Enter Shadi...uh, yeah. Well, here's chapter twelve, where the
confrontation between Kaiba and Shadi occurs. Hmmm...wonder what'll happen.
Well, read on, find out, and tell me what you think. On a side note, I do
realize that Seto's true past doesn't coincide with what I wrote, but like
I said before, I took certain liberties when writing about his childhood.
***
It took me the better part of the day to reach my destination as marked on Pegasus' map. All in all, I spent fourteen hours in the air. I landed the copter on the outskirts of the village, and slept in my chair. I don't remember if I dreamt at all that night, but I wasn't very refreshed when I woke the next morning.
I walked into the village with no conscious idea of how I would find Shadi. I realized that I'd come here with no plan at all. I only knew I had to get here. Now that I was here, I was at a loss.
For most of the morning I wandered, looking at everything but seeing hardly anything. By noon I was exhausted. It was about ninety degrees, and though I'd taken off my coat, I was still dressed in a long-sleeved button-down shirt and pants.
I collapsed against the side of a building and stared up at nothing. What was I doing? It would be nearly impossible to find him. What if he wasn't here? What if he'd gone to some other village? What if Pegasus was wrong, what if I made a mistake, what if Shadi was dead? All these questions whirled around in my head as I sat there, giving me a headache. My eyelids grew heavy, and I had to resist the urge to sleep. I didn't want to sleep. Sleep only brought those damned nightmares back.
I took my necklace out of my shirt pocket and opened it, looking down at the picture of Mokuba. I remember when I got this. The picture had been taken on Mokuba's fourth birthday, the last year all four of us were together. I'd gotten the locket a couple days later. Mokuba got one too, with my picture in it. Two months after that, both our parents died, and Mokuba and I were sent to an orphanage.
I was so happy back than.
Thinking back, I remembered that year I'd given Mokuba his first videogame system, a Nintendo 64. I'd saved up my allowance for three months to get him that. And the glow in his eyes when he opened it had almost been enough to make me cry. He'd thrown himself at me, telling me over and over that I was the best big brother ever in the whole world.
My parents hadn't known about the gift, and they marveled at how I had saved up enough money to buy it for him. They'd pulled me aside and asked me about it.
"How did you pay for that, Seto?" Father had asked.
"Saved up my allowance."
"Your allowance? How long did you save it for?"
I'd shrugged it off. "Couple months."
Mother's eyes had gone wide. "You saved up all your money for that long just for your brother's birthday present?"
"Yeah," I'd said, looking back at Mokuba, who was practically bouncing off the walls. "I wanted him to be happy. Look at him." I'd smiled.
They'd both smiled at me, pride shining in their eyes. Mother kissed my cheek. "You're such a sweet boy, Seto."
"I'm proud of you, little guy," Father had told me, clapping me on the shoulder.
Father set up the system and Mokuba sat down to play. I could tell automatically that he had a talent for videogames. I'd sat down beside him to watch.
"Thanks, big brother," Mokuba had said, leaning against me. "I love you."
I'd smiled and ruffled his hair. "Happy birthday, Moki."
Mokuba had giggled, and had gone back to his game.
I glanced back, and saw Mother and Father smiling at each other.
Now, looking down at the locket they'd given me, and the picture of my brother, I felt tears running down my face. "I...I love you, too, Moki..." I whispered brokenly.
I shut my eyes and cried.
I didn't notice the man standing beside me until his robe touched my arm. My eyes snapped open, and I looked up at him.
It was the man from my dream. He didn't hold a scale, but the key was there. This was the man I was looking for. This was Shadi.
The Egyptian man looked down at me, his blue eyes twin pools of glowing cerulean. "You seek to relieve great heartache," he said softly, his voice echoing in my ears.
"Y-Yes..." I said, clearing my throat and wiping my eyes.
I stood up and replaced my necklace in my pocket, dusted off my pants and shirt. "You...you are Shadi..."
"I am."
"Someone said...you could help me."
"Maximilian Pegasus, the holder of the eye," Shadi said.
"Y-Yes."
Shadi nodded. "We cannot speak here. Come. Follow me."
I nodded. Shadi began to lead me through the village, taking turns at random (or at least that's what it seemed like to me). I noticed nothing as I walked, only that he eventually led me to a secluded section of the small hamlet, down a stone staircase into a place that I recognized as the tomb from my nightmare.
Shadi turned to me. "Tell me of the troubles you face," he said.
"Well...about a month ago...my brother Mokuba was killed in a car crash. And...I've been having nightmares...almost every day, it seems. It's driving me insane. When I talked to Pegasus, he said that you would know whether or not the Millennium Items could bring him back."
Shadi regarded me silently for a moment. "Your recent past is clouded by darkness. Your reasons for wanting to bring your brother back onto the mortal plane have been selfish. You cannot handle it. You want him back. He was your drive to move on in your life. You wish to bring him back to be at peace with yourself. That is not fair to him.
"Were you the same man you were at the time of your brother's death, you would not be deserving of this knowledge. However, you have changed for the better; you have become the man your brother deserved, and in so doing you have become a man deserving of your brother."
My eyes widened.
"I can give you the knowledge of how to revive him, but I cannot revive him for you. The power to do this lies in only one of the seven Millennium Items: the puzzle. You know personally the holder of the puzzle, do you not?"
"I do," I said, nodding.
"There is a certain spell that can be cast by the Chosen One, the holder of the puzzle, which can revive a soul to the mortal plane, if there is any desire for that soul to return. Your brother has a desire; he wishes to be with you. That I can sense."
My hopes flared. I looked at Shadi in rapt attention, about to burst with excitement. It could be done! I could bring him back!
"Well?" I asked. "What is this spell?"
"The spell involves the switching of souls. The soul revived takes the place of the soul that summoned it, thus allowing the soul revived to remain on the mortal plane. In other words, in order to revive your brother, the Chosen One would be required to take his place on the plane of the dead."
Yugi would have to sacrifice himself for Mokuba...My mouth opened wide. For Mokuba to live, Yugi had to die. I knew that, if I asked, he would do it. He was that selfless, and Mokuba was his friend. He would do it.
"The Chosen One holds the spirit of an ancient within him. That spirit will remember this spell once it is mentioned to him. Such is the magic of the puzzle. Know that the spell must be conducted willingly, you cannot threaten him or trick him into doing it."
I nodded. "Thank you, Shadi."
Shadi nodded. When I was certain he would say no more, I turned and started to leave. As I set foot on the first step, he said "Think first, Seto Kaiba, of what your brother would wish. Would he wish for the Chosen One to revive him, knowing the cost?"
Knowing that Yugi would have to sacrifice himself dampened my spirits...but the realization that the answer to that question was a vehement no...it was as though the entire world had fallen on me.
I stopped, unable to move.
My legs gave out from under me.
I was so close...so close...
"No..." I gasped out. "No..."
"Think first of what your brother would wish..." Shadi's voice murmured, fading into silence. I turned, and he was nowhere to be found.
I sighed. "Think about what Mokuba would wish..." I murmured. "He would wish me to stop thinking about this and move on..."
But I couldn't...
I shook my head, walked out of the tomb and back into the village. It took me until nightfall to finally find my way back to my helicopter. I climbed in, and took off. Something told me to wait until morning to go back home, but I ignored it. What did it matter?
***
It took me the better part of the day to reach my destination as marked on Pegasus' map. All in all, I spent fourteen hours in the air. I landed the copter on the outskirts of the village, and slept in my chair. I don't remember if I dreamt at all that night, but I wasn't very refreshed when I woke the next morning.
I walked into the village with no conscious idea of how I would find Shadi. I realized that I'd come here with no plan at all. I only knew I had to get here. Now that I was here, I was at a loss.
For most of the morning I wandered, looking at everything but seeing hardly anything. By noon I was exhausted. It was about ninety degrees, and though I'd taken off my coat, I was still dressed in a long-sleeved button-down shirt and pants.
I collapsed against the side of a building and stared up at nothing. What was I doing? It would be nearly impossible to find him. What if he wasn't here? What if he'd gone to some other village? What if Pegasus was wrong, what if I made a mistake, what if Shadi was dead? All these questions whirled around in my head as I sat there, giving me a headache. My eyelids grew heavy, and I had to resist the urge to sleep. I didn't want to sleep. Sleep only brought those damned nightmares back.
I took my necklace out of my shirt pocket and opened it, looking down at the picture of Mokuba. I remember when I got this. The picture had been taken on Mokuba's fourth birthday, the last year all four of us were together. I'd gotten the locket a couple days later. Mokuba got one too, with my picture in it. Two months after that, both our parents died, and Mokuba and I were sent to an orphanage.
I was so happy back than.
Thinking back, I remembered that year I'd given Mokuba his first videogame system, a Nintendo 64. I'd saved up my allowance for three months to get him that. And the glow in his eyes when he opened it had almost been enough to make me cry. He'd thrown himself at me, telling me over and over that I was the best big brother ever in the whole world.
My parents hadn't known about the gift, and they marveled at how I had saved up enough money to buy it for him. They'd pulled me aside and asked me about it.
"How did you pay for that, Seto?" Father had asked.
"Saved up my allowance."
"Your allowance? How long did you save it for?"
I'd shrugged it off. "Couple months."
Mother's eyes had gone wide. "You saved up all your money for that long just for your brother's birthday present?"
"Yeah," I'd said, looking back at Mokuba, who was practically bouncing off the walls. "I wanted him to be happy. Look at him." I'd smiled.
They'd both smiled at me, pride shining in their eyes. Mother kissed my cheek. "You're such a sweet boy, Seto."
"I'm proud of you, little guy," Father had told me, clapping me on the shoulder.
Father set up the system and Mokuba sat down to play. I could tell automatically that he had a talent for videogames. I'd sat down beside him to watch.
"Thanks, big brother," Mokuba had said, leaning against me. "I love you."
I'd smiled and ruffled his hair. "Happy birthday, Moki."
Mokuba had giggled, and had gone back to his game.
I glanced back, and saw Mother and Father smiling at each other.
Now, looking down at the locket they'd given me, and the picture of my brother, I felt tears running down my face. "I...I love you, too, Moki..." I whispered brokenly.
I shut my eyes and cried.
I didn't notice the man standing beside me until his robe touched my arm. My eyes snapped open, and I looked up at him.
It was the man from my dream. He didn't hold a scale, but the key was there. This was the man I was looking for. This was Shadi.
The Egyptian man looked down at me, his blue eyes twin pools of glowing cerulean. "You seek to relieve great heartache," he said softly, his voice echoing in my ears.
"Y-Yes..." I said, clearing my throat and wiping my eyes.
I stood up and replaced my necklace in my pocket, dusted off my pants and shirt. "You...you are Shadi..."
"I am."
"Someone said...you could help me."
"Maximilian Pegasus, the holder of the eye," Shadi said.
"Y-Yes."
Shadi nodded. "We cannot speak here. Come. Follow me."
I nodded. Shadi began to lead me through the village, taking turns at random (or at least that's what it seemed like to me). I noticed nothing as I walked, only that he eventually led me to a secluded section of the small hamlet, down a stone staircase into a place that I recognized as the tomb from my nightmare.
Shadi turned to me. "Tell me of the troubles you face," he said.
"Well...about a month ago...my brother Mokuba was killed in a car crash. And...I've been having nightmares...almost every day, it seems. It's driving me insane. When I talked to Pegasus, he said that you would know whether or not the Millennium Items could bring him back."
Shadi regarded me silently for a moment. "Your recent past is clouded by darkness. Your reasons for wanting to bring your brother back onto the mortal plane have been selfish. You cannot handle it. You want him back. He was your drive to move on in your life. You wish to bring him back to be at peace with yourself. That is not fair to him.
"Were you the same man you were at the time of your brother's death, you would not be deserving of this knowledge. However, you have changed for the better; you have become the man your brother deserved, and in so doing you have become a man deserving of your brother."
My eyes widened.
"I can give you the knowledge of how to revive him, but I cannot revive him for you. The power to do this lies in only one of the seven Millennium Items: the puzzle. You know personally the holder of the puzzle, do you not?"
"I do," I said, nodding.
"There is a certain spell that can be cast by the Chosen One, the holder of the puzzle, which can revive a soul to the mortal plane, if there is any desire for that soul to return. Your brother has a desire; he wishes to be with you. That I can sense."
My hopes flared. I looked at Shadi in rapt attention, about to burst with excitement. It could be done! I could bring him back!
"Well?" I asked. "What is this spell?"
"The spell involves the switching of souls. The soul revived takes the place of the soul that summoned it, thus allowing the soul revived to remain on the mortal plane. In other words, in order to revive your brother, the Chosen One would be required to take his place on the plane of the dead."
Yugi would have to sacrifice himself for Mokuba...My mouth opened wide. For Mokuba to live, Yugi had to die. I knew that, if I asked, he would do it. He was that selfless, and Mokuba was his friend. He would do it.
"The Chosen One holds the spirit of an ancient within him. That spirit will remember this spell once it is mentioned to him. Such is the magic of the puzzle. Know that the spell must be conducted willingly, you cannot threaten him or trick him into doing it."
I nodded. "Thank you, Shadi."
Shadi nodded. When I was certain he would say no more, I turned and started to leave. As I set foot on the first step, he said "Think first, Seto Kaiba, of what your brother would wish. Would he wish for the Chosen One to revive him, knowing the cost?"
Knowing that Yugi would have to sacrifice himself dampened my spirits...but the realization that the answer to that question was a vehement no...it was as though the entire world had fallen on me.
I stopped, unable to move.
My legs gave out from under me.
I was so close...so close...
"No..." I gasped out. "No..."
"Think first of what your brother would wish..." Shadi's voice murmured, fading into silence. I turned, and he was nowhere to be found.
I sighed. "Think about what Mokuba would wish..." I murmured. "He would wish me to stop thinking about this and move on..."
But I couldn't...
I shook my head, walked out of the tomb and back into the village. It took me until nightfall to finally find my way back to my helicopter. I climbed in, and took off. Something told me to wait until morning to go back home, but I ignored it. What did it matter?