Ever Snow
By Seena
~~~~~~~~~~
Author's notes:
Yay, look at all the reviews I got! Know that I'm going to keep writing this anyway, regardless of reviews, because it's technically part of the Three-In-One Combo! saga. (Indigo officially approves it! This is part of Ankhkare's real past!) ...That, and I doubt Mana will leave me alone about it. This is her past too, and she wants me to write it. Hmm... So I think that between all of us fanfiction authors that use Ankhkare and Senui in their stories, we've made a new genre of writing. Indigo-cannon. ^_^
About last chapter: YES, I know Ankhkare wears green in Three-In-One Combo!. But THAT'S because he graduated from white mage school before he was sealed. This is before then, and non-graduates wear different shades of blue. Light blue as they start, getting darker with each year they pass, until they earn their green robes. And no, I didn't just make that up.
...I also know that Mokuba doesn't exist in the cannon, Kazuki Takahashi-version ancient Egypt. But Ankhkare doesn't exist, either, so eh. ^_^
Senui's in this chapter! ^_^ I love Senui. He's great! I'm... just not entirely sure I can write for him. Or Ankhkare either, really, but whatever... ^_^
Disclaimer:
Mariku: If you think Seena owns Ankhkare, Senui (rights belong to Ai-chan/Indigo Tantarian) or Yu-Gi-Oh!, you're either crazy or stupid - most likely both. She also doesn't own the song ever snow by Yoma Komastu, which Seena didn't even know EXISTED until after she named it that, the baka. I'll rule the world soon, though, so I'LL own Yu-Gi-Oh! along with everything else. And I'll kill the dubbers for what they did to my voice... Though I did get a good laugh when I heard my yami's actor. *snickers* He sounds like a deranged Darth Vader...
Ever Snow
~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 2: Shem-pehtee-ek
~~~~~~~~~~
What are you writing? Mahaado asked, peering over his apprentice's shoulder.
Not realizing that her master had been watching, Mana jumped out of her seat, startled. Frantic to hide her work, she dropped her quill and covered her papyrus with her hands. While this successfully prevented Mahaado from seeing what she was doing, the eleven-year-old also succeeded in getting wet ink all over her fingers and both wrinkling her scroll and smearing her writing and drawing. Still, she smiled up at her teacher, her eyes wide with feigned innocence. Oh, nothing much!
The older mage raised one eyebrow at her, expressing his obvious disbelief, but didn't pry further. Mokuba's here, he simply said, nodding towards the doorway. Mana blinked and followed his gesture with her eyes as her teacher proceeded to get a pitcher of water and cloth for her hands.
The young boy grinned as he walked in, his blue eyes glimmering mischievously as he approached her. Are you really going to spend all the free time you have on your birthday' inside doing work? he laughed.
Mana grinned, cleaning her fingers. No, I guess not!
Mokuba grinned back. Because I've got plans...
She raised her eyebrows, starting to get excited as she dug at the last of the ink under her nails.
The boy's grin turned into a slight smirk as he whispered in her ear. We're going to spy. And I don't just mean on the merchants...
Mana blinked as she put the ink-stained cloth down, and whispered back, Then... who...?
Mokuba's smirk grew wider as he pulled back and crossed his arms. You'll see...
Putting a hand over the ruined papyrus and muttering - a basic fire-spell to burn it, in case someone tried to inspect it later - Mana stood up, her suspense building. Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!
**********
The intense sunlight beat down on the two children as the older girl slowly read, then reread the large hieroglyphs carved in the archway of the towering building before them. She turned to Mokuba in disbelief. The high courthouse...?
Mokuba nodded with a slight grin. Yeah! ...Do you remember that rude judge who came to visit a few weeks back?
Mana frowned as she thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. Takhnashum? The one who called me a nosy brat for asking what he'd been talking about with the guards?
The boy grinned and nodded again. Yeah, him!
Mana raised an eyebrow, both curious and skeptic. ...What ABOUT him...?
The boy smirked slightly, walking around to the left side of the building. We're going to spy on him, of course!
The older mage blinked, running to catch up. Mokuba! We... can't! That's not right!
Mokuba laughed. Sure it is. First of all, we're above them in status, even as high priest-mage trainees. Second of all, it's OUR system of justice, and as citizens of Egypt, we have a right to observe. And by observe', I don't mean having them show us what they want us to see... But rather, what really is.
Interest and curiosity slowly replaced the worry and concern on Mana's face. ...What are you talking about...?
He shook his head, tangling his already-messy black hair even more. Do you really think I'd bring you all the way out here to spy on a bunch of people who aren't hiding anything? This is what REAL spies do - find out what's truly going on with big things - like this!
Mana hesitated, unsure. ...But what makes you think that anything's wrong?
Mokuba smiled slightly and winked at his best friend. I've looked at Takhnashum's past records with Seto. And I snuck in to see some of the private trials he's recently done... The boy frowned, creeping underneath a low window and dropping his voice to a whisper. ...There's something seriously wrong with this guy. I've seen cases where all the evidence points one way, and he still passes his sentence another. Either he has no sense of logic and justice, or he's purposely ruining peoples' lives... and I for one want to find out what's going on, and put an end to it!
The other magician nodded, finally convinced. All right. I'm with you, Mokuba. Let's do this!
Mokuba grinned. That's the spirit, Mana!
She smiled. Okay, so what's the plan?
The younger magician smiled back and pointed to the window above him and lowered his voice even more. This is an empty room. You can climb in easily... I had used some crates to boost me up when I went, but if you lift me first, we won't need to do that.
Mana blinked. You've done this before...?
He shook his head. No, just once, to find Takhnashum's room. I... didn't want to stay and risk getting caught. Besides, you can READ...
Mana laughed softly, remembering just how she'd redoubled her efforts to read and write after meeting him. Because, she figured, without those skills, how would she ever be able to track down the god in mortal form? Mahaado, certainly, had been quite pleased with her rapid progress, though he was completely unaware of her true motivation. For a moment, Mana wished she had decided to stay at the palace, practicing harder or maybe redoing that drawing of him, along with a description to go by when she searched.
Instead, she smiled at her best friend and nodded. Maybe there's some scrolls or documents he's got that'll explain his strange behavior...
Mokuba nodded back, grinning enthusiastically. So... give me a boost up!
She knelt down and put her hands together, locking her fingers.
he replied, putting one foot on Mana's hands and using the other to push off the ground as she helped lift him. Grabbing a hold of the windowsill, he peered over the edge.
Mokuba blinked, then quickly turned and hissed down to his friend, Ah...! Let me go; put me down...!
Mana blinked too, but quickly lowered him, looking nervous.
The younger mage bit his lip, his eyebrows raised in slight worry. Someone's in there! he whispered.
But... you said no one had that room! she answered anxiously, glancing around in fear of being caught.
Mokuba shrugged, obviously nervous, too. No one did, last week... it was completely empty, I swear! Someone... must have transferred in.
Mana nodded, slowly starting to relax. Apparently so... she replied. Well.. we'll just have to wait for them to leave.
Standing on her tiptoes, Mana brought herself high enough to see over the windowsill. A young, very young man - fourteen or so, maybe only a year older than Seto - sat at a stone table, a quill in his hand and a scowl on his handsomely tanned face. His deep black judge's robes were spotlessly clean, his red turban was wrapped neatly about his head - though a few strands of his wild black hair still escaped through the folds. His deep, smoky, sapphire-blue eyes were narrowed in concentration, his brow furrowed in anger - or perhaps annoyance - as he scribbled furiously on his papyrus. Although the man must have been a new arrival, most of his belongings were unpacked; what wasn't was stacked neatly in a corner or precisely placed on a nearby shelf. Although she didn't know exactly whom the young judge was, she noticed two things - he was very rich, and very intelligent.
A stone plaque, embalmed with gold, read, "Nubsamei" - which, Mana guessed, was either the man's name or a word she didn't know yet. A few of his scrolls were tied with golden ribbons, and all sat in painted vases. A set of golden weights, which shone as if polished every day, neatly lined one shelf.
The strokes he made with his quill were fast, yet somehow precise - as if no matter how quickly he wrote, his handwriting would be impeccably perfect. While she couldn't see what the young man was writing, she watched almost in awe at his quill-strokes, still graceful in his anger. Wondering if her handwriting would ever be that good even if she practiced until she was fifty, Mana shook her head in slight amazement. Whoever this prodigy was, that he was talented - and wealthy - enough to be accepted into the high courthouse at his age was astonishing, and Mana felt a slight ping of respect and admiration for him.
...Which was completely destroyed by what happened next.
Senui Nubsamei! The deep voice of an older judge rang through the hallway.
The youth stopped writing and looked up, even more annoyance than before in his eyes. He scowled. he called back, his tone nothing short of rude and his voice far louder than necessary.
Takhnashum poked his head into the room and frowned. I would advise against speaking that way to me.
Senui rolled his eyes and glared. I'm BUSY. What do you want, camel-face?
The older man narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth, making a visible effort to control himself as he took a menacing step forward. I suggest that you watch your tongue... His voice was dangerously low, making it quite clear that it was not a suggestion, but an order.
You didn't answer my question, Senui responded coolly, crossing his arms and smirking slightly.
Takhnashum almost gave an undignified scowl, but caught himself and settled for a disapproving glare. Your parents sent you a letter.
Senui blinked as something between a look of surprise, pleasure, and annoyance crossed his face. What do they want? Something about finances, or just another opportunity to somehow insult me that they just HAD to take?
The older judge raised an eyebrow, giving Senui a long, hard look. Maybe they wanted to congratulate your on being accepted to study here.
He blinked again, then responded with a harsh laugh. SURE, they'd waste their precious time and money writing me a nice letter and paying a courier to deliver it JUST to congratulate me. That MUST have been the reason! He snickered, though there was something not unlike pain hidden behind his bitter sarcasm. My parents don't even WANT me. They dumped me off at school as soon as they could, and the only reason they didn't abandon me at birth is because they expect me to support them when they grow older.
Takhnashum regarded him with unsure disapproval, trying to come up with a proper response. ...Don't you think that's a bit... harsh?
Senui glared.
The older judged sighed slightly, and after a short internal debate followed by much hesitation, Takhnashum said, ...Well, regardless, the letter still IS here. Go read it, and find out.
He responded with a scowl. I was in the middle of something... This stupid letter from those dung beetles had BETTER be worth the interruption!
With that, Senui stood up hotly, quickly rolling up his papyrus at the risk of tearing it, then indignantly - yet somehow, still neatly - tying a string about the scroll and placing it in a nearby vase. After grabbing his quill and almost violently thrusting it back into its jar, he turned and almost tripped over his stool in his anger. A slight smirk crossed Takhnashum's face, but was cut off by a glare of wrath from Senui as he pushed past the older man. The young judge stalked out of the room, muttering to himself about worthless jerks bothering him - followed by Takhnashum, who was muttering to himself about ungrateful, insolent youths who thought they were above everyone else.
**********
Mana and Mokuba – who couldn't see over the windowsill, but had still heard every word – exchanged glances after a short period of initial shock. The girl shook her head slowly. He doesn't know how lucky he is to have parents she muttered.
"What a jerk," Mokuba agreed. "The coast is clear now, though!"
Mana nodded, kneeling and locking her fingers together to boost him up once more. Can someone's parents really be that bad, do you think she asked thoughtfully.
Mokuba shrugged as he stepped up on her hands, and she gave him a boost. I wouldn't know. My father died in battle, and my mother was destroyed in a Yami no Geemu. I remember her a little, but just her face. And I can't remember my dad at ALL He swung his leg up over the windowsill, and half climbed, half-tumbled into the now-vacant room. But there's all kinds of people in the world, so I guess there can be pretty crummy parents, too.
The older mage frowned slightly as she grasped the windowsill and pulled herself up with her arms. I wonder if it's better to have bad parents, or no parents...?
...I think it depends, the young boy answered as he helped her the rest of the way in – as best he could, anyway. After all, we're all being taken care of, either way. But some people aren't as lucky as you, Mana. They stay homeless without parents to support them. Others aren't as lucky as this Senui creep. Even if their reasons aren't pure, his parents are still doing this for him – and he's still reaping the benefits from it. So I say it could really go either way.
Mana nodded, going over to the desk and inspecting the weights on the shelf above with her eyes. I can't help but feel badly for him, though.
Don't bother, Mokuba replied, not bothering to explore the young judge's room and instead creeping toward the doorway. It's none of our business. And there's lots of people who are worse off, you know.
Maybe so she answered, reaching into a pouch on her belt and pulling out a small piece of scrap-papyrus. Taking Senui's quill back out, she carefully – but far from so neatly – wrote, Shem pehtee-ek, ankh-ek iker. Nen sep ab-ek.
Mokuba, having seen the corridor was empty and almost leaving without his friend, turned back and looked at her paper. What's that?
The young girl smiled as she tucked a piece of her soft blonde hair behind her ear. Stand strong, someday your life will be happy. Don't give up.
He blinked. Mana, what are you DOING?! We have to go, while we still have time! Come on!
She neatly replaced the feather back in its jar, and set the small papyrus down on his desk with a slight smile. "All right, then. Let's go!" she answered as she followed him back to the door, leaving no explanation for her note.
Mokuba nodded, a grin spreading across his face once more. After peering around the door frame again to confirm that the corridor was still empty, the two children crept cautiously down the hallway, growing closer and closer to Takhnashum's office...
~~~~~~~~~~
**********
~~~~~~~~~~
Translations
Shem-pehtee-ek: Stand with strength
Sedjet: Fire/Flame (sometimes torch [n.])
Nubsamei: Senui's last name, for the records. Also literally means, golden sky.
Shem pehtee-ek, ankh-ek iker. Nen sep ab-ek.: Stand strong; your life will be wonderful. Never give up. (Literally, it means, stand with strength, your life will be excellent. Never will you stop.)