Chapter Text
"Marik, how was your day at school?"
The blond looked at his sister as he was about to go to his room. Isis was sitting on the couch of their living room, the books and notes all over the coffee table informed him she was still working. She was wearing a long dark grey dress that could have made her look humble if she didn't have golden jewellery all over her arms. No matter how "mature" and "reasonable" she wanted to appear, Marik knew she shared his taste for pretty things.
"Good. I mean, like usual. Why?" Marik asked as he readjusted the school bag on his shoulder.
She nodded and took a few seconds before answering. Marik hated when she did that because her poker face was way too good and he could never know what she was thinking. It was hard to tell if she actually knew something, if she expected a precise answer. Talking with Isis was always like playing Russian roulette. You had to assume she knew more than you thought and avoid the traps in the conversation. Usually it was Marik who played his game with others, but his sister was way better at it.
"That's good. Did you see anything unusual?"
Marik rolled his eyes as he sighed, a hand resting on his waist. He mentally relaxed. Good, he actually knew what she was talking about and apparently he was safe.
"Isis, I would have already told you if I saw the spirit of an ancient Pharaoh around."
His sister frowned a bit, before she sighed. She let a bit of her frustration become apparent.
"I don't understand. The necklace showed me this area. The puzzle should be here."
Marik shrugged.
"Well, if I spot it, I'll tell you. Now, can you please stop thinking about dead people for a second and just relax? I mean, the life we have here isn't so bad, right?"
Isis looked at him, surprised as it wasn't often she heard her brother saying something positive about his life.
"You like it?"
"Well, yeah? I mean, it's not bad."
Isis smiled softly, her whole body relaxing.
"You're right… It's not bad."
Marik smiled back at her. Yeah, honestly it was a good life. Being able to live outside, going to school like a normal teen, having a house. Sometimes it seemed so surrealist for Marik after spending more than half of his life in a tomb, back in Egypt.
"Well, if you need me, I have homework to do," he said before walking (running) away.
Marik waved at Rishid in the kitchen on his way, then he went upstairs. Before going inside his room, however, he stopped to look at his sister's door. He glanced at the stair to be sure everyone was staying down, then he tried to open it. Locked, of course. Damn, he really should ask Bakura how to pick a lock.
Of course Isis would never leave her room open. After all, it was where she was hiding the two millennium items they possessed. The necklace and the rod. Marik had the opportunity to use the rod once, when he was ten. After that Isis made sure he could never touch it again.
"You really thought she would forget to lock it?"
Marik sighed as he heard the voice in his head. He didn't answer immediately and went to his own room.
"Well, she can't be that perfect. She can make a mistake," he said out loud once he closed his door.
"Not when she is so scared of me coming back."
"This is so stupid," Marik sighed in frustration, "you're the reason we're still alive."
"She isn't completely wrong. I would have done more than that if I hadn't been stopped."
"I know, but it was six years ago. You're different. We are all different."
"True. You were so docile before, and look at you now. You can lie straight to our sister's face."
Marik smirked as he started removing his uniform. This thing was way too tight, he hated it. It was part of his model student persona so he had to wear it properly, but he would rather open the jacket and part of the shirt like Bakura. At least he could put some makeup and his earrings on to make the whole thing look less awful. He grabbed a white crop top in his wardrobe and changed clothes.
"Well, she doesn't need to know everything. I can compromise on a lot of things. But serving a dead asshole responsible for the scars on my back?" He snorted, "The guy can stay in his puzzle for all eternity for all I care. Beside…"
Marik sighed and laid down on his bed.
"If he passes away, Ryou will have to go too. It can't happen without all the items."
"Don't you think the spirit would like that?"
"I'm not sure. They would be separated, with Bakura. And I don't want to risk it if I don't know for sure where his soul will go."
"Mh. And when are you going to introduce me to the rabbits?"
Marik smiled at the nickname. He really wouldn't call Ryou and Bakura rabbits. Bakura would be more of a rat. Ryou was… Well, yes. A rabbit fitted him. He was cute. Unless he had those scary eyes that reminded Marik of his sister.
"I don't even know where to start to explain your existence. And I don't want to blow my cover with them. If they knew how much I hid from them…"
"Is this the real reason? Aren't you just scared they will think you're crazy? I'm quite different from a spirit."
Marik frowned. He really couldn't hide anything from him. After all, the guy was living rent free in his head. There were no thoughts of Marik that would escape him since he was himself a part of the blond.
Six years ago, after his own father slid a heated up knife in his back for hours, Marik's brain reacted to the trauma by creating an alter. Someone stronger, who could protect him. A ball of burning anger that used the first occasion he had to draw blood. The incident with the rod was him, and while Marik didn't have the item anymore, it left a bit of its magic with them. He was sure people with DID weren't supposed to talk with their alters as easily as the two of them did.
"Shut up," Marik growled. "It's for you I try to get the rod back, you know. So don't make me change my mind by being annoying."
Unlike the millennium items' spirits and their wielders, Marik and his alter couldn't switch at will. It only happened whenever Marik was under a lot of stress that his other self could take control of the body. Or rather was forced to. However, the rod was an item whose magic was linked to the soul. With it, they could be able to switch freely. Or even be at the same time in their soul room. While Marik knew the existence of soul rooms, it was part of his training, he was never able to go inside his at will. He could visit it whenever his alter was in control, but as soon as Marik fronted again, they would switch their places. They never managed to stay at the same time in their soul room.
It frustrated Marik a lot. But there was no way Isis would allow Marik to get it back, especially if she knew his alter still existed. Killing their own father, even if it had been self defence, wasn't something making the other Marik safe to be around in her eyes.
Marik loved his sister. He really did. But it always annoyed him how practical it was for her to put every wrong thing Marik did on his alter. Like they weren't the same person, or that Marik wasn't capable of doing bad things on his own. If only she knew how many times the guy protected him, saved him. But there was no way to make his sister change her mind when she thought to be right.
It wasn't this way at the beginning, but after having him for six years in his head, Marik came to care for his alter. Maybe a bit more than just caring.
"You wouldn’t. Because you like me," The alter hummed, sounding pleased.
"Or because I will be able to make you shut up wherever I want."
His other self laughed, "Don't be so sure. You know who has the stronger mind between us two."
"Yeah? Well, you're stuck in my brain for now so don't be so sure about this."
Marik tensed when he heard one of the stair steps crack. He jumped out of his bed and went to his desk. He grabbed a school book, and before a knock could be heard at his door, he looked like the perfect student working on his school work.
"Yes?"
The door opened, showing his brother. Rishid scanned the room for a second, before smiling at Marik.
"I made some sweets. Do you want some?"
"Oh, did you try another one of your book's receipts? Sure. I'm finishing this and I'm coming."
His brother nodded before leaving the room, but not without giving Marik an uncertain look as he closed the door.
"... Do you think he heard me?"
"I already told you, you talk too loud. Learn to talk in your mind."
"But I don't like it. We have the same voice and it's confusing. Sometimes I don't know which one of us is talking anymore."
"You're too spoiled. The rabbits do it just fine."
"They aren't the same person. Must be easier."
"Spoiled."
"Shut up."
Marik closed his notebook (those homeworks were way too easy, he would quickly do it later) and stood up.
"You know I don't like sweets, so you better behave if you want me to eat some for you."
"And I'm the evil alter?" His other self laughed as Marik got out of his room.