if I could pull a prank on you." Marik looked confused.
"There is a rule about mistletoe on Christmas; if two people are under it, they have to kiss," Kara explained, kissing his cheek. Marik blushed furiously, and looked a little lightheaded.
For a minute, they stared at each other and didn't speak.
Then Marik said, smirking even if his cheeks were bright red, "I thought you said the two people are supposed to kiss. Only you kissed me."
Kara went pink. "Well, I suppose..."
Marik kissed her on the lips instead of her cheek, held it for ten seconds, and pulled away to see Kara, who had gone scarlet. He laughed at her stunned expression.
"What?!" said Kara defensively.
"Not so smooth when you're the one getting kissed, are you?" teased Marik.
"Oh, shut up!" said Kara, punching his arm playfully.
Marik smiled. "I was just teasing you, Kara."
Kara smiled too. "I know that. It isn't funny though!"
Marik laughed again. "Yes it is! Your expression was priceless!"
"Well, yours wasn't bad either!" Kara teased, giggling, "It looked like you were going to faint."
Marik blushed. "Well, it surprised me!" he said defensively.
Kara giggled. "So did yours!"
"But I warned you!"
"I did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did NOT!"
"Fine, Marik, I'll make it up to you," Kara said, grinning, "Warning; Kiss Alert!" And she kissed him on the lips, held it for fifteen seconds, and let go.
[Kitty: l.o.l. ^_^
Lina: That's so cute, Hikari]
Marik was grinning (and still quite red). "Okay, now it's fair."
"Alright." Then they heard steps outside the rooms. "My dad!" hissed Marik, "Get back to bed, quick!"
Kara nodded, and dived under the bed and out of sight. "Bye Marik-chan," was her last whisper.
[Lina: Aw... ^_^
Marik: Marik-chan?! *looks lightheaded*
Kara: *blushes* ^_~
Kitty: I was going to end it here, but I decided that my readers would appreciate some more... You better review for this! 0`_`0]
Odean appeared, and said, "Master Marik, was Mistress Takara just visiting?"
"Yes," Marik sighed in relief, "She just left."
Ishizu then appeared behind Odean. "Sister?" Marik said, "What are you doing here?"
Ishizu shook her head, looking at the floor.
"Marik, you really should be more careful about your visits with Kara."
"What are you talking about?" Marik said, sounding confused.
Ishizu looked seriously at her younger brother.
"You're becoming too close to Kara," she said, "You know if Father found out about how close you two are, he'd probably kill her."
Marik stared at Ishizu. "What's the big deal?! It's not like we're going to have a baby or something!"
"Father doesn't even need to think that," said Ishizu, "Kara sneaking into your room in the black of night is bad enough. And the fact that you two kissed, not once but THREE times---"
"We were just teasing each other!" Marik objected, "We didn't mean anything serious!"
Odean looked at Ishizu. "I'm not sure that they're ready for that kind of thing, Mistress Ishizu." "You may think so, Odean," Ishizu said patiently, "But they are already twelve years of age.
"That's when Father usually gets ready to bargain for a child's hand in marriage. You know I'm supposed to marry in about a year.
"Ever since he got the Tomb Keeper's Initiation, Marik has been ready to marry."
Marik frowned. "Well, marriage is a load of crap, okay?!"
"Watch your tongue!" Ishizu said reproachfully, "Father could hang you for saying such a thing!"
Marik turned away, his arms crossed across his chest.
"You can't just ignore what is to come, Marik," Ishizu said quietly, putting her hand on his shoulder, "Father will choose a partner for you sooner than you think."
"I don't want a partner!" snapped Marik, "Aren't family and friends enough?!"
"But family and friends can't give you an Ishtar heir," Ishizu whispered, "And you'll need one eventually."
"Fine," Marik muttered crossly, "But can Kara still visit me after I marry?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you, Marik," said Ishizu, "You can't have another non-related girl in your quarters after you marry, or they could accuse you of cheating on your spouse."
"Then I won't marry!" Marik snapped, "I refuse!"
"Marik," Ishizu said, sounding, for the first time in the conversation, impatient, "Stop being such a brat, and think about the Ishtar line for once, instead of your own self-absorbed desires! Kara can't visit when you marry, and you won't be able to visit her when she does!
"That's the way it is, brother, so get used to it!" And with that she left, Odean following sadly behind her.
Marik fell on his bed, and started to cry into his pillow.
'Little child,
Your eyes, I see your pain,
My heart cries
When I hear you cry again.
Frail and small,
Can you believe 13 years old?
What is said,
"He hasn't got far to go."
Yes, we'll cry, yes, we'll cry,
Our hearts, they feel no pain
Babies scream, babies scream,
They'll never achieve their dreams.
Shall we dance? Yes, we'll dance,
The sky will hear our song,
And maybe rain,
'Cause it's been much too long.'
-Des'ree, 'Little Child'
Chapter Five: No Longer A Child
Marik's twelfth birthday was approaching fast, and his father was very excited, mind you. Marik, on the other hand, was dreading it.
Unlike his sister and brother, Marik didn't want to be a Tomb Keeper. He wished to be free.
The only one who understood him was Kara, who had had the Priests' Initiation just a few months before. Luckily, since she was but a Priest Keeper, it was slightly gentler.
Kara visited him on the night of December 20th, three days before his birthday, and she was caught.
Kara had entered Marik's room in bad timing. Odean had been making Marik's bed when he had found her.
Marik had appeared two minutes later and begged Odean to keep it a secret, and Odean obeyed.
Kara told Marik that the Tomb Keepers' Initiation was more likely to be ruthless, unlike hers, which only involved her to have the Priests' Oath on her right arm.
Marik confessed to Odean (who had not left the room) that he did not wish to be a Tomb Keeper, and Odean said that he would speak with Mr. Ishtar in trying to take his place.
Marik had never looked more relieved, and Kara thought that there shouldn't be a problem with it.
But there was a problem with it. Odean, being a foster child, was not, in Mr. Ishtar's eyes, a true Ishtar.
Therefore, Mr. Ishtar refused Odean's offer, and two days later, took Marik toward the chamber.
"No!" cried Marik, trying to escape the arms pulling him into the room, "No, I don't want to be a Tomb Keeper! Odean! Odean, help me please!" But Odean was not allowed to step in.
Yells and screams came through the hall all night long. Every one of them belonged to Marik. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The night after, Marik lay on his bed in his room, his whole back bandaged and his head buried into his pillow.
Kara came out from under the bed. "Marik! Are you alright?"
"Does it look like I am, bitch?!" snapped Marik.
[Lina: Whoa. That was uncalled for! 0`_`0
Marik: -`_`-;;;;; I would never do that!
Kara: ;_; I would hope so....
Kitty: 0_o;;; Hey, keep reading, will ya?]
Kara stepped back in a mixture of fear and shock. He had never been that rough before. It reminded her of....
"No...no!" Kara struggled against his hands that were trying to suppress her. "Let me go, let..me..go!"
Kara shivered. Marik sighed, looking at her. "I'm sorry, Kara. I don't see why I have to pledge my life to some dead Pharaoh! It's just not fair!"
"Life isn't fair, Marik," Kara said quietly. She hugged him, but he pulled away with a gasp of pain. "What is it?"
"My..back," Marik moaned. "Oh!" Kara said in dismay, "I'm sorry, Marik, I didn't realize--" "It's okay," Marik interrupted, "It only stung, th-that's all."
Kara shook her head, and looked down. "I was being stupid... I should have heeded that."
Marik brought her head up to look at her. Her eyes were filled with tears.
"Kara," Marik gasped, "W-why are you crying?" She shoved her tears away. "I- I don't want to hurt you, Marik."
Marik hugged her, but Kara didn't hug back, in fear that she would hurt him again. "You never do, Kara." "I just did," she whispered, closing her eyes.
"Like I said, it only stung. And besides, hurting mentally or morally is worse than hurting physically."
"I suppose..." She looked at him, and suddenly smiled. "What?" asked Marik.
"It's Christmas Eve, remember?" Kara whispered.
Marik frowned. "But I don't have a gift for you like I did last year..."
"That's alright. Remember what Roth said?"
"Vaguely... something about different gifts and manipulating them?"
Kara shook her head in a mocking way.
"Kind of. But Christmas isn't just for that."
"What else is it for?"
Kara giggled, and then pointed above Marik's head. He looked. A cluster of berries and leaves hung over his head.
"Mistletoe," she whispered, "I wanted to see if I could pull a prank on you." Marik looked confused.
"There is a rule about mistletoe on Christmas; if two people are under it, they have to kiss," Kara explained, kissing his cheek. Marik blushed furiously, and looked a little lightheaded.
For a minute, they stared at each other and didn't speak.
Then Marik said, smirking even if his cheeks were bright red, "I thought you said the two people are supposed to kiss. Only you kissed me."
Kara went pink. "Well, I suppose..."
Marik kissed her on the lips instead of her cheek, held it for ten seconds, and pulled away to see Kara, who had gone scarlet. He laughed at her stunned expression.
"What?!" said Kara defensively.
"Not so smooth when you're the one getting kissed, are you?" teased Marik.
"Oh, shut up!" said Kara, punching his arm playfully.
Marik smiled. "I was just teasing you, Kara."
Kara smiled too. "I know that. It isn't funny though!"
Marik laughed again. "Yes it is! Your expression was priceless!"
"Well, yours wasn't bad either!" Kara teased, giggling, "It looked like you were going to faint."
Marik blushed. "Well, it surprised me!" he said defensively.
Kara giggled. "So did yours!"
"But I warned you!"
"I did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did NOT!"
"Fine, Marik, I'll make it up to you," Kara said, grinning, "Warning; Kiss Alert!" And she kissed him on the lips, held it for fifteen seconds, and let go.
[Kitty: l.o.l. ^_^
Lina: That's so cute, Hikari]
Marik was grinning (and still quite red). "Okay, now it's fair."
"Alright." Then they heard steps outside the rooms. "My dad!" hissed Marik, "Get back to bed, quick!"
Kara nodded, and dived under the bed and out of sight. "Bye Marik-chan," was her last whisper.
[Lina: Aw... ^_^
Marik: Marik-chan?! *looks lightheaded*
Kara: *blushes* ^_~
Kitty: I was going to end it here, but I decided that my readers would appreciate some more... You better review for this! 0`_`0]
Odean appeared, and said, "Master Marik, was Mistress Takara just visiting?"
"Yes," Marik sighed in relief, "She just left."
Ishizu then appeared behind Odean. "Sister?" Marik said, "What are you doing here?"
Ishizu shook her head, looking at the floor.
"Marik, you really should be more careful about your visits with Kara."
"What are you talking about?" Marik said, sounding confused.
Ishizu looked seriously at her younger brother.
"You're becoming too close to Kara," she said, "You know if Father found out about how close you two are, he'd probably kill her."
Marik stared at Ishizu. "What's the big deal?! It's not like we're going to have a baby or something!"
"Father doesn't even need to think that," said Ishizu, "Kara sneaking into your room in the black of night is bad enough. And the fact that you two kissed, not once but THREE times---"
"We were just teasing each other!" Marik objected, "We didn't mean anything serious!"
Odean looked at Ishizu. "I'm not sure that they're ready for that kind of thing, Mistress Ishizu." "You may think so, Odean," Ishizu said patiently, "But they are already twelve years of age.
"That's when Father usually gets ready to bargain for a child's hand in marriage. You know I'm supposed to marry in about a year.
"Ever since he got the Tomb Keeper's Initiation, Marik has been ready to marry."
Marik frowned. "Well, marriage is a load of crap, okay?!"
"Watch your tongue!" Ishizu said reproachfully, "Father could hang you for saying such a thing!"
Marik turned away, his arms crossed across his chest.
"You can't just ignore what is to come, Marik," Ishizu said quietly, putting her hand on his shoulder, "Father will choose a partner for you sooner than you think."
"I don't want a partner!" snapped Marik, "Aren't family and friends enough?!"
"But family and friends can't give you an Ishtar heir," Ishizu whispered, "And you'll need one eventually."
"Fine," Marik muttered crossly, "But can Kara still visit me after I marry?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you, Marik," said Ishizu, "You can't have another non-related girl in your quarters after you marry, or they could accuse you of cheating on your spouse."
"Then I won't marry!" Marik snapped, "I refuse!"
"Marik," Ishizu said, sounding, for the first time in the conversation, impatient, "Stop being such a brat, and think about the Ishtar line for once, instead of your own self-absorbed desires! Kara can't visit when you marry, and you won't be able to visit her when she does!
"That's the way it is, brother, so get used to it!" And with that she left, Odean following sadly behind her.
Marik fell on his bed, and started to cry into his pillow.
'Little child,
Your eyes, I see your pain,
My heart cries
When I hear you cry again.
Frail and small,
Can you believe 13 years old?
What is said,
"He hasn't got far to go."
Yes, we'll cry, yes, we'll cry,
Our hearts, they feel no pain
Babies scream, babies scream,
They'll never achieve their dreams.
Shall we dance? Yes, we'll dance,
The sky will hear our song,
And maybe rain,
'Cause it's been much too long.'
-Des'ree, 'Little Child'