Ohayo, Minna-san! Look, I know SotV should have been out two months back, but I've actually gotten over my Shikamaru Block and started on the next chapter! So, be prepared for, at the very least, a double update. If I can, I'll write out three chapters to make up for the wait! Anyway, here's a taster chapter for a plot-bunny that I couldn't put in my plot-bunny depository—its way, way, way to original as far as I know!
In a dark, dimly lit shop, a golden scale that looked vaguely Egyptian in origin with the Eye of Anubis on the top of it sat on a table, gleaming slightly in the dark room. A shadow flickered at the edge of vision; brilliant green eyes the color of emeralds seeming to glow in the darkness. A delicate, tanned hand reached out of the shadows, and grasped the scale. "Got'cha," a faintly musical voice muttered, the hand retreating back into the shadows.
Suddenly dizzy, the figure snuck silently out of the shop, planning on selling the artifact as soon as it could. However, pain struck as soon as the figure was out of the shop, leaving the figure to stumble into an alleyway not too far away from the shop. The figure groaned, pulling off the thin cloth balaclava that concealed its face with a shaking hand and looked down at the scale in its hand. The pain in the figure's head doubled sharply, and with a gasp, the figure's brilliant green eyes closed.
When they next opened, they were the dark, ruby red of fresh blood.
Several years had passed for the young figure that had stolen the scales from the shop—several years of discovery, learning, and most importantly, dueling. The figure, a child once known as 'Harry Potter', but now known simply as Wúmíng—Nameless—had, in the years that passed since he had stolen the scales (which he had come to learn were called the Millennium Scales, or the Sennen Bakari in Japanese) picked up the game of 'Duel Monsters' at his Xiū's insistence.
His Xiū was a being that had been sealed in the Millennium Scales that he had stolen, that had been awakened when he had laid hands upon the Scales. Apparently his soul had been ripped in half, like all of the others (aside from the Rod—he seemed to really dislike this 'Priest' character) who had participated in a ritual to seal the 'Shadow Realm' away, and sealed away in the Scales to await the day that the other half of his soul was reincarnated and found him once again.
Wúmíng could only see the good in this; ever since his former guardians, the Dursleys, had abandoned him in Hong Kong on a business trip when he was seven, he had been living on the streets until the authorities found him when he was nine—a year after he had found the Scales—and dropped him off in an orphanage called Yángguāng gū'ér yuàn, or Sunny Orphanage.
Besides, now he had his Xiūbeside him. His Xiū had barely any memory of his name, and so Wúmíng had taken to simply calling him Xiū, seeing as according to the explanation he was given, Xiūwas the dark half of his soul. However, what he did know is that the dark half was meant to protect the light half.
Wúmíng was reading a book that had been assigned at the school he attended, Gāozhōng xuéxí dì dìfāng, when the matron in charge of the orphanage tapped lightly on the door to his room. "Wúmíng? Could you come here, please?"
Wúmíng rose, curiosity bubbling up within him. "Yes, Laoshi?" he answered, opening the door. "This package was dropped off for you, Wúmíng," the matron, Lin Jiang, handed him a large cardboard box. "Xièxiè nǐ, Laoshi," he said. "Bùyòng xiè, Wúmíng," Lin replied, turning away. Wúmíng sat on the edge of his bed, closing the door behind him, and opened the package.
Inside were two Duel Monsters cards—one was blank and one with a red glove in the foreground and coins in the background—and a letter. Wúmíng opened the letter, and read it out loud.
"Dear Wúmíng-san,
I, Maximillion J. Pegasus, hereby officially invite you to Industrial Illusion's new Duel Monsters tournament, Duelist Kingdom. With this invitation, you will find enclosed two Duel Monsters cards—Glory of the King's Right Hand and Glory of the King's Left Hand. You will need to present these in order to be able to participate and, if you make it to the finals, receive the award money of five million American dollars. The registration for the tournament is at the docks in Domino City, Japan.
Maximillion J. Pegasus
It was in Japanese, and Wúmíng had a little difficulty reading it, due to the fact that he only knew a little bit of the language. He grumbled under his breath, and Xiū spoke up. /You do realize that we'll have to go, right?/ Wúmíng scowled. /Yes, I know, Xiū. The problem comes from the fact that we'll have to go to Domino City, Japan./ Xiū grumbled inside their mind. /I forgot about that,/ Wúmíng rolled his vibrant green eyes. /I figured, Xiū./
Wúmíng rolled his eyes as he felt, more than heard, Xiū pout. His darkness was more childish than people would think, seeing as he was the other half of Wúmíng's soul—the part that held what he didn't. Wúmíng pulled the Scales out from his canvas bag that he kept with him at all times. He gently ran a finger along the glinting gold surface, tracing the Eye contemplatively.
Then he brightened slightly. /We still have the prize money from the Nationals that we placed in last month, don't we Xiū?/ He felt Xiū perk up. /Yeah, we do, Guāng!/ Xiū replied, brightening happily. Wúmíng sighed.
"I guess we're going to Domino," he sighed irritably. "You do realize that I'll have to arrange to miss school for while we're there, right?" his only reply was a cheerful hum from Xiū. "Tāmādè," he muttered, straightening his green mandarin jacket. He groaned irritably, flopping backwards onto the bed.
/End.\
Translations:
Wúmíng—nameless
Xiū—shade, protection, darkness, guard, shadow, shield
Yángguāng gū'ér yuàn—Sunny Orphanage
Gāozhōng xuéxí dì dìfāng—Learning Place High School
Laoshi-Chinese for 'Matron'; recommended by kuricre, who was kind enough to give somethings to correct~
Lin—means "forest" in Mandarin
Jiang—means "river" in Chinese
Xièxiè nǐ—"thank you," in Chinese
Bùyòng xiè—"You're welcome," in Chinese
Liàng—bright, light
Tāmādè-more of a Cantonese cuss word, meaning oh crap/shit/damnit, etc. Recommended by kuricre~
Edited 11/3/13
R & R, s'il vous plait!
~Boldog Lakókocsi27
(Now it's (hopefully correct) Hungarian! ^^)
