Wow. This was simply amazing. So, so in character and, damn, he almost had me convinced that he was right - lol! This is so accurate for how his thought processes would be, justifying why he's done all he's done. The writing was beautiful. I love your style and the descriptions. Can't fault this, really. Amazing job!

This was a very good!

CAPS LOCK ISN'T ENOUGH TO EXPRESS MY JOY AT IN-CHARACTER MALIK. Excellent character study, it flowed very smoothly.

Probably one of the best character studies I've read. The writing flowed smoothly, you had a lot of interesting phrases that added to the story (when you cut to parantheses about "the clown dying by his own blade", for example) and the cut aways to italics were interesting as well. The ending was perfect for this, and it was overall both an accurate and amazing character portrayal. Excellent work.

My gosh, do I love this. I think you got Malik spot-on. He's really trying to convince himself that he's doing the right thing even when he knows he's not, because he can't accept his guilt... (And do I ever have the urge to make a in-de-Nile pun.) Great, great job. :D Thank you for writing.

Hoooooly bleep. I had no idea you could write like that!

This is just amazing...you really have a way with words, all these vivid, horrifying images really take you by surprise. I love how it builds up to the end, and then that one simple sentence at the conclusion leaves you feeling thunderstruck.

This is really really deep. It's so good to read something substantial...it's heartbreaking at the same time because his struggle is so obvious. I like all the little details too, like how 'his consciousness was spread thin' or something like that. It kind of made me think of Bilbo from Lord of the Rings with the ring or something like that...

ps I had to look up what bifurcated meant. Thanks for adding a new word to my vocabulary! )

Ahh, I'm going to squee now. This is all just so fascinating, and so, so, Malik. The desire for this rigid control over himself, even though he can't ever completely succeed in gaining it... The conflict, all of the jostling between different views and motivations... Malik had so many motives for going after vengeance (and justice- Malik's definitely in a mind-set where the two are the same thing), and it's wonderful to see them all laid out there in a fic. And you wrote Malik as thinking about his clan's suffering! Yay! He spent so much time in Battle City talking about how his clan and suffered and how he wanted to free them, yet this is the first fic I've seen which goes into that. *fangirls*

For the most part, I think the same of this one. It's very well written and an accurate character study. If the purpose of the story is to make the reader at least feel some sympathy for Malik or at least understand where he's coming from, I definitely think that's the case.

Again, I would say if there was an alternate way to present the same character study (something not internal monologue), I'd be interested to see it. If this same material could be conveyed through dialogue and/or metaphors, that strikes me as something that I'd be interested in reading.

But that's not really anything bad about this, that's just an alternate way to look at it, so again I don't have much to say beyond it's very good. Let me just say that, based on the way you write a lot of your fics, I don't think good dialogue is too far off.

Oh, God.

This was another brilliant story and a magnificant interpretation of how Marik was influencing Malik all during Battle City and beforehand. I loved the little comments Marik said here and there, Malik thinking about those little thoughts that were implanted into his head. He was in denial, and you did a fantastic job showing this.

This is brilliant! I love how it starts slowly, and at the end it becomes so -intense-, and it all fits Malik so very well; and how well Yami Malik fits into it all too.

...

I'm a little speechless. Rarely does that happen.

There were times in your story where I literally gasped because your descriptions, diction, and style were so beautiful.

I really loved your use of syllogisms. How Malik rationalized things for himself, and in a way, for the reader. I was convinced his was the logical path.

You truly conveyed his internal struggle with the utmost verity.

I was so happy to read this, because I found someone whose writing I admired.

Great job.

By far the best Malik fanfic I've ever read. You truly have a clear sense of his character. I loved his internal struggle of wanting to be right and wanting his revenge. It's that sort of thought process that makes him my favorite character, and you did a brilliant job of portraying it.

Your writing is wonderful, I love you style. Fantastic story, I'm rather speechless

I didn't know you'd written something! OK, so does it make me insane that I was totally agreeing with Malik throughout this fic? Like, "Yeah, it's not murder, it's justified revenge, torture and kill the Pharaoh, HELL YEAH!" Atem's like the biggest psycho in the series, he pretty much deserves it anyways. But then, I'm a huge fan of vigilante justice. I don't like Yami Marik because he just kills random people purely for the sadistic pleasure- people who have never done anything to him, even people who love Malik and have only tried to help him. But I'm all about the justified-revenge killing.

This... is love. Seriously. The description is chillingly beautiful; all the pain/hope/fear that Malik is feeling... it's amazing how well you convey that. I think my favorite part was when you adressed the fact that using the Rod had consequences. (Nausia, headaches, etc.) Because really, he's in other peoples' minds. Of course that's going to leave anyone a little worn out. XD

Very awesome and introspective piece. I can't wait to read more of your work. :)

-Eggy