Hi everybody! It's me again! With another story. Yay! Okay, so this story takes place before the show started, in Ancient Egypt right after Atem- oops! I mean Yami- sealed Zorc away the first time. So people are gonna be calling him Yami, since they were made to forget his real name. This is just a short two-shot about my two favorite Black Magicians, and it tells the story of how Mana became the Black Magician Girl, hence the title.

Ancient Egyptian speech will be bolded and italicized.

Thoughts will be italicized.

Read, Enjoy, and Review!

Disclaimer: Oh, and I don't own YuGiOh!. Kazuki Takahashi does. (I would be making these stories into new episodes if I did!)

Dark Magic Destiny, a YuGiOh! fanfic by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 1: Nightmare

"Sousho-sama! Wait! Please! Wait for me, master Mahaad!" Mana cried, racing after her master- who appeared not to hear her. "Please, wait!" She sobbed as he walked further and further away from her into the darkness. "You are going down a path I cannot follow! Please come back to me, sousho-sama!" She called, running with all her might and trying her hardest to catch up- to somehow bring him back by her own strength. As she ran along the narrow path, she tripped on an uneven patch and fell to her hands and knees. "Please-" She gasped. "Come back! Come back to us- please-" She pleaded, tears streaming from her turquoise eyes and falling to the crystalline path beneath. Mahaad- as the 'Black Magician'- walked on into the darkness, oblivious to his former student and fellow spellcaster weeping behind him.

"COME BACK!" Mana wailed one final time as her teacher and best friend disappeared into the darkness. Not him too! She thought miserably. First Ouji- I mean, Pharaoh, now my master? Not to mention the others- Am I cursed by the gods to lose all the people I love? She broke down and put her head between her knees, crying as though she felt her heart would burst. Suddenly the thin bridge of crystal cracked and broke apart, and Mana found herself falling into the black abyss below-

"Aaah!" Mana screamed as she woke from her nightmare, feeling disoriented and confused when she found herself in her chambers, tangled in the sheets but otherwise unharmed. Her tears were still flowing freely, and she found she could not stop them even when she tried. So she wept quietly until she could cry no more. Still sniffling, she untangled herself from her sheets and shuffled to her mirror to prepare for the day.

It has been a week since the Lord of Darkness was defeated and Ouji sealed his spirit in the Millennium Pendant- no, I guess it would be Puzzle now- so why was I dreaming about my master? Mana wondered to herself as she put on her kohl and headdress. It has been a while since he became the 'Black Magician', and I have gotten used to that fact. So why- what would remind me of that day? Mana asked herself, and her reflection tilted its head from side to side with a puzzled expression on its face. "Ugh. I am a mess!" Mana complained when she saw her eyes, still red and raw from crying so much. "Last time I just let my emotions run their course-" She grumbled. Just then she remembered. "Oh no! The Coronation is today! Oh, Seth is going to kill me if I am late!" She raced out of her room and sped through the corridors of the palace, knowing that she'd never make it in time. Still she ran.

Seth- now pharaoh of all Egypt- was just sitting down on the throne when Mana came sliding into the room. She hurriedly took her place next to one of the new priests, her breath coming in short, quiet gasps. She hoped no one would notice. Yeah right, Mana. Everyone is staring at you and you know it. You sure picked a great day to sleep in. When she shyly looked up at her new king, she was surprised and relieved to find that he wasn't even looking at her. Instead he was looking straight ahead, regal and majestic like the powerful ruler he now was.

"All hail Seth, pharaoh of all Egypt and link to the gods!" Cried the court scribe, and every soul in the room knelt on their right knees and bowed their heads in respect. When Mana and the other new priests were commanded to rise by the new pharaoh, she jumped a little and blushed. Seth caught her eye and mouthed, "You are late." with a serious look on his face. But then he winked, and Mana knew that he was not upset with her, just nervous about this whole ceremony. She suspected that she would be too, if she were in his place. Neither he nor she knew how to rule a country! Oh well. No matter what happened, Mana resolved that she would stand by him and help him whenever and however she could.

"My king, with your permission, we are ready to begin the Ceremony of the Items." Announced the scribe, looking to Seth to give the word.

"Very well." Seth said confidently, rising to his feet and clapping his hands thrice. Almost immediately six royal guards entered the throne room, bearing on their shoulders the Millennium Stone. Wait a minute! I thought that stone was destroyed to summon Zorc! What is going on? Mana thought with alarm. She looked at Seth in confusion, but- when she saw his brief, mischievous smirk- she guessed that he'd had an identical stone carved as a replacement. The guards carefully set the stone in the center of the room, then backed out, bowing. Only one of the Items was missing: the Millennium Puzzle. Mana remembered the reason for its absence, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. When she looked at Seth once more, she saw that he was staring at the same spot and had a few tears of his own budding in his eyes. With a quiet sigh of sorrow and grief, he rubbed away the tears from his eyes, then raised both his hands- palms down- and pointed them at the Stone.

As one, the Items rose from their places and floated to form a circle above the new Bearers' heads. The rest of the pharaoh's court now stood and looked to their king to begin the ceremony. Seth closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, saying, "The time has come. The darkness banished, the light victorious. However, many lights were lost to banish darkness forever. Friends, family, loved ones-" He faltered briefly as he thought of Kisara and her sacrifice. "-and teachers." At this he glanced at Mana, remembering a sorrow that only they could share and understand fully. "We honor their sacrifice now." He bowed his head, and the whole court followed suit. After a long moment, Seth looked up and comforted, "But this is not the time for sorrow! A new age is dawning, and we will live in the glorious light Ra gives for many years to come! To ensure the peace and prosperity of Our kingdom, the Sacred Items have chosen their six new Bearers, and shall guard the land of the pharaohs until the gods receive us into our final rest, and then even longer, to keep safe our descendants!"

The assembly cheered at Seth's awe-inspiring speech, and Mana felt herself almost bursting with pride in her friend. Who knew Seth was such a great speaker? She thought happily, pleasantly surprised at her friend. She was so inspired and riveted by the pharaoh's speech that she failed to notice that the Items had descended and now hovered in front of the six Bearers' faces. Mana gasped when she saw that her master's Millennium Ring had chosen her to be its new wielder, and she took the silk cord reverently and hung the Item from her neck- where it lay gleaming against her chest. She could feel a faint dark presence inside the Item [Zorc], but her magic was enough to keep it at bay. She could also barely sense the presence of a small glimmer of light within the Ring [Akefia], but did not know what it meant.

The Millennium Eye went to a young man who had fought in the battle with Zorc and had somehow lost his left eye in the struggle against the cursed skeletons of Kul-Elna. Mana felt sorry for the young man, but he winked at her with his good eye and smiled, assuring her that the wound didn't hurt much anymore. The man was rather tall- almost as tall as Seth was- and had short brown hair and a brown eye. His hair was shaped into a point that stuck out slightly from his forehead. It kind of reminded Mana of a pyramid. When the young man donned the mystical article, the Eye glowed once and his wound was healed, and all the vessels that were damaged were sealed off to prevent further loss of blood and infection.

The Millennium Scales went to a young man with shoulder-length black hair and warm chocolate-brown eyes. He looked quite surprised to see the Item floating in front of him, but then nodded solemnly and grasped the Scales by their stem, holding them as gently as if they were made of thin glass. Mana smiled over at the young man in congratulations, and Akhen smiled back, silent as always.

Seth raised an eyebrow at the new Bearer of 'his' Millennium Rod, a boy no older than thirteen. The lad had long black hair that resembled the mane of a lion, and gray-blue eyes that resembled storm clouds- an unusual color in this land. The boy was fairly tall for his age- standing at about 5'6''- and was well-built considering his youth. Then Seth shrugged. If this young man had been chosen by the Rod to be its Bearer, so be it. He would have a talk with this boy at the very least. With a silent sigh, he looked out over the assembly once again and spoke. "It is finished! The Items have chosen six new Bearers, and they will protect and guard us in wisdom and fairness. May they lead us justly."

At this, Mana and the others answered with the appropriate response, "And may your reign be long and great, Pharaoh." and dropped to one knee in respect and reverence as the ceremonial Festival of the Pharaohs began.

After the festivities had ended- seven hours before dawn- Seth gathered two of the Bearers and walked with them to a secret room where they would not be overheard. When he had sealed the entrance, he turned to the Bearer of the Rod and asked the teenager kindly, "What is your name?"

The youth answered timidly, "My lord's servant is called Makhet, if it pleases my lord." Then he bowed so low his mane of hair touched the floor. Seth smiled, then thought, This young man is very well-mannered. Maybe he could be my foreign ambassador in a few years. Out loud he said, "Well Makhet, do you know which Item you now wield?"

"Yes my lord. I bear the sacred Millennium Rod, the same powerful Item once borne by you, my pharaoh- when you were High Priest under the great Nameless Pharaoh." Makhet replied nervously, slightly intimidated by his tall liege. Seth smiled again, nodding to agree with the boy's assessment. "We can see in your eyes both fear and bravery, young Makhet. We know you are nervous about the future. I know I was, when the Rod chose me." He imparted, causing the boy to look surprised, shocked that his king would willingly admit a weakness. "We see courage, wisdom and strength in your heart, and We know that you will be able to wield Our former Item. The Rod can be a powerful weapon in times of war, but also a great tool in times of peace. Use it well." Seth finished, resting a calming hand on the lad's shoulder, as the boy was shaking slightly. "Now rest. We shall see you in the morning, two hours after daybreak."

The boy-guardian nodded, then left the secret room to retire to his own. Seth then turned to Mana, and a reproving glare met her suddenly sheepish gaze. "So Mana, would you mind explaining why you were late for my Coronation ceremony? You missed the whole thing!" He accused, but there was a smile on his face and a twinkle of amusement in his eyes- despite his harsh tone. He knew that he didn't have to be formal with her- one of his oldest friends- so he switched to his normal means of speech, not using the royal 'We'.

"Sorry, Seth. I- I had a nightmare, and I found myself crying uncontrollably when I woke up. I could not stop until my tears ran dry, and that is why I was late and why my eyes were as red as Zorc's when I came in." Mana laughed nervously in apology, staring at her slippered feet.

Seth's mood changed instantly, from gentle teasing to solemn understanding. "It was Mahaad again, was it not? Your nightmare." It was a statement rather than a question, and he didn't need a verbal answer. One look at Mana's tear-filled eyes told him the whole story. Forgetting for a moment that he was now king of all Egypt, Seth embraced the young woman as he would a little sister, and consoled her as she wept on his shoulder. "I know, Mana. I know." He whispered as he gently stroked her hair. "We both lost souls dear to our hearts. But they will always be with us. Now that you are a Bearer, you have access to all the previous Bearers' Ka. Including-" He smiled as he wiped away one of Mana's tears with his thumb, "-the 'Black Magician'."

Mana gasped at this revelation, remembering that she had received a DiaDhank during the Sacred Item ceremony. Also momentarily forgetting Seth was now the pharaoh, she leaped up and embraced his tall form with pure joy and ecstasy in her eyes and heart. What a gift Seth had just given her! No gift could be better. The tears that now cascaded from her eyes were filled with happiness, and her mouth was starting to hurt from the intensity and size of her beaming smile.

Seth chuckled and ruffled her hair playfully, then suggested, "Get some sleep, Mana. I expect to see you bright and early two hours after sunrise for the morning assembly. Do try to not be late this time." He added with a teasing wink. Mana laughed, then kissed her friend on the cheek with a cheerful "Good night, Pharaoh!" Seth smiled, then kissed her back on the forehead. "Sweet dreams, Mana." Then they both left the room to retire to their respective chambers.

When Mana reached her chambers, she swiftly donned her new DiaDhank and called upon the power of the Millennium Ring that was now hers. Almost immediately there was a flash of purple light, and Mana opened her eyes to find her beloved master sitting on her bed. He looked just the same as she remembered, garbed in purple armor and wielding a long green staff. Only now he was sitting cross-legged at the foot of her bed and his staff rested on his knees. His expression was familiar as well. His mouth was curved into an amused smile, but his eyes shone with love and something that Mana had never seen him look at her with before. Pride. Her master was proud of her! Mana smiled, and Mahaad nodded in approval.

"So. It seems you are my successor. Congratulations!" Mahaad praised.

"Thanks." A blushing Mana answered shyly.

"What? I was congratulating the Ring. It could not have chosen a better host if it tried."

Mana smiled at her master's harmless teasing, knowing that he had meant the compliment for her. "All jesting aside, I am proud of you, Mana. You have indeed grown since I last saw you!" Mahaad stated, wonder sparkling in his dark blue eyes. "Would you convey my congratulations to Seth as well? He will be a great pharaoh, certainly worthy of succeeding his cousin. Also, tell him- Kisara sends her love." At the look of confusion on Mana's face, he added, "He will know what I mean."

"Okay." Mana agreed, sealing her promise in magic so she wouldn't forget it overnight. It was only when she yawned that she remembered how tired she was. She carefully removed her headdress and the Millennium Ring and set them carefully on her bedside table. Then she washed off the kohl with a wet cloth dipped in oil and climbed into bed. Turning to her master- who was now beside her- she asked tentatively, "Will you stay with me? Even if I take my DiaDhank off?" Mahaad smiled and nodded, answering both the question and agreeing to the request. "All night, if that is what you wish." Mana smiled, then curled up under her blanket. And for the first time in weeks, she slept free of the nightmares.

End of chapter 1

Next chapter teaser: Awakening

Okay, I know I told people this was gonna be a one-shot, but Mana and Seth had to ruin my plans. So now it's a two-shot!

I couldn't resist putting in a little foreshadowing for 'Another Chance', hence the Tristan and Mokuba lookalikes. Hee-hee!

That nightmare was kinda a compilation of Star Wars, Bleach, and Yu Yu Hakusho. Yeah, I'm not very creative. And the wake-up scene was from one of my own experiences. I literally could not stop crying! For like half an hour!

The rest of it was pure fluff. And if you interpret that scene with Mana and Seth as Bokushipping, it's not. I'm still a Mizushipper (Seth x Kisara). Sorry! And Mahaad sees Mana as a little sister, not as a lover! (Apprenticeshipping) I think he liked Isis(Pleashipping) and she (Mana) liked Atem(Vaseshipping). So there.

What do you think of Seth's speech? That one was all me. Pretty inspiring, no?

Constructive Criticism/Suggestions are greatly appreciated,

Glowing reviews are even better!

But flames will be tossed in the fireplace where they belong.

See you next chapter!

God Bless!

Tsunami Storm