Dim by Light, Bright by Dark
Chapter 8: The End and the Beginning
Hopelessness and darkness swallowed the pharaoh up. Dark Magician looked on at his master, his eyes stinging with tears. There was no way out and Dark Magician was fading as Yami grew weaker and weaker. The last thing Yami saw was the blurry and nearly transparent apparition of the Dark Magician crying for him before he fell into a deep sleep in which, he was not supposed to ever awaken again.
Dark Magician knew that once the Pharaoh lost consciousness he would disappear completely until a new master summoned him again. Yet, instead of growing weaker Dark Magician felt his powers suddenly returning to him. Along with his strange powers, he saw that the Pharaoh was glowing. There was a golden edge around his entire body almost like a shield. It did not waver, it only grew brighter.
"What's going on?" Dark Magician wondered.
He looked up from Yami and noticed a Shadow up ahead. He tried to focus on the face, but it was completely hidden in Shadows.
Shadow answered Dark Magician in his smooth, mellow voice. "The glow you see is Yami's life force. As it pulses, you are regaining your strength."
The Shadow moved so quickly across the floor, Dark Magician had to only blink once before he saw Shadow hovering over his master.
"Stay back!" Dark Magician shouted. He brought his staff up, ready to attack. Just as he did so though, Shadow raised his hand up stopping all movement from Dark Magician. Dark Magician looked at him in wonder.
Slowly, Shadow brought his hand over Dark Magician's eyes. And before Dark Magician could say anything more, his image crumbled into pieces. He would have to wait many millennia before Pharaoh Yami would summon him once again.
Slowly, Yami opened his eyes. Was that all a dream or was it very real and now he was dead because of it? He looked around him. He was lying safely in his bed chamber. Since he was glancing about so quickly, he had missed the person standing in the shadows. Yami slowly got up and moved his legs over the bed. Shadow watched his hunched form in the dark. Only he saw the fire that glowed around the Pharaoh stronger than ever.
"It is time," Shadow spoke.
Yami's head snapped up. He stood and quickly turned around to look for the source of the voice. "Who was that?!" He demanded, still not seeing anyone or recognizing the voice that had spoken. When there was no answer he walked around the bed to be in full view of Shadow.
Shadow stepped out from hiding and gave three respectful bows on his knees to the Pharaoh. Yami looked at him strangely, not because of his reverence since a pharaoh was used to it, but because of the look on his face. He had blue eyes and a dark, pleasant face, one that showed no signs of evil. But then again such faces had fooled him, the Pharaoh, before and led to the destruction of his kingdom. He looked over his shoulder, out the window as Shadi remained on his knees. There was still fire and destruction. Further on, Yami saw the shadows of the Gods.
"It is very real, My Pharaoh," Shadi told him, reading his thoughts by interpreting his actions.
Once again Yami turned to face him demanding for his name a second time.
"I am Shadi," he answered, bowing again before rising to his feet.
"How did you get in here? There are guards all over this place. There is no way you got around them."
"There is no one left, but you and me."
Yami's eyes widened in horror.
"Your home has fallen. I am sustaining this room with my magic as all else crumbles around us."
"No." Yami whispered, his eyes throbbing with tears.
"Look," Shadi said, directing his finger towards the window. His eyes hardened. "Look and see if I'm lying."
Yami looked. Shadi was not lying. The room was on top of the broken stones of the greatest pyramid, in all of Egypt. What held the room from sliding off the hill of rubble and what held it from crumbling away like the rest, was a silver outline that Shadi had conjured up to protect them both from outsiders.
"We have little time," Shadi said as the Pharaoh turned back to him.
Yami watched him open a portal. It swirled with silver and grey, just like the magic that held the room up. "We must hurry before the magic runs out."
Yami was hesitant, but then he felt a force push him into the hole. Shadi's magic was powerful and it frightened the Pharaoh that Shadi could so easily control it. Shadi followed the Pharaoh down after him. Both landed lightly in a dank hall, completely enveloped in darkness.
Yami quickly turned to look at Shadi in incredulity, who had lit a torch for light.
Without looking up at the Pharaoh, Shadi answered the question in the Pharaoh's mind. "I have lived very long mastering my powers. I have been alive since the first pharaoh ruled Egypt."
Shadi quickly led Yami through the darkness.
"They are far away from Egypt, now. Soon the whole Earth will be destroyed if we do not hurry," Shadi said submissively.
"Then, what can we do?!" Yami shouted.
"There is only one way left. And it is up to you," Shadi replied.
They both looked up at the same time when they saw a light looming up ahead. It grew brighter and larger the closer they drew near it. And soon they were inside an empty, cavern. Inside, torches that circled the entire cavern lit the whole place up, revealing the stones of the walls, evenly carved and evenly fitted.
"You must recognize the work of your ancestors," Shadi said with a weak smile.
That was the first time Yami saw him smile and it made him wonder. Just maybe the Pharaoh could trust him.
Without waiting for a reply from Yami, Shadi moved toward the center of the room where a few stairs led atop a stone plaque. It was crudely made square shaped, but still it was about five feet in width and length.
They climbed the few steps up the dais where the plaque lay on a stone pedestal. Immediately Yami's first reaction was once again of awe. He gasped when his eyes caught a look at the items wedded into the stone.
"They are the Millennium Items. Each made by one of the Pharaohs of each Egyptian Dynasty," Shadi said.
"What do they do?"
"They preserve the spirit and magic of a sorcerer, like yourself, My Pharaoh."
"Why are you showing me this?"
"Because it is time for you to decide the fate of this world today and if you are willing to save the fate of the world in the future."
"You speak in riddles. How am I supposed to understand you?" Yami asked furiously.
When Yami didn't hear an answer. He looked up at Shadi, who was studying him intently.
"Well, what do you see in me?" Yami asked him.
"You are powerful for someone your age. I believe in you."
Yami looked at the Millennium Items one by one. The Millennium Scale, Millennium Key, Millennium Ring, Millennium Eye, Millennium Necklace, and lastly the Millennium Rod.
In total there were six millennium items from six dynasties. But, where was the Millennium item of the seventh dynasty. Yami thought his father might have been the one to create the seventh Millennium Item.
Yami touched the center of the plaque where he believed that the seventh Millennium Item should be. When his finger tips touched the cold stone, a light suddenly flashed right before his eyes.
What he saw in the golden light was a black eye, its pupil glowing more brilliant than the golden light. The surrounding light came together like puzzle pieces. Physically, Yami felt a chain come around his neck and something hard rest on his chest. The light vanished and he saw Shadi waiting and looking at him calmly.
"What happened?" Yami asked breathlessly.
"You have just created the seventh Millennium Item."
Yami looked at the pyramid shaped item around his neck. There were little jagged cracks in them that made it look like it was made with different-shaped pieces, unlike how pyramids were built in Egypt, rectangular bricks stacked up evenly.
"It's a puzzle," Yami stated bluntly.
"The Millennium Puzzle," Shadi added.
Yami smiled as he held the item in between his two hands.
"And look, Yami. There is the same eye on your Millennium Puzzle imprinted in every other item."
He was right. Before, the Millennium Items were just plain items that could have passed for anything, but now that they were about to be used, they were marked with the eye that the puzzle had. There was also a mold for the Millennium Puzzle in the center of the plaque, where Yami had touched its cold surface.
"There is still no hope of saving Egypt, though…" Yami sighed in defeat.
"Yes, but there is hope in saving the world. However, it is your choice to make."
"How?" Yami asked. "They're gods."
"You must sacrifice this life by transferring your spirit to your Millennium Item. By sacrificing your spirit you also activate the magic of all the Millennium Items that will help seal the Gods. However once you have activated that magic to seal the Gods it is also required that you transfer six spirits to each item."
"Six spirits?"
"These six spirits will live in the six items before they are to be reawakened by the users in the future. Fate will decide who will come along with you."
"Even I will be in some other human's body."
"Yes." Suddenly Shadi's expression turned grimmer if it were possible. "But you will remember nothing of this past once you reawaken in someone else's body. Only your spirit will be preserved."
Shadi stopped speaking when the Earth suddenly started to rumble. Once the floor stilled again Shadi said, "To activate the Millennium puzzle you must put it in the mold of the stone. It will fit perfectly. Go on!"
Yami was about to stick it into the center of the plaque, but stopped. "How can I trust that you are not lying to me? I have been betrayed so many times by my closest followers. How could you, a stranger, be trusted?"
"I don't know, Yami. You will just have to trust your heart." He paused again as the Earth shook them a second time. "This temple will bury us if you do not do this now."
Yami took a deep breath and murmured, "Trust in myself." He slammed the Millennium Puzzle into the mold that he had created in the plaque and watched as it shattered to pieces.
Yami looked up at Shadi as if it were the last time he would ever see him again.
"Do not worry, My Pharaoh. We shall meet again," Shadi promised.
Yami watched his own spirit move out of his own body. Shadi caught his empty vessel, as Yami's spirit flew around the temple for what, Yami thought, would be his last time. Then, he flew downward, head first toward the dais and resided in the eye of the Millennium Puzzle.
Shadi watched all this. Once Yami's spirit disappeared, so did his body that he held in his arms on the floor. Shadi smiled a secret smile and got up from his place. He looked over the Millennium Items and noticed the Millennium Key still glowing.
"I will be the guardian of the Millennium Items before the day comes." Shadi reached over for the Millennium Key. Once he touched it, the light of all the Millennium Items illuminated the Temple. Through the tunnel the light flowed and escaped to the Earth, spreading its light on everything dead. The greenest grass grew again. And the sun glowed brighter than it ever had before.
=
This is the last chapter. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading it. It hurts to see that no one really reviewed this story. -- But oh well. I had fun writing it. I always wanted to write my own version of a Pharaoh Yami and Sorcerer Seto story. It was kind of interesting, watching my mind unfold with this idea. Hehe.
Have a nice day and thanks for reading,
-MistyWing
Chapter 8: The End and the Beginning
Hopelessness and darkness swallowed the pharaoh up. Dark Magician looked on at his master, his eyes stinging with tears. There was no way out and Dark Magician was fading as Yami grew weaker and weaker. The last thing Yami saw was the blurry and nearly transparent apparition of the Dark Magician crying for him before he fell into a deep sleep in which, he was not supposed to ever awaken again.
Dark Magician knew that once the Pharaoh lost consciousness he would disappear completely until a new master summoned him again. Yet, instead of growing weaker Dark Magician felt his powers suddenly returning to him. Along with his strange powers, he saw that the Pharaoh was glowing. There was a golden edge around his entire body almost like a shield. It did not waver, it only grew brighter.
"What's going on?" Dark Magician wondered.
He looked up from Yami and noticed a Shadow up ahead. He tried to focus on the face, but it was completely hidden in Shadows.
Shadow answered Dark Magician in his smooth, mellow voice. "The glow you see is Yami's life force. As it pulses, you are regaining your strength."
The Shadow moved so quickly across the floor, Dark Magician had to only blink once before he saw Shadow hovering over his master.
"Stay back!" Dark Magician shouted. He brought his staff up, ready to attack. Just as he did so though, Shadow raised his hand up stopping all movement from Dark Magician. Dark Magician looked at him in wonder.
Slowly, Shadow brought his hand over Dark Magician's eyes. And before Dark Magician could say anything more, his image crumbled into pieces. He would have to wait many millennia before Pharaoh Yami would summon him once again.
Slowly, Yami opened his eyes. Was that all a dream or was it very real and now he was dead because of it? He looked around him. He was lying safely in his bed chamber. Since he was glancing about so quickly, he had missed the person standing in the shadows. Yami slowly got up and moved his legs over the bed. Shadow watched his hunched form in the dark. Only he saw the fire that glowed around the Pharaoh stronger than ever.
"It is time," Shadow spoke.
Yami's head snapped up. He stood and quickly turned around to look for the source of the voice. "Who was that?!" He demanded, still not seeing anyone or recognizing the voice that had spoken. When there was no answer he walked around the bed to be in full view of Shadow.
Shadow stepped out from hiding and gave three respectful bows on his knees to the Pharaoh. Yami looked at him strangely, not because of his reverence since a pharaoh was used to it, but because of the look on his face. He had blue eyes and a dark, pleasant face, one that showed no signs of evil. But then again such faces had fooled him, the Pharaoh, before and led to the destruction of his kingdom. He looked over his shoulder, out the window as Shadi remained on his knees. There was still fire and destruction. Further on, Yami saw the shadows of the Gods.
"It is very real, My Pharaoh," Shadi told him, reading his thoughts by interpreting his actions.
Once again Yami turned to face him demanding for his name a second time.
"I am Shadi," he answered, bowing again before rising to his feet.
"How did you get in here? There are guards all over this place. There is no way you got around them."
"There is no one left, but you and me."
Yami's eyes widened in horror.
"Your home has fallen. I am sustaining this room with my magic as all else crumbles around us."
"No." Yami whispered, his eyes throbbing with tears.
"Look," Shadi said, directing his finger towards the window. His eyes hardened. "Look and see if I'm lying."
Yami looked. Shadi was not lying. The room was on top of the broken stones of the greatest pyramid, in all of Egypt. What held the room from sliding off the hill of rubble and what held it from crumbling away like the rest, was a silver outline that Shadi had conjured up to protect them both from outsiders.
"We have little time," Shadi said as the Pharaoh turned back to him.
Yami watched him open a portal. It swirled with silver and grey, just like the magic that held the room up. "We must hurry before the magic runs out."
Yami was hesitant, but then he felt a force push him into the hole. Shadi's magic was powerful and it frightened the Pharaoh that Shadi could so easily control it. Shadi followed the Pharaoh down after him. Both landed lightly in a dank hall, completely enveloped in darkness.
Yami quickly turned to look at Shadi in incredulity, who had lit a torch for light.
Without looking up at the Pharaoh, Shadi answered the question in the Pharaoh's mind. "I have lived very long mastering my powers. I have been alive since the first pharaoh ruled Egypt."
Shadi quickly led Yami through the darkness.
"They are far away from Egypt, now. Soon the whole Earth will be destroyed if we do not hurry," Shadi said submissively.
"Then, what can we do?!" Yami shouted.
"There is only one way left. And it is up to you," Shadi replied.
They both looked up at the same time when they saw a light looming up ahead. It grew brighter and larger the closer they drew near it. And soon they were inside an empty, cavern. Inside, torches that circled the entire cavern lit the whole place up, revealing the stones of the walls, evenly carved and evenly fitted.
"You must recognize the work of your ancestors," Shadi said with a weak smile.
That was the first time Yami saw him smile and it made him wonder. Just maybe the Pharaoh could trust him.
Without waiting for a reply from Yami, Shadi moved toward the center of the room where a few stairs led atop a stone plaque. It was crudely made square shaped, but still it was about five feet in width and length.
They climbed the few steps up the dais where the plaque lay on a stone pedestal. Immediately Yami's first reaction was once again of awe. He gasped when his eyes caught a look at the items wedded into the stone.
"They are the Millennium Items. Each made by one of the Pharaohs of each Egyptian Dynasty," Shadi said.
"What do they do?"
"They preserve the spirit and magic of a sorcerer, like yourself, My Pharaoh."
"Why are you showing me this?"
"Because it is time for you to decide the fate of this world today and if you are willing to save the fate of the world in the future."
"You speak in riddles. How am I supposed to understand you?" Yami asked furiously.
When Yami didn't hear an answer. He looked up at Shadi, who was studying him intently.
"Well, what do you see in me?" Yami asked him.
"You are powerful for someone your age. I believe in you."
Yami looked at the Millennium Items one by one. The Millennium Scale, Millennium Key, Millennium Ring, Millennium Eye, Millennium Necklace, and lastly the Millennium Rod.
In total there were six millennium items from six dynasties. But, where was the Millennium item of the seventh dynasty. Yami thought his father might have been the one to create the seventh Millennium Item.
Yami touched the center of the plaque where he believed that the seventh Millennium Item should be. When his finger tips touched the cold stone, a light suddenly flashed right before his eyes.
What he saw in the golden light was a black eye, its pupil glowing more brilliant than the golden light. The surrounding light came together like puzzle pieces. Physically, Yami felt a chain come around his neck and something hard rest on his chest. The light vanished and he saw Shadi waiting and looking at him calmly.
"What happened?" Yami asked breathlessly.
"You have just created the seventh Millennium Item."
Yami looked at the pyramid shaped item around his neck. There were little jagged cracks in them that made it look like it was made with different-shaped pieces, unlike how pyramids were built in Egypt, rectangular bricks stacked up evenly.
"It's a puzzle," Yami stated bluntly.
"The Millennium Puzzle," Shadi added.
Yami smiled as he held the item in between his two hands.
"And look, Yami. There is the same eye on your Millennium Puzzle imprinted in every other item."
He was right. Before, the Millennium Items were just plain items that could have passed for anything, but now that they were about to be used, they were marked with the eye that the puzzle had. There was also a mold for the Millennium Puzzle in the center of the plaque, where Yami had touched its cold surface.
"There is still no hope of saving Egypt, though…" Yami sighed in defeat.
"Yes, but there is hope in saving the world. However, it is your choice to make."
"How?" Yami asked. "They're gods."
"You must sacrifice this life by transferring your spirit to your Millennium Item. By sacrificing your spirit you also activate the magic of all the Millennium Items that will help seal the Gods. However once you have activated that magic to seal the Gods it is also required that you transfer six spirits to each item."
"Six spirits?"
"These six spirits will live in the six items before they are to be reawakened by the users in the future. Fate will decide who will come along with you."
"Even I will be in some other human's body."
"Yes." Suddenly Shadi's expression turned grimmer if it were possible. "But you will remember nothing of this past once you reawaken in someone else's body. Only your spirit will be preserved."
Shadi stopped speaking when the Earth suddenly started to rumble. Once the floor stilled again Shadi said, "To activate the Millennium puzzle you must put it in the mold of the stone. It will fit perfectly. Go on!"
Yami was about to stick it into the center of the plaque, but stopped. "How can I trust that you are not lying to me? I have been betrayed so many times by my closest followers. How could you, a stranger, be trusted?"
"I don't know, Yami. You will just have to trust your heart." He paused again as the Earth shook them a second time. "This temple will bury us if you do not do this now."
Yami took a deep breath and murmured, "Trust in myself." He slammed the Millennium Puzzle into the mold that he had created in the plaque and watched as it shattered to pieces.
Yami looked up at Shadi as if it were the last time he would ever see him again.
"Do not worry, My Pharaoh. We shall meet again," Shadi promised.
Yami watched his own spirit move out of his own body. Shadi caught his empty vessel, as Yami's spirit flew around the temple for what, Yami thought, would be his last time. Then, he flew downward, head first toward the dais and resided in the eye of the Millennium Puzzle.
Shadi watched all this. Once Yami's spirit disappeared, so did his body that he held in his arms on the floor. Shadi smiled a secret smile and got up from his place. He looked over the Millennium Items and noticed the Millennium Key still glowing.
"I will be the guardian of the Millennium Items before the day comes." Shadi reached over for the Millennium Key. Once he touched it, the light of all the Millennium Items illuminated the Temple. Through the tunnel the light flowed and escaped to the Earth, spreading its light on everything dead. The greenest grass grew again. And the sun glowed brighter than it ever had before.
=
This is the last chapter. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading it. It hurts to see that no one really reviewed this story. -- But oh well. I had fun writing it. I always wanted to write my own version of a Pharaoh Yami and Sorcerer Seto story. It was kind of interesting, watching my mind unfold with this idea. Hehe.
Have a nice day and thanks for reading,
-MistyWing