In light of what's happened today (7-7-22), I wanted to post this chapter in honor of Takahashi. Without him this fic wouldn't exist and neither would the friendships I've formed and made over the years. Please rest in peace Takahashi, and thank you. This one is for you.
That said, I was working on this chapter well before his passing, and any instances similar to such passing were not made in mockery or reference. They're merely a coincidence. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, as it is the beginning of the end. I hope you'll stick around for the coming conclusion.
Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi
"The words with which a child's heart is poisoned, whether through malice or through ignorance, remain branded in his memory, and sooner or later they burn his soul."
― Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind
Chapter 12: Never Ending Nightmare
Marik startled awake and sat bolt upright. His heart thumped loudly in his ear as his breathing slowly returned to normal in the quiet of the room. Quiet that was, save for the scratching of a pen on paper coming from somewhere to his left. He glanced over and spied a desk where a dark haired woman with glasses sat writing. It was tidy and free of any knickknacks or tchotchke. The only item of note on the desk was a name card that read: Dr. I. Ishtar. Blinking, Marik took a closer look at the woman, and he almost couldn't believe what he was seeing, and he nearly laughed with delight.
"Ishizu! What are you doing here?"
The woman frowned, setting her pen down on the desk before turning her attention towards him.
"How many times must I tell you? You are to address me as Dr. Ishtar."
Marik could feel the smile on his face fall, confusion replacing it.
"But…you're my sister."
"You're mistaken. I've told you before, I'm not your sister," She sighed, removing her glasses, "Marik how long do you intend to continue in this delusional world of yours?"
"Delusional? Ishizu what's going on?" He asked getting off the couch he had been lying on.
"You've relapsed again," she sighed once more, standing up, "Marik, do you know how old you are?"
He gave her an incredulous look, "What do you mean? I'm twelve years old."
"As I feared," she muttered to herself, looking off to the side, "We were making such progress, too."
"Progress? What progress?"
Her eyes seemed to soften slightly, "For the last four years you've been under my care."
"F-Four years?"
Marik felt his heart rate picking up again, and he took a half step backwards. His mind whirred as he attempted to make sense of the statement when he caught sight of himself in a large, ornate mirror hanging on the office wall. He was at least a few feet taller, his face and eyes sharper and more defined then he remembered. If he squinted hard enough, he could still make out the faintest of scars from when he had scratched himself.
But hadn't that only been a few weeks ago? It couldn't have been more than that, could it?
"I…no, this isn't right…"
"Marik, I need for you to stay calm."
"Calm? What the fuck is going on here, Ishizu?!" He growled, stepping towards her.
"Marik, I do not want a repeat of last time…"
He closed the distance between him and the desk, slamming his hands down on the surface, "I want some fucking answers, now give them to me!"
Ishizu jumped slightly, her hand reaching for the corner of her desk. When she still didn't speak, Marik reached out and tightly grabbed hold of her wrists.
"Marik! Unhand me this instant!"
"Not until you tell me what's happening to me! You're my sister for god's sake, I just want the truth!"
Ishizu managed to wrench free one of her wrists from his grasp, "I've already told you Marik! I'm not your sister!" she shouted back, her hand reaching again for the corner of her desk, "I think you need another treatment session, it's been too long since your last one…"
There was a low, buzzer-like sound that emitted when Ishizu pressed the small switch on the end of her desk. Not a second later, the door to her office burst open and two male nurses quickly closed the distance to Marik, prying him free from the doctor's wrist and away from the desk.
"Get the fuck off me!" he screamed, thrashing wildly, "Ishizu!"
She looked to the nurses holding him, her expression blank, "Take him to the electrotherapy room, I will be there momentarily to help administer."
The two men hauled Marik down the long, narrow corridor. It was lined with heavy, reinforced doors on either side that became progressively more corroded as he was dragged along. There were some covered in scratches, revealing the rusted iron beneath, while others were peeling or appeared scorched. Voices and screams echoed out into the hall, a jumbled mass of noise that made Marik's head begin to ache. He wanted desperately to cover his ears, to drown out the sound, but with his arms secured, he could do nothing but let the wailing slowly penetrate his mind.
Minutes passed before they reached their destination at the end of the hall: a set of double doors labeled Electroconvulsive Therapy Room. A spider web of rusted cracks adorned the surface of the sign, decorating it in an arrangement of red and brown; something Marik caught just as he was pulled through the threshold. A loud, rumbling tremor shook the building, and the one light source in the room, a ceiling lamp hanging down from the center, began to sway. Before he had time to struggle further, he had been strapped down securely to a gurney; his wrists and ankles bound by thick, leather belts. He began screaming.
Heart pounding loudly in his ears, he looked from side to side. The room seemed impossibly dark, save for the ceiling lamp that was swinging wildly above him. Even as it cast light upon the walls, it seemed as though the shadows were slowly encroaching upon them like slender vines. Bits of dust and plaster rained down from the ceiling as another tremor shook the room. Caught in the erratic movement of the light from above, it cast a dusty cloud over the room, causing Marik's screams to be cut off with irritated cough.
The two men held his shoulder's down to the gurney to steady him further as Ishizu's face came into view. His eyes looked at her pleadingly, wanting her to say something. To tell him what was happening; but she said nothing. Too caught up was she in applying a paste-like substance to the sides of his temples before gently placing two electrodes on either side of his head.
"Now then, I just want you to relax, alright?" she finally spoke, opening his mouth to insert a rubber mouth guard between his teeth; "Just a few, short pulses and we'll be finished for the day."
Marik felt tears streaming down the sides of his cheeks as she turned away from him. He careened his neck backwards, trying to get a better look at what it was she was about to do. The ceiling shook once again; more violently this time. It caused the light to flicker. For a brief moment, in between the flashes of the swaying bulb, Ishizu's lab coat fluttering behind her seemed to turn a deep violet hue. She stopped in front of a small, box-like device laid out on a rolling cart behind him. There were a few dials and switches inlaid on the face of it, but he was too far to make out the details. Ishizu looked to the male nurses holding him down and nodded once, before adjusting one of the dials.
The tremors in the room intensified once more, shaking everyone and everything within it. Was there an earthquake going on outside? If there was, why were they not getting to safety? What if the room collapsed on top of them? Those questions rushed through his mind as he glanced once more at his sister. She looked back down at him, her mouth splitting from ear to ear in a grotesque smile; her teeth gnarled and sharp.
"Now this won't hurt, and it will be over in just a moment."
There was a quick, burst of pain that shot through him. He thought he could feel his whole body convulsing, if only for a second, before his mind was left blank and dark…
The rumbling began to settle, and the sensation woke him again. The dark room was gone, replaced by the familiar room he'd had at Kane Hill. He sat bolt upright, breathing hard, and patting himself up and down. He was small again; his normal, twelve year old self. He breathed out, cursing a bit.
"What a nightmare…" He muttered, rubbing at his eyes with the palms of his hands. He stopped when the click of the door latching open caught his attention. He looked over and was surprised to see Hassan standing there. Or…wait, was it Hassan? No it wasn't, his eyes were a bright shade of green. Marik blinked, startled.
"R…Ryou?" He asked, frowning, "What are you…"
Ryou shushed him before gesturing him to get up and follow, "We don't have a lot of time, come on!"
"Time? Time for what…exactly?" Marik asked, getting off the bed but not taking any steps forward. Something…was wrong. Ryou wasn't supposed to be here, he was…
"I'll explain later, just…come on!" He urged, grabbing hold of the other boy's hand and dragging him out of the room. Marik made a noise of protest and pulled his hand free once they'd left his cell of a room.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on! You…you're not…I saw you, in the basement. Your throat…"
Ryou stopped and looked over at him, frowning slightly, "What about my throat?"
"I, the knife, it…" Marik blinked, noticing Ryou's throat was fine, unmarred, "I…nevermind. It must have just been a really bad dream."
Ryou frowned harder, "Sounds like it. Don't worry though, I'm fine. Are you coming or not?"
"Oh uh…yeah, sure."
Marik followed along behind him as Ryou led him along the halls in silence. He started to grow suspicious, however, when he noticed there was a distinct lack of other patients or staff wandering the halls.
"Ryou…where is everyone? What's going on?"
He didn't respond at first, letting the silence draw out like an uncomfortable fog between them. When he finally did, it wasn't quite the answer Marik expected.
"We're the only ones here. Everyone else is asleep right now."
"Asleep? I don't understand."
He was silent again before responding, "You don't need to right now. We just have to keep moving before one of them finds us."
Marik stopped, growling in frustration, "You're not making any sense!" He shouted.
"Shh, quiet!" He whispered harshly, "Keep your voice down or they'll hear us."
"Then tell me what's going on!" He whispered back, frustration mounting, "Where are you taking me and where is everyone?"
Ryou sighed a bit, looking down, "Marik I found something…something to do with you. It's…it's not good either. But I want to show it to you. You deserve to know the truth."
"The…truth? What truth?"
"The truth everyone keeps hiding from you. They think they're protecting you, but they're not. They're just keeping you here away from your family. But if you know the truth, then you'll be able to go home."
Marik laughed a little, "Why didn't you say so sooner? Where is the thing you want to show me?"
Ryou didn't say anything. Instead he silently pointed behind Marik. The boy turned around and was surprised to see a familiar door marked: Patient's Belongings. However unlike the last time he'd seen the door, it was normal. No heavy locks, no strange, fleshy tendrils, nothing. It was simply there, waiting to be opened. Marik looked back at Ryou, his confusion mounting.
"I…I can really go in there now?"
Ryou nodded, "Yes, but you have to hurry while the others are sleeping!" He urged.
"Okay, okay, I'll open it," He replied, laughing a little as he hurried over to the door. He paused a moment, hesitating. What would be find there that the supposed 'everyone' were trying to keep from him? He took a deep breath and placed a hand over the knob; turning it slowly. There was a loud, almost deafening click as the lock gave way and the door slowly opened. Marik took a step back as a bright, almost blinding light started spilling from the gap in the door.
A garbled scream echoed behind him, making Marik spin around in alarm. Ryou was clutching his throat as he fell to the floor; blood spilling out between his fingers and dying the white tiled floor red.
"Ryou!" Marik hurried over to his side and knelt down, "No, no, not again! I'll get you help this time! I-"
The lights flickered a bit, and the sound of a door slamming behind him made him jump. He spun his head around to see the other him standing by the door, hand on the knob.
"Did you really think I wouldn't find out? He's not ready yet!"
Surprisingly, despite his slashed throat, Ryou spoke out in a garbled voice, "You're…making him…a prisoner here. Just. Show. Him!"
The other Marik looked over at him, eyes cold, "Fine, I'll show him. If he gets back what he lost…"
"What I…what am I missing?"
The other Marik sneered, "Don't you remember? You practically gave it to him on a silver platter."
Marik thought a moment, trying to recall. His head felt hazy suddenly, but he faintly recalled the nightmare he'd had not too long ago, "I…the…the light Atem took?"
He nodded, walking closer, "Without that, you cannot see what's beyond the door."
"But…if Atem has it, how do I get it back?! He's too strong…"
The lights flickered heavily, and the other Marik looked up at them, frowing, "If you believe that, then it's already too late," he growled, grabbing Marik by the front of his shirt, "Don't give into it! If you do, we're all going to die! And you will keep dying, over and over! Do you understand?!"
The lights flickered again, the room starting to shake like it had when Ishizu had him strapped to the table. Marik whined and looked around. The walls were starting to bow and crack; a viscus fluid spilling out and starting to pour across the floor. Fleshy tendrils spread like impossibly long fingers or claws along the walls. His eyes widened, as did the other Marik's and Ryou's.
"No, no! You're doing it again! Stop it!" The other Marik shoved him to the ground. Marik squealed as he landed directly into the blood and other fluids quickly consuming the floor around the three of them. The tendrils began to emerge from the blood pools, grabbing Ryou and dragging him away from the others. He screamed hoarsely and reached for Marik. Marik screamed back and reached for him, but too late to grab his hand as the white-haired boy was pulled out of sight.
"Ryou, no! What's going on?!"
The other Marik brandished a large kitchen knife and approached him, "You woke him up…"
Before Marik had a chance to react, the other descended on him, blade swinging viciously. There was a sharp, painful sensation in his chest before things went dark.
When he opened his eyes again, he felt like he was floating in water. A wave washed over him and he gasped, coughing as the water got into his eyes and nose. Marik struggled to keep himself afloat, but he'd never been a very strong swimmer. Another wave washed over him, shoving him under the water and sucking him down. He kicked and paddled for what felt like a full minute before he finally broke the surface again.
"Ryou?! Ishizu?! Rishid!" He called, "Help! Hel-Ah!"
Another wave washed over his head and nearly dragged him down again. Marik managed to suck in a large mouthful of water, which caused him to wretch at just how foul it tasted. He whined, treading water as best he could as another large wave started towards him before it overcame and sucked him under again.
Marik clutched at his throat as he let off a garbled scream and water filled his lungs. A large air bubble escaped his mouth and floated to the surface. He watched it and tried, weakly, to follow it up. He could just make out the light above that marked the water's end. But the more he kicked, the further away it seemed to get. The light around his vision was starting to fade, and so was the light above. His legs and arms began to feel as though they were nothing by gelatinous sleeves. Eventually, as a quiet hum started to fill his ears, Marik stopped kicking, and simply let the darkness take him once more.
He screamed and sat upright, his breaths short and panicked as he took big gulps of air. It was night and he was outside perched on a small, raised river bank. His clothes were dry, no trace of the water that had previously drenched every fiber of his being. The moon was large and full, its light cascading across the gentle waters of the river down below. A frog croaked somewhere in the still air, sounding both near and far away.
"Iah is lovely tonight, isn't he?"
Marik jumped, having not realized someone else was there with him. He glanced to his left and felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest. Atem was sitting there, his cape sprawled out on the ground like a blanket that they were both sat on. The king's eyes were focused on the lunar disk hanging low in the sky, seemingly transfixed. Maybe if he was quiet, he could slip away into the reeds down below.
He made to move and Atem glanced over at him, causing him to freeze in a blind panic. The man held his gaze for a moment, before quietly patting the violet cut of cloth.
"Stay a while, won't you?"
Bemused, Marik frowned slightly. Atem was asking him to stay? Come to think of it, now that he was looking at him clearly, the king appeared as normal; as human. The light of the moon cast an almost ethereal glow across his tanned skin. There was no hint of decay; no peeling skin, no exposed bone. His mouth was not split open revealing exposed gums and teeth, remaining whole and unmarred. His deep crimson eyes gleamed softly at him, as if amused. He held out his hand expectantly to the boy.
Marik stared at it a moment, unsure of what he should do. He looked Atem in the face, and the king's expression remained unchanged. He was calm, patiently waiting for the boy to make his decision. Against every sense of judgement screaming at him not to, Marik tentatively reached a hand out and grasped Atem's. The king nodded as he scooted closer, and gently wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders. Marik flinched under the touch, but when it didn't persist past that, he relaxed a little. Atem sighed with content and went back to looking at the night sky.
Marik glanced at Atem briefly before looking down at his own hands balled up in his lap. He didn't quite understand why he'd agreed to this, but it wasn't as unpleasant as he'd expected; which made things all the more surreal. A gentle, but cool breeze blew through the night air, making him shiver, and without thinking he moved closer to Atem to stay warm. The king's chest rumbled with quiet laughter as Marik rested his head on the man's shoulder.
They sat there in silence, the moon slowly continuing to rise in the dark sky. It looked…familiar somehow. Like a toy he'd once had. His eyes started to feel heavy, as did his whole body the longer he gazed, and Marik realized just how weary he had become. He hadn't had a moment to just be until now; a moment to just relax. He sighed with mild content and let his eyes slip closed listening to the soft sound of Atem's breathing. He couldn't help but wonder why it couldn't always be like this. Why did Atem have to hurt him? What did he gain from being so cruel to someone he said he cared about? It just…didn't make sense.
Could it be that…he really does love me?
At some point, Marik's mind drifted off before he finally reopened his eyes. He must have fallen asleep, he would decide later. However upon waking, he wished very much that he hadn't. The breezy hill under the moon was no more. He was lying on a cold, damp stone floor; the space around him dark. A thin layer of water had spread out along the floor, as though there was a steady leak from somewhere above him. He strained his ears, faintly hearing a steady, almost rhythmic sound of water droplets hitting the large puddle he was lying in.
Something in the shadows made a loud, sliding sound as it moved across the room around him. He frantically searched for the source, but couldn't pinpoint the sound until something wrapped around his waist: thick and scaly. It yanked him off the ground and into the air. He screamed as the strange appendage then threw him across the room. He smacked into the stone, his body bouncing and skidding from the force of the toss. Moaning in pain, he tried to sit up, only to be hauled back into the air by the tail of what appeared to be a very large snake.
He struggled, attempting to free himself, only for the tail to constrict even more tightly around his small body. A strangled scream erupted from the boy as he felt it getting harder and harder to breathe. Someone familiar chuckled and it echoed through the cavernous space, drawing Marik's attention upwards. He felt tears start streaming down his cheeks as he realized the golden-yellow scaled tail was connected to Atem at the waist.
"I was wondering when you'd awake," Atem seemed to purr, "I was getting famished."
Unable to use his hands that were constricted tightly to his sides, Marik bit down into the flesh of the snake tail. But his actions only caused further amusement from his captor.
"It's too late Marik, you can't hurt me anymore. You've given up and I've only grown stronger as a result," He sneered, bearing those sharp teeth he'd become so well known for, "So why fight it any longer?"
"'m not…gonna let you…win."
Atem laughed a cold, cruel chuckle, "I already have."
And just like a snake, Atem's jaw stretched wide. Saliva dripped like ribbons from rows of teeth. Marik would have screamed if he'd had the ability to do so. He squirmed instead, only succeeding in getting himself squeezed more tightly.
"Please!" He choked out, "Please don't do this…"
His cries fell upon deaf ears as the monster's jaws began to get closer to his head. He flinched and looked away, not wanting the last thing he saw to be those teeth. The room started rumbling again, some dust falling from the ceiling. He coughed and looked down towards the floor, and spotted someone looking up at him: the other Marik. Desperate to get free, he weakly reached for him with his pinned hand as his vision started going black.
"H-help…"
The other Marik said nothing; he simply looked on, forlornly. It was probably the first time he'd seemed sad. As he realized there was likely no way out of this, the boy shut his eyes in defeat.
Atem suddenly let out a loud roar of pain, his snake body uncoiling around the boy. Marik screamed as he fell, smacking into the floor with a muted thud. He groaned and tried to sit up to see what had happened when the thrashing snake tail slapped into him. It sent him flying into the wall. As the room spun a bit, Marik felt someone grab him and pull him off to the side. When his head finally seemed to stabilize, he glanced up to see what was holding Atem's attention.
"He's mine, dammit! Mine! Miiiiine!" Atem roared, swiping wildly at someone clutching to his back.
"Over my dead body…" the other person hissed, reaching around to stab something into Atem's chest. The creature roared again, arching his back in pain as rays and balls of light started bursting from the hole in his chest and mouth. Marik watched, awestruck, as the light faded into the shapes of tiny glowing butterflies. Atem thrashed around some more before collapsing weakly to the floor; his tail coiling and uncoiling with frustration and pain.
The other man stepped off his weakened foe, pausing to stomp roughly on his tail, before bending down to pick something up off the floor: a small, glowing orb. Marik blinked a bit, watching him and wondering. In the dark he was hard to see, cloaked in a red hooded robe and adorned in what looked like expensive gold bangles and rings.
"Who…who are you?"
The man looked over at him and Marik caught a glimpse of white hair under the hood. In the faint glow of the orb, Marik could also see a smile grace the man's lips as he approached.
"No…" Atem rasped out, "It's mine…" he hissed weakly.
The man paid him no mind as he bent down and placed the orb into Marik's right hand. It looked just like the ball Hassan had once given to him a while ago. The one Atem had stolen from him.
"I…wait. Are you-"
"A friend," He replied, "Take care of that. It's important. Alright?"
Marik nodded and hugged it close. He was about to thank the man when he turned and started to walk off.
"Wait!" He called, reaching a hand out as the room around him began to warble around him. But as he tried to stand to follow, Marik felt himself grow heavy, and the ground suddenly rushed up to meet him…
Faintly, though he could not get himself to move or open his eyes, he could hear two familiar voices just a short distance away. One was Hassan, he was sure of it. The other he hadn't heard in quite some time.
Is that voice...Ishizu?
"…What I want to know, is why he was put there in the first place?! This is supposed to be the leading mental health clinic in the area, and you exposed him to violent criminals?!"
"Ms. Ishtar, please-"
"Ishizu!" She corrected harshly, "Now are you going to tell me why he was moved or not?"
"It was not my decision. There was an incident at the children's ward, involving my nephew, another patient and Marik that…resulted in my nephew's death," There was a pause, "It was an accident, but the Hospital Director thought it best to have him moved until we could get his violent outbursts under control. They're better equipped to handle patients that can get physically violent at the other building."
"Well a lot of good that did for him if he was attacked by another patient there!" She paused, breathing hard, "If anything happens to him…if he doesn't pull through…" Her voice warbled, as if she were close to tears.
Hassan sighed, "I promise you he is receiving the best care we possibly can give him right now. Kane Hill has some of the best medical treatment available. The Director has assured me all of his expenses will be covered, as he feels personally responsible," He paused and sighed again, "I'm just as worried, but he's a strong kid. Just give him a little more time. I know he'll pull through…he has to."
The voices continued to converse, but Marik found he could no longer focus on them, and his mind slipped away into heavy sleep once more.
It was some time later that he woke once more, this time opening his eyes. The sounds of the room slowly began filling his ears; the steady beep of machines, and the quiet voices of nearby medical staff. Marik turned his head a little trying to find the source of voices and tried to call out, but the tube in his throat prohibited speech. He whined a bit, trying to get someone's attention, and that's when someone sitting at his bedside looked up. He was surprised to see it was Hassan, his old doctor.
"Marik…oh thank god, you're awake."
Awake? Had he been asleep? He couldn't remember falling asleep. The last thing that came to mind was…
A hand tightly gripped his shoulder, the nails digging into his flesh through his sleeve. He blinked once and slowly drew his head upwards. Standing above him, he saw a pale, expressionless face on a bald head; a pair of dark eyes locked onto his…
He wanted to ask the doctor what had happened. He reached a hand up weakly to his throat to let him know he couldn't speak. Hassan nodded and put a gentle hand on the boy's.
"I know…we didn't know how long you'd be out for so they had you intubated. It's been a few weeks. Another patient attacked you during a riot and…I'm so glad you're okay."
Marik nodded a little, trying to recall anything. That patient he'd seen before, when the alarm was going off, the one Pandora had warned him about. He should've listened better…
"Marik, do you feel alright? Are you in any pain? You suffered a few blows to the head when you were attacked."
The boy thought a moment. His head felt sore, and still rather foggy, but otherwise he felt the same? He shrugged, not knowing how to respond. Hassan nodded and sighed, "I knew it was a mistake sending you there. You'll be coming back to the children's ward once you're out of the ICU. We'll finish up your treatment there and then you'll be able to go home."
Home? He perked up a little at the notion of finally getting to see his siblings again. Marik nodded a little once more and let himself relax back against the bed, suddenly feeling wore out. Hassan took notice of the fatigue and gave his shoulder a pat.
"Get some more rest if you need it. I'll go speak to the nurses and see when we can expect you to get released, alright?"
He nodded as Hassan turned to leave, only for the doctor to pause when Marik grabbed his hand to stop him.
"Yes, what is it Marik?" He asked.
It had taken him a bit to notice, but he'd felt something in his other hand that he hadn't remembered being there before. Opening his palm to look at it, Marik was surprised to see the small golden ball Hassan had once given to him. The same one the man in his dream had also just given him. Blinking a bit, he looked up at the doctor for explanation. Hassan smiled and closed the child's fingers around the toy.
"A nurse had found it when we were clearing out your room. You must have dropped it and it rolled under the bed. When I heard you ended up here I…well I hoped it would somehow still help you even though you were comatose. Silly of me, I know…but it's yours to keep still."
Marik shook his head. It wasn't silly at all. It had helped him. It had stopped the nightmare, stopped Atem. Maybe…there was a way Hassan could help them. He let go of the doctor's sleeve and held the ball to his chest for comfort. Hassan smiled gently as the boy's eyes grew drowsy.
"I'll be back when you wake up. Rest well, okay?"
The boy nodded, finally feeling himself drift off into a quiet sleep.
