Disclaimer: No, no. YuGiOh does not belong to me.

Magic Lessons

A Mahaad and Isis ficlet. Mana learns something even her master isn't aware of.

A frustrated wail pierced the silence of the palace corridor sending a lone beetle scurrying for cover in the shadow of a statue. Only when the noise ceased reverberating off the stone walls did the it dare creep back out. The beetle cautiously waggled its antennae a moment before retreating to the relative safety of the courtyard. It was probably for the best. Mana was in the midst of her magic lesson.

"Urrggghh! It's just not working!" vented the young mage-in-training as she slumped into a seated position on the floor. Reaching over to her side, she picked up a shard of the vase that had, up until recently, been the focus of her concentration. Her face contorted in disappointment. She was supposed to have transported the vase using her magic. What she managed was to first tip it over, and on her second try, blow it to smithereens.

The Priest Mahaad gently plucked the piece of pottery from her fingers. "You did…better," he assured. Mana tipped her head up toward him. She wanted to believe him, but her expression challenged her master to come up with an explanation of how there could have possibly been any improvement in her second attempt. Mahaad looked into her earnest eyes and then to the shard in the palm of his hand. The corners of his lips twitched as he worked to suppress a smile. "In a way, you did succeed in making the vase disappear."

Mana's face broke into a grin, and she let out a hearty belly laugh. Hearing her master's quiet sense of humor relieved her greatly; it meant he wasn't upset with her. Mahaad was the last person in the world she'd ever want to disappoint. Mana respected him so much. To her, he was the most talented magician alive; he was someone who kneweverything.

When she was quiet again, he continued. "What you need to work on, Mana, is your patience. It will improve your execution of the spell. I will demonstrate for you one more time." Mahaad paused and scanned the room. "I just need another target. Ah, there's one," he said, settling on a nondescript urn. "Now watch carefully."

Mana intently watched her master, determined not to miss a single detail. She saw how when Mahaad raised his arms, his cloak shifted behind him just so. Her eyes squinted in concentration as she studied the serious look on his face. She strained her ears to hear the tone of his voice while he recited the incantation.

But then something else in the room caught her attention, and she was completely distracted. There standing the in doorway was the High Priestess Isis. The priestess looked amused but there was something else in her expression that Mana couldn't quite identify.

Hearing the last word of the spell uttered reminded her what she was supposed to be doing, and she managed turn in time to see the urn disappear and then reappear at the other side of the room. Pride swelled in her chest even as curiosity danced in her head. She looked back to the Priestess and saw the other expression quickly hidden away. Mana wondered if she couldn't bring it back.

Mahaad turned to give Mana further instruction when he noticed they had a visitor. He walked toward her. "Isis, I didn't realize you…"

"Oh Isis! I mean Priestess. Did you see? Did you see what he did?" interrupted Mana who was following close behind. Her face was glowing with admiration. "Isn't my master an amazing magician?"

"Mana," began Mahaad, his tone a gentle reprimand.

"Yes, he is."

The reply evidently surprised him as it drew his attention away from his student to the Priestess. Whatever else Mahaad was going to say died on his lips when he saw that Isis was looking at him, not Mana. Their eyes met. For a moment, no one said anything then Isis quickly broke off her gaze. She pulled a scroll out from the folds of her skirts and handed it to Mahaad.

"Please forgive my intrusion. The Pharaoh asked me to deliver this to you."

"Yes, of course. Thank you."

Isis nodded, and with a quick bow of her head to each of them, she excused herself from their lesson. Mahaad's eyes trailed after her before returning to their lesson as if nothing had happened. Mana sat back down on the floor and propped her head up with her hand. She was smiling to herself as she listened to Mahaad, but she only half paid attention.

It was just too amusing to think that her master may be an expert in magic, but maybe he doesn't quite know everything.

fin